Podcasts about old testament god

Is God's grace conditional? Is the Old Testament God different than the New Testament Jesus? Why does God punish his people? In today's episode, Jensen shares how 1 Kings 9:1-9 reminds us that our God has been gracious from the beginning of the story. If you're listening on Spotify, tell us about yourself and where you're listening from! Read the Bible with us in 2025! This year, we're exploring the Historical Books—Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings. Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: 1 Kings 9:1-9

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Lesson Three: “God's warning about warning” Text: Ezekiel 3:15-19 Intro: Last week we saw that the Old Testament prophets were "missionaries" to Israel and other nations. Jeremiah 26:4-5. Isaiah said, "here am I send me"; Jeremiah said, “I tried to quit but could not"; and today we see that Ezekiel "stood in the gap." Ezekiel 22:30. Note: God calls Ezekiel the same title that Jesus refers to Himself: Son of man. 1. God made, called, Ezekiel to be a watchman. Ezekiel 3:17a. In the Old Testament God called specific prophets to be watchmen as previously stated. • God told Ezekiel to warn the people. Ezekiel 3:17b. Not an easy calling. • God told Ezekiel that he was accountable to warn the wicked. Ezekiel 3:18 • God told Ezekiel that if he warned the people he would be "free." Ezekiel 3:19 • God told Ezekiel to also warn the righteous. Ezekiel 3:20-21. This can be harder than warning the wicked. See 1 John 5:16 • Ezekiel had an awesome responsibility. Ezekiel 22:30; 24:24 2. God has always made a way for mankind to be spared = forgiven. Hebrews 9:20 • The Old Testament believers were in the dispensation of atonement. Hebrews 10:3-4 • The New Testament believers are in the dispensation of justification. Hebrews 9:12; Romans 4:25; 1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 1:5 • The Old Testament believers were under the law. Romans 8:3 • The New Testament believers are under grace. Romans 6:1, 15, 18 3. God calls every believer in the New Testament dispensation to warn the lost. John 15:16 • Jesus sends us into the world. John 17:18 • We are to warn, tell, everyone. Mark 16:15 • The church is to go warn all the world. Acts 1:8 • Someone is begging us to warn the lost. Luke 16:27-28 • We also will give an account. Acts 20:26-27 = Paul understood the Implications of Ezekial 3:18. Wow! Conclusion: If these truths don't motivate us to do missions, what will?

