Podcasts about jospeh

Daily Dose of Hope May 19, 2025 Day 1 of Week 8   Scripture – Matthew 1   Prayer:  Almighty God, We come before you on this Monday, as we start a new week, with both humility and gratefulness.  You are so powerful, so holy, and so wise.  We need you.  We seek you.  We are desperate to hear a word from you today, Lord.  We also know that we have failed over and over again.  Lord, forgive us for our sins, for the ways we fall short.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...Jesus, help us stay focused on you and your Word today.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start the book of Matthew.  While the author does not identify himself, most scholars agree it was written by Matthew the tax collector.  He actually mentions himself a couple times in the Gospel.  The events in the book take place in the first 40 or so years of the first century.  It was actually written somewhere between 50 and 90AD.   Let's keep in mind that all the Gospel accounts were passed down and taught orally for about 30-40 years before they were written down.  Each Gospel author collected and arranged these accounts to highlight certain themes about Jesus.  Mark, who we just finished, emphasized Jesus' authority.  Matthew, on the other hand, very intentionally uses his Gospel to demonstrate the continuation and fulfillment of the whole Biblical story of God and the people of Israel.  Thus, he emphasizes how Jesus is the Messiah in the line of David, and he focuses on how Jesus is Immanuel (which means in Hebrew, God with us.) Matthew 1 starts with a genealogy.  Sometimes, our inclination is the brush over the genealogies, but this one is pretty unique.  First, we can see the connection between the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus. As we read through the names on the list, we get a picture of God's history of redemption for his people.  Abraham and David are highlights, as both were recipients of God's promises for the people of Israel, significant parts of redemptive history.  Another reason I love this genealogy is that five women are specifically mentioned. This was at a time when women were basically never mentioned in the history of patriarchal societies. And here we are, five very unique and interesting women–Tamar (who was quite tricky to achieve her purpose), Rahab (at one point a prostitute), Ruth (a Moabite), Uriah's wife (Bathsheba), and Mary.   The first four women were Gentiles or married to Gentiles, they were outsiders to a certain extent, and yet they had tenacious faith, the kind that would be critical for faith in Jesus.  This focus on Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba leads to the introduction of Mary.  It's like the author is saying, “Don't discount Mary!”  She may not be who you would expect to be the mother of the Savior of the world but God uses all kinds of people!  God lifts up all kinds of women, those who are proper and those who aren't. What a beautiful reminder that the Gospel is for ALL. Then, we have Joseph's story.  Joseph is probably the most underrated person in the Christmas story. He is like the father of the bride at the wedding. No one notices him yet he gets to help pay for the whole shin-dig. But Joseph is an example of faithful, unquestioning obedience in the middle of fearful, life-altering circumstances.   Scripture says that Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph.  Remember, Mary was a very young girl and was probably very poor.  Joseph would have been older than her.  We tend to think of Joseph as a carpenter but really it's more likely he was a general builder. He was from a kind of backwater, remote area of Palestine. He was probably illiterate (education was generally just for merchants and aristocrats at the time). Both Mary and Joseph were humble people from a very humble part of Israel.   Scripture continues, "before they came together, it was found that Mary was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit." Joseph, being a righteous man, faithful to the law, didn't want her to be publicly disgraced so he had decided to divorce her quietly. At the time, when one became engaged, it was much more formal than it is today. Most likely, Joseph had made an agreement with Mary's father, perhaps years earlier, to take Mary as his wife. This would have been a binding agreement. In the eyes of the law, they were as good as married already, even though the relationship had not been consummated.   Mary was found to be pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that all Joseph knows at this time is that she is pregnant. His fiancé is pregnant and he knows the baby isn't his. We don't think much about Joseph's feelings. We focus a lot on Mary (and rightfully so) but Jospeh must have had all kinds of feelings too.  The whole thing must have been crushing for him. He had hopes and dreams. My guess is that he was hurt and betrayed. Despite that, he doesn't fly into an angry rage or have a desire to hurt Mary even though this would have amounted to adultery in their culture.   Joseph had compassion. He doesn't want to bring additional shame onto Mary if he can help it. Part of this could have been that Joseph was older than Mary. He might have known that a girl of that age didn't really have much control over her sexuality in that culture. Joseph is in a predicament. He wants to be faithful to the law, so he can no longer marry her, but yet he doesn't want to humiliate her either. So he decides to quietly divorce her, not make too much of a big deal about it. Regardless, Mary would face humiliation and be ostracized. That was the nature of the situation.   But before Joseph breaks off the engagement, he goes home and goes to sleep. It's always good to sleep on big decisions. While he is sleeping, an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream and says, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” And here is the amazing thing. Scripture says that when he woke up, Joseph did what the angel told him and took Mary as his wife. If Joseph had doubts, they weren't recorded. If he made excuses, we certainly don't know about them. It appears he was simply obedient.    It's worth mentioning that the angel tells Joseph not to be afraid to marry Mary because the baby she is carrying was conceived by the Holy Spirit. We know that Mary was risking a lot, but Joseph was also taking big risks here. He also will make some pretty significant sacrifices. People are generally pretty good at counting and they would know that the baby was conceived before they got married. He also faces being ostracized and being an outcast in his community. It was scary! What would their lives look like? What would their families do? What would become of them? Joseph models for us that we can be obedient in spite of fear. He did what was commanded of him, even when it was hard.   Being obedient to God doesn't always look like we want it to look. Let's be real. We want being obedient to God to be a good job with a comfortable salary, a nice home, good schools for our kids, plenty of leisure time and fun activities, a fairly decent social standing, and occasional church attendance. For most of us, if we are honest, that's what we want obedience to God to look like the typical American dream.  But we learn from Joseph is that obedience to God might not always make sense, it might not be popular, and it might not be comfortable.   Obedience to God may also require sacrifice. In the case of Joseph, obedience may have cost him his reputation and his place in the community. We know that later it means he has to drop everything to go to Bethlehem for a census. Then, he has to go to Egypt to keep the baby safe from an evil king. This probably wasn't what Joseph envisioned for his young family.   When God calls us to something, there are often things we have to give up. Joseph gave up stability and safety. Think about what God has called you to. Maybe God has called you to minister to someone and give up your time. Maybe God has called you to share your faith with your neighbor, coworker, or that person at the gym and risk rejection. Maybe God has called you to volunteer in a specific area or give sacrificially to a mission partner. Maybe God has called you to go back to school, change jobs, reconcile with an estranged friend or family member. Maybe God has called you to full-time ministry. However God has called you (and I can guarantee he has called you in some way), it typically involves some kind of sacrifice, discomfort, and hard work. Being obedient to God doesn't always look like we want it to look.   The last thing I'll mention is that God calls us to obey even when we are fearful of the future. This is so hard but God calls us to obey through the fear. We trust that if God has called us to it, God will see us through it. What I've come to learn is that obedience and trust go hand in hand.   Have a wonderful Monday.  We will chat again tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

Ps. Melissa uses the powerful story in Genesis of Jospeh to give hope that in the very place the heartache was caused—when we trust God with our pain and stay faithful—he can turn it into fruit.

Don't miss this special episode of Come, Follow Church History with Doctor Lynne Hilton Wilson about the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. Join Lynne as you asks some hard questions about Jospeh's work on the Bible and the most significant verses he translated. Joseph Smith's translation (JST) of the Bible did not start with its original languages of Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) as technical translations do. In this way, the JST is more of a revision of certain passages. Many passages Joseph was inspired to add or change—especially in early chapters of Genesis. For other portions, the JST modernized the grammar or clarified the text. Some changes came from revelation after asking questions, and others from his own preferences and understanding.

Connect with Joseph:https://crescitcap.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-iacono-38976218/Click to text the show! Email Jonathan with comments or suggestions:podcast@thesourcecre.comOr visit the webpage:www.thesourcecre.com*Some or all of the show notes may have been generated using AI tools.

Jason and Paul welcome the two James (Joseph and Biss) from the great Welsh band James and the Cold Gun to the show to catch up and talk about their new record Face In the Mirror. It was recorded between their home in Cardiff and in Seattle at Stone Gossard's Studio Litho. Jospeh and Biss discuss sharing lyric writing, what themes are inspiring them on the new record and how the drum parts go from Logic to drummer Jack Wrench. Plus the guys gush on bassist Gabby Elise's contributions and James Biss's addition as co-lead vocalist.Please considering donating to our April 2025 fundraiser benefitting Autism Speaks HEREBuy Pod MerchBecome a PatronWatch Us on YouTubeFollow Us on InstagramFollow Us on FacebookFollow Us on Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa and I begin a new series on prayer, highlighting the importance of praying together. I consider the bubble that is the stock market. We look at Jacob and his sons dealing with Jospeh's tricks, Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah and the blessings of liberty.

