Podcasts about judean

Daily Dose of Hope May 22, 2025 Day 4 of Week 8   Scripture – Matthew 4:1-11   Prayer:  Holy and Almighty Father, We come to you today with humble hearts.  We know we are broken and need you.  We are weak.  We are vulnerable to temptation.  Lord, fill us with your strength.  Give us your stamina and wisdom.  We can't do this life without you, Lord.  It's in the powerful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the daily devotional that complements New Hope Church's Bible reading plan.  This is the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin Matthew 4.   In the first portion of this chapter, Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan.  The Judean wilderness doesn't look like a forest, by any means.  Rather, it is dry, rocky, and hot.  It is more like a desert with rocks.  Let's start by envisioning that.    The first big question is why did the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness knowing what would happen?  We can assume that this is part of getting Jesus ready for his public ministry.  Jesus has the credentials and the authority, but now he gets to have the experience of coming face to face with evil.  Consider this: He has just been baptized and the Spirit is with him.  Afterall, the Spirit didn't leave him in the desert.  But he then allows himself to be made weak with lack of food.  Remember, Jesus was God but he was also human.  He allows himself to be made physically weak for this purpose – to demonstrate that he could still resist temptation.   Now, he is ready to face his main adversary.  And as you read this, notice that the devil is never in control of the situation.  Jesus is.  He may be weak, tired and hungry, but he is totally in control.  Jesus is strong and ready for each and every temptation.  In this scene, Jesus gives us a powerful picture of how to go into a spiritual battle, leaning totally and completely on the Word of God.    What were the temptations?  There is the temptation to make stones into bread (remember, he was fasting), the temptation to hurl himself down from the top of the Temple and have God rescue him, and the temptation to have political leadership over all the Kingdoms of the world.  Satan's temptations get immediately to the core question of Jesus' identity, calling into question his relationship with God by beginning with, “If you are the Son of God….” This relationship, announced earlier at his baptism, is now confirmed through Jesus' unwavering trust in God.   These temptations in the wilderness are not one-time experiences, they are tests that are preparing Jesus for his earthly ministry.  Jesus is going to be confronted with all kinds of evil.  He will cast out demons.  He will battle Satan on many fronts.  He will face all kinds of physical and emotional pain.  Think about the cross.  This is good news for us.  Jesus has, after all, already gone before us into the most forsaken places in the wilderness.  Jesus has been tempted and won the victory over temptation and Satan.  We can too, with his help.  But he isn't asking us to go anywhere he hasn't already been.   Spiritual warfare is real. At least a quarter of Jesus' ministry dealt specifically with the conflict between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of darkness.  Jesus was God with flesh on and he came to crush Satan under his feet.  On the cross, Jesus has won the victory and the ultimate divine victory is not in doubt.  But the spiritual forces of evil have not totally conceded.  We live in this in between time.  Victory in Jesus Christ is ours.  In the spiritual sense, we possess everything necessary as Kingdom people, we are children of God, redeemed, reconciled, and make right in Christ.  That being said, in this in between time, there will still be spiritual warfare, there are still difficult battles to be fought, there will still be destruction, and there will be casualties.  The apostle John wrote in I John 5:19, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”   And so the church stands its ground and uses everything God has equipped her with to resist evil.  In today's passage, Jesus gives us a great example of how to do this.    When it comes to spiritual warfare, here are some things to consider:   -God has an enemy who is committed to working against his people and his work in this world.    -This isn't really our battle.  It is God's battle.  We are simply joining him in this mission of fighting back darkness.  And we have nothing to fear in the midst of it, as long as we stay close to Jesus.  It's when we start wondering off on our own that we may have problems.  So, submit yourself to God.  The enemy wants to keep you from growing in your walk with Jesus.  Give yourself over to God; stay focused on him.    -As believers, we aren't to go on the offensive but rather to be prepared for a defensive battle.  Stand firm in doing good and obeying God's will.  Stay faithful.  When you do that, you are pushing back darkness. Don't be surprised if the enemy tries to trip you up and make you ineffective.  Keep proclaiming Jesus but expect opposition.  Anytime we do something significant for the Kingdom, expect opposition.    -God will give us the equipment and strength we need to stay strong.  God provides us with everything we need, the Bible, the armor, the protection, and the prayer connection.   -Be careful not to open yourself up to things that are not of God.  There are some things that we think are kind of harmless, like psychics, tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystals, a lot of the new age stuff.  While some of it might have no power, some of it does.  I've known of people who had really powerful and scary experiences with some of this.  At times, it can be really accurate.  Please know that power doesn't come from God.  As Christians, we should not be exposing ourselves to anything that is remotely evil; it isn't something to play around with.  It's serious.    I truly think Satan's attacks are getting more intense at the same time that many western Christians are not taking spiritual warfare seriously at all.  Satan rejoices in self-centered Christianity.  Satan loves the fact that so many of our churches could care less about leading people to Jesus.  But we are at war – we are at war for the souls of our children, our grandchildren, and our greatgrandchildren.  If the Kingdom of Darkness makes the church ineffective, then they are winning the battle.  And the casualties are really huge.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope May 21, 2025 Day 3 of Week 8   Scripture – Matthew 3   Prayer: Amazing Father and Lord, Thank you for who you are.  Thank you for how you care for us.  We get distracted.  We veer away from you and your Word.  For that, we are so very sorry.  Forgive us, Lord.  Help us to abide in you.  Help us to remain close so that we can be fruitful and effective for your Kingdom.  Help us get outside ourselves and see others as you see them.  Lord, we belong to you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are taking a look at Matthew 3.   Matthew begins by quoting from the book of the prophet Isaiah about a messenger who would be sent ahead of Jesus to prepare the way for him.  And this person, Scripture says, is John the Baptist.  We learn from reading other Gospels that John the Baptist is actually Jesus' first cousin.    The whole Judean countryside came out to see John the Baptist.  Picture this, masses of people were leaving their villages and coming into the wilderness (which looks more like desert than forest) to get baptized by John.  But why?  I mean, he was a weird dude, wearing camel hair and eating locusts dipped in wild honey.  He had taken a vow of poverty.  Maybe they wanted to check out this really bizarre guy but that doesn't explain everything.  John was offering them something they desperately needed – good news, forgiveness, cleansing.  And the good news he offered wasn't that they would receive something good when they die, but that there is good news, there is hope, for life right now.  And remember, these were dark days.  The people were yearning for hope.   He also calls out the Pharisees and Sadducees.  He knows their hearts are evil so he refers to them as a brood of vipers.  Vipers are venomous so John is not hiding his dislike.  He is saying that the Pharisees (the religious teachers) and the Sadducees (the wealthy Jewish aristocracy) are evil, deceitful, hypocritical, and connected to Satan.  Those are fighting words. It's surprising John didn't get in trouble right then and there.    But then John says something interesting.  He says that someone else is coming, one more powerful than him, whose sandals he is not worthy to stoop down and untie. That's pretty extreme. I mean, slaves were typically the ones who untied sandals because they were so filthy.  And John says that while he baptizes with water, the one coming after him will baptize with the Holy Spirit.  For those who were listening to John, this may have been scary.  What kind of person would John feel so humbled by?    And then, we meet him.  It's Jesus, whose birth we have just heard about.  He comes to John to be baptized.  John is hesitant.  He knows that Jesus should be baptizing him.  But he relents.  John knows that this needs to happen. Remember, Matthew is clearly pointing out here that Jesus is Messiah and the fulfillment of prophecy for the Jews. Then, there is this beautiful scene, depicting the Trinity, in which God the Father announces his approval of God the Son and then God the Holy Spirit descends as a dove.  There is a voice from heaven, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”   Before we move on in Matthew, let's spend a little bit of time talking about repentance.  The people were coming to John to confess their sins, repent, and receive cleansing.  Every single one of us need that.  When is the last time you have spent time in confession and repentance?  Talk to God right now.  Receive the ultimate cleansing as only he can give.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Mark 1:2-8 2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" - 3 "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  Discussion Questions 1 Who is someone in your life that helped prepare the way for you? (Spiritually, vocationally, relationally, etc.) 2 Humility before Jesus is vital in our allegiance to Jesus. In your current season of life, what situations, moments, or environments challenge your humility before Jesus and your submission to Jesus the most? 3 Until Jesus returns, we are the construction crew that is preparing the way for the King to enter into the city. Think about your areas of influence and impact. In what ways have you done a good job of preparing the way for Jesus to enter into the hearts and lives of those around you? Where are you/have you struggled? 4 "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30 In what ways does this verse speak most deeply to you in your season of life?

Daily Dose of Hope May 13, 2025 Day 2 of Week 7   Scripture - Mark 15:21-32   Prayer:  Dear Holy God, Your love is amazing.  Thank you for the way you care for us.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us focus on you...Lord Jesus, help us set aside every distraction and take this time to lean on you.  We want to hear your voice.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Happy Tuesday!  Today's Scripture is powerful and we have probably all read it or heard it before.  I hope you were able to slow down and really take time to read it with fresh eyes.  The miracle of Scripture is that we can read it again and again and God can reveal something new to us.   In today's portion of Mark 15, we read about the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It was a horrific death.  He was beaten and mocked by the soldiers, betrayed by his own people, and nailed to a cross to die.  I won't go into the gory details of crucifixion, as you have probably heard them before, but it was a terribly painful and humiliating way to die.   There is one piece of today's text that we often gloss over, but it certainly is significant.  It's about Simon of Cyrene.  Simon was just passing by when he is stopped and forced him to carry Jesus' cross.  Cyrene was on the tip of Africa so this man was far from home.  And here he was, going about his business, and he is enlisted, or more like seized, to carry the cross of the Savior of the world.  I'm guessing that Jesus' physical body was incredibly weak and bloody by this point.  Simon walked by him, carrying the cross that would serve to execute Jesus but also save all humanity from their sin.    We don't know what happened to Simon after the crucifixion.  He isn't mentioned again in Scripture. But my guess is that his life was never the same again.  Afterall, he had an encounter with Jesus. They may have exchanged a few words.  Maybe they glanced at each other.  I believe that Jesus could say a lot with his eyes and facial expressions.  But my guess is that things changed for Simon from that point forward.  After all, he met Jesus.   An encounter with Jesus is always life-changing.  Think about your own life.  How has encountering Jesus affected your world?  Try to think of tangible examples.    Let's move on in the text.  There was a sign above Jesus' head that read, “King of the Jews.”  What did this mean?  It could actually mean a number of things.  First, Pilate was a bit perturbed with the Jews that they wanted him to crucify an innocent man.  Labeling him as the Judean king could have been a way to get a jab in at the Jewish authorities, who totally rejected Jesus' claim of kingship.    But the sign could have also been another way to mock Jesus.  How could a king be crucified?  How could a king experience such levels of humiliation?  This very well could be a way to make fun of Jesus and his followers.  We don't really know Pilate's motivation. And then there are the criminals crucified next to Jesus.  The Scripture said even they reviled Jesus (in Mark's Gospel, we don't have the story about one of the robbers coming to belief in Jesus).  Others were hurling insults at him, leaders and regular people.  I don't know what it is about the human condition that we like to kick people when they are down.  Maybe it makes weak people feel powerful.  I don't know, but it is hard to read.  Nobody understood who he was and why he allowed himself to be executed.  And Jesus' humility and love are amazing.    More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

The Gospels tell us about Jesus' adult life, with scant references to his childhood.We can catch glimpses of the younger Jesus' life, but there's so much we don't know.But if we move beyond the Bible, we can learn about the world the younger Jesus lived in.Growing up a refugee, in a land under foreign occupation, and a region full of militia groups, it's worth asking: How did the turbulent background of the boy Jesus affect His message … and the whole of Christianity?CREDITSUndeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher.Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant.  Santino Dimarco is the Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi.Our voice actors today were Yannick Lawry and Dakotah Love.Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.(00:08) - - Judea: A difficult province to govern (08:42) - - Herod (16:48) - - Growing up Judean (21:00) - - Was Jesus actually from the line of King David? (29:35) - - The massacre of the innocents (33:31) - - Was Jesus born in Bethlehem? (42:28) - - Jesus the refugee (50:05) - - Growing up in Galilee (01:01:50) - - Jesus the patriot (01:04:44) - - BONUS! Joan Taylor and Monty Python

In this episode of the Judean Book Club, Jeremy Gimpel unpacks Chapter 2 of his book Waking Up: The Judean Way to Start Your Day. What does it mean to be truly happy? From King David to Aristotle to modern psychology, Jeremy explores timeless wisdom on the human pursuit of happiness. Drawing from both Hebrew and Greek traditions, he reveals that genuine fulfillment isn't just about feeling good—it's about growing into your purpose and becoming who you were created to be. Discover why happiness and personal growth are inseparable, and how living as a “good soul” might be life's highest calling. To dive deeper into the teachings of Waking Up, join Jeremy's online course. Click Here: https://thelandofisrael.kartra.com/page/wakingupbyjeremy

In this special episode of the Judean Book Club, we dive into Waking Up: The Ancient Way to Start Your Day — the powerful book that inspired Jeremy Gimpel's newly released course, Waking Up: The Ancient Judean Way To Live With Biblical Faith. While the course explores the overarching themes of practical emunah (faith in action), the book serves as a more intimate guide into the spiritual structure of the Judean morning — rooted deeply in the Hebrew prayers and ancient rhythms of life in the Land of Israel. Join Jeremy as he unpacks the connection between body, soul, and the first moments of the day — where awakening becomes an act of devotion and alignment with divine purpose. Whether you're journeying through the course or discovering the book for the first time, this episode will deepen your understanding of how ancient Jewish wisdom can transform the way we live today. Ready to wake up the Judean way? To register for the online course click here: https://Thelandofisrael.kartra.com/checkout/wakingup

Acts 11 commences with Peter being caused to justify why he baptised Gentiles. We next have a description of the progress of the truth in Antioch in the province of Syria, where believers were first derisively called ‘Christians'. Oneof these faithful believers is a prophet named Agabus. He prophesies of a great famine that would affect the entire Roman world. The disciples of Antioch start a fund to help Judean believers, who were greatly affected and in dire need.In Acts 12 Herod Antipas kills the Apostle James – the year was AD 44. Seeing how much this delighted the Jews Herod has Peter arrested for execution after Passover. Despite being securely chained between guards the angel of the Lord causes a deep sleep to overcome the guards and releases Peter. Peter proceeds to the house where the ecclesia is gathered to pray for his deliverance. A maid named Rhoda answers the door and runs to tell the disciples that Peter was outside. Rhoda is told that she must be mistaken. The disciples say that it must be Peter's “messenger” (Greek angelos- angel). Peter is admitted to the house and he recounts how he had been delivered. James, the half brother of Jesus. was informed and told Peter to secretly depart to a different location where he cannot be found. Herod kills the guards (verses 20-23). The chapter concludes with an account of Herod's narcissistic claims and his being smitten with dysentery by the angel of God and Herod dying verses 20-23. Nonetheless the Word of God exceedingly prevails.

