Podcasts about middle eastern

Philosopher Stefan Molyneux lays out the road to hell by showing how pushing women into college debt and welfare traps kills marriage and kids while state coercion removes all feedback and responsibility.Questions:What challenges will we face in society in the future when some segments of the population have a Neuralink implant and others don't?Would you be interested in creating a series or long-form content similar to Andrew Wilson's Debate University but for the purpose of learning how to reason from first principles? Similar to the early white-board videos from FDR?Define the political Right and Left in the pure abstract without any reference to a particular time or place.Can you do a podcast/video about decreasing birthrates, decreasing fertility, decreasing sperm count, especially in the wester world? Studies suggest almost no one in the west will be able to have children naturally in 30 years... seems like a serious problem.Why are most European nations so determined to destroy their history culture and heritage through Middle Eastern migrants…Can you explain why young men commit suicide generally?Have you ever watched testimonies of people who have died and went to hell on youtube? There are a lot where they are revived and are able to share their story.How would you decide between a guaranteed mediocre life or a slim chance at wild success?You advocate against forgiveness without prior repentance from the perpetrator. Could it be possible that most people just can't walk between resentment and forgiveness, so in terms of total human suffering it is better just to forgive. And that in not forgiving, most people just become shitty judges.In principle I'm inclined to agree with your take but I dont know anyone that has escaped resentment without up front forgiveness. On the average, maybe they get taken for some sort of a ride but their overall life is better.I'm not talking about individual cases here, just on balance and overall human suffering levels, with the average human and their average human drama / life.How can you escape damnation?When society become unraveled, is it due to people forgetting the basics?A house falls when its foundation crumbles.How to solve population decline, gender wars and political divide when Women are getting more far left and men are getting more far right. When the division is being funded by rival countries /globalists?Are you friends with Styx? If so, have you checked on him lately? He's gone off the rails lately. Hope he finds some help.What do you think of the notion that, with some exceptions, conservatives cannot create good art?do you like cats?

Last week, Bret sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an in-depth assessment of the current state of the war in Ukraine. In the conversation, President Zelenskyy opens up about what "winning" looks like on the ground, the rapid rise of military tech partnerships with the U.S., and why Ukraine urgently needs a "winter package" of anti-ballistic defenses. He highlights his concerns about Russia's involvement in Iran's attacks on Middle Eastern countries and its impact on U.S. support for Ukraine.  This interview took place on Tuesday, 07/28, and originally aired on Special Report. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why are we still "kicking the hornet's nest"? The last time Mark Labberton interviewed Daniel Zoughbie (UC Berkeley/UCSF) for his expertise on international diplomacy in the Middle East, there was not yet an Iran war. Regardless of your geographical distance, this war is imminently important as it escalates and impacts not just Iran but the entire Middle East and the entire world economy. "War is really supposed to be a last resort." Taking seriously both the significance and validity of Israel as a nation and the need for appropriate and just treatment of all Jews, Christians, and Muslims during a time of rising anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, this conversation comes at a volatile moment, pregnant with violence and chaos in American foreign policy. Starting the timeline at the 2018 US exit from the "Iran nuclear deal" (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) Zoughbie discusses a variety of interconnected issues, including the role of Middle Eastern geography such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandab ("Gate of Tears"), the proliferation cascade a Saudi Arabian nuclear program could set off, and the difference between tactical brilliance and strategic vision. Together, they also consider hopes for improvement, looking at Gerald Ford's unpopular but effective ultimatum that forced Egypt and Israel to talk; the Olmert-Abbas negotiations that almost reached a two-state solution; the role of Christianity in politics; the danger of national pride; wisdom from antiquity in Herodotus, Croesus, and Cyrus the Great; and a definition of greatness that has nothing to do with force. Episode Highlights Regarding the term "an unnecessary war": "I think the word 'unnecessary' is absolutely the appropriate term, and I might just add another term: unjust. War is really supposed to be a last resort." "Iran has discovered not only that they have this nuclear program, which is incredibly powerful, but they've discovered that they have this power to shut off world's economy [through The Strait of Hormuz]." "Exiting [the JCPOA—Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] was a really, really big blunder because we did not have anything else to fall back on. The Iranians pointed to this and said, 'Look, we can't trust your word.'" "I feel like the current atmosphere in Washington is really about 'me, mine, and more.' And for us to really have a change in our foreign policy ... we really need to think beyond ourselves as a country." "We'll always try to turn every problem into a nail, right? And we'll use our hammer to deal with that problem. And that's exactly why we're in this mess in the first place." "Greatness is not about testosterone shots. It's about being able to show mercy. It's about being able to see the humanity in others, even your enemy, and ultimately what I would call Herodotus's paradox, which is that the mightiest of the mighty turns an enemy into a friend." About Daniel Zoughbie Daniel E. Zoughbie is a complex-systems scientist, diplomatic historian, and expert on presidential decision-making. He is associate project scientist at the UCSF/UCB Center for Global Health Delivery, Diplomacy, and Economics; principal investigator of Berkeley's Middle East and North Africa Diplomacy, Development, and Defense Initiative; and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's MENA Futures Lab. He wrote Kicking the Hornet's Nest: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East from Truman to Trump and Indecision Points. He founded Microclinic International, whose model has reached refugee and low-income communities across four continents, and studied at Oxford as a Marshall and Weidenfeld Scholar. Helpful Links and Resources Kicking the Hornet's Nest, Zoughbie's 2025 book on twelve presidents and the Middle East https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Kicking-the-Hornets-Nest/Daniel-E-Zoughbie/9781668085226 "Toxic Foreign Policy and Citizen Diplomacy," Zoughbie's first Conversing conversation: https://comment.org/podcasts/toxic-foreign-policy-and-citizen-diplomacy/ "The Lesson Trump Can Take From Herodotus' Paradox" https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-lesson-trump-can-take-from-herodotus-paradox/ UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the JCPOA https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/2231/background "World Oil Transit Chokepoints," the US Energy Information Administration on Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandab https://www.eia.gov/international/content/analysis/special_topics/World_Oil_Transit_Chokepoints/ Gerald R. Ford's 1977 Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary commencement address, quoted at length in this episode https://www.christianitytoday.com/2006/12/gerald-r-ford-lessons-from-presidency/ Herodotus, The Histories, Book 1, where Croesus consults the Oracle and Cyrus spares him https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0126:book%3D1 American University of Beirut, Zoughbie's standing example of citizen diplomacy https://aub.edu.lb/ Show Notes The 2018 exit from the Iran Nuclear Deal (the JCPOA, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) as the origin point of the current war P5+1: US, UK, Russia, China, France, plus Germany What the deal never covered: missiles, proxies, regional behavior Nuclear non-proliferation In the wake of the US bombing of Iran: enrichment stockpiles, IAEA detections, inspectors no longer on the ground An unnecessary and unjust war How to work backward from the real goals of American national security Proliferation cascade risk: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt Leverage the US still holds through China, Russia, India, and Pakistan The Saudi nuclear offer, walked back a day later over Israeli recognition Strait of Hormuz geography: 21 miles wide, shipping lanes two miles each The Red Sea, the Houthis, and the Bab el-Mandab ("The Gate of Tears") Israel's tactical brilliance and strategic blindness Mossad's mottos, drawn from Proverbs, and the danger of self-deception 1967 revisited: not a short war but a nuclear near-miss Gerald Ford as counterexample: the ultimatum that opened Egypt-Israel talks Gerald Ford's 1977 Gordon-Conwell address and his oath on the book of Proverbs Hubris: ancient and current Testosterone shots, lethality, and the inverse of humility Pastors and power in the Oval Office Reinhold Niebuhr, Karl Barth, and Christian nationalism Herodotus, Croesus, and Cyrus: mercy as the measure of greatness The path to Tehran runs through Jerusalem The Olmert-Abbas negotiations as a known formula Citizen diplomacy and the American University of Beirut What listeners can do, including welcoming Middle Eastern neighbors #Conversing #MarkLabberton #DanielZoughbie #IranWar #ForeignPolicy #StraitOfHormuz #NuclearProliferation #MiddleEast #Diplomacy #FaithAndPolitics Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary.

President Donald Trump has called off U.S. strikes on Iran. He said Iran and other Middle Eastern countries requested the hold, after Iran agreed to an acceptable framework to end the war. Spokane, Washington, residents are forced to flee as three wildfires close in on the city. Over 5,000 acres have already burned.Michigan is now reporting cyberattacks on the state's water systems, following cyberattacks reported on more than 30 water systems in Minnesota.

Trump says called off Iran attack at request of Tehran, Middle Eastern countries. Iran denies agreement reached on Strait of Hormuz. Reports 5 Lebanese army soldiers injured Israeli drone strike.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ali Alizadeh is an Iranian-British political commentator, broadcaster, and the founder of Jedaal TV, an independent internet-based media organization. Based in London, he provides commentary on international geopolitics, Middle Eastern affairs, and Iranian foreign policy. YouTube: ​⁠@jedaalenglish

Donald Trump has called off strikes against Iran, provided a deal is reached rapidly. In a Truth Social post, the US President says he's been asked by Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to hold off, while the parameters of agreement are set. He says that would include the reopening of the critical Strait of Hormuz, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat. John Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute Fellow Jeffery Pryce says this is a pattern seen before. He says it feels like groundhog day - threats of military action on Friday, frantic intervention on Saturday, then an agreement is announced on Sunday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does Israel compete in Eurovision if it's not even in Europe? In Part 1, Noam Weissman unpacks how Israel went from Eurovision newcomer to music powerhouse, exploring the songs, stars, and surprising moments that put the Jewish state on Europe's biggest stage. It's a story of glitter, geopolitics, and Israeli identity. And the biggest Eurovision moment was still to come. This episode is sponsored by Friedkin Philanthropies and the Koret Foundation, and is inspired by ISRAEL 21c If you want to sponsor an episode of Unpacking Israeli History, or if you just want to say what's up, email noam@unpacked.media. Check out our episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to SAPIR Journal for free: sapirjournal.org/noam ------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Bring the breadth of Jewish history and civilization into your classroom with ready-to-use teaching modules curated by experts. The Posen Library is an educational resource grounded in primary sources and made broadly accessible through the creation and curation of engaging contextual material. Its goal is to highlight the varieties of Jewish culture and civilization across time and space for English-speaking audiences and to be the first stop for those, in university settings and beyond, who are interested in teaching about the significant breadth of Jewish experiences. Originally conceived as a 10-volume print anthology, the Posen Library's free digital platform makes the published content globally accessible. Content from print volumes is added to the site as the volumes are published by Yale University Press. Nine out of the ten volumes have been published to date. The Jewish Studies Curriculum Initiative comprises teaching modules centered around core teaching topics. Each module consists of an overview and curricular material that can be used in four class meetings, focusing on 20–25 primary sources (texts, images, and other media) with interpretive content and supplementary resources for both students and instructors. Posen Library curricula offer flexibility and are designed to be easily integrated into coursework in a variety of ways—perfect for launching a new class or refreshing a syllabus to include new perspectives and voices. Sarah Bunin Benor is Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Linguistics at Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah is assistant professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and the Senior Scholar for Pedagogy at the Posen Library. Geraldine Gudefin is a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Asian Legal Studies at the National University of Singapore. Mentioned in this episode: Posen Library Teaching modules: here Jewish Studies Curriculum Initiative Fellowship: here Sarah Bunin Benor's “Jewish Culture around the world” Module: here Lila Corwin Berman's “Who Is American? Citizenship, Law, and Jewish History in the United States” Module: here Geraldine Gudefin's “Jewish Emancipation, Citizenship, and Belonging” Module: here Geoffrey Levin's “Jews of the Middle East and North Africa: Empire, Colonialism, and Identity” Module: here Karen E. H. Skinazi's “Sephardic Journeys: Literature, Memory, and Jewish Culture” Module: here Jewish Language Project: here Jewish Cultures on the Map: here Jewish English Lexicon: here 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

Bring the breadth of Jewish history and civilization into your classroom with ready-to-use teaching modules curated by experts. The Posen Library is an educational resource grounded in primary sources and made broadly accessible through the creation and curation of engaging contextual material. Its goal is to highlight the varieties of Jewish culture and civilization across time and space for English-speaking audiences and to be the first stop for those, in university settings and beyond, who are interested in teaching about the significant breadth of Jewish experiences. Originally conceived as a 10-volume print anthology, the Posen Library's free digital platform makes the published content globally accessible. Content from print volumes is added to the site as the volumes are published by Yale University Press. Nine out of the ten volumes have been published to date. The Jewish Studies Curriculum Initiative comprises teaching modules centered around core teaching topics. Each module consists of an overview and curricular material that can be used in four class meetings, focusing on 20–25 primary sources (texts, images, and other media) with interpretive content and supplementary resources for both students and instructors. Posen Library curricula offer flexibility and are designed to be easily integrated into coursework in a variety of ways—perfect for launching a new class or refreshing a syllabus to include new perspectives and voices. Sarah Bunin Benor is Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Linguistics at Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah is assistant professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and the Senior Scholar for Pedagogy at the Posen Library. Geraldine Gudefin is a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Asian Legal Studies at the National University of Singapore. Mentioned in this episode: Posen Library Teaching modules: here Jewish Studies Curriculum Initiative Fellowship: here Sarah Bunin Benor's “Jewish Culture around the world” Module: here Lila Corwin Berman's “Who Is American? Citizenship, Law, and Jewish History in the United States” Module: here Geraldine Gudefin's “Jewish Emancipation, Citizenship, and Belonging” Module: here Geoffrey Levin's “Jews of the Middle East and North Africa: Empire, Colonialism, and Identity” Module: here Karen E. H. Skinazi's “Sephardic Journeys: Literature, Memory, and Jewish Culture” Module: here Jewish Language Project: here Jewish Cultures on the Map: here Jewish English Lexicon: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

Bring the breadth of Jewish history and civilization into your classroom with ready-to-use teaching modules curated by experts. The Posen Library is an educational resource grounded in primary sources and made broadly accessible through the creation and curation of engaging contextual material. Its goal is to highlight the varieties of Jewish culture and civilization across time and space for English-speaking audiences and to be the first stop for those, in university settings and beyond, who are interested in teaching about the significant breadth of Jewish experiences. Originally conceived as a 10-volume print anthology, the Posen Library's free digital platform makes the published content globally accessible. Content from print volumes is added to the site as the volumes are published by Yale University Press. Nine out of the ten volumes have been published to date. The Jewish Studies Curriculum Initiative comprises teaching modules centered around core teaching topics. Each module consists of an overview and curricular material that can be used in four class meetings, focusing on 20–25 primary sources (texts, images, and other media) with interpretive content and supplementary resources for both students and instructors. Posen Library curricula offer flexibility and are designed to be easily integrated into coursework in a variety of ways—perfect for launching a new class or refreshing a syllabus to include new perspectives and voices. Sarah Bunin Benor is Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Linguistics at Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah is assistant professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and the Senior Scholar for Pedagogy at the Posen Library. Geraldine Gudefin is a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Asian Legal Studies at the National University of Singapore. Mentioned in this episode: Posen Library Teaching modules: here Jewish Studies Curriculum Initiative Fellowship: here Sarah Bunin Benor's “Jewish Culture around the world” Module: here Lila Corwin Berman's “Who Is American? Citizenship, Law, and Jewish History in the United States” Module: here Geraldine Gudefin's “Jewish Emancipation, Citizenship, and Belonging” Module: here Geoffrey Levin's “Jews of the Middle East and North Africa: Empire, Colonialism, and Identity” Module: here Karen E. H. Skinazi's “Sephardic Journeys: Literature, Memory, and Jewish Culture” Module: here Jewish Language Project: here Jewish Cultures on the Map: here Jewish English Lexicon: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/education

