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Can setting aside a few moments each day change your spiritual life? In our latest episode, we explore the transformative power of daily Torah study, as highlighted in Siman 27 of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. With life's demands constantly pulling us in different directions, we discuss the necessity of dedicating time to study, whether it be a brief verse or an in-depth halacha. We share insights on how this practice can act as a spiritual safeguard and a source of strength, even through life's trials.Together, we unravel the beautiful synergy between supporting Torah study and engaging with it firsthand, inspired by the biblical partnership of Zebulun and Issachar. Our conversation reveals how even small acts of learning, when time is scarce, can bring immense spiritual benefit. By focusing on basic Jewish law, Agadah, and Mussar, we can foster personal growth and character development. We also highlight structured learning schedules like "Chok L'Yisroel" or "A Daily Dose of Torah" as tools to help integrate Torah study into our daily routines.The episode concludes with a powerful reflection on the holiness of Torah study. We emphasize the merit found in merely speaking the words of Torah aloud, a practice that deepens our spiritual connection and comprehension. Even when understanding is elusive, the effort put into studying Torah is treasured by Hashem. We invite you to join us in discovering the joy and wisdom of Torah, encouraging both young and old to approach this divine learning with enthusiasm and a prayerful heart.To have your questions featured on the Ask Away series, please submit your questions at askaway@torchweb.org_____________The Everyday Judaism Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and appreciating the greatness of Jewish heritage and the Torah through the simplified, concise study of Halacha, Jewish Law, thereby enhancing our understanding of how Hashem wants us to live our daily lives in a Jewish way._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Marshall & Doreen LernerDownload & Print the Everyday Judaism Halacha Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RL-PideM42B_LFn6pbrk8MMU5-zqlLG5This episode (Ep. #41) of the Everyday Judaism Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated to my dearest friends, Marshall & Doreen Lerner! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) to a live audience on June 1, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on June 15, 2025_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#AskAway, #Halacha, #Jewishlaw, #TorahStudy, #SpiritualGrowth, #ConsistentStudy, #Zebulun, #Issachar ★ Support this podcast ★
Can setting aside a few moments each day change your spiritual life? In our latest episode, we explore the transformative power of daily Torah study, as highlighted in Siman 27 of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. With life's demands constantly pulling us in different directions, we discuss the necessity of dedicating time to study, whether it be a brief verse or an in-depth halacha. We share insights on how this practice can act as a spiritual safeguard and a source of strength, even through life's trials.Together, we unravel the beautiful synergy between supporting Torah study and engaging with it firsthand, inspired by the biblical partnership of Zebulun and Issachar. Our conversation reveals how even small acts of learning, when time is scarce, can bring immense spiritual benefit. By focusing on basic Jewish law, Agadah, and Mussar, we can foster personal growth and character development. We also highlight structured learning schedules like "Chok L'Yisroel" or "A Daily Dose of Torah" as tools to help integrate Torah study into our daily routines.The episode concludes with a powerful reflection on the holiness of Torah study. We emphasize the merit found in merely speaking the words of Torah aloud, a practice that deepens our spiritual connection and comprehension. Even when understanding is elusive, the effort put into studying Torah is treasured by Hashem. We invite you to join us in discovering the joy and wisdom of Torah, encouraging both young and old to approach this divine learning with enthusiasm and a prayerful heart.To have your questions featured on the Ask Away series, please submit your questions at askaway@torchweb.org_____________The Everyday Judaism Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and appreciating the greatness of Jewish heritage and the Torah through the simplified, concise study of Halacha, Jewish Law, thereby enhancing our understanding of how Hashem wants us to live our daily lives in a Jewish way._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Marshall & Doreen LernerDownload & Print the Everyday Judaism Halacha Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RL-PideM42B_LFn6pbrk8MMU5-zqlLG5This episode (Ep. #41) of the Everyday Judaism Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated to my dearest friends, Marshall & Doreen Lerner! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) to a live audience on June 1, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on June 15, 2025_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#AskAway, #Halacha, #Jewishlaw, #TorahStudy, #SpiritualGrowth, #ConsistentStudy, #Zebulun, #Issachar ★ Support this podcast ★
Welcome to another one of our Bible Studies! In today's Bible study, we will be considering the book of Issachar. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfcZWAqrGOqUGZv7HHWjwyQ Website: www.messianics.us Bet Yeshurun Assembly, Berkley, Michigan, Oakland County. PayPal donations can be securely made at the bottom of the main page of our website: https://messianics.us
Psalm - God's goodness and Israel's waywardness. A petition to be saved from death. Praise for the Lord's goodness. The majesty of the Lord. 1 Chronicles - Genealogy from Issachar. Descendantsof Benjamin. Sons of Naphtali. Descendants of Manasseh. Descendants of Ephraim. Descendants of Asher. Luke - Jesus before Pilate. Jesus before Herod. Pilate seeks Jesus' release. Simon carries the cross. The crucifixionJesus buried. .
At first glance, Issachar and his descendants seem to be overlooked in the Bible. However, careful examination shows that they were men of means, men of might, and men of understanding and discernment. As a type, they show us that no one is small or insignificant to God. He sees our hearts and our commitment, and He has called us for a purpose. VF-2065 Scripture: Genesis 30:14-18, Genesis 49:14-15 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2025 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved
This chapter highlights the descendants of Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim and Asher.
Joshua 19 tells of the inheritances of Simeon, Zebulon, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Dan; as well as Joshua's personal allocation. Simeon was the second eldest of Israel's sons so this allotment was to be the next chosen by lot. Verses 1-9 describe the territories and cities given to Simeon. These portions are in the Negev – the southern part of Canaan. Verses 10-16 outline Zebulon's allotted lands and the twelve cities in that portion. Verses 17-23 describe Issachar's allocation and the sixteen cities within this allotment. Verses 24-31 tell of Asher's portion in the north of the land like Zebulon's allotment and also of Naphtali. Those two tribes were the subjects of enlightenment by the gospel message, spoken of in Isaiah 9 and preached by our Lord Jesus Christ during his ministry, which was chiefly in Galilee. The city of Cabul, mentioned in verse 27, was given by king Solomon to Hiram, king of Tyre. Hiram saw them as a disagreeable present. Verses 32-39 speak of Naphtali's inheritance with its nineteen cities. Verses 40-48 tell of Dan's lands. In the numbering of the sealed disciples from each tribe (Revelation 7) we find that Dan is omitted. Possibly as Dan became a source of idolatry and apostacy within the Promised Land.Verses 49-51 reveal Joshua's inheritance in the hill country of Ephraim, which Joshua had requested from Moses and was granted by Yahweh's command.
Joshua 19 tells of the inheritances of Simeon, Zebulon, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Dan; as well as Joshua's personal allocation. Simeon was the second eldest of Israel's sons so this allotment was to be the next chosen by lot. Verses 1-9 describe the territories and cities given to Simeon. These portions are in the Negev – the southern part of Canaan. Verses 10-16 outline Zebulon's allotted lands and the twelve cities in that portion. Verses 17-23 describe Issachar's allocation and the sixteen cities within this allotment. Verses 24-31 tell of Asher's portion in the north of the land like Zebulon's allotment and also of Naphtali. Those two tribes were the subjects of enlightenment by the gospel message, spoken of in Isaiah 9 and preached by our Lord Jesus Christ during his ministry, which was chiefly in Galilee. The city of Cabul, mentioned in verse 27, was given by king Solomon to Hiram, king of Tyre. Hiram saw them as a disagreeable present. Verses 32-39 speak of Naphtali's inheritance with its nineteen cities. Verses 40-48 tell of Dan's lands. In the numbering of the sealed disciples from each tribe (Revelation 7) we find that Dan is omitted. Possibly as Dan became a source of idolatry and apostacy within the Promised Land. Verses 49-51 reveal Joshua's inheritance in the hill country of Ephraim, which Joshua had requested from Moses and was granted by Yahweh's command. Isaiah 25 is a remarkable chapter in which God promises to swallow death in victory. It is like the interspersed empowering visions that we find throughout the book of Revelation. The purpose of this chapter, found often in the scriptures is to give the faithful believers a vision of the great promise of the Almighty to His children that He is fully in control and no matter how disconcerting the raging of the nations are in their troubled sea God will give His children peace and assurance (compare Isaiah 26:1-4). Isaiah 25:1-2 explain that his Sovereign's acts cause the prophet to praise his God. Verses 3-5 say that the LORD's protection of the poor and His defence of His people when facing destruction from the powerful oppressors brings them to extol Him. Verses 6-9 tell us that in that time of distress; in that place of insecurity and apparent hopelessness; there is no need to fear. Yahweh will because of His faithfulness without fail deliver His people. Their greatest enemy – death – will not swallow them. Rather will our Omnipotent Sovereign swallow death itself in victory – 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. How motivated are we to strive indefatigably to serve our God with all our might, all strength, all our heart and with every fibre of our being? Hosea gives a similar message: Hosea 13:14. Both these passages are united in the great message by the Apostle in the teachings he has given to us in 1 Corinthians 15. Slowly read aloud Isaiah 25:9 and pause and ponder its power for you. The chapter finishes with the mighty acts of the LORD exercised on behalf of His children. Hebrews 8 tells of Jesus the High Priest administering a “better” covenant. What majestic language the writer uses to start this chapter. Jesus is seated at His Father's right hand – called “the throne of the Majesty in heaven” (V1 ESV). Our Lord Jesus serves in the true tent pitched by God, and not man (he was, by miraculous begettal “the Son of God”). The Tabernacle was typical and the man gifted by God for the fabricating of that tent was Aholiab (meaning in Hebrew “from the Father's tent”) Christ as our heavenly High Priest has both offered sacrifices and given great gifts. The Exodus record twice tells us that Moses was to make the Tabernacle after the pattern which was shown to him in the Mount. The covenant Christ mediates has been founded on “better” promises. The writer cites Jeremiah 31:31-34 in verses 8-12 of chapter 8. The concluding verses take us back to chapter 1, which cited Psalm 102:25-26 indicating that Messiah would end the Mosaic covenant (the “heavens” being there mentioned). Verses 1-10 of chapter 9 speak of the earthly (typical) sanctuary – the Tabernacle. This was set up for Israel's worship, in a holy place where the comers thereto could have their minds centred on divine matters. The writer firstly describes the Holy Place in v2. From verses 3-5 we are taken beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies ie Most Holy Place. Some, wrongly believe, that the writer has here made a mistake in placing the incense altar in the Most Holy: thus for one day each year the incense altar was the Most Holy Place. On the Day of Atonement (the only day in which the High Priest was allowed into the Most Holy) incense had to fill the Most Holy before the High Priest was allowed to enter – “lest he (the High Priest) die”. And every other day the sweet incense of prayer permeated the Holy of Holies (Revelation 8:3-4). Whilst the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, were operating they had a status; but, when Jesus died and the veil separating the Holy and Most Holy Place was rent from top to bottom, it could not function any longer. Those former structures being only the shadow and not the reality, are no longer needed. Christ, the believer's High Priest, is there, in heaven for us. From verses 11-28, of chapter 9, the writer explains how we have redemption through what was achieved in Jesus' offering of himself on the tree (cross). One offering for all time of himself has opened the way for salvation. The offering of bulls and calves provided ritual forgiveness, on the condition that the person making the offering understood what God was teaching (the law was a teacher to bring worshippers to an understanding of Jesus' sacrifice – Galatians 3:23-26). But the Law of Moses could never cleanse the conscience of the offerer – since it was the sin of each person that was atoned for, and by the slaying of an animal – incapable of sinning (as it didn't have a nature which prompts sin) our conscience is cleansed. So by our identification with Jesus' offering, as one of us (and representing us in every respect; as the earlier chapters of the book explain – particularly chapters 2, 4 and 5).; we have been given a clear conscience. But the understanding of what Jesus has done on our behalf powerfully motivates us to forsake and turn from our sins to right ways. The old covenant was ratified by the death of animals; but the covenant in Christ, is brought into force by the death and RESURRECTION of our Lord. Verse 22 of chapter 9 states an eternal principle, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (ESV). And so Christ's “better” sacrifice has brought us nearer to God. All this by one perfect offering. Verses 27-28 tell us that having dealt with the problem of sin in his first advent, our Lord Jesus will destroy it for ever at his second coming. For Christ no longer is burdened by a nature biased towards sin, but in a sinless immortal body he will do the eradicate sin for every believer (see 1 Corinthians 15:13-28). Read aloud, pause and ponder.