Deuteronomy 20 speaks of laws covering the behaviour of the Israelites in warfare. The priests were to stimulate the courage of the Israelites as they were about to enter into battle. If any man had married recently he would be allowed a year off before joining the army. Similarly anyone would be allowed to partake of their first fruits before enlisting for active army service. Yahweh would fight for His host; however if anyone in the nation was fearful, or doubted their Omnipotent Sovereign's ability to deliver His people then that person was to be sent home so as to not damage the morale of his comrades. For nations other than the seven Canaanitish nations terms of peace were to be offered and if accepted that nation would become a tributary nation. Should terms of peace be rejected then siege would be made, the males of that city would be destroyed and the spoil taken by the Israelites. As for the Canaanitish nations no quarter was to be shown to them, but they were to be totally destroyed. Israel was commanded that during the siege timber could be taken from any tree except fruit trees. Ecclesiastes 12 verses 1-8 instruct us to remember our Creator is the days of our youth. For, says the wise man, the time will come when every desire fails – this he terms the evil day. Those of us who are aging rapidly feel that day encroaching too rapidly. Verses 2 describe the aging process and the declining of the body in a series of graphic and frightening metaphors. Verse 2 speaks of the inability to distinguish light from night and as the bodily heat becomes lost to know what season the aging person is in. Verse 3 tells of the enfeebling of the arms and legs. The same verse tells of the decaying of the teeth and their falling out; and of failing eyesight. Verse 4 is describing the loss of interest in anything external to themselves and the failure to experience stimulation through music and other past delights. Verse 5 describes the anxiety that accompanies aging – everything is an insurmountable trouble. The aged person is resembling a crippled grasshopper dragging itself by its front legs. There is no longer pleasure in anything and the decrepit individual cannot wait for death to come. Verse 6 speaks of the instability of the spine; of the failure of the brain to function; and of the breakdown of the heart. Verse 7 speaks of the end – the body returns to the dust from which it came (Genesis 2:7; 3:17-19). And so, says Solomon, life as an end in itself is entirely meaningless. Verses 9-12 describe the Preacher's exertions to reach wise ways in which there will profit and as assurance of a future. Wise counsel will result in responding to the Almighty and walking in His ways. He will goad us and guide us in the paths of righteousness. God is the Great Shepherd whose Word is firm and His counsel unfailing. And so concludes the Assembler of wise sayings – Koheleth, or the Preacher – in verses 13-14 that the whole, complete, man is the one who reverences God and walks in the way of His commandments. Acts 11 commences with Peter being caused to justify why he baptised Gentiles. We next have a description of the progress of the truth in Antioch in the province of Syria, where believers were first derisively called ‘Christians'. One of these faithful believers is a prophet named Agabus. He prophesies of a great famine that would affect the entire Roman world. The disciples of Antioch start a fund to help Judean believers, who were greatly affected and in dire need. In Acts 12 Herod Antipas kills the Apostle James – the year was AD 44. Seeing how much this delighted the Jews Herod has Peter arrested for execution after Passover. Despite being securely chained between guards the angel of the Lord causes a deep sleep to overcome the guards and releases Peter. Peter proceeds to the house where the ecclesia is gathered to pray for his deliverance. A maid named Rhoda answers the door and runs to tell the disciples that Peter was outside. Rhoda is told that she must be mistaken. The disciples say that it must be Peter's “messenger” (Greek angelos- angel). Peter is admitted to the house and he recounts how he had been delivered. James, the half brother of Jesus. was informed and told Peter to secretly depart to a different location where he cannot be found. Herod kills the guards (verses 20-23). The chapter concludes with an account of Herod's narcissistic claims and his being smitten with dysentery by the angel of God and Herod dying verses 20-23. Nonetheless the Word of God exceedingly prevails.

As Jesus Christ grows in favor with God and men, John the Baptist ministers in the Judean wilderness; calling the nation of Israel to repentance. Nathan Pearl teaches through scripture about the life of Jesus Christ as he prepares to begin his ministry.

Welcome to Day 2618 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2618 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 63:1-11 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2618 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2618 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. In today's Wisdom Nugget, we continue our journey through the Psalms, ancient prayers, and songs that reveal deep insights about life, faith, and our relationship with God. Today, we arrive at Psalm 63—a passionate and vivid Psalm of longing, trust, and joyful praise. King David wrote this Psalm during a profoundly difficult period, hiding in the Judean wilderness, fleeing either King Saul or perhaps later from his own son, Absalom. Yet in these harsh conditions, David's heart reveals a passionate hunger—not merely for relief or rescue, but for something far greater: an intimate and personal encounter with the living God. So, let's embark on today's journey into Psalm 63:1-11 from the New Living Translation, opening our hearts and minds to discover the wisdom within these verses: Psalm 63:1-11 (NLT) 1 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 4 I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. 5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. 6 I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. 7 Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. 9 But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin. They will go down into the depths of the earth. 10 They will die by the sword and become the food of jackals. 11 But the king will rejoice in God. All who swear to tell the truth will praise him, while liars will be silenced. A Deep Spiritual Thirst (Verses 1-2) David opens Psalm 63 by vividly expressing his deepest spiritual longing: “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.” David begins with the deeply personal address: “O God, you are my God.” This isn't merely a theological acknowledgment; it's a passionate, personal declaration of relationship. In Hebrew culture, the phrase indicates covenant intimacy—a committed, deeply personal connection with God Himself. David's physical surroundings in the Judean wilderness—harsh, dry, barren—mirror his spiritual thirst. He compares his inner longing for God to physical thirst in a parched desert. Ancient Israelites understood thirst profoundly—water was scarce, precious, and life-giving. David feels the same intense craving for God's presence. Yet David also remembers vividly his past worship experiences. He recalls being in God's sanctuary, where he experienced God's powerful presence firsthand. These memories fuel...

The Pharaoh Necho has finally turned up at Megiddo (well, his guys have), which isn't so surprising since the Bible says he killed King Josiah there. But this raises questions like, do pots equal peoples? Why did so many Greeks become mercenaries? And why did Judean kings make so many bad decisions? With a shoutout to our late friend and mentor Doug Esse!

Experience the land, culture, and customs surrounding the Bible’s most compelling stories with geographer Dr. Jack Beck in all-new episodes of The Holy Land. Jack Beck (PhD) is the host of the fourth and final season of the 10-episode docu-series The Holy Land: Connecting the Land with Its Stories. Jack helps us understand the land and culture of the bible, so that our reading of the stories are transformed, and our faith is deepened! Jack shares how the green pastures of Psalm 23 weren’t green at all. The sheep were absolutely dependent on the shepherd to lead them to the hiding tufts of grass. Showing us just how dependent we are on the Good Shepherd! Jack shows why Jesus was compelled to go through Samaria to talk with the Samaritan woman at the well. He did it in that exact moment in time to fulfill a 2000 year old promise. What promise was that?? We see that Jesus went to Nain to raise a child from the dead to accomplish an identical miracle that happened in the same place over 1000 years before that. So that the people could begin to understand Jesus’ true identity. Finally Jack shows us that Jesus followed the same path as David when David’s life was threatened. For David he fled past Gethsemane into the safe Judean wilderness. Jesus could have taken that same path to safety. But he chose not to. Why? Also in this episode, Perry shares, “In my early journey with Jesus when I’d fail, I thought, ‘I’ll never change.’ But I don’t believe that anymore. Because I understand something powerful now that I didn’t then.” As Shawna read the story of Jesus’ resurrection it stood out to her that Mary was with Jesus in the garden, and she didn’t know it. And the disciples on the road to Emmaus walked with Jesus and they didn’t know it was him. It made her wonder, “Lord, are there times that you have been right here, and I didn’t know it?”Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshow/wgnbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to a bonus episode of The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. In today's episode, environment reporter Sue Surkes makes a guest appearance, stepping in for Berman. This is a week of spring holidays, and so we are dedicating the program to some of the biblical flora of the Land of Israel. In honor of Easter, which is celebrated by much of Christendom on Sunday, we begin with a date palm that was brought back from the dead and a plant that resurrects itself. In 2008, Dr. Elaine Solowey germinated a 1,900-year-old date palm seed that took the name Methuselah after the long-lived biblical character. She has since gone on to revive several more ancient seeds, including females that bear fruit. Surkes tells the story of Solowey's amazing success -- and describes how the dates taste. Next, we hear about the Rose of Jericho, which was named for the biblical city of Jericho that constantly rose from its ashes -- and still stands today. It's an extraordinary story of a plant surviving in the harshest of circumstances. We then turn to a tree that is called the Christ-thorn jujube (shezaf). Traditionally, this type of tree was used to create the thorny crown that Jesus wore on his last journey down the Via Dolorosa. Surkes then speaks about the olive tree -- both the last few remaining "wild" variety located near Atlit, and the cultivated variety. She turns to Psalm 128 to show how being acquainted with the flora of the Land of Israel gives a deeper meaning to the text. And finally, we speculate on the Garden of Eden's "forbidden fruit." Was it an apple? Or maybe a fig? Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch. IMAGE: Dates harvested from 'Hannah,' the first female palm tree germinated from 2,000 year-old seeds discovered in the Judean desert, are displayed in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel, on September 27, 2021. (Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The House of Ahab is destroyed in the North, but its negative influence persists in the Kingdom of Judah. Achaziah fails dramatically and is killed and almost the entire House of David is wiped out by Athaliah in a violent coup.

John 3:22-24 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison). John 3:25-26 Now a discussion arose […]

This week, leading up to Easter, we're looking at the most famous trial of all time: the trial of Jesus. It's a courtroom drama like no other, and its outcome changed everything.But what do we actually know about the trial and conviction of Jesus? Was it fair? Was it real?(00:00) - - Intro (05:33) - - Gospel anti-Semitism? (07:45) - - Judea and Galilee (12:54) - - Pontius Pilate (26:02) - - The Sanhedrin (33:30) - - Judean trials (36:37) - - Jesus in Jerusalem (49:13) - - Jesus' final night (51:16) - - The Jewish trial (54:46) - - The Roman trial (01:02:11) - - King of the Jews (01:10:03) - - Five-Minute Jesus (01:13:13) - - Are the trials historically plausible? (01:21:29) - - Why was Jesus crucified?

Jesus didn't enter Jerusalem to be worshipped—he entered to save his disciplesThis Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Was Palm Sunday truly a celebration—or a calculated act of nonviolent resistance? In this special Holy Week kickoff episode, Charlie and Brian explore the radical historical and theological implications of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Was it triumph or tragedy? A step toward divinity or a sacrifice to protect his followers? With deep dives into early Messianic expectations, first-century Judean politics, and a reflection on nonviolent protest, this episode invites you to see Holy Week through new eyes. Plus, a powerful prayer to Mary and an invitation to stand against empire—inspired by the Prince of Peace himself.Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.Thank you for Tips / Donations: * https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett * https://patreon.com/cedorsett * https://cash.app/$CreationsPaths* Substack: New to The Seraphic Grove learn more For Educational Resource: https://wisdomscry.com --- A Christopagan Manifesto--- Answer to the Call: A Dream of an Oak ChurchSocial Connections: * BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.com * Threads https://www.threads.net/@creationspaths * Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/#Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #ChristianWitch #Paganism #Esoteric #Magic #Druidry #Mysticism #Spirituality #Occult #WitchCraft #Wicca #IrishPaganism #CelticPaganism #Magick #Polytheism #Enchantment #PalmSunday #HolyWeek #ProgressiveChristianity Chapters:00:00 The Rabbi's Plan: Setting the Stage for Palm Sunday00:50 Introduction and Overview of Holy Week01:55 Understanding Palm Sunday: Misconceptions and Historical Context03:44 Jesus' Calculated Entry into Jerusalem08:19 The Power of Nonviolent Protest15:18 Reflections and Modern-Day Applications25:21 Engagement and Support26:33 Prayer to Mary and Closing Thoughts Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe

This month's learning is sponsored by Linda and Jay Marcus in honor of the recent birth of their granddaughter; and the anniversaries and birthdays of their children and grandchildren during Nissan. "בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל. May we merit to see the גאולה שלמה במהרה בימינו." Today's daf is sponsored by Lisa Kolodny in honor of Nancy Kolodny's birthday! "So happy you are spending more time in Israel this year, spreading your light, your wisdom and your love to all those around you."  There is a debate about whether Menashe received a portion in the World-to-Come. Rabbi Yochanan brings three drashot in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, each relating to different kings of the Judean kingdom, highlighting how far God goes to allow repentance. He also brought another drasha relating to the disgrace of the Sanhedrin at the time of the Babylonian exile. Rav Chisda says in the name of Rabbi Yirmia bar Abba three statements - one relating to the bad actions of some of the Judean kings, one relating to types of people who are not worthy of receiving the Divine Presence, and one explaining the verses in Tehillim 91:11-13 about evil not coming upon a person. Why is the letter ayin in 'reshaim' suspended above the other letters in the verse in Iyov 38:15? A braita explains that Menashe, Achav, and Yeravam all learned Torah, highlighting that their sins were worse, as they clearly understood the Torah and sinned nevertheless, with full intent. Other braitot suggest that other kings lost their portion in the World-to-Come. Descriptions are brought about some of the bad kings and how their action led to the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.

This month's learning is sponsored by Linda and Jay Marcus in honor of the recent birth of their granddaughter; and the anniversaries and birthdays of their children and grandchildren during Nissan. "בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל. May we merit to see the גאולה שלמה במהרה בימינו." Today's daf is sponsored by Lisa Kolodny in honor of Nancy Kolodny's birthday! "So happy you are spending more time in Israel this year, spreading your light, your wisdom and your love to all those around you."  There is a debate about whether Menashe received a portion in the World-to-Come. Rabbi Yochanan brings three drashot in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, each relating to different kings of the Judean kingdom, highlighting how far God goes to allow repentance. He also brought another drasha relating to the disgrace of the Sanhedrin at the time of the Babylonian exile. Rav Chisda says in the name of Rabbi Yirmia bar Abba three statements - one relating to the bad actions of some of the Judean kings, one relating to types of people who are not worthy of receiving the Divine Presence, and one explaining the verses in Tehillim 91:11-13 about evil not coming upon a person. Why is the letter ayin in 'reshaim' suspended above the other letters in the verse in Iyov 38:15? A braita explains that Menashe, Achav, and Yeravam all learned Torah, highlighting that their sins were worse, as they clearly understood the Torah and sinned nevertheless, with full intent. Other braitot suggest that other kings lost their portion in the World-to-Come. Descriptions are brought about some of the bad kings and how their action led to the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.