Bring the breadth of Jewish history and civilization into your classroom with ready-to-use teaching modules curated by experts. The Posen Library is an educational resource grounded in primary sources and made broadly accessible through the creation and curation of engaging contextual material. Its goal is to highlight the varieties of Jewish culture and civilization across time and space for English-speaking audiences and to be the first stop for those, in university settings and beyond, who are interested in teaching about the significant breadth of Jewish experiences. Originally conceived as a 10-volume print anthology, the Posen Library's free digital platform makes the published content globally accessible. Content from print volumes is added to the site as the volumes are published by Yale University Press. Nine out of the ten volumes have been published to date. The Jewish Studies Curriculum Initiative comprises teaching modules centered around core teaching topics. Each module consists of an overview and curricular material that can be used in four class meetings, focusing on 20–25 primary sources (texts, images, and other media) with interpretive content and supplementary resources for both students and instructors. Posen Library curricula offer flexibility and are designed to be easily integrated into coursework in a variety of ways—perfect for launching a new class or refreshing a syllabus to include new perspectives and voices. Sarah Bunin Benor is Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Linguistics at Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah is assistant professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and the Senior Scholar for Pedagogy at the Posen Library. Geraldine Gudefin is a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Asian Legal Studies at the National University of Singapore. Mentioned in this episode: Posen Library Teaching modules: here Jewish Studies Curriculum Initiative Fellowship: here Sarah Bunin Benor's “Jewish Culture around the world” Module: here Lila Corwin Berman's “Who Is American? Citizenship, Law, and Jewish History in the United States” Module: here Geraldine Gudefin's “Jewish Emancipation, Citizenship, and Belonging” Module: here Geoffrey Levin's “Jews of the Middle East and North Africa: Empire, Colonialism, and Identity” Module: here Karen E. H. Skinazi's “Sephardic Journeys: Literature, Memory, and Jewish Culture” Module: here Jewish Language Project: here Jewish Cultures on the Map: here Jewish English Lexicon: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

Bring the breadth of Jewish history and civilization into your classroom with ready-to-use teaching modules curated by experts. The Posen Library is an educational resource grounded in primary sources and made broadly accessible through the creation and curation of engaging contextual material. Its goal is to highlight the varieties of Jewish culture and civilization across time and space for English-speaking audiences and to be the first stop for those, in university settings and beyond, who are interested in teaching about the significant breadth of Jewish experiences. Originally conceived as a 10-volume print anthology, the Posen Library's free digital platform makes the published content globally accessible. Content from print volumes is added to the site as the volumes are published by Yale University Press. Nine out of the ten volumes have been published to date. The Jewish Studies Curriculum Initiative comprises teaching modules centered around core teaching topics. Each module consists of an overview and curricular material that can be used in four class meetings, focusing on 20–25 primary sources (texts, images, and other media) with interpretive content and supplementary resources for both students and instructors. Posen Library curricula offer flexibility and are designed to be easily integrated into coursework in a variety of ways—perfect for launching a new class or refreshing a syllabus to include new perspectives and voices. Sarah Bunin Benor is Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Linguistics at Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah is assistant professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and the Senior Scholar for Pedagogy at the Posen Library. Geraldine Gudefin is a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Asian Legal Studies at the National University of Singapore. Mentioned in this episode: Posen Library Teaching modules: here Jewish Studies Curriculum Initiative Fellowship: here Sarah Bunin Benor's “Jewish Culture around the world” Module: here Lila Corwin Berman's “Who Is American? Citizenship, Law, and Jewish History in the United States” Module: here Geraldine Gudefin's “Jewish Emancipation, Citizenship, and Belonging” Module: here Geoffrey Levin's “Jews of the Middle East and North Africa: Empire, Colonialism, and Identity” Module: here Karen E. H. Skinazi's “Sephardic Journeys: Literature, Memory, and Jewish Culture” Module: here Jewish Language Project: here Jewish Cultures on the Map: here Jewish English Lexicon: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the U.S. wages war in the Middle East that American Christians support, do we remember that some of the people beneath those bombs are fellow Christians? And even when they are not Christians, how can we forget that Jesus calls us to love our neighbor and enemy alike? Mennonite pastor, writer, screenwriter, and activist Nathan Perrin joins Craig for a conversation about the people Western headlines often leave out. Nathan has spent nearly a decade working alongside Assyrians, Kurds, Palestinians, and other Middle Eastern communities through local organizing and visits to northern Iraq. He recounts visiting an Assyrian church that had been rebuilt again and again after attempts to destroy it. A cross in its courtyard covered in bullet holes. Yet when new bombardments began, Christian and Muslim neighbors exchanged keys to their homes so each family would have a place of safety. That act of neighbor-love stands in sharp contrast to the fear often preached in American churches. Craig and Nathan explore why the word evangelical carries painful baggage in parts of the Middle East. Ancient Christian communities have sometimes been treated as mission targets, while humanitarian aid has been tied to conversion. Nathan challenges us to consider whether people abroad encounter Jesus through Western Christianity, or the pressure of empire. The conversation also covers: Christian communities in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine How US military action creates blowback against local Christians and Muslims Dispensationalism and unquestioning Christian support for the State of Israel The difference between loving Jewish neighbors and defending a government Craig's Ramadan meal with a Muslim neighbor Assyrians, Yazidis, Mandaeans, and other overlooked communities Christian nationalism, political personality cults, and closed media silos Books, sermons, documentaries, and films for deeper learning Nathan reminds listeners that ordinary Muslims he has met often describe Christians in simple terms: “Christians are our neighbors.” What would change if the Western church began there?

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly all Middle Eastern oil flows, has prompted Saudi Arabia to call for a maritime defense coalition to protect Red Sea shipping. For perspective on the proposal, Geoff Bennett spoke with Ian Ralby. He's a global maritime security expert, president of Auxilium Worldwide, and a senior fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In this explosive episode of the Energy News Beat Daily Standup, host Stu Turley breaks down ten major stories that expose a widening chasm between what financial markets are signaling and what's actually happening on the ground in global energy infrastructure.From a $40-50 disconnect between paper oil prices and physical barrel delivery costs, to California's dramatic collapse from 38 refineries down to just seven, Turley reveals how geopolitical tensions, regulatory overreach, and decades of underinvestment are creating a perfect storm in energy security.With Russian refining capacity crippled by drone strikes, Middle Eastern facilities under attack, and the UN quietly admitting its climate doomsday scenarios were implausible, this episode challenges conventional wisdom on energy policy and makes a compelling case that energy security truly starts at home—through domestic production capacity, not wishful thinking about net-zero mandates that have cost over $10 trillion while delivering far less energy independence than nuclear investment could have provided.1. Oil Price Disconnect: Paper vs. Physical MarketsWTI futures hovering in low-to-mid $90s while physical delivery costs ~$120$40-50 premium between paper markets and actual barrel acquisitionRefinery crack spreads at historic highs (96% in US)Future traders focused on de-escalation; physical markets screaming warnings2. Two Solutions to Reduce Fuel PricesIncrease refining capacity – No new US refineries in decades; first new one coming to Brownsville, Texas (2025)Demand destruction – Governor Newsom's attempts failed; demand only slightly down as people leave CaliforniaPhysics matter; policy must align with infrastructure reality3. Global Refining CrisisRussia: Every refinery hit by drones; capacity down to 40%India: Only country with spare refining capacityQatar: Down from 77-80 MTPA to 12 MTPA due to Strait of Hormuz blockadeQatar Energy adapting: Using US carriers to maintain contracts4. Middle East Security ThreatsIraq militias attacking Saudi refineries for second consecutive daySaudi air defenses intercepting dronesEgypt also targetedBab-El-Mendeb Strait closure = $120 oil; currently at $845. LNG Market BoomSurge in Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) for new liquefaction capacity84 million tons of new capacity in 2025; 37 MTPA in first half 2026US leading project growthLNG must bypass choke points for true energy security6. Venezuela Oil Resurgence$13 billion in sales since Maduro's captureProduction rebounding: 800K barrels/day (January) → 1.2M barrels/day (March-April)Chevron and Exxon positioning for expansionPotential model for Iranian recovery (without IRGC)7. US Crude Inventory DeclineDown 7.2 million barrels to 404.5 millionCushing, Oklahoma at 18.6 million barrels (near operational bottom of 20M)Cushing lost importance to world oil pricingParadox: Empty Cushing should support prices, but doesn't8. California's Transportation Fuel Infrastructure CollapseDemands 58 million gallons daily: 37M gasoline, 11M jet fuel, 10M dieselRefinery count: 38 → 7 (6 more closing due to CARB regulations)Limited import pipes; insufficient storage capacityProduction declining sharply while demand remains highMost expensive transportation fuels in nation for residents9. Natural Gas Success StoryExpand Energy (NASDAQ: EXE) reports 27.5 MMCF/day from Hainesville wildcatNorth America's largest independent natural gas producer performing wellVectorVest rating: Buy10. Europe's Energy Crisis: Nuclear Shutdown During Heat WaveFrance shutting off GoFan2 nuclear reactor due to 40°C heat waveNuclear plants rely on river water for cooling (design flaw)Environmental regulations limit water discharge temperatureEU electricity mix: 30% wind/solar (vs. 29% fossil fuels) – but at what cost?De-industrialization and higher consumer costs11. Climate Policy ReckoningUN climate panel quietly admits doomsday scenarios were implausible$10.4 trillion spent on wind and solar globallyAlternative scenario: Same investment in nuclear = 174 additional reactors (vs. 94 current US reactors) + 1,700 worldwideNet-zero policies result in 38% higher consumer energy costs in blue statesFear-mongering and policy misalignment with physics12. Key Takeaway: Energy Security Starts at HomeDomestic production capacity is criticalEnergy dominance displayed through exportsRealistic policy must account for infrastructure constraintsNeighbor-to-neighbor preparedness (emergency power solutions like Jackery)1.Oil Prices Ignore the Warnings of the Physical Markets. Refinery Crack Spreads Grow2.Iraq Militias Attack Saudi Oil Facilities for a Second Day3.LNG Vessel Demand Soars as US Leads Project Growth, and Qatar is Offline4.QatarEnergy Adapting while Protecting its Revenue Stream5.U.S. Sale of Venezuela's Oil Hits $13 Billion Since Maduro Capture6.US Crude Oil Inventories Decreased by 7.2 mb to 404.5 mb7.The impending collapse of California's transportation fuel infrastructure8.Expand Energy's First Far Western Haynesville Wildcat IPs 27.5 MMcf/d9.France Shuts Off More Nuclear Power as Heat Builds Across Europe, Sparking an Energy Domino of FailuresStill very relevant - 10: UN Climate Panel Quietly Admits Its Doomsday Climate Scenarios Were ‘Implausible' – How much money has been spent on Net Zero because of lies?Check the articles on https://theenergynewsbeat.substack.com/A shout-out to Steve Reese and the Reese Energy Consulting group for sponsoring the Podcast https://reeseenergyconsulting.com/.Data2 if you have any business systems, can you trust A? Well, they have the patent on validation. . https://data2.zoholandingpage.com/energyAnd we have WellDatabase rolling in as a new sponsor. https://welldatabase.com/

Jonathan follows the latest renewed hostilities between the US and Iran, as other Middle Eastern nations are being drawn into the fray (Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq). In other news, 2025 was the deadliest year for Jews living outside Israel in more than three decades, as anti-Semitic attacks have increased worldwide since the Oct. 7, 2023 incident. Just in the US, there were an average of 17+ attacks per day, with a total of 6,274 reported domestic incidents -- more than any other country..

Middle Eastern pipelines would make for an exciting 21st-century updated game of Monopoly or Risk. Pipelines are the currency of the region's latest efforts to rethink energy security and reduce Gulf state and Iraqi dependence on the embattled Strait of Hormuz. Increasing the capacity of existing pipelines and building new ones is no panacea for the immediate crisis, from which Iran will likely emerge as a, if not the key, player in the waterway through which 20 per cent of the world's energy trade flows. Future pipelines are a mid-term goal; they have little impact on current efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Moreover, the prospect of diverting up to 60 percent of the flow of oil and gas away from the Strait of Hormuz could stiffen Iran's position in current negotiations, given that future alternative infrastructure would reduce rather than eliminate its leverage. Add to that the fact that pipelines and other alternative infrastructure do not eradicate risk; they diversify it for some Gulf energy exporters.

//The Wire//2300Z July 27, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: WEEKEND SHOOTING REPORTED AT SEATTLE FESTIVAL. VEHICLE RAMMING ATTACK REPORTED IN BERLIN. STABBING ATTACK REPORTED IN PARIS. IRANIAN TARGETING CONTINUES TO STRIKE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT MIDDLE EAST, U.S. HAS NOT RESPONDED YET.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Middle East: After the intense Iranian targeting of American positions Friday evening, sporadic Iranian drone strikes have been reported throughout the region. Other than targeting American positions, Iranian drone attacks have also been observed striking Kurdish militia encampments in northeastern Iraq. On the American side, CENTCOM has not disclosed any strikes within Iran for several days.Red Sea/HOA: Nearly the entire Jazan Refinery in Saudi Arabia remains on fire following the Houthi targeting on Saturday. As of last night, fire detection satellites indicated that most of the facility has been totally destroyed and satellite imagery from yesterday indicates a very large fire at this facility is still burning and the smoke plume stretches over 50 miles to the south.Europe: This morning Iran issued a public condemnation of the Ukrainian targeting of a Russian vessel. Over the weekend a Ukrainian drone struck a Russian vessel, which resulted in the death of one crew member. This crew member happened to be an Iranian citizen, which prompted Foreign Minister Araghchi to issue a statement of outrage.Analyst Comment: It is very unlikely that the Ukrainians would have known that one random crewmember onboard a vessel was technically Iranian, but intentional or not, this incident is another step towards linking the war in Europe with the conflict in the Middle East.Germany: On Sunday, a vehicle ramming attack was reported at the Pride festival in Berlin. One assailant ramming his vehicle into a crowd in the vicinity of the Tiergarden west of the Brandenburg Gate, killing one person and wounding 29 others. After the ramming, the suspect exited the vehicle and reportedly stabbed several people with a machete, before fleeing the scene. This prompted a nationwide manhunt for the assailant that was carried out Sunday afternoon. By Sunday evening, the suspect had been located in a residential area of Spandau. Once located, the suspect allegedly tried to stab the arresting officers, which resulted in the suspect being shot and killed. The suspect was identified as Abdul Ballout, who had reportedly just been released from a juvenile detention facility.France: This morning a stabbing attack was reported in Paris, near Porte de Clichy. One assailant stabbed 3x women on the street, before being restrained by bystanders and an off-duty police officer. While being held down by responding citizens, the attacker claimed that the attack was Islamic in nature, prompting the government to classify this incident as a terror attack.-HomeFront-Washington: Yesterday a shooting was reported at the Bite of Seattle food festival at the Seattle Center. Multiple black/Middle Eastern males began shooting at each other inside a crowd at the event, which resulted in 3x people killed, and 4x others wounded.Analyst Comment: This incident was initially reported as a mass shooting, however the multiple shooters were not targeting the crowd, as this was almost certainly a gang/cultural shooting. As a result of the cultural implications, Seattle Police have not released the name of the suspect(s) they have in custody, nor have they released the photo of the suspect which remains at large.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Despite the substantial Iranian targeting over the past few days, the American response has so far been very minimal and no meaningful strikes have been conducted since Friday night within Iran. This is probably a reflection of the calm before the storm, as the United States continues to stage assets for a large scale attack sometime soon. Over the weekend, many phone calls were likely made which may have delayed whatever American targeting was planned to take place, as several Iranian/Houthi targeting efforts appear to have been more substantial than expected. The Houthi strike on the Jazan Refinery was very clearly an extremely devastating strike from the Houthis, which probably caused the Saudis pause regarding how much hurt the Houthis can bring to the table. Similarly, the heavy targeting of Erbil (and Patriot battery at this base) has likely resulted in a degradation of air defenses in this sector. How bad the damage is, is anyone's guess, but based on the scorch marks observed from space last week, it is hard to imagine this air defense site remaining operational. The Iranians have also claimed to have struck half a dozen other air defense sites throughout the region, but these can't be verified until better satellite imagery is available. Which might take time due to the deliberate censorship of imagery as mandated by the U.S. government.Over the past few weeks, anecdotal evidence from locals on the ground throughout the region has increasingly indicated fewer and fewer successful interceptions of Iranian munitions. These reports are very hard to quantify as most of the time it's a shepherd looking up and visually seeing the interceptors miss the Iranian missile, or no interceptors being launched in the first place. Obviously, these reports are about as unconfirmed as it can get, but the smoking craters that are visible on satellite imagery add a lot of credence to the general theory that, for whatever reason, interceptions are not as effective as advertised. However, as it stands the U.S. will probably respond in some way, not just because of the scale of the Iranian missile strikes, but also the fact that this targeting (and the collapse of the ceasefire) has resulted in the Strait of Hormuz remaining fully closed. What that response will be or when it will be carried out, only time will tell.Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269 Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//