2 Corinthians 12:14-21 Love that Longs for Repentance Our sermon text this morning is 2 Corinthians 12:14-21. That is on page 1152 in the provided Bibles. The apostle Paul is wrapping up his defense of his apostleship. And in these verses, he lets the Corinthians know that he will be visiting them again, soon. This will be his third visit. Paul's first visit was when he established the church in Corinth. He was there for 18 months. Paul's second visit was the painful visit he made a few months prior to writing this letter. And this third trip would be to check in on them and if necessary, deal firmly with their ongoing sin. As you will hear, Paul hopes they will repent, but fears they won't. Reading of 2 Corinthians 12:14-21 Prayer In 1962, Dick and Judy Hoyt gave birth to a son, Rick. Rick was born with a severe case of Cerebral Palsey. He was unable to move his legs, had limited use of his arms, and he was unable to speak. The Hoyts loved their son. They worked with him, and he learned to communicate through gestures and a rudimentary keyboard and screen. When Rick was 15, he communicated to his dad he wanted to race in a 5 mile road race. It was to raise money for a high schooler who had become paralyzed in an accident. So, they did it! Rick's dad pushed Rick in his wheelchair for 5 miles, and Rick loved it. It made him feel like he could walk and run. Dick Hoyt would end up not only pushing his son in road races, but he made a special seat to carry him on a bicycle. He would also row a boat and tow Rick behind him, as if he were swimming. They competed in over 1,100 races including triathlons and marathons. In fact, both Rick and his dad are in the Ironman hall of fame. They have inspired many many others. Rick's dad would do anything for his son. In the same way, the apostle Paul would do anything for the church in Corinth. He considered himself their spiritual father. Not their Heavenly Father, but their spiritual father on earth. And it's true. Paul brought the Gospel to Corinth. He labored for months and months to teach them about Jesus and God's promises fulfilled in him. Paul discipled them in their daily walk with Christ. He organized the church in Corinth. He brought the new believers together and taught them how to worship the Lord well. He modelled for them how to witness. He, in a sense, carried them. He loved them like a father would love a child. And that is why he wrote multiple letters. It's why he visited them twice up to this point. And it's why he sent Titus and Timothy, to minister on his behalf when he couldn't be there. Paul loved them. Let me ask, what would a loving father do in such a situation? Some of his spiritual children were not living the life that he taught them. Some of them had been believing in false doctrine – worldly philosophy. Others were even questioning his motives. What would a loving father do? Even if you never knew your father, or even if your father was abusive or overbearing or didn't seem to care or was mostly absent, even if one of those things, I think you can still probably imagine what a loving father would do. Maybe you saw it in someone else. Here's what I think. A loving father would #1 express his unconditional love to them in no uncertain terms. #2 a loving father would need to correct them. If people had been accusing him of things that were not true (like what was happening in Corinth) a loving father would make it clear what was true and why. If they believed in something that was not true, he would seek to instruct them in what is right. So, love and correction. Then 3rd. A loving father would be firm. A loving father disciplines his children. That discipline may include warnings of consequences if their behavior persists. And lastly, and not least, #4 a loving father would grieve. All these things would weigh heavily on him. These verses display all of those things. Paul was acting as a loving father for his spiritual children in Corinth. There are three progressions in his fatherly communication. You'll see them in the outline. 1. Seeking and sacrificing (12:14-15) – Paul displays a fatherly love that pursues no matter the cost 2. Dispelling deceit (12:16-19) – He speaks the truth in love to build them up 3. Fearing the fallout (12:20-21) – Paul warns them and grieves the devastation of unrepentant sin. 1. Seeking and sacrificing So, let's work through those. Number 1, seeking and sacrificing. That's what the apostle was doing. He was pursuing them no matter the cost. We see that right there in verse 14. He was saying to them, I'm ready to come to you a third time and there's nothing about my visit that will materially burden you. You don't need to financially support me. No, rather, I'm coming soon to help you. And then, he makes this beautiful declaration to them. “I seek not what is yours, but you.” I want you. I love you. I care about you. Isn't that what we all want to hear? It moving. I want you to know here that your spiritual fathers and brothers love you. I'm talking about our elders. We love you. I love you. We pray for you. We seek to spiritually care for you. Yes, our love for you is imperfect. We'll get to the perfect love of our heavenly Father in a moment. But we desire to care for and minister to your souls as your earthly spiritual fathers. Paul loved the Corinthians and he wanted their hearts. And this is where he uses the parent/child analogy. He says, “For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.” All parents should care for and provided for their young children's needs – you know, a place to sleep, a roof over their head, clothing, education, guidance. Parents should save and sacrifice. Now, when a child becomes an adult, that child typically should take on many of the responsibilities for themselves. There are, of course, special situations.  If that adult child comes to have a family of his own or her own, they should then sacrifice for their own children. This is what Paul is alluding to in a general sense. Essentially, he was saying that as their spiritual father, he was pouring out his life for them. Another beautiful phrase is right there in verse 15, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” He has given himself. As we've gone through 2 Corinthians, you've heard over and over about his love for them and his desire for them to mature in Christ. He would spend whatever it took for them - his time, his emotional energy, his own resources. He would endure all the risks and suffering to minister to their souls. That is the level of sacrifice that Paul was making for them He wants them to know of his sacrificial love. And he ends verse 15 with a question. “if I love you more, am I to be loved less?” He did love them, that's very true. And so, it was a gentle appeal to them that they return his love. I've poured out my life for you. Will you love me in return. He's sought them and sacrificed for them, and he desired that they respond to the love he's displayed. 2. Dispelling deceit (12:16-19) Which brings us to verses 16-19. Dispelling deceit. There were a lot of issues in the church in Corinth. We know from the letter of 1 Corinthians that the church struggled with sexual sin. The church also struggled with disunity. We'll see that spelled out in verses 20 and 21. In this letter, 2 Corinthains, we've seen how the false apostles perverted the teaching of Christ. Paul had to correct that. They were also arrogant. These so-called super apostles boasted in worldly credentials. They lived lives unbecoming of faithful believers. And they undermined Paul and his ministry. They even claimed that Paul was deceitful. That's what verse 16 says. They claimed that Paul was somehow taking advantage of them (verse 17). Now, we're not given specifics, but since he just talked about not being a financial burden, it's likely they claimed Paul was in some way profiting from his relationship with them. But it was all false. Let me ask a difficult question. When someone makes a false accusation against you and is actively spreading it around, should you make a defense? Do you defend yourself? It's a difficult question because Jesus, when he was reviled, did not revile in return. When Pilate questioned him, he didn't speak. When slander was heaped upon him, he received it. Furthermore, Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek which means to not retaliate. Does that mean we should not defend ourselves when someone is lying and spreading that lie? It's a hard question. Generally, I believe we should stand for what is true. When rumors or lies are spread about you or the church, depending what they are, they may bring undeserved shame upon the name of Christ. False public claims and distortions of the truth may cast dishonor on the name of Christ. If they do, then in those situations, I believe we should be clear about what was said or done or happened. We should not do that in a retaliatory or vindictive way, but for the sake of Christ and his bride, the church, we should make the truth known. Again, I'm speaking about slander that is being spread. In most cases, we should defend the truth because it seeks to restore honor to Christ. But it needs to be done in a way that is honorable and loving. Look at verse 19. Paul had just defended Titus and himself. He makes it clear that they were not taking advantage of the Corinthians. And then he says this (verse 19), “Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ…” Much of this whole letter has been a defense. Paul has not been ultimately defending himself, rather he's been defending the reputation of God. God is the one who had called Paul to his role as an apostle. Paul self-defense and his defense of the Gospel is a defense of Christ and his ministry. And verse 19 ends with another affirmation of Paul's love for them. He says, “all for your upbuilding, beloved.” The truth of the Gospel and the truth of Paul's ministry is what the church needed to hear. It was all done with the goal that they return to faithfulness. And so, Paul defends what is true. We need to dispel deceit in loving and clear ways to bring honor to Christ and his bride. 3. Fearing the fallout (12:20-21) Ok, #3 Fearing the fallout – verses 20-21 So far, the apostle has affirmed his fatherly love for the church in no uncertain terms. I do not want what is yours, but you. And I will gladly spend and be spent for your souls. He's furthermore defended himself against deceit. In defending his reputation and his love for them, he was defending Christ. It was all for their building up. And now, in these last two verses of the chapter, Paul firmly warns them. It's a fatherly firmness that they needed to hear. Let me ask the kids, her. Do your parents ever warn you? I'm guessing they do. Maybe you did something or said something that was disrespectful or selfish, and your mom or dad had to sit you down. What did they say? Well, from experience (on both sides), your mom or dad probably gave you a warning and some reasons. Right? For example, “yesterday you said that your homework was done so you could play with your friends. I found out that you were lying. It may seem small but lying breaks trust. It dishonors God because we are called to be people of truth and walk in the light. So, I will be checking your homework, and if you lie again, you will lose the privilege of playing with your friends for a week.” Does that sound familiar? That is a warning from a loving parent to a child. That is what the apostle Paul was doing here. He was sternly warning them about their actions and warning them about his upcoming visit, but he does it in a gentle way. He uses the word “fear.” Did you notice that at the beginning of verse 20 and 21? “I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish…” and verse 21, again, “I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented.” He uses the word fear because he does not want to see the Corinthians enmeshed in sin. He knows the near term and long term consequences of their sin, and he doesn't want to see his children experience those consequences. And so he makes clear their need to repent, which means to see their sin, to grieve over it, turn from it, and back to God. Ok, briefly, let's look at the two lists of sin here. The first list in verse 20 includes relational sin within the church. “quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.” Those are all things that destroy the body of Christ. The second list are sins related to the purity of their minds and bodies. “impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality.” These are sins that destroy the body and pollute the mind. Each of those lists is destructive in different ways. Those two lists are essentially what Paul's first letter focused on. That sin still plagued the church at that time. Paul loved them and longed to see them repent. But he feared that that they wouldn't. And so, as a loving father, he mourned. I don't know a godly parent who doesn't mourn and grieve and pray for their wayward child. They plead with the Lord and they pray. They love their child or children children by seeking them, sacrificing for them, being clear about their sin, but reminding them of the mercy of God if they turn from it back to him. You see, these are the words of a loving father, the apostle Paul, to his wayward children, some in the Corinthian church. 1. He sought them with all his heart and sacrificed for their souls. 2. He defended the truth with grace and love, and 3. He longed to see them repent, firmly warning them of their path. The Love of the Father through Christ This is fatherly love. And this love that the apostle Paul displays is patterned after the love of God the Father for you and for me. God's love is the love that underlies this whole section of 2 Corinthians 12. Every single aspect of fatherly love here reflects the love of God for his children. First, he is seeking you. verse 14. God “seeks not what is yours but you.” That's true. The Father doesn't want your gifts to him or your sacrifices. No, he wants you. He seeks you. He wants your heart. We read from Micah 6 in our call to worship this morning. “With what shall I come before the Lord…? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”  And then Micah says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” He seeks you and your heart. Second, he has sacrificed for you. Verse 15. “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” God the Father has made an infinite sacrifice for you and for your soul. The Father sacrificed his eternal Son as payment for your sin. Jesus gave his life that you may live. Paul's life as an apostle is patterned after the ministry of God in Christ. Paul suffered and would eventually be killed bringing the Gospel to the ends of the earth. But God gave infinitely more. Jesus endured the wrath of God, which you and I deserve, so that we may know him and be reconciled to him by faith. What more could God spend than himself for your salvation. Third, God has given us his Word of truth. This Word is for all the world to see and know. This Word condemns deceit. It stands against injustice. It reveals truth and righteousness. God has lovingly given us his Word that we might know him and pursue him. And all of it, to use the words of verse 19, are for our upbuilding. And fourth, and finally, God longs for us to repent and turn to him. This is the call to all humanity that is found all through the Bible. God calls all to repent and turn to him by faith. All through the Old Testament God displayed his mercy and lovingkindness. But his people rejected him and his commandments. They were unfaithful to him. God justly warned of his judgment, but all the while he mercifully sought their return to him. This is the same fatherly love that he gives us The apostle Peter captures it well in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” As we come to a close, I want to ask you to evaluate your own heart and life. Each of us falls into one of three categories (related to these verses). 1. God is your loving Father and with a repentant heart, you are pursuing him by faith. Is that you? If so, press on by faith, continue to rely on him, continue to know his Word, and be reminded of his love for you in Christ. 2. God is your loving Father, but you, like some of the Corinthians, have wandered away from him. Maybe an unrepentant sin has taken hold of your life. Or maybe you've bought into a worldly philosophy like what the false apostles taught. If that is you, know that God loves you and longs for you to return to him. 3. Or maybe you fall into a 3rd category. God is pursuing you as a loving Father would pursue a wayward child. But you have yet to embrace his love. If that is you, know that God himself is seeking you. He has sacrificed his Son for you. He has spoken the truth to you with the firm resolve of a loving Father. And he desires you to submit your life to him by faith. Whichever category you are in, may God be at work in you because he is the loving Father.