Joseph Z is back today for Day 3! He is the founder of Z Ministries, an author, broadcaster, Bible teacher, and international prophetic voice! His new book is: The Spirit of Elijah: Expose the Truth. Embrace God's Power. Break the Antichrist Spirit. Hear Joseph Z's inspired words regarding breaking the antichrist spirit, how we must unite not fight, why we need men to become Sons of Issachar, the Oaks vs. Redwoods Movement, and how to recognize the antichrist's tactics and spirit!
Joshua 19 details the final allotment of land among the remaining tribes of Israel as they settled in Canaan. This chapter specifically outlines the inheritance given to the tribes of Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan. Each tribe received their portion according to God's command through Joshua. Interestingly, the tribe of Simeon's territory was within Judah's larger allotment, showing a shared space due to Judah's abundance. The chapter concludes with a special note: Joshua himself receives his own inheritance—the city of Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim—highlighting his faithful service to God and Israel. This chapter emphasizes God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises and the importance of every tribe having a place in the Promised Land.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.
This is CrossPoliticNews’ Weekly Roundup sponsored by Christian Business Leaders Network. If you want to find out more about this network and its efforts to connect Christian business leaders so that they can more effectively help their businesses and shape culture, visit businessmakers.network. Again, that’s businessmakers.network. (https://businessmakers.network/) What if I told you that the Supreme Court is reading the Constitution wrong because they don’t understand basic grammar that a fourth grader could know? Yes, it’s actually true, but before I explain why, we first need to talk about the tug of war going on in Washington State about transgenderism. As our journalist Justin Chartrey reported, our country was broadly forced to accept the lie that boys could play in women’s sports, and if anyone questioned it, they were called names and canceled. That sounds like a toddler tantrum to me. Well, thankfully, Trump signed an executive order in February to keep boys out of girls’ sports, so this has been a blessing to our nation. However, not everyone on the West Coast has gotten the memo. The government of Washington State does not want to change its liberal policies, and this has frustrated the Central Valley School District by the city of Spokane. This school district is not only writing a complaint against the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction of Washington State, but it has also appealed to Washington D.C. by asking the department of education and the department of justice to investigate Washington State’s transgender sports policy. The Central Valey School District is not alone in its efforts, though, because the Mead School District in Washington State is also opposing Washington State’s transgender sport wickedness. However, I mentioned before that this is a tug-of-war, and so this is why. If the state government doesn't comply, then the federal government will hold money from the school districts. But if the school districts comply with the federal government, then the state government will take away funding. And here's the practical side of the problem. The federal government only holds 5% of a school district's budgets with their funding, but Washington State controls 78% of a school district's budgets. So, right now, the state government is the holding the bigger gun, but this hasn’t stopped Central Valley from asking for help from Washington D.C. anyway. We need more school districts like Central Valley and Mead to step out and do the right thing in states that are steeped in a liberal government. Check out the details at crosspoliticnews.com. (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/school-districts-take-up-title-ix-fight) Meanwhile, our reporter David Fowler wrote about the confusion over the first amendment in the Supreme court, and, like I said earlier, the court doesn’t understand the grammar right. We saw this begin to play out again a few weeks ago in a case where a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma wanted tax support from the state, but the state’s government refused. This made its way to the Supreme Court, but it seems like the Court will probably rule against the school because the court tends to rely more on its past precedents and rulings than the Constitution. And even though its previous rulings sometimes contradict each other or don’t seem to fit together, it doesn’t seem like there will be much support for the Catholic school, mostly because people have misunderstood what the Constitution says about religion. People love pointing to the First Amendment as proof for why the U.S. should stay away from religion in politics, but this is where looking at the grammar is helpful. The first amendment specifically says that, quote, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, unquote. As Justice Story wrote back in the 1800s, the first amendment was supposed to specifically prevent Congress from establishing a, as our journalist David Fowler wrote, quote, “national ecclesiastical establishment” unquote. Congress was the subject in the first amendment—not individual states. Again, as our journalist David Fowler wrote, “The First Amendment’s religion clauses do not give this Court jurisdiction to legislate a tax and educational policy for those in Oklahoma.” (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/will-scotus-get-the-religion-clauses-wrong-again) Find out more of the details at crosspoliticnewscom. To discover more news, check out some of our other articles, such as "The Thunder Take the Basketball World by Storm" by our journalist B.T. Westen, or "The Sons of Issachar mark the Tenth Anniversary of Evangelicalism’s Death" by our reporter David Fowler, or even "Governor Signs off on Tax Hikes" by our journalist Justin Chartrey. Here at CrossPoliticNews, we want to faithfully deliver you unbiased news from a Christian worldview. For more content, you can find us on YouTube at CrossPolitic News, follow us on X at cpnewsusa or cpnewsaus in Australia, or head to our email list and find us at CrossPoliticNews.com.
This is CrossPoliticNews’ Weekly Roundup sponsored by Christian Business Leaders Network. If you want to find out more about this network and its efforts to connect Christian business leaders so that they can more effectively help their businesses and shape culture, visit businessmakers.network. Again, that’s businessmakers.network. (https://businessmakers.network/) What if I told you that the Supreme Court is reading the Constitution wrong because they don’t understand basic grammar that a fourth grader could know? Yes, it’s actually true, but before I explain why, we first need to talk about the tug of war going on in Washington State about transgenderism. As our journalist Justin Chartrey reported, our country was broadly forced to accept the lie that boys could play in women’s sports, and if anyone questioned it, they were called names and canceled. That sounds like a toddler tantrum to me. Well, thankfully, Trump signed an executive order in February to keep boys out of girls’ sports, so this has been a blessing to our nation. However, not everyone on the West Coast has gotten the memo. The government of Washington State does not want to change its liberal policies, and this has frustrated the Central Valley School District by the city of Spokane. This school district is not only writing a complaint against the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction of Washington State, but it has also appealed to Washington D.C. by asking the department of education and the department of justice to investigate Washington State’s transgender sports policy. The Central Valey School District is not alone in its efforts, though, because the Mead School District in Washington State is also opposing Washington State’s transgender sport wickedness. However, I mentioned before that this is a tug-of-war, and so this is why. If the state government doesn't comply, then the federal government will hold money from the school districts. But if the school districts comply with the federal government, then the state government will take away funding. And here's the practical side of the problem. The federal government only holds 5% of a school district's budgets with their funding, but Washington State controls 78% of a school district's budgets. So, right now, the state government is the holding the bigger gun, but this hasn’t stopped Central Valley from asking for help from Washington D.C. anyway. We need more school districts like Central Valley and Mead to step out and do the right thing in states that are steeped in a liberal government. Check out the details at crosspoliticnews.com. (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/school-districts-take-up-title-ix-fight) Meanwhile, our reporter David Fowler wrote about the confusion over the first amendment in the Supreme court, and, like I said earlier, the court doesn’t understand the grammar right. We saw this begin to play out again a few weeks ago in a case where a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma wanted tax support from the state, but the state’s government refused. This made its way to the Supreme Court, but it seems like the Court will probably rule against the school because the court tends to rely more on its past precedents and rulings than the Constitution. And even though its previous rulings sometimes contradict each other or don’t seem to fit together, it doesn’t seem like there will be much support for the Catholic school, mostly because people have misunderstood what the Constitution says about religion. People love pointing to the First Amendment as proof for why the U.S. should stay away from religion in politics, but this is where looking at the grammar is helpful. The first amendment specifically says that, quote, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, unquote. As Justice Story wrote back in the 1800s, the first amendment was supposed to specifically prevent Congress from establishing a, as our journalist David Fowler wrote, quote, “national ecclesiastical establishment” unquote. Congress was the subject in the first amendment—not individual states. Again, as our journalist David Fowler wrote, “The First Amendment’s religion clauses do not give this Court jurisdiction to legislate a tax and educational policy for those in Oklahoma.” (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/will-scotus-get-the-religion-clauses-wrong-again) Find out more of the details at crosspoliticnewscom. To discover more news, check out some of our other articles, such as "The Thunder Take the Basketball World by Storm" by our journalist B.T. Westen, or "The Sons of Issachar mark the Tenth Anniversary of Evangelicalism’s Death" by our reporter David Fowler, or even "Governor Signs off on Tax Hikes" by our journalist Justin Chartrey. Here at CrossPoliticNews, we want to faithfully deliver you unbiased news from a Christian worldview. For more content, you can find us on YouTube at CrossPolitic News, follow us on X at cpnewsusa or cpnewsaus in Australia, or head to our email list and find us at CrossPoliticNews.com.
This is CrossPoliticNews’ Weekly Roundup sponsored by Christian Business Leaders Network. If you want to find out more about this network and its efforts to connect Christian business leaders so that they can more effectively help their businesses and shape culture, visit businessmakers.network. Again, that’s businessmakers.network. (https://businessmakers.network/) What if I told you that the Supreme Court is reading the Constitution wrong because they don’t understand basic grammar that a fourth grader could know? Yes, it’s actually true, but before I explain why, we first need to talk about the tug of war going on in Washington State about transgenderism. As our journalist Justin Chartrey reported, our country was broadly forced to accept the lie that boys could play in women’s sports, and if anyone questioned it, they were called names and canceled. That sounds like a toddler tantrum to me. Well, thankfully, Trump signed an executive order in February to keep boys out of girls’ sports, so this has been a blessing to our nation. However, not everyone on the West Coast has gotten the memo. The government of Washington State does not want to change its liberal policies, and this has frustrated the Central Valley School District by the city of Spokane. This school district is not only writing a complaint against the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction of Washington State, but it has also appealed to Washington D.C. by asking the department of education and the department of justice to investigate Washington State’s transgender sports policy. The Central Valey School District is not alone in its efforts, though, because the Mead School District in Washington State is also opposing Washington State’s transgender sport wickedness. However, I mentioned before that this is a tug-of-war, and so this is why. If the state government doesn't comply, then the federal government will hold money from the school districts. But if the school districts comply with the federal government, then the state government will take away funding. And here's the practical side of the problem. The federal government only holds 5% of a school district's budgets with their funding, but Washington State controls 78% of a school district's budgets. So, right now, the state government is the holding the bigger gun, but this hasn’t stopped Central Valley from asking for help from Washington D.C. anyway. We need more school districts like Central Valley and Mead to step out and do the right thing in states that are steeped in a liberal government. Check out the details at crosspoliticnews.com. (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/school-districts-take-up-title-ix-fight) Meanwhile, our reporter David Fowler wrote about the confusion over the first amendment in the Supreme court, and, like I said earlier, the court doesn’t understand the grammar right. We saw this begin to play out again a few weeks ago in a case where a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma wanted tax support from the state, but the state’s government refused. This made its way to the Supreme Court, but it seems like the Court will probably rule against the school because the court tends to rely more on its past precedents and rulings than the Constitution. And even though its previous rulings sometimes contradict each other or don’t seem to fit together, it doesn’t seem like there will be much support for the Catholic school, mostly because people have misunderstood what the Constitution says about religion. People love pointing to the First Amendment as proof for why the U.S. should stay away from religion in politics, but this is where looking at the grammar is helpful. The first amendment specifically says that, quote, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, unquote. As Justice Story wrote back in the 1800s, the first amendment was supposed to specifically prevent Congress from establishing a, as our journalist David Fowler wrote, quote, “national ecclesiastical establishment” unquote. Congress was the subject in the first amendment—not individual states. Again, as our journalist David Fowler wrote, “The First Amendment’s religion clauses do not give this Court jurisdiction to legislate a tax and educational policy for those in Oklahoma.” (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/will-scotus-get-the-religion-clauses-wrong-again) Find out more of the details at crosspoliticnewscom. To discover more news, check out some of our other articles, such as "The Thunder Take the Basketball World by Storm" by our journalist B.T. Westen, or "The Sons of Issachar mark the Tenth Anniversary of Evangelicalism’s Death" by our reporter David Fowler, or even "Governor Signs off on Tax Hikes" by our journalist Justin Chartrey. Here at CrossPoliticNews, we want to faithfully deliver you unbiased news from a Christian worldview. For more content, you can find us on YouTube at CrossPolitic News, follow us on X at cpnewsusa or cpnewsaus in Australia, or head to our email list and find us at CrossPoliticNews.com.
