Podcasts about Jordan River

814 They Attempted Again To Seize Him, But He Escaped Their Clutches, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:39-42 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation NET 39 Then they attempted again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches. 40 Jesus went back across the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him and began to say, “John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” 42 And many believed in Jesus there. RSV 39 Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. 40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him; and they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there. Reflection on Scripture: Imagine the ridiculous idea. A group of  religious policemen go try and arrest the creator of everything on the earth they walked. When I read this I am overwhelmed by the irony of it all. Jesus on many occasions escaped capture. He would not go until his time came. Even when he was finally captured he did so knowingly. He even told Judas to betray him  quickly. For us to assume that we can dictate God's plans is such a spiritually immature and damaging mindset.  Yet we are not above this mindset. We like to think we control our world. We like to feel empowered. In some ways this is something God has created within us. Our Godly drive to improve the world around us is good. If we are not careful we can get captured by the idea that we can bend God to our will. Equally unhelpful is that God wants to help us to do whatever we want. God wants our development and perfection and only he knows what it is.  With that said I do believe God wants us to learn to pursue good autonomously. Also I think he wants to empower us to engage with Him regarding our plans. I think this is drastically different than us being a law unto ourself and pursuing our own selfish desires and claiming it is what God wants. I believe that God wants us to reach out to him and plead for discernment regarding our lives. The goal should always be for us to seek God's will not to bend God's will to our own. I want you to ponder   Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