In this episode of Swell Season Surf Radio's Art and Design series, hosts Chris Labzda and Chris Coffin  welcome special guest, Em Joseph, a former student of Chris Coffin and now a distinguished artist and educator. The episode dives into Em's journey from student to accomplished artist, her impactful projects like the ‘Cedar Exodus' at the New Museum, and the profound influence of surfing on her life and creative practice.She discusses her roots, passion for surfing, and how she balances her life in New York between teaching and surfing. She shares her insights into teaching philosophy at Parsons, her involvement in the Surfers in Solidarity group, and an intriguing film project combining surfing and vampire lore. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that intertwines the passion for surfing with art, activism, and personal growth.For more information on Em Joseph's artwork go to: https://www.emjoseph.com/Or follow her on Instagram at @em_josephThe Swell Season Surf Podcast is recorded by The NewsStand Studio at Rockefeller Center in the heart of Manhattan and is distributed by The Swell Season Surf Radio Network. For more information, you can follow @swellseasonsurfradio on Instagram or go to our website: www.swellseasonsurf.com Music:Artist:Eddie VederSong: SocietyAlbum: Into The Wild Soundtrack00:00 Welcome Back to Swell Season Surf Radio01:38 Reconnecting with a Former Student04:28 The Journey to Surfing and Personal Growth11:41 The New Museum Exhibition and Lebanese Cedar Project27:49 Teaching Sustainable Systems at Parsons44:40 Spirituality and Surfing45:49 Surfers in Solidarity50:21 Filmmaking and Surfing58:52 Vampires and Surfing01:06:15 The Healing Power of Surfing01:19:04 Rapid Fire Questions01:23:45 Upcoming Projects and ConclusionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/swell-season-surf-radio--3483504/support.

Bring Your Problems to Jesus

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Et si vos investissements pouvaient sauver la planète ? C'est ce que croit et défend Joseph Choueifaty, le co-fondateur de Goodvest.À 24 ans, à la sortie de ses études, Joseph se rend compte qu'il n'existe aucune solution simple pour investir dans un avenir plus durable.Convaincu que la finance peut être un levier pour bâtir un avenir durable, il se lance et fonde Goodvest, une plateforme d'investissement qui ambitionne d'aligner chaque euro investi avec les Accords de Paris.Mais changer les règles du jeu n'est jamais facile. Quand il approche les assureurs et les investisseurs pour structurer son offre, il se heurte à une industrie sceptique, habituée à fonctionner selon ses propres codes.Mais Joseph persiste. Après des mois de travail acharné, il trouve un premier partenaire financier prêt à le suivre. Deux levées de fonds et quelques années de croissance plus tard, Goodvest gère aujourd'hui plus de 150 millions d'euros et a déjà attiré pas moins de 12500 épargnants.Dans cet épisode, Joseph évoque aussi :le fait d'entreprendre jeune et sa lutte contre le syndrome de l'imposteurcomment un message Linkedin s'est transformé en un partenariat avec une des plus grandes assurances françaisessa volonté de voir les Etats Unis d'Europe pour faire face aux empires américains et chinoisCôté Sista, Joseph a décidé de mettre en lumière Maeva Courtois, CEO et co-fondatrice d'Helios.Un podcast conçu et produit par FeuilleBlanche, l'agence qui crée des contenus et des médias d'inspiration pour les marques et les dirigeants.À vos écouteurs

In Luke 4 Jesus reveals his identity in his hometown of Nazareth in fulfillment of Isaiah 61. No one is surprised by his claim, even with the familiarity of knowing him as Jospeh's son. But everything changes when Jesus recalls the history of Elijah and Elisha. Won't you just let Jesus love you? If you prefer to listen, stream, and/or watch, join us and subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kingwoodmethodist

Cliff takes on Joseph in Genesis 37-50 and how God used every part of Joseph's life (his failings and his triumphs) to accomplish His purpose.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/sunrisecommunitychurchWatch live on Mondays at 10am: www.facebook.com/sunrisecommunityonline/liveSong: Fredji - Happy Life (Vlog No Copyright Music)Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music.Video Link: https://youtu.be/KzQiRABVARk

In part 12 of the Joseph series, Pastor Chris takes us to Genesis 44 and the heart felt speech from Judah. Also, how Jospeh uses a silver cup strategy to bring the brothers to confession and repentance. Judah shows up as a "substitute" foreshadowing of the ultimate substitute, Jesus the King of Kings.

Lauren Walder og Jospeh Dewise kynntust þegar þau voru bæði að kenna í Bailey Middle School í Pensacola í Florida. Fyrir átti Joseph tvö börn og saman áttu þau eftir að eignast eina dóttur. Eftir að þau gifta sig setjast þau að í bænum Bozman í Montana og virtist framtíðin björt. Bakvið luktar dyr var hjónabandið þó allt annað en bjart. Jospeh var stjórnsamur, öfundsjúkur og óöruggur sem varð til þess að Lauren hætti að vera hrifinn af honum. Joseph ætlaði sér ekki að missa eiginkonu sína og gerði allt til að ná henni til baka, en þegar hann fékk ekki viðbrögðin sem hann vildi tók hann málin í eigin hendur. Ef hann gat ekki fengið Lauren, gat það engin. Má bjóða þér að hlusta á fleiri Illverk þætti? Þú getur skráð þig í áskrift & með því fengið aðgang að yfir 300+ aukaþáttum, fimm nýja í hverjum mánuði & þessa fríu án auglýsinga. Áskriftin kostar 1150,- kr á mánuði & henni fylgir engin binding. Skráðu þig í illverk áskrift inná www.illverk.is Hafðu samband: • illverk@illverk.is • #illverkpodcast ʙᴀᴋʜᴊᴀʀʟᴀʀ ɪʟʟᴠᴇʀᴋ ᴘᴏᴅᴄᴀsᴛ: • ᴋ

  Heidi Hess Saxton and Maria Morera Johnson interview Morella Carta, founder of St. Jospeh's Little Stars in Jinga, Uganda. Morella Carta is the founder of “St. Joseph's Little Stars” in Jinga, Uganda. Born in Venezuela and educated in New York City, Morella retired from corporate life in order to dedicate her life to service, most recently abused and abandoned children. In three years of operations, StarsUganda has saved the lives of 40 children and supported over 100 children in the community. They were recently granted two acres of property by the Diocese of Jinga, and are in the process of building a self-sustainable community in order to expand the reach of their ministry. Links for show notes: · Day to day donation page: · “Build with us” construction of new house.

In this transformative message, Bishop Mark Brown from Dallas, TX speaks on the importance of aligning with God's divine plan. Honoring His direction leads to the fulfillment of dreams. Tune in to this life-changing message from Bishop Mark Brown.

Revelation given as an answer to Jospeh asking about Oliver Cowdrey, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris being witnesses of the plates. Here is a link to the text: Doctrine and Covenants 17

Pastor Chris uses the story of Judah in the middle of the Jospeh narrative to show us how we can also grow into maturity in Jesus. Genesis 43:1-10

What's your definition of success? The way you answer that question will reveal a lot about what you value and how you see the world. In the story of Joseph, we get a very surprising snapshot of what true success looks like. Jospeh experiences back-stabbing betrayal and disgraceful injustice. So there's only one way his story be described as a success: God's favor is not fragile.

Despite the suffering in his life, Jospeh continues to trust in God. He is finally set free. When he is finally reunited with the brothers who rejected and betrayed them, he shows mercy and grace and saves them from death. In this episode of the Bible Reading Podcast, Ted Ryskoski, Lance Lawson, and Rachel Chester discuss the climax of Joseph's story that will take us into the next chapter for God's chosen people.

In this episode of the Bible Reading Recap, Ted Ryskoski, Lance Lawson, and Rachel Chester discuss the return of Jacob to his home and are introduced to one of his sons, Joseph. Jospeh's story is one of the most well-known in Scripture, but how does it point back to the Garden and forward to Jesus?

It's episode one! Shelley, Jospeh, and Tyler are joined by Belisario of El Negro metal for a good chinwag on Swedish death metal, keeping things casual to kick things off. https://hatemeditations.com/ https://elnegrometal.es/ Music featured in the episode: Carnage - Death Evocation Therion - Future Consciousness

Genesis 37 introduces us to Joseph with an action-packed drama filled with bitterness, envy, hatred, murderous intentions, and slavery. Joseph had dreams of exaltation as the beloved son of Jacob, but God's plans for Joseph didn't work out as Jospeh (or we) would have expected. Yet, all along the way, God is fulfilling His perfect plan in his life and for His people.

Did Mark Andreessen's famous essay about software eating the world lead to the term Proptech being coined? How did having family members who were real estate investors, developers, and property tax collectors establish a deep foundation of real estate understanding for a young Joseph? What allowed Jospeh's grandfather, an immigrant hairdresser, to become a land baron in the northeast? Why are the off-the-shelf assessment models used by tax districts inherently flawed? What early entrepreneurial hustles did Joseph dabble in growing up and why was it important to ensure these ventures paid for themselves? Why did Joseph forgo a role at Nvidia to continue his PhD track at UCLA? Do overassessment protests result in cities and municipalities getting less tax revenue necessary to balance annual budgets? What does the property tax appeal process look like and why are there opportunities to digitize and scale this? What were Ownwell's initial quick wins from a technology perspective? How do differences around local tax districts impact the information mined and presented to Ownwell's in-house tax protestors? How are the needs of individual homeowners different from those of large commercial real estate portfolio owners around property tax savings?Joseph Noor - co-founder and CTO of Ownwell, joins Proptech Espresso to answer these questions and discuss how a chance encounter at a UCLA startup pitch competition brought about the convergence of his computer science studies and family heritage in real estate resulting in the launch of Ownwell.