Sunday Bible StudyThe Romans Impact on Christianity Class 4: The Road to the Spread of ChristianityDan CrabtreeOriginal Air Date: 2025.02.23Take a journey and discover what the Romans impact was on Christianity. Dan Crabtree's Bible Study is in four different classes:The Players: Who are the players? Where did they come from? What interaction did they have? There are quite a few players with associated history.The Road to the Cross: How did Rome come to dominate the Judean region and who were their minions? This will talk about the Jewish civil wars during the Hasmonean period and the intervention of the Romans. Then discuss how bitter enemies from the civil wars got together to crucify Christ.The Road to the Temple Destruction: Was the Roman Empire completely responsible for the destruction? Lead up to the destruction of the temple in AD70 and what did the Romans have to do with it? How does one destroy a limestone building with fire? How did the Romans overcome the Jews? The problem with Zealots. What did Josephus have to do with it? And the final conquest of the Jews.The Road to the Spread of Christianity: What part did Rome play in its own transformation from paganism to Christianity? How did a small Jewish sect of about a thousand people, called Christians, explode onto the scene? How did the Romans help them – inadvertently – to accomplish this exponential growth?Service Times are Saturday Evening at 5:30pm and Sunday Morning at 10:30 am. We also offer two Adult Sunday School options at 9:00am.Promiseland Kids Church is available Sunday at 10:30am for Toddler – 5th grade and Youth Sunday School for Jr. and Sr. High.If you have missed a message or are viewing from home, you can catch weekend services on our Facebook page and YouTube by going to www.crossroads-ridgecrest.org, or through the church app. We also have podcasts available by looking up Crossroads Community Church - available on several podcast apps.For questions or information, please contact us at: (760)384-3333 Tuesday – Thursday 10am – 4pm, text (760)301-4840 or email ccc@ccc-rc.org

If you ask any Christian about the life of Jesus, you're likely to get a version of one of the gospels of the New Testament - 90% of the story would concern the final few years of Jesus' life, with a brief mention of his birth in Bethlehem to a virgin and the subsequent flight to Egypt. Historians don't often talk about what Jesus' childhood and adolescence may have looked like, but my guest today is a welcome exception to that rule! Dr. Joan Taylor joins me to talk about her new book, “Boy Jesus: Growing Up Judean in Turbulent Times”.

Sunday Bible StudyThe Romans Impact on Christianity Class 3B: Road to the Temple DestructionDan CrabtreeOriginal Air Date: 2025.02.16Take a journey and discover what the Romans impact was on Christianity. Dan Crabtree's Bible Study is in four different classes:The Players: Who are the players? Where did they come from? What interaction did they have? There are quite a few players with associated history.The Road to the Cross: How did Rome come to dominate the Judean region and who were their minions? This will talk about the Jewish civil wars during the Hasmonean period and the intervention of the Romans. Then discuss how bitter enemies from the civil wars got together to crucify Christ.The Road to the Temple Destruction: Was the Roman Empire completely responsible for the destruction? Lead up to the destruction of the temple in AD70 and what did the Romans have to do with it? How does one destroy a limestone building with fire? How did the Romans overcome the Jews? The problem with Zealots. What did Josephus have to do with it? And the final conquest of the Jews.The Road to the Spread of Christianity: What part did Rome play in its own transformation from paganism to Christianity? How did a small Jewish sect of about a thousand people, called Christians, explode onto the scene? How did the Romans help them – inadvertently – to accomplish this exponential growth?Service Times are Saturday Evening at 5:30pm and Sunday Morning at 10:30 am. We also offer two Adult Sunday School options at 9:00am.Promiseland Kids Church is available Sunday at 10:30am for Toddler – 5th grade and Youth Sunday School for Jr. and Sr. High.If you have missed a message or are viewing from home, you can catch weekend services on our Facebook page and YouTube by going to www.crossroads-ridgecrest.org, or through the church app. We also have podcasts available by looking up Crossroads Community Church - available on several podcast apps.For questions or information, please contact us at: (760)384-3333 Wednesday – Friday 10am – 4pm, text (760)301-4840 or email ccc@ccc-rc.org

In this episode of Bible Talk, the author serves up a sandwich made up of bad Israelite meat and good Judean bread.Bible Talk is brought to you by 9Marks and Southern Seminary. To learn more about Southern Seminary, visit https://www.sbts.edu

Eve Harow took a break from the news and spent a few hours digging at one her favorite sites, Herodian. She interviewed archaeologist Amichai Lifshitz to get some context and just enjoyed a beautiful Judean day. It's about the moments.

Ruth Patir had been, in her own words, an “artist without art” over the past year. Until this week. Patir’s inventive feminist video installation "(M)otherland" was set to debut in the Israel Pavilion at the Venice Biennale last April - under the shadow of protests against the Gaza War and efforts to oust her from the festival. Ultimately, she made a controversial decision to keep the exhibit intact but shuttered behind closed doors, with a note on the door saying: “The artist and curators of the Israeli pavilion will open the exhibition when a cease-fire and hostage release agreement is reached.” That never happened throughout the seven months of the Biennale, and, as a result, her work was never seen. As (M)otherland finally meets the public at the Tel Aviv Museum this week, Patir joined Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer to talk about the firestorm in Venice, the challenges for Israeli artists creating during war, and innovative use of motion capture technology and Judean fertility figurines to tell a deeply personal story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sunday Bible StudyThe Romans Impact on Christianity Class 2: Road to the CrossDan CrabtreeOriginal Air Date: 2025.02.09Take a journey and discover what the Romans impact was on Christianity. Dan Crabtree's Bible Study is in four different classes:The Players: Who are the players? Where did they come from? What interaction did they have? There are quite a few players with associated history.The Road to the Cross: How did Rome come to dominate the Judean region and who were their minions? This will talk about the Jewish civil wars during the Hasmonean period and the intervention of the Romans. Then discuss how bitter enemies from the civil wars got together to crucify Christ.The Road to the Temple Destruction: Was the Roman Empire completely responsible for the destruction? Lead up to the destruction of the temple in AD70 and what did the Romans have to do with it? How does one destroy a limestone building with fire? How did the Romans overcome the Jews? The problem with Zealots. What did Josephus have to do with it? And the final conquest of the Jews.The Road to the Spread of Christianity: What part did Rome play in its own transformation from paganism to Christianity? How did a small Jewish sect of about a thousand people, called Christians, explode onto the scene? How did the Romans help them – inadvertently – to accomplish this exponential growth?Service Times are Saturday Evening at 5:30pm and Sunday Morning at 10:30 am. We also offer two Adult Sunday School options at 9:00am.Promiseland Kids Church is available Sunday at 10:30am for Toddler – 5th grade and Youth Sunday School for Jr. and Sr. High.If you have missed a message or are viewing from home, you can catch weekend services on our Facebook page and YouTube by going to www.crossroads-ridgecrest.org, or through the church app. We also have podcasts available by looking up Crossroads Community Church - available on several podcast apps.For questions or information, please contact us at: (760)384-3333 Wednesday – Friday 10am – 4pm, text (760)301-4840 or email ccc@ccc-rc.org

Sunday Bible StudyThe Romans Impact on Christianity Class 1: The PlayersDan CrabtreeOriginal Air Date: 2025.02.02Take a journey and discover what the Romans impact was on Christianity. Dan Crabtree's Bible Study is in four different classes:The Players: Who are the players? Where did they come from? What interaction did they have? There are quite a few players with associated history.The Road to the Cross: How did Rome come to dominate the Judean region and who were their minions? This will talk about the Jewish civil wars during the Hasmonean period and the intervention of the Romans. Then discuss how bitter enemies from the civil wars got together to crucify Christ.The Road to the Temple Destruction: Was the Roman Empire completely responsible for the destruction? Lead up to the destruction of the temple in AD70 and what did the Romans have to do with it? How does one destroy a limestone building with fire? How did the Romans overcome the Jews? The problem with Zealots. What did Josephus have to do with it? And the final conquest of the Jews.The Road to the Spread of Christianity: What part did Rome play in its own transformation from paganism to Christianity? How did a small Jewish sect of about a thousand people, called Christians, explode onto the scene? How did the Romans help them – inadvertently – to accomplish this exponential growth?Service Times are Saturday Evening at 5:30pm and Sunday Morning at 10:30 am. We also offer two Adult Sunday School options at 9:00am.Promiseland Kids Church is available Sunday at 10:30am for Toddler – 5th grade and Youth Sunday School for Jr. and Sr. High.If you have missed a message or are viewing from home, you can catch weekend services on our Facebook page and YouTube by going to www.crossroads-ridgecrest.org, or through the church app. We also have podcasts available by looking up Crossroads Community Church - available on several podcast apps.For questions or information, please contact us at: (760)384-3333 Wednesday – Friday 10am – 4pm, text (760)301-4840 or email ccc@ccc-rc.org

John 3:22-36,After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. Okay, to get started here, I need you to use your imagination for a minute. Imagine that you're in a helicopter and you're flying over Jerusalem — say the helicopter is an eyewitness news station that you're a part of — and so you're flying over Jerusalem to see what's going on — also it's the year 28 (so there's some time travel involved here, but you're using your imagination). Well, you're flying over Jerusalem, over the outskirts, in an area known as the Judean countryside, and you look down and you see a little pocket of people — there's a leader and some followers — and more people are coming to them and they're dunking them in the water.Then you fly up a little more north of Jerusalem, in the countryside and you notice another little pocket of people — there's a leader and some followers — and they're also dunking people in the water.You realize you've seen, basically, two identical pockets of people: two different groups led by two different men in two different areas outside of Jerusalem but they're doing the same thing — that's the setting of our passage today. That's how John, the writer of this Gospel, sets this story up. But now imagine that you jump out of the helicopter (with a parachute) and you come down to one of these pockets of people — and it's the group led by John the Baptist — and you overhear a dialogue.There had been a discussion between a Jewish man and the disciples of John the Baptist about purification — that's all we're told in verse 25 — but apparently that discussion sparked some confusion for the disciples of John the Baptist and so they came to John the Baptist to talk with him in verse 26 and here is where the real action starts. And there are three main things going on here that John, the writer of this Gospel, wants us to see. And I think that if we can track with these three things then we will understand this passage. So three things, really simple:Questions ContinueMission CompleteJesus ClearWe're gonna look closer at each of these three things and we're gonna find in each one there's something for us to take away. There's some practical connections that we need to make. So I'll pray again and we'll get started. Father, you are good and you do good things. Even in the midst of our hard things, we know that you're at work and you do not make mistakes. We ask that you give us now everything we need, to hear from you and to trust you, in Jesus's name, amen. 1. Questions ContinueNow there's not a question mark in verse 26, but these disciples of John the Baptist are bringing a question. Look at verse 26,And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”So these guys had found out about that other pocket of people outside of Jerusalem which was led by Jesus, and they found out that they were doing the exact same thing that John the Baptist and his pocket of people were doing — and these guys were confused by that. Now some have read this and assumed that the disciples of John the Baptist are jealous here; that interpretation assumes they don't like the fact that more people are now going to Jesus than to John. And that could be true, but I don't think that's what's going on. Notice that these guys recognize in verse 26 that Jesus is the one John the Baptist bore witness to back in Chapter 1. They're saying: Hey, that guy that you were telling us about — the one that you said some pretty amazing things about — he's over there doing what we're doing. See, the implied question is: If the one you said you were here to point to is now doing what you're doing, why are you still doing it? (This is the question at least that John the writer wants us to wonder as we read this story.)Don't get too distracted by the details of verse 26 because it's really just there to set up what John the Baptist is about to say in verses 27–30, and the main thing we should see here is that the reality of Jesus raises questions. We've already seen this in the Gospel of John. Everywhere Jesus goes, there's more questions. In Chapter 1: Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?At the wedding, Chapter 2: Why have we kept the good wine for the end? At the temple: Who do you think you are to bring this mayhem?Then, Nicodemus: Can a grown man enter into his mother's womb a second time and be born?We've already seen Jesus raise questions, and here questions continue (and they're gonna keep coming), but at this point, let's drill down into what the question is. Basically, these guys are asking: since Jesus is now here, what do we do?You get that? They're asking: How do we make sense of what we're doing in light of the reality of Jesus?To Ask EverydayAnd I want you to know that question has never stopped being asked — in fact, that's a question we should ask ourselves today. How does Jesus being Jesus change the way I live?And first, we might think broadly about the whole course of our lives and all of our big decisions. If it were not for Jesus, things would look very differently for most of us (I know that's true for me!) — but let's not settle with that broad kind of thinking. Take another step. For example, you might first think … “Because of Jesus I'm a mother.” Okay, yes, but it's more than that. Because of Jesus you want to be a certain kind of mother. What kind? How does Jesus being Jesus make you a certain kind of mother?Another example: “Because of Jesus, I give” — and that's great, but take another step. How does Jesus being Jesus impact the ways you give, and how much you give, and to where?One more example: You might think: “Because of Jesus, there are certain things I don't do” — and that's good, but how does Jesus being Jesus change the way you use your time? What do you give your energy to? How do you think about your purpose?See, the fact is: Jesus has come! Jesus is real. It's like he's right over there. So what do we do now? Today? Tomorrow? The next day? Since Jesus is Jesus, how should we live?The questions continue. And that's the question for us. The second thing to track in this passage is …2. Mission CompleteThis is in verses 27–30 where John the Baptist answers his followers, and what he does here is he gives the concluding explanation of his ministry. Like in Chapter 1, he says again, one more time, what he's all about. He starts with verse 27:“A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” Now that's a true statement all across the board. Every gift we have is ultimately from God. But John is saying this here about what God has called him to do. He's had one job this whole time — to point people to Jesus. That's the job God gave John the Baptist to do, and he says he's done it.He says to his followers, Hey, you guys can vouch for me. You've heard me say, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.You're telling me that all are going to him — and they should be! This is the point. Jesus is the bridegroom; I'm just the friend of the groom, verse 29.And just like that, John the Baptist uses a wedding metaphor. And this is important. When he mentions the “friend of the groom” here he's talking about the best man. That's the idea. That's how John the Baptist understood himself. He is Jesus's best man.Have any of y'all ever been to a wedding when after the ceremony, at the reception or wherever, there's a big receiving line?Well, have y'all ever seen it that when people are lining up to meet the bride and groom, the best man is over in the corner of the room, and he's trying to get people to form a line to see him? Ever seen that before? Have you ever heard of a best man who is confused that people wanna see the groom?Of course not! This is a perfect image, John!For those of you who have a wedding this summer — a lot of you, actually — understand this: the best man has one job. (Now I know today he does a couple of things — there's the ring and the speech and all that — but traditionally, the best man had one job). He was to make sure the groom gets to the wedding. That's it. That's what he's for. And when the groom gets there, the best man is done. “This joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”See, this is the fadeout moment for John the Baptist. And his whole ministry has been looking forward to this. He's known the whole time it's not about him. His one job has been to prepare the way for Jesus — to clear the way for us to see Jesus — and John the Baptist says here, “I've done it. Mission complete.”And I'm so happy for him! I love that he experienced this! I love that he says mission complete, but it makes me wonder: Do you think we'll ever say that?Our Mission NowJohn the Baptist was able to begin his ministry with the end in mind, and here he's reached the finish line. He did it. But when it comes to our mission, is it possible for us to experience that in this life?At one level, no. When we think of the mission Jesus has given us — “make disciples of all nations” — one day that mission will be complete, but not here. Technically, mission complete for us comes in the New Jerusalem, in heaven.So then what does that mean for now? Like for now, are we just spinning our wheels trying to climb a mountain we'll never reach?If that's how we think about our mission, that's pretty depressing and non-compelling.So think about it like this: although we may not see the full mission complete in our lifetime, the things we do today on mission have an eternal impact. Our actions have eternal consequences. They matter.As a local church, last year we focused in on our mission — we exist to make joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life.This means that we don't just want ourselves to be happier in God, but we want more people in the Twin Cities to be happy in God! That's over 3.7 million people! That's gonna take some time and look, we probably won't get there in the next 50 years. And that's okay. It's not our responsibility to do it all, but we are responsible for a part.Our cities are full of lost people who must be found, and hopeless people who must find hope, and drowning people who must be saved — and we have a life boat. And we can and should make a difference. One day, in heaven, it will be mission complete for us like it is for John the Baptist here … but that mission complete does come in part through what we do now. Questions continue …Mission complete …3. Jesus ClearThis is verses 31–36, and it's where John, the writer of this Gospel, speaks up with his own commentary. Now that John the Baptist has officially faded out, John the writer wants us to focus in all the more on Jesus. Like he did in Chapter 1, John here tells us who Jesus is. He tells us seven truths about Jesus:Jesus is above all (v. 31)Jesus has seen and heard from God the Father (v. 32)Jesus utters the words of God the Father (v. 34a)Jesus has been given the Spirit without measure by God the Father (v. 34b)Jesus is loved by God the Father (v. 35a)Jesus has been given all things by God the Father (v. 35b)Jesus, therefore, elicits a consequential response (vv. 33, 36)You can track each one of these in order, but I'm just gonna highlight one here in closing (one and a half). It's in verse 34, and I want you to see this — I also wanna make sure you're still with me. So everybody, if you can, find verse 34. Verse 34,“For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.”Now, when John is telling us about Jesus here, he's doing it in contrast to John the Baptist. Remember John the Baptist was an Old Testament prophet, and John wants us to know that Jesus was much greater than just a prophet — he comes from above, and he's not just told what to say, but he's actually seen and heard directly from God the Father because he's been with the Father forever. So what Jesus says, the Father says, “for” or “because” the Father gives Jesus the Spirit without measure. That's also meant to be a contrast with John the Baptist, or really with any prophet. It was commonly understood in the Jewish worldview that as God spoke through the prophets, God gave a measure of his Spirit to each prophet for their assigned task. Every prophet received the measure of the Spirit that was required for their assignment.Well John is saying that it's different with Jesus. He's more than a prophet. He doesn't just receive a bit of the Spirit for a one-off job, but he's been given the Spirit without limit. His job never ends. Jesus is constantly, always, revealing God to us. He's always making God known. He's always the way back to a relationship with God. And the Spirit is always with Jesus doing that work. The Spirit was doing that work when Jesus was here on this earth, and the Spirit is still doing that work today, as the message of Jesus continues to be told. One way to say it is that anywhere Jesus is made clear, the Spirit is at work. Closer Than a Copter ViewAnd that elicits a consequential response. This is verse 36. And it's really simple: Whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life; whoever does not obey him — does not believe him — the wrath of God remains on him.That's verse 36, which means we all have to make a choice about Jesus. Whenever we hear about Jesus we come to a fork in the road: will we believe him or not?Those are the only two options for us when we encounter Jesus. And this book has been written so that we encounter him. See, a lot of times in life, we can try to stay with only that helicopter view of Jesus. We kinda see him from afar, we know about him, but we don't wanna get too close to him. We don't wanna have to make a choice about him. But the Gospel of John doesn't let us do that. This book gives us closer than a helicopter view. This book brings Jesus right here in front us. John is all about making Jesus clear to us — and we should choose him. Believe him. Trust him. Questions continue.Mission complete.Jesus clear.That's what's going on in this passage, and that's what brings us to the Lord's Table.The TableWe come to this Table each week, first, because Jesus told us to — he told us to come to this table and remember his death for us. The bread represents the body of Jesus, and the cup represents his blood, and as we eat and drink this bread and cup we are saying together that Jesus is our hope. That's why this is a meal for Christians.If you're here this morning and you're not yet a Christian or if you're not sure, I'm so glad you're here and I invite you, Put your faith in Jesus! Believe him! — and I'd love to talk with you more about that. I'll hang out down here after the service as usual. Come talk to me.So for those who believe, if you trust in Jesus Christ, let's eat and drink together and give him thanks.

A Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent St. Matthew 4:1-11 by William Klock Our Gospel today from Matthew picks up right after Jesus' baptism by John.  Matthew tells us: Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tested by the devil.   Picture the desert.  It was hot and dry and dusty as Jesus made his way from that fertile strip of land along the Jordan up into the Judean wilderness, into the place that the Old Testament calls Yeshiymon.  It means “devastation”.  It's a land of sand and broken limestone and shingle.  Ridges of stratified rock twist here and turn there and everything in between them is filled with dust, jagged rocks, and broken stone shingles that can easily slide out from under foot.  Into that hot and desolate wilderness Jesus walked at the Spirit's prompting.  I expect that when he first set out he found beauty in the desert.  I know from experience: There's a lot of beauty in the desert when you first start out.  Look at that formation over there.  Look at those colours.  Look at the amazing sunset.  And then the clear night sky and the stars.  But eventually the heat gets to you.  Last summer Veronica and I rode the KVR from Penticton to Oliver and back.  On the way out we were admiring the lake and the wildflowers and the wonderful smells all around.  But it was over 100° that day and even after a stop for ice cream, the ride back to Penticton became a real slog.  We just wanted to get back and out of the heat.  We've had similar days on foot hiking down in the Anza-Borrego Desert.  Everything's a wonder on the way out, but by the time you're on the way back, it's hot and your sweaty and your exhausted.  Your feet hurt from walking over rocks, and you're tired and hungry and you just want to get back to the car.  I expect Jesus felt something like that the further he walked into that wilderness of devastation.  But as he put one foot in front of another, as he wiped the sweat from his face, he thought about his forefathers and their wilderness trek from the Red Sea to the promised land.   The Lord, the God of Israel, was about to do something very much like that again.  A new exodus.  And Jesus was at the centre of it.  Why did Jesus do this?  Why did he put himself in such a harsh and difficult space.  Why did he starve himself?  He did it to put himself in the place of his people who so badly needed and who so longed for deliverance.  Even if no one saw him in the wilderness, he was acting out a prophecy, repeating the life and story of his people and putting himself in their place. Eventually Jesus found a spot in the middle of that wasteland, maybe with a little spring of water in the shade of one of those twisting ridges, maybe with a few bushes or even a palm tree for a bit of shade.  He arranged some rocks and scrub to make a (somewhat) comfortable place to sit or lie or to kneel in prayer.  And he communed with God, meditated on the scriptures, pondered the nature of his ministry which was just beginning, and prayed for wisdom to follow the path his Father had set before him.  And, I expect most of all, he prayed for the strength and grace to follow that path to its end.  He was preparing to take the role of Israel up himself, to be and to embody the people of God.  Where they had failed to be what the Lord had called them to be, Jesus would be faithful.  For years he had meditated on his own miraculous birth, he'd heard how people like Simeon and Anna, even is own mother, had seen in him the fulfilment of the Lord's promises.  He meditated on the Scriptures and there he found his messianic calling and worked out what he was to do and even how it would end—and how that end would really be the beginning.  And if there was any doubt in his mind, it was driven away in his baptism.  Even though he had no need of repentance, he identified himself with his people as he waded into the Jordan to be baptised by John, and when he came up out of the river heaven had opened, the Spirit had descended upon him, and the Lord had spoken, “You are my beloved Son.”  That confirmed everything.  “My beloved son”: that was Israel's title, given by the Lord in the exodus.  It's what he'd called his people when he demanded that Pharoah let them go.  It's what he called them later after they'd crossed the Red Sea and arrived at Mount Sinai.  Israel was the Lord's beloved son.  So, now, like Moses, Jesus seeks the solitude of the wilderness for forty days and nights, waiting for the Lord to speak again to his son.  But instead, the devil comes to him.  I doubt Jesus was surprised by this.  After all, if Israel was tempted in the wilderness, he had to be tempted in the wilderness too.  Matthew writes: He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and at the end of it he was famished.  Then the tempter approached him.  “If you really are God's son,” he said, “command these stones to become bread.” (St. Matthew 4:2-3) Again, Jesus is prophetically reenacting the story of his people, so this is what we should expect would happen.  They were tempted in the wilderness and so is he.  The devil leverages his hunger.  “The Lord has declared you to be his Son.  If you believe that's who you really are, satisfy yourself and turn these stones into bread.”  No doubt, Jesus had spent much of those forty days and nights contemplating what it meant to be the Son of God—and probably also pondering why the Spirit wanted the Son of God to be so hungry.  But Jesus was obedient.  To embody his people and to follow in their footsteps, being faithful at every step where they had failed, that was the Lord's plan for him.  That was how he would redeem his people. The devil's temptation here is subtle.  He doesn't tempt Jesus to disobey the Spirit overtly by leaving the desert.  He tempts Jesus to turn the rocks into bread—in other words, he tempts him to remake the wilderness itself.  There was that one rock—over there—that looked just like a loaf of bread.  Jesus had been eyeing it for days in his hunger.  Just turn it into real bread.  But Jesus knew that the Spirit had brought him to the wilderness for a reason and to undermine that, however it was done, was to be unfaithful, to be disobedient.  It was to reject his Father's plan.  So he rebukes the devil with the words of Deuteronomy 8:3. Jesus answered, “It is written,  “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,          but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Jesus reminds the devil of the sermon that Moses preached to the Israelites as they were preparing to march into Canaan.  Moses said: Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.  Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors.  He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3) There was a reason why the Lord allowed the Israelites to be hungry: it demonstrated their faith in his provision.  Were they willing to trust him even when it meant hardship?  The Lord taught them that there's more to life than bread.  What good is living today if you miss out on the life of the age to come?  Remember that the Israelites had failed that test, grumbling against Moses and wanting to go back to the fleshpots of Egypt.  But now, where Israel failed, Jesus passes the test.  He trusts his Father to provide where he has led and shows that he knows that obedience to God's call is more important than physical comforts and even life itself.  If he can't endure fasting, how will he endure the cross?  And Brothers and Sisters, if we can't endure fasting, how can we expect to live sacrificially as Jesus calls us to live, giving up everything that is not him in faith as we look forward ourselves to the age to come?   Back to Matthew: The devil tries a second time, taking a different tack.  Verses 5-6: Then the devil took him to the holy city and stood him on the pinnacle of the temple.  “If you really are the God's son,” he said, “throw yourself down.  It is written,  “‘He will command his angels concerning you,' and  “‘On their hands they will bear you up,          lest you strike your foot against a stone.'” (Matthew 4:5-6) Now the devil tempts him to jump from the highest point in Jerusalem, to force God's hand.  Angels would deliver him and all of Israel would recognise him as Messiah.  What a temptation this must have been.  During those forty days of fasting and prayer, Jesus contemplated that rejection was going to be a significant factor in his ministry.  A few would follow, but Jesus would largely be rejected by Israel—and eventually that rejection would culminate in his death.  But what if he could prove to all of Israel that he really was the Messiah?  What if he could side-step the rejection and go straight to the throne?  This was his chance.  But Jesus knew that this was not his Father's plan.  If he became King that way, he'd be no better than David.  There would be no means of redemption for his people.  There would be no Spirit poured out on them to renew their hearts.  He would be King, but the Lord's promises to Abraham, to Moses, to the Prophets would go unfulfilled.  Without the cross, Jesus might put Israel's earthly enemies under his feet, but they would still be slaves to sin and death.  And without the cross, the nations would know that Israel had a king who worked miracles, but that would never be enough to draw the gentiles to Israel's God in awe.  No, the gentiles and their nations were to be drawn to the God of Israel as they saw his faithfulness manifest in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The devil throws two bits of Psalm 91 at Jesus.  It's a psalm about the Lord's protection.  It sounds good, but it's not the whole psalm.  Other parts of the psalm qualify God's provision for his people.  The first two verses read: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” The shelter of the Most High is a wonderful place to find yourself, but to live under his protection requires that we first abide in his shadow.  He is our “refuge and fortress”, but we put ourselves in his care as we trust in him.  In verse 14 the Lord says, Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. The devil loves to plucked portions of Scripture out of context in order to twist their meaning, reminding us of God's promises of blessing and care, while neglecting to remind us of the need for faith, for holiness, and for obedience.  God's people show their love for him through obedience.  Jesus later said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).  The same goes for Jesus' relationship with his Father.  The Lord's blessings would come only as Jesus walked in faithful obedience. So Jesus rebukes the devil with the words of Deuteronomy 6:16. Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'”   Where Israel had failed, Jesus is again obedient.  Israel had tested the Lord.  Jesus, instead, expresses his trust in the Lord's plan, knowing that only through his rejection would the Lord's promises be fulfilled. Now, the devil makes one last attempt at dragging Jesus away from the path to the cross.  Look at verses 8 and 9: The devil took him off again to a very high mountain.  There he showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to him, “I will give the whole lot to you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Israel, too, was tempted to idolatry in the wilderness and failed—and failed and failed and failed throughout her history.  Jesus is tempted just as his people were.  “All the kingdoms of the world will be yours,” the devil says, “just submit to me.”  Jesus and the devil both knew that if the Lord's promises through the prophets were true, Jesus' lordship would extend beyond Israel to all of Creation.  Gabriel had announced to Mary: “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33).  When the Father had spoken at Jesus' baptism, he had spoken words from Psalm 2 where we also read of the great King: Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possessions.  (Psalm 2:8) The devil again offers Jesus a shortcut to his throne—a shortcut that would bypass the heart of his messianic ministry.  Again, Jesus knew that what would bring the nations to his throne was the redemption of Israel through his death and resurrection and the display of the Spirit's power in the hearts of his people.  In these events the nations would see the greatness and the faithfulness of the God of Israel and they would be drawn to give him glory and to submit themselves in faith to the Lord Jesus.  That was to be God's means of welcoming the gentiles into his presence and into his kingdom.  And yet, if Jesus followed the devil's shortcut, there would be no kingdom—at least not the sort of eternal kingdom in which all was set to rights, in which God himself was king, the sort of kingdom that Israel had always looked forward to as the “age to come”. No, the Lord had charged his people in the wilderness, saying: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might…. It is the Lord your God you shall fear.  Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.  You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you—for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God. (Deuteronomy 4-5, 13-15a) Israel had failed.  Even in the wilderness, while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments, Aaron had led the people as they made and worshiped a golden calf.  Most of Israel's history was marked by the worship of foreign gods.  But Jesus responds to the devil's temptation with the command God had given through Moses: “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,  “‘Worship the Lord your God          and serve him alone.'” (Matthew 4:10) Where Israel failed, Jesus is faithful.  He chooses the hard path of obedience that will bring not only kingship, but also redemption.  Jesus was destined not only to be King of the Jews, but Lord of all Creation and conqueror of sin and death.  For that to happen, evil had to be concentrated all in one place, to rise up to its full height, to do its worst to Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah—so that God could raise him from death, overturn the false verdict the people had announced, and vindicate his Son.  Jesus knew that to restore the life of God to his people, the way to inaugurate the age to come in which all would be set to rights, he must first let evil do its worst—he had to walk the path of rejection, suffering, and death.  By his faithfulness, Jesus redeemed those in Israel who were faithful to him.  By his faithfulness, Jesus created a new people of God in whom God poured out his Spirit.  By his faithfulness, Jesus was declared Lord with power and authority.  And because of his faithfulness, the nations have seen the faithfulness of Israel's God and now give him glory as they—as we—submit ourselves to him in faith. And now we, you and I, walk—or, at least, we should be walking, in faithfulness to the glory of God.  As Lent puts before us the suffering of Jesus and reminds us that God's life for us came through his submission to death, it reminds us that we, too, must die to self and walk the narrow path, the way that leads to suffering and rejection, in order to know the life of God and the age to come.  We take our first steps down that narrow path as we repent and turn aside from everything that is not Jesus, as stop grasping everything that is not Jesus, and then take hold of him with both hands in faith, trusting in him for the forgiveness of sins, for the life of the Spirit, and for the hope of God's world set to rights.  Lent calls us to set aside our distractions and our idols so that we might fix our gaze on Jesus, taking up our crosses and following him. St. Paul warned the Corinthians in our Epistle “not to receive the grace of God in vain”.  What a splash of cold water that must have been.  They thought they were doing so well, but Paul rebukes them for tolerating sins that horrified even the pagans; for abusing spiritual gifts, using them selfishly rather than to edify the church; for allowing the values of pagan culture to twist their understanding of the gospel; for abusing the Lord's Supper—the list is long and troubling.  Brothers and Sisters, fast and pray these next forty days that the gospel might permeate ever deeper into our hearts and minds, and let us submit ourselves to the renewing and regenerating work of the Spirit.  Let us not receive the gospel in vain.  Instead, may we each day die to self that we might emerge the other side of death into the life of God and know his glory. Let's pray: Lord Jesus Christ, for our sake you fasted forty days and forty nights: give us grace so to discipline ourselves that our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may always obey your will in righteousness and true holiness, to the honour and glory of your name; for you live and reign with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Welcome to Bible Fiber, where are we encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern. This week we are studying Ezekiel 35 and 36. In the previous chapter, Yahweh restated his loyalty to the covenant people as a nation. In Chapters 35 and 36, he reasserts his commitment to the land of Israel. Mount Seir                  God instructs the prophet to direct his prophecy against Mount Seir (35:1-3). As the capital of Edom, Mount Seir represents the descendants of Esau, Israel's perpetual foe. This oracle seems out of place, as God has already declared punishment for Edom in the Oracles Against the Nations (25:12-14). Why is Ezekiel reiterating God's disapproval of Edom when this could have been tacked on to Chapter 25's mini-oracle? The answer lies in the literary structure of the entire book. In the judgment portion of Ezekiel's message, God instructed him to prophesy against the mountains of Israel (6:1-3). The mountains, hills, valleys, and ravines would all experience God's wrath for hosting idol-worshiping Israelites with their pagan shrines and altars. In Ezekiel's salvation portion, however, he reverses the curse on Israel's mountains by shifting the punishment to Mount Seir.Certainly, the exiled audience heard reports of the Edomites encroaching on their abandoned properties and capitalizing on Jerusalem's misfortune. They plundered the city, captured Judean refugees, and handed them over to the Babylonians. While Israel suffered in exile, Edom seemed to thrive. The Edomites aimed to annex the land of both Israel and Judah, which Ezekiel refers to as the “two nations” and “two countries” (35:10). The Abrahamic land promise had been denied to their patriarch, Esau, in favor of Jacob, fueling their resentment. Israel's exile led the Edomites to believe they could finally reclaim the birthright they felt was unjustly taken from them. God condemned their lack of compassion for Israel during its most tragic moments, declaring he would destroy Edom because they “cherished an ancient enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword” (35:5). Their actions during the Babylonian assault displayed a sense of betrayal due to their kinship with Israel.The Edomites' actions during Jerusalem's conquest particularly incited divine disapproval as they celebrated the city's downfall and sought to exploit it for their gain (Psalm 137:7). Before Israel returned to the land, God promised judgment against Edom. The Edomites believed the land of Israel would become theirs by default (35:10-13). However, God declared that this assumption disregarded his sovereignty over Israel. In his omniscience, he heard their blasphemous claims that the land was now theirs to devour (35:12). Despite Israel's failings and the subsequent exile, God remained dedicated to protecting the land for Israel's eventual return.When the Edomites rejoiced over Israel's ruin, they directly challenged Yahweh. Consequently, he would make their land desolate. The Edomites failed to understand that God is the true owner of the covenant land; he repeatedly refers to it as “my land,” even though he entrusted Israel with its care. Seizing any part of the land equates to stealing from Yahweh.When Edom is mentioned in the Bible, it refers not only to historical Edom and a paradigm for all godless nations that oppose God's people. Edom represents those who stand against God and his chosen representatives. Each enemy nation that antagonizes the Jewish people today follows the path of Edom. Although the “Edoms” of the world may experience moments of success, they will ultimately be defeated while Israel is preserved.Support the show