How did the Israeli economy react to the war against Hamas?  Hear from a major player on the ground – Dr. Eugene Kandel, former economic adviser and Chairman of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, discusses Israel's financial resilience after the war against Hamas. Having made aliyah from the Soviet Union in 1977 with his family, Dr. Kandel covers the stock market rebound, missed economic opportunities with Jordan and Egypt, and the success of the Abraham Accords.  *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Take Action: Elected Leaders: Demand Hamas Release the Hostages  Key Resources: AJC's Efforts to Support the Hostages Listen – AJC Podcasts: Architects of Peace The Forgotten Exodus People of the Pod Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Manya Brachear Pashman:   Professor Eugene Kandel served as economic adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel from 2009 to 2015, and with Ron Sor is a co-founder of Israel's Strategic Futures Institute. He is also chairman of the Tel Aviv stock exchange, the only public stock exchange in Israel, known locally as the Bursa. He is with us now to talk about the impact of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza on Israel's economy, the potential and impact so far of the Abraham Accords, and how history could one day view October 7 as a turning point for Israel's democracy.  Dr. Kandel, welcome to People of the Pod. Eugene Kandel:   Thank you. Thank you for having me.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Before we begin, your family came to Israel in 1977. Can you share your family's Aliyah story? Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, when I was 14, my family was living very comfortably in the Soviet Union. My father was a quite known writer, playwright, a script writer. And around him was a group of Jewish people of culture that were quite known in their domains, mostly Jewish. And so at some point in 67 he sort of had this vision and started studying Hebrew. But 1970 and then by ‘73 when I was 14 years old, he came to me and said, Look, your mom and I decided to immigrate to Israel. What do you think about it, and I said, I don't know what I think about it. Okay, you know, if we want to immigrate, let's immigrate. I never felt too much belonging there. So unfortunately, Soviet authorities had other ideas about that. So we spent four years as refuseniks. My father, together with Benjamin Fine, were the editors of the underground publication called Tarbut. And for people who did not live there, they put their names on it. So this was, these were typewritten copies of Jewish culture monthly. And there were two names on it. You could go to jail for this. My father was always pretty brave man for his petite size, because during the Second World War, he was very, very hungry, to say the least. So he didn't really grow very much. But he's very big inside.  And so the following four years were pretty tough on them, because he couldn't work anywhere. Just like in McCarty years in this country, people would give work to their friends and then publish it under their own name. That's what he did for his friends, and they would share the money with him, or give him most of the money. There were very, very brave people. And then, you know, there was an incident where they wanted to send a message to my father to be a little less publicly outspoken. And so two KGB agents beat me up.  And that started a whole interesting set of events, because there was an organization in Chicago called Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry. Pamela Cohen. And I actually met Pamela when I was studying at the University of Chicago. And thanked her. So they took upon themselves to harass Soviet cinema and theater and culture officials. And so they were so successful that at some point, the writers league from Hollywood said that nobody will go to Moscow Film Festival unless they release us because they do not want to associate with people who beat up children. I wasn't a child, I was 17 years old, but still. And that sort of helped. At least, that's how we think about it.  So it's worthwhile being beaten up once in a while, because if it lets you out, I would take it another time. And then we came to Israel in a very interesting time. We came to Israel four hours after Anwar Sadat left. So we came to a different Israel. On the brink of a peace agreement with Egypt. And so that was it.  We came to Mevaseret Zion, which was an absorption center. A small absorption center. Today I actually live probably 500 yards from where we stayed. Sort of full circle.  And today, it's a significant, it's about 25,000 people town. And that's the story, you know, in the middle, in between then and now, I served in the military, did two degrees at Hebrew University, did two degrees at the University of Chicago, served as professor at the University of Rochester, and then for 28 years, served as professor of economics and finance at the Hebrew University. So I keep doing these circles to places where I started. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You say you arrived four hours after Sadat's visit to Israel on the brink of a peace agreement with Egypt. Did that peace agreement live up to expectations? Eugene Kandel:   Well, it depends what are your expectations. If your expectation will continue in the war, it definitely did, because, you know, for the last, you know, whatever, 48 years, we didn't have any military activity between Israel and Egypt. And we even have security collaboration to some extent. But if you're thinking about real peace, that would translate into people to people peace, business to business peace, it did not generate that at all. Because there was a very, very strong opposition on the street level and on the intellectuals level.  It actually started to break a little bit, because today you can find analysts on Egyptian television that are saying that we are, we are stupid because we don't collaborate with Israel. It is allowed today, It's allowed to be said in, you know, 20-30, years [ago], that person would have been ostracized and would never be allowed to speak.  So there is some progress, but unfortunately, it's a huge loss for the Egyptian economy. For Israeli economy, it is probably also a loss, but Israeli economy has a lot of alternatives in other countries. But Egyptians don't seem to be able to implement all the things that Israelis implemented a long time ago. You know, whether it's water technologies, whether it's energy technologies. Lots of lots of stuff, and it's really, really unfortunate that we could have helped Egyptian people, the same people who rejected any relations with us. And that's a pity. Manya Brachear Pashman:   The next peace agreement that came was with Jordan in 1994, quite some time later. Did that peace agreement live up to expectations, and where were you in 1994? Eugene Kandel:   1994, I was a professor at the University of Rochester, so I wasn't involved at all. But again, it was a very, very similar story. It was the peace that was sort of forced from above. It was clearly imposed on the people despite their objections, and you saw demonstrations, and you still see. But it was clear to the leadership of Jordan that Israel is, in their case, is absolutely essential for the survival of the Hashemite Dynasty. In the end the Israeli intelligence saved that dynasty, many, many times.  But again, it wasn't translated into anything economic, almost anything economic, until in the early 2000s there were some plants in Jordan by Israeli businessmen that were providing jobs, etc. But I was privileged to be the first to go to Jordan together with American officials and negotiate the beginning of the gas agreement.  We were selling gas to Jordan, because Jordan was basically going bankrupt because of the high energy costs. Jordan doesn't have its own energy, apart from oil shale. Sorry, shale oil. And for some reason they weren't able to develop that. But Israeli gas that we are selling to them as a result of what we started in 2012 I believe. Actually very important for the Jordanian economy. And if we can continue that, then maybe connect our electrical grid, which is now in the works, between the water-energy system.  And now maybe there is a possibility to connect the Syrian grid. If we have an agreement with Syria, it will help tremendously these countries to get economic development much faster. And it will help Israel as well, to balance its energy needs and to maybe get energy, provide energy, you know, get electricity, provide gas. You know, there's all these things where we can do a lot of things together. If there is a will on the other side. There's definitely will on the Israeli side. Manya Brachear Pashman:   In addition to gas, there's also water desalination agreements, as well, right? Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, there was a Red to Dead project, which was to pump the water all the way from the Red Sea along the Arava Valley. And then there is a 400 meter, 500 meter drop. And so to generate electricity through that desalinate that water that you pump, and then send that water to Egypt, send the electricity that was generated and not needed to Israel and then dump this salt stuff into the Dead Sea. Frankly, I don't know where this project is. Nobody talks about it for the last seven, eight years. I haven't heard.  Now there are different projects where you would get energy generated in Jordan and sold to Israel in Eilat, for example, because it's difficult for us to bring electricity all the way South. And so if the Jordanians have large fields of photovoltaic energy they can sell, they can satisfy the needs of a lot, and then in return, we can desalinate water and send it to them. So there's all kinds of projects that are being discussed. Manya Brachear Pashman:   But Israel does provide water to Jordan, correct? Eugene Kandel:   There are two agreements. One agreement, according to our peace agreement, we are supposed to provide them with a certain amount of water. I don't remember the exact amount. But that's not enough, and so we also sell them water. So think about it. There is a sweet water reservoir called Tiberius, Kinneret, in the north, and we sending water from there into two directions according to the agreement. We're sending it to Amman, pumping it up to the mountains, and then we're sending it throughout the Jordan Valley, all the way along the Jordan River, to the Jordanian side. So it's quite striking when I used to go between Jerusalem and Amman, it's actually an hour and a half drive. That's it. You go down, you go up, and you're there.  And so when you're passing the Israeli side, you see the plantations of date palms that are irrigated with drip irrigation. So very, very economically, using the brackish salt water that is pumped out of the ground there. You cross two miles further, you see banana plantations that are flood irrigated at 50-centigrade weather, and the water that comes from them comes on an open canal. So basically, 50% of the water that we send this way evaporates. Growing bananas in that climate and using so much water, it's probably, if you take into account the true cost of water, it's probably money losing proposition, but they're getting the water. The people that are the settlements on that Bank of Jordan River, are getting it for free. They don't care. And if somebody would just internalize that, and instead of sending the water down in an open canal, would send the whole water up to Amman, where there is a shortage of water, enormous shortage of water. And then you would take the gravity and use that water to generate electricity, to clean that water, the sewage, clean it and drip irrigate plantations, everybody would make enormous amounts of money. Literally enormous amounts of money. And everybody's lives would be better, okay? And I'm not talking about Israelis. It's within Jordan. And you can't say that there's no technology for that, because the technology is two miles away. You can see it.  And it just puzzles me. Why wouldn't that be done by some entrepreneurs, Jordanian entrepreneurs. We could really help with that. We could even help by buying the water from them back. The water that we give them, we can buy it back. Because in Israel, the water is very expensive. So we could finance that whole thing just by sending the water back, but that would be probably politically unacceptable, I don't know. But it's really, really . . . for an economist, it's just a sad story. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Missed opportunities. Well, let's go back. I introduced you as the chair of the Tel Aviv stock exchange, the Bursa. And I am curious. Let's talk about the economy. Does Israel treat its stock market the same way we do? In other words, are there opening and closing bells at the beginning and end of every day? How does the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange work compared to the United States? Eugene Kandel:   Well, we do have the opening bell, but it's usually reserved for some events. We don't have the events every day. Usually, if there's a new listing, or there's somebody celebrating, like, 20 years of listing, we have all kinds. Recently, we had Mr. Bill Ackman came and gave a speech and opened the trading together with us.  There are events around Jeffries Conference. But it's much more, you know, ceremony, I mean, it's not really connected to anything. Trading starts whether you press the button or don't. But Israeli stock exchange is unique in the following sense: it is an open limit book. What means that there is, you know, buyers meet sellers directly, and it works like that, not only in stocks, which is similar to what it is everywhere, but it's also in bonds, government bonds, corporate bonds, and in derivatives.  So in that sense, we do have our ceremonies, but the interesting thing is, what is happening with the exchange in the last two years. Accidentally, I joined two years ago as the chairman, and over the last two years, the stock exchange, the indices of Israeli Stock Exchange were the best performing out of all developed countries, by far. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Did that have something to do with the war? Eugene Kandel:   Well, it should have been, you know, in the opposite direction, but, the war is, not this length of war, not this intensity of war . . . but if you look back over at least 25 years, the Israeli economy responds very robustly to military conflict. Usually they're much shorter. If you look at even quarterly returns of the stock exchange, you would not know that there was a war in the middle, definitely not annual. If you look over the last 25 years, and you look at this stock, annual returns of the indices, you would not know that there was anything wrong, apart from our 2003 crisis, and Corona. Even the great financial crisis, you would not see it. I mean it was basically past us, because we didn't have a financial crisis in Israel. We had repercussions from, you know, the rest of the world's financial crisis, but we didn't get our own. And so we do have resilience built in, because we're just so used to it. However, having said that, it's the first time that we have such a long and intensive war on seven, whatever fronts. So it is quite surprising that just like any other time, it took about three months for the stock market to rebound after October 8. It was a big question whether to open the market on October 8. We struggled with it, and we decided that we do not want to give anybody the right to disrupt the Israeli economy.  I mean, it was a really tough decision, because there was certain people were saying, Well, how can you do that? It's a national tragedy. And of course, it was a national tragedy. But closing the market would have meant two things.  First of all, it would have shown the world that our economy can be interrupted. It would have given the benefit to those people that did these atrocities, that they managed to do more damage than they already did. And we didn't want to do that. And it didn't collapse. It went down, of course, but it rebounded within less than three months. By the end of that year, it was back on the same level. And then it did this comeback, which was quite phenomenal. And it's an interesting question, how come? Because during that time, we had some cases where Israel was boycotted by investors, very few, by the way, but we also saw many, many new investors coming in.  You could look at the war from the negative side. Of course, huge costs. But with all that, it was about 10% of annual GDP, because we are, you know, we're a big economy, and we borrowed that very easily because we had a very strong macro position before that. So we now 76% debt to GDP ratio. It's much lower than majority of developed countries. But we still had to borrow that. It was a lot of money, and then the defense budget is going to go up. So there is this cost.  But vis a vis that, A, Israeli technology has been proven to be unmatched, apart from maybe us technology in certain cases, but in some cases, even there, we have something to share. And so we have huge amounts of back orders for our defense industries. During the war, and they were going up when some of the countries that are making these purchases were criticizing us. They were learning from what we did, and buying, buying our equipment and software, etc.  And the second thing, we removed the huge security threat. If you look before October 7, we were quite concerned about 150,000 missiles, some of them precise missiles in Hezbollah's hands, an uninterrupted path from Iran through Syria to Hezbollah, constantly replenishing. We would bomb them sometimes in Syria, but we didn't catch all of them. We had Hamas, we had Hezbollah, we had Syrians, we had Iranians. We had, you know, not, you know, Iraqi militia. So, Hezbollah doesn't exist. Well, it exists, but it's nowhere near where it where was at. And the Lebanese Government is seriously attempting to disarm it. Syria, we all know what happened in Syria. We didn't lift a finger to do that. But indirectly, from what happened in Hezbollah, the rebels in Syria became emboldened and did what they did. We know what happened with Hamas. We know what happened with Iran. Okay, Iran, even Europeans reimposed the sanctions. So that's the side effect.  So if you look at the Israeli geopolitical and security situation, it's much, much better. And in that situation, once the war is over and the hostages are returned, and hopefully, we will not let this happen again, ever, to work hard so we remember that and not become complacent. It's an enormous, enormous boost to Israeli economy, because this security premium was quite big.  So that is on the positive side, and if we play smart, and we play strategically, and we regain sort of good relations with some of the countries which are currently very critical of us, and somehow make them immune to this anti Israeli antisemitism propaganda, we can really get going. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You mentioned investors. There were more investors after the war. Where were those investors coming from, internally or from other countries?  Eugene Kandel:   It's interesting that you asked this question, because in 2020, early 2024 a lot of Israeli institutions and individuals moved to S&P 500, and they got really hammered. Twice. Because A, S&P 500 was lagging behind the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. So there was some other players coming in, because otherwise, when you move money, usually, you should see a drop, but you saw an increase. That meant that there are others came in. But the more interesting thing is that shekel was very weak when they bought dollars, and now shekel is about 15% stronger, so they lost 15% just on the exchange rate. And so a lot of money that went to S&P came back in the last six, eight months. So the internal money came back.  But on top of internal money, we looked at the behavior of foreign investors right after October 7. They didn't flee the country. Some of them sold stocks, bought bonds. And then so Israeli institutions made money on that, because Israeli institutions bought stocks from them at about 10%, 15% discount, and then when it rebounded, they made money. But that money didn't leave, it stayed in Israel, and it was very costly to repatriate it, because the shekel was very weak. And so buying dollars back was expensive. And the money slowly went into stocks. And then people made quite a lot of money on this. Manya Brachear Pashman:   The last topic I want to cover with you is external relations. You mentioned Syria, the potential of collaborating with Syria for water, gas. Eugene Kandel:   Electricity. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Electricity. And I presume that you're referring to the possibility of Syria being one of the next members to join the Abraham Accords. That has been mentioned as a possibility. Eugene Kandel:   Maybe. But we can, we can do something much less. Manya Brachear Pashman: Outside of the Accords. Eugene Kandel:   Outside of the Accords, or pre-Accord, or we can, we can just create some kind of collaboration, just we had, like as we had with UAE for for 15 years before the Accord was signed. Was a clear understanding.  Maybe. But we can, we can do something much less outside of the Accord, or pre-Accord, or we can, we can just create some kind of collaboration, just we had, like as we had with UAE for for 15 years before the Accord was signed. Was a clear understanding.  You know, I was in UAE, in Dubai on the day of signing of the Accord. I landed in Dubai when they were signing on the on the green loan, on the White House lawn. And we landed. It was amazing. It was the degree of warmth that we received from everybody, from ministers in the economy to ministers that came to speak to us, by the dozen to people in the hotel that were just meeting us. They issued, for example, before signing the Accord, there was a regulation passed by by UAE that every hotel has to have kosher food. We don't have that in Israel. I mean, hotels mostly have kosher food, but not all of them, and, and it's not by law.  This was, like, clear, we want these people to feel comfortable. It was truly amazing. I've never, I could never imagine that I would come to a country where we didn't have any relations until today, and suddenly feel very, very welcome. On every level, on the street, in restaurants. And that was quite amazing, and that was the result of us collaborating below the surface for many, many years. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Parity of esteem, yes? Suddenly. Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, they didn't feel they did exactly the important part when the UAE businessman or or Ambassador order you feel completely no chip on the shoulder whatsoever. They feel very proud of their heritage. They feel very proud of their achievements. They feel and you feel at the same level. They feel at the same level, just like you would with the Europeans. We always felt that there was something like when, when, Arab delegations, always tension. I don't know whether it was superiority or inferiority. I don't know. It doesn't matter, but it was always tension in here. I didn't feel any tension. Was like, want to do business, we want to learn from you, and you'll to learn from us. And it was just wow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Same in Bahrain and Morocco? Eugene Kandel:   I haven't been to Bahrain and Morocco. I think Bahrain wants to do business. They were very even, sort of some of, we sent the delegation to Bahrain to talk about sort of Israeli technology and how to build an ecosystem in the same with Morocco. I think it's a bit different. I think it's a bit different because we didn't see much going on from from these two countries. Although Morocco is more advancing much faster than Bahrain. There are a lot of interesting proposals coming out of it.  There's a genuine desire there. In the last two years, of course, it was difficult for for anybody to do anything in those but interestingly, when almost no European airlines or American airlines were flying to us, Etihad and Emirates were flying to Israel. They were flying. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Past two years? Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, they would not stop. And you're just like, wow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So would you say the Abraham Accords have had a significant impact on Israel's economy at all? Eugene Kandel:   I do not know. I mean, I don't have data on that by the sheer number. I mean, the the number of Israeli tourists Sue UAE, it's probably 10 or 20 to one to the vice versa. So we've been Israelis flooding UAE. In terms of investments, there are some technology investments. There's some, some more infrastructural investors, like they bought 20% of our gas field. There are collaborations between universities and research centers. So it's hard to measure, but you have to remember that there was a huge amount of trade and collaboration under the surface. So it surfaced. But that doesn't mean that there was an effect on the economy, just people suddenly saw it. So you don't know what the Delta was. If the same amount of business was suddenly coming out of Jordan, we would have seen, you know, big surge. So I'm not sure how much . . . I don't mean to say that there was no impact. I'm just saying that the impact was much more gradual, because there was so much already, right? But I'm sure that it is continuing, and the fact that these airlines were continuing to fly, indicates that there is a demand, and there's a business. Initially a lot of Israelis thought that there was, this was a money bag, and they would go there and try to raise money and not understanding culture, not understanding. That period is over. I mean, the Emiratis conveyed pretty clearly that they not. They're very sophisticated investors. They know how to evaluate so they do when they make investments, these investments make sense, rather than just because you wanted to get some money from somebody. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, thank you so much.  Eugene Kandel:   Thank you.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   If you missed our last episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with AJC's Director of Congressional Affairs Jessica Bernton. We spoke shortly after receiving the news that a deal had been reached and the hostages from the October 7 Hamas terror attack might finally come home after two years in captivity. That dream was partially realized last week when all the living hostages returned and the wait began for those who were murdered.  