Translator           Translator   In this episode, Ronn and Mike discuss Genesis 37-39, the beginning of the Jospeh narrative. They highlight the significance of Joseph's garment, the deception of the brothers which spanned two decades, and Judah's ironic transformation. The discussion also touches on the nature of sin, the essence of discipleship, and the character of Joseph as seen through Potiphar's eyes.

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A Sermon for the Second Sunday after Christmas St. Matthew 2:13-23 by William Klock For us, a week has passed since we heard Matthew's account of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and the visit by the shepherds.  But as we come to today's Gospel, roughly two years have passed in the story of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.  For now, we'll skip over Matthew's account of the visit of the wisemen.  (That's for this coming week as we celebrate the Epiphany.)  So today we pick up the story at Matthew 2:13, Matthew tells us that after the wisemen had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.  “Get up,” said the angel, “and take the child and his mother and hurry off to Egypt.” I can only imagine what Joseph was thinking.  This is the second time an angel has come to him to tell him what to do.  Remember from last Sunday's Gospel, Jospeh was thinking through how best to extricate himself from his upcoming marriage to Mary after he found out she was already pregnant.  The angel came to him in a dream.  “Don't be afraid!”  The famous first words of every angel.  “Don't be afraid.  Mary didn't cheat on you.  She's pregnant by the Holy Spirit and she's going to have a son and you need to name him ‘Jesus'—which means 'Yahweh saves'—because he will save his people from their sins.” So it's not like Joseph didn't know there was something special about Jesus.  Ditto for Mary.  Matthew tells the story from Joseph's perspective.  Luke tells it from Mary's.  Luke tells us about the visit she had from the angel and how the angel told her—also—to name the baby “Jesus”.  Why?  “Because he will be called the son of the Most High.  The Lord,” the angel said to her, “will give him the throne of David his father, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever.  His kingdom will never come to an end.”  That was all familiar messianic language to Mary.  There's that song that popular Christmas song that asks over and over, “Mary did you know?”  Yes.  She did.  She even composed a song about it that she shared with her cousin Elizabeth—who, you remember—was pregnant with John, who would prepare the way for Jesus.  Mary knew what her baby meant.  Think of the words she sang out in praise: My soul doth magnify the Lord… He hath shewed strength with his arm, he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the might from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath send empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.   That night that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph both knew with absolute certainty that in him the God of Israel was about to act and that the world would never be the sme.  And not that he was about to act in some unforeseen way that exploded into history totally unexpectedly.  No.  This was the fulfilment of prophecy.  This was the fulfilment of the Lord's promises to his people.  The fact that shepherds came, having been told by angels; the fact that wisemen came, having been guided by a star—these were no mysteries to Mary and Joseph.  They knew from the beginning who Jesus was.  I'm sure they had lots of other questions: Why us?  How is this going to work?  But they knew from the beginning that this child would one day cast down the powers, the gods, the kings of the present evil age and set their world to rights.  That's what Mary's song is all about. So they knew that Mary's baby was a challenge to everything and everyone that stood in the way of God's new age.  As much as scripture gives us every reason to think that they trusted the Lord, I have to think that if they're anything like us, they still had their worries.  At the top of the list had to be King Herod.  And so, I suspect, Mary and Joseph probably didn't go around town announcing any of this.  Surely word got around at least a bit.  There were, of course, the shepherds.  But I expect Mary and Jospeh kept what the angel had told them on the low down as much as they were able.  And then the magi—the wisemen from far away—no one could mistake them riding into town with their camels.  And to hear that they'd been to see Herod, to ask about the new-born King of the Jews.  That was not good news.  Not at all.  Because now Herod knew about Jesus and Herod was what people today might call a “psycho”. Herod was an Idumean—today we'd call him an “Arab”.  His ancestors had been absorbed into Judaea, were circumcised and converted to Judaism—at least nominally.  Most people saw Herod as a pretender.  His decadent lifestyle was out of step with Judaism, but most of all, people hated him for the way he cozied up to the Romans and betrayed his people.  He had no right to call himself King of the Jews.  The Roman Senate had given him that title.  He was no descendant of David.  And all this made Herod more than a little insecure.  Deep down he knew he had no right to Israel's throne and it made him paranoid.  He murdered his own family members—even his wife—because he thought they were scheming against him.  Just before he died, he ordered the leading citizens of Jericho to be killed so that the people would be weeping as his funeral procession passed through the city. So Joseph and Mary had to be worried to hear that Herod had been told about this young “King of the Jews” in Bethlehem.  If Herod would murder his own family at a hint of sedition, what would he do to a new-born rival?  I expect Jospeh was already trying to think through their best course of action.  And then the angel came and said, “Get up and take the child and his mother and hurry off to Egypt.  Stay there until I tell you.  Herod is going to hunt for the child to kill him.” Matthew says that Joseph wasted no time: “He got up and took the child and his mother by night, and went off to Egypt.  He stayed there until the death of Herod.”  And then Matthew adds a quote—just as we saw him do in Chapter One, last week, with that quote from the Prophet Isaiah about the virgin conceiving and bearing a son whose name means “God with us”.  Matthew does it again.  He does this all through is Gospel, but we have to know our Jewish scriptures to know who he's quoting.  In this case it's Hosea 11:1.  Matthew's Jewish audience would have recognised it instantly and it's an indictment against our poor knowledge of the Bible that we need a footnote in our Bibles to tell us.  Anyway, Matthew writes, “This happened to fulfil what the Lord said through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.'”  We'll come back to this in a bit. Matthew then continues with the story.  You'll remember that instead of reporting back to Herod about the child as he'd asked them to do, the wisemen—because of their own visit from the angel—they bypassed Herod on their way home.  So Matthew tells us that when Herod realised that he'd been tricked by the wisemen, he flew into a towering rage.  He dispatched men and killed all the boys in Bethlehem and in all its surrounding districts, from two years old and under, according to the time the wisemen had told him.”  And then another quote from the Prophets, this time from Jeremiah 31:15: “That was when the word that came through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:  There was heard a voice in Rama, crying and loud lamentation.  Rachel is weeping for her children, and will not let anyone comfort her, because they are no more.” And then another visit by an angel.  Matthew writes in verse 19: “After the death of Herod, suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. ‘Get up,' he said, ‘and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel.  Those who wanted to kill the child are dead.'  So he got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judaea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there.  After being advised in a dream'—again—he went off to the region of Galilee.  When he got there, he settled in a town called Nazareth.  This was to fulfil what the prophet had spoken: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.'” Again, we sort of have this idyllic scene of Christmas in our heads: Jesus in a manger.  No crying he makes, of course.  The shepherds kneel adoringly.  Mary and Joseph sit there peacefully with their halos glowing.  Even the animals stifle all their natural noises and gather around to adore the baby.  “Silent night…all is calm…sleep in heavenly peace,” loops in our heads. But when you read the actual story as Matthew tells it things aren't nearly so peaceful.  Matthew tells us of the birth of Jesus at a time and a place of trouble, of violence, and of fear.  Jesus was born in a world of darkness, into a world controlled by powers and gods and kings who stood opposed to him.  Before he had learned to walk or to talk, the wrath of a psychotic king forced his family to flee to Egypt.  The shadow of the cross lies dead across the Christmas story.  And yet all this is in keeping with what Matthew told us last week.  If Jesus is the fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy of Immanuel—of God with us—we'd expect this.  God's people longed for his presence, they longed for his deliverance, because the world was not as they knew it should be.  And so God came to them in the midst of the darkness, the brokenness, the evil, the pain—the violence and injustice—the sin and death.  God entered the world of a king who would murder dozens of innocent children just to keep his investment in the present evil age secure.  Think about the fact that on the three days after Christmas Day the Church commemorates St. Stephen, St. John, and the Holy Innocents.  John was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the good news about Jesus.  Stephen—the first martyr—was stoned to death outside Jerusalem for preaching to the people that Jesus was the fulfilment of Israel's story.  And the Holy Innocents—the collateral damage of the first attempt on Jesus' life.  It's a reminder that, yes, the light has come into the darkness, but that there are those who love the dark and there are those invested in it. Brothers and Sisters, as much as the light has shined in the darkness and as much as the darkness has not overcome it—as St. John writes in the opening of his Gospel—the darkness still remains and the darkness still fights back.  Herod's murder of the innocents of Bethlehem—probably a few dozen baby boys—pales in comparison to the millions of unborn children murdered in modern times in our once Christian nations.  The wars and violence of Herod's or of Caesar's day pale in comparison to the wars and violence of the last century—all too often perpetrated by supposedly Christian nations, kings, presidents, and prime ministers.  We see the light around us too often subverted by the darkness.  First by Modernists and now by Postmodernists, the gospel virtues that once transformed the West are plucked from the gospel tree, left to go feral, and fed back to our culture, twisted and abused—darkness masquerading as light. It's easy to get discouraged, isn't it.  Last year I read historian Tom Holland's book Dominion.  It's about how Christianity transformed the West.  The Gospel came into a world of Herods and Caesars and taught us things like mercy and grace that hadn't been known before.  It transformed sexual ethics.  It gave status to women and children and to the poor.  It ended slavery.  And now you look at the world around us and everythings reverting back into the darkness.  Large segments of the church have or are selling out.  