Sancheriv conquers the fortified Judean cities; Chizkiyahu sues for peace

Message by Doug Bunnell, recorded live February 23, 2025 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham. Scripture read by Laurie Bunnell.The Cycle of Grace Begins in AcceptanceJesus begins his ministry in acceptance and moves then into fruitfulness. What do you notice in verse 1:1? How does it form the path of what is to come? What do you notice about John the Baptizer? What are the key elements of Jesus' baptism? What are the elements of what God says to Jesus? Can you hear those words said to you? The Spirit's next act is to drive Jesus into the wilderness where he was tempted. How do we receive that hard news?Mark 1:1-141 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way,3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight,' ”4 so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him. 11 And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tested by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him.14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God.

Dr. Simkovich taught in a Catholic University and now is at JPS and YU. She continues her interfaith dialogue throughout. But here we spoke, among other things, about the concept of diaspora and exile - what is a Judean, a Judahite, and an Israelite. These are terms that are often thrown around interchangeably, but understanding the meaning and etymology of each helps us understand the spatial and temporal elements of being Jewish, of Judean roots, and in the context of today.  Letters from Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity (Eisenbrauns, 2024) is an analysis of letters from Jewish Antiquity and spans the Persian and Babylonian Empires in space and time and touches upon the Greek and Roman Empires. Is diaspora curse? If a main prohibition was for Israelites to return to Egypt, how is one of the most ancient Jewish communities found in Egypt? How and why did they get there? Was it a negative or positive evolution of the exile?  As the conversation evolved Dr. Simkovich let out a call for suggested readings on the term and concept of "golah" as opposed to "galut", diaspora and exile. Please reach out if you want to share your thoughts on this and the significance of the diaspora as a phenomenon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Dr. Simkovich taught in a Catholic University and now is at JPS and YU. She continues her interfaith dialogue throughout. But here we spoke, among other things, about the concept of diaspora and exile - what is a Judean, a Judahite, and an Israelite. These are terms that are often thrown around interchangeably, but understanding the meaning and etymology of each helps us understand the spatial and temporal elements of being Jewish, of Judean roots, and in the context of today.  Letters from Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity (Eisenbrauns, 2024) is an analysis of letters from Jewish Antiquity and spans the Persian and Babylonian Empires in space and time and touches upon the Greek and Roman Empires. Is diaspora curse? If a main prohibition was for Israelites to return to Egypt, how is one of the most ancient Jewish communities found in Egypt? How and why did they get there? Was it a negative or positive evolution of the exile?  As the conversation evolved Dr. Simkovich let out a call for suggested readings on the term and concept of "golah" as opposed to "galut", diaspora and exile. Please reach out if you want to share your thoughts on this and the significance of the diaspora as a phenomenon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

Dr. Simkovich taught in a Catholic University and now is at JPS and YU. She continues her interfaith dialogue throughout. But here we spoke, among other things, about the concept of diaspora and exile - what is a Judean, a Judahite, and an Israelite. These are terms that are often thrown around interchangeably, but understanding the meaning and etymology of each helps us understand the spatial and temporal elements of being Jewish, of Judean roots, and in the context of today.  Letters from Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity (Eisenbrauns, 2024) is an analysis of letters from Jewish Antiquity and spans the Persian and Babylonian Empires in space and time and touches upon the Greek and Roman Empires. Is diaspora curse? If a main prohibition was for Israelites to return to Egypt, how is one of the most ancient Jewish communities found in Egypt? How and why did they get there? Was it a negative or positive evolution of the exile?  As the conversation evolved Dr. Simkovich let out a call for suggested readings on the term and concept of "golah" as opposed to "galut", diaspora and exile. Please reach out if you want to share your thoughts on this and the significance of the diaspora as a phenomenon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