What kind of leaders does our world need today? In this episode, Dr. John Neufeld explores the wisdom of the men of Issachar—leaders who "understood the times and knew what Israel should do." With insight into Luke 17 and Jesus' encounter with the ten lepers, Dr. John challenges us to be people of discernment, gratitude, and faith—aware of our times and aligned with God's purposes.The King Arrives: Throughout North American history, there have been two main reactions to monarchy: rebellion or apathy. Some believe the Crown should be rejected, while others see it as largely irrelevant. In short, we wrestle with the idea of kingship. But for followers of Christ, acknowledging Jesus as King is not optional—it's foundational. In this series, Dr. John Neufeld explores Luke 17–20, showing that the Kingship of Jesus is not only central to the Christian faith, but vital for the world.
Check out our sponsors: ✅ Patriot Mobile - https://patriotmobile.com/partners/chad ✅ All Family Pharmacy - https://AllFamilyPharmacy.com/Chad Episode Description: Most Christians don't know who the Sons of Issachar were—but they were the men who could read the times and knew what to do. Sound like something we need today? Absolutely. In this powerful episode, Chad Prather dives into the biblical legacy of the Sons of Issachar and how their spirit of discernment, wisdom, and action is exactly what America needs right now. If you're tired of watching the world burn and wondering what to do—this is your call to rise up. We'll break down: • What it means to “discern the times” • Why passive Christianity is killing the culture • How to live with boldness, wisdom, and truth in 2025 • And how YOU can become a modern-day watchman This is more than a Bible study. It's a battle cry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sermon Summary: Genesis 49 Andy's sermon focused on Genesis 49, the chapter where Jacob, nearing the end of his life at 147 years old, blesses his sons and prophesies about the future of their tribes. The sermon explored the themes of God's grace in using flawed individuals, the importance of looking to God for deliverance, and the significance of waiting patiently for God's timing. Andy began by reflecting on how words spoken to us, especially in our youth, can profoundly shape our lives. He connected this to the Genesis passage, where Jacob's words to his sons would define their destinies. He noted that while some blessings were influenced by past actions (Reuben, Simeon, and Levi), others, like Judah, contained prophetic statements about the coming Messiah. The sermon highlighted the contrast between the initial blessings, which were shaped by past negative actions, and the later ones, which contained prophetic hope. Andy pointed out the prophetic statement about Judah: "The scepter will not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." He explained that this refers to Jesus and the future day when all nations will bow down to Him. He also noted the extensive blessings heaped upon Joseph, pondering if this indicated continued favoritism or recognition of Joseph's role in saving God's people. A central theme of the sermon emerged from Genesis 49:18: "I look for your deliverance, O Lord." Andy described this as a pivotal moment in the chapter, a prayer for times of desperation. He likened it to the simple, heartfelt prayer, "Oh God, oh God, oh God, help," emphasizing that such prayers are valid and necessary, especially when facing challenges and uncertainties. He stressed that Jacob, even while giving these grand pronouncements, recognized the future challenges and weaknesses of his descendants, and the need for God's intervention. Andy then elaborated on four key aspects of this phrase: A Prayer for Times of Desperation: Andy emphasized that this prayer is relevant to our current times. He encouraged the congregation to cry out to God for help, whether for personal struggles, the future of the church, or the well-being of their children and grandchildren. He reiterated that Christians are not "goody-goodies" but flawed individuals whom God uses. He stressed that the good news of Jesus is that God loves to use people who are "messed up" and "screw up". He stated that God has come to us, taking the initiative through Jesus' death and resurrection, and that our response is to acknowledge and rely on Him. A Foundation: Andy described this phrase as a bedrock statement that should undergird everything we do. He drew a parallel to Jesus' parable of the wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27), emphasizing the importance of putting God's words into practice. He urged the congregation to make "I look for your deliverance, O Lord" a central part of their lives, a constant reminder of their dependence on God, regardless of whether things are going well or poorly. He asked the congregation to consider what their driving force in life is, and to place this phrase at the center of their lives. Looking and Waiting: Andy acknowledged the difficulty of waiting, contrasting it with the instant gratification promoted by modern society. He reminded the congregation that God's timing is different from ours, referencing the story of Abraham and the long wait for his descendants. He challenged them to consider investing in things they might not see come to fruition in their lifetime, echoing Jacob's prophetic words about the Messiah, which he would not witness. He quoted several Psalms and a passage from Romans about waiting patiently for the Lord: Psalm 37:7 ("Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him"), Psalm 40:1 ("I waited patiently for the Lord"), and Romans 8:25 ("But if we hope for what we don't have, we wait for it patiently."). He warned against the pitfalls of trying to force things to happen or becoming discouraged and abandoning faith. He used the analogy of police horse training, where the horse is trained to stay focused and not be distracted, to illustrate the importance of building practices into our lives that keep us focused on God. He referenced Hebrews 12:2 ("Fix your eyes on Jesus"). All Points to Jesus: Andy concluded by emphasizing that Jesus is the ultimate source of deliverance and salvation. He reiterated that humanity is cut off from God due to sin, but Jesus came to pay the price and reconcile us to God. He stressed that Jesus delivers us not only from the consequences of our rebellion but also from the pain, hurt, trauma, and negative reactions that result from it. He called on those exploring Christianity to recognize Jesus' central role in salvation. In his closing prayer, Andy led the congregation in a time of reflection and confession. He invited them to consider areas in their lives where they needed God's deliverance, including healing, the effects of negative words, destructive behaviors, a lack of focus on God, and a desire for immediate results. He also prayed for those considering making a first-time commitment to Jesus. He concluded by asking God to "come and have your way" in their lives. Bible References: Genesis 49 Hebrews 11 Matthew 7:24-27 Psalm 37:7 Psalm 40:1 Romans 8:25 Hebrews 12:2 Transcript Freedom, freedom. Good morning everybody. Good morning. Good morning guys, 146. If you've got a Bible, if you want to turn to me to Genesis chapter 49, we've almost made it. Yay! 18 months now of working through Genesis and we've almost made it. I was chatting to Sheila on Thursday, Sheila Wingrove. So if you don't know, Sheila Wingrove has produced this amazing display in the foyer, right? I know we all rush into church because we want to be here, so we rush past it. But please take your time to study that and be amazed. It's a fantastic piece of work and we need to figure out how we keep it for posterity because it's such a beautiful thing. She was chatting to me on Thursday saying she's got no room left, so I'm not allowed to say anything this morning. Because there's no space to put anything. Good gospel here. But amazing, you know. So just two weeks left and then we're all itching to see how we're going to do services that only last an hour and a half. Two on a Sunday. I don't know how we're going to do that, but we'll see. Easy. Easy. So Genesis 49, I don't know about you, can you remember stuff that perhaps your mum or your dad said to you when you were younger? Anybody remember things they used to say? Good things? No hands. Bad things? A few hands. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We remember, don't we? I can remember. Is this me? Do I need to stand still? That would be good. I'll try and stand still. I can remember mum used to say, you know, when I was a lot younger, wait till your father gets home. Anybody have that? We're a generation, aren't we? My dad always used to say when I'd done something well, he'd always say, nine out of ten, because there's always room for improvement. And things like that. But perhaps a teacher, you know, you remember what your teachers used to say to you, you know, must try harder. Could do better. And things like that. And those words can kind of stick, can't they? Yeah, sorry about that. So those words stick with us, don't they? And they kind of can shape our lives. But, you know, most of us have had things spoken to us that did that type of thing. In fact, we had that fantastic Good Friday service that those guys did standing up here. And they talked about some of those things that had affected their lives. And they talked about, remember, they flipped those cards over and they talked about how Jesus was dealing with those things. In exactly the same way we've heard Evie describe the same thing this morning. In exactly the same way I responded to some of the stuff that my parents had said. You know, we don't want to be men and women who let those things restrict what God has in store for you and for me. And so here we are, we're reaching the end of Jacob's life. And as we've seen throughout Genesis, it's a significant moment when someone dies and they pass on this blessing to their children. We've seen it from Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob and Esau, remember all of that. And now here we are with Jacob himself doing it. And Cornelius taught us last week how he did it to his grandchildren first, Joseph's kids. And then we come to this chapter and he does it to the rest of his sons. So I'm just going to read it, if that's okay. I might read quite quickly because it is quite long. But I think it's good to read the Word of God at times. So Genesis 49. Then Jacob called for his sons and said, gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. Imagine your dad saying that to you. That would be an amazing moment. Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to your father Israel. Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength. Excelling in honor, excelling in power, turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel. For you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it. Simeon and Levi are brothers, their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly. For they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger so fierce and their fury so cruel. I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel. Wow. Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down to you. You are a lion's cub, O Judah. You return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness. Who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk. I'm not quite sure what that means. Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships. His border will extend towards Sidon. Issachar is a royal bone donkey lying down between two saddlebags. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path. It bites the horse's heels so its riders tumble backwards and look for your deliverance, oh Lord. Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels. Asher's food will be rich, he will provide delicacies fit for a king. Naftali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness, archers attacked him. They shot at him with hostility, but his bow remained steady. His strong arms stayed limber because of the hand of the mighty one of Jacob, because of the shepherd, the rock of Israel, because of your Father's God who helps you, because of the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and the womb. Your Father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-hold hills. Let all of these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning, he devours the prey. In the evening, he divides the plunder. All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. Then he gave them these instructions. I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave of the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite along with the field. There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave in it were brought from the Hittites. When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. That is the way to go. That's what I want to do. Definitely. Jacob at this point is 147 years old, and as we've seen over the last weeks and months, what a life. You know, struggling at birth with his brother, grasping his ankle as they're born, wheedling Esau out of his birthright and deceiving his dad to obtain the blessing, having to flee the family home, having to work for his uncle for 14 years so he could marry the woman of his dreams, being tricked into marrying a different woman in the meantime, and all that kind of stuff, and then his uncle deceiving him back as well and having to flee his uncle because of what happened, the meeting with Esau to try and patch things up and then never seeing Esau again, and then outliving his wives. This really bad family example we saw of having favourites amongst his kids, not a good idea, and thinking Joseph was then dead all of these years to finally be deceived by his own sons, and then having to leave the land of God's promise and come to Egypt. What a life. What a life. But at the same time, what we have also seen is God at work in this man's life, and God in his grace, choosing to fulfil his own plans and purposes through the life of Jacob. And that is a weird one for us, isn't it? Because what it says is that God is about using people that are messed up, that screw up. The Bible calls it sin. We might have other language. But he loves to take those people and use them for his glory and