I look at the alumni page for my seminary on Facebook and it seems everyone is “deconstructing”—and it always ends the same way—with denying the exclusivity of Jesus and an embracing of Postmodernism and the twisted sexual ethics of our post-Christian culture.  I've listened to local pastors who spend their time apologising for the Bible, blurring the lines it makes clear, and walking their people through deconstructing their faith.  Others have sold out to the materialism of our secular culture and are preaching a crossless gospel of health and wealth.  The gospel—the real gospel—is the answer, but it seems like it falls on deaf ears these days and that the people lost in today's darkness have become resistant to it.  It's easy to lose hope. But Brothers and Sisters, that's when I think of Matthew as he drops his quotes from the Prophets through his telling of the good news.  Remember that I said last week that Matthew saw God's promises down through the ages as lights in the darkness.  Last summer Veronica I did some railgrade riding on our bikes.  We rode through some tunnels—some of them long and windy enough that there was no light at the end—at least not at first—and so there were small lights at intervals, guiding the way, until you finally came around that final corner and daylight blazed into the tunnel.  I didn't appreciate those lights until I rode through the Adra Tunnel in the mountains between Kelowna and Penticton.  It's one of the longest rail tunnels in BC and it's been closed since the 80s.  Volunteers have spent the last few years making repairs and it's just about ready to be reopened.  At present the trail bypasses it and there are fences across the old railgrade to keep people out of the tunnel.  But when I got there, the fences were off to the side.  I took the turn and pretty soon found myself inside the tunnel.  It goes through something like a 270° turn and pretty soon I was in pitch dark, riding slowly, cold water dripping on me.  There are no little lights to light the way.  And I almost ran—smack!—into a grader that was parked in the dark.  I could just as easily have run off the grade and into a ditch or a wall. Like the lights in those tunnels, God's promises led his people through the darkness—around the corners, keeping them out of the ditch, keeping them from running—smack!—into obstacles sitting in the darkness—so that he could lead them out into the light.  At the time those little lights seemed like really big deals—those little lights like Passover and the Exodus, like the torah and the tabernacle, like King David and like the return from Exile.  They gave the people some bearings.  The lights gave them hope.  But what many didn't realise at the time was that those lights were leading the people—preparing them—to understand how God works, to understand that he is faithful, so that when they finally came out into the bright light of Jesus, into the bright light of the gospel—they'd understand that this is where the story had been taking them all along.  This is what Matthew's up to all through his Gospel.  Like we saw last Sunday with that bit of Isaiah and the baby, Immanuel, who served as the sign to accompany the Lord's promise to deliver his people from Israel and Syria.  And here, Matthew quotes Hosea 11:1, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”  At first it looks like Matthew is ignoring what that passage means in Hosea.  It's not looking forward.  It's looking back.  Israel was the Lord's son whom he had called out of Egypt.  That meant—at the time, back in the dark days of Hosea—that the Lord would not abandon the people: Israel was his beloved son and he'd gone to great lengths to deliver Israel from Egypt.  And Matthew saw that little light back there in the darkness of Hosea's day and it led him towards the light that had come in Jesus.  Jesus brings Israel's story to completion.  He's not just “God's son” in the sense that he's divine.  He's “God's son” in the sense that he is the embodiment of Israel.  Remember what I've said before: the King represents his people.  And so Jesus came to represent his people, to finally accomplish what they'd failed at all those centuries, and then to die on their behalf the death that they deserved. Matthew does something similar with the prophecy spoken by Jeremiah.  He holds up Rachel weeping for her children as a backdrop to Herod's murder of the baby boys of Bethlehem.  But when Jeremiah spoke those words, he was drawing on the imagery of Rachel to describe the pain of Israel's exile to Babylon and to proclaim the hope of God's promise to renew his covenant and to restore his people—to bring Israel back from her long exile.  The long darkness is full of weeping and mourning, but at the end is the Lord's deliverance. And then that bit of Isaiah 11 that Matthew quotes about Jesus being a Nazarene.  Isaiah uses the Hebrew word nazir.  It means “branch” and through Isaiah the Lord promises that he will be faithful to the promises he'd made to David and his descendants.  A branch will grow out of the stump of Jesse.  It's about a new beginning for the royal line of David.  Matthew hinted at this already in Joseph's genealogy.  The fact that the Old Testament nowhere mentions Nazareth, the fact that the Isaiah passage about the branch has nothing to do with Nazareth, that's okay.  Matthew knew that the lights along the tunnel—even if it doesn't look like it—they all lead to the same place.  Everything in Israel's story was leading to Jesus and so he takes Isaiah's prophecy of the nazir, the branch, and ties it to Jesus' hometown of Nazareth.  Matthew's sort of saying that we know Jesus is the promised branch because he came from “Branchville”.  Maybe it's a more “creative” way of using the Old Testament than we're comfortable with, but for Matthew it worked—again—because he knew that everything God said and everything God did—the whole story of the God of Israel and his people—was leading them through the darkness to Jesus and to the light of this new age, this new world, this new creation. And Brothers and Sisters, that's why as much as it's tempting to lose hope as we look at the surrounding darkness and even as the darkness creeps in and takes ground that was once won by the gospel, I don't lose hope.  Because the scriptures assure me of the faithfulness of God to his promises.  Because I know he has, in the birth, in the death, in the resurrection of Jesus done the hard part already.  Because he has poured out his Spirit.  And as surely as he called Abraham and his family and led them through the darkness—through slavery and through exile and everything in between—and then brought them finally out into the blazing glory of Jesus and the gospel, I know that God, who has established his church and has equipped us with his own Spirit to proclaim the good news—to carry his light into the darkness—will not fail to bring us eventually to that day when his glory covers the earth as the waters cover the sea, when every last enemy has been put under his feet, even death itself, when every tear is wiped away, and everything is once-and-for-all set to rights. Matthew saw God's promises fulfilled all through the story—even at its darkest.  As Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane he said, himself, “All this has taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”  God is sovereign and God is faithful, Brothers and Sisters.  Even as the darkness mustered its forces and rose to its full height to deal a death blow to Jesus, it was doing so as part of a plan orchestrated by the Lord.  Darkness, unwittingly, concentrating itself all in one place so that, through Jesus, it could be defeated when he rose, triumphant over sin and death.  And that is why I remain full of hope.  God's faithfulness to his promises did not end in the First Century.  He remains faithful today.  If we will only walk with him in faith, his light—his gospel promises, his Spirit indwelling us—will lead us through today's darkness. Let's pray: Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word:  Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Fr. Elias Mary Mills, F.I. served as Rector of the Shrine Church at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Lacrosse, Wisconsin from 2016 to 2021. He was ordained in May of 2000.   In Today's Show A friend from Mexico gave me a hummingbird statue, can it be connected to the hummingbird wizard? What should Catholics think of statues of mythological beings like the Roman gods? Is there an explanation on why Mary and Joseph lost Jesus in the temple? I want to become Catholic. But I once desecrated a Host and too scared to confess it. Is it true that children born out of wedlock were prohibited from becoming priests until a few years ago? About Father's upcoming pilgrimage to Japan. How should define accidental blasphemy? We have booked a marriage in a marriage registration office just to keep it simple. But I'm starting to worry if this is right in the eyes of the Lord as opposed to being married in Church? Going back to the born out of wedlock prohibition question from earlier. How was it possible for Cain to find a wife? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Numbers 36:10-13,“The daughters of Zelophehad did as the Lord commanded Moses, 11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to sons of their father's brothers. 12 They were married into the clans of the people of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father's clan.13 These are the commandments and the rules that the Lord commanded through Moses to the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.” On this Christmas Sunday, by God's grace, we come to the end of our series though the Book of Numbers. We're gonna be looking at Chapters 33–36, but we're going to focus especially on Chapter 36 and the daughters of Zelophehad. As we just heard, the story of these five daughters concludes the Book of Numbers and for good reason. There are at least three lessons that we should learn from them and that's what I want to show you this morning. The first lesson is …1. There is a lesson to be learned.So let's zoom out for a minute and remember what the Book of Numbers is all about. It's the story of two generations of Israelites. There is the first generation that God rescued from Egypt but they failed to enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief. (They all died in the wilderness.) Then there is the second generation that emerges in Chapter 26 and they do inherit the Promised Land because they believe. The first generation was faithless — they did not trust God, so they did not do what God said. The second generation was faithful — they did trust God, so they did what God said.And as Christians, when we read the Book of Numbers, our headline takeaway is: “Don't be like the first generation; be like the second generation.” The apostle Paul confirms this takeaway for us in the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians, chapter 10. He says that the Book of Numbers is meant to be an example for us. There are lessons to be learned here. This book is designed for our Christian moral development, and a lot of it is cautionary: Don't worship idols. Don't set your heart on evil things. Don't commit sexual immortality. Don't grumble. Don't be a sucker in the moments of temptation. Don't put Christ to the test.These are all warnings we find in Numbers that Paul highlights in 1 Corinthians 10. They're all things that the first generation did to their own demise. So learn from that. Don't do that. Which is really helpful, by the way. We need instruction like this. We need good examples. To simply say “Have faith!” or “Trust God!” is true and it's always relevant, but oftentimes things can be a little more complicated. We need some more help! We need to know what it looks like to have faith! What do we do if we're trusting God? (Or, what do we do if we're not trusting God?) Numbers has shown us this. There are lessons here.And therefore, one of the first things we should think when we read about the daughters of Zelophehad is, “What can we learn from them?” There's most likely a lesson here for us. They are in this story for a reason, so what is it?There is a lesson to be learned — that's the first thing to learn. 