Nancy Guthrie has spent years helping Christians understand how the whole Bible fits together and how every part of Scripture leads us to behold Jesus Christ. She is a Bible teacher, author, host of Help Me Teach the Bible, and a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary whose Biblical Theology Workshops have equipped Bible teachers across the United States and around the world. In this conversation, Nancy joins Mike Neglia to discuss the relationship between biblical theology and faithful Bible teaching. She explains why understanding the Bible's unfolding story should produce joy and assurance, how God's plan is even better than Eden, and how teachers can point people to Christ without forcing Jesus into every detail of a passage.Nancy also shares practical wisdom about sermon preparation and delivery. She reflects on the strengths and limitations of outlines and full manuscripts, the importance of loving people more than our notes, and why going off script is not always as spontaneous as it appears. She recommends resources for growing in biblical theology and introduces the vision behind the Beholding Christ project.The conversation also looks back on Help Me Teach the Bible, the influential podcast in which Nancy interviewed skilled preachers and teachers about communicating particular books of Scripture faithfully and effectively. She reflects on what she learned from those conversations, including Iain Duguid's approach to Judges and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and tells a moving story about the courage of Christians in Afghanistan. This episode will encourage pastors, Bible study leaders and anyone who wants to understand the Scriptures more deeply, teach them more faithfully and help others see the beauty of Christ throughout the whole Bible.Resources Mentioned: Even Better Than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible's Story Changes Everything about Your StoryNancy's official book page, including the nine biblical-theological themes running from Genesis to Revelation:https://www.nancyguthrie.com/even-better-than-eden Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of RevelationNancy's official page for her study of Revelation, focused on endurance, judgement, salvation and the coming new creation:https://www.nancyguthrie.com/revelation Why Middle Eastern Women Want to Learn to Teach the BibleThis is the episode containing the Afghan Christian woman, alongside women from several Middle Eastern countries. The Afghan participant discusses helping her husband minister through house churches and reaching women with the gospel.https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/women-middle-east-want-learn-teach-bible/ Julius Kim on Teaching for Attention and RetentionNancy Guthrie speaks with Julius Kim about communicating in ways that help listeners pay attention, understand and retain what they hear.https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/julius-kim-teaching-retention/ Iain Duguid on JudgesNancy and Iain Duguid discuss teaching Judges, understanding its structure and preaching Christ from one of the Bible's darkest books.https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/ian-duguid-on-judges/ 

In this explosive episode of On The Record, Christian Briggs exposes the highly coordinated, multi-billion-dollar plot to fundamentally dismantle Western civilization and replace the American republic. The globalist establishment insists that open borders and demographic shifts are just organic, historical changes. They are lying. We are witnessing a managed decline, and if you want to see the terrifying endgame, you only need to look across the Atlantic.The European blueprint is already locked in. Driven by mass migration, younger average ages, and higher fertility rates, the Muslim share of Europe's total population skyrocketed from 3.8% in 2010 to 4.9% by 2016. With the native European population rapidly aging, this demographic is projected to reach up to 14% of the continent by 2050 under the high-migration scenarios favored by the establishment. This isn't assimilation; it is a mathematical and cultural replacement, fueled by a younger median age of roughly 30 years old and a fertility rate of 2.6 children per woman.But while Europe falls to physical migration, America is being conquered from the inside out through a sophisticated ideological capture. Briggs follows the paper trail to reveal how foreign adversaries are literally buying the minds of our future leaders. Qatar stands as the largest overall foreign institutional donor to American higher education, funneling billions into elite universities like Harvard and Cornell to fund Middle Eastern studies, Islamic programs, and campus centers that breed anti-American radicalism.This foreign infiltration is seamlessly paired with a massive, decentralized domestic funding network. Billions of dollars flow annually from Muslim-American donors through religious obligations like Zakat and institutional giving. This war chest is weaponized by organizations like the Islamic Scholarship Fund, which explicitly targets the two pillars of American influence: public policy and media. By placing radicalized graduates directly into newsrooms and congressional offices, this network—in an unholy alliance with the progressive, Marxist Left—is deliberately rewriting our laws and manipulating our national narrative.The establishment wants you to feel isolated, helpless, and afraid to speak out. But they have a massive blind spot: the patriotic American citizen. This episode is a wake-up call and a battle plan. By exposing the foreign money, rejecting the globalist lies, and organizing at the local level, we can unravel their entire agenda. The hostile takeover is real, but the American people still hold the ultimate power to stop it.

As military operations against Iran enter what appears to be an operational pause, the broader regional conflict is expanding in dangerous and unexpected ways. In this episode of STRAT, retired Marine intelligence officer LtCol. Hal Kempfer examines how Tehran is widening the battlefield by empowering its Houthi proxies to disrupt critical maritime chokepoints while drawing Saudi Arabia into more direct combat. Hal analyzes the strategic importance of the Bab el Mandeb Strait, the Strait of Hormuz, and the growing threats to global energy markets and international shipping. He also explores Ukraine's unprecedented drone strikes against Iran-Russia military logistics in the Caspian Sea, highlighting how the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are increasingly converging into a single strategic contest. Finally, Hal assesses reports of new Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and explains why the current pause in military operations could rapidly give way to renewed kinetic action across multiple theaters.Takeaways:Iran has transformed the Houthis into a more direct operational extension of the IRGC, expanding Tehran's military reach beyond its borders.Simultaneous threats to the Bab el Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz place unprecedented pressure on global shipping and energy supplies.Saudi Arabia has shifted from defensive measures to direct military operations against Houthi positions and Iranian-backed infrastructure.The Red Sea has become a central battlefield affecting international commerce, oil exports, and regional security.Ukraine's drone strikes in the Caspian Sea demonstrate the growing intersection between the Ukraine war and Iran's regional ambitions.Russia's military partnership with Iran continues to blur the lines between the European and Middle Eastern conflicts.Any confirmed Iranian mining or attacks in the Strait of Hormuz could quickly end the current operational pause and trigger broader military action.The emerging conflict is no longer confined to isolated regions but is evolving into a connected, multi-theater strategic confrontation with global consequences.#STRATPodcast #HalKempfer #MutualBroadcastingSystem #StrategicRiskAnalysis #Iran #MiddleEast #RedSea #Houthis #IRGC #SaudiArabia #StraitOfHormuz #BabElMandeb #Ukraine #Russia #CaspianSea #MaritimeSecurity #GlobalShipping #EnergySecurity #Geopolitics #NationalSecurity

This Is The G Podcast Episode: 321 STOCKBRIDGE POWER STRUGGLE Hosts: Hitman Howie & Tommy B In this episode: U.S. military fatalities linked to tensions with Iran in the Middle East ·         Impact of Middle Eastern conflicts on global energy and economy ·        The controversial ending of "The Chi" streaming series and its cultural significance ·         Georgia political race: The dynamics of the gubernatorial and Senate races ·         Local politics: The investigation and suspension of Stockbridge Mayor Jaden Williams ·        The Toast restaurant boycott controversy and implications for Black-owned businesses ·        The autopsy findings of Nolan Wells and the role of NAACP and civil rights leaders ·        LeBron James' career trajectory and his influence beyond basketball ·         "The Chi" Series Finale & Cultural Reflection: . Tommy B reviews the journey of "The Chi," highlighting its thematic success in portraying community and transition, despite criticisms over darkness and directing. Listen to the full episode and catch up on the back catalog at: www.castropolis.net

Newly released documents tied to the Epstein files shed light on the long-mysterious blue-and-white striped building on Jeffrey Epstein's private island, Little Saint James. Correspondence shows that Epstein repeatedly referred to the structure as a “mosque,” although its intended purpose shifted over time—at various points being described as a music room, chapel, pavilion, or spa-like bathhouse. Despite those changing plans, Epstein consistently pushed for Middle Eastern-inspired design elements, including specific tiles, a golden dome, and interior features modeled after Islamic architecture.The documents also reveal that Epstein went to unusual lengths to acquire authentic Islamic artifacts, including highly significant items linked to Mecca's Kaaba—Islam's holiest site—such as pieces of the sacred Kiswa cloth. Emails show he leveraged connections with Middle Eastern elites and Saudi-linked figures to obtain these materials, reflecting what appears to be a years-long fascination with Islamic art and culture. However, there is no clear evidence the building was ever used as an actual place of worship, leaving its true purpose ambiguous and adding another layer of controversy to the already infamous island.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Epstein obtained sacred items from Mecca for unusual ‘mosque' on his private island | The IndependentBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

President Trump said on Thursday that a new nuclear energy deal with Saudi Arabia will require the Arab kingdom to normalize relations with Israel. That marked a turn, a day after the administration announced the signing of the agreement without mentioning that precondition. Trump said in an online post that the deal “will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump's condition that Saudi Arabia join the accords that would establish relations with Israel. And tick, tock, goes the end times clock.“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” Daniel 9:27 (KJB)On this episode of the Prophecy News Podcast, the stunning part of this announcement is not simply that Washington and Riyadh have negotiated a civilian nuclear partnership. It is that President Trump has now placed Israel at the hinge of the entire arrangement. The Energy Department announced a decades-long nuclear-cooperation agreement on July 22; Trump then declared that its implementation is “totally subject” to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations with Israel. Nuclear power, American technology, Saudi wealth, regional security and peace with Israel are being bound together inside one enormous geopolitical package. Saudi Arabia has always been the crown jewel of Trump's Abraham Accords. Bringing the kingdom into formal relations with Israel would transform the accords from a collection of normalization agreements into the framework for an entirely new Middle Eastern order.Psalm 83 presents Israel surrounded by enemies conspiring against its continued existence. Jeremiah 30:7 points forward to the unparalleled “time of Jacob's trouble.” Daniel 9:27 reveals a covenant that appears to provide order and security before producing betrayal, abomination and desolation. Taken together, these passages paint a sobering picture: Israel's search for peace will ultimately produce an agreement powerful enough to reorganize the region, persuasive enough to gain Israel's confidence and broad enough to include “many.” Trump may not be the man who ultimately confirms Daniel's covenant, but he is absolutely helping construct the diplomatic machinery that the coming man of sin will inherit. The names and circumstances are impossible to ignore: the Abraham Accords, Israel at the center, Saudi Arabia as the decisive partner, multiple nations being gathered, promises of peace and security, and now nuclear technology being used as leverage to seal the deal. Come with us as we take another ‘giant step' on the end times timeline!!

2.29 INTRO ScheduleWhiskeyjack interview - Legends of the Hidden Force, IMPACT - everything you need to know about o-ring rivetsNext livestream 7/27 SDCCFOLLOW-UPGrunt & Dawn pushed back - more on that laterBigBad wait listTriple T talk next week!Things you might have shipping soon, updates since last episodeRANK & FILE CARD - LADY JAYECOVERT OPERATIONSCode Name: LADY JAYEFile Name: Hart-Burnett, Alison R.SN: 853-71-6749Primary Specialty: IntelligenceSecondary Specialty: Personnel clerk (A Military Administrative Specialist (often called a Military Admin Clerk or Human Resources Specialist in armed forces units) is responsible for providing administrative and personnel support to ensure the smooth operation of military units. This role combines clerical expertise, organizational skills, and strict adherence to military regulations and procedures.Military administrative personnel handle records management, correspondence, reporting, and coordination tasks while maintaining confidentiality and operational security.)Birthplace: Martha's Vineyard, Mass.Grade: E-4Lady Jaye graduated from Bryn Mawr and did her graduate work at Trinity College in Dublin where she acquired the faint Gaelic lilt that adorns her speech. An accomplished actress and mime as well as a studied linguist, she can easily pass as a native in France, Italy, Poland, Russia, Germany, Afghanistan, Spain, and Portugal.Airborne and Ranger qualified, graduated intelligence school Fort Holabird. Qualified expert: M-16, M1911A1 and reflex crossbow."Lady Jaye doesn't go in for that phoney wig and rubber mask brand of disguise like those jokers on Mission Improbable...She becomes the subject: body language, subtle gesture, correct shading of dialect - The right look in the eye. Cloaked and sandaled, she can squat down with a basket of oranges, in any Middle Eastern marketplace and blend in perfectly."G.I. GONZO - OPERATION CAMILLA INSTRUMENTS OF DESTRUCTION - Devilfish (Kristian)KNOWING IS HALF THE BABBLESHOW CLOSEMusic is by Chris Lodge of Neon WarlordsFollow us on IG at audibleinterludepodcast

Kyla Nicole Healey explains how a trained competitive dancer from Long Island pivoted into an independent jazz and indie-pop singer-songwriter career, why she refuses to sign away her masters, and what it took to record at Abbey Road Studios in London without label backing. The Green Room crew press Healey on the realities of fusing jazz roots with contemporary, folk, and Middle Eastern influences on her debut EP, Butterfly, releasing June 28th on vinyl.The conversation covers how Healey built her sound by listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan on vinyl records with her father since age three, performed at Alvin Ailey City Center in New York, traveled with the Zodiac Dance Company, and eventually followed her intuition to Los Angeles at 21 with almost no industry connections. A Long Island dancer turned genre-fusing vocalist, Healey represents a growing wave of independent artists choosing creative ownership over label infrastructure at every stage of their careers.