for his purposes. And that's such a repeat theme through this whole book, and I know I said it probably the last five times I've spoken, but it is such an important theme that we grasp that because we have to help people understand that people who are Christians are not goody-goodies. They're bady-baddies, right? We are bady-baddies, right? You know, we screw up. We mess up. We don't like to talk about it, and we don't own up. But we develop masks and other approaches to hide that. But we are screwed up, and we're shafted, if we're brutally honest. And the reality is God has come, and he loves to use people that are exactly like that. And that's the good news of Jesus. So it's so important that we grasp that. And so, yeah, here we are at the end of Jacob's life. He's speaking about the future and about defining his sons, what their families will become and what the tribes that come from those families will become. And it's interesting, and we're not going to go into all of them because time does not permit, and I'm not quite sure what I say about some of them, but it's interesting because those opening ones, that Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, their blessing is dictated by what they have done in their lives. That's how Jacob speaks to them. What they have done, the bad things that they have done in their lives, has an immediate repercussion on the so-called blessing that he gives them that's going to shape how they will be. Interesting. Then we get to Judah, and it's completely different. We begin to see in what he says about Judah the prophetic statements about a Messiah coming. We're in Genesis. We're in the beginning. And we still see, we begin to see here, there's an inkling in his eye. There's a twinkling in the distance. There is something happening that is going to happen. And we read this beautiful statement that the scepter, the government, if you like, will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler star from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. He's talking about Jesus. And the obedience of the nations will be his. There is coming a day when the obedience of the nations will belong to Jesus, and all nations will bow down to him. There is coming a day. And Jacob, right here in Genesis, he doesn't understand it, as Hebrews 11 tells us. He doesn't get it, but he's prophesying it. He's speaking it out in faith. He's certainly not going to see it in his few hours he's got left. But he's speaking out in faith because he sees that happening. And so there's this amazing prophetic statement in Judah. And then there's the one about Joseph near the end. There is so much blessing that he oodles on Joseph. He makes you think, is he still thinking that Joseph is his favorite here? Is that what's going on? Because he's really ladling on thick the blessings on Joseph. Or is it perhaps because actually Joseph is the one out of all those brothers that has rescued them and actually is part and parcel of the purposes of God to help God's people survive through this period of famine and obviously we saw through the whole story of Joseph how God used him. I don't know which it is. But it's interesting he calls him prince amongst his brothers. But what I want to do just briefly is hoe him. There's a little verse I read in the middle which kind of leaps out because it's out of context of everything else that's going on. He's giving his blessings to his people, to his kids, and he's telling them what's going to happen. And right in the middle in verse 18 we get this little phrase, I look for your deliverance, O Lord. That's a bit weird, isn't it? You think he's on a roll. He's on a train. I've got 12 sons to get through. He's 147. Can't I remember all their names? I forgot the right one with the right name. And all that sort of stuff. You think he'd be concentrating on getting all of that out. And then right in the middle, I look for your deliverance, O Lord. Or a different translation says, I wait for your salvation, O Lord. And why does he do that? It's almost like as he thinks about the future and as he thinks about the children of God and the people of God, that maybe God is showing him something about the challenges that lie ahead. And that he himself is aware of the struggles and the challenges they'll face and the hardship of God's people being true to him and not being overwhelmed by their enemies, not being led astray by other nations or other societies, or not having their faith and their trust in God diluted by what is going on around them. And he cries out in the middle, God, I look for your deliverance, Lord. Unless you do this, Lord, it isn't going to happen. Unless the Lord builds the house, it's builder's labor in vain. God, unless salvation comes from you, there's no hope, no matter what we say. And so four things quickly. Number one, this is a prayer for times of desperation. And there's no time like now for a time of desperation. Right in the middle of blessing his kids, he cries out. It reminds me many, many, many years ago of listening to John Wimber talk about when you're going to pray for someone for healing and you've not seen it before and you're not used to it and you have no idea what's going to happen and you want to pray for it and you're going to step out. We go in a room and we pray, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, help. That's all you need to do. If you're struggling with praying, I want to encourage you. You haven't got to pray great long prayers and quote loads of scripture and shout to the ceiling, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, help. It's right where it starts. And that is what is happening here. That's what Jacob's doing. He's explaining that out and it's like as he blesses his children and he thinks about their future and the future of the tribes of Israel that despite such big statements he's making over their lives, he sees something of the challenges. He sees their weaknesses. He sees the likelihood of them being influenced by society around them. He sees the frailties of their own heart. And so he cries out, God, you have got to come if this is going to work. Lord, if you are going to have a people that are yours, if your Messiah is going to come through Judah as he's just prophesied, then God, you have got to come and do this. Maybe even he's reflecting on his own life, his own awareness of mucking things up. And perhaps after all these years, he could now stand with a little bit of integrity and understand he's only where he is because of God delivering him and the salvation of God coming to him. So as you think about your future, whatever age you are this morning, as you think about your future, let's get a hold of this as a phrase to say, God, we need your deliverance. God, I need your deliverance and your salvation. As we think about the future of the church here, and yeah, we might get excited, at least for a little bit, while we do two services and a major building project and see people saved and more people getting baptized and people saved and added and more groups starting in the church and the impact on the community growing and growing and growing. We need to come back to, oh God, we need your deliverance. It is you, Lord. It is you. As we think about our children, our grandchildren, oh Lord, I look to you for your deliverance, Lord. I look to you for your salvation. It's a great prayer in times of desperation because for his kids it's not their skills, it's not their character, it's not their efforts, it's not even the prophetic word that he brings, but it is God who is the deliverer. It is God who is the bringer of salvation. And that is what is so special and unique about Christianity. And you might not be a Christian this morning, you're just exploring it and trying to understand it, and you might be chatting to some of your friends, but what does it really mean and what is it like? And you come along because you're just dipping a toe in the water. And I want to just labor the point that the uniqueness of it is that God has come to us, not the other way around. You can look at what goes on here this morning and I think our singing and the rest of it is kind of us trying to make ourselves right before God. Because it can look like that, and it does look like that, but that isn't what's going on. What has happened is Jesus has taken the initiative and he has come 2,000 years ago. He died on a cross for the sins of the world, including your sins and my sins, to put us right with God and he has taken that initiative, and three days later God has raised him from the dead. And now death is no longer the finality that it once was in our thinking because Jesus has broken that. He has taken the initiative and come to us, and what we do in a meeting like this, I hope in the morning, is we are responding to that. We are not trying to make our way to God, but we are responding to what he has done to us and for us and his love for us. So number one, it's a prayer in times of desperation. Number two, I look for your deliverance, O Lord. It's a foundation. It's like a bedrock statement that undergirds everything that we do. Jesus told that parable, didn't he, that the wise man built his house upon the rock. And he told us that not so that we could learn a little song, but he taught us that because he says, what, the wise man is what? The one who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice. Exactly. He puts them into practice. And so this statement is exactly like that. We need to figure out how do we put this into practice that we look to God for your deliverance, that we wait for your salvation. It's like a statement that needs to be brought front and center to our lives, whether we are struggling with things, whether things are going well as the church moves forward and as we make changes about what's happening, as we make greater inroads with the gospel in the life of the community here, and perhaps as we even think, dare to think, oh, this is going quite well, or whatever. It's a reminder not to get smug, not to get complacent, but to come back and say, you know what? I look for your deliverance, Lord. I wait for your salvation. And we need to bring that front and center of our lives and not let it compete with other statements and other things. You know, what is it that ultimately drives you forward and drives me forward? What makes you tick? If you could have one sentence over your life, what would it be? And whereabouts would this fit in that context? What is it that, despite everything, we need to return to time and time again? What is it we wait for? Is it our paycheck? Is it our benefits landing? Is it the next holiday? Is it the next thing? Or do we wait for your salvation, Lord? Do we look for your deliverance? You see, Jacob can prophesy amazing things, but what is it he puts right in the middle, like the pivot of which all of these things are commenting on? Things can go well. What does he return to? Some of those blessings are good things, but what does he come back to? Things can go pear-shaped. What does he come back to? We can make all the changes we want as a church, but what do we return to? We look out for your deliverance, O Lord. And we need to be men and women grappling with getting that in the front and centre of our lives. And as we think about Jordan thought and Baitmore and the edges and the surrounding area, God, we look for your deliverance. We wait for your salvation. We can try all the programmes, all the groups, whatever we want to, but unless God moves, there is nothing there. It is not going to happen. And because we are caught up with the plans and purposes of God, we've got to come back to this. Lord, it is your deliverance we are looking for. Turn your eyes towards Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow straight deep in, in the light of his glory and grace. Absolutely. Hope you knew that in 146 as well. It's so true, you know, and we need, the more we can come back to that, I think the better place we will be. The third thing about this statement is, you know, it's about looking and it's about waiting. Anybody enjoy waiting? There's no hands here. We don't do it, do we? You know, try telling a toddler to wait. We went to Yorkshire Wildlife yesterday and our granddaughter was with us and, you know, I want a biscuit now, now, now. I want a drink now, now. I want this now. You know, try telling a toddler to wait. It just doesn't work, does it? But then, actually, I'm not sure how much better it gets as we get older. Because we want the result, don't we? We don't want the waiting bit. We want the result at the end. That is what we're looking for. The whole of the advertising industry that we are all succumbing to is geared on giving you a result as fast as possible. Have this and it will change your life. Have this and it will make your life better. Instant success, instant access, et cetera, et cetera. Whole of technology, you know, on our phones, on our watches. It's all about instantaneous stuff all the time. And so the idea of waiting is kind of drifting away from life in general and the stuff that we have to wait for becomes a real pain. Well, if we get ourselves in a position where we say, waiting for your salvation of God is a real pain, then we've lost the plot along the way. Because God wants to work in our hearts and sift our hearts to cause us to become many women who learn what it is to wait for Him. Another thing Genesis teaches us is that God's time and timing is not ours. Remember when God first spoke to Abraham, however many months ago it was, and gave him the promises that your descendants will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Here we are, 232 years later, and his descendants are 66 that have gone to Egypt. 