2. God wants your faith.Now again, this is simple and straightforward and it's something we've already talked about in this series: What does God want from you? Wherever you are, whatever you've got going on, what does God want from you?God wants your faith.This is a lesson we see again at the end of Numbers, but it's a lesson made in a profound way, and I want you to see this …First, for the context, the last four chapters, 33–36, are a true recap of the book: Chapter 33 recounts the journey of the people of Israel over the last 40 years, from Egypt to here in the plains of Moab, on the brink of entering the Promised Land. Chapter 34 lays out how the land will be divided and who the heads of each tribe are. Chapter 35, still on the topic of land, explains the inheritance of the Levites and the cities of refuge. And then in Chapter 36, which could seem a little random, there's this story of the five daughters of Zelophehad. It's still connected to an issue with the land, but it's more than that because this is not the first time we've read about the “daughters of Zelophehad.”Bookended by Exemplary FaithThe first time they show up is in Chapter 27. We read about them in Chapter 27 and in Chapter 36, and that's really significant. Here's why…Remember Chapter 26 is the second census. It's what introduces the second generation of Israelites who are supposed to be different from the first generation. The second generation is the faithful generation, and we read about them from Chapter 27 through 36. Which means, if the daughters of Zelophehad show up in Chapter 27 and Chapter 36, they're the literary bookends of this faithful generation.We read about them in Chapter 27 as the intro to this generation, and then we read about them again in Chapter 36 as the summary of this generation. So these daughters form a kind of package that must tell us something about this second generation, and by that fact alone, I'm looking for a positive example here! I'm clued in that there's something important about these daughters that we're supposed to take away, and it's probably got something to do with having faith. So see, just the placement of these daughters in this story is pointing in that direction. Their example should be what's ringing in our ears when we leave this book!So, in that light, let's go back to chapter 27 and see what they did.God Calls Them RightLook back at Chapter 27, verse 1 …This is right after the census has been reported. Everyone from the first generation has died, and the inheritance has been passed to the second generation. And, as was the custom in the ancient world, the inheritance went to the sons. But there's a problem, Zelophehad had five daughters and no sons, and these daughters had a legit question: Unless their father's inheritance was given to them, it would disappear. It'd be lost. So these daughters, who names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah — all solid Hebrew names — they came to Moses and Eleazar, explained the situation, and asked that their father's inheritance be given to them. Well Moses wasn't exactly sure what to do in this situation, so he brought this case to the Lord.Which is all going according to plan. Back in Exodus 18, do you remember Jethro's advice? The disputes among the people were too many for Moses to handle himself, so he appointed judges to help him carry the burden. But if there was an especially tough case, that came straight to Moses, and then Moses went to God. This is one of those. These daughters did right to bring this to Moses, and Moses did right to bring this to God. We're on the right track here.And we know this for sure because God says so. I want everyone to see this. Look at Chapter 27, verse 6,“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘The daughters of Zelophehad are right. …”Then God says to give them their father's inheritance, and there's more details here we'll get to, but the thing I want to focus on for now is that God says these five daughters are right. There are not too many instances in the Bible where God says so clearly about humans, “They're right.” They've spoken right.Wouldn't you love to hear God say that about you? First off, everybody loves to be right … And we really love to be told we're right … So what about when God tells you you're right? God says, Correct. Well done. Nailed it! … what if God says that about you?Whether you realize it or not, that is actually what you want more than anything in the world. This is not just affirmation, this is divine affirmation. That's really what you want behind your spouse's affirmation. That's deeper than your parent's affirmation, or your friends', your colleagues' — you want divine affirmation, which is more than you being right, but it means God is pleased with you. God is happy with you. He says to you, Right! You're right!And we know from Scripture, that's only possible when there's faith. The Judge of All the EarthThe daughters of Zelophehad are motivated by faith — They had faith to “draw near” to Moses and Eleazar (that's a special phrase, to draw near). They had faith to submit their hard case for Mosaic review. And they had faith to do this because they knew, ultimately, the God who judges is just.They were thinking what Abraham thought in Genesis 18:25, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” These daughters trust that God, who is sovereign over all things, will do what is right. Which means their confidence is not in their case per se, but it's in God. They are entrusting their future to him. The real message then of these women is not their rightness, though they are right, but the real message is the righteousness of God who always does right — and who is therefore worthy of our trust. Do you know this about God? This doesn't mean that he gives us everything we want immediately, but it means that everything he does is right, and we are right to trust him.The daughters of Zelophehad model that kind of faith for us, and we should be like them. God wants your faith.Third lesson:3. Our Redeemer has come!Let's go back to the details of God's ruling in Chapter 27. Heads up: this can get a little complicated, but try to stay with me. I'll keep it as basic as I can. God said, Yes, the daughters of Zelophehad are right, give them their father's inheritance. And then he makes this a general statue for all of Israel when they have similar cases …When it comes to a father's inheritance: If there's no son, it goes to daughters; if there's no daughters, it goes to his brothers; If he has no brothers, it goes to his uncles; And if he has no uncles it just goes to whoever is the closest relative.The whole point is how to keep your father's inheritance. The solution is that a kinsman preserves it.But then in Chapter 36, a new possible dilemma is brought up. The daughters of Zelophehad were from the tribe of Joseph, and some of the heads of that tribe started thinking: Wait a minute, if these daughters inherit Zelophehad's land, but then they go and marry a man from another tribe, then that man will end up getting the land. It could end up that all of Zelophehad's inheritance is taken over by another tribe. So what do we do about that?See, they found a potential hole in this case law — there was still a possible scenario that would defeat the intent of the ruling to preserve the father's inheritance. And God says, again, they're right. Like the daughters of Zelophehad, the tribe of Jospeh is right. And what we see here is that the heads of the tribe are actually following the example of these daughters in chapter 27. They're thinking about the future, about the land — they're motivated by faith. This is very different from the first generation, remember?!That generation was so faithless that they were too afraid to enter the land. This second generation believes God so much they wanna get down to the details about how the land inheritance will work, not just for that moment, but long into the future. There's an amazing contrast here between the second and first generations. The second generation believes God's promise. Faith is at the root. And so here's the solution: the way to ensure that the father's inheritance stays within his tribe is for the daughters of Zelophehad to marry within their tribe. Now they can marry whoever they want, but he's just gotta be within their tribe.A husband within their tribe is the only way to ensure that their father's inheritance isn't lost. So chapter 36, verse 10: “And the daughters of Zelophehad did as the Lord commanded Moses …” — that's basically how the book ends.The example of faith is central, we've talked about that. But there is another underlying logic here. This is something that shows up first in Leviticus, and then is explained more in Deuteronomy 25 — it's the role of the kinsman redeemer. The logic is: if an inheritance was on the verge of being lost, like in this case, a brother or relative of the man who died, a man within his own tribe, would redeem the potential loss through marrying the woman. That principle is emerging here, with the daughters of Zelophehad, but it comes up later in the Bible's storyline, in a real-life example.Taking Us to JesusThere was a man named Elimelech, a man of Bethlehem, of the tribe of Judah. He was married to a woman named Naomi. They had two sons, one married to Orpah, one married to Ruth. Well, Elimelech dies; and his two sons die; Orpah goes back to her family. So it's just Naomi and Ruth, and of course they're not going to be able to preserve Elimelech's inheritance … until they meet one of Elimelech's relatives, Boaz. Boaz becomes the kinsman redeemer — he marries Ruth and they have Obed; Obed has Jesse; Jesse has David, the King. These names all show up in Matthew Chapter 1, in the genealogy of Jesus, of the tribe of Judah, born in the little town of Bethlehem.See, the daughters of Zelophehad's faith, their concern for their father's inheritance, their concern for the future, paid into the future of Israel's Messiah. The logic of their case law became part of the story of the genealogy of Jesus.And so when we read about these daughters at the end of Numbers, we see the example of their faith, but even more than that, we see a thread here that takes us to Jesus … To Jesus who became our kinsman redeemer. That's what we celebrate at Christmas. Except we were in much worse shape than these five daughters were, much worse than Ruth. We had no inheritance at all in the Promised Land. We were destined for wrath. We were without hope in the world. But then came one who became our kinsman. One who took on our flesh, became like us in our humanity, and he paid the price to redeem us. Church, our Redeemer has come! Jesus took all of our debt and he gave us his inheritance — he has given us the right to be called the children of God!Right with God, by GodIn Christ, you call yourself a child of God, and you are right. God says you're right. And it's by faith alone. So let that be the last thing on our minds as we close the Book of Numbers.To borrow from the Heidelberg Catechism, answer 61: It is not because of any value my faith has that God is pleased with me. Only Christ's satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness make me right with God.And I can receive this righteousness and make it mine in no other way than by faith alone.And that's what brings us to this Table.The TableThis table is an invitation to Jesus Christ. We come to him with our hands open — help me, Jesus! You're my hope! We come to him in faith, and we come to adore him.And so if that's you — if you trust in Jesus Christ, if by faith in Jesus you are a child of God, let us eat and drink together and give him thanks!