How many of us would feed a hungry stranger with the last crust of bread left in the house?The prophet Elijah received a prophecy that the land would suffer a years-long drought, and this message from God had come to pass. The Lord sent him to a ravine east of the Jordan River, where He sent ravens with bread and meat in the morning and in the evening, and Elijah could drink from a brook, but eventually, the brook ran dry because there was no rain in the land.The Lord commanded Elijah, “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”When the prophet came upon the widow, she told him she had just enough flour and oil left for a last meal for herself and her son, and she expected they would die of starvation after this final meal.Elijah instructed her not to be afraid and asked her to make a small loaf of bread for him, then to do the same for herself and her son.1 Kings 17:15–16 says, “She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.” Because of the kindness she paid to the Lord's servant, the unnamed widow was blessed with enough to continue sharing with Elijah, and enough for her family to eat until the rains returned.Let's pray.God, you are our steadfast provider. When we have an opportunity to give to those in need, remind us that you bless us with enough to share. Help us to give unselfishly from the abundance you provide for us. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

The Wilderness E8 –– In the Bible, God often turns wilderness wanderings into times of testing, purification, and preparation for returning to the garden land. The tragedy of the Hebrew Bible, however, is that when people do return to the garden, they keep following their own distorted wisdom and desires. This is why the beginning of every gospel account features a wild prophet named John, who is out in the wilderness by the Jordan River, preaching a baptism of repentance. It's a symbolic reenactment of when God purified the exodus generation through the deadly chaos waters and treacherous desert. But then Jesus approaches John, also asking to be baptized. Why? In this episode, Jon and Tim unpack the background and ministry of John the Baptizer and how Jesus' baptism connects to his larger Kingdom mission.CHAPTERSRecap of Theme and Setup for John the Baptizer (0:00-15:53)John's Background and Words to the Pharisees (15:53-38:03)Why Jesus Participates in a Baptism of Repentance (38:03-44:47)The Heavenly Announcement After Jesus' Baptism (44:47-51:33)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English, translated by Geza VermesYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Lunch Break ft. Abstractv” by Lofi Sunday“Old Record” by Lofi Sunday, Marc VanparlaBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | The book of Deuteronomy opens as the people of God arrive at the end of their 40-year-long journey in the wilderness, and now reside along the border of Moab and the edge of the Jordan River: right on the cusp of stepping into the Promised Land. As they are right on the cusp of something new, Moses stands before them and speaks - a word of encouragement and hope to empower the people to take their next step forward.

Veronica Kasprzak went upstairs to check on her 15-year-old daughter, Annie, only to find an empty room and a runaway note on the bed. The very next day, a gruesome discovery would lead police down a twisty path that would eventually lead them right back to the beginning. Instagram: @CousinsonCrimePodcast Email: CousinsonCrime@gmail.com Theme Music by AleXZavesa Join our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/CousinsOnCrime Check out our merch store! https://cousinsoncrime-shop.fourthwall.com/? Sources: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175618312/anne_grace-kasprzak https://www.deseret.com/2015/4/22/20563314/mother-of-anne-kasprzak-wants-responsibility-not-revenge-for-her-daughter-s-accused-killer/ https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/remembering-annie-kasprzak-681119811852 https://www.ksl.com/article/32050897/documents-detail-pregnancy-rumors-cellphone-records-in-kasprzak-killing https://youtu.be/LM8WZdEvnP8?si=x0taPJaddgYh3SqT https://youtu.be/qxenmIWwLtI?si=tljcThMuQSWqJ1Ot https://youtu.be/1P-CPl_iXx4 https://youtu.be/qxenmIWwLtI?si=8qM7GgQQ6JnFuK3a

Put On Your Nikes – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Oct. 12, 2025) This week's homily invites us to look at two powerful moments of healing — Naaman the leper in the Old Testament and the ten lepers who call out to Jesus in the Gospel. Both stories reveal the same truth: God's power often moves through simple obedience, not spectacle. Naaman expected a dramatic miracle — a show of divine power — but instead was told to do something small and ordinary: wash seven times in the Jordan River. Insulted at first, he finally “just did it” — and was healed. The ten lepers who met Jesus were told only to “go show yourselves to the priests,” and it was as they went that healing came. Fr. David reminds us that this is how grace works in our lives, too. The Holy Spirit stirs our hearts with small, gentle nudges — to reach out, encourage, forgive, invite, or serve — and when we act in faith, God works wonders through those ordinary moments. In our parishes, we're already seeing this unfold: people returning to church, families entering RCIA together, hearts being stirred to serve and grow. God is moving because people are saying yes. So the next time you feel that quiet prompting from God — to say something kind, to take a step, to act in love — don't overthink it. Lace up your spiritual sneakers, take a cue from Naaman, and just do it.