232 years. That should cause us to think a little bit about, we want to see God at work, we absolutely look for God's deliverance and salvation, and we want to pray and play our part in that, but maybe the great things that God is going to do are going to be after we've gone and been with Him, after we've hooked our legs onto the bed and gone to be with our fathers. Maybe that's when it's going to happen. That speaks, that's a challenge to me, because I think, what do I want to invest in and put my time in that I actually won't see? It's a challenge, isn't it? But he teaches, here's Jacob prophesying about the coming Messiah thousands of years later that he isn't going to see. Psalm 37 verse 7 says, Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret when people succeed in their ways. That's a good statement, that's a good one to put over our doorways, isn't it? Do not fret when people succeed. Psalm 40 verse 1, I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry. Well, Paul writes to the church in Rome in chapter 8 verse 25 says, But if we hope for what we don't have, we wait for it patiently. Waiting and patience is a fundamental part of following Jesus. Hope, you know, we have to get a hold of that. And the impact of the world around us on that is that we don't like doing that. And so we need to bring that front and centre. And I guess there's two pitfalls, you know, one is we try and make it happen because we don't like waiting. So we end up a bit like Abraham having Ishmael, we've done it ourselves but it wasn't the right thing. Or we get so bored waiting we forget about it and go off and do something else. I remember when I was a child, I went to what is now called Urban Saints, had a less politically correct name in those days. But we went to see the police horse training centre in Manchester, because that's where I lived at the time. And it was interesting because you imagine a group of like 11 and 12 year olds, spotty 11 and 12 year olds, and we were all given flags way bigger than this and whistles to blow, whistles to blow, big flags to wave like this. And there's two lines of kids down like that. And then this guy, policeman comes along on the horse and the horse just, we're all looking, blowing the whistles and all that. And the horse just calmly straight down because he'd been trained to do that, because they used them in riots and football crowds at the time and all that kind of stuff. And it was fascinating to see, although it's still etched in my brain. But that is what it is, it's a little bit like, we've got to build things into our lives that stop us being distracted from this call of God to wait on him patiently and to pursue him patiently. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Otherwise these distractions will come in. And finally, fourthly, this all points to, this is all about Jesus. He is the one who brings deliverance. He is the one who brings salvation. So we wait for him and he brings that deliverance. If you're not a Christian this morning, then again I want to say, we're cut off from God, that's our starting place. Our sins have cut us off from God and we ignore him and we act as if there is no God and we act as if, you know, he's certainly not going to be angry with us when we do things that are wrong and that we're under his judgment and we're only of his anger. And yet Jesus has come and paid that price for you and for me, the ultimate cost and that great exchange has taken place and what we deserve he gets and what we don't deserve we get has taken place. He's paid that price for you and for me and to unpack that. Therefore Jesus is not only the one that does that, he is the one who brings deliverance or salvation from the effects of that rebellion against God in our lives. The pain, the hurt, the trauma, the rejection, the impact of all of that on our character and our lives, he is the one. So we look to him for deliverance, for salvation. You know, as Evie beautifully explained this morning, that's what she was describing, how Jesus and the Word of God has brought about a change in our life, things he used to listen to. Actually, she's bringing the Word of God to apply to trump that because that's what it does. The love of God trumps that and we need to be men and women that are constantly coming back to that. So Jesus is the one who brings deliverance to those things but he also brings deliverance from the reaction we have of those things that have affected us, those negative things that lead us to turning in on ourselves, to shutting others out, to putting on masks, to taking addictive substances, to abuse that we do or that is done to us. And so he is the one that we look to for deliverance and for salvation this morning. And so just by way of response, as I finish, in Hebrews 11, the writer of the Hebrews says this, he says, by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and worshipped as he leaned on the top of the staff. And talks about how Jacob, along with all those other old patriarchs of the faith, as they're called in Hebrews 11, were looking for God's deliverance, for God's salvation. They didn't see it in their lifetime but they were looking for it and its completion is found in Jesus. I wonder if I could stand please, I'd just like to pray. I'm not sure how well I've done this but I mean, the chapter is about a blessing on 12 guys but right in the middle is this key pivot point that actually it is God we need to look to for our deliverance and for salvation. And as I think about it, I just want to be really practical here and I just want us to pray together. I thought of a few things where we need to perhaps be applying that to our own lives. One of these might be relevant for you. I just want you to be honest as we stand here before God. Maybe it's healing. Jesus commands us to pray for the sick. He doesn't command us to heal the sick. That's his business whether he does it or not. He asks us to pray for the sick. And there can be a tendency for us as God's people to wane from praying for the sick for various reasons. So maybe you're here this morning and maybe there's something physical, something mental, something emotional that you are healing for. We look to you for deliverance, Lord. This chapter is about the prophetic words that Jacob speaks over his sons that then describes how their lives and their families' lives would pan out. For some of us this morning, negative words have been spoken to us that we still carry, that still shape us and still prevent us from entering into all the goodness that God has for us. We look to your deliverance, Lord. For some of us, those words have shaped our identity. There was a food bank visit over the road from here and while I was just talking to the lady, I chatted to the girl who was about 8 or 9 years old. We were talking about school and she said, I'm no good at school because my mum says I'm stupid. Yeah, exactly. But for some of us here this morning, words like that have impacted us deeply and are keeping us away from the good things that God has in store. We look to you for your deliverance, Lord. For some of us, our reaction to those bad things that have happened in our lives is that we have ourselves embraced destructive and negative patterns of behaviour or addictions or other things that have harmed us or harmed others. We look for your deliverance, Lord. For some of us, perhaps the thing that God is highlighting is that you've stopped looking at God as the thing that needs to be front and centre. You've stopped looking at God as the thing that needs to be front and centre in your life and you've allowed other things to creep in and nudge that off centre. And this morning God is saying, hey, what about bringing me back? Bringing me back front and centre. We look for your deliverance, Lord. Maybe for the first time, maybe you've been coming along for a while and you've never made that decision to say, yeah, I want to submit to Jesus and I want to go for it with him and I want to invite him into my life. We wait for your salvation, Lord. And for some, the desire in our hearts, if we're honest, is still for immediate results, even in the church, even in our Christianity. We want the next thing, the next thing and the next thing. And today God wants to do a work in your heart. We look for your deliverance, Lord. We wait for your salvation, Lord. Father, we want to pray, Lord. We want to thank you, you treat us so gently, with such love and such care. And Father, as we stand before you this morning, you know the state of our hearts, you know the issues, you know the things that are going on, you see it all. And Lord, we stand here honestly before you and just pray, Father, come and have your way. Come and have your way in our lives, Lord. Lord, we'll do a work in our hearts as we stand here this morning. We want to say, Father, we look for your deliverance, Lord. We look to you. We don't want to look to other things. And we want to say, Father, we wait for your salvation. We don't want to try anything ourselves. But we call on you today, Lord. We call on you, Father, for your salvation in our own lives, in the lives of our families, in the lives of our children, in the lives of our grandchildren, Lord, in the lives of our neighbors, in the lives of the homes around here. Father, we call on you for your salvation. We call on you, Lord, for the lives of the people that are in the schools in this area. And Father, we pray, God, Lord, help us to keep our eyes fixed on you. And Father, we wait for you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Andy. Thank you, Andy. Thank you, Andy. Let's, I just feel in the four instances...
This is CrossPoliticNews’ Weekly Roundup sponsored by Christian Business Leaders Network. If you want to find out more about this network and its efforts to connect Christian business leaders so that they can more effectively help their businesses and shape culture, visit businessmakers.network. Again, that’s businessmakers.network. (https://businessmakers.network/) Our journalist Justin Chartrey recently reported that the Governor of Washington State, Bob Ferguson, has signed a racist housing bill into law in Washington State. This new bill, which is nicknamed the Taylor Bill after Washington State Representative Jamilla Taylor, gives huge initial downpayments and even loan forgiveness to house owners who meet a certain standard of financial instability. However, while this already sounds wonky, it gets even better. Anyone who wants these benefits must also meet the requirements of the Covenant Home Ownership Program. And if you want to be a part of the program, you basically have to be part of a racial minority. Representative Taylor of Washington State explained that this law will help balance the inequal house ownership situation between white and black families as well as continue to atone for the past racial injustice against blacks in America. Under the disguise of fighting racism and injustice, this law only supports them. If a pendulum swings one way, we all know where it will swing next. And even though the Trump administration is trying to root out these types of injustices in the government and nation, it doesn’t seem like it has noticed this new terrible law in Washington State. So, it looks like the citizens in Washington State will have to step up against these liberal policies instead in the next election. (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/washingtons-mockery-of-justice) Meanwhile, on a different subject, China’s laws against religious foreigners are only growing worse. Well, that’s at least what many people think who don’t have actual experience in China. Our journalist B.F. Westen wrote that while Dictator Xi of China doesn’t like religion outside of the Chinese government’s approval and enacts laws to reflect this, he actually hasn’t changed the pre-existing regulations against religious missionaries in China that much. If these religion regulations were a house, then China has just repainted it and added new furniture. It’s not a completely new house just because it’s been refurnished and looks a little different. But even with this said, these laws have been slightly changed because the government has clarified them and added more text. China has spelled out a little more clearly the specific ways a foreigner can and cannot approach religion in China while also keeping some broad regulations that could apply to any situation. For example, regulation number eleven of article 29 simply states that people cannot be a part of "Other illegal activities involving religion." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) That’s very broad, and as our reporter B. F. Westen notes, this means that it lets China, quote, make something up when the time comes, unquote. China's government wants to cover all of its bases. So, how do these updated regulations affect missionary work in China? Our journalist B.F. Westen understands that while Dictator Xi is hostile toward Christianity and the persecution against Christians has grown, these updated foreign religion policies should not scare Christians away from China. Westen was a missionary in China, so he understands what these regulations actually mean. While there are occasions of fines and other punishments for missionaries, the persecution against Christian missionaries is much lighter than the persecution against Chinese Christians and pastors. Again, Westen actually lived in China before, and he thinks that "it is extremely rare for a foreigner to be prosecuted criminally for missionary work. The police just do not typically treat the “religious crimes” of foreigners that seriously. Instead, warnings are given or immigration rules are enforced by cancelling visas or work permits. The process feels much more like getting a ticket for a misdemeanor. I was detained, interrogated, and deported, but I was never searched or handcuffed. I was never treated like a “real” criminal, unlike faithful pastors such as Wang Yi." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) Our brothers and sisters living in China are actually being persecuted, so do not fall for China’s weak threats of deportations and canceled visas. China wants missionaries to be afraid of coming, but Christ is King, and we must make disciples of all nations. To discover more news, check out some of our other articles, such as "School Districts Take up Title IX Fight" by our journalist Justin Chartrey, "The Thunder Take the Basketball World By Storm" by our reporter B.F. Westen, or even, "The Sons of Issachar mark the Tenth Anniversary of Evangelicalism’s Death" by our journalist David Fowler. Here at CrossPoliticNews, we want to faithfully deliver you unbiased news from a Christian worldview. For more content, you can find us on YouTube at CrossPolitic News, follow us on X at cpnewsusa or cpnewsaus in Australia, or head to our email list and find us at CrossPoliticNews.com.