How do harmful cultural norms, traditions, and deeply rooted beliefs impact intimate partner relationships—and what can we do to change them?To help us unpack this important topic, our host, Nandini Raywas joined by two distinguished members of the Pakistani community: Ahsan Qazi and Maria Ahmad. Ahsan Qazi is a writer, researcher, entrepreneur, and sociologist with a deep interest in understanding the forces that shape society. Ahsan has a bachelor's degree in English Literature and Sociology, followed by an MBA in Strategy and Innovation. He is the founder of One Voice: Pakistan and World Affairs in Sociological Perspective. Ahsan has written extensively on social, political, and global issues, with his work published in Eurasia Review. His research explores inequality, governance, identity, and the growing impact of artificialintelligence on society, political beliefs, and human behavior. Professionally, he has spent more than eight years working inenterprise technology and technical communication, and he is the founder and CEO of Marvalero, where he is building an AI-powered platform for businesses and creators. While technology is an important part of what he does, his deeperpassion has always been understanding people, how societies evolve, why institutions succeed or fail, and how ideas shape civilizations.Maria Ahmad is an international development professional with two decades of experience working at the intersection of gender, migration, and institutional accountability across the UN agencies, INGOs, and independent consultancies. Her work has repeatedly returned to the question of how women, particularly migrant and minority women, are represented, protected, and structurally excluded within the systems meant to serve them, from her early reporting career in Pakistan as an award-winning journalist covering social and gender issues - including reports on MukhtaraMai's jirga-approved gang rape and accompanying her to the Pakistan Parliament tofight for justice - to her recent gender-mainstreaming review of Uruguay's National Migrant Integration Plan with UN Women and IOM, where she examined how policy frameworks fail to account for gender even when they claim to be gender-responsive. Maria's career began injournalism in Pakistan, where she reported for GEO TV, BBC Radio, and Canadian broadcasters before moving into humanitarian and development work with IOM,where she spent years designing accountability and communication systems for displaced and vulnerable populations, including large-scale crisis response inPakistan. She has since worked on safeguarding frameworks addressing gender-specific vulnerability and trafficking risk, advised on AI-enabled toolsfor documenting technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and written on the representation of immigrant communities in public discourse. As a Pakistani woman who has lived and worked across South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American contexts, she brings both a personal vantage point on the patriarchal norms shaping South Asian family and partner relationships, and a professional lens on how those norms show up — often invisibly — in the policies andinstitutions built around them. Host: Nandini Ray, Sr. Manager, Outreach, Prevention &Policy Advocacy at Maitri. (E) nandini@maitri.orgVisit: www.maitri.org

Renewed tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz have refocused attention on supply security, freight costs and export flows across Asian refined products markets. While demand for gasoline, gasoil, jet fuel and naphtha remained broadly resilient, market participants are once again assessing the risk of disruptions to Middle Eastern exports and their impact on regional trade flows.  In this episode of the Platts Oil Markets Podcast, Jonathan Nonis, Associate Editorial Director, is joined by the Asian oil product editorial team of Wanda Wang, Rachelle Teo and Joshua Ong to discuss how renewed geopolitical uncertainty is influencing gasoline, gasoil, jet fuel and naphtha markets in the region, the implications for supply, freight and arbitrage economics, and how buyers and sellers are adapting to a more volatile trading environment.

Nadia Sueoka is a Japanese belly dancer, choreographer, and instructor based in Singapore, with an international career spanning performances, teaching, and choreography around the world. Since beginning her professional career in 2005, she has trained extensively in Egypt and Turkey with world-renowned masters. Having traveled to more than 30 countries, she has developed a distinctive artistic style inspired by diverse cultures. An award-winning performer, Nadia is known for her powerful stage presence, exceptional musicality, and soulful improvisation. She has created over 100 choreographies in Oriental, Folklore, and Fusion styles. Her signature JAPANESE ORIENTAL FUSION series, which blends Middle Eastern dance with Japanese aesthetics, has earned international recognition for its originality and artistic vision. Nadia is the founder and artistic director of NADIA Oriental Dance Arts Singapore and NADIA ONLINE. She is regularly invited to perform, teach workshops, and serve as a judge at international festivals and competitions worldwide.In this episode you will learn about:- How belly dance helped her transform from a shy Japanese girl into a confident international artist- What makes Egyptian, Turkish, and Japanese dance philosophies so different- The story behind creating her signature Japanese Oriental Fusion style & how to blend two cultures without losing authenticity or respect- Why competition culture is transforming belly dance in Asia- The surprising mindset differences between Asian and Western dancersShow Notes to this episode:Follow Nadia Sueoka on Instagram, and FB.Details the BDE shows and training programs are available at www.JoinBDE.comFollow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

U.S. President Donald Trump has approved a 30-year agreement with Saudi Arabia to share civilian nuclear power technology. The deal, estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, aims to give U.S. companies a central role in developing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure while explicitly excluding foreign competitors. Normalization with Israel was not mentioned. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Prof Yossi Mann, a researcher in the Department of Middle Eastern studies in Bar-Ilan University. (Photo: AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipDonate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here:http://btml.us/thinkingmuslimThe Middle East is changing rapidly, but are we witnessing the end of conflict or simply the beginning of a new phase?In this episode of The Thinking Muslim, Muhammad Jalal sits down with geopolitical analyst Sami Hamdi to examine the shifting balance of power across the Middle East. From Donald Trump's claim that the war is over, to Iran's long-term strategy, the role of Saudi Arabia, the Houthis, and America's approach to the region, this conversation explores the political calculations shaping today's headlines.The discussion also examines whether attitudes towards Israel are beginning to change in both the United States and the United Kingdom, looking at JD Vance's comments on the Israel lobby, sanctions on violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and Andy Burnham's remarks on Palestine.The episode opens with reflections on the TPSS Conference in Istanbul and concludes with a personal conversation about Sami's outlook after years of analysing one of the world's most volatile regions.About Sami Hamdi:Sami Hamdi is a British journalist, political commentator, and risk intelligence advisor specialising in Middle Eastern affairs and international geopolitics. Renowned for his strategic analysis of the region, he regularly provides insight into the political, military, and diplomatic developments shaping the Middle East.In 2025, Hamdi was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while in the United States, reportedly in connection with statements he had made about the war in Gaza. Today, Sami Hamdi remains one of the leading voices analysing the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape of the Middle EastYou can find Sami Hamdi here:X: https://x.com/SALHACHIMIIG: https://www.instagram.com/salhachimi/‎Follow the The Thinking Muslim channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbDYCfV5PO199ImLqZ34Become a member here:https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipOr give your one-off donation here:https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/donateListen to the audio version of the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjVFnhNI3T9Gkw636aApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-thinking-muslim/id1471798762Purchase our Thinking Muslim mug: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/merchFind us on:X: https://x.com/thinking_muslimLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-thinking-muslim/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Thinking-Muslim-Podcast-105790781361490Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingmuslimpodcast/Telegram: https://t.me/thinkingmuslimBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thinkingmuslim.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.com/@thinkingmuslimpodcastFind Muhammad Jalal here:X: https://twitter.com/jalalaynInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jalalayns/Sign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.comWebsite Archive: https://www.thinkingmuslim.comDisclaimer:The views expressed in this video are those of the individual speaker(s) and do not represent the views of the host, producers, platform, or any affiliated organisation. This content is provided for lawful, informational, and analytical purposes only, and should not be taken as professional advice. Viewer discretion is advised. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Victoria Taft exposes the expanding Middle Eastern conflict, foreign subversion operations on U.S. soil, and newly declassified election intelligence. The Iran SITREP & Pickaxe Mountain: As hostiles resume, President Trump warns of strikes against Iran's most deeply buried underground nuclear site, Pickaxe Mountain, while naval blockades choke the regime's oil supply. Marco Rubio's Cuba Bombshell: Secretary of State Marco Rubio releases a 100-page State Department report detailing 60 years of Cuban active-measures operations inside America, exposing direct ties to Black Lives Matter, the National Lawyers Guild, and radical street networks. The 2020 China Interference Files: A look at newly unsealed records detailing Chinese database hacking and mail-in ballot exploitation in 2020 to favor Joe Biden. Hard-Hitting Interviews: Former UK Ambassador Edmond Fitton-Brown analyzes the Houthi blockade on Saudi Arabia and ground-troop options, while author Drew Thomas Allen breaks down the permanent deep-state playbook and the fight for the SAVE Act.

Interview with Keith Bowes, Managing Director & CEO of Future MetalsRecording date: 16th July 2026Future Metals is advancing a revised development strategy for its Panton platinum group metals (PGM) project in Western Australia, driven by stronger platinum and palladium prices and a potential infrastructure-sharing deal that could significantly reduce capital costs. Instead of building a new processing facility, the company is evaluating the acquisition and refurbishment of the nearby Savannah nickel plant, located about 70 km from Panton. This approach could cut upfront capital expenditure from an estimated A$270 million to under A$200 million, improving the project's economic viability.Panton hosts a substantial resource of 93 million tonnes at 1.4 grams per tonne palladium-equivalent, with a profile notably richer in platinum than most Australian PGM deposits. This platinum-heavy mix aligns more closely with high-value South African deposits and benefits from broader demand drivers, including industrial use, jewellery, and investment demand, rather than relying primarily on autocatalysts like palladium.Market conditions have improved since the project's 2023 scoping study. Platinum prices have risen to around $1,600 per ounce and palladium to $1,200–$1,300, supported by slower-than-expected electric vehicle adoption and sustained demand from hybrid vehicles. At the same time, supply risks in major producing regions such as South Africa and Russia are creating opportunities for new projects in stable jurisdictions like Australia.Future Metals is working with major shareholder Zeta Resources on a non-binding framework that could facilitate the Savannah plant acquisition. To manage transaction risk, the company plans to present both the Savannah-integrated option and a standalone development scenario in an updated scoping study due in late 2026.Meanwhile, native title negotiations, environmental baseline studies, and early offtake discussions including interest from Trafigura and a Middle Eastern refinery are underway. If successful, the project could begin production by 2029, positioning Panton as a new, lower-cost source of PGMs in a tightening global market.Learn More: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/future-metals-nlSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Social psychologist Aaron Pomerantz looks at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and antisemitism through the lense of culture. In Western culture, social worth is based in dignity, in Middle Eastern culture it is based on honor. EliminatingIsrael and Jews can restore self-worth in an honor-oriented mindset.

Shah's Halal started out as a food cart on the streets of Queens in New York City in 2005, selling gyros and rice bowls with Afghan flavors. The simple menu used 100% halal ingredients, a rarity at the time, but the demand for halal food kept growing. Although the quick-service menu now is more extensive, it's still very simple, said CEO Khalid Mashriqi during the podcast. Burgers, chicken sandwiches, wings, and falafel are options along with the rice bowls and gyros, and Shah's differentiates from other Middle Eastern concepts by its focus on halal ingredients and signature sauces — some now available at retail. The company is vertically integrated, complete with a USDA-certified facility for processing meat and a commissary, which makes halal sourcing and preparation less challenging. Franchising is powering growth, although a number of locations are company-owned. Listen to learn how Mashriqi and his team intend to focus on expanding to smaller, more diverse communities, how Shah's is partnering with a shawarma influencer to tell its story, and what's next for the menu and the concept. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts.Subscribe on Spotify.Menu Talk is a collaboration between Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News. You can subscribe to it wherever you listen to podcasts.

The War in Iran has claimed the lives of an additional three American military service members. Now, several media outlets are asking the question: "Is the conflict in Iran teetering on all-out war?" Greg and Holly get updates on the situation from NewsNation and share their thoughts on how this war continues to stretch on with no real end in sight.

How one state program looks to help boost and support healthcare and emergency services in rural Utah Sen. Lee continues push to largely end mail-in voting Three Americans killed in Middle Eastern conflicts AI tech industry workers sound an alarm; Utah's human-first AI initiative rolls forward Gov. Cox announces new restrictions for Pioneer Day fireworks Ask the Attorney: Man sentenced for manslaughter due to girlfriend's suicide Visit Salt Lake launches new campaign rebranding the capital city Top-ranked Utah mac-and-cheese maker heads to national competition

Matthew #59: The Curse Removed (Matthew 27:32-66) Rob Woodrum (7/19/26) Download It's amazing to me how much the crucifixion of one Middle Eastern man two millennia in the past has persistently and relentlessly invaded the imagination of humans right up until this present day. We just can't escape the cross. That cross emanates something we vaguely intuit. There is a key there and we can't shake it.The New Testament presents the crucifixion of Jesus as a central theme from which the hope of the gospel flows out. While a robust theology of this event was still in it's primitive stages in the minds of the NT writers – one thing is crystalline clear: Something VERY important happened in relation to the human condition and the future of the world when Jesus died on the cross. That much they unflinchingly declared.This Sunday we'll be reading the account of Jesus' crucifixion in our ongoing study of Matthew – we'll be reading Matthew 27:32-66.As you read over the passage – what other consequence of sin, if any, do we see Jesus bearing in our place? Are there connections to the curse from Gen 3 that you can pinpoint that Jesus takes on himself at the cross? We'll be looking at those specifically in our study.This, again, is a brutal yet beautiful passage – a window into the heart of God towards you and I. Hope you can be there this Sunday!Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

Former CIA Targeting Officer Sarah Adams reveals what she believes are some of the biggest national security threats facing the United States today, and why many Americans may have a false sense of security about the future.In this episode of Mayim Bialik's Breakdown, Sarah explains why the U.S. could be more vulnerable to terrorist attacks than many realize, whether the U.S. is currently facing an active terrorist threat, and how the same types of intelligence disconnects that contributed to 9/11 could still exist today. She breaks down why we need to rethink what a future homeland attack might actually look like, how terrorist organizations are evolving, and why groups like Al Qaeda may be more widespread than ever.Sarah shares shocking insights into sleeper cells operating within the U.S., foreign actors intentionally fueling political division to increase influence, the strategic relationship between Al Qaeda, Iran, and Syria, and why many terrorist groups are now organized around waves of coordinated attacks.She also discusses emerging security concerns, including airport vulnerabilities, the return of threats similar to the Shoe Bomb and the rise of "invisible" bombs, and what she believes went wrong from a security standpoint during the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting incident.Drawing from years spent targeting some of the world's most dangerous terrorists, Sarah recounts how she helped capture the Taliban's number two leader, the intelligence work that made it possible, and what qualities allowed her to gather critical information in some of the most hostile environments on Earth.We also explore intelligence deception campaigns, how disinformation operations work, and the warning signs people should recognize when evaluating information online.Sarah reveals what it was like to interrogate Middle Eastern male detainees as a Western woman, how individuals become radicalized, and the indoctrination systems inside terrorist camps that determine whether recruits become fighters, suicide bombers, propagandists, or support personnel.She explains how corruption within humanitarian systems can allow resources to be diverted toward terrorist organizations and how ordinary people may unknowingly contribute to funding foreign terrorist camps.We also break downHavana Syndrome, alleged energy weapon incidents, reports involving an investigator connected to the Epstein case, and what is currently known (and still unknown) about these controversial claims.Sarah also discusses the role of social media algorithms in radicalization, whether platforms like TikTok are shaping the opinions of younger generations, and the broader information war being fought online.She opens up about living under a bounty, receiving threats from terrorist organizations, dealing with alleged surveillance around her home, and how she manages the psychological stress that comes with being a target. She shares practical advice on disaster preparedness, what average citizens can do to become more resilient during crises, and why the culture of terrorism has far more to do with ideology, power, and human behavior than religion itself.This conversation will challenge the way you think about terrorism, national security, online influence, and the risks that could define the next decade!Sarah Adam's Podcast, The Watch Floor: https://www.youtube.com/@thewatchfloorSarah Adams' Book, Benghazi, Know Thy Enemy: A Cold Case Investigation: https://a.co/d/09aeb3tGFollow us on Substack for Exclusive Bonus Content: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bialikbreakdown.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BialikBreakdown.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube.com/mayimbialik⁠⁠⁠See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This talk traces Yuval's family's journey from Basra and Nasiriyah in Iraq to Israel in the 1950s. Through the story of his parents, his childhood in Be'er Sheva's Dalet neighborhood, a predominantly Mizrahi community, and his father's work in Gaza during the 1970s and early 1980s, he reflects on the intertwined histories of Jews and Arabs, memory, migration, and belonging. It is both a personal family story and a window into a chapter of Middle Eastern and Israeli history that continues to shape our present.About Yuval EvriYuval Evri is Associate Professor of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Marash and Ocuin Chair in Ottoman, Mizrahi, and Sephardic Jewish Studies at Brandeis University. He is a cultural historian specializing in modern Sephardi/Arab-Jewish history. His book, The Return to Al-Andalus: Disputes Over Sephardic Culture and Identity Between Arabic and Hebrew, was published by Magnes Press in 2020. The English edition The Return to Sepharad and the Erasure of al-Andalus, is scheduled for publication by Indiana University Press in Spring 2027.