As we celebrate 50 years of God's unwavering faithfulness at Willow, Pastor Shawn Williams invites us to reflect on all God has done and boldly trust Him for what's ahead. Just like Joshua, we step into new beginnings with our eyes fixed firmly on God's limitless power, not our own. The same God who parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River is leading us today, filling us with confidence that His faithfulness then guarantees His faithfulness now—because the God who has done it before will do it again!

Welcome back to the podcast! We've all been told that if you really trust God, you'll never have questions or doubts. But that's simply not true. Listen today to find out why!--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Believable Lie #4: Real Faith Means No DoubtsMany Christians quietly carry a burden they rarely admit out loud: “If I really had faith, I wouldn't have doubts.” The idea sounds spiritual, but it's simply not true. Even the Bible's greatest heroes wrestled with questions—including John the Baptist. Real faith isn't the absence of doubt; it's the choice to keep trusting Jesus even when life leaves us with a boxful of questions.John the Baptist Looked Like a “Super Christian”When John the Baptist burst onto the scene, he seemed like the last person who would ever doubt. He preached with fiery conviction:“But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. ‘You brood of snakes!' he exclaimed. ‘Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.'” (Matthew 3:7-8, NLT)John didn't mince words. He lived boldly, called people to repentance, and baptized crowds in the Jordan River. He even recognized Jesus for who He truly was:“Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, NLT)At first glance, John seemed like a rock of unshakable faith. But even this great prophet had questions.John's First Doubts: “Why Me?”When Jesus came to be baptized, John tried to stop Him:“But John tried to talk him out of it. ‘I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,' he said, ‘so why are you coming to me?'” (Matthew 3:14, NLT)John didn't fully understand what Jesus was doing. His theology was still “under construction.” And that's an important lesson for us: you don't have to have perfect doctrine before you belong to Jesus. From the very beginning of Christianity, the core message was simple—Jesus is God, He died and rose again, and those who repent and believe will be saved. (Acts 2:36-39)If John the Baptist could wrestle with holes in his understanding and still be called a man of faith, then we can, too.John's Expectations of Jesus Didn't Match RealityLike many Jews of his day, John expected the Messiah to bring immediate judgment:“He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” (Matthew 3:12, NLT)John pictured a Messiah who was fiery, fierce, and forceful—someone who looked a lot like himself. But Jesus...

The Gospel of John Week 15 Scripture: John 10:34-11:53, Psalm 82. John wrote his Gospel to make us understand that Jesus is just who He says He is. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and this Gospel of John. When we read it with open eyes and ears and minds, we see and understand who Jesus is. As our text opens today, we see the religious leaders again trying to trap Jesus and seize Him. Killing Him is their goal.  We read again that He escapes, but not because He is afraid, but because the time has not yet come. When the time does come, Jesus will be absolutely fearless.  We will see this developing as we move into chapter 11. As we enter chapter 11, Pastor shares some of the more recent archaeological discoveries in the area of the Jordan River Valley. Pastor shares the possible discovery of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the interesting information we learn from this discovery. As we begin chapter 11 we hear that Lazarus, who lives  in Bethany is sick. Jesus is about 20 miles from Bethany and is across the Jordan River on the opposite side. Lazarus has two sisters, Mary and Martha. Pastor does some speculating about Mary. He shares that both early and late in Jesus' ministry a woman anoints His feet and wipes them with her hair. In the first anointing Jesus tells the woman her sins are forgiven. Pastor poses the possibility that both anointing were done by Mary, Lazarus' sister, and he goes further with the possibility that Mary of Bethany (Lazarus' sister) may also be Mary Magdalene (the one from whom Jesus cast out seven demons.) Back to our story… Jesus is about 20 miles away when He receives word of Lazarus' sickness from a messenger sent by Mary and Martha. When Jesus hears Lazarus is sick He says that the sickness is not going to end in death, but in the glory of God. Jesus does not head to Bethany yet. By the time Jesus does finally head to Bethany Lazarus is dead and when He arrives Lazarus has already been in the tomb four days. Martha greets Jesus as He arrives. Jesus says to Martha that He is the Resurrection and the Life and that the one who believes in Him will live even though they die and that whoever lives by believing in Him will never die. Then He asks Martha, “Do you believer this?” And she replies with a statement of faith that He is the Messiah and the Son of God. Then Jesus asks Martha to send Mary to Him. Mary comes and falls at Jesus feet saying that had He been there her brother would not have died.  Reminder: Jesus had said to the messenger that had come to tell Him of Lazarus' sickness, that Lazarus' illness would not end in death, but it did…… and Mary weeps.  Jesus asks where Lazarus has been laid and He weeps too.  Jesus understands our sorrows. Then Jesus asks them to open the tomb and though reluctant as the body has been dead four days, they move the stone. Pastor talks about the process of a Jewish burial in the days of Jesus and also shares pictures and information on ossuaries that have been discovered. Back to our story….  Jesus says for them to roll the stone away, and adds, “Didn't I tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” The stone is rolled away - Jesus prays to the Father - then He says, “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus comes out of the tomb alive and covered in the linen burial wrappings. The wrappings are removed and many believed in Jesus after seeing this - others went to the religious leaders and told them what Jesus had just done. Now their desire to get rid of Jesus rises even more. Caiaphas then says, “isn't it better for one man to die for the people, than that the whole nation perish” and Caiaphas unknowingly speaks a prophetic word. And from that day on the religious leaders plotted to kill Jesus. We begin to see Jesus set His own execution into motion. This is not something that happens by accident, it is the Father's will and it is something Jesus runs toward. He willingly sets Himself in this position the leads to His death and ends with His resurrection! In today's study we see there is a great difference between religion and a relationship with the Living God. Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01     ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels.      ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before. Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

H2H003: What is a Disciple? | From Head to Heart to HandsWelcome to Heart to Heart Conversations, Episode 3!

What if baptism didn't begin in the New Testament? What if the waters of creation, the flood, the Red Sea, the Jordan River, and more have been telling a deeper story all along?In this episode, we take a posture of discovery, tracing the theme of water throughout the Old Testament to discover how the Old Testament shapes our understanding of baptism today. Rather than ending with a concrete definition, we'll reflect on key moments where water appears in Scripture, allowing them to reveal what we know today as baptism.From chaos to cleansing, from judgment to new creation, we'll explore how God has been using water as a symbol of transformation since the beginning. Whether you're new to the Bible or a seasoned theologian, join us as we dive into the story.Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us formation@providenceomaha.org

A thunderous voice cries out from the Judean wilderness, calling an entire nation to turn back to God. John the Baptizer, the last of the rugged Old Testament prophets, confronts the corrupt religious leaders and urges repentance. Jesus appears and, despite being our sinless Savior, wades into a pool of our sins and submits to John's baptism to fulfill all righteousness. Join us as we witness the incredible moment when the heavens open and the Holy Trinity is revealed at the Jordan River.  The Rev. Matthew Kusch, pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Matthew 3.  To learn more about King of Glory, visit kogelgin.org. The Gospel of Matthew bridges Old and New Testaments, presenting Jesus as the promised Messiah who fulfills the Law we could never keep and establishes His kingdom of grace for all nations. Written by a tax collector transformed by pure grace, Matthew reveals Christ as the true Son of David and Emmanuel (God with us) who challenges us with the crushing demands of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount to the sweet comfort of the Gospel in His death and resurrection. From royal genealogy to glorious resurrection, this verse-by-verse study proclaims the One who conquered sin, death, and the devil for us, now delivering forgiveness, life, and salvation through Word and Sacrament as He remains with His church always, even to the end of the age.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

When the Crow is After You Speaker: Michael Shockley Scripture: 1 John 1:4; Psalm 42 Episode Summary In part 2 of our 1 John series, Pastor Michael uses the metaphor of being chased by a crow to explore how we can have joy even when life feels overwhelming. Through King David's story of betrayal and exile, we discover that while circumstances may not be okay, we can still be okay through Jesus. Key Points - The “crow” represents life's troubles, discouragement, and painful circumstances - David's response to betrayal shows how to acknowledge pain without being destroyed by it - True joy comes from Jesus, not from positive circumstances - We can shake our fist at the darkness while still trusting God Main Takeaway Joy isn't something we manufacture or achieve - it's a gift from the Holy Spirit that sustains us through difficult seasons. When life isn't okay, we can still be okay because of our relationship with Jesus. Reflection Question What “crow” has been chasing you lately, and how can you practice saying “It's not okay, but I'm okay” in that situation? Tune in to hear Pastor Michael's personal struggles with being an “Eeyore” and how the story of David crossing the Jordan River speaks to anyone feeling chased by life's troubles. Connect & Give Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly

Joshua 5 demonstrates God's perfect timing as Israel pauses for a week in enemy territory after crossing the Jordan River, showing that weakness doesn't necessitate timidity and that God's people can find peace even in opposition.• Israel enters the Promised Land and immediately sets up camp at Gilgal while surrounded by enemies• Joshua circumcises all the men, making them temporarily vulnerable but recommitting them to God's covenant• The celebration of Passover reminds the people of God's promises and faithfulness• God stops the manna after 40 years, teaching that His provision may change while His faithfulness never does• Joshua encounters the commander of God's army who teaches him that God doesn't take sides—He takes over• When facing challenges, our strength isn't in our strategies but in our worship and surrenderThe primary question isn't "Is God on our side?" but rather "Are we on His side?" Take off your shoes and worship Him—He doesn't need your sword or shield, but He will take your worship. If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

You would think that after miraculously parting the torrent of the flooded Jordan River, bringing fear to their enemies, God would have said to Joshua, “Now, go! Strike hard and fast while you have the momentum!” But He didn't. God brought everything to a screeching halt when He gave Joshua this command: Circumcise all the men and boys.This seemed to make no sense. Not only did it go against military logic, but it also left their fighting forces physically vulnerable for days as they recovered. But Joshua obeyed anyway.For the 40 years the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness, the people had failed to circumcise the boys born into their families. That faithless generation died along the way, and the generation that now stands on the threshold of their future is the uncircumcised.Why was it such a big deal to God that the men be circumcised?Since the days of Abraham, circumcision had been a sign of the Israelites' identity. It was to be a constant reminder of God's covenant with them and a supreme symbol of their loyalty to Yahweh. He offers His provision and protection to all who will enter into this covenant with Him. Unless and until this generation of Israelites were willing to embrace the covenant, they would be trying to take the land in their own strength. But once they DID embrace that covenant, the Lord God Almighty was bound by that covenant to bring His power to bear.God called his people to mark out their identity through circumcision—the most basic and most intimate of ways. That reminder resulted in several things.It emboldened them.  Every day as a man dressed, he was reminded, “I am in covenant with God. God is for me; I will not be afraid.” It assured them. With every act of procreation, they were reminded that not only were they God's people, but their children were too. They were part of a multi-generational movement. It admonished them. When tempted to compromise sexually, it was a visible admonishment to live God's way.In the New Testament, Paul draws a parallel between circumcision and baptism. For the believer in Jesus, baptism is a symbol of the Christian's identity. If you are in covenant with God through your faith in Christ, you can have confidence in your future. God has committed Himself to bringing His protection, His provision, and His power to bear upon your life. Text: Joshua 5Originally recorded on September 11, 2016, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN

In March 2012, 15-year-old Annie Kasprzak vanished in Draper, Utah. The next day, her body was discovered in the Jordan River, and what looked like a tragic runaway story quickly turned into a murder investigation. Annie's death revealed secrets, lies, and a tangled trail that would take years to fully unravel. NOW AVAILABLE: CRIME WITH HOLLY PATREON! www.patreon.com/crimewithholly Enjoy ad free for just $2 a month! Enjoying the show?  Here's a way to find out where else you can follow CrimeaHolly! https://linktr.ee/CrimeaHolly Crime with Holly Case Suggestion Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScGdPu4AWAoG_-cmznwcNxnNQlEyX9nxxOwZNZfqpprL3TaUQ/viewform Episode Sources: Dateline Season 24 Episode 41 True Crime with Aphrodite Jones Season 6 Episode 10 https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/saltlaketribune/name/anne-kasprzak-obituary?id=25730436 https://theretrobliss.medium.com/he-decided-his-future-was-more-important-than-hers-ec25fc679000 https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/globalassets/1-site-files/district-attorney/press-releases/2016/bagshaw-amended-information-16-0229.pdf https://kutv.com/news/local/bagshaw-sentenced-15-years-to-life-in-murder-trial-of-girl-found-in-jordan-river https://www.oxygen.com/injustice-with-nancy-grace/crime-time/joanna-franklin-daniel-ferry-derailed-annie-kasprzak-murder-investigation https://kutv.com/news/local/teen-charged-with-kasprzak-murder-could-be-tried-as-adult https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=2239728&itype=CMSID

In Joshua 3-4, the Israelites face the flooded Jordan River before entering the Promised Land. God instructs them to follow the Ark of the Covenant and consecrate themselves spiritually before the crossing. When the priests carrying the Ark step into the water, God parts the river, allowing the entire nation to cross on dry ground. Afterward, God commands them to take twelve stones from the riverbed as a memorial of His faithfulness for future generations. This story teaches us to step out in faith, stand firm when God moves, and intentionally create memorials to remember His faithfulness in our lives.

This week at Glad Tidings Church, we conclude our Legacy series with a powerful reminder that God is always working—upstream and down the road. Drawing from Joshua 3–4 and Habakkuk 2:3, Pastor Adam Haugen unpacks what it means to wait on God when the river feels raging, the miracle seems delayed, and doubts start to rise.Through stories of Joshua's faith at the Jordan River, the hidden clay that became the Temple's foundation centuries later, and the legacy of Glad Tidings itself, we see how obedience today can shape worship and transformation for generations to come.If you've ever wrestled with God's timing, questioned His silence, or wondered if your faith really matters, this message will encourage you: while you're waiting, God is working—upstream in ways you cannot see, and down the road in ways you cannot yet imagine.

I've been on the phone a lot with some of these guys and would like to share some of the LOVE! Braythers in arms fighting the SpiritWars nonstop are always needed. I, Michael Basham am found at Faithbucks.com and Fringeradionetwork.com HALLLLLLELLLUJAHMillennial Mustard Seed PodcastJoin host Rod Smith as we dive deep into the unusual, unexplained, and unexplored facets of our world. With a seeker's humility and a biblical lens, Millennial Mustard Seed never fails to inspire, provoke, and intrigue listeners toward deeper faith in Christ.Special Guests:- Rod Smith (Host)- Aaron Christian Davis (Co-host)- Basil Rosewater (Guest) – Co-host of Canary Cry Radio, expert in fringe Christian perspectives, cultural commentary, and AI ethics.Core Topics Covered:- Are Dolphins supernatural creatures? Also note it's illegal to swim with our brainy water buds or to witness a dolphin birth.- AI technology's role in end-times deception and the rise of the Beast system.- The Nephilim tech connection: How ancient advanced knowledge mirrors today's AI breakthroughs.- A deep dive into the transhumanism agenda, mind-hive consciousness, and AI's goal of mimicking omnipresence.- The Jordan River as a literal and symbolic portal in Scripture — its prophetic implications.Key Quotes & Insights:- "The enemy is building his own counterfeit omnipresence through AI and tech grids. But God's Kingdom is the original and ultimate reality." — Rod Smith- "If you want to understand the end-times, you have to understand prehistory — because what was, will be again." — Basil Rosewater- "The technologies of the fallen are making a comeback, but the power of Christ's Kingdom is far greater." — Aaron Christian Davis Recommended Resources:- The Genesis 6 Conspiracy by Gary Wayne- Judgment of the Nephilim & The Final Nephilim by Ryan Pitterson- Bride Ministries International – Daniel Duval's deliverance and spiritual warfare resources- Canary Cry Radio – Alternative Christian commentary on fringe topicsCall to Action:Contact the Show: Email Rod Smith at ⁠mmseed@proton.me⁠Subscribe for Exclusive Episodes: ⁠Spotify Exclusive Content⁠Support the Ministry: Buy Rod's new book The Words Are Salt on ⁠Amazon⁠Partner With Us:- Venmo: @Rodney-Smith-368- PayPal: ⁠paypal.me/creative775⁠- CashApp: $Rodsworth77Please leave a 5-star review and share this episode with a friend. Help us grow the mustard seed!Hey, rod here.MMS was added to the top 100 book of revelations podcast on million podcast.com alongside the likes of Dr Chuck Miller, Canary Cry boys and Prophecfy Watchers to name a few!  Link belowhttps://www.millionpodcasts.com/book-of-revelation-podcasts/