This is CrossPoliticNews’ Weekly Roundup sponsored by Christian Business Leaders Network. If you want to find out more about this network and its efforts to connect Christian business leaders so that they can more effectively help their businesses and shape culture, visit businessmakers.network. Again, that’s businessmakers.network. (https://businessmakers.network/) Our journalist Justin Chartrey recently reported that the Governor of Washington State, Bob Ferguson, has signed a racist housing bill into law in Washington State. This new bill, which is nicknamed the Taylor Bill after Washington State Representative Jamilla Taylor, gives huge initial downpayments and even loan forgiveness to house owners who meet a certain standard of financial instability. However, while this already sounds wonky, it gets even better. Anyone who wants these benefits must also meet the requirements of the Covenant Home Ownership Program. And if you want to be a part of the program, you basically have to be part of a racial minority. Representative Taylor of Washington State explained that this law will help balance the inequal house ownership situation between white and black families as well as continue to atone for the past racial injustice against blacks in America. Under the disguise of fighting racism and injustice, this law only supports them. If a pendulum swings one way, we all know where it will swing next. And even though the Trump administration is trying to root out these types of injustices in the government and nation, it doesn’t seem like it has noticed this new terrible law in Washington State. So, it looks like the citizens in Washington State will have to step up against these liberal policies instead in the next election. (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/washingtons-mockery-of-justice) Meanwhile, on a different subject, China’s laws against religious foreigners are only growing worse. Well, that’s at least what many people think who don’t have actual experience in China. Our journalist B.F. Westen wrote that while Dictator Xi of China doesn’t like religion outside of the Chinese government’s approval and enacts laws to reflect this, he actually hasn’t changed the pre-existing regulations against religious missionaries in China that much. If these religion regulations were a house, then China has just repainted it and added new furniture. It’s not a completely new house just because it’s been refurnished and looks a little different. But even with this said, these laws have been slightly changed because the government has clarified them and added more text. China has spelled out a little more clearly the specific ways a foreigner can and cannot approach religion in China while also keeping some broad regulations that could apply to any situation. For example, regulation number eleven of article 29 simply states that people cannot be a part of "Other illegal activities involving religion." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) That’s very broad, and as our reporter B. F. Westen notes, this means that it lets China, quote, make something up when the time comes, unquote. China's government wants to cover all of its bases. So, how do these updated regulations affect missionary work in China? Our journalist B.F. Westen understands that while Dictator Xi is hostile toward Christianity and the persecution against Christians has grown, these updated foreign religion policies should not scare Christians away from China. Westen was a missionary in China, so he understands what these regulations actually mean. While there are occasions of fines and other punishments for missionaries, the persecution against Christian missionaries is much lighter than the persecution against Chinese Christians and pastors. Again, Westen actually lived in China before, and he thinks that "it is extremely rare for a foreigner to be prosecuted criminally for missionary work. The police just do not typically treat the “religious crimes” of foreigners that seriously. Instead, warnings are given or immigration rules are enforced by cancelling visas or work permits. The process feels much more like getting a ticket for a misdemeanor. I was detained, interrogated, and deported, but I was never searched or handcuffed. I was never treated like a “real” criminal, unlike faithful pastors such as Wang Yi." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) Our brothers and sisters living in China are actually being persecuted, so do not fall for China’s weak threats of deportations and canceled visas. China wants missionaries to be afraid of coming, but Christ is King, and we must make disciples of all nations. To discover more news, check out some of our other articles, such as "School Districts Take up Title IX Fight" by our journalist Justin Chartrey, "The Thunder Take the Basketball World By Storm" by our reporter B.F. Westen, or even, "The Sons of Issachar mark the Tenth Anniversary of Evangelicalism’s Death" by our journalist David Fowler. Here at CrossPoliticNews, we want to faithfully deliver you unbiased news from a Christian worldview. For more content, you can find us on YouTube at CrossPolitic News, follow us on X at cpnewsusa or cpnewsaus in Australia, or head to our email list and find us at CrossPoliticNews.com.
This is CrossPoliticNews’ Weekly Roundup sponsored by Christian Business Leaders Network. If you want to find out more about this network and its efforts to connect Christian business leaders so that they can more effectively help their businesses and shape culture, visit businessmakers.network. Again, that’s businessmakers.network. (https://businessmakers.network/) Our journalist Justin Chartrey recently reported that the Governor of Washington State, Bob Ferguson, has signed a racist housing bill into law in Washington State. This new bill, which is nicknamed the Taylor Bill after Washington State Representative Jamilla Taylor, gives huge initial downpayments and even loan forgiveness to house owners who meet a certain standard of financial instability. However, while this already sounds wonky, it gets even better. Anyone who wants these benefits must also meet the requirements of the Covenant Home Ownership Program. And if you want to be a part of the program, you basically have to be part of a racial minority. Representative Taylor of Washington State explained that this law will help balance the inequal house ownership situation between white and black families as well as continue to atone for the past racial injustice against blacks in America. Under the disguise of fighting racism and injustice, this law only supports them. If a pendulum swings one way, we all know where it will swing next. And even though the Trump administration is trying to root out these types of injustices in the government and nation, it doesn’t seem like it has noticed this new terrible law in Washington State. So, it looks like the citizens in Washington State will have to step up against these liberal policies instead in the next election. (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/washingtons-mockery-of-justice) Meanwhile, on a different subject, China’s laws against religious foreigners are only growing worse. Well, that’s at least what many people think who don’t have actual experience in China. Our journalist B.F. Westen wrote that while Dictator Xi of China doesn’t like religion outside of the Chinese government’s approval and enacts laws to reflect this, he actually hasn’t changed the pre-existing regulations against religious missionaries in China that much. If these religion regulations were a house, then China has just repainted it and added new furniture. It’s not a completely new house just because it’s been refurnished and looks a little different. But even with this said, these laws have been slightly changed because the government has clarified them and added more text. China has spelled out a little more clearly the specific ways a foreigner can and cannot approach religion in China while also keeping some broad regulations that could apply to any situation. For example, regulation number eleven of article 29 simply states that people cannot be a part of "Other illegal activities involving religion." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) That’s very broad, and as our reporter B. F. Westen notes, this means that it lets China, quote, make something up when the time comes, unquote. China's government wants to cover all of its bases. So, how do these updated regulations affect missionary work in China? Our journalist B.F. Westen understands that while Dictator Xi is hostile toward Christianity and the persecution against Christians has grown, these updated foreign religion policies should not scare Christians away from China. Westen was a missionary in China, so he understands what these regulations actually mean. While there are occasions of fines and other punishments for missionaries, the persecution against Christian missionaries is much lighter than the persecution against Chinese Christians and pastors. Again, Westen actually lived in China before, and he thinks that "it is extremely rare for a foreigner to be prosecuted criminally for missionary work. The police just do not typically treat the “religious crimes” of foreigners that seriously. Instead, warnings are given or immigration rules are enforced by cancelling visas or work permits. The process feels much more like getting a ticket for a misdemeanor. I was detained, interrogated, and deported, but I was never searched or handcuffed. I was never treated like a “real” criminal, unlike faithful pastors such as Wang Yi." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) Our brothers and sisters living in China are actually being persecuted, so do not fall for China’s weak threats of deportations and canceled visas. China wants missionaries to be afraid of coming, but Christ is King, and we must make disciples of all nations. To discover more news, check out some of our other articles, such as "School Districts Take up Title IX Fight" by our journalist Justin Chartrey, "The Thunder Take the Basketball World By Storm" by our reporter B.F. Westen, or even, "The Sons of Issachar mark the Tenth Anniversary of Evangelicalism’s Death" by our journalist David Fowler. Here at CrossPoliticNews, we want to faithfully deliver you unbiased news from a Christian worldview. For more content, you can find us on YouTube at CrossPolitic News, follow us on X at cpnewsusa or cpnewsaus in Australia, or head to our email list and find us at CrossPoliticNews.com.
Today’s episode is David’s report on a “autopsy” performed by a few of the remaining sons of Issachar in America on the “Death of Evangelicalism.” Its death was pronounced by a Final Judgment, aptly named, issued by the United States Supreme Court in 2015. If you want to appreciate why evangelicalism seems so fruitlessness in culture and law, you will want to listen to the report. Thankfully, he notes, the dead are raised to life again according to the Gospel.
Today’s episode is David’s report on a “autopsy” performed by a few of the remaining sons of Issachar in America on the “Death of Evangelicalism.” Its death was pronounced by a Final Judgment, aptly named, issued by the United States Supreme Court in 2015. If you want to appreciate why evangelicalism seems so fruitlessness in culture and law, you will want to listen to the report. Thankfully, he notes, the dead are raised to life again according to the Gospel.Support the show: https://www.factennessee.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Deuteronomy 27 commands Israel that when they enter the land the nation should be assembled together at Shechem – which means the burden bearer. This town has an incredible history from the time Joshua gathered the nation to this location as soon as the major conquests of the land had been completed until the advent of our Lord Jesus' visit as John 4 records. The village lies in a valley between two mountains – Ebal and Gerazim. Six tribes were to stand upon each of these mountains to hear the reciting of Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28. The curses for disobedience are found in chapter 27 and the blessings for obedience in chapter 28. Before this happens large stones were whitewashed and the words of the curses and the blessings were written on them. These were to be a record to remind the Israelites of the LORD's favour and goodness in bringing the people into the Promised Land. Additionally an altar of unhewn stones was to be built on Mount Ebal – the mountain of cursing. We, perhaps, puzzle that it should be the mountain of cursing where God's altar was to be. Why? Perhaps since the curses become more prominent in the nation's subsequent history as Joshua would point out towards the end of his life – Joshua 24 verses 18-22. Sacrifices were offered on Yahweh's altar. It is interesting to note that the confusing worship of the Samaritans had its focus on Mount Gerazim (John 4 verses 20). The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin were to stand on Mount Gerazim. On Mount Ebal stood the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulon, Dan and Naphtali. The Levites were to recite in a loud voice all the curses and the blessings. After each curse the people of Israel were to audibly respond with the word “Amen”. Think about that as we find that word in chapter in each of the verses from 15-32. In past ages it was normal practice for each member of the congregation in our ecclesias to audibly say “Amen” as a sign of accord with what had been said. It meant that we were participating in the prayer and agreeing that the prayer was not just for the praying brother, but that it was our prayer. And so we said “Amen” meaning ‘so be it'..
Today’s episode is David’s report on a “autopsy” performed by a few of the remaining sons of Issachar in America on the “Death of Evangelicalism.” Its death was pronounced by a Final Judgment, aptly named, issued by the United States Supreme Court in 2015. If you want to appreciate why evangelicalism seems so fruitlessness in culture and law, you will want to listen to the report. Thankfully, he notes, the dead are raised to life again according to the Gospel.