(This podcast was previously recorded and published on August 17, 2020)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...    In the Old Testament God gave the Holy Spirit to the prophets. But the people had to come to a prophet to hear the will of God.   In the New Testament all who belong to God are given the Holy Spirit of God to teach them all things, to remind them of that which Jesus has said, to guide them into all truth, and to show them things to come.  (John 14:26 & John 16:13)   Hebrews 1:1-2  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom HE hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also HE made the worlds;   So now, in the New Testament church, we no longer have to go to a prophet to inquire of God. We have the Holy Spirit living in us. Jesus tells us this in the following scripture:   John 7   37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto ME (The Word), and drink.   38 He that believeth on me (The Word), as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.   39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)   After Jesus died and was taken into heaven, the Holy Spirit of Jesus was given to each believer to live inside that believer to guide that believer into all truth!   Bible shows Holy Spirit lives in the believer:   I Corinthians 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?   I Corinthians 6:19-20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.   II Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?   Romans 8   7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.   9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.   10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.   11 But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, HE that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by HIS Spirit that dwelleth in you.   Jesus lives in each believer today by that Spirit which God gives us after we believe the Word.   ==   John 14:26  Jesus says ... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in MY name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.     John 16:13  Jesus says ...  Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear (from God), that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.     I Corinthians 14:26  How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation.  Let all things be done unto edifying.     James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.     1 Corinthians 12:4-11   Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.   5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.   6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.   7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.   8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;   9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;   10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:   11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE will.    

Title: Politicians and A Provoactio Ad Caesarem Text: Acts 25:1-12 FCF: We often struggle trusting the Lord and remaining law-abiding citizens amid rampant corruption. Prop: Because God providentially accomplishes His purposes through human government, we must trust Him while using every legal means to pursue His known will. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 25. In a moment we'll begin reading in verse 1 from the legacy standard bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week was the conclusion of the episode of Paul's trial before Felix. And although we observed that Felix didn't have any reason to prevent Paul from being released, for selfish reasons he kept him in prison for two years. But in this particular case, the injustice of men was still used to serve the providential plan of God. Paul will arrive in Rome to preach the gospel at exactly the time that God desires Him to do so. Not a moment sooner or later than that. Today a new episode begins. This episode consists of several scenes spanning all of chapter 25 and 26 in the book of Acts. In the first scene we fast forward in time two years and a new governor takes the judgment seat. Will Festus be more reasonable and less selfish of a politician? Will Paul get justice? Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Sovereign Lord, you are master of all that is. Even the hearts of all the Kings of the earth are in your hands. You direct them like a stream to go which way you desire. All things come together by Your infinite and Sovereign will and nothing is left to chance or human discretion. In this we find great comfort and relief in spite of Kings abusing their power and perverting justice. May we see with eyes of faith that you are in control and let us use every legal means we have to pursue your will for us. Use your Spirit to guide us into truth today we pray in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] I don't know how much you pay attention to the news. My recommendation would be to do very little of it if you can help it. However, one recent piece of information that came to light was the release of video footage that supposedly proved that Jeffery Epstein's death was actually a suicide and not a murder. Of course, the video footage has been analyzed with video technology and it was proved to have been edited and saved multiple times. On top of this the conservative majority government just passed a massive bill adding several trillion dollars to our national debt. Many conservatives are fairly put off by both of these things since the current president ran on a campaign of eliminating government waste, balancing the budget, and uncovering and exposing government lies. Some have even said, different party… same old games. I say all this, not to make a political statement one way or another – but merely to prove to you that human government has always been this way. Last week we saw Felix's injustice, and this week we'll see political intrigue too. But the question we really need to ask is… Does God use human government to accomplish His purposes? If you've been with us for the last several messages in the book of Acts, I would hope that you could answer that question already. But let's dive into this text this morning to reaffirm the answer. I.) God providentially accomplishes His purposes through human government, so we must trust the Lord. (1-6) a. [Slide 3] 1 - Festus then, having arrived in the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. i. Porcius Festus, has just become the governor of Judea, Samaria, and Syria. ii. He has replaced Antonius Felix, the savage, brutal, greedy, lustful governor who has since been shipped back to Rome to face trial for his poor governance of the province. iii. Only three days after moving in Festus goes up to Jerusalem. iv. Although Caesarea is the capital of the Roman province, the primary city in the region was, without an equal, Jerusalem. v. So much so, that only 3 days after beginning his new role, Festus is already going 60 miles south to Jerusalem to spend time with prominent Jewish figures who possess a great deal of influence and power in the region, whether they are appointed leaders or not. vi. In this way Festus attempts to network with those who have power and influence. vii. The ruling aristocracy of Jerusalem were not that opposed to Felix's governorship. It was the greater majority of the Jews who suffered under his oppression. viii. But now we find that this Jewish aristocracy, led by the new High Priest, Ishmael Ben Phiabi, who was appointed by Herod Agrippa the second in AD 59, desired greatly to use their power and influence to sway the new governor to deal with their festering problem… ix. A loose end that Felix did not adequately take care of. b. [Slide 4] 2 - And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with him, 3 - requesting a favor against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (while they set an ambush to kill him on the way). i. The Jews really waste no time seeking Festus to do what Felix would not. ii. They bring charges against Paul – Luke doesn't tell us if they are the same charges or different ones. iii. But they begin pleading with Festus to move Paul back to Jerusalem so that they could force him to stand trial for his crimes and ultimately so that Paul could be condemned to death. iv. They ask this as a special request, a favor to them. v. Something offered to help improve relationships between Rome and the Jews. Something offered to secure their loyal support in the coming years of his tenure as governor. vi. Luke also reveals to us that there was yet another secret plan to ambush Paul on the road from Caesarea to Rome. vii. So, will Festus fall for it? c. [Slide 5] 4 - Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 – “Therefore,” he said, “let the influential men among you go down there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him.” i. Although he's new here, Festus is no push over. ii. He knows the proper procedure to deal with accused Roman citizens. iii. Paul is incarcerated in Caesarea. If they have charges against him, they should bring them to Festus' judgment seat. iv. He insists on the Roman way of doing a trail. Paul's accusers should come to him face to face to accuse him. v. So Festus is going to treat the Jews fairly, but not preferentially. vi. He informs the Jews that he himself will be going to Caesarea soon and he invites them to join him on the journey to bring a case against Paul. d. [Slide 6] 6 - And after he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought. i. Luke is obviously uncertain about the exact timing of when Felix came back to Caesarea. ii. This pushes right up to our understanding of how the bible was inspired by God. iii. God breathed out His words through the personalities and memories of the human authors. iv. Here Luke is uncertain – perhaps his memory has failed him or perhaps his sources have two different dates. Or perhaps the uncertainty is based on when Festus left Jerusalem vs when he left the company of the Jewish Elite if they traveled with him. v. In any case, Luke's timetable is only significant in that it was not months and months later that this trial takes place. vi. Although Paul is a problem Festus inherited from his predecessor, he sits down in the judgment seat to deal with the issue immediately. vii. No doubt the list of cases that needed judgement had begun to stack up as the governorship was transferred to Festus. viii. In an ironic twist, the Jews lack of patience regarding Paul's verdict inadvertently leads to Festus taking the case immediately. Paul could have sat in the Praetorium for years waiting for his trial to recommence. ix. The Jew's bloodthirstiness and lack of contentment at Paul's incarceration actually moves the time table forward for Paul. e. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Throughout the course of this scene Luke will show us one primary aspect which God uses to providentially accomplish His purposes. God uses human government to orchestrate the counsel of His will. In this particular section we see that God is using political intrigue to move Paul out of Israel and off to Rome. The various behind the scenes favors and political moves position Paul at the head of the line as the first case Festus will try after becoming the procurator. Paul could have potentially rotted away in prison for many years if it were not for the political aspirations of the Jews and the pressure they desired to put on Festus their new governor. But what appears to be a curse is orchestrated by God for the good of Paul to move him closer to God's plan of having Paul preach the gospel in Rome. Once again, Paul is called upon to trust the Lord that His promises are true. He must be courageous and face the uncertainty that another trial will present – but know that God's will cannot be thwarted. We too must trust the Lord, even when human government seems to be making all the wrong decisions and corruption abounds… God has not lost control. For He even uses this to accomplish His will. Transition: [Slide 8 (blank)] This is one aspect of human government that God uses to accomplish His will, but there is another less seedy and underhanded aspect of human government that God uses too. And what is great about this one – is that we can and should use it to pursue God's will. II.) God providentially accomplishes His purposes through human government, so we use every legal means to pursue God's known will. (7-12) a. [Slide 9] 7 - And after Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, i. This time, the Jews did not hire a professional non-Jewish attorney. ii. Instead, they bring prominent Jewish men to lay out their case against Paul. iii. Luke's portrayal of this event is quite aggressive. They all stand around him like wolves circling their prey. iv. They bring many serious charges against Paul. v. Luke again does not record what they are. vi. More than likely, they are similar to the charges brought two years before. vii. Luke chooses to summarize this second trail before Festus. viii. We know that there was probably a good deal more said, especially when Luke records Festus' understanding of the case in his explains it to Herod Agrippa later in this chapter. ix. Luke continues to point out – these charges could not be substantiated by any evidence or proof. b. [Slide 10] 8 - while Paul said in his own defense, “I have committed no sin either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” i. Luke sums up Paul's defense here. ii. Again, Luke is probably not giving us an in depth record of this trail, more than likely because it has already been recorded to a certain degree in the previous trials before Felix and the Sanhedrin. iii. In Luke's record here, Paul simply denies sinning against any Jewish law, against the temple or against Caesar. iv. In this we hear the previous accusations from two years before come back again. v. The law and the temple might easily fit into the claim that Paul led a heretical movement and that he attempted to defile the temple. vi. The defense about not sinning against Caesar may be the charge that he caused riots throughout the Roman Empire. This could be the portrayal of sedition – a crime against the orderly rule of the emperor. vii. Paul categorically denies all three. c. [Slide 11] 9 - But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and to be tried before me on these matters?” i. Festus is in a difficult position. ii. Once again, he has inherited this mess from his predecessor. iii. He really doesn't want the headache. iv. But he is going to have problems either way. v. On the one hand, it is obvious that Paul is innocent. The case against him is very weak. We know he thought this because of what is revealed later in this episode when he meets with Herod Agrippa. 1. Festus' impression is that nothing that Paul was accused of was worthy of death. 2. Furthermore, what the Jews accused him of amounted primarily to religious disputes and disputes over someone named Jesus who is dead but Paul claims to be alive. 3. Festus very much sees Paul's case as the stronger one. vi. On the other hand, his predecessor was just brought back to Rome for constantly oppressing and abusing his power against the Jews. The last thing he wants to do in the third week of his job is to immediately enrage those same folks. 1. More than likely Festus does not understand the dynamics of Jewish life at this point. 2. He doesn't realize that most of the Jews are not represented by the aristocracy. 3. Opposing these men may not irritate the Jews as much as he might assume. 4. Still, not wise for him to cut so hard against the influential and powerful leaders of Jerusalem. vii. Festus is in quite a pickle but he thinks he has a solution. viii. He suggests to Paul a compromise. ix. The Jews want to try Paul's case in Jerusalem. Yet they have not adequately established his guilt according to any law. x. So, he wants to see if Paul would be willing to help him out. xi. Perhaps if Paul was tried in Jerusalem but under the judgment of Festus himself, this would both make him look good in front of the Jews but he might also have the ability to release Paul finding no fault with him. xii. And since the alleged crimes occurred in Jerusalem and they were primarily religious in nature, perhaps the Sanhedrin could be called upon to clarify a few things for Festus regarding these religious differences. xiii. But alarm bells sound in Paul's ears when he hears this. d. [Slide 12] 10 - But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 - If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” i. Paul's argument is a symmetrical argument. ii. [Slide 13] What I mean by that is that he drives down and then back up. And it all has to do with who should be judging Paul. Who has jurisdiction in this case? iii. A - Right now he is in a Roman court. He sits before a Roman official. He is under Caesar's jurisdiction. He thinks this is the right place for him to be. Why? iv. B - Because he's done no wrong to the Jews. Festus knows this. Everyone knows this. They can't prove anything. Therefore, there is no reason for them to have any say in what happens here. v. C – But if he is guilty of something for which he should die, he isn't going to fight that. Again – that must be handed down from Rome and not from Jerusalem. vi. B – But if none of the things the Jews accuse him of is true – then he is in the right court. And no one can legally say that he must be handed over to their jurisdiction. vii. A – I appeal to Caesar. 1. Every Roman citizen had a right to appeal to the Emperor's judgment on matters when they felt that the lower courts dealt unjustly or they feared for their life because of those pressing charges. 2. In Paul's case, it seems like both are true. 3. I'm not personally convinced that Festus was attempting to hand over jurisdiction to the Jews. I think he was merely trying to find a compromise to legally deal with Paul without harming the relationship with the ruling class of Jews. 4. But it seems like Paul may have thought Festus' intentions were suspect. 5. And why shouldn't he? Festus has no record to look to. He hasn't proven himself to be reasonable or not. And going back to Jerusalem to the Sanhedrin, even if there was a new High Priest, seems more like a step back than forward. 6. An appeal to the Emperor works kind of like an appeal to the supreme court in the US. 7. Once the Emperor made a decision it was final and there were no more appeals. 8. And the process to get before the emperor was usually a long one. 9. Meaning that citizens would appeal to Caesar knowing that they would be in prison for a good deal of time before they saw the Emperor. 10. We know for Paul it took at least two years once he actually got to Rome to go before the Emperor for judgment. 11. So, it wasn't something a citizen would do lightly. 12. Paul feels cornered and uses the last legal trick he has up his sleeve. 13. Now, why didn't Paul use this with Felix over the two years he was in prison? We don't know. Perhaps Paul thought Felix might come to Christ? Perhaps Felix keeping him safe in Caesarea gave him hope at being released. 14. Certainly, entering Rome as a free man would be preferable to entering as an accused criminal. 15. But Festus suggesting moving the trial to Jerusalem almost guaranteed that Paul would be executed either by assassins or by legal verdict. 16. So, he makes his appeal to Caesar. e. [Slide 14] 12 - Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.” i. No doubt part of Festus' discussion with his council was regarding the nature of the appeal. ii. It is irregular for someone to appeal to the Emperor before a verdict has been rendered. iii. Also, we see from the coming verses that Festus is quite perplexed about this whole case. iv. Festus knows that Paul has not been accused of anything worth killing him, yet the Jews insist not only that he has done something against Rome but that they should be the ones who try his case in Jerusalem. These are incompatible. If it is a crime against Rome worthy of death, then Rome should have jurisdiction. v. Adding to this confusion, Paul is claiming that this is a Jewish religious matter, but desires for his case to remain in the hands of the Romans. Which is also incompatible. If it is a Jewish religious dispute, it ought to be given back to the Jews. But again – the Jews want him dead. Which they aren't permitted to do without Rome's approval. vi. Festus confers with his council to try to understand what his options are. vii. The council probably informs him that once a citizen has appealed, regardless of what his decision would have been… they must be sent to Caesar. viii. This is no skin off Festus' nose. He must honor Paul's appeal and regardless of what is decided, he won't get blamed for it. It's a win-win for him. ix. So, Festus comes back with his statement. x. You want it? You got it. xi. Paul will go to Caesar. f. [Slide 15] Summary of the Point: The institution of this law to appeal to Caesar had existed since the beginning of the Empire. In fact, it actually predates the Empire and was originally an appeal to the people. So that the people would have the final say in a case. Caesar Augustus changed this law to go to the Emperor rather than the people, establishing the Emperor not only as the Executive branch of the law but the judicial one as well. In this we see that almost 90 years before Paul stands before Festus, his means of escaping to Rome had been secured. This law, written by pagan men hungry for power, had been orchestrated by God to accomplish this purpose for His servant Paul. And Paul uses that law, knowing that it is the Lord's will for Him to go to Rome. We too should use every legal means we have to accomplish the known will of God. Conclusion: So, CBC, what have we learned today that informs our belief and governs our practice? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 16] We have been shown time and time again in this final Act of the narrative Luke records, that God is providentially, sovereignly governing and orchestrating all things to accomplish His purposes. If He has written the end from the beginning, we must recognize that all things that have been, were because God willed them to be. God even uses human government, at its best and at its worst to accomplish His holy purposes. In the life of Paul, we've seen a lot of political intrigue. It seems like everyone wants to use Paul as a pawn for their own political agendas. That doesn't happen today probably

Episode 68 of What Gives?—the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, we speak with Shai Held, President and Dean of the Hadar Institute and author of the new book Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life. Shai returns for his second appearance on this podcast to talk about the enduring caricature of the “Old Testament God,” and how that distortion has shaped both Jewish and Christian imaginations. Shai and Andrés explore why many rabbis feel ill-equipped to support spiritual seekers, how the trauma of October 7 has intensified theological yearning, and what role funders can play in revitalizing Jewish conversations about God. You'll hear why Shai believes that real love, the kind rooted in justice, compassion, and mutual responsibility, is the most powerful force we can bring to a fractured world. Take a listen.

Why do we feel like the Old Testament God is different from the New Testament God? Pastor Sonny Hennessy breaks open this series on Deuteronomy and showing the unchanging nature of God between the two halves of the Bible.Scripture in this message: Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Deuteronomy 28:15, Matthew 11:28, Genesis 3, Deuteronomy 5:9-10, Exodus 34:6-7, Ezekiel 18:19-20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 14:9, Galatians 3:13Watch this message on YouTubeJust starting your Jesus journey? Let us know by filling out this form so we can connect with you personallyHello Card Tithes & OfferingsPlease consider giving to help us spread the life giving message of Jesus to the 920 and beyondGive Here --Follow Life Church on socialsLCGB Facebook LCGB Instagram LCGB YouTube

6/22/2025 Leviticus….Abominations in The Book Of Leviticus Intro: Since this is Pride month I though we would look at abominations in the Abomination book, the book of Leviticus. That word is used more times in the book of Leviticus than all other books combined. In Leviticus there are only two things that God calls an Abomination. Dietary things…things we eat and sexual things….same sex relations. That's it. In Exodus 8:26 the Hebrews sacrificed animals that were considered sacred to the Egyptians and to the Hebrews would be considered abominable to the Egyptians. In Deuteronomy worshipping other gods is considered and abomination, and those who practice divination are an abomination to the Lord. Many defenders of the Homosexual life style look to the fact that in The Old Testament God called eating certain foods an abomination….. that in the New Testament no longer considered an abomination because the law has been replaced by grace..…….So their excuse is that calling Homosexuality an abomination is also……. not considered a sin today but they say that societal norms change and God is okay with that. But the New Testament has a lot to say about Homosexuality that we will see later.

Greg answers questions about pastors asking the Holy Spirit to come down, the treatment of slaves in Israel versus in other cultures, whether there should be women pastors, and how Christians can claim they have a relationship with Jesus if they've never seen him.   Topics: What are your thoughts on pastors saying, “Holy Spirit, come down and move through your people”? (04:00) Do you know who made the point that we should compare the way the Israelites treated their slaves to the way other cultures treated theirs in order to understand the protections God was giving them? (26:00) Should there be women pastors? (41:00) Jesus hasn't been seen in 2,000 years, so how could you, as a Christian, have a relationship with him since you've never met the man? (51:00) Mentioned on the Show:  Submit a question on the Open Mic Line Is God a Moral Monster?: Making Sense of the Old Testament God by Paul Copan The Invisible Man by Greg Koukl Related Links: Did God Condone Slavery? by Amy Hall

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Psalm chapter 47 about what it means that God is King over all the earth.

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Psalm chapter 29 about the call, the reason and the result of God's glory.

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Psalm chapter 8 about God's majesty in the world, the Christ and the church.

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Psalm chapter 2 about how Jesus Christ has been shown to be God's true King.

 Please note that the 1st part is in English, and the 2nd part is in Malayalam starting at 13:55  mark.  In the Old Testament God points towards the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ.  All the messages of Father God are revealed in the Old Testament through different prophets.  The New Testament reveals the fulfillment of the prophesies in the Old Testament.  No one in the world other than Jesus has a special kind of birth, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven.  No one else in the world has ever done several miracles, forgiven sins, and given the promise  to come back to get us to heaven.  God has revealed to us everything about His Son, Jesus, through different prophets  centuries before Jesus came down to the earth.   Prophesies about twelve areas of the life of Jesus are discussed. My name... Cicilysunny@gmail.com

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Joshua chapter 24 about the faithfulness of God toward His people.

• God is One and God is also Three—the mystery of the Trinity • God the Holy Spirit; God the Son in the Old Testament • God the Son, Jesus: His life on Earth • Why a virgin birth? – Part 1 How do we understand the concept of the Trinity, that God is one with three personalities? Listen to this lesson to hear the biblical explanations of this. Take a trip through both Old and New Testament Scriptures that reveal three Persons and the character traits that all possess. See that God the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the first chapter of the first book in the Bible and understand the meaning of the Word of the Lord.

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Leviticus chapter 16 about God's holiness.

Kyle Kauffman | Apr 6th 2025The history of the church is bloody because the history of the church is full of suffering and persecution. While many people identify Stephen as the first martyr, in many ways he simply displays what was often true throughout the Old Testament: God's people will be persecuted even to the point of death. Jesus told his disciples to expect that people would treat them the same way they treated him. We should never forget that being a disciple of Jesus throughout history has often meant that you will face persecution. And while the story of Stephen should sober us who live in the West and know very little of this persecution, it should also fill us with hope and fortify us for the day when we may face more severe persecution for our faith. Because in the story of Stephen we find that God rules over the suffering of his saints, uses it to advance the gospel, and reveals the prize that no persecution can ever destroy.

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Exodus chapter 21 about the story of God's salvation to His people in the wilderness and Jesus' salvation to His people today.

Olivia and Shauna get pixelated this week with a look at The Sims, the long running game that allows - even encourages - murder and other virtual, victimless vices. They delve into the game lore, highlighting the oddball characters that appear in every version of the game, and discuss the various ways they make the game their own. The Junkies also talk about the Sims movie being produced by Margot Robbie, and answer the important question: does playing the Sims make us akin to the Old Testament God, or are we all in a simulation with a supreme being programming our actions for their own amusement somewhere? Or is it both? You can watch the Pop Culture Junkie Podcast on YouTube! Click here: https://www.youtube.com/@popculturejunkiepod/videos We have all new Patreon tiers! Be the first to hear new and uncensored content, if you dare! Click here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/postsApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W Website: www.popculturejunkie.comFacebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcastInstagram: @pop.culturejunkiesThreads: @pop.culturejunkiesBluesky: @pop-culture-junkie.bsky.socialEmail: junkies@popculturejunkie.com Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad Olivia on Instagram: @livimariezOlivia on TikTok: @livyolife420

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Exodus chapter 33-34 about what God's glory is, reveals and does to us.

Who is the rock? New and Old Testament God different? Is the Orthodox Church in a circular argument? This and more in Called to Communion with Dr. David Anders.

Who is the rock? New and Old Testament God different? Is the Orthodox Church in a circular argument? This and more in Called to Communion with Dr. David Anders.

Who is the rock? New and Old Testament God different? Is the Orthodox Church in a circular argument? This and more in Called to Communion with Dr. David Anders.

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Exodus chapter 20 about the foundation, heart and purpose of the Law.

Marie begins our Lenten series: Keep Hope Alive covering how throughout the story of the Old Testament God was keeping hope alive for his people by pointing to the Jesus, the Resurrected Messiah, the one to restore all that was lost in the Garden and throughout the course of history.

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Exodus chapter 3 about Moses encountering God at the Burning Bush.

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Discipleship Pastor Scott Smith speaking from Genesis chapter 50 about how fear, faith and forgiveness play a part in the story of Joseph

Summary: The discussion between Abraham and God before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah reveals God’s patience as He was willing to hear Abraham out, even though he knew Abraham was wrong. As Abraham tried to negotiate with God, God actually listened and gave consideration to what he said. As with Abraham, God is willing to hear us out too. Scripture Verses: Genesis 18:16-33; Genesis 19:23-29; Matthew 18:21-22

Summary: The discussion between Abraham and God before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah reveals God’s patience as He was willing to hear Abraham out, even though he knew Abraham was wrong. As Abraham tried to negotiate with God, God actually listened and gave consideration to what he said. As with Abraham, God is willing to hear us out too. Scripture Verses: Genesis 18:16-33; Genesis 19:23-29; Matthew 18:21-22

"The Old Testament God: Pt. 2 - The Grace of God” God’s grace is on display throughout the entire book of Jonah. God is very generous with His grace, especially when we humbly seek Him. If we look back on our lives in light of this truth, we will see that God’s grace has been active in our lives all along. Scripture Verses: Jonah 1 Jonah 2:10 Jonah 3 Romans 3:23-24

God’s provision is a sign of His love for us and it displays His great power in all situations. Scripture Verses: Exodus 16:2-4, 10-12, 31-36 Matthew 5:43-45 1 Corinthians 15:58

“The Old Testament God - Pt. 1: God’s Provision” God’s provision is a sign of His love for us and it displays His great power in all situations. Scripture Verses: Exodus 16:2-4, 10-12, 31-36 Matthew 5:43-45 1 Corinthians 15:58

This year we are studying the Gospel in the Old Testament. We continue this series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from Genesis chapter 15 about Abraham's faith, God's covenant and our hope.

Relevant Verses: Psalm 78, Nehemiah 9, Amos 7, Jonah, Mark 3, 10 Theme: “The Wrath of Divine Love” Leading Question: “The Wrath of Divine Love” sounds so negative. Can't we just skip it? We will return to address the “leading question” after an important detour, a brief discussion of Satan in the Old Testament and the inclusion of a chapter from Alden Thompson's book, Who's Afraid of the Old Testament God? The Brief Explanation A remarkable feature of the Old Testament is the almost total absence of any mention of Satan. In the entire Old Testament, Satan as a supernatural being opposed to God, ...

 How will you respond when God tests your faith? This week, on Doctrine for Life, Dr. Joel Beeke begins his exposition of one of the most controversial and misunderstood passages in the Old Testament: God calling Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. To enjoy more resources from the pen and pulpit of Dr. Beeke, visit joelbeeke.org.  The Doctrine for Life Podcast presents weekly sermons from the preaching ministry of the Rev. Dr. Joel R. Beeke. Listen to these biblical, Christ-exalting broadcasts to experience the truth of God's Word for real life.

We have a panel of pastors and leaders to discuss questions that people in our church asked. Things like, "How do I read the Bible well?", "How do I deal with sin?", "Why does the Old Testament God feel so different from the New Testament God?"

How does God respond to unfaithfulness? Was the Old Testament God a ruthless judge? What does God do about our sin? In today's episode, Jensen shares how Joshua 7:10-26 reminds us of God's divine justice, ultimately displayed in Jesus. Read the Bible with us in 2025! This year, we're exploring the Historical Books—Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings. Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Joshua 7:10-26

Scott and Shawn dig into the facts about Old Testament slavery laws and share principles for responding to difficult faith challenges in order to answer the question, “does the Bible condone slavery?”

Send us a textIs the God of the Old Testament detached from Jesus and our personal lives today? This is the theme of Dr. Dominick Hernández's first session from PYAC 2020. It's been four years since this conference, so we hope you'll enjoy these sessions for the first time or be reminded of how you were blessed by them back in 2020!

Introducing 'Catholic Kernel of Truth' from TruthPop! Dive into short, digestible, and catechetical knowledge that will help you learn and grow in your Catholic faith. Learn about the 'Holy Orders' in this CKoT.Did you know that by your baptism you have been made a priest, prophet and king and that you are able to make offerings to God? However, Jesus also established a ministerial priesthood by the sacrifice that He made once and for all.The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that in the Old Testament God's chosen people were a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, but He also established a priesthood from one of the twelve tribes of Levi that was set apart for liturgical practices. The Church sees this as a prefiguring of the ordained ministry of the New Testament. Jesus came to redefine what priesthood and sacrifice is and accomplish what the old priesthood could not do. (CCC 1539-1541)“Everything that the priesthood of the Old Covenant prefigured finds its fulfillment in Christ Jesus, the one mediator between God and men.”(CCC 1544). Christ is the only true priest but by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, the ministerial priest acts in persona Christi and is truly made like to the high priest and possess authority to act in the power and place of the person of Christ himself. (CCC 1548)Christ's presence in the minister is not to be understood if he were preserved from all human weakness, error, and sin. (CCC 1550). Priests are not perfect but they have a vitally important role in Christ's Church. In the sacrifice of the Mass the ministerial priest make present Christ offering of himself once and for all as a spotless victim to the Father. (CCC 1566) Christ established the priesthood of the New Covenant by ordaining his twelve apostles, and thus ordained ministry is exercised in 3 degrees, bishops, presbyters, and deacons. (CCC 1593)As successors of the apostles, the bishop receives the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and makes him the visible head of the particular church entrusted to him. Bishops share in the responsibility and mission of the Church under the authority of the Pope, the successor of St. Peter (CCC 1594)Ministerial priests are united with the bishops as they depend on them to exercise their pastoral functions and are called bishop's coworkers and form the presbyterium under their bishop and receive the charge of a parish community (CCC 1595). Deacons are ministers ordained for tasks of service of the church and do not receive ministerial priesthood. They assist in important functions in the ministry of the word, divine worship, pastoral governance, and service of charity. (CCC 1596)Ordination of the sacrament of Holy Orders is granted by the laying on of hands followed by a prayer of consecration asking for the graces of the Holy Spirit required for the ministry. This imprints an indelible sacramental character, meaning this can never be taken away. (CCC 1597)Only baptized men can validly receive this sacrament. The Lord Jesus chose men to form the college of the twelve apostles and they likewise did the same as they choose their successors. The Church is therefore bound by the choice made by the Lord Himself. (CCC 1577)One can only be called by God to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders as an unmerited gift. The Church has the responsibility and right to discern with the candidate and decide if he is called by God to this vocation. (CCC 1578) All ordained ministers of the Roman Catholic Church with the exception of permanent deacons are chosen from among men who live a celibate life and intend to remain celibate. They are called to consecrate themselves with an undivided heart to the Lord and give themselves entirely to God and His Church. (CCC 1579). Priests make it possible for you to receive and adore Jesus in the Eucharist. The devil hates Catholic priests because they bring Jesus into the world in a unique way that only they are able to do. Priests are not preserved from weakness and sin. They are imperfect just like us so we must pray and encourage our priests. Throughout the day you can make sacrifices for your priest and consider inviting him to lunch or dinner after Sunday Mass. Your support and prayers are needed for them to carry out this vital mission. 

In today's sermon, Pastor Andrew Coleman preaches on Zechariah 8. Throughout the Old Testament God promises that He will save His people. God progressively reveals His forgiving, saving nature through what He says and what He does with all humanity but specifically with His chosen people. In our passage today, we see that God's plan is all about GOD'S MARVELOUS GRACE. We see God's PASSION for his people; the PEACE, PROTECTION, PROSPERITY, PURPOSE, PROGRESS, and POSTERITY of God's plan; and the POWER of God's Word. ________________________________________Links to Sermon Notes & Answers: ➤Sermon Notes (Blank): https://www.sheridanhills.org/_files/ugd/30fec2_a8e59a26cd39496dbb5a836838d9fa9b.pdf ➤Sermon Notes (Answers): https://www.sheridanhills.org/_files/ugd/30fec2_db0b87031c6b422289abad34d968b08f.pdf ________________________________________ In this video: Review of previous sermons in series Main Points Application ________________________________________ Subscribe to this channel to catch weekly expositional sermons from the Bible. ________________________________________ Explore more sermons and information: https://www.sheridanhills.org/watch-new ________________________________________ Follow us: ➤Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheridanhills/ ➤Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheridanhills01 ➤Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheridanhills/

On any given Sunday, you bring your body to worship - but your attention could be elsewhere. And this is what gets God's shorts in a bunch in the Old Testament - God's people were OBEYING him (coming to worship, etc.), but their attention - their hearts - were elsewhere. In this message, Matthew Maresco and Dawn Tippey unpack what lies at the heart of worship and why we use music.

Growing up, there was a fairly limited list of shows I was allowed to watch. One of those shows was called “Superbook: Bible Stories.” If you were to watch a few episodes of it, you'd notice that each one had essentially the same story arc: It opened in the normal life of a boy named Christopher, who at some point (along with his friends) would open a magic Bible and be suddenly transported into whatever Bible story they had opened to. Then, for most of that episode, they would be immersed in the world of that Bible story as they walked through the terrain, and interacted with the events and characters of that story. Then, unexpectedly they would be transported back to their normal world.Now that's a pretty common story arc: think the Narnia books, or another classic like the Magic Tree House series. It's just a great story arc! In part because of the adventure of discovering and exploring a world previously unknown. But also, because these journeys into another world would always have a lasting impact on the kind of boy Christopher was becoming back in his “normal life.”Similarly, this morning, we get to enter into the world of Psalm 81 which gives a vivid snapshot into times and places distant and foreign to us, and yet God in his wisdom intends for this Psalm to shape who we are becoming here and now. And so let's ask for His help before we enter Psalm 81. Father, we come here as your children. Rescued and adopted — and on a journey of ever-increasing satisfaction in you. And you will complete what you began in us. Would you meet us this morning, wherever we're coming from? Whatever we're bringing in with us — work in our hearts, by Your Spirit and through Your Word, we pray, in Jesus name, amen.If you're looking for a way to orient to Psalm 81, there are three main scenes that we'll focus on:A joyful songA tragic storyA hope-filled invitationScene 1: A Joyful SongIf we were transported into the context of Psalm 81, we would likely be greeted with the sights and smells of feasting and festivals. In fact, it might be helpful to imagine something like an ancient version of the state fair. The time of the year would be around early October, and it was a month filled with essentially back to back feasts and festivals. According to God's instruction in the book of Deuteronomy: At the beginning of that month (known by them as the new moon) they were to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets. This lasted 10 days leading into The Day of Atonement, which was the day at the center of the book of Leviticus — On the day of atonement, Israel would remember God's mercy in atoning for or covering the sins of his people.Then, about a week later, they would begin the Feast of Tabernacles — also known as the feast of booths or what we might call tents. This took place in the middle of the month (or their “full moon”) and that feast lasted about a week. Its focus was on remembering God's faithfulness and provision to the Exodus generation in the wilderness (hence the tents).And Psalm 81 was a song, especially for this season. We see that in verse 3 with the mention of the trumpet, the new moon, the full moon, and the feast day.So imagine this: we're making our way through this ancient festival … We're seeing crowds of people mingling, the smells of good food, the sounds of children playing and laughing … Until it's all drowned out by the blast of a trumpet — think of the same kinds of trumpets as Joshua used in Jericho, but in this case, the trumpets called God's people to gather to worship. And as they gather, the instruments play, and God's people begin gladly singing together. And the song itself begins with a call to worship. The psalmist is singing, and instructing them how to sing at the same time. It's kind of like the old song, “Come now is the time to worship.” God instructs his people in what their worship should look like. And central to that instruction is joy. “Sing aloud to God our strength, shout for joy to the God of Jacob! Raise a song: sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp” (Ps. 81:1-2).This corporate singing was meant to be a time of shared gladness and expressions of joy. Joy in God and in their common identity as God's people. This was an essential rhythm of their covenant renewal, a regular reminder of the happy reality of their identity as God's people and of their commitment to Him as their God.We know that joy isn't the only tone we see in the psalms. The Lord, in his wisdom, has given his people a wide range of psalms. There are songs of grief and lament, songs of repentance, of reverence and awe — all of which help us faithfully navigate the full range of our human experience, but the common thread, and most dominant tone of God's singing people is joy. And we see that tone here.God is the author of joy. He has created our capacity for it. And He created music and singing both for expressing that joy, and for deepening and cultivating it. God spread His joy throughout the world through a joyfully-singing people.In light of that, it is right and helpful to ask ourselves: Does my singing reflect the reality that God is my greatest joy? Is my heart impacted by the astonishing truths that my mouth is singing? And to whatever extent that isn't the case, it's important to ask, what is holding me back from God's call to joy-filled worship?Whether it's a lack of joy … or distractions, or fears and insecurities … whatever the hindrance, singing is an opportunity to search our hearts, surrender our affections to God, and to trust Him to shape our joy.Spurgeon commenting on these verses says,“It is to be regretted that the niceties of modern singing frighten our congregations from joining lustily in the hymns. For our part we delight in full bursts of praise, and had rather discover the ruggedness of a want of musical training than miss the heartiness of universal congregational song.”In other words, our singing doesn't need to be polished, but it should be full of joy.God commands not just our actions here, but also our affections. We are not helpless bystanders in our pursuit of joy. God's gift of singing is not only for the downstream expression of our joy, but also upstream as a habit that grows and deepens our joy in Him. Our singing cultivates our joy in God.One example that's helped me see this in a new light was my grandmother. My grandma passed away the week before my daughter, Elsie, was born. She had a deep love for Jesus, and she loved to sing. In her final years, she had a long decline both physically and cognitively. Eventually, her dementia had progressed beyond recognizing her children and grandchildren, and she spent most of her time bedridden. And yet, long after her mind could explain to you the deep joy that she had found in Jesus, she would often sit in her bed, holding a hymnal she could no longer read, and with a peaceful gladness, she would sing the hymns that had been engrained in her over a lifetime of praise with God's people. Even then, her song continued to testify to her all-satisfying God, and I am convinced, that it continued to deepen her joy in Jesus.That image has helped shape what “finishing well” looks like to me, and it especially comes to mind when I sing “Jesus Loves Me” with Elsie at bedtime. It also gives a glimpse of the deep significance of our singing together week after week.And so God calls his people to sing for joy. And as they do, God speaks to them in the song as it transitions to an oracle, or a word from the Lord. And as God speaks he begins to recount the tragedy of Israel's disobedience. And this leads us into our second scene.Scene 2: A Tragic StorySo imagine: now we're transported from the festival into the wilderness to join the Exodus generation.Verses 6-7a,“I relieved your shoulder of the burden;your hands were freed from the basket.In distress you called, and I delivered you…”God first recalls his past redemptive work in rescuing Israel from slavery. Notice how vivid these descriptions are. Commentator Derek Kidner says,“Instead of abstractions such as oppression and redemption, we read of shoulder and hands, burden and basket.”For 400 years Israel's day-to-day reality was back-breaking, soul-crushing slavery in Egypt. They had bruised shoulders, blistered hands, and heavy baskets. But then God stepped in to that reality. The Exodus was one of the most epic “But God” moments of the Old Testament: God heard the cries of his people, and he came to their rescue. God showed both his great strength and his commitment to Israel. God rescued his people.Then God continues to show not only what he rescued them from, but what he continued to do for them afterward — God did not drop them off in the wilderness and say “figure it out.” He did not leave them to fend for themselves. He took them under his wing, his care, his provision, and, his instruction.God's instruction is especially highlighted here: God himself instructed his people and his commands were a means of grace to them. This took place, most notably, at Mt. Sinai (which God refers to in verse 7 as “the secret place of thunder”). Mt. Sinai was where God gave his law to his people. And verses 9-10 also allude to that event. Verse 9,“There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.”This echoes the 1st and 2nd commandments in Exodus 20:3-5. Psalms 81:10, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”This echoes God's preface to the 10 commandments in Exodus 20:2.God makes himself clear to Israel through his commands. In them, Israel is meant to see who God is and what he expects from them. He is their God and so His word is their Law. He holds out his commands and says “Listen to me!”God's command to listen is the most repeated exhortation in this psalm. God is not just looking for mouths that sing to him, but also for ears that hear Him and obey. Verse 8,“Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!Verse 11,“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.”Verse 13,“Oh, that my people would listen to me,that Israel would walk in my ways!”God calls Israel to listen and obey. But instead his people respond with stubborn and obstinate hearts. And we see that clearly displayed with God's mention of Meribah in verse 7.The name “Meribah” means “quarreling” or “strife” — and it was a place in the wilderness that Israel passed through in Exodus 17, near the beginning of their journey through the wilderness, and then again in Deuteronomy 20, near the end of their journey. And both instances were complete disasters.Imagine, God had just miraculously delivered them out of Egypt, with great displays of power in his plagues on Egypt, and in parting the sea, and then swallowing their enemies in that sea. God then leads them through the wilderness in a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. He has already made bitter water sweet for them to drink, and given them manna from the sky for them to eat. And their response, in Exodus 17, when they get to Meribah and can't find water is to say: “is the Lord among us or not?” And then to turn to Moses (ready to stone him) and ask “did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us with thirst?” But God, in his patience and mercy, still gives them water from the rock. That was the first encounter with Meribah. Then we fast forward to Numbers 20, near the end of their time in the wilderness. At this point, not only had they received God's law at Sinai — his teaching, his instruction — but also decades of God patiently leading and training his people. Think 40 years of God's discipleship for his people, and they come up on Meribah again as if God saying “here's your chance, show me that you've been listening.” And instead, they turn again to Moses and through gritted teeth say: “why have you brought us into this wilderness to die?”And this time, even Moses fails to listen, ignoring God's clear instruction to speak to the rock. Instead, he hits the rock twice and as a result he too doesn't make it to the promised land. The whole scenario at Meribah is like the bookends of a 40 year train-wreck of God speaking, and Israel ignoring every word.Despite God having proven himself over and over they refused to listen to him and walk in his ways. They did not see God's instruction as the blessing that it was — and threw it off as an unwelcome constraint. They wanted God's benefits, but they did not want his rule. They wanted the water from the rock, but rejected the source. And it brings us to God's judgement in verse 12,“So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.”There is a scary, Romans 1, kind of giving them over here. God gives them over to the stubbornness and depravity of their own hearts as if God finally says, “okay, have it your way.” Not just freedom from Egypt, but “freedom” from God's rule … Unhindered in pursuing their own desires, and following their hearts, but it did not result in any satisfaction, but rather, a downward spiral into ruin.And that should sound familiar to us because it's the lie that Satan tries to sell us all the time. Follow your heart, and your desires. Don't let God's commands hinder your pursuit of satisfaction. In other words, God has no authority over you: You be God. It is self-idolatry, advertised as progress and human flourishing.It is the very opposite and perversion of “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other Gods before me.” God makes it clear that a life of disobedience will result in judgement and it's reiterated in verse 15,“Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever.”But even in the middle of His judgement … Don't miss God's lament for Israel here. There is a sad tone of missed opportunity. Verse 13,“Oh, that my people would listen to me,that Israel would walk in my ways!”God's heart is to bless his people. And he longs for his wandering people to return to Him.Now, you might be wondering: wasn't this supposed to be a joyful song? Why does it have such a tragic ending? It feels like the beginning and the end don't belong in the same song. “Sing Aloud,” “Shout for joy,” and “Sound the tambourine” doesn't seem to fit with “I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own counsels.” At least, until we zoom out and recognize that this was a song sung by a future generation. And once we are transported back to that festival context the tone of this Psalm shifts from a tragic story to our final scene…Scene 3: A Hope-filled InvitationAs they sang this Psalm together, they heard not only God's cautionary tale but also his invitation. The tragic story of their fathers did not have to be their story. Instead of following in their fathers' steps of stubborn hearts and disobedience, God was inviting them to trust in Him to satisfy them. Verse 10, “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”It's a beautiful image of our hunger met by His provision, of our longings and His satisfaction. Just like the infant is satisfied by his mothers milk, we were made to be satisfied by God. It's not ultimately the water from the rock that we long for, but the rock Himself. It's not just the blessings that we want to be satisfied, but the source. And so behind the mouth that sings and the ear that listens is a heart that loves God above all else, turning to him to be satisfied. And God is both ready and eager to satisfy those who come to Him. And we've already seen in this psalm, two means by which he satisfies his people: Through his word as we listen to it and obey, and through our joy-filled singing. But I would like to briefly mention one more. And that is just to ask Him. Make it a regular part of your day to ask God to give you more of himself. That by His Spirit and through his word, you would grow in an ever deepening satisfaction in Him. That he would guard your heart from competing loves and disordered desires. And likewise, pray bold and specific prayers that take God at his word, and that deepen our heart's dependence on Him for satisfaction. God delights in answering those prayers.Verse 16,“But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”The psalm closes with more imagery of feasting as God invites his people to come and be satisfied by Him. And that brings us to this table.The TableThe Old Covenant feasts were a shadow pointing forward to a greater reality. God's Old Covenant rescue of Israel from Egypt was a shadow pointing forward to a greater rescue: God becoming a man to rescue his people from sin and judgment. Jesus, dwelt among us, took on our sins, and died in our place to rescue us from the judgment we deserved. And now the risen Jesus invites us to come to Him and be satisfied. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”Let's pray.And so Father, as your children, rescued and redeemed, we come eager for more of you this morning. Help us be a joyfully singing people. Help us be a submissive people that listen to and obey your word. Work in our hearts, by your Spirit and through your word, to grow us in ever-deepening satisfaction in you. We pray these things in Jesus name, Amen.

In this episode we dive deep into the idea of the wrathful God. Can we understand it in a different way? And what do we do with all the bits in the Old Testament where the almighty gets all smitey? Are the accounts of the tribal, violent, Old Testament God real? Or are they stories? And if they are, how do we read them? Meanwhile, Nick has been spending time with hundreds of dead people, and Joe thinks that all Independent Financial Advisors are out to get him. Support the podcast Contact the podcast through your email machine Mid-faith Crisis Facebook Page Nick's Blog Mentioned in this episode: Renovaré Life with God podcast Episode 275: Nick Page — The Bible as Holy Ground Inside Out 2 Chaldon Mural Hythe Crypt (Ossuary) Mid-faith Crisis Episode 51: The Mystery of the Cross Mid-faith Crisis Episode 50: The Scandal of The Cross George MacDonald – The Consuming Fire William Placher, Narratives of a Vulnerable God: Nick Page, The Badly Behaved Bible

Listen to Bishop Isaac Oti-Boateng as he teaches on Ask The Author: White Throne Judgement, The Old Testament God, How To Know God's Voice, Judgement & Can Men Of God Impose Relationships On Members. in 100 Strong Through The Ministry Of The Holy Spirit Camp at the Love Economy...

What exactly did these two deities have in common? A lot more than you would think! How is it possible that the ancient Chinese God called "Shang-di" sounds strikingly similar the Old Testament God of the Bible & it was at least 1000 years before the Moses! Keep that third eye open!Sign up for our Patreon go to-> Patreon.com/cultofconspiracypodcastTo Sign up for our Rokfin go to --> Rokfin.com/cultofconspiracy 10% OFF Rife Machine---> https://rifemachine.myshopify.com/?rfsn=7689156.6a9b5cTo find the Meta Mysteries Podcast---> https://open.spotify.com/show/6IshwF6qc2iuqz3WTPz9Wv?si=3a32c8f730b34e7950% OFF Adam&Eve products---> :adameve.com (promo code : CULT)10% OFF Orgonite ! ---> https://oregon-ite.com/?sca_ref=5029405.hji3fNHxUdCult Of Conspiracy Linktree ---> https://linktr.ee/cultofconspiracyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cult-of-conspiracy--5700337/support.

Questions Covered: 02:59 – In the Old Testament God comes across as angry and jealous but in the New Testament he seems kinder and more merciful. Does he grow or what’s the explanation? 10:20 – Regarding the promises of the rosary and being delivered from purgatory. Does this mean that you will skip purgatory if you pray the rosary devoutly? 14:15 – How can I spread faith at my high school? 23:02 – I'm in Costa Rica and when I went to Mass the priest didn’t know what to do when I went up for a blessing and shoved the host into my mouth. I don’t know how to react to this. 29:10 – I'm protestant. How can I make sense of redemptive suffering? …