Baptism is more than a ritual. It is a picture of God's love at work in our lives. When Jesus stepped into the Jordan River, He showed us humility, obedience, and a willingness to honor the Father's will. As He came out of the water, the heavens opened and the Spirit rested on Him, a reminder that baptism is not just about going under the water but about stepping into new life.Through baptism, we declare that the old has passed away and the new has begun. It symbolizes dying to sin and rising with Christ, made alive by His Spirit. It is not the water that saves us but the grace of God through faith in Jesus. Baptism is our outward testimony of an inward transformation, a way of telling the world, “I belong to Him.”When we choose baptism, we step into unity with Christ and with one another. It is a moment that unites believers across every background, reminding us that we are one body through Him. Baptism is both a celebration and a calling: to walk daily in the new life God has given us through His Son.Subscribe to Our Channel! New to LifeRock? Click here: liferockchurch.org/get-connectedTo support this ministry and help us reach people in our community. Click here: liferockchurch.org/giveDo you need someone to pray for you? We will pray for you. Click here: liferockchurch.org/online-prayerFollow: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeRockColumbiaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/LifeRockChurchX: https://x.com/LifeRockChurch

Before the Israelites could enter the Promised Land, they had to stand at the edge of the Jordan River — and trust God to make a way. At a retreat diving deep into the book of Joshua, the leader God appointed after Moses died, I found myself at my own river's edge, staring at something God was asking me to let go of. But I wasn't ready. This is the story of how He met me there — in my fear, in my wrestling — and how crossing over became more than just a metaphor. Sign up for my new monthly newsletter, The Keeping Room: Faith, Favorites and a Little Southern Soul. From a favorite house plan to my go-to beauty products with some decor and faith-filled inspiration sprinkled in. It's like a care package for your soul and your home delivered to your inbox!

In the conclusion to our series "Stand Firm" Roger Morris emphasizes the significance of stepping out in faith, trusting God's power and authority, and the necessity for believers to move beyond living by emotions and doubts. Drawing from biblical examples such as Moses with his staff (Exodus 4) and the crossing of the Jordan River, (Joshua 3) Roger illustrates how obedience to God's instructions can lead to miraculous outcomes. Additionally, he shares a personal story of a testimony of miraculous healing and recalling a prophetic word that reiterated God's plan for his life. Finally, viewers are invited to accept Jesus Christ into their lives, emphasizing the inclusivity and transformative power of God's call.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:   00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:31 The Power of God's Authority 01:44 Moses' Journey and Trust in God 04:47 Facing Fear with Faith 10:48 Crossing the Jordan River 18:41 Personal Testimonies and Obedience 26:00 Call to Salvation 27:34 Conclusion and Partnership Invitation   Connect with Bill & Roger Ministries: www.billandroger.com   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064668460680

Send us a textHave you ever wondered why God commanded the Israelites to establish Cities of Refuge? Or what this ancient legal provision has to do with your life today? Prepare to be amazed as we uncover how these strategically placed cities reveal Christ in ways you might never have considered.The Cities of Refuge weren't just safe havens for accidental manslayers—they were divinely designed object lessons pointing directly to Jesus. We explore how the accessibility, proximity, and urgency associated with these cities perfectly mirror our salvation experience. From the carefully maintained roads leading to them (representing the clarity with which we should present the gospel) to their strategic placement ensuring no one was far from safety (showing Christ's nearness to all who seek Him), every detail reveals God's redemptive plan.Most striking is the revelation that these cities weren't randomly scattered—three cities on each side of the Jordan River, symbolizing how the Trinity is accessible to everyone regardless of which "side" they're on. The number six (the number of man) reminds us that salvation was designed specifically for human need.This episode will transform how you read the Old Testament, helping you see Christ on every page. As one participant beautifully puts it, Scripture is like "a never-ending treasure chest" where we discover new revelations of God's love and plan with each careful study. Whether you're new to Bible study or a seasoned student of Scripture, you'll gain fresh insights into how God has always been revealing Christ—even in what might seem like obscure legal codes.Join us for this eye-opening exploration, and discover why approaching Scripture with childlike curiosity unlocks its deepest treasures. How might your relationship with God change when you begin seeing Christ everywhere in His Word?The Balance of GrayFaith That Challenges. Conversations that Matter. Laughs included. Subscribe Now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

In this message, special guest and ministry partner, Patrick Mpande shares his journey from humble beginnings in Africa to international ministry, proving that God makes a way where there seems to be no way. Whether it's fear, uncertainty, or seemingly impossible circumstances, this message will challenge you to take that first step of faith. Just like Joshua faced the flooded Jordan River, God is calling us to step out in faith. Renaissance Church - Richmond, Texas https://ren-church.org #alloflifealltheearth #walkgrowlive #preaching

Send us a textThe Lord is GoodToday we're continuing our theme of "build," exploring what it means to build our lives on Jesus Christ. I've always been the family photographer, capturing moments so we can remember the great story of our lives. These pictures serve as highlights, reminders of God's blessing and His constant presence on our journey.Just as photos help us remember, the Bible tells us to remember what God has done. We don't live in the past, but we look back to remember God's goodness and faithfulness so we can walk forward in what He has for us. The Psalmist says, "For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations".Building and FightingOur church is named Cornerstone because Jesus is the cornerstone of our lives. Ephesians 2:20 says we are "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone".We see this idea of building and fighting in the life of Joshua. As he prepared to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, the Lord told him, "Be strong and courageous". God promised He would not leave or forsake them, but they had to be willing to fight for what was theirs. The first thing Joshua commanded the people to do was not to sharpen their swords but to consecrate themselves and cleanse their hearts before God. Our actions follow from the condition of our hearts.Dry Ground and Holy PlacesWhen the people were ready, the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stepped into the Jordan River, and the water was pulled back, allowing all of Israel to cross on dry ground. To remember this incredible miracle, Joshua told the leaders to take 12 stones from the middle of the river and build a monument. These stones were a sign for their children, so that when they asked what the stones meant, the parents could say, "Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground… so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of God is mighty".When Joshua later met a man with a drawn sword, he asked, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?". The man, who was the commander of the Lord's army, replied, "No... I am the commander of the army of the Lord". Joshua immediately fell to the ground in worship, and the commander said, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy".Friends, if we realize that God is with us, then wherever we place our feet is holy ground.If you have never made the decision to follow Jesus, I challenge you to make that decision today. As the apostle Paul wrote, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved".

In Numbers 31–33, we walk with Israel through some pivotal moments at the very edge of the Promised Land. First, the Lord commands Moses to send the Israelites into battle against the Midianites, the very people who had enticed Israel into sin back in Numbers 25. This becomes Moses' last conquest, a battle where not one of the 12,000 Israelite soldiers is lost, and where we see offerings given in gratitude and purification laws reminding the people of God's holiness. Then, in chapter 32, the tribes of Reuben and Gad ask to settle east of the Jordan River instead of entering the Promised Land. Moses is furious at first, connecting their request to the failure of the ten spies decades earlier that led to forty years of wandering. He fears history will repeat itself. In the end, the tribes agree to help their brothers fight, but their decision becomes a sobering example of settling for less than God's best and making plans outside of His promises. We'll see the long-term effects of this choice ripple throughout Scripture in Joshua, Kings, and the prophets. Finally, chapter 33 gives us a travel log of Israel's wilderness journey — every stop, every camp, every step guided by God's presence. It's a reminder that nothing was wasted, and every mile mattered because He was with them. Together, these chapters highlight God's protection in battle, the danger of half-hearted obedience, and the steady faithfulness of His presence through every season of the journey. Oh, that's so good! For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/numbers-31-33/

Parting the Jordan River (2 Kings 2:8)Healing the Waters of Jericho (2 Kings 2:19-22)Two Bears Devouring Mockers (2 Kings 2:23-24)Water Filling Ditches for the Moabite Army (2 Kings 3:16-20)Increasing the Widow's Oil (2 Kings 4:1-7)Resurrecting the Shunammite Woman's Son (2 Kings 4:32-37)Purifying Poisoned Pottage (2 Kings 4:41)Multiplying Food (2 Kings 4:43-44)Healing Naaman the Leper (2 Kings 5:1-14)Contaminating Gehazi with Leprosy (2 Kings 5:27)Making the Axe Head Float (2 Kings 6:1-7)Rendering the Syrian Army Blind (2 Kings 6:18)Restoring Sight to the Syrian Army (2 Kings 6:20)Causing the Blindness of the Enemy to Stop (2 Kings 6:20)Prophesying an End to a Great Famine (2 Kings 7:1-2)Foreknowledge of the King's Plot (2 Kings 6:12) Man revived in tomb when tossed on Elisha's bones (2 Kings 13:20)

I've been on the phone a lot with some of these guys and would like to share some of the LOVE! Braythers in arms fighting the SpiritWars nonstop are always needed. I, Michael Basham am found at Faithbucks.com and Fringeradionetwork.com HALLLLLLELLLUJAH

This week, we saw Jesus step out of obscurity into His first public moment—His baptism in the Jordan River. Luke provides a brief account, but Matthew and Mark elaborate on the details. Follow us on our Facebook and Instagram pages and subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see how God is moving at MetaChurch.Support the show

Jesus kicks off his earthly ministry by getting baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. But, what happens immediately after that historic event is quite shocking. Join us as we look at what our Lord was put through as he started his redemptive journey to rescue us! Series: The Gospel of Mark Speaker: Steve Treichler Hope Community Church - Columbia Heights For more resources or to learn more about Hope Heights, visit hopecc.com/heights.

10. How many times did Naaman dip in the Jordan River to be cleansed?A) 3B) 5C) 10D) 7

As the Book of Deuteronomy draws to its conclusion, the narrative makes a transition: Moshe finishes conveying the mitzvos to the nation, and sets up his final parting message to the people. First, he commands the nation to perform several elaborate ceremonies on the very first day that they cross the Jordan River; then he […]

As the Book of Deuteronomy draws to its conclusion, the narrative makes a transition: Moshe finishes conveying the mitzvos to the nation, and sets up his final parting message to the people. First, he commands the nation to perform several elaborate ceremonies on the very first day that they cross the Jordan River; then he conveys a scathing, terrifying list of curses that will befall the people in the event that we deviate from the Torah.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –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!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

We are…. 7!!!! This weekend we celebrated a special B-DAY!

We've reached the final leg of our big globetrotting adventure. The fam is going to Israel. I think Lego Hair assumed that there was going to be a heavenly choir lightly singing the whole time. Rays of sunlight shooting out from behind big, puffy white clouds, and the Jordan River being full of crystal clear water.We watched the fam get to ride camels while Lego Hair was uncomfortable. A couple of the girls getting chatted up at the Dead Sea. Jim Bob tries to haggle at the Old City Market while not remotely understanding the exchange rate. Like what you hear? Can you find it in your servant's heart to support a snarking couple in Arizona? Swing on over to ⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com/diggingupthedugg⁠⁠ . We have tons of special extras for the Pickle People. Ad-free episodes, recipes, personal stories, Q&A's, Mildred content. We're excited for you to join our wonderful community over there. We are close to the latest end of the season, "State of the Pod" episode where we do a Q&A. Head on over to instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@digginguptheduggarspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to submit your questions for this episode. We also have a P.O. Box 5973, Glendale AZ, 85312

In this episode of Compelled, Emma Mae McDaniel invites us into Joshua 1–3, where God calls His people to cross the overflowing Jordan River at harvest time—an impossible task apart from Him. With honesty and encouragement, Emma reminds us that just as God assured Joshua of His presence, He assures us today that we are never alone in what feels daunting or overwhelming. Through His Word and Spirit, we are equipped to walk in strength and courage, not by our own power, but by His. If you've ever felt unqualified, weary, or unable to carry the task in front of you, this episode is a gentle but firm reminder that with God, even the impossible is possible. https://www.emmamaemcdaniel.com/books - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's the most important thing you've ever forgotten? Maybe it was an anniversary, a doctor's appointment, or your car keys. We are people prone to forget, which is why God established memorials throughout Scripture to help His people remember His mighty works.In Joshua 4, we find the Israelites standing at a pivotal moment in their history. After wandering in the wilderness for forty years, they've finally crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land—on dry ground, no less. God commands Joshua to take twelve stones from the middle of the riverbed and set them up as a memorial at Gilgal. These stones weren't just souvenirs; they were conversation starters for future generations who would ask, "What do these stones mean?"The answer reveals the dual purpose of this memorial: "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD your God forever." The stones pointed outward as a testimony to surrounding nations and inward as a reminder to God's people. They connected the miracle at the Jordan with God's earlier deliverance at the Red Sea, creating a thread of divine faithfulness running through Israel's history.As we examine this passage alongside Hebrews 3-4, we discover that the Jordan crossing itself points forward to something greater. Moses led enslaved people out of Egypt but couldn't bring them into God's rest because of their unbelief. Joshua succeeded in bringing them into Canaan, but even that wasn't the ultimate rest God had in mind. Both were foreshadowing Jesus, who offers true rest—freedom from slavery to sin, from aimless wandering, from exhausting striving, and ultimately from death itself.True belief isn't just intellectual assent or cultural Christianity. It means abandoning all hope in our ability to earn what God has promised and casting ourselves fully upon Him. This kind of belief leads to action, prioritizes obedience over strategy, and sustains perseverance through difficulty. When life feels heavy, our determination alone isn't enough, but fixing our eyes on what God is doing gives us strength to continue.What memorials have you established in your life to remember God's faithfulness? Perhaps it's Sunday worship, personal testimonies, or meaningful objects that remind you of spiritual milestones. These safeguards help us resist the "death by a thousand nudges" that can erode our faith when we're not looking. Our remembrance stokes the fires of our belief, which leads us into the rest God promises through Jesus, our great high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses and invites us to approach His throne with confidence. If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

Open Your Eyes 2 Kings 6 Chew the Bible Season 3The Borrowed Axe Head (v. 1–7): Elisha makes a borrowed axe head float after it falls into the Jordan River, showing God's concern for everyday needs.Aram vs. Israel (v. 8–23): The Aramean king tries to ambush Israel, but Elisha repeatedly warns Israel's king. When Aramean troops surround Elisha, God opens the servant's eyes to see heavenly chariots of fire. Elisha prays, and the enemy is struck with blindness, then led into Samaria, where they are spared instead of killed.The Siege of Samaria (v. 24–33): The Arameans besiege Samaria, leading to extreme famine. Things get so desperate that food prices skyrocket, and one shocking incident of cannibalism is reported to the king. The king, enraged, blames Elisha and vows to kill him, but Elisha remains confident in God's deliverance.Your words were found and I ate them

Sinners were coming to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. Why did Jesus, the sinless Son of God, ask to be baptized with that same water? Today, Sinclair Ferguson considers the gospel message that this moment conveys. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/why-was-jesus-baptized/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

NaaahhhMan & Greedy Gehazi 2 Kings 5 Chew the Bible Season 3Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was a powerful and respected man, but he suffered from leprosy. A young Israelite servant girl told Naaman's wife that the prophet Elisha in Israel could heal him. Naaman went to Israel with a letter from his king and gifts, but the king of Israel panicked, thinking it was a trick. Elisha then invited Naaman to come to him.When Naaman arrived, Elisha did not meet him in person but sent a messenger telling him to wash seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman was offended at first, expecting a dramatic miracle, but his servants persuaded him to obey. After dipping seven times, he was completely healed, and his skin became like that of a child. Grateful, Naaman returned to Elisha, confessed that the God of Israel was the only true God, and offered gifts, which Elisha refused.However, Elisha's servant Gehazi, driven by greed, secretly went after Naaman and lied to obtain some of the silver and clothing. When Gehazi returned, Elisha confronted him, knowing what he had done, and declared that Naaman's leprosy would cling to Gehazi and his descendants forever. Gehazi immediately left Elisha's presence covered in leprosy.

As Israel continues to prepare for the conquest, God miraculously orchestrates the crossing of the Jordan River. There are many similarities to the Red Sea crossing from Exodus, but several key differences. Israel was learning to wait on God, trust His commands, and step out in faith. Join us as we continue our series through the book of Joshua.

If an obstacle in your life has not yet moved, God might be testing your faith in an unexpected way.Consider the obstacl, write down every aspect of it and partner with faith in your findings.May the Lord create a way through for you to the glory of his name! 