The Sword or the Cross? (audio) David Eells 2/23/25 Please be patient with me and I will share something that just may save your physical and eternal life. If you are not willing to believe only what the scriptures say concerning your relationship to this evil world and its God-ordained plan in your life, you don't need to waste your time with this revelation. When Peter used the sword to keep Jesus from going to the cross, He said, “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword”. Even though the true saints will not agree with much that is about to happen in this world, they will not take “the sword” of man and break their covenant with God as the apostates and their leadership will. God's plan for His people is demonstrated by Jesus. (Joh.12:23) And Jesus answereth them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. (24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. (25) He that loveth his life loseth it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (Loseing our life is mostly losing our carnal self life to partake of the life of Christ.) (26) If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will the Father honor. As Jesus was a seed sown in the dirt of this earth, so must we be. The wicked of this world are the dirt that puts to death the fleshly husk of the seed so that the inner life may come forth and bear fruit. As a lamb does not struggle with a wolf, the seed does not struggle with the dirt but permits it to fulfill its purpose. (Luk.10:3)...I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. In God's plan wolves devour the flesh of the lambs. He uses the wicked to chasten His children. (2Sam.7:14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. (2Cor.4:11) For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (16) Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. (17) For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory. The glory of God will be manifested in those who will “resist not him that is evil” but will “turn the other cheek” and permit the dirt to do its job. No one else can drive the nails, friend. You are unable to do it and other Christians shouldn't do it. It is God's plan to use the harlot and the beast to crucify our old man. (Act.2:23) Him (Jesus), being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay. (4:27) For of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, (28) to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass. Through death to self at their hands, the world will see Jesus in us and we will be enabled to fulfill the great commission. (1Pet.4:1) Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. In the days when God's people were ruled over by the Roman beast it was written: (Rom.13:1) Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the [powers] that be are ordained of God. (2) Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. Though Christians are forbidden to take the mark and image of the beast, they are also forbidden to take up arms against secular nations over them. This puts the people of God in a position of weakness like Jesus when He submitted to His cross instead of fighting. (Note: Some falsely say that the U.S. is not typed in the Scriptures. In Revelation, we see that Babylon is the Queen of the world, an end-time world superpower, a very rich nation that trades with the whole world. Both Revelation and Daniel say it is the head of all the nations and was called the “great eagle” in Ezekiel 17. Jeremiah 25 shows that it will bring destruction to the Middle East and then fall in what appears to be a nuclear attack from the nations. Revelation 18 says this will be in one hour of one day. Who, with common sense, would not see that this ancient eagle lives again in our day and has been secretly ruled by a satanic, corrupt, and perverted deep state? Most recently Babylon is being conquered by our modern day Cyrus who ruled in ancient times as Media-Persia. Using Babylon and her king as a type of the U.S. and her President, God warned his people to submit to her as far as secular matters go. (Jer.27:5) I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by my great power and by my outstretched arm; and I give it unto whom it seemeth right unto me. (6) And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant.... (7) And all the nations shall serve him.... (8) And it shall come to pass, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. This has happened. (9) But as for you (Christians), hearken ye not to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreams, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: (10) for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land, and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.... (12) And I spake to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. (13) Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? The modern day apostate leadership has served Babylon turning against the Word of the Lord. And the rebels have been chastened by their “sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence”. (14) And hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon; for they prophesy a lie unto you. (15) For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that ye may perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you. And these depopulationists have murdered the apostates who trust in man's vaccines rather than the clear Word. Also we will see that true Christians are not to take up arms in the worlds wars. Our kingdom is not of this world as Jesus said. That is not to say that God doesn't have mercy on ignorance. In this way God will cleanse His body of those that refuse to obey and go to their cross. We are now close to the beginning of the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation in Revelation 12 where the dragon/serpent chases the woman Church into their wilderness refuge to be taught of the Man-child. What brings us to our cross? Jesus said, “Love your enemies”, not shoot them, and “turn the other cheek”, not make war on them. God will chasten the Christians who “take the sword”. Our Lord said, “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword”. I am certainly not excusing the government's actions in any of this but if David Koresh, the leader of the Davidians' stronghold in Waco, Texas, in early 1993 had not broken God's covenant and stored up that arsenal with the intent to use it against the government, he and his followers would still be alive. Bear witness that God did not defend them. God will bring the U.S. against His people and their apostate leaders because they have ignored His covenant. (Hos.8:1) [Set] the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle [he cometh] against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. (2) They shall cry unto me, My God, we Israel know thee. (3) Israel hath cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him. (4) They have set up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. In the days of Jesus, the apostate people of God were in bondage to the Roman beast for their rebellion against the Word. These stiff-necked people of God were in constant revolution against the Romans and paying a great penalty for it. (Mar.15:6) Now at the feast he used to release unto them one prisoner, whom they asked of him. (7) And there was one called Barabbas, [lying] bound with them that had made insurrection (revolution), men who in the insurrection had committed murder. (8) And the multitude went up and began to ask him [to do] as he was wont to do unto them. (9) And Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? (10) For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. (11) But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. (Jn.18:40) They cried out therefore again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. Notice that Barabbas and many with him were in prison for making a revolution against the Romans. Jesus suffered in the place of this Jewish patriot. In like manner, the true body of Christ will suffer innocently because of “Christian” patriots who will revolt against the beast. In another type, Barabbas was chosen out of all the Jews that were in prison with him to be released. Barabbas means “son of the father”. Because Jesus went to the cross, a remnant of these people who truly are “sons of the Father” will be forgiven and saved. Militant patriots do not understand what the Holy Spirit showed in this text, that killing Romans or Americans is “murder” and that those who steal from them are “robbers”. Remember, God did not defend almost 1000 very religious patriots whom the Romans destroyed. In 66 A.D. when the Jews rebelled against the Romans, they captured this mountain 1000 meters above the Judean wilderness. In a well-supplied, seemingly impregnable fortress, the Jews attempted for seven years to hold out against the Roman beast. In a clear type, all but a remnant of seven committed suicide and brought an end to the worldly state of Israel. “Christian” rebels in our day will, in effect, commit suicide by fighting against the beast and bringing an end to the worldly state of the Church. The Timothy McVeigh's of this world are not patriots in God's kingdom. The real heroes are those who leave worldly governments up to God and choose their cross over rebelling against His Word. Like Jesus, Paul gives us a type of how innocent Christians in our day will be falsely accused as rebels and imprisoned or killed. In Acts 21:38, a chief captain said to him, “Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?” Notice once again that an Egyptian, representing the old carnal man, was leading Jews to kill Romans. The “Christians” who are led of the old man today will fight against the beast. God will not tolerate those who call themselves patriots in order to rebel against governments and God's Word. (Rom.13:1) Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God.... (2) Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. Let our Cyrus do his job to take down Babylon while we preach the gospel to all, which is our job. Jesus gave us permission to “flee” like sheep before the wolves, but not to fight in the flesh as wolves. (Mat.10:16) Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (23) But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. Notice that this persecution will spread the Word through the cities of God's people and He will come. Praise His Name! While the carnal people of God were having their revolution against the government, Jesus and the disciples were having a spiritual revolution against their flesh. Jesus said, “Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword (the Word). For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household” (Mat.10:34-36). Notice when you get saved they are often on the other side until they get saved. Tertullus, speaking against Paul's spiritual revolution, said, “For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrections (revolutions) among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5). They always call us a sect or cult for obeying the Word. Jesus and Paul's revolution was to use the Word to separate the chosen from the carnal church of his day. Neither of them had anything to do with wrestling with a flesh and blood beast system. That was the harlot's revolution. We are to be patriots of the Lord's kingdom, not the U.S. Like Jesus, “My kingdom is not of this world”. Because they would not obey Jesus, the Jews were led by their deceiving leadership to their own destruction and that of their city in 70 A.D. This was also the cause of its destruction in other times. (Ezr.4:19) And I decreed, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein. (5:12) But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon. Every beast kingdom was raised up by God to chasten and bring into bondage and crucifixion His rebellious people and so it is with the Babylon of our day. Our warfare is not with flesh and blood men but with the demon principalities and powers that rule them (Eph.6:12). (Mat.5:38) Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: (39) but I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Jas.4:7)...resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Many will fight to keep from going into captivity but only God determines if one needs this for their maturing. (Rev.13:9) If any man hath an ear, let him hear. (10) If any man [is] for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Only God gives authority to the beast to bring His people into bondage or death. M. Cox relates a dream he had concerning these principles. I had a dream so real that every time I think about it, it becomes more vivid just as if I was there. I was sleeping in our small farmhouse with a few other people one night. Sometime in the dead of the night all of a sudden I heard the thunderous boom of these military helicopters and airplanes. Then this helicopter landed right beside our house. All the occupants of our house were rounded up and taken away by the helicopter, probably to prison work farms. I was just standing there amazed, thinking these people never resisted, or tried to run away. And they all acted like I wasn't there. I thought that they had forgotten me. Soon after they left, another helicopter came. They were probably told that they had forgotten one of the occupants. I was naturally scared so I hid under the bed, shaking like a leaf with my legs sticking out. The soldiers didn't have any U.N. symbol but were probably a makeshift multi-national army. A black and a white soldier had yellow torches and machine guns with them. They were looking and thrashing everywhere trying to look for me. The black soldier was looking under the bed I was under. The funny thing was I was right in front of him with my feet sticking out but it appeared he couldn't see me. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I was invisible to the soldiers. They couldn't see me. After a while, the soldiers left frustrated at not being able to find me. I must say that the fear and terror of the situation was unbelievable. A few days later this helicopter came and sprayed this chemical and the surrounding place turned all brown. They probably had been given orders to let no survivors that they couldn't find live. Anyway, even before they sprayed I noticed that the surrounding vegetation looked brownish, maybe from nuclear fallout. Miraculously, with all this happening I was still alive and the dream ended there. Notice that God's people did not resist and only those who needed captivity were taken. We should not put it beyond God's ability to supernaturally hide those who do not need more crucifixion. If He could translate me halfway around the world to preach, He can certainly make us invisible to the enemy. Bob Aicardi also had a dream like this. I found myself cautiously walking the floors of a very large government building, which was occupied by foreign troops, and I knew that as an American I was not supposed to be there. I was noticed by a worker, who set off an intruder alert. Down the corridor, the entrance doors slammed shut and locked. As I walked up to the doors they opened and I passed through to escape. Once outside, perimeter guards were alerted and were all about. I walked through them as invisible and saw another man doing the same thing. I said to him, “Isn't the blood of Jesus wonderful?” We see that not only can God protect those who are mature but He can also give rest to those who need to submit to their cross. (Joh.19:11) Jesus answered him, Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above. Like our Lord, we are to receive everything as from God and leave retaliation up to Him. (Rom.12:17) Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men. (18) If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. (19) Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath [of God]: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. (20) But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. (21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Our old man wants to live by defending self and retaliating, but our obedience to these commands crucifies that carnal nature in us. Satan seeks through well-meaning people to keep us from this cross. (Mat.16:21) From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. (22) And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee. (23) But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men. Notice that Peter, by the spirit of Satan was a stumbling block by trying to dissuade Jesus from going to His cross. Peter later took the sword, to try to enforce his way and again met with rebuke. (24) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (25) For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. Even when we are at our best, the hidden carnal nature must be crucified. (1Pet.2:20) For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted [for it], ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. (21) For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: (22) who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: (23) who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously. What could be clearer? We are to follow in Jesus' steps by cooperating with God's process of using the harlot religious system and the beast kingdom to bring us to the cross. We are not to resist them by force. The laws of our kingdom do not permit us to fight in the flesh to escape captivity. (Joh.18:36) Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. In the days leading up to a civil war in the midst of the One World Order, many will stand up against the U.S. as the king of the South. Included among these are some of God's people who will try to impose their vision of the kingdom of God in the U.S. by violent methods, but they will be killed. (Dan.11:14) And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the children of the violent among thy people shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall fall. God will not permit fleshly methods to have any success so that His people learn to walk in the Spirit. (12:7)...It shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of (self in) the holy people, all these things shall be finished. Notice that our temptation to use our own power must be crucified. (Zec.4:6)...Not by (our) might, nor by (our) power, but by my Spirit, saith Lord of hosts. War is of the world and is motivated by lust, not God. (Jas.4:1) Whence [come] wars and whence [come] fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your pleasures that war in your members? (2) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. Those who join with the world to make war on their enemies are enemies of the cross and of God. (4) Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God. Those who preach peace and safety and refuse to cooperate with God in this process of falling to the earth to die will be cut off. (Amo.9:8) Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; save that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord. (9) For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, like as [grain] is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least kernel fall upon the earth. (10) All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, The evil shall not overtake nor meet us. We are coming to the same tribulation days of sifting as it was with Peter. (Luk.22:31) Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: (32) but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not. Even though Peter initially denied the Lord, he got back up and became a strong leader who gave up his old life. Satan is ordained of the Lord to sift the disciples to get the husk that is his, so that God may have the pure fruit of Christ. Here is a prophecy through Thomas S. Gibson that relates the persecution the U.S. will bring against Christianity to separate the true saints from the tares. Thus says the Lord, repent and listen to the Word of God. Note that there shall be persecutions arising in all places, throughout the U.S. and Canada, and through Europe. These nations shall rise up in persecutions against My people. It shall purge the Church. Those of Mine, that are truly Mine, who walk in power and are committed to Me, they shall stand in this persecution no matter what it brings. But listen to Me, and heed Me. For thus saith the Lord, I am God, and I am allowing this, for it shall purge My Church. For there are many that shall quickly deny Me, shall quickly deny the truth, quickly revert to a world religion, shall quickly deny the power of the Word; they deny the truth of the Word. They shall quickly deny many things, and they shall become politically correct for the day and the age that they live. For they do not want to be in persecutions and they do not want to stand against the world. They love the world, and they are part of the world, and they were never part of Me. But they have a form of Godliness in the Church, and they were in the Church, shining as Christians and looking as Christians in outward appearance, but in their heart they were not of Me. This shall purge the Church and bring to pass what I have said; I will separate the sheep from the goats; that is, My people from the world. God is sovereign in the happenings of history in order to show us what will happen in the latter days, for, “That which hath been is that which shall be”. In the time of the tribulation of Christ's day, Rome had swallowed up the people of God. Through Babylon's type we see that the U.S. would swallow up the people of God before her fall. (Jer.51:34) Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath, like a monster, swallowed me up, he hath filled his maw with my delicacies; he hath cast me out. (35) The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and, My blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. Because Babylonish U.S. tried to save herself by sacrificing God's lambs on the altar of religious unity and political correctness, God will take vengeance on her. (36) Therefore thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain dry. (37) And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place for jackals, an astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant. ... (41) How is Sheshach taken! and the praise of the whole earth seized! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations! (42) The sea (of men) is come up upon Babylon; she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. (43) Her cities are become a desolation. by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence Please also listen to the audio series Honor the king? and How Shall We Die? and read Torment to Those Who Fight Back.   The Militant Apostates Rebel God is raising up the beast kingdom of the tribulation to crucify us as their forefathers crucified our Master. At the same time, the beast will purge Christianity of those who refuse to go to their cross of death to self. At first you may think I am wrong about this but if you will bear with me you will be overwhelmed with proof from God's Word. This is God's M.O. Because Christians do not stick to their command of spreading the Great Commission a competition has raised up which is unhealthy for us. When God is fighting against our enemies with His angels we are seen as guiltless and there is no competition between us and the world, which ruins our witness. The devil is being permitted by God to stir up competition so that paranoid, disobedient Christians will fight this government in the flesh and be destroyed. The Lord said to me once that “Spirits of paranoia will stir up Christians to fight against this country. In this way I will cleanse my Church of those that refuse to obey and go to their cross.” Conspiracy addicts are the prime spreaders of this paranoia. But we are to fear nothing but God who “works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Isa.8:11) For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, (12) Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread [thereof]. (13) The Lord of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. You ask, “But David, what about the Deep State Illuminati conspiracy that has taken over our government to bring war and their New World Order?” Fear “him who worketh all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph.1:11). The Deep State Illuminati are nothing without God's permission. They and many others like them are sent by God to deceive those who do not love truth and to judge those who need it. Therefore, we are not to wrestle with flesh and blood but principalities and powers. Physically we are to permit them to cleanse the body.  (2Th.2:9) [even he,] whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (10) and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (11) And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: (12) that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. “The lowest of men” are raised up to lead the beast to crucify rebellious Christians. We need them. (Pro.16:4) The Lord hath made everything for its own end (Hebrew: His own purpose); Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Some say, “But I know some of these conspiracies are real”. I do, too, but the flesh is stirred up to fight when we think on the conspiracies, rather than the promises and the way of the cross. We are taught to study Truth rather than the evil in conspiracies because Truth has power unto Godliness, which delivers from evil. (Rom.16:19)....I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple unto that which is evil. Those who are taught to recognize counterfeit bills don't study counterfeits because there are too many possibilities. They study the real bills. That way they can recognize all counterfeits. The Word gives us eyes to see all errors. Some waste all their time studying evil governments and have no faith. But what we bind on earth is bound in heaven and He has given us authority over all the power of the enemy. All secular governments are evil just as the one in Jesus' day but He stuck to the business of the Father, taught the Word, and let patriots like Barabbas fight with flesh and blood to their own destruction. I also know that the beast government will persecute and crucify the saints when the time comes. I say along with Jesus, “Not my will, but thine be done”. If we are not willing to give up our carnal life in order to be obedient to the Word, then we will not be counted worthy of a heavenly life. Any who stir up God's people to take the sword will be guilty of their blood when they die by the sword, as the Word says will surely happen. Antichristian militant “Christians” will not stand for their rights being taken away and will fight against their governments. What do you think they will do when world law is imposed and the mark of the beast is inevitable? Civil war. States are seeing their Constitutional authority undermined by the socialistic moves of the past Obama and Biden administrations and the Deep State shadow government. Also, a litany of leftist, global U.N. treaties that were resisted by more conservative administrations are waiting in the wings to give sovereignty to the U.N. beast over families, women, and children, opposing free trade, opposing democracy and Christian freedom, bringing intrusive emissions laws, etc. The last three leftist presidents were just the men to open the flood gates. But God through the saints confession has and will cast down the dominion of Satan. Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;  8  and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9  And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. 10  And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. 11  And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. Militia's of conservatives, including many of God's people, have already trained and armed to fight against the U.S. government but look what God can do! Satan, who starts wars is cast down. Presidential voting fraud fiascos revealed the underlying dangerous polarization between conservatives and liberals. Ammunition sales rose significantly as did talk of civil insurrection and state secession. Much of this was by conservatives. Congressmen were openly warning of civil violence. Ammunition and gun sales began to get worse when the Obama and Biden administrations took the country in a sharp left turn. Clearly, the fear of where we are going and the conspiracies are corrupting people's minds and taking away their peace. Whether you agree with their militant thinking or not, all Christians will be blamed for these excesses. The liberal news media, although wounded now, will gladly continue to sway popular opinion against their historic enemy, the conservative Christians. Left-wing harlot “Christianity” will, of course, join in this attack proclaiming to be the true heirs of Christ, while they sleep with the beast in their politically correct tolerance of other faiths. What happened to the Jews in WWII will happen to the Christians and, ultimately, what happened to Germany will happen in the world. The world will become more antichrist and increasingly hate, persecute, kill, and bring God's carnal people into bondage. Oh, because of the recent successes you don't believe this? Read Revelation 12 and 13, which speaks of persecution and leads to the mark of the beast, without which many will be put to death and go to heaven. Ezekiel, as a type of the Man-child, prophesied that the apostate leadership of God's people would be brought into bondage by the “great eagle”, as a type of the U.S. He also saw and warned that part of that leadership would lead part of God's people to rebel against the “great eagle” to their own destruction. (Eze.17:2) Son of man...speak a parable unto the house of Israel; (3)...A great eagle with great wings...came unto Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar: (God's people were likened in Scripture to the tall cedar evergreens of Lebanon because of their properties of eternal life.) (4) he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof (the immature leadership of Christianity), and carried it unto a land of traffic (Babylon); he set it in a city of merchants (Babylon). The top apostate leadership of Christianity, typed by Zedekiah, was taken into bondage in Babylon and his sons were killed and his eyes were put out, and he was put to death. (5) He took also of the seed of the land (God's people), and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters.... God's people will be put “beside many waters”, which are the peoples of the world depicted by the “many waters” that the harlot sits upon in Revelation 17:1,15. Therefore the people of God, righteous or apostate, were taken into bondage and put under the authority of the religious harlot, as it was in Jesus' day. (6) And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature (the harlot cannot overcome to lift herself from the earthly), whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine. The false prophet leadership of the harlot will rule with the ten kings as the little horn among the ten horns in the U.N. beast under the “great eagle”. The Lord confirms this interpretation in the text. (12) Say now to the rebellious house... Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him to Babylon. The nations with the “great eagle” at the head will confirm a covenant with this false prophet leadership of God's New Testament people, uniting them with the false religions in the U.N.. (13) And he took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him; he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land. Notice in these verses that the king and all of the princes of Israel were called “him” meaning they are a corporate False Prophet. This covenant will be hidden from the apostates and their leaders. They will fulfill the type of the Jews in Jesus' day, who didn't realize that they had made a covenant with the beast to crucify the saints. To keep the peace, the Roman beast gave the apostates authority over the saints. History repeats. The strong delusion of the letter of the Word has already convinced the false leadership of Christianity of a fairytale covenant between a man called the antichrist and the letter Jews. Meanwhile, the real covenant will be fulfilled in the spirit under their noses. To them this could not be the covenant because they have not yet been raptured and their antichrist hasn't shown up. This covenant with the beast will make God's apostate people preach an even more impotent gospel because it is a covenant of tolerance for all false religions and all sinners in a vain effort to bring peace to the world. (14) That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. The apostates will be permitted to stand in the world as the base kingdom of the religious harlot. We just saw the word “covenant” mentioned in verses thirteen and fourteen. It was at this point in my revelation that the Spirit said to me, “From the first mention of the word “covenant” in verse thirteen count. How many verses does the word “covenant” cover?” Thirteen is the number in Scripture that stands for apostasy and rebellion. Including verse thirteen, the word “covenant” covers seven verses (13-19). I was impressed that this represents the seven years of the covenant of the beast in the Tribulation. Then I heard, “How many times is the word “covenant” spoken in those verses?” “Covenant” is mentioned six times in these seven verses. Six is the number of man and of the beast. As we saw, the sixth book, sixth chapter, sixth verse and sixth word of the New Testament is “man” (Rom.6:6). It was at this point the Spirit directed me to count, “How many verses before the “covenant” is broken?” In the “midst” of the fourth verse the words “covenant he brake” are spoken. That makes 3 ½ verses or years before the break and 3 ½ verses or years after the break. The covenant is broken “in the midst of the seven” years. (16) As I live, saith the Lord, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he (the apostate leadership) brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. This also is in the “midst of the seven” verses, which is a quote from the Hebrew in Daniel 9:27. “And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one seven: and in the midst of the seven (Hebrew) he (beast) shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease”. Notice in these two verses that the apostate rebel leadership of God's people will break the covenant so the beast will cause the “sacrifice” to cease. At the time when the crowns of authority will be taken from the seven heads and given to the ten horns, the beast will make the mark compulsive. This will be a vain attempt to enforce peace by identifying those who are in covenant with the beast and those who are enemies and/or commit crimes. This will cause both true Christians and militants to be enemies of the state. The U.S. already has created the literal mark and is exporting it to the world. The U.S. will use its persuasion over the beast kingdom to make the mark compulsive in the midst of the Tribulation. Many apostate Christians will take it and become reprobated. What is left of their life of submitting their “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” will cease as an “abomination that maketh desolate”. In this same text we see the nature of this rebellion which breaks the covenant of peace. (15) But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? shall he break the covenant, and yet escape? This covenant is broken when the rebellious people of God, who were told by God to submit to Babylon, as we shall see, instead went to another “great eagle with great wings”, Egypt, for strength to fight with arms against her. (Eze.17:7) There was also another great eagle with great wings and...this vine did bend its roots toward him. Notice that the same terminology is given to describe a second eagle. This is because both of these great eagles represent the U.S. Foolish Christians in the U.S. will go down to Egypt to fight with her when they see their rights being taken away or, for some when they see the mark coming. What does Egypt represent? God's people came out of Egypt and were baptized in the Red Sea where the Egyptians, representing the old man, died. To go back to Egypt spiritually is to trust in the strength of the old man, the arm of the flesh. (Isa.30:1) Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that make a league, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin, (2) that set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt! (3) Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. Some of God's foolish people with a conservative patriotic faction of this nation will take up arms to fight against it. This pits the “great eagle” against the “great eagle”, or civil war. God asked the question in our seven verse text: “shall he break the covenant, and yet escape” (Eze.17:15)? God's answer to this question is that these rebels will be crushed: (17) Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war.... (18) For he hath despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet hath done all these things; he shall not escape.... (21) And all his fugitives in all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward every wind: and ye shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it. When Peter used the sword to keep Jesus from going to the cross, He said, “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Mat.26:52). Even though the true saints will not obey the religious aspects of this peace covenant, they will not take “the sword” of man and break their covenant with God as the apostates and their leadership will. The last of the seven verses says this. (19) Therefore thus saith the Lord: As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, I will even bring it upon his own head. The righteous will keep God's covenant even if it costs them their physical life but the self-willed will rebel. Some religious people say the mark of God trumps the mark of the beast, and that because they believe in once saved always saved. After bringing apostate Israel as a type of the Christians under his dominion in the beginning of what we would call the tribulation, Nebuchadnezzar appointed the Zedekiah administration to rule over them. This is the “he” above who rebelled with a large portion of Israel. Jeremiah, who represented the Man-child, prophesied against these apostate rebels in the parable of the two baskets of figs. (Jer.24:8) And as the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad, surely thus saith the Lord, So will I give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt, (9) I will even give them up to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth for evil; to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. (10) And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. On the other, hand those who submitted to the Word of the Lord through the Man-child Jeremiah were the blessed of the Lord. (24:4) And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (5) Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so will I regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, for good. (Notice that this captivity is going to be “for good” to the “good figs” who obey the Word and refuse to rebel.) (6) For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land (Notice Father will bring them to the New Jerusalem and land because Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the former apostate Jerusalem and land.): and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. (7) And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. All we have to do is replace the church in the Ezekiel 17 parable of civil rebellion above with natural Israel and we see another more natural interpretation, which is being attempted now. The U.S., which is at the head of the nations, is pushing Israel hard to give up land and make a covenant with the nations around them. Israel's natural ally in the United States is the apostate Christians and Jews who militantly support her. Since this ultimately will be a political and religious covenant both of these interpretations are coming to pass at the same time. It is certainly true that the beast is forcing both Israel and the Christians to give up their land now. Beastly laws are forcing Christians out of the moral ground that they have held on to issues such as abortion, sexuality, schooling, displays of Christian heritage, etc. In the U.S., this holy ground has been held since the more Christian times of the founding fathers. Eventually Israel and the apostate Christians will rebel against this covenant and turn to the militant arm of flesh represented by the great eagle of Egypt. Then they will both find themselves a burdensome stone that have something in common; the ire of the nations. Perhaps this is God's plan to infuse more Christian influence into Israel so that the elect among them will be saved and come out. Now I would like to share a few revelations that warn of these things.   Survivalism Coming in Evil Times G.W. - 08/22/2012 (David's notes in red) I had a dream where David and I were sitting and talking in what I believe represented the world. As we talked, there was complete and utter chaos going on all around us. It appeared that the whole world was turned upside down and was shaking. Several major catastrophic events had occurred. (Eve saw seven major earthquakes go around the world. The shakings are coming now to prove what is not to be trusted in: governments, nationalism, personal strength, religion, money, people, etc. Heb.12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned [them] on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape] who turn away from him that [warneth] from heaven: (If we don't obey God's voice, we will be shaken and judged.) 26 whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven. 27 And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: 29 for our God is a consuming fire. The people who were around us started to act completely insane. They were worse than animals because animals have some sense of control. These people were consumed by fear of the shaking that they were experiencing. It was almost like everything was falling apart all around and nothing was holding together. (Shakings like natural disasters, failed economy and incomes, loss of food and basic services, no health care, crime, martial law, war, terrorism, no fixes in sight, etc., will cause men's hearts to fail them. Luk.21:25 And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows; 26 men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. David said, “I told you they would act like this”. As he said this, a hysterical young girl started to try and grab me (persecution from immature Christianity). It was apparent that she had no sense of sanity left. (She acted like a drowning person who would pull someone under to save herself.) (They will fall for the beast promises of a worldly fix, like a covenant with many.) It was apparent to me that the girl possessed no inward thoughts; her whole focus had become grabbing and groping (with the intent to destroy) everything around her. As the unfolding happened, I began to think about relationships I had when people would lose control when the pressure was too much, but it was nothing compared to this. Everywhere I went there was disorder. It was the basic breakdown of every fundamental element of society. I saw people on the floor shaking for excessive drunkenness and cliques forming that were full of evil and worldly behavior. (When domestic dogs lose the moral compass of a master, they revert back to the pack mentality to survive. It's us against them, guns and crime for survivalism.) One of the people looked like an old Popeye (I can't remember in the dream what he was doing). (Popeye was the worldly hero who was endowed with worldly strength to solve every problem.) I could discern before ever knowing the guy that things were not right with him. But I wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt and a chance. In the end, he proved just as corrupt as everyone else. (Those who are strong and righteous in the world's eyes will fail for not having the spiritual answer to their problems.) I thought to myself, I knew I shouldn't have been hanging out with that guy. What was I thinking? I knew he would do this. (Let us not be influenced by their ways of seeking help or solutions.) At the end of the dream, I remember tasting blood in my mouth and it was very painful. I took my hand to wipe my mouth of the blood and when I looked down on my hand, there were little white meat particles on my hand, instead of blood. (A warning to not devour one another, as the strong in the world will do to save themselves. Gal.5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.) These coming times are to separate the wheat from the tares. The wheat will not compromise their convictions and will endure the trial trusting in the Lord and holding to His Word. Mat.13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things (not numeric) that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, 42 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear. Don't be bribed by your need to break God's Word. He has given all authority to you to receive your needs by His Word. Php.4:19 And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Inflation and the War on the Saints Jerod Thomas - 10/22/2010 (David's notes in red) There was this dollar bill that was about the size of a small computer monitor, like a 17-inch screen. (Strangely enough I have an enlarged hundred dollar bill and I just measured it at 17 inches long.) And, interestingly enough, it had what looked like a screen because I could see images forming out of it. Words were forming out of it. I saw one of the words was “punishment”. I also saw this country (the U.S.) and the face of Benjamin Franklin. (Benjamin's face is on the $100 bill. Will the punishment of the U.S. be that what a dollar would buy would soon cost $100, as the value drops and they print more and more creating inflation?) Then I saw Cain, Abel's brother. Cain's eyes were bloodshot and he looked like a character from a western movie. He had shot his gun. (Cain, who “was of the evil one” [1Jn.3:12], slew the chosen seed, as it will be in these days.) He had a very strong spirit on his face. It was the spirit of murder and then his eyeballs disappeared and I was able to see inside of his eye sockets; it was as if I was staring into the very depths of his soul. It was pure darkness, literally. It was pitch black. Mat 6:22-23 The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness! And then I saw an image of Satan as that darkness. He was in an elevator, as in that “Devil” movie (2010) that just came out in theaters. (The seven-headed, ten-horned body of the dragon in Revelation 12 represents a corporate Cain, the body of all lost mankind inhabited by Satan. These will attempt to devour the woman Church.) It was the most awful, defiling presence I had ever felt from demons. Satan was trying to scare and consume me with that spirit of murder and through my fear I would have given in, but I didn't want to wake up out of my sleep and run because I felt the LORD was with me and I wanted to fight that devil. (Through murder, Satan will attempt to intimidate the saints into obedience to him, which is the spiritual mark of the beast.) My voice was different because I was in the middle of a war and that war was resisting the devil, and I spoke with a very aggressive and raspy voice, and I said to that devil, “God is greater!” Then that devil left. Jas.4:7 ... Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Luk.10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Praise God Almighty that I was able to experience this and triumph through Him. To Him be the glory and honor, dominion and power now and forevermore, in Jesus' name, Amen. What Is Inflation? A simple commonly used definition of the word inflation is simply “an increase in the price you pay for goods”. In other words, a decline in the purchasing power of your money”. But there is more to inflation than that. There is “Price Inflation” and “Monetary Inflation”. Technically, Price Inflation is when prices get higher or it takes more money to buy the same item. Monetary Inflation is an increase in the money supply which generally results in price inflation. This acts as a “hidden tax” on the consumers in that country. Monetary inflation is commonly referred to as the government “printing money” although the actual process is a bit more complex than just cranking up the printing presses the effects are essentially the same. As the money supply increases, the currency loses its purchasing power and the price of goods and services increases. This process usually takes 18 months to two years, so the government is able to spend the newly minted dollars at the old value before consumers realize that they have been cheated into accepting something that will purchase less than they originally thought it would. Summary: When inflation skyrockets and poverty is everywhere, men become desperate and crimes against humanity become rampant. Governments who are looking for scapegoats and want to cut someone out of their meager benefits will find that the god of this world, who has taken them over, will anoint them with reasons to blame and persecute the Christians. The dragon/beast is coming to make war on the saints. Make sure you have your armor on.