A Sermon for the First Sunday after Christmas Isaiah 7-9 & St. Matthew 1:18-25 by William Klock The Prophet Isaiah made his way along the dusty track across the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem.  His young son walked beside him as they followed the Siloam Channel that carried water from an ancient rock-cut pool into to the city.  That's where the Lord had told Isaiah he would meet the King, Ahaz.  He was to go there to declare the word of the Lord to the King and he was to take his young son with him, whom the Lord had told him to name Shear-jashub.  The name means “a remnant shall return”.  A way of saying that God would not let his people be obliterated by their enemies.  Isaiah's son was, himself, part of the prophetic message.  And there was the King.  Ahaz was looking over the great stones, carved and set a thousand years before by the Canaanites who had founded Jerusalem.  It was the city's water supply and Isaiah could see the concern on the King's face.  Those were dark days.  Seven-hundred-and-thirty years before Jesus was born.  The Assyrian Empire to the east was the great power of the day and claimed the small western powers like Judah, Israel, and Syria as its own.  The King of Israel, in particular, was in a tough spot.  To pay the tribute he owed to the Assyrians he levied an enormous tax on the rich.  Rich people don't like being heavily taxed and they were on the verge of revolt.  At the moment, the King of Assyria was busy fighting in the north, so the King of Israel made an alliance with the King of Syria and the two of them approached Ahaz.  They wanted Judah to join their alliance.  Together, maybe, they could throw off the heavy Assyrian yoke.  They'd done it a hundred years before.  Together, maybe, they could do it again. But Ahaz was afraid.  He knew what would happen if they lost.  And so he refused to join the alliance.  But Israel and Syria wouldn't take no for an answer.  They laid siege to Jerusalem.  If Ahaz wouldn't join up with them, they would defeat him and put their own puppet king on the throne of Judah.  And so, that day, King Ahaz was out surveying Jerusalem's water supply.  Would it survive the siege?  He was worried.  And that's where Isaiah and Shear-jashub met him.  Isaiah was afraid, too.  Ahaz had a reputation.  Both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles tell us that he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  Instead of following in the footsteps of his “father” David, he walked in the ways of the evil kings of Israel.  He was a weak, fearful, and vacillating king.  Instead of trusting the Lord to deal with Israel and Syria, he aligned himself with Assyria.  A few years later, after visiting the temples of the Assyrian capital, he would remove various furnishings from the temple in Jerusalem in order to make room for a pagan altar like the ones he'd seen there.  He was a wicked king who would lead God's people into idolatry.  Confronting a king with the word of the Lord is never an easy thing to do, but confronting an ungodly king with the word of the Lord was even more difficult.  Think of John the Baptist, seven hundred years later, landing in Herod's prison for declaring the word of the Lord.  But unlike the King who trusted in horses and chariots and in foreign gods and kings more than he trusted in the Lord, Isaiah's faith was unwavering.  And he met the King and, nervous as he surely was, he declared the word of the Lord with power and authority.  “Do not be afraid”.  This alliance of Israel and Syria and their siege, the Lord said: “It shall not stand”.  The Lord was urging the king to trust in him.  He also said, through Isaiah, “If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all.” And to guarantee his promise to the King, the Lord gave Ahaz a sign.  Through Isaiah he said to him: Behold, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.  He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.  For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.   What the Lord was saying to Ahaz was, “Look.  Trust in me.  Don't trust in horses, don't trust in chariots, don't trust in pagan kings and pagan gods.  Trust in me and I will take care of you.  I am your God and you are my people.  I promised David that his descendants would sit on Judah's throne forever and neither Israel, nor Syria, nor the Assyrians will undermine my promise.”  The Lord had Isaiah mention a young woman, a maiden.  We don't know who this girl was, but it had to be someone known to the king.  Maybe the queen or one of the princesses in the court.  Whoever it was, Isaiah tells the king that she's going to have a child and he is to be named Immanuel.  Immanuel means “God is with us”.  And the Lord tells the king that by the time this child is eating solid food, by the time he's old enough to know the difference between good and evil, he, the Lord himself, will put an end to the threat posed by the kings of Israel and Syria.  Again: Don't trust in horses.  Don't trust in chariots.  Don't trust in pagan kings and pagan gods.  Trust in the Lord and walk with him.  He is with you. But that wasn't the end of it.  The Lord later sent Isaiah back to the king.  This time a woman referred to as “the prophetess”—probably Isaiah's wife—had borne a son named Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means “the spoil speeds, the prey hastens”.  The Lord's message was again for Ahaz to trust in him.  Before this child was old enough to say the words “father” and “mother” the Lord would deal with the threat of Israel and Syria.  Again, don't trust in pagan kings and pagan gods, trust in the Lord.  “God is with us,” declared Isaiah.  “The Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.  He will become a sanctuary, a stone one strikes against; for both houses of Israel he will become a rock one stumbles over—a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Now, is the Lord faithful?  Does he do what he promises?  Of course.  What the Lord promised was exactly what happened.  In a short time the king of Assyria crushed Syria and Israel.  The northern Jewish kingdom was destroyed and the people scattered.  The Lord delivered the people of Judah.  Ahaz, not surprisingly being the wicked king he was, made an alliance with Assyria anyway and brought the worship of the Assyrian gods to Israel.  But his son, Hezekiah, saw what the Lord had done.  Hezekiah, when he succeeded his father, trusted the Lord and spent his reign trying to undo the evil his father had done.  When the Assyrians laid siege to Jerusalem thirty years later and the enemy soldiers taunted the Judahites to give up on their God and the enemy commander delivered a letter demanding Hezekiah's surrender, Hezekiah took that letter to the temple and knelt in prayer before the Lord.  He entrusted himself and his people to the God he knew to be faithful.  And that night the Lord unleashed a plague on the Assyrian army that wiped them out. More often than not, when the New Testament writers wanted to recall the Lord's faithfulness or the Lord's deliverance, they drew on the story of the Exodus.  It makes sense.  The Exodus was the great story of the Lord's faithfulness to his promises and of his deliverance of his people.  It set the pattern.  But it wasn't the only story in Israel's history that puts the Lord's faithfulness and deliverance on display.  As St. Matthew tells us about the birth of Jesus in today's Gospel, he quotes from Isaiah's prophesy to Ahaz in order to put Jesus in perspective.  Remember that Matthew was writing his Gospel for the benefit of his fellow Jews and so he regularly recalls their scriptures and their story to show that what the God of Israel was doing in Jesus was part of their story—in fact, that what God was doing in and through Jesus was the culmination of the story of Israel. And so Matthew reminds the people that when Jesus was born, his people were living in dark days—not all that unlike the dark days of Isaiah and Ahaz.  They'd returned from exile in Babylon, but they were still ruled by foreign, pagan kings.  It was like the exile had never really ended.  Most notably, the Lord's presence had never returned to the temple.  God was absent and the people longed for his return, not just because he would set everything to rights, but so that they could again live in his presence.  And so it should be no wonder that Matthew pulls this story about the baby, Immanuel, “God with us”, that he pulls it out from Israel's past and into the present day. So Matthew begins his Gospel with the genealogy of Joseph.  I used to read that genealogy as a kid, stumbling through all the names, and wondered why it was so important.  In part, Matthew wanted to show the kingly lineage of Joseph.  Even though he wasn't an important man, he was a descendant of Abraham and of David.  But at least as important as that is the way Matthew selectively structures his genealogy.  As he says in verse 17: fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the Exile, and fourteen generations from the Exile to the Messiah.  Seven symbolised completion, so six times seven and now, as the seventh seven is about to begin, Jesus is born—the climax of the whole list, the one whom Israel had awaited for two thousand years.  As Paul puts it in our Epistle from Galatians: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.” The Old Testament, Israel's scriptures, over and over and over and over—above everything else—highlights the faithfulness of God to his promises.  There are all sorts of themes that run through the Old Testament, but above them all, pulling them all together, is the faithfulness of God.  Humans are fickle—the story also makes that clear—but God is faithful and worthy of our trust, worthy of our worship, worthy of our loyalty and allegiance.  And, after setting out Joseph's divinely orchestrated genealogy, Matthew launches into the story itself in verse 18: This was how the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place.  His mother, Mary, was engaged to Jospeh; but before they came together she turned out to be pregnant—by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph, her husband-to-be— was an upright man.  He didn't want to make a public example of her, so he decided to set the marriage aside privately. It's not hard to imagine the disappointment, the embarrassment, even the shame that Joseph felt.  “It's not another man,” Mary told him.  “I'm pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  That's what the angel told me.  I don't understand how it can be, but he told me that this child is the Messiah.” Joseph knew where babies come from.  This was going to bring shame on him and so, Matthew says, Joseph made plans to quietly separate from Mary—to break off the engagement.  Hopefully he could distance himself from the whole fiasco, save some face, move on with life, and maybe find someone more respectable to marry. But then the angel appeared to Joseph.  “Joseph, son of David!” the angel greeted him.  Joseph was a descendant of King David, but so were a lot of people.  This was the first time anyone had ever addressed Joseph as if he were a prince.  But the angel's making a point: Joseph is part of the royal family—the family from which the Messiah would come.  “Joseph, don't be afraid to follow through with this marriage to Mary.  She wasn't lying when she told you she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  She's not crazy.  A miracle has really happened.  She's going to have a son.  And, listen, when he's born, you are to name him ‘Jesus'.  Why?  Because he's the one who will save his people from their sins.” If we're paying really close attention, we might notice that the way Matthew tells the story parallels the story of Isaiah going to meet King Ahaz—to declare the word of the Lord.  Matthew reminds us that Joseph is a descendant of that same royal family.  “Don't be afraid” he declares.  A child is about to be born and you're going to name him Jesus.  You're going to name him “Yahweh saves”.  Maybe we miss the parallels.  As we say, “Explain it to me like I'm five years old.”  And so Matthew makes it very plain in verse 22: All this happened so that what the Lord said through the prophet might be fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin is pregnant, and will have a son, and they shall give him the name Immanuel,” which means, in translation, “God with us”.   He makes this connection explicitly clear, because as best we can tell, no one before Matthew had ever thought of Isaiah's prophecy being fulfilled in the birth of the coming Messiah.  No one had ever made that connection, because everyone knew that Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled in the days of King Ahaz.  Everyone knew that.  It was actually Matthew, knowing what Isaiah had said and the history that surrounded that prophecy, it was Matthew who saw there a sort of prefiguring of Jesus.  Paul wasn't the only Jew who, when confronted with the risen Jesus, went back and rethought all of Israel's story with him in mind.  Matthew did it too. When people said to Matthew, “You fool!  Don't you know where babies come from?  The Lord doesn't work this way!”  Matthew pointed back to Isaiah and said, “You wanna bet?  The Lord does work this way.  In fact, he's been working this way all through the history of our people.  Our story and all the little details that God has been working out were pointing to this, like little lights along a tunnel, and now those little lights have led us out in the blinding light of the sun—except the light is God and those little glimpses he's given of himself have finally led us to this place where—in Jesus—we see his glory blazing forth in all its brightness.  I can imagine Matthew, talking with his fellow Jews, and pointing them back to the characters and the stories they knew so well and showing how they were little lights, little bits of God's glory revealed, leading them through the darkness to the glorious day of Jesus.  This story of Ahaz and Isaiah and the baby Immanuel pointing forward to the day when “God with us” wouldn't just be the prophetic name of a royal baby boy, but when a royal baby boy would be born who would literally be “God with us”.  How the story of Abraham taking Isaac up the mountain to sacrifice him and the Lord providing a ram in Isaac's place, how that story prefigured and prepared the people for the cross, where the Lord gave his only and beloved Son to die in the place of his sinful people.  How the giving of the law and the building of the tabernacle were but lights pointing forward to the day when the Lord would pour out his Spirit on his people.  How even the Exodus and the Passover—the great and defining events of Israel's story—are now, in the light of Jesus, but little candles along the way, preparing the people for the day when the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus would deliver the people, not just from the oppression of a pagan king, but from the dominion of sin and death. So Matthew's point is this: We need to understand the story of Jesus—his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his lordship—everything we sum up in that acclamation during the Lord's Supper when we say, “Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.”—Matthew wants us to know that this isn't some new story that stands all by itself.  He wants us to know that it's the continuation of the great story of the God of Israel and his people, the long story that goes all the way back to Abraham.  And not just that, but that it's the culmination of that story.  Remember I said that the great overarching theme of that big story is the faithfulness of God.  Ever since Abraham, God has been calling people to trust him.  We live in a world broken by sin and death.  We all know it's not supposed to be this way.  And so we try to fix it.  And there are all sorts of ideas out there about how to do that.  Pray to this god.  Follow that philosophy.  And into the midst of the darkness and the chaos the Lord reveals himself and says: Leave your idols and follow me. But why would we?  What could ever inspire a person to abandon Zeus or Baal for the God of Israel?  What could ever inspire a person to give up the philosophy of Plato or Epicurus for the God of Israel?  What would inspire our ancestors to stop worshipping oak trees or ancestors?  Brothers and Sisters, it's the story—the story that reminds us over and over and over and over that this Lord is faithful—that he does what he says.  And we see it first and foremost as it all comes together in Jesus.  In him we see the loving character of God as he gives himself to fulfil his promises for the sake of his people.  And in Jesus we see the Lord setting this word to rights.  The very thing that all the other gods and philosophies promise, but can never deliver—a new age, a new creation—Brothers and Sisters, the Lord has delivered it in the death and resurrection of Jesus: the defeat of sin and death and new life.  Immanuel—“God with us”.  For real.  Fulfilling his promises as he plunges us into the life of his Spirit in our baptism.  Showing he is worthy of our faith, our trust, our loyalty, our allegiance, our worship.  When Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me,” he's pointing back to that story of God's faithfulness, back to all those lights along the way in the darkness that have led us to him—to the full brightness of God's blazing glory and saying, “Trust me.” Let us pray: Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a pure virgin:  Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honour and glory, now and for ever.  Amen.