Former CIA Targeting Officer Sarah Adams reveals what she believes are some of the biggest national security threats facing the United States today, and why many Americans may have a false sense of security about the future.In this episode of Mayim Bialik's Breakdown, Sarah explains why the U.S. could be more vulnerable to terrorist attacks than many realize, whether the U.S. is currently facing an active terrorist threat, and how the same types of intelligence disconnects that contributed to 9/11 could still exist today. She breaks down why we need to rethink what a future homeland attack might actually look like, how terrorist organizations are evolving, and why groups like Al Qaeda may be more widespread than ever.Sarah shares shocking insights into sleeper cells operating within the U.S., foreign actors intentionally fueling political division to increase influence, the strategic relationship between Al Qaeda, Iran, and Syria, and why many terrorist groups are now organized around waves of coordinated attacks.She also discusses emerging security concerns, including airport vulnerabilities, the return of threats similar to the Shoe Bomb and the rise of "invisible" bombs, and what she believes went wrong from a security standpoint during the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting incident.Drawing from years spent targeting some of the world's most dangerous terrorists, Sarah recounts how she helped capture the Taliban's number two leader, the intelligence work that made it possible, and what qualities allowed her to gather critical information in some of the most hostile environments on Earth.We also explore intelligence deception campaigns, how disinformation operations work, and the warning signs people should recognize when evaluating information online.Sarah reveals what it was like to interrogate Middle Eastern male detainees as a Western woman, how individuals become radicalized, and the indoctrination systems inside terrorist camps that determine whether recruits become fighters, suicide bombers, propagandists, or support personnel.She explains how corruption within humanitarian systems can allow resources to be diverted toward terrorist organizations and how ordinary people may unknowingly contribute to funding foreign terrorist camps.We also break downHavana Syndrome, alleged energy weapon incidents, reports involving an investigator connected to the Epstein case, and what is currently known (and still unknown) about these controversial claims.Sarah also discusses the role of social media algorithms in radicalization, whether platforms like TikTok are shaping the opinions of younger generations, and the broader information war being fought online.She opens up about living under a bounty, receiving threats from terrorist organizations, dealing with alleged surveillance around her home, and how she manages the psychological stress that comes with being a target. She shares practical advice on disaster preparedness, what average citizens can do to become more resilient during crises, and why the culture of terrorism has far more to do with ideology, power, and human behavior than religion itself.This conversation will challenge the way you think about terrorism, national security, online influence, and the risks that could define the next decade!Every self-made person started somewhere. Yours starts free at https://www.shopify.com/breakdown.Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BREAK at https://www.oneskin.co/BREAK #oneskinpodGo to https://helixsleep.com/breakdown to receive 20% off sitewide, 25% of Luxe Mattresses and 30% off Elite Mattresses.Get the Discounted Early Bird registration to the IANDS Annual conference before the sale ends July 15. Visit https://conference.iands.orgMake your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to https://www.quince.com/breakdown for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.Sarah Adam's Podcast, The Watch Floor: https://www.youtube.com/@thewatchfloorSarah Adams' Book, Benghazi, Know Thy Enemy: A Cold Case Investigation: https://a.co/d/09aeb3tGFollow us on Substack for Exclusive Bonus Content: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bialikbreakdown.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BialikBreakdown.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube.com/mayimbialik⁠⁠⁠See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb bring their extended series on the parables of Matthew to a powerful climax with the passage most listeners have been waiting for: the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31–46). Far from a checklist of works required for salvation, this text is unpacked as the master parable of Christ's entire parabolic ministry — a sovereign declaration of divine election, not a merit-based audit of individual performance. Tony and Jesse explore why this passage has been chronically misread as a call to works righteousness, why the language of inheritance and predestination is front and center, and how a Reformed reading liberates rather than burdens the conscience. Along the way, they weigh in on Herman Bavinck's prescient warning about media distraction, and Jesse recommends a Puritan gem on anxiety worth picking up immediately. Key Takeaways The Sheep and Goats is best understood as a parable, or at minimum parable-adjacent. The Greek construction in verse 31 mirrors the same comparative language Christ uses throughout his parabolic ministry, placing this text firmly within that tradition rather than outside it. The kingdom was prepared before any works were done — this is election language. The phrase "inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (v. 34) is not a reward for performance; it is the language of sovereign predestination preceding all human action. The works of the sheep are diagnostic, not causative. What the righteous did reveals who they already were — sheep — rather than being the mechanism by which they became sheep. The beak doesn't make the bird. Both groups are surprised, and that surprise is the parabolic punchline. Neither the sheep nor the goats anticipated the verdict they received, which undermines any reading that frames this text as an encouragement to accumulate saving merit. This passage is a recapitulation of the wheat and tares parable. Sheep and goats co-mingled until the moment of final separation, just as wheat and tares grow together until the harvest — the judgment reveals what was always true. Any theology that requires a human contribution to activate or complete salvation misreads this text.Whether Roman Catholic, Arminian, or Mormon in flavor, every view that makes God's preparation of the kingdom contingent on foreseen human merit fundamentally inverts the logic of the passage. The scope of judgment — "all nations" (ta ethnos) — would have been scandalous to first-century Jewish ears. This language deliberately expands the kingdom beyond ethnic Israel, fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant promise and confounding the assumptions of the religious elite. Key Concepts The Kingdom Prepared Before Your Works: Sovereign Election, Not Merit When the King says to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34), the theological weight of that single sentence is staggering. The kingdom was not prepared in response to anything the sheep did. It was prepared before time, before works, before choice — which means the works that follow in the passage cannot be the grounds of that inheritance. Only a Calvinistic understanding of election can sustain this logic without remainder. Arminian views require God to foresee a qualifying human response; Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox views require some degree of meritorious participation; even certain Lutheran frameworks lean on non-resistance to grace. Reformed theology alone places the entire cause within God's sovereign, unconditional decree — and this passage, read plainly, says exactly that. Works as Evidence, Not Ground: The Diagnostic Function of This Parable The great pastoral error in preaching this passage is treating it as a performance rubric — a list of charitable acts that, if completed, qualify a person for eternal life. But Christ does not separate the sheep from the goats because of what they did or failed to do. He separates them, and then describes the activity that characterized each group. The works are revelatory. They surface what was already true of each person's nature, just as a bird's beak reveals its species rather than constituting it. This reframing is liberating precisely because it means assurance does not rest on tallying acts of charity. It rests on the sovereign act of a Father who prepared a kingdom and the regenerating work of the Spirit who produces, in those He has claimed, a life that looks like the one described here. "All Nations": The Scandal of an Ethnically Inclusive Kingdom The Greek phrase ta ethnē — translated "all nations" in most English Bibles — would have landed very differently on first-century Jewish ears, particularly those of the Pharisees and Sadducees who comprised a significant portion of Christ's audience throughout Matthew 24–25. To them, ta ethnē meant the Gentiles, the peoples out there, those outside the covenant. The implicit effect of Christ's language is to place every people group — including Israel — within a single undifferentiated mass standing before his throne, with no ethnic group receiving preferential standing at the bar of judgment. This is entirely consistent with the Abrahamic promise of blessing to all families of the earth (Genesis 12:3), the vision of Psalm 2, and the missionary thrust of the Great Commission. The scandal is not incidental — it is the point. The kingdom Christ is ushering in is not the ethnic-nationalist kingdom the religious establishment expected. Memorable Quotes The kingdom of heaven was prepared for those whom Christ has elected before the foundation of the world, and it was the preparation of that kingdom that brought you through this such that you did the good works that you did... That is caused by the fact that God prepared a kingdom for you in advance, not that you somehow caused this kingdom to be prepared for you. - Tony It's not the beak that makes it the sparrow, it's the sparrow that makes it the kind of beak it is. That's the kind of classification we're talking about in this parable. - Tony The best freedom is the one that turns over all things to God and takes him at his word when he says, 'In love you were predestined to inherit this as sons and daughters of the kingdom,' so that he does all the work, because we do not want to have any of that work our own. - Jesse Full Transcript [00:01:11] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 498 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse  [00:01:19] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  [00:01:24] Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. They said it couldn't be done. They said we couldn't come back. We wouldn't come back and continue in Matthew 25. But here we are, and we're ending this chapter in this whole section about sheep and goats. Everybody was clamoring for it. Everybody wanted to know, what about the sheep and the goats? And I think the last time we all chatted together, we prefaced it by saying it's parable adjacent. Or let's just say- Yes ... we just stacked up these three other parables, lots of things going on, and then Jesus resolves this or brings all these parables to a culmination by speaking about the end times, the end of all things, and the sheep and the goats. Yeah. And so we gotta go there  [00:02:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I'm stoked.  [00:02:07] What Counts Parable [00:02:07] Tony Arsenal: And y- you know, I, I was talking with a brother at, um, at church yesterday on the Lord's day, and he was asking how the podcast's going and what we're doing. And, you know, I was kind of thinking, like, I was talking about the parables and how we're kind of moving forward, and we were gonna do some of the I am sayings in John. And, and I was thinking, like, what is a parable anyways? And who decides what a parable is and what a parable isn't? Right. Um, some of the parables Christ calls a parable, others he doesn't. Uh, we'll probably talk a little bit about that when we get to, uh, some of the back half of Luke. But this, this episode I think is gonna be really, really the payoff and really the culmination of not just these, like, this trio of or trilogy of parables that we've talked about, but I think really, like, the payout of all of the parables in Matthew. It's really, like, the summary of all of Christ's parabolic teachings. So it's, it's a good place for us to round out Matthew, and then we'll, we'll dip into the parables in the other gospels, probably have a couple more months of, of, uh, parable talk before we move on to the next thing. But, uh, it's been great, and I'm super, super stoked for this. This is one of my favorite passages, actually, and there's so much to dig into. I, I, I'm just gonna say now, we probably won't make it through the whole thing- Right ... uh, because there's a lot there. But we'll see. We'll see how we do. Maybe Jesse and I will be super efficient tonight, uh, but we usually aren't, so. [00:03:27] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's never happened. We, we take it low and slow. Not only that- ... it was reminding me as you spoke about that kind of proverb generally of if you wanna go build a wall, you assess what you need, how many stones, and then you go gather those stones. Yeah. You should double it, or if you're gonna go out and fight an army, take stock of that army. That's basically what we do, but in reverse. Anytime, like, you just... I just heard you say- ... like, "It'll probably take us a couple more months," you should double that. That's probably how long- Yeah ... it's actually gonna take us.  [00:03:50] Faith Works Assurance [00:03:50] Jesse Schwamb: Even in this- Yeah ... conversation, I think we're gonna get stuck in the best way possible speaking about things like faith, works, and assurance because there's a lot of language here- Yeah that could seem on the surface to sit in this tension with justification by faith alone. And I think the key to resolving all that tension, as I hopefully think we'll see, lies in the readings of works as the evidence of living faith rather than its ground, and I think that's what- Yes ... Christ is leading us through all of these parables, actually, whether it goes back. And you should listen to all those episodes. In fact, I gotta ask. Th- I mean, this brother you were talking to, it just strikes me as that question had already be answered for him if you were listening to the podcast. So-  [00:04:29] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I don't think he does. No, I don't think he does- ... listen to the podcast. Uh, he knows that I do the podcast, and he's very gracious to ask me about it. Tom. And I think he's probably listened to the podcast before. Got it. Um, and he's, he's just a very kind, gracious brother who, who is concerned and wants to know what I'm doing. And, um, he has, he has his own sort of, like, production stuff that he does that he enjoys that I'm, I'm not super keyed into. But, uh, it was just nice. But, but it did get me thinking, like, I was trying to explain to him where we were in the progress of the parables, and I was like, "I can't really... I don't really know," because, like, it's hard to even understand and fully... There's no, like, full comprehensive universal list of what is a parable- Right ... and what's not. And I think what we've found as we've been going through this is sometimes, sometimes you come up against a portion of a text that is often taught sort of separate from the, the rest of it. Parables get taught discreet from other parables. But then you have these sort of, like, intervening texts, or this one's kind of a summary text, that's so integrated to what the parable means you really can't do a series on these parables without also treating this text. Which is gonna be interesting, 'cause I've never, I've never encountered somebody who really roots this teaching here of Christ in the context of the parables, despite its proximity. So it'll be fun. We're gonna figure it out in real time, and, and it'll be good.  [00:05:47] Jesse Schwamb: No, it's gonna be fun.  [00:05:48] Deny Doomscrolling Bavinck [00:05:48] Jesse Schwamb: And speaking of fun, we're so glad that you're listening, and we know that you're waiting with bated breath to hear about affirmations or denials. It's of course that part of the conversation where we either affirm with something that we think is fantastic, maybe by way of recommendation, or conversely, we deny against something that isn't that great. So Tony, as is our custom in the liturgy of the Reformed Brotherhood podcast, I ask you once again, are you affirming with or deny against? [00:06:15] Tony Arsenal: I am denying against something, and I'm gonna do that by affirming a Herman Bavinck quote. Uh, so I'm gonna read it for you. This, uh... Some of the guys in the Facebook group have put... or the Facebook group, the Telegram chat, have put together a, uh, like, a reading group to work through Bavinck's, uh, Wonderful Works of God, which is great, and I'm loving it. I haven't been able to participate in the conversation as much as I would like to, but just being part of a reading group, uh, sort of keeps you on schedule, which is great. So I've been reading through Wonderful Works of God, and on the Kindle edition, on page 34, uh, which I think is still the, I think is still the, uh, introduction, he says, quote, "The reading of daily and weekly newspapers, of magazines and brochures, devours our every blink. There's a lack of desire and opportunity for the investigation of scripture and the study of old theological works," end quote. And when I read that, it just really struck me as like- If that was true like 70 years ago, 80 years ago when Bavinck was writing this, right? And all there was was hard, hard copy media. There was no, uh, there was no digital media. There was radio, but there wasn't a lot of programming. Uh, I don't think that there was much in the way of television broadcasting. If there was, it was, it was very, very limited and very rudimentary. Um, even then he was saying the daily news cycle and all of this extra stuff that is out there is consuming our, quote, "Every blink," which I thought was a really interesting phrase. Um, it's basically like it's so ingrained in us, we're so invested and obsessed with the news cycle. Uh, or you might translate that to like to our Twitter feed or our Facebook feed or our Instagram reels or whatever it might be, and dare I say it, the podcasts we listen to.  [00:08:05] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:08:05] Tony Arsenal: Um, that we don't save time for scripture and other theological works. And I think it's funny too is that the, the eternal, uh, the eternal contemporary statement of the Reformed world is like we don't read enough old theological works. Even Bavinck, who I'm reading as one of the old... I mean, not like super old, but like one of the old theological works, is saying, "Hey, we don't read enough old theological works." So I'm denying this sort of like obsession we have with the daily news cycle and with constantly being up to date and like constantly consuming all of that. Um, we've talked about how like our modern global news cycle sort of, uh, is built around the deception that we can be sort of pseudo omnipotent and know all things about everything. And, um- There's a lot of work that's been done to show that, like, the world's not really that much, not that much more of a violent place than it was 100 years ago. We just know a lot more about what's going on- Right ... in other parts of the world. And there's pros and cons to that. But I think the main con is, like, we, we feel suddenly that we have to be, you know, deeply involved in the goings on of a church on the other side of the country that we never would've even known existed otherwise. It- there's just a, there's a sense of omnipotence and omnipresence that's just not becoming for the creature that I think we try to take on. So Bavinck knew it. Uh, we've talked about it. Lots and lots of people have talked about it. This isn't new. I'm not, I'm not e- engineering anything new on this. But that quote really struck me when I was reading. I was like, "Dang, man, he, he got it right 100 years ago or, or 80 years ago, and we're still struggling with it." And I think probably, like, if you go back and you look at the, I don't know, more occasional writings of people like Martin Luther and John Calvin, um, as they're interacting with, like, people in the Reformed community or the Protestant community, I bet you would find statements like this too about how, like, we really spend a lot of time reading, like, silly things and not spending- Right our time studying the scripture or studying, um, theological works. So that's my denial. I'm sticking to it, and if that means you feel like you need to turn this podcast off and go read some John Calvin or some Herman Bavinck, then by all means. Uh, I think you're probably going to be edified by what we have to talk about. But, uh, th- the Bible's better, so if you gotta go do it, if you only got- That's true ... an hour today to study scripture or listen to this podcast, please go study scripture. Yeah. Uh, hopefully we can do a little bit of both with this podcast. But Herman Bavinck said it best. Our every blink is consumed with pamphlets and newspapers and it just is- It's true it's pretty silly.  [00:10:41] Jesse Schwamb: It's true.  [00:10:42] Meme Detour Reading Groups [00:10:42] Jesse Schwamb: I gotta take us all the way back to where you started there, and I'm going to betray, to nobody's surprise, my really strong naivete when it comes- ... to social media, and memes in particular. But this is what occurred to me, and I'm gonna try it. This is, like, what classically makes really good podcasting. Let me try to describe a meme to you that I'm not even sure I actually understand or know. So this will be great. I think, you tell me, Tony, 'cause you may have seen this. It's an old meme too, so I'm not even, like, on the cutting edge here. I think it's a meme of two panels showing, like, two pictures of Drake. In know one he's kinda, like, pushing away as if to say, like, "Get that outta here," and the other one's like, "Oh yeah, that's the stuff." Do you know what I'm talking about? Yeah. Is that accurate?  [00:11:21] Tony Arsenal: I do. I think you're gonna use it wrong, but yeah.  [00:11:23] Jesse Schwamb: Is that Drake? Okay, all  [00:11:24] Tony Arsenal: right. Yeah, that's, that's the meme.  [00:11:25] Jesse Schwamb: Okay, okay. And usually, if I understand it correctly, it's kind of like a faux juxtaposition of two things, right? Like, okay. So like here, let me try it. Uh, uh, let me just try it on everybody. Here we go. I'm gonna describe to you how I just interpret this based on what you said, 'cause something cracked me up that you said, Tony. If I were gonna make this meme just based on how you opened that up, the first panel would be like Drake pushing away the idea or being like, "That's no good," book club. The second one would be reading group, as in like, like the reading group is like the new cool way of like just kind of... Did I use it properly? Am I close?  [00:11:59] Tony Arsenal: I think the problem with this is that there's like a, there's like an ironic way to use it, and then there's like a more direct way to use it. Mm. Yeah. The direct way would be like some- like Drake's pushing away something that's bad, and he's- Yeah ... like accepting something that's good. That'd be like the direct way. Yes. The more ironic one is where like Drake is pushing away something that's actually pretty, actually pretty good, and he's- Yeah ... accepting the one that's pretty silly. Oh, okay. Um, there's a lot of memes that have that basic format. Never mind. There's one with like Jordi LaForge. I think there's a Michael Scott one. I tried. I tried. But yeah, no, I, I think yours is valid, it's just, I think it's an older usage of the meme. That's like the, that's like the middle English version of that meme. The Shakespearean use of that meme.  [00:12:36] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I'll take that. It's the old English style. I love a good book club or a reading group. A, a reading group just, it does have that sound like maybe somebody in the group has a monocle, or you guys have tea. Either way- Yeah ... I absolutely love it. And yes, what are our beautiful quotes. You kind of hear that general conception recapitulated among like theologians almost in every era. But it does make you think, what would Bavinck say about, like doom scrolling on the smartphone? Like- Yeah ... he's beside himself, right? It would just be beside himself. So I'm with you. I, it, there's gonna be a condemnation in every generation. Maybe I say this with some degree of like chronological snobbery, especially in ours, when it comes to not, like you said, I think kind of like not carving out or not prioritizing time in the scriptures. Yeah. There's not gonna be any excuse of like, "Well, I just didn't have time." Right. Or, "There were too many things to read." It's just, it's not gonna cut it. So I'm with you. I think you and I have talked about this at length, even just like the news media like you and I consume, like just s- set aside social media for a second. Just like how i- how much value is there in a lot of like what we cons- used to consider to be like well-informed reporting? How valuable is that to us? Yeah. And I'm certainly not saying like that everybody should be like unconcerned and uninterested in the world, but I think it's to what degree and what fascination we have with that, and how it fits into our priority as we consume information each day. That's the thing that's tricky, and there's no really-  [00:14:02] Tony Arsenal: Yeah ...  [00:14:02] Jesse Schwamb: good answer except to weigh out with the spiritual discernment- Yeah ... how we ought to consume that stuff. But certainly I think, without question, we need to be prioritizing time in prayer, time in the scriptures. I imagine if we were all doing that with a great deal of attention, that all of the other things would kind of find their way into the right place. Or let's say they would just find their way out of our lives in a significant way- Yeah ... that would remove us from distraction and anxiety, instead bring us back into the providence of God.  [00:14:31] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And I'm not, I'm not gonna be the guy that tells you you can never s- you can never scroll Instagram or TikTok or whatever. Um, I, I think that's a decision that's between you and the Holy Spirit as far as how you spend your time. But I, I do think, um, I think you're right- We are accountable for the decisions we make and how- Right ... we choose to divide up our time. And I- God, I mean, God is the inventor of fun. He's the inventor of leisure, and he is, uh, I think he's pleased and honored when we, we make good use of our time f- for things that are restful and rejuvenating. Um, he doesn't expect us to just slavishly read scripture all day, every day, like every minute. That's not, that's not the biblical expectation. Um, and so I think it's fine if you wanna sit down and watch a fun show, or if you wanna watch some YouTube videos, or listen to a silly podcast, or listen to a serious podcast. Um, but I do, I agree. Like, we, we really need to be thoughtful. And I think where, where Bavinck's quote, uh, is strong is it's not so much about, "Don't read these things." Right. He, he's talking about these things consume our every blink. Like, m- he's treating blink... He's using the word blink as sort of a fill-in for like our, our finite resource of time and attention, and these things have consumed all of them. There's a very strong use of that word consume. Uh, and I, I think that's really the, the point that I'm trying to make is we often allow, either intentionally or unintentionally, we, we just let our time get all sucked up, uh, on things that maybe are good but are not pr- properly proportioned. Um- Like I said, it's, it's fine to spend some time on Twitter and to get into a debate once in a while, or to check in on your friends on Facebook, your old high school, college buddies or whatever, but we can definitely take it too far. So I think it's a good corrective for all of us to at least make a stop and think about how we're spending our time, and whether we are affording the appropriate amount of time to things like scripture, theological study, catechesis of our children, um, family worship, all of those good things. So we don't have to go much more into that. I think the point has been made. Uh, so Jesse, what are you affirming and/or denying tonight?  [00:16:43] Affirm Puritan Anxiety Cure [00:16:43] Jesse Schwamb: Perfect segue, because speaking of reading old things, you know me, I've always got some kind of Puritan work in the rotation, and the one I just finished is the one I'm affirming, which is called Special Providence for Anxious Souls by Obadiah Sedgwick, who I think is kinda... Like, people are sleeping on Sedgwick, you know? Mm-hmm. He's, he's kinda like, he's there in the wings, but we need to take him off the bench. And I came across this book and I thought, "Who doesn't want a title like that in their lives?" Like, we got some anxiety in all of our souls. And I'm affirming this because, uh, hi- his definitions, his writing is, are on point. But here's what I thought. I was embarrassed that I picked this up expecting one thing, and then in typical puritanical fashion, was delivered something else that was far better. And I was thinking about this title as you might see it, like, in your modern bookstore today, whether it's, like, in Barnes & Nobles or at any of the periodicals we were just kind of mentioning or implying that are out there. And I was expecting to get some kind of, I don't know, six or seven things, I mean, that's Puritan style, but six or seven things that would really help you diagnose the psychology, and then going back to the scripture in ways, all, all the ways we'd expect about how God loves us and cares for us, and all those things are true. And yet the only way I could describe how this book ministered to me is, like, how you might go to a physical therapist for some kind of ailment, which I have many as I get older, and have recently been to one. And the ailment I had was, um, basically like tarsal tunnel, which is like carpal tunnel for your foot. And so there was some nerves that were inflamed and causing some pain and some weirdness in my feet. And here's what I do know about physical therapy now that I think the Puritans also do for our souls, and that is the physical therapist gave me this full workup. They prodded me and poked me and rubbed things and made things hurt- And in the course of doing that, they clearly could figure out what was wrong with my foot. And so when he gave me the diagnosis, after, again, rubbing that part and, like, doing one of those things where he's like, you know, they tap on your hard and they're like, "Does that hurt?" I'm like, "Yes, it does hurt." And I presume that's because you know anatomy. And, you know, he's, he's ta- tapping on my ankle and it's causing my foot underneath to hurt. And after all that, you know, I run on a treadmill. He d- takes all this video, and this is what he says to me. He goes, "Yeah, so this is actually pretty straightforward." And I was like, "Great, so what are we talking about? Like exercises, uh, splints, like massage?" He's like, "You have a weak butt." And I was like- "I'm sorry, let's talk about that for a second." And this is what I've learned about physical therapy, is it's rarely about the thing that's actually bothering you or the thing that's hurt, right? It's something- Yeah ... far different. It's something almost seemingly, like, disjointed or removed or divorced from the very thing, maybe even non-contiguous, if only in our minds, maybe even logically. And so what I love about this is the first half of the book is just speaking about the province of God before it even gets into this idea of anxiety. And then the treatment on anxiety and worry is, he goes through, like, six or seven things in particular, are just absolutely glorious. So good that I want you to read it. I don't even want to talk about it. Uh, that, that's my admonishment to you, is that you should just go pick it up. So I'm affirming again that the Puritans in particular do this thing where there's, there's no cheap advice here. It's not even hide advice. It's really good advice, but it's the kind that says, "You have a weak butt" when you're concerned that your ankle- is messed up. Yeah. And that's sometimes what you need to hear. And in my case, after... Let's make this super weirdly spiritual. After doing a bunch of squats, I don't know what the spiritual equivalent is of that. After doing a bunch of squats, my ankle and my foot was so much better. And it, because I had somebody who cared enough for me to go through and actually diagnose the root of it, that was the reason that inevitably there was healing. So I've, this has given me so much to think about, this tiny little treatise. So much to put into practice. It's so rich, so good, so practical, and yet I think you'll find in many ways joyfully unexpected. So I highly affirm to everybody listening, and even those who aren't, Special Providence for Anxious Souls, Obadiah Sedgwick. You'll, you'll love it  [00:20:49] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:20:49] Physical Therapy Spiritual Practice [00:20:49] Tony Arsenal: So two thoughts. Uh, one, uh, I can confirm Jesse has a weak butt, um, flat as a board. So it's probably, probably better after, after doing some squats. Wow. Uh, two- Wow. ... uh, I can say I also am in some physical therapy right now, and I've been a little bit of a slacker. And what I will contribute to the conversation is just like in physical therapy, they can give you all of the exercises- Yeah uh, that you want. If you don't do the work, you're not going to get better. Yeah. And so whether it's Jesse doing squats or me not finding time to stretch and to do some, like, arm exercises with a, with a s- uh, like a TheraBand, uh, the same holds true. And, and maybe to unify our, uh, affir- our denials/affirmations into one mega, mega recommendation, um, the same holds true in that, one, we can take a book like this from, uh, Sedgwick, and we can turn it into the same thing we do with media where we're just... it's just devouring our blinks. Right. And we're just using it as a way to sort of, like, feed our eye hole Get better. You won't improve. Um, and that's actually the same with scripture. Like y-you can- Right ... turn scripture into, uh, into a snack food that you, you don't actually use to be nutritious. Um, I think there's probably more benefit to reading scripture sort of rote and, and almost mechanically than there is to reading anything else. But, um, but at the end of the day, you can also consume your blinks with scripture and not get a lot out of it if all you're doing is passing your eyes over text. So get in there. I think that's great. I haven't read that one. I mean, I think there's... I think there are probably many, I can't think of one off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are many, many Puritan treaties that- treatises that are similar in theme and tone and have the same kind of like spiritual antidote or spiritual medicine, um, prescribed by these guys that is good and wholesome. And again, like, like you're saying, like it's not that complicated. It's not that hard. Right. It just takes- Right ... you just actually have to do the work. Um, it's funny, my physical therapy thing is my, my shoulder has been really ba- really messed up, and I went in, I expected him to give me all these, all these shoulder exercises, and he's like, "Uh Really what you need to do is you fix your neck, uh, 'cause your shoulder is, is being in- injured because you're sleeping- Okay on that side because you're trying to stay off the other side. So, like, you really gotta fix your neck so you can sleep on the other side of your body. And I was like, "So I'm just, like, sleeping wrong?" Like, it's funny, there's a joke, it's like in your 20s you can do anything you want, in your 30s, like, you gotta be a little bit careful, and in your 40s, like, you hurt yourself just sleeping. Right. Just getting out of bed is dangerous.  [00:23:46] Jesse Schwamb: It's  [00:23:46] Tony Arsenal: true.  [00:23:47] Jesse Schwamb: It's true. So. It's a tough world. But  [00:23:48] Tony Arsenal: it's true. I feel like a really old man saying that.  [00:23:51] Read Matthew 25 Aloud [00:23:51] Jesse Schwamb: You know, it strikes me that you're right, of course, that there's so much here we always have to put into practice. There's so much here that we have to trust with God. There's a faith that works. And so I think actually that is the most lovely inroad into this final passage of Matthew, because there's a lot here for us to talk about with all of those things, and to understand it in this proper context. So as you've already set us up, Tony, the best part of our podcast is the scripture, for sure, 100%. So let's go there. So we're in Matthew 25 in case you're just joining us. And for some reason I went into, like, a full radio mode, as if this, like, this is being broadcast live, and you just came into the program. We're in Matthew 25, uh, starting in verse 31, and I'm gonna read until the end of the chapter. There's so much here that of course we're not gonna get to all of it, but in the spirit of literally having the full context of the scripture in front of us, and to hear it all, I think it's important. It w- b- better yet, you should go back and read the entire chapter and then tune in right now. But let me start at verse 31. "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me in, naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me.  [00:25:32] Judgment Scene Read [00:25:32] Jesse Schwamb: I was in prison, and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? And when did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?" And the King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me." Then he will say to those on his left, "Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angers-- angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me." Then they will themselves also answer saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?" Then he will answer them saying, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life  [00:26:47] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:26:49] Parable Not Fear [00:26:49] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, it's, it's, um, it's a sobering passage. And just as I think we've seen in a lot of the other parables, um These eschatological parables and these eschatological sayings of Christ, uh, as you kind of alluded to earlier, I, I think they are really, really, um... They are not prone to being misinterpreted. Right. The church has been prone to misinterpreting and misapplying these, um, in a, in a way that's used to make, make the Christian fearful and to, uh, undermine their assurance rather than to call them to action or to accountability.  [00:27:33] Why It's A Parable [00:27:33] Tony Arsenal: Um, and I think a- as I've been reading through this and I've been sort of glancing at the Greek as we're reading, I actually think I'm on... I, I stumbled on much more better ground to treat this as a parable than I even originally thought I did. You know, I, I had this whole lead-up that this isn't technically a parable, but when you read here, when it says, in verse 31, it says, "When the Son of Man comes in glory and the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates- Right ... the sheep from the goats." If you go back to verse 14, when it says, "For it will be like a man," uh, that, that first word of verse 14 in the Greek is the same word as is used when it says, um, uh, "He separates people one from another as a shepherd." That same word is used as there, it's just translated differently because of where it comes in the, um, in the text. So Christ is still making this comparison, so it would be as though he said, um, you know, like the common, most common, at least so far, most common kind of parabolic introduction is like, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like." Um, this is the same basic language he's using here to introduce what the eschaton will be like. Right? The ga- the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them. It says people in the ESV, but will separate them one from another. You could also say the, the nations or the peoples will be gathered before him. Right. He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep. So the parable here is the s- the shepherd separating the sheep from the goats, this whole process of the separation and this, this, um, frankly, like it's, it feels and smells like a parable, right? It does. This, this, um, figure, this shepherd in the parable or the shepherd in the saying is saying these sort of like parabolic statements. He's using this language that's kind of like shocking punchline statement. Like we've talked about how in parables there's often this sort of unexpected turn of events, or there's this unexpected kind of shocking language, and this whole like twist at the end in both, sort of both s- chunks here, where like the sheep don't really understand, like they didn't really recognize that they were doing sheepy things, and the goats didn't really understand that they were being goats. That's like the parabolic twist or the parabolic punchline here. So the, the kingdom of heaven is like, basically it's like the Son of Man will come in his glory and it will be like this. It will be like a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats. That's the parabolic connection here. Mm-hmm. So I actually think that, that linguistically we're on, we're on pretty solid ground not just to treat this as a summary of all the parables, um- I think of for sure these three parables, but it, it really is like the master parable, and I think probably the master parable that kinda governs and constrains and explains all of the parabolic ministry of Christ. So I'm, I'm stoked for us to really dig into the details a little bit, but I think linguistically we're on super good ground to, to treat this as a parable. I agree. At the very least, it's stronger than just parable adjacent.  [00:30:44] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:30:44] Tony Arsenal: It- but even if we aren't saying it's a parable proper, it's stronger than that. It still is using this kinda comparative ministry, comparative language that Christ has used throughout the parabolic, um, sayings of Christ.  [00:30:57] Jesse Schwamb: The construction seems a little bit less veiled because here we have Jesus implanting himself directly into the account.  [00:31:03] Tony Arsenal: Mm-hmm.  [00:31:04] Shepherd Imagery Stakes [00:31:04] Jesse Schwamb: At the same time, though, he's drawing on all the things you just said he does, especially with this allusion to shepherding, which would've been, of course, common throughout. So it seems to me a lovely bridge to all of the overt parables he's just told, but now he's bringing them all together and placing himself clearly as, like, the interpreter, as the identifier of all the things, as the one to seal up all of the edges, as it were. So it's clear that this is about the end times. All of these were all about the end times and about Jesus' role in them. And so of course here he identifies himself as the eschatological judge just to make it clear. He's the one who sits on his glorious throne, and that's significant, and that's why I think we sometimes feel like, well, this is not a parable because he's, he's being very, like, Christologically certain and direct here. You know, throughout scripture the final judgment is God's prerogative alone, but the Father has committed all that judgment to the Son, and here's Jesus affirming that. And so again, like Reformed theology, in all our conversations we've consistently emphasized that this text is in many ways, like, proof of Christ's full deity and his role as mediatorial king, and he's exercising his office as the judge at his return in glory. And though, like you said, at the same time, here's the cool parable kind of scent or flavor is you get all these nations, every person who has ever lived, not merely Israel or merely the church. And how does Jesus describe this? He goes back into parabolic language. And we got the shepherd imagery that- Yeah is, like, similar to Ezekiel 34 where God himself is judging between the sheep of his flock. And that separation, the shockingness of it, it's immediate, it's binary. There's no third category. There's only two eternal destinies. There's no purgatory, no middle ground, no post-mortem opportunity for repentance. So all that's at stake. And then again, the beauty of the language itself or the setup of the construction of the story as it unfolds is that both groups- Get the same speech with a change in do or do not, but they both ask the same question from, like, wildly different perspectives and standings. And that's the beautiful- Yeah thing to make reconciliation over is what does all this mean then? How is all this established and how is this final judgment come to be such that there are sheep and goats if, in fact, they're both doing the same things theoretically, or they're at least both asking the same questions of, well, when did this ever actually occur? That, that's what's for us to unpack either way.  [00:33:29] All Nations Gathered [00:33:29] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and b- before we jump into, um, into the parable itself and start to unpack that, the other element that I think is worth, uh, and this just came to me so hopefully I'm not on too far of a, of a limb here. But the other element that I think is worth at least commenting on, um, we've, we've remarked, especially in these last three eschatological, um, parables, how much these are directed at the religious leaders, right? Right. The, the, the people are, um, the, the- the parables are told, um, in the context and sort of following up on these, this real directed, um, assault against the religious leaders who thought they were the ones, right? They're the ones that have a claim to the Kingdom of Heaven, they're the ones that, um, are the, you know, they're the ones that think they're doing the right thing, they're the ones that are ushering in God's kingdom. This little phrase here, "gathered all the nations," would also have really stuck in the craw of the religious leaders, right? Because the word for nations that's translated here is the same word that would el- elsewhere get translated as Gentiles, right? And the word people, when it says, "He will separate the people," that, that word people doesn't actually exist in the Greek. So if you translate this very literally, it'd say, "Before him will, will be gathered all nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." Now, I don't wanna go the route of saying, like, this is a parable about, like, which pe- people group will be brought into the kingdom and which won't, and I've read some that go that direction. I don't wanna go there. But this idea that, like, even in the final judgment, the people who are in view here are the Gentiles, right? Right. I think most Jewish, particularly the, the Pharisees and the Sadducees hearing this, would've, would've read this and would've read ta ethnos, and would not have thought nations the way we do. Certainly would not have thought of, like, modern nation states. They might have been thinking maybe, like, people groups in general, but they would be thinking more along the lines of, like, Psalm, Psalm 2, like, "Why do the nations rage?" kind of nations. Why do the Gentiles rage? Why do the peoples plot in vain? They would've been thinking th- this, this, uh, judgment almost, at least on the face of it, almost excludes the Jews entirely when you think about it this way. It's really now sort of, like, zooming out where at the very least, at the minimal least, the Jews are just another people group within this broader judgment of the people group. Right. So again, like, we've seen this theme that Christ is continually expanding the scope of what is considered to be the Kingdom of Heaven to include not just the Jewish people, um, but all nations, all people groups, all Gentiles and Jews alike. And in a very real sense, um, and I wanna be careful how I've said this, I know I've commented this in the past, there's a very real sense of anti-Semitism that is prominent in- reform, quote-unquote reformed circles right now that is just vile and disgusting and sinful, and has no place in any sort of Biblical Christianity. But there is a reality that the Jewish people, broadly speaking, um, rejected the Messiah, at least while he was here on Earth. Um, relatively speaking, very few Jewish people, especially in the Jewish elite, like the leadership class, accepted Christ for who he was while he was here. Many Jews came to faith through the ministry of Peter, uh, and, and even through the ministry of Paul, even though he was an apostle to the Gentiles. So it's not as though it remained the case, but at this point in Christ's ministry, the Jewish people were by and large were rejecting him as Messiah. And so this idea and, and sort of this like final culmination now saying like he gathered all the, all the Gentiles, all of the peoples, all of the nations. In Jewish, in Jewish language and, and when you look in the Old Testament, and even in some of the New Testament literature, the nations were those people out there. So even if we don't translate this as Gentiles, we don't, we don't take that more like restrictive sense, even then it still implies that Christ is talking about people out there, the non-Jewish nations- Right are being gathered before his throne. And so that's not to say, absolutely not to say that the Jewish people, that, that the Jewish people of his day or the, the... This is where it gets tricky too, 'cause like we think about modern Israel and we, we import our understandings of like nation states. That's not what was in view here. The, the idea of a modern nation state was not a concept that existed in the first century. Um, you might have something like city states, but even that is kind of like a little bit ethereal. The idea here is that all people groups, and maybe, maybe we conceptualize Israel now as one of these people groups, the Israeli Jewish people as one of these people groups. All of those people groups, Jews, Gentiles, Scythians, Athenians, Spartans, like, uh, Ethiopians, you know, all of these different people- Right ... groups that are mentioned in the, the New Testament, all of those peoples, all of those nations are gathered before the throne, and then he will separate them one from another in the same way that a shepherd sep- separates the goats. [00:38:35] Group Judgment Assurance [00:38:35] Tony Arsenal: And yes, I think there is an individualistic, um, judgment element, and this is where I think, um... And, and then I'll, I'll pause for a second. This is where I think we can go wrong reading this as a parable about the individual judgment of individuals in the future That's not really what the language here is supporting. This is supporting sort of a broader group-based judgment, and the grouping is there are those who are sheep and there are those who are goats. But it doesn't appear as though Christ is saying like, "I'm evaluating each individual person, and this person is a sheep, this person is a goat." It's, it's a broader picture that, yes, has some implications for individual personal judgment, but when we read too much of that individual personal judgment into this parable that doesn't seem to be there, that's where we start to, like, rob individual Christians of their assurance. We start to say, like, "Did you do enough? Did you feed enough poor people or did you not?" That's not really, not really what's at stake here, I don't think.  [00:39:40] Jesse Schwamb: No, it's definitely not. It's, it's important to remember just the beauty of, like, the consistent theological thread that runs all the way through the Old Testament, and then that we might expect, of course, to be manifest in Christ's teachings, which happen exactly here. So he is going all the way back to that covenantal promise seed through Abraham, single seed, many people groups, many ethnicities. In this way, the gospel is ethnic inclusive. And so it is, why wouldn't he say that in this way to express that this is exactly from all time what God wanted to do is gather all people groups to himself? Which means then by the time we get to the end of this chapter in verse 46, and there is this righteousness that... or the righteous that lead or go into eternal life, then of course we're led to believe here either directly or implicitly that that means that there would be some for whom the Pharisees would find it's, like, anathema to receive that kind of righteousness and eternal life are the ones in fact who are getting it. And so even that is scandalous. So the, the whole thing is very much a setup, and I think it's the confusion again of this is Jesus saying again to the Sadducees, like, "You are confused. You do not know the power of God. You, you search for it everywhere else but do not find it in front of you. It, it's he who speak to you. I am he. You think you search the scriptures, but you do not know." Everywhere it feels like he's saying that, and here also he's saying that again, but it's in the setup. And I'm with you. I think that there would've been a lot here that would've, like, just come right off his lips that would've been like, "Say what?" Uh, that would've been, like, offensive right off- Yeah ... the top.  [00:41:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:41:17] Sovereign Separation [00:41:17] Tony Arsenal: And the other, the other theme that plays out really loud and clear here, um, as we start to dig into this is, um, there's a sovereignty to this separation that is baked into, um, the king's right to decide who to keep and who to cast away. Right. So I think we, we, um, understandably read into this an assessment of the productivity or the profitability or somehow the, like, merit or worth of the sheep as contrasted to the worth of the goats. Um, and we read into it like the sheep have utility and the goats don't, so the goats get cast into the- Right outer darkness. That's not really, that's not really what's going on here, right? In a, in an agrarian society, like sheep and goats both have utility. It's not as though, like, sheep are worthless and goats aren't. There's a reason people have goats. Um, th- the, the issue here is that the king has decided that there are those on his right and there are those on his left, and the ones on his right he's gonna keep, and the ones on his left he's gonna cast away. And, and so, um, there's this sovereign election and determination that precedes the rest of this, right? It's not as though he's ... And this is where the personal, sort of personal assessment part comes in. He doesn't look at a person and go, "All right, you did a g- enough good works to qualify as a sheep, so you go ahead and go over-" Right and be a sheep. And you didn't do quite enough, so you're actually a goat, so you go over and you be a goat." He looks at, he says, "Y- sheep, goat. Goat, sheep." You know, he, he's separating them out, and then he describes what sheep do versus what goats do. And I, I, like I'm even drawing some of this language out. The sheep goats part of this is actually only, like, a verse and a half. He then flips out of this parabolic language to now go back to the sort of strictly predictive eschatological ex- like explanatory language. So this is what it's like when the Son of Man is on, on his kingdom. He separates sheep and goats. We read into, and maybe with some good reason, but we read into Uh, we read into the fact that the sheeps go to one side, the goats go to another. Then we sort of like attribute the characteristics of those who go to his right to sheep, and we attribute the characteristics... And I think we do this the wrong way. How many sermons have you heard where the whole sermon is about how sheep are obedient, and they're, they're affable, and they listen, and they, they, they are sweet and kind, and goats are stubborn, and they, they just wreck everything, and they don't listen, right? And how many s- how many sermons have you heard where they talk about, like, well, sheep and goats really look the same in the Middle Eastern context, and the only way you can tell them apart is what, by what they do? I think there's probably some, uh, benefit to thinking through those elements, but Christ does not make that point in this parable- Mm ... at least not directly, right? He said, "This is the activity. Imagine a man who has sheep and he has goats. He takes the sheep, he puts them on one side. He takes the goats on another side." That's what the separation at the end of the time, at the end of time will be like. Then he goes straight back out of the parable language into saying, "This is how the king will actually make the distinction.  [00:44:29] Predestination Before Works [00:44:29] Tony Arsenal: The ones on his left, or on his right, he will say, 'Come, you're blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'" Right? This is predestination language, not eschatological judgment language. The sheep were guaranteed a kingdom from before the foundation of the world. Before they did anything bad or didn't do anything good, they were guaranteed a kingdom from before the foundation of the world. Then he says, he explains to them, like the context that, as you said before, that reveals that they were sheep all along. [00:45:02] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:45:02] Tony Arsenal: It shows them that they were already... Man, I just, just made this connection in my head. This is the parable of the wheat and of the tares- Yep ... coming to fruition- Exactly ... at the end of time. Right. Right? The sheep and the goats were allowed to mingle until the time came when they would be separated, just as the wheat and the tares were allowed to grow up until the time when they would be reaped and separated. This is what's going on. The sheep did things that sheep do. Those on the right did the things that the people on the right would do because they were part of God's blessed kingdom all along.  [00:45:34] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:45:35] Tony Arsenal: And then he goes on to explain what the people on the left did not do, not because now they've been put on the left because they didn't do it, but they were shown to have always been a part of that, part of that population. They were always goats because of these things. This shows that they were goats all along, and they did these things or failed to do these things because they were goats all along.  [00:45:58] Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  [00:45:59] Works Righteousness Trap [00:45:59] Jesse Schwamb: Let me read another verse. "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children and also our brethren to believe in Christ and to be reconciled to God. For we know that it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do." My guess is everybody was with me- ... sounded kind of okay until that last part. And if you had that, like, as we say, like, that theological muscle memory that just made you flex or bristle there, or you had the Spidey Sense, as you say, Tony, good, because that's from 2 Nephi 25:23 from the Book of Mormon. And here's what I wanna say that's shocking, is if we read this passage of scripture that we're talking about as if there's something there that we need to do that proves that we've done enough and that somehow God will be pleased with that, even at the end of time in some small way, some modicum, then we're actually acting way more like Mormons than we are like Christians. That's just the bottom line. Yeah. Because Mormons, if you ask about this verse, rather than try to qualify that last statement by saying, "Well, that's misunderstood," or, "It's really not after all you can do," because of course it begs the question how do you know that you've done enough? How you don't- you've done all the things and that you're, you're exhausted. Their explanation of this is to double down on it and say, "Well, the context of that verse is following verse 23 actually does emphasize salvation only coming through Christ, but it also encourages continued observance of the law of Moses in order to be reconciled to God." Because that's all they could do until Christ fulfilled the law through his atonement. Even that is nonsense. So all of this to say, we have to be careful with this because I, I think you're right. We're aligning, we're running right up on this, and that is I would submit to you that we just get distracted because we always, of course, want to bring something to the party here. The, the salvation cake. We wanna, I don't know, we wanna make it, we wanna do. But God is doing all the things on our behalf. And so as a result of that, I think this parable is actually, it's about the divine prerogative and the agency of Christ in judgment at the end which belongs to him and him alone, and not about these actions. But we get caught up in the actions and we're missing this thri- divine prerogative. I also think that Christ gives this to us to reverse it on us and to show us that he sets about all things. It is in fact his foreordination and his providence. By grace we have been saved through faith, and that in providence being predestined is an act of his great love. And so this shows the extent of that love because those whom he has chosen himself are asking in disbelief as if to say, "When did I do the good works that you required?" And he said, "Well, you didn't because you could never do them apart from me."  [00:48:38] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:48:38] Jesse Schwamb: And so really that's the whole point. It's just so easy for us to get it twisted and say, "Well, doesn't it make sense that there are two groups?" Well, certainly there are in this passage. And doesn't it make good sense that because he said they did things or they didn't do things, then I just need to be about doing those things. And I think that is unfortunately the adventure in missing the point in this passage.  [00:48:58] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I, I agree 100%. And it's funny 'cause you were reading that and I was like What translation of J- of First John is it? It sound, I mean, it sounds like, it sounds like something you'd read in First John It sounds okay  [00:49:09] Jesse Schwamb: until  [00:49:10] Tony Arsenal: the end. Yeah. No, I mean, like, it literally sounds like First John until- Yeah ... you get to that last part.  [00:49:14] Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  [00:49:15] Tony Arsenal: And, and I think you're right that, um, we'll, we'll explore this more next week, but what has always struck me about this passage is that the, the p- the, the people on His right, I've gotta stop saying sheep, because that's... I just made the point that that's not really what's going on. The people on His right who are called into the kingdom because it was prepared for them before the foundation, because they were elected unto that kingdom. The people on His right, they're surprised at the fact that they did these things. And it, I, I think the works righteousness way of reading this is like, "You better earn your salvation. You better get at it because if you haven't fed Jesus in disguise, then you just aren't gonna make it. At the end of the day- Mm ... He's gonna say, 'I never knew you.'" And it, whether intentionally or unintentionally, sometimes I think intentionally, it implies that we, uh, that Jesus comes to know us because we've done good works, right? When we say, "If you don't do these things, then Jesus will say, 'I never knew you,'" then what you're saying is Jesus doesn't know you apart from your good works. Right. And what the Bible says, what this passage says, just right on the face of it, is that the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared for those whom Christ has elected before the foundation of the world, or who the Father has elected, who are blessed by the Father before the foundation of the world. Now, obviously the Father had to know those people in some sense-  [00:50:43] Jesse Schwamb: That's  [00:50:43] Tony Arsenal: right ... before the foundation of the world in order for them to be blessed by Him and for Him to prepare a kingdom. So then to come back to the end of it and say, "Well, there are some of those, uh, who the Father never knew because they didn't do enough work," well, the problem is that those who did the good work, the Father knew before they did the good works. They didn't merit the good works. I mean- Right ... it's funny you, you bring up the, the Mormons, and that's certainly true, but, like, you could substitute in, at least on this regard, right? There are meaningful, important differences between the groups I'm about to say and Mormons, that would be the dividing line between those who are possibly saved and those who are y- definitely not saved, right? You could substitute Arminians, who wanna say God looks down the corridor of time, and the reason He prepared a kingdom in advance for them from the foundation of the world is 'cause He saw that they would do these things that would merit salvation, or He saw that they would make the proper decision to receive His grace, right? Or Roman Catholics or Eastern Orthodoxes in a different sense, but similarly who would say like, "Well, yeah, God knows in advance that you're gonna merit salvation, so He prepared- Right ... this kingdom anticipating your merit that you would contribute or your participation or, or whatever." I think in a certain sense, um, you could even apply this to some Lutheran theology, right? Which would say, like, "Well, God prepared this kingdom for you from the foundation of the world because he looked down the corridor of time and he understood that you were not going to resist the grace he gave," right? You were not gonna reject his grace. Um, it really truly only is Reformed theology that can say, "No, God prepared this kingdom in advance for you, and it was the preparation of that kingdom that brought you through this such that you did the good works that you did, such that you made the wise decision to follow Christ that you did. That is caused by the fact that God prepared a kingdom for you in advance, not that you somehow caused this kingdom to be prepared for you." A- and aga- again, again, like, this is dicey. It gets into, like, logical ordering, but fundamentally, a- as far as I can understand it, every competing view besides sort of a Calvinistic understanding of predestination election has to say that in some sense God prepares the kingdom for you as a response to something you have done, or chose- Right to do or chose not to do. The reality is that this passage is saying, "No To those who are on the right. He didn't separate them based on the fact that they did these things. He just said, "You are on the right, and now to those who are on the right, I say to you, come into the kingdom that is blessed. You're blessed by my Father. Come into this kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world." So I think, you know, we're c