Dr. Simkovich taught in a Catholic University and now is at JPS and YU. She continues her interfaith dialogue throughout. But here we spoke, among other things, about the concept of diaspora and exile - what is a Judean, a Judahite, and an Israelite. These are terms that are often thrown around interchangeably, but understanding the meaning and etymology of each helps us understand the spatial and temporal elements of being Jewish, of Judean roots, and in the context of today.  Letters from Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity (Eisenbrauns, 2024) is an analysis of letters from Jewish Antiquity and spans the Persian and Babylonian Empires in space and time and touches upon the Greek and Roman Empires. Is diaspora curse? If a main prohibition was for Israelites to return to Egypt, how is one of the most ancient Jewish communities found in Egypt? How and why did they get there? Was it a negative or positive evolution of the exile?  As the conversation evolved Dr. Simkovich let out a call for suggested readings on the term and concept of "golah" as opposed to "galut", diaspora and exile. Please reach out if you want to share your thoughts on this and the significance of the diaspora as a phenomenon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Simkovich taught in a Catholic University and now is at JPS and YU. She continues her interfaith dialogue throughout. But here we spoke, among other things, about the concept of diaspora and exile - what is a Judean, a Judahite, and an Israelite. These are terms that are often thrown around interchangeably, but understanding the meaning and etymology of each helps us understand the spatial and temporal elements of being Jewish, of Judean roots, and in the context of today.  Letters from Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity (Eisenbrauns, 2024) is an analysis of letters from Jewish Antiquity and spans the Persian and Babylonian Empires in space and time and touches upon the Greek and Roman Empires. Is diaspora curse? If a main prohibition was for Israelites to return to Egypt, how is one of the most ancient Jewish communities found in Egypt? How and why did they get there? Was it a negative or positive evolution of the exile?  As the conversation evolved Dr. Simkovich let out a call for suggested readings on the term and concept of "golah" as opposed to "galut", diaspora and exile. Please reach out if you want to share your thoughts on this and the significance of the diaspora as a phenomenon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