Pastor Sam Rainer preaches through every verse of Matthew's gospel. This sermon continues the Christmas series by examining Matthew 2:13-23. What is the significance of Mary and Jospeh's escape to Egypt? This story connects to prophecy in the Old Testament as well as the apocalyptic visions of Revelation.

As the shepherds approach the manger, they see the baby Jesus. This inspires them to share with Mary and Jospeh what the angels shared with them. As we experience our Lord, it should leave us changed, just like the Shepherds.

Micah 5:2, John 3:16-18, & Luke 2:1-7 Today we learn what a prophet is when we introduce Micah. We discuss how Micah specifically told where Jesus would be born and we follow the journey God put Mary and Joseph on to get them from Nazareth to Bethlehem. God used different people, events, etc but it allllllll happened just as He said it would. This story also drives home John 3:16-18; that God sent his son Jesus, not to condemn the World, but to save us through Jesus. What a precious gift this is! To engage more with this episode, you can grab a map and show your kids Nazareth and Bethlehem so they see where Mary and Jospeh traveled or join our Patreon page to get the activity and coloring page. You can also listen to the song "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem." Merry Christmas! -------------- To enjoy the library of bonus content (coloring pages, sheets, memory verse, etc) for the episodes go here and click bonus content. By enjoying them, you allow us to keep the episodes free for families all over the world to access and enjoy. From our family to yours, THANK YOU! To connect with us, go here. For our free Read-A-Loud pdf book go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the main event! Mary and Jospeh travel to Bethlehem where Mary gives birth to the savior of the world. 

Joseph is the forgotten character of the Christmas story. Yet in Jospeh's story we see some principles that help us navigate the difficulties of our season.

Nov 24 2024

Lead Pastor Wes Terry preaches on "A Dream That Never Dies" using the death of Jacob and Jospeh out of Genesis 49:29-50:26. This sermon looks at how Christian people approach death differently than others. This sermon is part of the series "Living The Dream" and was preached on November 24th, 2024.

Lead Pastor Wes Terry preaches on "A Dream That Never Dies" using the death of Jacob and Jospeh out of Genesis 49:29-50:26. This sermon looks at how Christian people approach death differently than others. This sermon is part of the series "Living The Dream" and was preached on November 24th, 2024.

Wow the lads ride again with their friends Mac Arthur and Matthew Joseph to get into it about belt buying etiquette, going Cher Mode, drinking a gallon of hammers, take a trip to the Energy Drink Corner and more! Follow us: @mikeabrusci @thisdiegolopez @doctormacarthur @alittletimepod www.patreon.com/alittletimepod

Genesis 45

A Separation (2011) is an Iranian drama written and directed by Asghar Farhadi. The film depicts the martial separation between a middle-class couple, Nadar (Peyman Moaadi) and his wife Simin (Leila Hatami). Simin wants the family to leave Iran to make a better life for their 10-year-old daughter Termeh, but Nadar does not want to leave his father who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. So Nadar refuses to go and also refuses to give permission for their daughter to leave. The film also depicts the conflict that results when Nadar allegedly pushes his father's new, lower-income caregiver, Razieh (Sareh Bayat) down the stairs during an altercation, causing her to miscarry. A Separation centers around the two legal cases: the divorce proceedings between Nadar and Simin; and the criminal proceedings against Nadar. It provides a window not only into law in Iran but also into the complex forces of politics, class, and religion that shape modern Iranian society. To discuss this universally acclaimed and award-winning film, I'm joined by Golbarg Rekabtalaei, a professor of history at Seton Hall University and expert on Iran and Iranian cinema.Timestamps:0:00    Introduction2:21      An introduction to Iranian cinema7:21      The cosmopolitanism of Iranian cinema 10:45   Navigating government restrictions on cinema in Iran14:17    The legal context for A Separation16:18    Divorce law in Iran20:09  The film's opening scene24:02   Abortion and criminal law in A Separation31:13    Diyat (or “blood money” payments in Iran)35:44   Criminal investigations and procedure in Iran 39:30   Imprisonment of debtors41:44   A social drama that uses the court to broader themes46:25   The Green Movement and the political context for the film48:46   Other recommended films about Iranian law and societyFurther reading:Becker, Ben, “‘A Separation': Exploring Class, Marriage, and Morality through Iranian Culture,” Cinemablography Burke, Jospeh, “Rediscovering Morality through Asghar Farhadi's ‘A Separation,'” Senses of Cinema (Dec. 2011)Haqshenas, Saleh, Badiei, Sediqeh & Narmani, Hamid, “Iran's Perspective: A Deconstructive Analysis of "A Separation Movie" Through Application of Binary Opposition,” International Researchers vol 2, no. 1 (Mar. 2013)Kirshner, Jonathan, “Secrets, Lies, and Censorship: The Revelation of Asghar Farhadi's Films,” Boston Review (Aug. 14, 2024)Rekabtalaei, Golbarg, Iranian Cosmopolitanism: A Cinematic History (2019)Romig, Rollo, “Blood Money: Crime and Punishment in ‘A Separation,'” New Yorker (Feb. 24, 2012) Law on Film is created and produced by Jonathan Hafetz. Jonathan is a professor at Seton Hall Law School. He has written many books and articles about the law. He has litigated important cases to protect civil liberties and human rights while working at the ACLU and other organizations. Jonathan is a huge film buff and has been watching, studying, and talking about movies for as long as he can remember. For more information about Jonathan, here's a link to his bio: https://law.shu.edu/profiles/hafetzjo.htmlYou can contact him at jonathanhafetz@gmail.comYou can follow him on X (Twitter) @jonathanhafetz You can follow the podcast on X (Twitter) @LawOnFilmYou can follow the podcast on Instagram @lawonfilmpodcast

The gang chooses sides this week, as they review the much maligned political satire wrapped up in a human hunting story, The Hunt (2020). What may go down as the most unlucky film release of all time, this twice delayed film that was the final major release in March of 2020 before the COVID shut down will never know what true potential could have been in store for it. While pissing off both sides of the political spectrum sounds like a recipe for financial failure, it's hard to deny the sheer fun factor. This is Jospeh's pick this week, as he wanted us to re-review this one, since Tyler slept through most of it back in March of 2020. Listen to that old episode here... https://www.buzzsprout.com/602032/episodes/3015787-mcfc-field-trip-the-hunt-2020-release-dayVisit the YouTube channel Saturdays @ 12:30 PM Pacific to get in on the live stream, or just watch this episode rather than just listen!Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI1lVsk1xjMSBgZK82uAzgQThis Episode:https://youtu.be/9r9GwgCvENQhttp://www.MCFCpodcast.comhttps://www.twitch.tv/MCFCpodcasthttp://www.facebook.com/MCFCpodcasthttp://www.twitter.com/podcastMCFChttp://www.tiktok.com/middleclassfilmclasshttp://www.instagram.com/middleclassfilmclass   Email: MCFCpodcast@gmail.comLeave us a voicemail at (209) 283-1716Merch store - https://middle-class-film-class.creator-spring.com/    Join the Patreon:www.patreon.con/middleclassfilmclass Patrons:JavierJoel ShinnemanLinda McCalisterHeather Sachs https://twitter.com/DorkOfAllDorksChris GeigerDylanMitch Burns Robert Stewart JasonAndrew Martin Dallas Terry Jack Fitzpatrick Mackenzie MinerBinge Daddy DanAngry Otter (Michael)The Maple Syrup Don: StephenJoseph Navarro     Pete Abeyta  and Tyler Noe

This week on Hi, Strangeness, I have on writer and transmedia artist Jospeh Matheny! Joseph has created works using alternate reality gaming and transmedia storytelling methods to deliver a new kind of narrative. He's also extremely well versed in high weirdness, the occult, underground art, and so much more. He's truly my kind of artist: A risk taker, esoterically minded, and not afraid to destroy classic narrative structure. I tried to play it cool, because I'm a big fan, but I'm sure you'll hear a couple of geek out moments. Jospeh is one of those Gen X artists who changed the game..literally. Enjoy!Love, Steve For more Joseph Matheny:https://josephmatheny.com/https://x.com/OngsHat1Steve Berg LInks:https://www.patreon.com/HiStrangenesslinktr.ee/stevebergPretty please subscribe and leave a review!

With Baby E arriving any day now, we wanted to bring you one of our favorite series! Enjoy! What is the most important aspect of a deeply fulfilling life? A true and intimate connection with other people and most importantly: our intimate partner. This intimate connection must be cultivated, nurtured, and tended to on a consistent basis to grow to its ultimate potential. In today's episode and Part 1, we are going to discuss 5 impactful practices for growing in love. We are going to cover why weekly check-ins are vital, the need for identifying personal and relational core values, identifying the why and what, what "turning towards" truly means, and Jospeh's kink phrase taking personal responsibility.  Be sure to subscribe and stay tuned for our next episode where we'll dive into the last 5 practices and let us know which ones you will start incorporating!   --------------------- Rate, Review, and Follow on Apple Podcasts   “I love these conversations!” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show. This helps us support more people in their efforts to create a meaningful life. Also, if you haven't already done so, subscribe to our WTHN Newsletter! For additional support, you can apply for 1:1 coaching with Lauren by clicking here. Or, you can join the waitlist for our next round of WTHN Coaching by clicking here.   ---------------------   Time Stamps:   (1:29) Most Important Aspect of A Deeply Impactful Life (3:37) #1: Create Weekly Check-Ins (6:34) Your Head vs Your Heart (10:19) #2: Identify Personal and Relational Core Values (15:17) Same Vision and Sense of Direction (15:32) #3: Identify The Why and The What (20:24) Opportunity and Leaning Into Your Why (21:29) A Filter For Making Decisions (22:52) #4: Turning Toward (25:44) Inserting Humor (32:34) #5: Take Personal Responsibility (33:57) Acknowledging Your Investments (36:54) Recap (37:44) Free Relationship Conversation Guide --------------------- Download Our Free 10 Conversations Starters for Reigniting Your Relationship --------------------- Join Our Free WTHN Facebook Group   Follow Lauren on Instagram   Follow Joseph on Instagram   Follow WTHN on Instagram

Michael talks with Israeli intelligence expert Uri Bar-Joseph, who dissects the stunning failure of Israeli intelligence ahead of the October 7th Hamas attack—a “perfect failure” that shook the foundations of Israel's vaunted security apparatus. Tracing the roots of this debacle back decades, Bar-Joseph discusses the fatal flaw in Israel's national security strategy: prioritizing military might over diplomatic engagement. It's part of Uri's new book in Hebrew, 'Beyond the Iron Wall.'

For episode 247, we are continuing the Fireside Chat Series on the Metta Hour with guest Joseph Goldstein.This series features intimate conversations with longtime dharma teachers about the early days of their practice and the most impactful moments with their own teachers. Hosted by IMS Online, the fifth episode in this series. Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and lovingkindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, where he is on the guiding teachers' Founders Council. In 1989, he helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. Joseph first became interested in Buddhism as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand in 1965. Since 1967 he has studied and practiced different forms of Buddhist meditation under eminent teachers from India, Burma and Tibet. He is the author of many books, including Mindfulness and Insight Meditation.In this conversation, Sharon and Joseph discuss:The origin story of founding IMSSharon and Joseph's first meeting in IndiaJoseph's apartment in Boulder, COHow Joseph found Munindra, his first serious teacherWhat Joseph loves mosts about teachingJoseph's first lovingkindness intensiveDipa Ma's meditative lifeWhat inspired Joseph most about Dipa MaUnifying confidence and humility in ourselvesWorking with the inner critic when teachingLearning how to say “I don't know”Dudjom Rinpoche and re-incarnationUnderstanding the basis for our opinionsEarly challenges in Joseph's teachingThe popularization of meditationWhat inspired Joseph to pursue BuddhismTaking delight in being awakeApproaches for self-acceptanceAdvice for new retreatantsYou can learn more about Joseph's work and many books right here and listen to his Insight Hour Podcast right here. Learn more about IMS Online right here.Listen to Lily Cushman interview both Sharon and Joseph in Episode 199 of the Metta Hour right here or check-out some older conversations with Jospeh in Episode 110 and Episode 47.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"It's your job to understand what the customer's biggest issue is and connect them with the right resource."- Joseph MichelliJoseph Michelli, an internationally sought-after speaker, author, and organizational consultant, shares his journey from working at a fish market to becoming a customer experience expert. He emphasizes the importance of creating value for customers and delivering on promises made during the sales cycle. Michelli discusses the significance of emotional connections in customer experiences and highlights the success of brands like Starbucks and Zappos in prioritizing customer care. He also emphasizes the importance of building partnerships and relationships with other businesses to create a thriving ecosystem.TakeawaysSales is about creating customer value and delivering on promises made during the sales cycle.Emotional connections play a crucial role in customer experiences and can lead to long-term relationships.Successful brands prioritize customer care and focus on creating positive experiences for customers.Building partnerships and relationships with other businesses can create a thriving ecosystem.Chapters00:00- Introduction and Joseph Michelli's Background03:24- The Importance of Customer Experience in Sales06:26- Lessons from Pike's Place Fish Market09:22- The Role of Organizational Change and Development12:19- Lessons for Small Businesses15:46- Enveloping Products in an Emotional Context21:24- Lessons from Working with Challenger BrandsConnect With Joseph MichelliLinkedIn- linkedin.com/in/josephmichelliWebsitesjosephmichelli.com (Company)josephmichelli.com/blog/ (Blog)amzn.to/3iZvEeF (Stronger through Adversity)Ever wish you could pick Wesleyne's brain? Now you can. Check out AskWesleyne.Com to find the answers to all your sales, leadership, mindset and business question. For daily tips on sales and leadership connect with WesleyneLinkedIn- linkedin.com/in/wesleyne Instagram- @wesleynewhittakerTiktok- https://www.tiktok.com/@thewesleynewhittaker Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/transformedsales Youtube- www.youtube.com/@wesleynewhittaker Website- TransformedSales.com Email- podcast@transformedsales.com