They're in your chocolate, your gelato, even your coffee - pistachios seem to be everywhere at the moment - bolstered by the craze for Dubai Chocolate. In this episode Leyla Kazim asks what happens when the world seems to fall in love with one ingredient. She explores how the United States came to overtake traditional producers in the Middle East to become the world's largest pistachio grower, and hears about the nut's long history in countries such as Iran from Iranian-American food writer Anna Ansari. Meanwhile, Honey & Co.'s Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich demonstrate how versatile pistachios can be, creating both sweet and savoury dishes.Nick Moss, nuts market reporter at Expana, explains what's happening to pistachio prices and why forecasts for this year's harvest are lower than usual.Leyla also visits Green Lanes in Haringey, home to many Turkish and Middle Eastern businesses, to discover how pistachios have long been central to traditional desserts - and hears how rising prices are changing that. Finally, she meets Charlie Tebbutt, whose south London company Food & Forest imports nuts, including pistachios, from farms that are either avoiding irrigation or using agroforestry methods, as an alternative to the vast monocrops that supply most of the world's pistachios. Produced by Natalie Donovan for BBC Audio in Bristol

July 17th 2026 Yuriy recalls meeting a Kurdish sheikh in Iraq about 10 years earlier, a lifelong warrior who had fought ISIS, Al Qaeda, Saddam Hussein's army, and rival Kurdish clans, and who said he “shot people because he couldn't shoot an ideology.” When pressed on how such different enemies shared one ideology, the sheikh explained that the common thread was tyranny—systems that turn people into obedient pawns—while slogans like Arab socialism or an Islamic state were merely appealing “wrapping paper.” Yuriy says he often thinks of this conversation because it helps explain Ukraine's fight today: Ukrainians are shooting Russians drawn to “senseless, bloody tyranny,” since the only alternative is submission and the spread of that brutality westward; resisting tyranny is the thin line protecting ordinary democratic life. Send Yuriy your letter of support fightingtherussianbeast@gmail.com  Yuriy's Podbean Patron sign-up to give once or regularly: https://patron.podbean.com/yuriy   Buy Yuriy a coffee here: https://bmc.link/yuriymat  Subscribe to his substack: https://yuriymatsarsky.substack.com/  ----more---- TRANSCRIPT: (Apple Podcasts & Podbean app users can enjoy accurate closed captions)      It is July 17. About 10 years ago in Iraq, I met a Kurdish sheikh- the head of a large, warlike clan scattered across the northern mountains. The sheikh, who was already in his 70s at the time, looked like a character from an adventure novel or a supporting figure in Lawrence of Arabia: a neatly trimmed white beard, a small turban, loose Middle Eastern robes fluttering in the wind. Even his weapon resembled Lawrence's- a British rifle dating back to the First World War. The sheikh had spent his entire life at war. He had grown up in war. His children had grown up in war. He had outlived two of his sons, both killed by his enemies. His grandchildren were growing up in the war as well. He seemed to make no distinction between his past and present enemies: ISIS, Al Qaeda, Saddam Hussein's army, or the leaders of rival Kurdish clans. To him, they were all the same. "I shoot people because I can't shoot an ideology," he told me. Their ideology is hostile to us, and so everyone who embraces it is our enemy. His explanation surprised me. After all, Saddam Hussein's secular quasi-fascist Ba'ath Party and ISIS stood for entirely different things, and the ideology of rival Kurdish clans had nothing in common with either Saddam's regime or jihadists. So I pressed him, asking what exactly he meant when he spoke about this single ideology shared by all his enemies. The sheikh's men, with whom we were sitting around an enormous table in his house, a table holding nothing but coffee and bottled water, looked at me as though I were a fool, someone who failed to grasp the obvious. The sheikh, however, seemed perfectly happy to explain himself to a foreigner. "Look," the sheikh said, "they all have one ideology, tyranny. They want people to do whatever they're told, to be nothing but dumb pawns. Building Arab socialism like Saddam did or an Islamic state like ISIS, that's just wrapping paper meant to appeal to people. People fall easily for deceptive things behind which tyranny hides. That's why I fought my whole life. Tyranny will always find a way to be appealing." I don't know why, but I find myself recalling this conversation quite often. It seems to me that it explains a lot about us in Ukraine too, and about you as well- those living in a still peaceful West. What I mean is that, like the Kurdish sheikh who shot people because he could not shoot an ideology, we are now shooting Russians to whom their senseless, bloody tyranny seems very appealing. We may like it or not, but the only alternative is to submit to that brutal tyranny, to merge into it, to become part of it. And to move farther west along with it. And so our hatred of tyranny, our refusal to submit to it, that is the main thing defending the democratic world, the thin red line running between the savage mass of murderers and rapists on one side and ordinary, peaceful life on the other.

//The Wire//2300Z July 15, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: STRIKES CONTINUE TO ESCALATE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS WAR REMAINS HOT. PARASITIC INFECTION CONTINUES TO SPREAD IN USA. POLICE OFFICERS AROUND THE NATION INVESTIGATED FOR ILLEGALLY SPYING ON AMERICANS.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Middle East: Mutual targeting continued overnight throughout the region, with Iranian forces striking many American-aligned military bases in several Gulf states. Isa Air Base in Qatar was hit hard overnight, and several storage warehouses were hit in Kuwait. Iran claims to have also struck the parking apron at Muwaffaq Al-Salti Air Base in Jordan, targeting the fighter aircraft which have been staged at the base for weeks. On the American side, the US has conducted several waves of attacks, with constant bombings continuing in many major port facilities. The ports of Bandar Abbas, Jask, and Chabarhar have been targeted regularly for several days, in addition to the Gulf Islands which have served as communications nodes for ships transiting the Strait.Throughout the morning, the Strait remained somewhat navigable via the Iranian route. Several ships were observed making the crossing using only the northern Iranian traffic scheme. After the targeting of several merchant vessels over the past few days in the southern route, no ship has taken the Omani route, all ships are diverting north. Analyst Comment: In terms of how much oil is getting out, it's not much. No American tankers were observed transiting overnight via either route, and the severity of the oil crisis remains a major concern for impacts to the homeland. This afternoon CENTCOM struck a merchant vessel themselves, highlighting that the American blockade of the Strait is still in effect.-HomeFront-USA: Around the nation, an outbreak of Cyclosporiasis has continued to sweep through the country, with roughly 7,000 cases of parasitic infection being reported. Most of the cases are clustered in Michigan, but the food-borne illness has been reported in many other states. Health authorities are working to narrow down the point of origin for the parasite, which appears to be linked to contaminated lettuce or unclean food preparation practices at fast food chains.Georgia: This morning, five police officers with the Albany Police Department were fired after an internal investigation revealed that they were using their access to the Flock camera/sensor database to stalk and illegally surveil citizens.South Carolina: This morning, two police officers in the city of Greer were fired after an internal investigation revealed that they were using their access to the Flock camera/sensor database to stalk and illegally surveil citizens.Texas: Yesterday, one police officer with the Pasadena Police Department resigned after an investigation was launched into his misuse of the Flock camera/sensor network. Sgt. Michael Palitz is currently under investigation for allegedly using the intelligence network to stalk a female police officer. No further details on this incident have been provided as the investigation is still ongoing.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Though it is purely anecdotal at the moment, locals on the ground in many Middle Eastern countries are reporting that this time, the fighting is different as fewer successful interceptions are being reported. As always, if interceptions of drones and missiles are successful, these munitions are usually destroyed out over the waters of the Gulf, out of view of the civilian populace. However, a lot of people have been rather dismayed that the fighting has resumed, and from their perspective it looks like their country is not intercepting anything because they are out of interceptor missiles. The stockpiles of interceptors running low for Gulf states has been a common theory for a while, after the war drew to a lull two months ago. After the ceasefire went into effect, it was generally assumed that the United States would sell more interceptor missiles to the Gulf countries (in addition to resupplying our own missile defense sites), but now that the fighting has resumed and locals are observing slow-flying drones very clearly not being intercepted in many cases, the concerns of missile stockpiles have come to the front page once again.Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269 Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//

Prime Minister of Israel Bibi Netanyahu makes his debut on Sid & Friends in the Morning with Sid to honor the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who suddenly passed away over the weekend at the age of 71. Bibi then expands on his relationship with President Donald J. Trump, his opinion on anti-Semite and Israel-hating NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and the resolve of the Isreali people to maintain their freedom and independence surrounded by enemies in a volatile Middle Eastern region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step into Episode 220 of On The Delo as Delo sits down with Akram Abdallah and Mohamed — the entrepreneurial force behind Laymoon Café, Tempe's buzzing Palestinian-Syrian café bringing Middle Eastern hospitality, culture, and flavor to the heart of the ASU community. From a chance road-trip conversation about an available space to opening one of the most talked-about new concepts in the Valley, this story is about bold moves, deep roots, and a team who built something beautiful before they even had a name for it.Delo digs into the origin stories, the chaos of launch week, supply chain realities, a 40-person staff puzzle, the significance of operating next to one of Arizona's most iconic mosques, and what it means to create a true "third space" rooted in Middle Eastern hospitality. If you're into food, entrepreneurship, culture, and the real behind-the-scenes of building a business from the ground up, this one will hit different.Chapter Guide (Timestamps):(0:00 - 2:42) Delo's Intro, Episode 220, and the New Book "Risky Business"(2:43 - 5:00) Meeting at Filthy Animal and Guest Origin Stories Begin(5:01 - 7:01) Mohamed's Tech Background: Waymo, Amazon, and Pilot's License(7:02 - 9:41) Operations, Staffing Puzzles, and 1,000+ Guests a Day(9:42 - 14:21) Akram's Real Estate Background and Finding the Location(14:22 - 19:33) The Mosque Connection, Nomad Jewelry, and Bringing on House of Form(19:34 - 27:40) Palestinian-Syrian Heritage, Islamic Hospitality, and the "Third Space"(27:41 - 30:12) The Menu: Fusion Drinks, Kedak Chai, Yemeni Honeycomb & More(30:13 - 37:45) Operations, Supply Chain, Social Media Strategy, and What's Next(37:46 - 43:20) Non-Negotiables, Prayer Routines, and Fitness Habits(43:21 - 50:00) Where to Find Them Online and Rapid Fire Questions

Preview for Later Today: Jim McTague observes fluctuating gasoline prices in Lancaster County, noting that costs are creeping upward daily due to Middle Eastern violence, impacting even the typically cheapest outlets like Costco and BJ'swarehouse stores.

Heatwave, Q buys a bar, tall ships, pranking influencers, Supergirl, Norm's viral video, Walt impugns the swimming pool industry and stumps for a Middle-Eastern despot. Factormeals.com/tesd50off, BuyRaycon.com/tesd, theperfectjean.nyc - Code:TESD15, https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/tesd