Deuteronomy 27 commands Israel that when they enter the land the nation should be assembled together at Shechem – which means the burden bearer. This town has an incredible history from the time Joshua gathered the nation to this location as soon as the major conquests of the land had been completed until the advent of our Lord Jesus' visit as John 4 records. The village lies in a valley between two mountains – Ebal and Gerazim. Six tribes were to stand upon each of these mountains to hear the reciting of Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28. The curses for disobedience are found in chapter 27 and the blessings for obedience in chapter 28. Before this happens large stones were whitewashed and the words of the curses and the blessings were written on them. These were to be a record to remind the Israelites of the LORD's favour and goodness in bringing the people into the Promised Land. Additionally an altar of unhewn stones was to be built on Mount Ebal – the mountain of cursing. We, perhaps, puzzle that it should be the mountain of cursing where God's altar was to be. Why? Perhaps since the curses become more prominent in the nation's subsequent history as Joshua would point out towards the end of his life – Joshua 24 verses 18-22. Sacrifices were offered on Yahweh's altar. It is interesting to note that the confusing worship of the Samaritans had its focus on Mount Gerazim (John 4 verses 20). The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin were to stand on Mount Gerazim. On Mount Ebal stood the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulon, Dan and Naphtali. The Levites were to recite in a loud voice all the curses and the blessings. After each curse the people of Israel were to audibly respond with the word “Amen”. Think about that as we find that word in chapter in each of the verses from 15-32. In past ages it was normal practice for each member of the congregation in our ecclesias to audibly say “Amen” as a sign of accord with what had been said. It meant that we were participating in the prayer and agreeing that the prayer was not just for the praying brother, but that it was our prayer. And so we said “Amen” meaning ‘so be it'.. Song of Solomon chapter 7 is in two parts. In verses 1-9a the groom continues from the last verse of chapter 6 in his praise of his bride. This song starts in the concluding words of the sixth chapter. The groom speaks of his soulmate in metaphors describing her feet, her thighs, her navel, her belly, her breasts, her neck, her eyes, her nose, her head, the locks of her hair, her poise and her pleasantries. He knows her every part. Just as our Lord Jesus Christ intimately knows everything about us. And we must come to know him just as we are known – John 17 verses 3-8; 1 Corinthians 13 verses 9-13. In verses 9b-13 the bride responds by declaring that she finds her groom to be desirable in every respect. In verses 11-13 she wholeheartedly gives herself to him in enraptured love. Acts 23 tells of Paul before the Sanhedrin. In a similar way to when our Lord Jesus Christ appears before them, the hearing commences with an illegality from the High Priest, Ananias. That corrupt priest commands that the Apostle be smitten on the cheek – this is contrary to the Law of Moses. Paul reacts to this violation by saying that God would in His time smite the high priest. For this answer Paul is rebuked by those of the Council. The Apostle says he had not recognised the high priest. This seems unusual as in Acts 9 this high priest had given letters to Paul authorising the persecution at Damascus. Some such as Ramsay have suggested Paul's eyesight was poor, due to malaria possibly contracted on his first missionary journey. Others suggest that this is in fact a rebuttal of the high priest's right to hold that office. Paul undoubtedly had poor eyesight as many of his letters attest eg Galatians 6:11. The Apostle sees the impossibility of him getting a fair trial and so he divides the Council on the question of the teaching of the Scriptures regarding the raising of the dead. Verse 8 tells us of the difference in teaching between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Verse 10 informs us that the disagreement became violent. Paul is once again rescued. Paul's sister's son learns of a plot to assassinate Paul and informs the chief captain. The chief captain immediately responds by sending Paul to Felix the Roman Governor in Caesarea with a heavily armed escort – a journey of two days. This heavily armed company carry with them a letter explaining why the Chief Captain has taken these measures. Chapter 24 speaks of Paul before Felix and of the flattering orator the Jews hired to prosecute the Apostle. The Apostle defends each charge magnificently. Paul points out that he came to Jerusalem for worship and to bring charitable gifts for his nation. The aged Apostle also is a Pharisee. The Pharisaic teachings were an allowable teaching among the Jews. Felix finds himself in a difficult place having some understanding of the teachings of the Way (an early name for believers in Christ Jesus). Felix detains Paul not wanting to fall out of favour with the Jews. Paul is provided with protection and liberty. Having heard of Paul's bringing charity to his fellow Jews Felix hopes to secure a bribe. Felix becomes very disturbed knowing that since he understands the reality of the coming judgment and that he would be subject to the judgment of God. Felix's life makes it certain that he will be rejected when that judgment comes. After two years Rome replaces Governor Felix with Governor Festus. Festus maintains Paul's imprisonment to please the Jews.
Joshua – Rest of the Land Divided, The Territory of Benjamin, Territory of Simeon, Territory of Zebulun, Territory of Issachar, Territory of Asher, Territory of Naphtali, Territory of Dan, Six Cities of Refuge
Summary of Judges 10:Judges 10 introduces two minor judges, Tola and Jair, who led Israel after Abimelech's violent reign.Tola, from the tribe of Issachar, judged Israel for 23 years and lived in Shamir in Ephraim.Jair, from Gilead, judged for 22 years. He had 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys and controlled 30 towns in Gilead.After Jair's death, Israel once again turned away from God, worshiping the Baals and foreign gods. In response, God allowed them to be oppressed by the Philistines and Ammonites.The Israelites cried out in repentance.God reminded them of all the times He had rescued them despite their disobedience.He initially refused to help but their sincere repentance and abandonment of idols moved Him.The chapter ends with Israel preparing for battle against the Ammonites, while seeking a leader.Your words were found and I ate them
Send me a text! I'd love to know what you're thinking!Is the future of the church something to look forward to, or does it scare you to death. Thriving into the future will require change, and the idea of changing the way we lead, or the way we do church, or the people we reach out to, can feel overwhelming. Even if we want to do it, where do we even start?In this episode, Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang share insights from their new book, Future Focused Church, where they explore adaptive leadership and offer practical tools to help ministry leaders guide their congregations through meaningful transformation.THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:Kara Powell asserts that the best days of the church are ahead despite current challenges.Kara Powell credits her optimism for the church's future to her theology and understanding of God's goodness.Church leaders should focus on the three checkpoints: relationally discipling young people, modeling kingdom diversity, and tangibly loving their neighbors.Jake Mulder explains the concept of a journey in church change, emphasizing the importance of checkpoints along the way.Jake Mulder lists the four zones of church change as here, there, who, and how.Jake Mulder states that a majority of change efforts fail due to outdated approaches and skills.Transformation in the church should not be a solo effort and requires a diverse transformation team, as Jake Mulder explains.Raymond Chang highlights how experimenting from the edges with small changes can lead to progress without being too disruptive.Churches often suffer from a lack of follow-through rather than a dramatic flaw when trying to implement change.Raymond Chang highlights the sons of Issachar as an example of understanding the times and discerning God's direction.Maintaining disciplined attention is crucial, as Kara Powell emphasizes, to ensure cultural change efforts do not falter.Jake Mulder shares the importance of a diverse transformation team of five to twelve people representing different perspectives for effective guidance in church change.Jake Mulder notes that the process of church change is not about where leaders want to go, but where God is leading.The journey between a church's current state and its future should begin with gathering the right team of people.Kara Powell shares an example where a church emphasizes youth engagement through consistent, simple actions like attending youth events.RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:Future-Focused Church websiteBooks mentioned:Future-Focused Church, by Kara Powel, Jake Mulder, and Ray ChangRelated episodes:222. Building a Multi-Inclusive Church, with Efrem Smith and Dan Kreiss242. Life and Leadership in the Fog, with Michaela O'Donnell and Lisa Slayton256. Digital Disruption Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.
Revelation 7:1-8:1 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5 from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. 16 They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” 8:1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com GIVE - The Listener's Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you. Thank you! Give here: https://www.listenerscommentary.com/give STUDY HUB - Want more than the audio? Join the study hub to access articles, maps, charts, pictures, and links to other resources to help you study the Bible for yourself. https://www.listenerscommentary.com/members-sign-up MORE TEACHING - For more resources and Bible teaching from John visit https://www.johnwhittaker.net
FAITH IS… with Pastor Rick Stevens – I explore the deeper meaning of baptism and why it matters today. In a world full of confusion, we need clarity—spiritually and socially. Like the men of Issachar, we're called to understand our times and help others do the same. Let's pursue truth, shake off superstition, and embrace the fresh start God offers through cleansing waters.
For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Martin Steinbereithner provides commentary on Num 12:16-13:33. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.” So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel. And these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; from the tribe of Joseph (that is, from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi the son of Susi; from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua. Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, “Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there. At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.” But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” Num 12:16-13:33
Numbers chapter 2 describes the arrangement of the camp of Israel. Everything that their Sovereign gave to His people Israel was orderly and purposeful. Even in what might seem to be simple matters there were divine principles being taught to the Almighty's family. Each tribe had its banner, or flag. Three tribes camped on each side of the central Sanctuary, where the Tabernacle was located. The three tribes grouped on the eastern side of the Tabernacle under the flag of Judah – the lion – were Judah, at the head, and Issachar and Zebulon. On the southern side encamped a further three tribes under the standard of Reuben, the man, these were – Reuben, Simeon and Gad. The order stated for the tribes and for the furniture and tent of the Tabernacle was for camping and setting forth; as verse 34 tells us. What this chapter does not tell us is that the ark of the covenant led the Israelites on their journeying(Numbers 10:33-36).
As the world events are unfolding with present dangers it extremely important that we all realize the time and what we must do to partner with the Lord for this hour. On today's Podcast we release word's to equip you to be a "Son of Issachar" and know what must be done.
If you feel led to support Mori Michael's Translational Work on the Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions, please visit his GoFundMe Page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/exodus-tablets If you're interested in getting a copy of Dr. van der Veen's book, "In Search of the Biblical Patriarchs: A Historical and Archaeological Quest," you can do so via this link: https://www.masthof.com/products/in-search-of-the-biblical-patriarchs-a-historical-and-archaeological-quest?srsltid=AfmBOoobHS_3rOcO-bhR0ZtBEqR7TI5V5AaZqyCFiUSykT99AmHrQilV NOTE: Not every view expressed by scholars contributing to Podcast content necessarily reflects the views of Patterns of Evidence. We include perspectives from various sides of debates on Biblical matters so that our audience can become familiar with the different arguments involved. – Keep Thinking! In our final episode of this new series, Timothy Mahoney, Mori Michael Shelomo Bar Ron, and Dr. Pieter van der Veen close their important discussion about Mori Michael's translational work on the Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions. In addition to the Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions found at Serabit el-Khadim do we also have evidence for the Israelites in Egyptian hieroglyphs? Is it possible these hieroglyphs contain Hebrew names such as Levi or Issachar? Moreover, were the gods, Sopdu and Ptah, Egyptian understandings of Israel's God, El or Yahweh, and how might this relate to Goshen, the main site where the Israelites sojourned in Egypt? Also find out how you can support Mori Michael's ongoing translational work of the Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions for his Masters and eventual PhD Thesis! ➡️ HELP US FUND THE NEXT FILM!
As the world events are unfolding with present dangers it extremely important that we all realize the time and what we must do to partner with the Lord for this hour. On today's Podcast we release word's to equip you to be a "Son of Issachar" and know what must be done.
For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother John Yocum provides commentary on Ex 1. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves. Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.” Ex 1
Numbers 2: Organization of Israel's Camp Numbers 2 details the arrangement of the Israelite camp during their wilderness journey, as commanded by God through Moses. The chapter describes how the twelve tribes of Israel were to encamp and march in a specific order, ensuring organization, unity, and structure. 1. The Camp's Arrangement God instructed that the tribes be positioned around the Tabernacle, which was at the center of the camp. This setup symbolized God's presence among His people and emphasized order in their movements. •East Side: The leading position was given to the tribe of Judah, along with Issachar and Zebulun. Judah was the largest and strongest tribe, often associated with leadership. •South Side: The tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad camped together. •West Side: The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin were positioned here. •North Side: The tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali occupied this position. Each tribe had a specific standard (flag or banner) and was responsible for maintaining its formation. The Levites and the Tabernacle were positioned in the center, signifying their priestly role and protection of the holy place. 2. Purpose of the Camp's Organization •Order and Discipline: The structured setup ensured efficiency in movement and protection against external threats. •Symbol of God's Presence: Placing the Tabernacle at the center signified that God was the focal point of Israel's journey. •Preparation for Battle: The arrangement also served a military function, ensuring readiness to march or defend against enemies. 3. Spiritual Lessons from Numbers 2 •God is a God of Order: This chapter highlights divine organization, showing that God values structure in worship, leadership, and daily life. •The Importance of Unity: Each tribe had a designated role, demonstrating that every individual has a place in God's plan. •Christ at the Center: Just as the Tabernacle was central to the Israelite camp, Christ should be at the center of our lives today. Conclusion Numbers 2 teaches us about God's meticulous planning for His people. It shows that following His order leads to peace, unity, and purpose. Just as Israel was instructed to march in alignment with God's design, believers today are called to live in obedience, placing God at the center of their lives.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.
Pastor Todd Coconato on Pastor Rick Renner's "Sons Of Issachar" Website: www.PastorTodd.org To support this ministry: www.ToddCoconato.com/give Join the Sons of Issachar as they discuss with Rick Renner what's to come in the end times and how the church can prepare in the context of Todd Coconato's book, Come Out from Among Them. To order the series and book offer go to https://renner.org/product-category/t.... In this 10-part series, The Sons of Issachar, Rick Renner talks with several friends and partners in the ministry about Scripture and books that will strengthen your spiritual life. Join these special guests for a series full of valuable spiritual wisdom for the times we're living in that you won't soon forget! https://renner.org/product/the-sons-o... In Come Out From Among Them, Todd Coconato shares what he believes God is calling the body of Christ to in this season: to come out of the Babylon system and truly be set apart, not participating in the wickedness of this hour or listening to the modern-day prophets of Baal—the “fake news” media! This is a time of great shaking and awakening, and the church can no longer be a silent majority. This is a time for action. https://renner.org/product/come-out-f... 00:00 Rick Greeting & Introduction of Guests 02:28 Todd Coconato 03:19 Rick talks about Todd's book Come Out From Among Them 03:39 Todd Continues 09:44 Comments from other speakers about culture 13:01 Todd Continues 15:19 Rick defines a type of persecution 15:39 Comments from other speakers 22:13 Todd's final comments 24:03 Rick's final comments 25:21 Product Offer 27:01 Salvation Prayer
Understanding Numbers 1 – A Simple Explanation What is Numbers 1 about? Numbers 1 is the first chapter of the book of Numbers in the Bible. It tells the story of how God instructed Moses to take a census (a count) of the Israelites while they were in the wilderness. This happened after they had escaped from Egypt and were preparing to enter the land God had promised them. Key Points from Numbers 1: 1.God Commands a Census •God tells Moses to count all the men who are 20 years old or older and able to fight in the army. •The counting is done by tribes, which were named after the 12 sons of Jacob (Israel). 2.The Twelve Tribes are Counted •Each tribe had a leader who helped with the counting. •The tribes were: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, Gad, and Naphtali. •The total number of fighting men counted was 603,550. 3.The Levites Were Not Counted •The tribe of Levi was not included in the census because God gave them a special job—to take care of the Tabernacle (a holy tent where God's presence was). •Instead of fighting in the army, the Levites were responsible for the worship and service of God. Why Is Numbers 1 Important? •It shows that God was organizing the Israelites before leading them into the Promised Land. •It teaches obedience—Moses and the leaders followed God's instructions exactly. •It reminds us that everyone has a specific role—some were warriors, while the Levites were caretakers of worship. How Does It Apply Today? •God is a God of order, and He prepares people for what is ahead. •Just like the Israelites had different roles, we all have unique purposes in life. •Following God's guidance leads to success and protection. Numbers 1 may seem like just a list of names and numbers, but it teaches us trust, organization, and obedience—things that are still important today!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.
Oppression in EgyptExodus 1:1-14 [ESV]1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/
In this Bible Story, Jacob marries Leah and Rachel and has 12 sons and 1 daughter. Jacob, in search of a new beginning with his family, leaves Laban and ventures back to Canaan. This story is inspired by Genesis 29-31. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Genesis 30:4 from the King James Version.Episode 21: After working seven years for Laban, in exchange for the privilege of marrying Rachel, Jacob is given her older sister Leah instead. Tricked and taken advantage of, Jacob agrees to work another seven years for Rachel. During these years of service, strife arises between the two sisters and their maids. Their lives become a competition of who can get the love of their husband and who can bear the most children for him.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
#ISRAEL:Ceasefire pause. Or Issachar, IDSF.org, Malcolm Hoenlein @Conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 1857 Gaza
By understanding the times, the Sons of Issachar knew what Israel should do. But do we understand ours? David explains what he didn't understand about our times during most of the 30 years he was a political leader in Tennessee. From Newton to Locke to Bastiat, David traces the development of our times and examines the cosmological nature of the Independence declared in 1776.
By understanding the times, the Sons of Issachar knew what Israel should do. But do we understand ours? David explains what he didn't understand about our times during most of the 30 years he was a political leader in Tennessee. From Newton to Locke to Bastiat, David traces the development of our times and examines the cosmological nature of the Independence declared in 1776.
houghts on the readings for January 17th (Genesis 30; Psalm 34; Matthew 19) Genesis 30 tells of Rachel's exasperation in seeking children; demands from Jacob that he give her children. Rachel gives Bilhah her maid to Jacob. A son is born and named Dan (meaning “vindication”, or “judgment”) claiming that she (Rachel) has God on her side. We notice that Rachel is making this contest with her sister personal. Another son is born to Bilhah and named Naphtali – speaking of the struggle, or wrestle Rachel saw between herself and Leah. Taking up the contest Leah gives her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob. A son is produced and called Gad – meaning “a troop” – telling of another son to come. Zilpah produces a second son, who Leah names Asher (“blessed”, or “happy”). Surely Jacob would be happy with the 6 sons produced thus far by Leah and her maid. Reuben found wild mandrakes in the field; believed by the ancients to be a potential aphrodisiac and a fertility booster. Rachel asks for these and in return promises Leah access to Jacob. This results in a 5th son for Leah – named Issachar(meaning “hired” ie Jacob in exchange for the mandrakes). Leah next produced a 6th son, Zebulon – indicating “dwelling” – in the hope of Jacob becoming Leah's companion. Lastly Leah gave birth to a daughter, Dinah. Rachel is finally remembered by God and has a son Joseph – meaning “add”, or “increasing” – in the hope of having a further son. Jacob served Laban for 6 more years in order to provide for his large family. Tricky Laban during this time changed Jacob's contract 10 times. No matter how unlikely it was for Jacob to increase his herds of sheep and cattle the Almighty blessed and prospered him, as had been promised at Bethel in chapter 28. Jacob's honesty and integrity were endorsed by God in what the cattle produced. Laban's deceit and dishonesty were at this time punished by the LORD. Whilst there was some value in the selective breeding Jacob practised; there was no science behind the putting of the poplar trees before the eyes of the cattle at watering time. Cont .... https://christadelphianvideo.org/thoughts-on-the-readings-for-january-17th-genesis-30-psalm-34-matthew-19/
There is renewed interest in natural law among Christians as a means of supporting legal and public policy positions in the public square. But why? David suggests that if we understand how the conversation changed from the days of Thomas Aquinas, we might not be so keen on the idea. To properly evaluate the merits of natural law's reasoning process, Sons of Issachar must understand the nature of the conversation taking place among our thought leaders--on the airwaves, in capitols, and in courtrooms.
There is renewed interest in natural law among Christians as a means of supporting legal and public policy positions in the public square. But why? David suggests that if we understand how the conversation changed from the days of Thomas Aquinas, we might not be so keen on the idea. To properly evaluate the merits of natural law's reasoning process, Sons of Issachar must understand the nature of the conversation taking place among our thought leaders--on the airwaves, in capitols, and in courtrooms.
If you've made a decision click the link below to get a copy of Pastor Steve's book “The Christian Walk” I've Made a Decision Wave Church | Wave Conference | […] The post Sons of Issachar | Steve Kelly appeared first on Wave Church.
Jeroboam, the first king of Israel dies, and chaos ensues: Nadab becomes the next king of Israel God gives Nadab time to repent, but he doesn't Nadab dies in Philistine land Baasha from the tribe of Issachar becomes the next king If love is not provoked, then why does it say that God was provoked to anger against Jeroboam? Click all the links for more cool stuff: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-6493869 Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40 This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries
It's Tuesday, November 12th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Brazilian homeschoolers growing despite opposition The Brazilian homeschooling movement is growing despite opposition from the leftist government of that country. Over the weekend, 3,000 homeschoolers gathered outside of Sao Paulo for a major conference and rallying point. Generations Radio and The Worldview supported the conference with speaking and resources. Reports of government prosecution of homeschooling families are on the rise, with at least twenty cases presently on record. Pray for Christian families under this spiritual and political push back. Psalm 78:5-6 encourages parents that God has “established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children.” German government collapsed last week Only hours after Trump's announced election last week, the national government of Germany collapsed. The multi-party based government was tenuous to begin with, but when Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the government lost its majority in parliament. The government has also lost support from the populace. According to a recent survey, only 3% of the people called the present government “good for Germany.” Germany's economy shrinks as families have fewer babies Germany is the fourth largest economy in the world after the United States, the European Union, and China. Interestingly, Germany was the only economy of the Group of 7 nations to shrink last year. Thus far this year, the country is barely holding onto a 0.1% annual Gross Domestic Product increase based on data from the first three quarters. In addition, industrial production has been steadily decreasing since 2018. Germany's working age population will decrease more than every other G7 nation over the next five years due to low birth rates. Catholic Latino support for Trump doubled between ‘20 and ‘24 The Republicans gained more ground cultivating support from the Latino Catholic vote than any other major demographic in the 2024 presidential election. Trump support among Catholic Latinos increased from 28% in 2020 to 53% in 2024 — almost double! Support from the Catholic demographic in general for the Donald Trump presidential bid actually increased from 47% to 58% between 2020 and 2024. Republicans win U.S. House According to Decision Desk HQ, the Republicans won control of the U.S. House with 219 seats over the Democrats with 210 seats. 218 seats are necessary for a majority. Eric Metaxas: Pastors don't understand the times Pastor John Piper sparked a little controversy among Christian websites when he commented on the presidential election, noting that “[God] having delivered us from one evil, [He] now tests us with another.” The pastor referenced Deuteronomy 13:3, not to listen “to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Citing 1 Chronicles 12:32, Christian commentator Eric Metaxas responded by saying, “Shame on these pastors for not being Sons of Issachar, but rather modern day Pharisees and Sadducees, not knowing Truth from a lie. Lord, deliver us from them.” Evangelical theologians discuss presidential election, pro-life movement Other leading evangelical theologians have commented on the election as well. Carl Trueman wrote that he “would be horrified if my children behaved as either of our two serious presidential candidates routinely do. The choice is a grim, but unavoidable one. ... Vote against the candidate who will do the most damage by policy.” And Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, opined that “the pro-life movement in the United States is in big, big trouble” based on recent losses at the ballot box. But he also said, “I'm thankful for the clarity that the American people achieved for the Republic. I think the choice, in this case, (for President) was also healthy for the Republic.” Trump appointed Rep. Elise Stefanik as Ambassador to United Nations President-elect Trump has appointed GOP Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York as the next Ambassador to the United Nations, reports ABC News. Stefanik has a 48% conservative voting record on Liberty Score. That compares to Rand Paul's 93% on the same rating. Stefanik voted to codify same-sex mirage into federal law back in 2022, and was in favor of the female draft in 2021. Federal Reserve cut reserve rate again The U.S. Federal Reserve Board voted to cut the reserve rate by another 25 basis points late last week. That follows a 50 basis point cut in September. The rate was just about 0% in January of 2022, at which point the Fed began increasing the rate all the way up to 5.33%. Trump election impacting market And finally, cryptocurrency prices shot up after the Trump election last week. Bitcoin is scraping $88,000. Gold dropped slightly from the $2,740 per ounce to the $2,670-per-ounce range. And the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq stock indexes bumped up about 5% since the election. Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, November 12th, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.