What rivers of impossibility are you facing right now? The story of Joshua leading Israel across the Jordan offers a surprising message of hope for anyone feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges.This powerful exploration of Joshua 3 reveals that beneath the dramatic miracle of waters parting lies something even more remarkable - the unseen currents of God's faithfulness flowing through history. Like children playing with beach toys, we often focus on what's happening above the surface while missing the stronger forces moving underneath.God deliberately chose flood season - the worst possible time - for Israel to cross the Jordan. Why? Because our moments of greatest difficulty often become the stage for God's most dramatic displays of power. When waters rise around you, it might not be evidence of God's absence but the setup for His most magnificent work.The beauty of this story lies in how little faith was required. The priests carrying the ark weren't asked to wade into deep waters on blind faith - they simply needed to put their toes at the water's edge. That small act of obedience triggered God's supernatural response, stopping the river's flow for fifteen miles upstream and creating not just a narrow path but a wide highway of dry ground.This pattern reaches its fulfillment 1,400 years later when Jesus would be baptized in this same stretch of the Jordan River. The God who parted waters for His people would ultimately send His Son to pass through the waters of judgment, creating a path for us all.Whatever flood-stage challenge you're facing, God isn't asking for heroic faith - just enough trust to put your toe in the water. Take that small step today and discover the solid ground that comes from following the One who goes before you. If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

From Jordan's Waters to Eternal Life: Living Christ's Command of Love The Homily weaves together the Gospel command of Christ . . . . . . to “love one another as I have loved you” with the biblical symbolism of the Jordan River, the sacrament of Baptism, the Eucharist, and the witness of St. Maximilian Kolbe. The crossing of the Jordan foreshadowed baptism, where Christ consecrated the waters to grant eternal life. Baptism is not merely symbolic but transforms us into sharers of Christ's death and resurrection, directing us toward our eternal homeland. The Eucharist deepens this call, reminding us that love means self-giving. St. Maximilian Kolbe embodies this truth, freely offering his life in place of another at Auschwitz, living out Christ's command of sacrificial love. The newly consecrated tabernacle at the shrine thus becomes a profound sign of Christ's abiding presence, love, and the command to imitate Him. Listen to this Meditation Media. Listen to From Jordan's Waters to Eternal Life: Living Christ's Command of Love ------------------------------------------------------------- The Baptism of Christ: Italian painter: Paris Paschalinus Bordone: 1535-1540 The painting resides at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Divine Interruption: Responding to the Call of God, Part 2 Series: Unveiled Scripture: Mark 1:1-20 Episode: 1409 If any of these questions resonate, this sermon speaks directly to you: What if the interruptions in my life are actually God trying to get my attention? How can I be sure I'm hearing God's call and not just chasing my own dreams? Why does it feel so hard to surrender my plans—what if God's way costs me too much? Is following Jesus really worth it if it means sacrifice or suffering along the way? How could my simple “yes” to God ripple out and change the lives of people around me? Bible Passage Summary: In Mark 1:1–20, the Gospel opens by declaring Jesus Christ as the Son of God and introduces John the Baptist, who prepares the way by calling people to repentance and baptism. John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River, where the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and God affirms Jesus as His beloved Son. Jesus is then led into the wilderness and tempted by Satan, yet remains without sin. After John is arrested, Jesus begins His public ministry, preaching the good news of the kingdom of God, calling people to repent and believe the gospel. He then calls His first disciples—Simon, Andrew, James, and John—inviting them to leave everything and follow Him to become fishers of men. Key themes include repentance, divine identity, spiritual authority, and the call to discipleship.  

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Divine Interruption: Responding to the Call of God, Part 1 Series: Unveiled Scripture: Mark 1:1-20 Episode: 1408 If any of these questions resonate, this sermon speaks directly to you: What if the interruptions in my life are actually God trying to get my attention? How can I be sure I'm hearing God's call and not just chasing my own dreams? Why does it feel so hard to surrender my plans—what if God's way costs me too much? Is following Jesus really worth it if it means sacrifice or suffering along the way? How could my simple “yes” to God ripple out and change the lives of people around me? Bible Passage Summary: In Mark 1:1–20, the Gospel opens by declaring Jesus Christ as the Son of God and introduces John the Baptist, who prepares the way by calling people to repentance and baptism. John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River, where the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and God affirms Jesus as His beloved Son. Jesus is then led into the wilderness and tempted by Satan, yet remains without sin. After John is arrested, Jesus begins His public ministry, preaching the good news of the kingdom of God, calling people to repent and believe the gospel. He then calls His first disciples—Simon, Andrew, James, and John—inviting them to leave everything and follow Him to become fishers of men. Key themes include repentance, divine identity, spiritual authority, and the call to discipleship.  

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” (1 Peter 5:8­–9 NLT) Often after great victories, the greatest challenges and temptations of the Christian life will come. I have found that after great blessings in my life, after God works in a powerful way, the devil will be there to challenge it. Think about it. After God had powerfully worked through Elijah on Mount Carmel, the prophet became so discouraged that he wanted to die. After Jesus was transfigured, He came down from the mountain to find a demon-possessed person waiting for Him. After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, after the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove, and after God said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy” (Matthew 3:17 NLT), Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After the dove came the devil. The devil will always be there to challenge whatever God has done. It may come after church, after God has blessed you and spoken to you. You may leave the parking lot and get hit with a heavy-duty temptation. That’s the devil’s way. He wants to make your life miserable. Most importantly, he wants to steal anything that God has done in your life. That’s why you need to heed the warning of the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:8–9 above. You need to stay alert to the devil’s schemes in all settings, in good times and bad. You can’t afford to make the mistake of thinking you can anticipate the devil’s every move. You can certainly anticipate some. If you have self-awareness, you know your areas of vulnerability. You’re all too familiar with the temptations that have worked against you in the past. So, in spiritual battle, you’re likely to be hyper-attuned to them and (understandably) diligent about protecting yourself from them. But when those battles are over, and you walk away victorious, Peter’s warning in 1 Peter 5:8 still applies. “Stay alert!” (NLT). Because if the devil can’t get you to give in to temptation, he may be able to get you to overinflate your ego as you enjoy your victory. Pride can be just as enticing as sexual sin. If you start to believe that you deserve more credit, more followers, or more acknowledgment for your spiritual maturity and good deeds, the devil’s got you just where he wants you. Anything that weakens your faith or testimony is a battle victory for him. The same goes for every other believer in the arena, doing battle with the devil. That’s why it’s always a good battle strategy to pray for any person whom you know God is using. The more you step out to be used by the Lord, the more you can expect opposition from the devil. Reflection question: What are some hidden areas of vulnerability, especially when things are going well, that the devil might exploit in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE PASSING of the mantle from Elijah to Elisha was spectacular: A fiery chariot pulled by horses of fire in a whirlwind carried Elijah off to heaven. The whirlwind was a theophany, an appearance by God Himself. The chariot, as Sharon noted, was believed to be the vehicle that carried human spirits to the netherworld—but in this case, Elijah was carried off to heaven. We discuss the location of the event, the plains of Moab across from Jericho, and why that has supernatural significance. For one thing, it's where Moses was buried after his death, and it's probably not coincidental that Moses and Elijah are the two who joined Jesus on Mount Hermon, the “Canaanite Olympus,” for the Transfiguration. The place from which Elijah was caught up was below the ruins of Sodom, at the southern end of the Jordan River called the Valley of the Travelers by Ezekiel. “Travelers” was a term used by the Canaanites for the spirits of the Rephaim, which were venerated by the pagan neighbors of the Israelites. It's also the Valley of Siddim, where the armies of Sodom, Gomorrah and their allies fought the kings of Mesopotamia (Genesis 14). Siddim can also be rendered shedim, which is a Hebrew word meaning “demons”--in other words, the Valley of Demons. In other words, God carried off Elijah from a place that had been notorious for demonic activity for about a thousand years by the time of Elijah and Elisha. We also discuss the final days of the son of King Ahab, Ahaziah, who turned to Baal-zebub (“Lord of Flies”) for healing instead of God. Big mistake! Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Our new book The Gates of Hell is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! Derek's new book Destination: Earth, co-authored with Donna Howell and Allie Anderson, is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources: Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821)Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (link to book at Amazon)Book of 1 Enoch - Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (link opens free PDF)Book of 1 Enoch - R. H. Charles translation (link opens free PDF) The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser's two-volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. Get both books, the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch, and a DVD interview with Mike and Steven Bancarz for a donation of $35 plus shipping and handling. Link: https://bit.ly/heiser-enoch Follow us! • X: @gilberthouse_tv | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunker• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation• Facebook.com/GilbertHouseFellowship JOIN US IN ISRAEL! Our next tour of Israel is October 19–30, 2025. For more information and to reserve your place, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. NOTE: If you'e going to Israel with us in October, you'll need to apply for a visa online before you travel. The cost is 25 NIS (about $7.50). Log on here: https://www.gov.il/en/departments/topics/eta-il/govil-landing-page Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! We truly appreciate your support. If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at www.gilberthouse.org/app/. Video on demand of our best teachings! Stream presentations and teachings based on our research at our new video on demand site! Gilbert House T-shirts and mugs! New to our store is a line of GHTV and Redwing Saga merch! Check it out at GilbertHouse.org/store! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store. Our favorite Bible study tools! Check the links in the right-hand column at www.GilbertHouse.org.