As Paul's group says farewell to the Ephesians, a Judean prophet predicts that Paul will be taken into custody if he goes to Jerusalem, but Paul is still determined to go. Though he and other fellow believers try to show the Jews that Paul is not a blasphemer, it seems to be of little use. A riot ensues and Paul is attacked. The local officials step in to help, finding out later that Paul is a Roman citizen. When Paul is taken into custody by the state, a mob forms and secretly plots to kill him. The plot is discovered in a way that the mob couldn't have predicted, revealing that God is rescuing Paul from death and preserving him for further ministry and teaching.Acts 21 – 1:12 . Acts 22 – 8:40 . Acts 23 – 14:10 . Acts 24 – 20:53 . Proverbs 14 – 25:34 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

To better understand Paul's overwhelming love and joy for the Philippian church, it is helpful to remember how their journey together began. Acts 16 tells the story of Paul's first visit to Philippi and the rag-tag group of believers who founded the church: a middle-class cloth merchant who hosted the city's first church gatherings in her home, a fortune-telling slave-girl delivered of demons, and a jailer spared from suicide by the graciousness of his Judean prisoners… Despite opposition in the city, Paul's ministry there was fruitful, and gave him newfound confidence in God's mission to bring salvation to the gentiles of Europe. Paul's encouragement to these Philippian believers six years later, after these beautiful events had faded into memory, recall the joy and community of those early days. “Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose” (Phil. 2:2). At Grace Church we too have fond memories of our early years, and yet our community must chart a new course through a world that has changed in many ways. As we consider what the path ahead holds for us, let us never forget what made us who we are: the fellowship, love, and compassion which knit our community together in the first place.

In July of the year 1263, the Dominican friar Pablo Christiani met to debate Rabbi Moses ben Nahman, sometimes known as Nahmanides, to discuss whether Jesus was the messiah, and thus whether Christianity or Judaism had a greater claim to truth. They conducted this debate in the court of King James of Aragon, who famously guaranteed the rabbi's freedom of speech, allowing Nahmanides to advance even arguments that, being regarded as heretical by Christian clergy, would have otherwise caused him to be imprisoned or worse. These proceedings are known, famously, in history as the Disputation of Barcelona. To understand fully the context of this debate, one has to know something more about the Dominican friar Pablo Christiani: he was not born Pablo Christiani. In fact, he was born as a Sephardi Jew with the birth name of Saul. Only later in life, having lived as a Jewish man and having been exposed to some Jewish learning, did he convert to Catholicism. Joining the Dominican order as a friar, Saul—newly dubbed Pablo—dedicated his life to converting the Jews, possibly with argument and persuasion—he liked to use statements from talmudic texts as evidence for Christian theology—but also through the threat of violence and force. What is it that would so compel a person to turn against his own family, his own teachers, his own neighbors, his own religion—and not as a matter of indifference but as a matter of revenge on the sources of his own formation? That is one of the questions that runs underneath a new story by the legendary essayist, novelist, and short-story writer Cynthia Ozick. This work is called “The Conversion of the Jews,” and it was published in Harper's in May 2023. Ozick's “The Conversion of the Jews” follows a twenty-four-year-old scholar of words and languages named Solomon Adelberg, as he, in the early 1930s, attempts to discover how and why Christiani undertook his conversion. These questions lead Adelberg to a hollowed-out monastery in the Judean desert, through the occult world of mysticism and magic, and eventually to attempting a séance with the icon of a saint in his Lower East Side apartment. To discuss that story, and the many ideas, themes, and questions it raises, Cynthia Ozick joins Mosaic's editor Jonathan Silver on our podcast (originally broadcast in 2023).

Isaiah begins to recount the historical narrative of the LORD's deliverance of His people from the Assyrians. Although the might of the Assyrian army was great, the text focuses on the war of words waged by the Assyrian official, the Rabshakeh. His temptations are strong, using half-truths in order to draw the people away from their trust in the LORD. Only strengthened by the LORD's promises can the people of Judah stand against such demonic attacks, and Judean royal officials are prepared to do just that as they mourn over the words spoken by the Rabshakeh and return to King Hezekiah to go hear from the prophet Isaiah.  Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee's Summit, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Isaiah 36:1-22.  "The Fifth Evangelist” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through Isaiah 1-39. The prophet proclaims to the people of his day and throughout history that the Holy One of Israel alone is exalted. Those who put their trust in the strength of man will be brought low, but those who trust in the LORD will see that He is their Immanuel. Jesus is God with us who reigns over the kingdom of God forever and ever! Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

“Then he said, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.’” (John 11:11 NLT) Jesus left Judea because the Jewish religious leaders there were plotting to kill Him. He wasn’t afraid of death; He just knew that the time for it had not yet come. Then He got a message that prompted Him to return. Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were siblings who lived in the Judean village of Bethany. All three were followers and friends of Jesus. When Lazarus got sick, Mary and Martha sent word to the Lord. That set the stage for one of Jesus’ most remarkable miracles: raising Lazarus from the dead. There are three takeaways from the story that are as important today as they were 2,000 ago. First, the Lord’s timing is perfect. Jesus could have rushed to Bethany and saved Lazarus on his deathbed. But the impact wouldn’t have been nearly as great. So Jesus waited. And neither His disciples nor Mary and Martha could understand why. The right thing to do—and the right time to do it—seemed obvious to them. But they couldn’t see the big picture. That’s why it’s important for us to pray for God to work in His way and in His time. Second, Jesus empathizes with us. Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus “faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (NLT). He also experienced all the same emotions we do. He laughed. He celebrated. He got angry. And He cried. He knew better than anyone else how Lazarus’ story was going to end. But when He saw the people mourning, He joined them. He hurt because others hurt. That’s why He’s able to comfort us so effectively. He knows not only how we feel but also how our story will end. He knows when our tears will dry and what good will ultimately come from the situation. And He gives us the opportunity to show the same kind of empathy and love to other hurting people. Third, nothing is beyond the Lord’s power. Martha and Mary each showed a strong faith in Jesus. Both said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died” (verses 21, 32 NLT). But in their words, they also limited the scope of what they believed Jesus could accomplish. Yes, He had the power to heal Lazarus’ sickness. And yes, He had the power to raise Lazarus in the next life. But it didn’t occur to them that He could still raise Lazarus in this life. Lazarus’ walk out of the tomb opened a world of possibilities for everyone who trusts Jesus. If He can give life to a corpse after four days, He can change the most stubborn mind. He can soften the hardest heart. He can cure spiritual darkness. He can reconcile the most unlikely people. He can ease the most intense fears. He can heal the most distraught mourners. He can bring something good from the worst circumstances. — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With timeless poetry and stunning imagery, the prophet Amos of Tekoa, a simple herdsman from the Judean mountains, stands in front of a stubborn, antagonistic audience of Israelite royalty and aristocracy and he rebukes them for their many abuses of power. But he offers them a better vision of themselves by lifting them to the heavens on wings of lyrical brilliance. Join us as we speak with Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom about his recent commentary, Amos: The Genius of Prophetic Rhetoric (Maggid, 2024). Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom has been a dynamic and inspiring master educator in Los Angeles since 1984. He received his semicha from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and lectures annually at the prestigious Tanakh Study Days at Herzog College. Etshalom has also written the highly acclaimed series Between the Lines. Michael Morales is Professor of Biblical Studies at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and the author of The Tabernacle Pre-Figured: Cosmic Mountain Ideology in Genesis and Exodus (Peeters, 2012), Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?: A Biblical Theology of Leviticus (IVP Academic, 2015), and Exodus Old and New: A Biblical Theology of Redemption (IVP Academic, 2020), and a recent 2 volume commentary on Numbers. He can be reached at mmorales@gpts.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

With timeless poetry and stunning imagery, the prophet Amos of Tekoa, a simple herdsman from the Judean mountains, stands in front of a stubborn, antagonistic audience of Israelite royalty and aristocracy and he rebukes them for their many abuses of power. But he offers them a better vision of themselves by lifting them to the heavens on wings of lyrical brilliance. Join us as we speak with Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom about his recent commentary, Amos: The Genius of Prophetic Rhetoric (Maggid, 2024). Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom has been a dynamic and inspiring master educator in Los Angeles since 1984. He received his semicha from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and lectures annually at the prestigious Tanakh Study Days at Herzog College. Etshalom has also written the highly acclaimed series Between the Lines. Michael Morales is Professor of Biblical Studies at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and the author of The Tabernacle Pre-Figured: Cosmic Mountain Ideology in Genesis and Exodus (Peeters, 2012), Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?: A Biblical Theology of Leviticus (IVP Academic, 2015), and Exodus Old and New: A Biblical Theology of Redemption (IVP Academic, 2020), and a recent 2 volume commentary on Numbers. He can be reached at mmorales@gpts.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

Questions for Discussion1. Why Do I Exist?2. How Has God Gifted Me?3. Where Am I Not Gifted?4. Do I Tend Toward Apathy or Self-Glory?5. Where Is Sin Hindering Me?6. What Habits or Disciplines Are Missing?7. Who Benefits from My Gifts and Work?8. Where Do I See Envy Creeping In?9. How Can I Better Align My Ambitions with Christ's Increase?John 3:22-36English Standard Version22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may spring up, and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also.Isaiah 45:8 Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 63Deus, Deus meusBCP p. 670OGod, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; *my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, *that I might behold your power and your glory.For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; *my lips shall give you praise.So will I bless you as long as I live *and lift up my hands in your Name.My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness, *and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,When I remember you upon my bed, *and meditate on you in the night watches.For you have been my helper, *and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.My soul clings to you; *your right hand holds me fast.[May those who seek my life to destroy it *go down into the depths of the earth;Let them fall upon the edge of the sword, *and let them be food for jackals.But the king will rejoice in God;all those who swear by him will be glad; *for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.] Psalm 98Cantate DominoBCP p. 727Sing to the Lord a new song, *for he has done marvelous things.With his right hand and his holy arm *has he won for himself the victory.The Lord has made known his victory; *his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; *lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.Sing to the Lord with the harp, *with the harp and the voice of song.With trumpets and the sound of the horn *shout with joy before the King, the Lord.Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *the lands and those who dwell therein.Let the rivers clap their hands, *and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,when he comes to judge the earth.In righteousness shall he judge the world *and the peoples with equity. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 13:6-13A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;        as destruction from the Almighty it will come!    Therefore all hands will be feeble,        and every human heart will melt.    They will be dismayed:        pangs and agony will seize them;        they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.    They will look aghast at one another;        their faces will be aflame.            Behold, the day of the Lord comes,        cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,    to make the land a desolation        and to destroy its sinners from it.    For the stars of the heavens and their constellations        will not give their light;    the sun will be dark at its rising,        and the moon will not shed its light.    I will punish the world for its evil,        and the wicked for their iniquity;    I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,        and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.    I will make people more rare than fine gold,        and mankind than the gold of Ophir.    Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,        and the earth will be shaken out of its place,    at the wrath of the Lord of hosts        in the day of his fierce anger. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Heb. 12:18-29A Reading from the Book of Hebrews.For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.  See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. John 3:22-30A Reading from the Gospel According to John.After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison).  Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God.Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Suffrages AV. Show us your mercy, O Lord;R. And grant us your salvation.V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; R. Let your people sing with joy.V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;R. For only in you can we live in safety. V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.V. Let your way be known upon earth;R. Your saving health among all nations.V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.   The CollectsAdvent 3Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

When you think cults, chances are you're imagining a documentary series you streamed recently where a shockingly non-dynamic person has somehow managed to convince a group of reasonably intelligent followers that they are the smartest person in the world, and now controls their lives in terrifying ways. So when we talk about "cult centralization," you could be forgiven for not immediately understanding what we're talking about. But stick with us: this one gets really interesting! On this week's show, we're talking ancient cultic practices. We've all heard about places like ancient Greece or Rome, where many gods were worshipped, each having a different set of skills and a different purview. So a weaver might pray to a different god than a farmer, because they needed different divine interventions, but everybody got along. You might think that this was very different from the way religion was practiced in biblical Judah, right? There's no way the people you read about in the Bible lived lives like the Greeks and Romans... right? Well hold on to your standing stones, because this week we're talking cults, and the Judean king who put a stop to them. Was this the work of a righteous man, doing the right thing for his god, or a megalomaniac who wanted all the power and wealth for himself? Did he bring his people together in harmony, or did he divide his country and weaken them, leading to their defeat by the Babylonians? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma      Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices