Podcasts about pentecostal

Will the wicked dead suffer eternally in Hell or will they be annihilated and cease to exist? Dr. David K. Bernard looks to Scripture to settle this longstanding debate about the afterlife and the eternal fate of unrepentant sinners on this episode of Apostolic Life in the 21st Century.Visit PentecostalPublishing.com to shop Dr. Bernard's full catalog of published works. Enter promo code DKB10 at checkout to save 10 percent on your order.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, Liv Hill discusses the controversial topic of semaglutides and GLP-1s, focusing on their mechanisms, uses, and implications for weight management. She emphasizes the importance of understanding how these medications work, the role of caloric intake, and the necessity of maintaining muscle mass while on them. Liv also addresses the risks associated with rapid weight loss and the potential for rebound weight gain, urging listeners to be mindful of their lifestyle choices and nutritional habits while using GLP-1s.

Ever felt like life handed you something you didn't order? Like you're wandering, wasting time, or getting hit with things that were never supposed to touch your life?In this message from our Book of Numbers series, Pastor Justin unpacks one of the wildest moments in Scripture — when a sorcerer hired to curse God's people […]

Christian nationalism, hypocrisy, and pepper-sprayed pastors—oh my! Frank and Dan start in Oklahoma, where LGBTQ+ kids are literally breathing easier now that hateful school superintendent Ryan Walters is gone. Then it's on to a Pentecostal whistleblower who got fired for exposing his bishop's embezzlement, Trump's latest delusional threat to invade Nigeria, and Texas judges who just got the green light to refuse gay weddings. We also check in on America's most eyeliner-forward vice-president, J.D. Vance, and learn how Florida's school-voucher crusade is accidentally funding Muslim schools (cue the outrage!). Finally, Frank and Dan dig into an unexpected question: why do clergy still carry moral weight in public protests—and could atheists ever have an equivalent? Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/tgiatheist  

"In many Christian theological circles, especially in Pentecostal circles, the person who has the role of pastor is the one who is supposed to have the spiritual answers, and so this [spiritual and social] shutdown [due to trauma] is counterintuitive to the position they hold," writes Dale Sanger. "The challenge for Pentecostal pastors is that they have an underlying theology of glory which does not appropriately consider personal trauma." In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Dale Sanger about the reality of clergy trauma, and what Pentecostal ministers should do in response. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Dale Sanger is adjunct professor at Bridges Christian College in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Vanguard College in Edmonton, Alberta, as well as chaplain at a homeless men's shelter. He is author of When Ministry Hurts: Triumphalism and the Crisis of Trauma among Clergy, published by Wipf & Stock. ————— This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler. The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

Versículos1 Corintios 15:58Hebreos 3:12-14Hebreos 6:191 Pedro 5:6-9Josué 3:14-17Salmos 3:4-6Salmos 27:1-32 Corintios 3:2 ★ Support this podcast ★

DescriptionPastor Wayman Mitchell calls believers back to the Pentecostal power that transforms lives and sends churches. The kingdom advances in three concentric circles:Personal — Obey your God-appointed “sphere.” Transformation beats information.Church — Discipleship and church planting over megachurch optics. Unity multiplies impact.Fellowship / Nations — “Regions beyond” still wait. Obedience enlarges faith.Highlights include the “confessing 2,000” anecdote, synergy in small churches that plant, Abraham's costly obedience, a 66-year-old pioneer's letter from Nepal with healings, and a stirring call to plant churches now.Key Scriptures: 2 Cor 10; Eph 1:17; 2 Pet 3:18; 1 Cor 14; Eph 3:20; Zech 4:10; Ps 133.Chapters00:00 — Wayman Wednesday intro00:38 — Theme: “Extending the Kingdom” (2 Corinthians 10)01:40 — Pentecostal identity and dependence on the Spirit03:55 — Information vs transformation05:35 — Your “sphere” and personal obedience07:35 — Grow in grace and spiritual gifts09:30 — Power working in you beyond limitations10:40 — Church dimension vs megachurch mentality11:35 — The “confessing 2,000” story13:25 — Synergism: enlarged by each other15:05 — Despising the day of small things16:35 — Impact teams and unity that brings blessing18:45 — Together we make a big footprint19:20 — Fellowship dimension: regions beyond20:05 — Abraham leaves to gain what he never had21:20 — Lost years when family outranks calling22:20 — “If we don't plant, we failed conference”22:50 — “Too old to pioneer?” Nepal letter and miracles25:55 — Decisions shape destiny26:55 — Paul's missionary road and regions beyond28:10 — The people who are waiting30:15 — China and India: massive harvest fields31:05 — Enlarged when your faith obeys32:35 — China cities list and open doors34:20 — Call to obey: extend the kingdomShow NotesALL PROCEEDS GO TO WORLD EVANGELISMLocate a CFM Church near you: https://cfmmap.orgWe need five-star reviews! Tell the world what you think about this podcast at: • Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/3vy1s5b • Podchaser: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/taking-the-land-cfm-sermon-pod-43369v

In this episode of the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, host Diana Winkler interviews Pastor Mark Sowersby, who shares his powerful testimony of overcoming childhood abuse and finding forgiveness and healing through faith. Mark recounts his early life filled with abuse, meeting Jesus at 16, and wrestling with his identity as a victim. Through the love of his church community and personal determination, he not only found freedom but also pursued education and ministry. He also speaks about reconnecting with his birth father and how the loss of his mother catalyzed the launch of his ministry, 'Forgiving the Nightmare'. The episode serves as an inspiring account of transformation, resilience, and the power of unconditional God's love. 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:47 Welcome to the Podcast 01:25 Introducing Pastor Mark Sowersby 01:40 Technical Difficulties and Apologies 02:17 Pastor Mark's Testimony 05:49 Childhood and Abuse 07:10 Finding Faith and Forgiveness 18:06 Weight Loss Journey and Healing 23:08 Dyslexia and Education Struggles 24:42 Writing a Book and Ministry 28:14 Reading the Bible: Audio vs. Written 28:27 A Life-Changing Christmas Story 29:20 Overcoming Illiteracy with Help 30:14 A Love Story Blossoms 30:56 College Journey and Divine Guidance 32:49 Answering the Call to Ministry 33:13 Struggles with Self-Worth 35:15 Finding Confidence in God 35:56 Weight Loss and Self-Love 40:01 Victim to Victor: A Personal Transformation 45:00 Reuniting with Birth Father 48:20 Launching Forgiving the Nightmare Ministry 54:40 Final Thoughts and Prayer   website: www.forgivingthenightmare.com email: mark@forgivingthenightmare.com    Bio:  Reverend Mark Sowersby has been married to his wonderful wife Jennifer for 17 years and is the father of four children. Mark has been an ordained minister with Assembly of God for over 25 years and is currently the Pastor of Christian Assembly of Schuyler in beautiful upstate New York. Pastor Mark holds a BA in theology from Zion Bible College/Northpoint Bible College. In 2019 Pastor Mark went through a time of great healing. He began speaking about the experiences of his past and God's grace and the transformational work of forgiveness in his life. He now speaks about his story through his ministry, Forgiving The Nightmare. When he isn't serving his congregation and his community through ministry, teaching, and support, you can find him on all the trails and lakes in Upstate New York, spending time with his family.   Website: https://dswministries.org Subscribe to the podcast: https://dswministries.org/subscribe-to-podcast/ Social media links: Join our Private Wounds of the Faithful FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603903730020136 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DswMinistries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgIpWVQCmjqog0PMK4khDw/playlists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dswministries/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSW-Ministries-230135337033879 Keep in touch with me! Email subscribe to get my handpicked list of the best resources for abuse survivors! https://thoughtful-composer-4268.ck.page #abuse #trauma Affiliate links: Our Sponsor: 753 Academy: https://www.753academy.com/ Can't travel to The Holy Land right now? The next best thing is Walking The Bible Lands! Get a free video sample of the Bible lands here! https://www.walkingthebiblelands.com/a/18410/hN8u6LQP An easy way to help my ministry: https://dswministries.org/product/buy-me-a-cup-of-tea/ A donation link: https://dswministries.org/donate/ Transcript: [00:00:00] Special thanks to 7 5 3 Academy for sponsoring this episode. No matter where you are in your fitness and health journey, they've got you covered. They specialize in helping you exceed your health and fitness goals, whether that is losing body fat, gaining muscle, or nutritional coaching to match your fitness levels. They do it all with a written guarantee for results so you don't waste time and money on a program that doesn't exceed your goals. There are martial arts programs. Specialize in anti-bullying programs for kids to combat proven Filipino martial arts. They take a holistic, fun, and innovative approach that simply works. Sign up for your free class now. It's 7 5 3 academy.com. Find the link in the show notes. Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic violence advocate, [00:01:00] Diana Winkler. She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. Welcome back. You made it well. I have a great guest for you today. I told you about him last week. Pastor Mark Sowersby and he has knocked this interview out of the park, and we had an amazing time. We did not have an amazing time with the Zoom platform. I could not hear him, but he could hear me, and it was a half an hour of back and forth trying to get it to work. So I wound up having to record this episode on our phones with the earbuds. So I don't normally do [00:02:00] that. I usually have my $300 studio microphone. So if it doesn't sound as good, I apologize. But this content is so great that I think you'll forgive me, but I'll try to do some, post-production, to make it sound better. So without further ado. Here is Pastor Mark. Yeah. Nice. Nice to meet you. Yes, nice to meet you also. And I saw your wife there too, so, and I think you saw my husband's beard anyway. Yes. And my wife is the strength and the brains of this operation around us. I'm blessed. I'm a blessed man there. Amen. Thank you. Yes. So we got the, um, the technical, uh, demons outta the way. Well, I appreciate that. We tried two computers and my Apple phone. And I have to tell you, I am a novice at computers at best, so Yeah, me too. So we're kindred spirits for sure. Amen. Amen. And I read your testimony about your [00:03:00] website and your faith and your podcast and everything. What a beautiful testimony you have. Oh, thank you so much. So you, you're in Arizona, is that correct? Yes. Wow. Wow. Well, I have to tell you of one of my bucket lists because I'm a northeast guy. I'm a New England, New York. We have snow. It's freezing. They're saying we could have a possible blizzard tomorrow. Uh, I love that. Go to the Grand Canyon. That's my, on my bucket list. My, my family. Hear me speak about that all the time. I've never seen it. But I long to, let me tell you, it's more breathtaking than you can imagine. The pictures don't do it justice. I've been there many, many times, of course. And yes, you should come as soon as you're allowed to travel. I would be over here. Yeah. There's so much more to see. We long to go. We really want to see it. You know, if somebody said, you really see the significance when you look at that great canyon and you see how [00:04:00] small you are, it humbles you and reminds you of what a great big God we serve. So, you know, we just, uh, amen. Thank you for hearing my story and my testimony, and it's an honor to be here with you and celebrate the victories that we have in Christ. Amen, brother. We're gonna get to know you a bit here for my listeners. So why don't you tell the, listeners a little bit about yourself. My name is Mark Sowerby. I'm a husband, a father, a friend. I'm a sports fan. I eat too much. I talk too much, but I'm a pastor and a servant of Jesus Christ. I was looking at all your pictures and stuff, and I saw your progression of your weight loss. That is so amazing. Thank you. Thank you. And my weight loss journey is really just a symptom. Or result of the greater healing that's taken place in my life. Uh, I'm very proud of it. It's something [00:05:00] I have to work hard for and be very disciplined in. So yes, there's a work towards it, but really it's the sub to the main plot. The main plot is what Jesus did in my heart to help me forgive and help me heal the abuses and the pains. And as that began to fill my life, this weight loss journey with the discipline and that burning good habits and exercising, and I'm up to running, uh, six miles a day on the treadmill. So, wow. Six miles. Yeah. So well, remember, we're not in Arizona heat, so it's not hot, well, I have a treadmill. That's usually what I exercise on. I have an exercise room, I don't run unless somebody's chasing me or the laxative has started working. Those are good reasons to run. so let's start at the beginning. So what was your childhood like? Well, unfortunately I have a story of brokenness, pain, and sorrow. I was born from an affair. Uh, so my [00:06:00] father never really had a relationship with him. I am assuming that as soon as he, uh, got the news, he, he left. So I was raised by my mom. I have two siblings that my mom had from a prior marriage. So the three of us kind of lived together at my grandmother's house, and that's what I knew. That was what life was. I was seven years old. A young man came into our family, and that young man eventually married my mom 20 years, her younger, and when he came into our home, he brought abuse and pain. He brought death and destruction. He brought lies and poison. And as any abuser, those abusers have touched many people. And as not only did he abuse my mom in a and. With just vulgarness and pain, but he also abused me and with sexual abuse and physical abuse and emotional abuse. And it was just a very difficult time in my life. So from seven to 14, that's kind of the world I knew. Not only did he abuse my body, not only did he steal from [00:07:00] me, my dignity, my value. Not only did he try to control me, but he also sold me for other men to abuse me. Mm-hmm. Other men to take my body. He stabbed me and beat me and burnt me. And at 16, I was invited to church, I ran into a youth group. And, uh, there's a whole story in that. But let me tell you, I ran into youth group and I ran into Jesus. Jesus was Amen loving. Amen. Jesus's loving arms. He wrapped him around me and started me on the journey, journey of forgiveness. And it's been a journey up. I just turned 50. We just lost my mom earlier this year. Wow. They say a flu. Some say COVID, but we lost her earlier this year and it was really kind of a season for me to walk through some even deeper, deeper healing. We have a lot in common. 'cause I just lost my brother this week. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for your loss. Yeah. So we both have losses today. Yes. Yes. I'm so [00:08:00] sorry for your loss. You as well. Thank you. Your mother was a believer? She was at the end of her life. As we say, the 11th hour of Thief on the cross remember me. Mm-hmm. My mom did have one of those kind of conversions. Unfortunately, she never, the last few years of her life, she came to understand Jesus, but she never forgave herself or forgave. Her pain. She lived with the regrets and the shames and the guilt of her pains. She knew the love of Christ, and I believe that when she closed her eyes on this earth, she opened her eyes there because of what Christ did for her. But she carried this burden of shame and guilt and hurt. But I forgave her, not because I'm special, not because I'm better. I forgave her because Christ forgave me. And in that journey of learning with to forgive people say to me, how could you forgive such a great thing? I just forgave what was in front of me. That's it. Step by step, precept by precept. That's how I forgave. I [00:09:00] couldn't think about the whole journey all at it was too hard. What's in front of you? Well, we'll definitely get into, your process of forgiveness. Would it be okay to, circle back to your stepfather coming into your life? Now it sounded like it was a very violent to way he treated you. Did he do any grooming of you to start the abuse or was it violent right away? I believe there was grooming, again, being so young and, uh, being so, uh, naive. I probably didn't recognize it, but I'm sure there was grooming you know, there was this natural longing. From a child without a father to find a father figure. Mm-hmm. Um, being so young, not understanding the process of that, and any person that would gimme attention, I would run to them to try to find somebody who would govern me or lead me or [00:10:00] guide me or accept me. So I'm sure there was some manipulation in that, as I became more groomed or broken or became more pliable, if you would, because of my young immaturity. He began to have more of his way on it, just so you know. And I always refer to him as my mother's husband. Never as my stepfather? Yes. Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah. Oh, no, you didn't offend. No, I have forgiven him. I think in forgiveness, it's okay to have, uh, some boundaries. Sure. I think that, to have some healthy boundaries, I've forgiven him. I've put him in the hands of God, and I pray the grace of God will meet him and his pain and his sorrow, and only God can reach him. Uh, but again, there's some healthy boundaries around my life and my families. So what was your relationship with God when you were going through all this abuse? We grew up in a very religious home. I was a New England Protestant, so most of New England are [00:11:00] Irish Catholic, Italian Catholic, Polish Catholic, French Catholic. But I was the rare Protestant. And I remember saying to my grandfather one day, I asked him, I said I, well, let me back up and say, I always knew what I wasn't. I knew I wasn't a Catholic, but I didn't know what I was. So, grandpa used to tell us we weren't Catholic. He announced that pretty clearly. But one day I asked him, I said, then if we're not Catholic, what religion are we? And all he said was, go ask your mother. So, you know, we didn't really grow up in any kind of. Formal faith-based community, uh, you know, sometimes went to Christmas Eve service, you know, those kind of what we call Sea Easter and Christmas. The CE. The CE crowd. That's right. But it really wasn't, a church was not a part of my life. We knew God was there, be good and you go to heaven, be nice to people, you go to heaven. But there really wasn't a faith-based situation. I'll be honest with you, uh, the [00:12:00] only religion I got, or the only faith I got was the one album that was played in our home. It's not a Christian album, it was Jesus Christ Superstar. I'm a kid of the seventies. Yes, I'm very familiar with that. Yeah. And but God's name is so powerful now as a Bible college graduate, as a pastor, I could see all the holes of the theology in that and how it was really written, dragged down the gospel. They say Jesus Christ, and as a child, that name is so powerful. So, I mean, I didn't know anything. So here I was, I, I remember seven years old with a big headset on sitting in front of the speakers and listening to Jesus Christ Superstar. And, and now I realize what a mockery it was. But then just the name has power. Yeah, there was no resurrection in that movie. No, no, no. You know, when you have Mary Magdalene sing to, to him and say, you're just a man, [00:13:00] only a man. I mean, it's such a mockery. But again, at eight years old, 10 years old, I thank God that all truth belongs to God. Amen. And his name is so, amen, powerful. Amen. That every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And as that name, Jesus was smoking, it pierced my darkness. Now, I didn't know about crying out. I didn't know about prayer, but God was preparing me for such a time. And at 16 the lifeguard at the apartment complex invited me to church. She was a pretty girl, and I didn't wanna say no. Uh, she invited she invited me and picked me up with her boyfriend. Oops. We went, yeah, we went to church that night and there began my journey into meeting Christ, knowing his mercy and grace into my faith walk and it's been a journey ever since. So is that when you, met the Lord for real [00:14:00] and got saved? Exactly, I was 16 years old. It was the early part of the summer and I went to that youth group and everybody told me that. To throw away my rock and roll music and to cut my hair and take my earring out. And everybody wanted to hug me and I didn't wanna be hugged by anybody. It's an evangelical Pentecostal church. And I was like, I don't, yeah. But come to find out, the youth pastor lived in the same apartment complex I did. I had a ride to church anytime it was open. So, later on that summer, mid-August, I remember a man inviting me, a young man from the youth group. It was raining. He was giving me a ride home. We got into his car and he asked me right there, uh, mark, do you wanna ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior? And we prayed right there the sinner's prayer. And I recognized the grace of God and the mercy of God and the Spirit of God. And at 16 years old, I asked Jesus Christ to be my Lord. And I thank him that he was calling me at such a time. So, and then I [00:15:00] had to grow up. Wow. And then I had to grow. I was still 16 with a messed up background and, still was spilling life all over myself. But that church loved me. They hugged me and kicked me in the can at the same time. Now were you out of your mom's house? Away from your abuser? Well. When the abuse first became, and I don't wanna say public, but when it became outside of the family when I meant the first person I confessed it to or, or shared it with, was my uncle. And I think that people have to remember my abuse happened from 19 7 7 to 1984. And the awareness and the advocacy that's out there today wasn't there then. And things like this happen behind closed doors. And I think culturally, not everybody, but culturally in most families said, we keep that stuff behind closed doors. We don't share it. We handle it as families. I told my uncle at [00:16:00] 14 years old. He was the first person I confessed to, and I ended up living with my uncle for about a year. He became my defender. So from about 14 to about 15 and a half, I lived with my uncle, and about 15 and a half I moved back with my mom. And yes, her husband was still there. But he, uh, he was very sickly at this time. So, he wasn't able to hurt me physically anymore. And I was strong enough to not allow anybody to hurt me anymore. So Now you said the word confess. Well, you didn't do anything wrong. Thank you. I, yeah, I just meant, I told. You shared your story, your abuse, uh, your victimization. So yeah. You don't have to apologize for anything. Amen. Thank you. That's right. It was probably a poor choice of words. I was just reading. I announced to my uncle, or I, I shared out, I took it out. I took it outta that simple family unit that I would tell my mom, [00:17:00] my mom having so much hurt and pain in her life, didn't know how to handle that. And just would say, well, he promises not to do it again. And he promised not to do it. And of course, so in a lot of ways I felt like my mom was a victim. And, and. Even though I've had to learn to forgive my mom because of what she allowed to happen, but in some ways, not that I justify it, but I've begun to understand it. Because she was abused by her first husband who broke her heart because, uh, just pain who had many affairs on her, and she was so broken down, so hurting and she did not understand love. I think she, um, interpreted love in a very, uh, trying to think of the word here you know, an enabling way. My mom was more of an enabler and I think she interpreted her love in enabling. So she enabled people. I mean, it sounds like [00:18:00] codependency. Was that the word you're looking for? Yes. Okay. Yeah. Thanks. So you struggled with your weight for years. Was that a symptom of your. Abuse your childhood? I, I think it was, you know, I'm, I'm not a psychologist or, a social worker. I'm a preacher, but you know, I think what I was trying to find in food was comfort, friendship. It always accepted me, uh, it comforted me when I was having a bad day and it rewarded me when I was having a good one. But like any drug, if you would, it lies to you. And it says, Hey, is everything will be okay. Just have a little bit more, have a little bit more, and, it just is. So for me, food became my drug of choice. Mm-hmm. Uh, it became where I found comfort, found peace, found acceptance. I punished myself with it. Boy, I'm no good. I'm going to eat ice cream. Oh, I'm having a great day. I'm gonna eat [00:19:00] ice cream. So, you know, it was one of those things. Uh, what I tell people is that I wish I could say to you that, that God has taken away all the hurt, all the pain, all the sorrow. It's still there in my life. It's still a familiar. Familiar pain that continues to call to me. But what God did is he became bigger. He became bigger than the pain. He became bigger than the shame. He became bigger than the hurt. So is it still there? Sure. And the flesh wants to run to it. And the psyche wants to run to it because I know it, it's comfortable. I, I know my role there. I, I understand what my protection and my manipulation that I can find there. But God became bigger. God became bigger. You know, I was telling a friend today, and I climbed a mountain after I lost about 50 pounds. I climbed a mountain. And it was about a half a mile long. And to me it was Everest. It was the biggest mountain in the world. And it took me hours [00:20:00] to go up and I had blisters on my feet and bruises on my toe. I was very proud that I climbed it. But after I lost about a hundred pounds, I climbed the biggest mountain in the state of New York called Mount Marcy. And what was the difference between those two mountains? One was bigger and I think that's the same thing. What happened to me is that even though that sometimes the enemy wants to try to bring me back to those familiar pains, those familiar insecurities, those familiar foes, God became bigger. His word, his spirit his love all became bigger. And I have to hold onto that and I have to claim, not claim it, but I have to run into it. You know, I have to run into that every day. So. Oh, you would love the mountains here. We have so many mountains to climb. So yeah. If you come to Phoenix, then we'll have to go hiking together. Yes. I wanna see that Grand Canyon. I wanna come to Phoenix. I am a New Englander, but it's cold [00:21:00] all the time here. But I hear that you guys leave for the summer and go back in the winter. We leave for the winter to warm places because it's so hot in Phoenix in the summer. Yeah. We're not snowbirds. We are here all year. Now we get to 110 every year. That's, that's normal. It gets to 120 here every summer. But this year it was 55 days of 110 degrees. Wow. Which, um, that killed all my plants and, uh, two of my trees, so Wow. Yeah, it's 70 degrees outside now, but in the summertime it's brutal. Wow. Don't come in the summer. Come in the winter. Okay. I, um, I did get to do a mission chip for Juarez, Mexico, which is obviously south of you guys and a little east, but at the same time, I got a touch of hot weather and I have done a lot of missions trips to Central America and the Caribbean, but they do have a different climate because of the sea and the water. So it's not that dry heat. [00:22:00] It's, definitely that, more moist, heat. Yeah, I think you'll do fine. Like I said, I looked forward to it. We were just in Israel in, November November, 2019, and it was 85 degrees. In Jerusalem and I roasted, I had such a hard time because the elevation was different and the humidity from the from the sea. Yeah. I don't know if you've been to Israel, I have not. Another, another bucket list, yeah yes, definitely recommend that for sure. Thank you. My wife and I, we love to travel. You know, we, we have four children, so right now our kids are in the ages of 15 to seven, so we are right in the midst of it. You know, we're, we're mom and dad, taxi and, and we homeschool. So my wife is going a hundred miles an hour all the time. Pastor wife. Homeschool mom and she's taking care of [00:23:00] me. So, I mean, this is, God bless her. If there's a hero in this story, it's my wife. Your wife's a homeschooler. Um, you had said in your story that you had dyslexia growing up. What was that like? Well, you know, I think that I still have it. Uh, God hasn't, hasn't healed me from it. So what happens is, is I tell people when the way I was raised, I survived my childhood. I wasn't raised, you know, I didn't have parents that, that looked out for me. I didn't have somebody who wanted to govern my experiences or, or was an advocate for me. So I, I really just kind of survived my childhood and one of the casualties of that. Was my education. Uh, it was the early seventies, so I think there was a lot going on with sight reading and some different kind of philosophies of teaching. So here I was in a broken home with a learning disability. I [00:24:00] was being bullied at school because the way I felt about myself and, you know, so yeah, reading has always been a chore for me. It still is a chore today. But again, the lord, he helps and he, he brings me through and he gave me a brilliant wife. Uh, she is a, a teacher by education. And my children love to read. My son will walk into walls. He reads books this thick. I mean, and I remember holding him the moment he was born, praying, Lord, give him just a heart for reading. And he does. I mean, my son 15 says, dad, can we go to the library? Love the library. Oh, he, yeah, we're friends with the librarian. Uh, if they need somebody to help him out, move books and they call him. But yes, reading has always been a chore and I, believe it or not, I'm in the midst of writing a book. Oh, I was just gonna ask that if you had a book out or not. We are just started to speak to a publisher, it's self-publishing company. Uh, so we're definitely in [00:25:00] conversations. We have written, just kind of let it pour out of me. It's been there for 50 years, so just kind of. And, uh, now we've kind of put it in front of people who really know what they're doing. I tell everybody, I wrote it my ways, I handed it to my wife and she interpreted it and made it legible. And, uh, we have some local friends who have done some basic editing, so they're kind of editing for us, and now we're sending it to the publisher who knows how to edit in a professional way. So, so, you know, the Lord told me years ago that this testimony would be written down. I remember I chuckled when he told me that because I said, Lord, I can barely read or write. And I remember saying to the Lord, Lord, if you want this written down, what am I gonna call it? He said, you'll call it Forgiving the Nightmare. So that's why the name of the ministry, the name of the book, the name of the website is called Forgiving the Nightmare. I think everybody uh, regardless of [00:26:00] how one came, you know, yours and I came in by probably hands of other people's, but sometimes nightmares come in by all different ways. Loss, regrets pains, hurts. And we all have to kind of say, Lord, how do we go through that? And I know as Christians, we want it instant, you know, we wanna stand on the word, we wanna claim it, we wanna save. Lord, give it to me. But I think sometimes we have to, uh, go through the process. I think of Jacob and how he wrestled with God, or he wrestled with the angel and they wrestled all night long. And, and God, the angel touched his hip and then he said, what do you want? And Jacob said, I want a new. And he became Israel, the promise. Mm-hmm. So he left deceiver, as you know, and he became Israel promise. And I think sometimes in that journey of forgiveness as much as Christians and people, we want it and we want it so true and so earnestly, [00:27:00] but sometimes we have to wrestle. We have to wrestle with the past. We have to wrestle with ourselves, we have to wrestle with the fears, and wrestling doesn't make us bad, doesn't make us sinners, doesn't mean God has left us. I think God's working with us, the process as a pastor, I've seen so many people who are unwilling to go through the process. And they get stuck. They get stuck in the cycle, in the the hurts and the pains of life. Just kind of build up on them. And I know God wants to set 'em free, but again, it, you have to learn to die to self crucify the old man, you know, tame the tongue. And it's hard. It's hard, especially when everything in the, especially when everything in the world tells you you're okay to have that. It's okay for you to hate. It's okay for you to be angry. It's okay for you to, when God says, for us to let him go first, let Him lead us. And God is, if we forgive those who trespass against us, he'll be faithful and just to forgive us. [00:28:00] And that scripture boy haunted me for a long time because I said, Lord, I'm not ready to begin. I'm sorry I'm preaching. No, you're awesome. I'm enjoying this. Um, I'm curious how you read your Bible. Do you use an audio bible or do you, um, do use an actual written Bible? Well, I do read Bible. I like the ESV, I like the NIV, I like those verses. I do read it. I do listen to audio at times. What happened was, is about 20, I was in my early twenties and a woman at church asked me to read the Christmas story out of Luke in front of the youth group. Now, when I say youth group, we had about a hundred youth in our youth group, maybe even 150. It was a large youth group and she was the kind of woman who would not take no for an answer. You know, the church lady? Yeah. I think every church has one of those. Yeah. And you know, I tried to give her every excuse in the [00:29:00] book, I lost my glasses. I was too embarrassed to say that I couldn't read. So I got up in front of the youth group and I read out of Luke chapter two and I. Stumbled over my words and I read slowly and I read broken up. And people were very kind to me that day. The youth pastor and the youth group, they were not cruel. And after service, that woman came back to me and said that she homeschooled her children and she would like to homeschool me if I'd want to. Now I was, I was a grownup. I was 23 and I went back to her house and there I sat with her 6-year-old, five-year old as she was teaching her 5-year-old, 6-year-old how to read. She was also teaching me phonics. I never learned phonics. I tell everybody, when I learned TION and Sean and not ion, it changed my life. Unbeknownst to me that church lady had an older daughter [00:30:00] and that older daughter watched me. Watch me struggle over my words, watch me go to the house and sit with her five-year-old sister and learn ae IOU and learn the rules of bowels and phonics. Well, years later, that older daughter would become my wife. Oh. Oh. So, yep. So, you know, she told me that she fell in love with me and she watched me there. And so that, that's a little bit of our love story. But yeah, she watched me from afar and, and now today we have four kids together and she still helps me read. So I do read. I a much stronger reader than I ever was. Uh mm-hmm. So I, I can read a much better than I could then. Well, I certainly can see looking back that you had so many people in your corner to that God sent to help you, and what a blessing. Now, did you go to college? I did. I [00:31:00] graduated from what's now called North Point Bible College. At the time, it was called Zion Bible College. It was in Barrington, Rhode Island. It was a very focused school for ministry only. Uh, so I did go there. I didn't wanna go there. I'm a New Englander. I knew about the school. It was in my backyard. I wanted to go to Southeastern to Florida. I wanted to go to pennsylvania and go to Valley Forge. Uh, those doors were not open to me. I remember saying, the Lord, I'm done. Lord, I've tried. Everybody's rejecting me because of my education. And he said, go to Zion. I went in and I met with the Dean of students. In that meeting, the dean of students said to me, mark, do you have a call? I said, yes, I believe I do have a call. He got up from his desk and he went to a big picture window, a woman who was walking in front of his picture window, and he tapped onto the window and he called this woman in. As she came [00:32:00] into his office, he introduced me to a woman named Jan Kruger. He let me know that Jan was led by God to go to school, to go to Zion the week earlier than me to start a learning center. And Jan and I became our first student in the learning center and we worked hard. The first year, most of my, classes were uncredited 'cause I had to learn how to be a student. I didn't know what a syllabi was. I didn't know how to take tests. Uh, we sat in that learning center. I cried, I complained. She was a mom. She hugged me sometimes and she told me to. To suck it up sometimes. And, uh, that was the best advice I could get. So yeah, i'm a proud graduate of Zion Bible College, and I'm ordained with the Assembly of God. So when did you get called into the ministry? Well, pretty much after, it was about my 17th year, 16 years old, I got saved and 17 years old, I was [00:33:00] at a Youth convention, and I pretty much felt like the Lord called me then. Now, I ran from that call for a long time because of my insecurities, my fears, my inabilities. See, when I walked into the room, I always felt like I was junk. Like I was dirt. Like I could offer nobody, nothing. And I was, no, you know, I, that's how I felt about myself. So who would let me be that pastor? What do I have to offer? I could barely read. Look what happened to me. So. For many years I wrestled with it and about 24, 25 years old, I had a brand new truck, little S 10 pickup truck. They called it Bernie because it was purple. I was listening to Petra, remember a Petra? I love Petra. And I was, I was listening to Petra from the seventies not the nineties. Petra and I remember I was listening to Petra and the Holy Spirit filled with the cab of that car and that truck I had to [00:34:00] pull over. I was on old post road. I'll never forget tears coming down my face. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, mark, choose this day whom you'll serve. I've called you and I will equip you. And I said, God, I want you. That's when the journey of. Colleges, and I wish I could tell you it was all roses and cherries after that. It wasn't, you know, there's still a lot of growing up and a lot of overcoming, and a lot of dying to self. And, and there still is. But yeah, that's how I got called and I went to that school and they loved me. They were honest to me. You sound like you had a lot , in coming with Moses with his speech impediment. He was, exiled to be a goat and a sheep herder. They're not gonna listen to me, Lord. You know? Did you feel like that? Oh, sure. I sure did. Like I said, I, for most of my life, I felt like what can I offer? So what I did is I put a facade on myself or I, I lived up to the role that I [00:35:00] thought people wanted from me, or a role to, to find acceptance or protection. So, if I had to be the clown, I was the clown. If I had to be the fool, I was the fool. If I had to be the weak, I was the weak because I felt those things about me. Recently in this weight loss journey and this giving, God has given me confidence. And I say that with much humility because I know it's not my confidence, it's confidence in him. But I've never had confidence before. I feel like a carpenter with a new tool. I feel like, you know, a businessman with a new suit that I've never had confidence before. Now again, it's not confidence in what I have. Because I'm still weak, but it's a confidence going, my Abba father makes a way for me. My Abba father heals me and, and goes before me. So it's, it's a kind of a new season for me to be confident and say, you know what? I can live a healthy life. People ask me why I lost the weight. [00:36:00] And I remember I was reading the scripture, and you're probably familiar with it, is when the Pharisee comes to the Lord or it says to him, Lord, how does one enter the kingdom of heaven? And the Lord says, well, what is written? He says, Lord, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength, and with all your spirit, and love your neighbor as yourself. I've read that a million times. I've preached on it. I've studied it. One day I was reading it, he said, Lord, I know you love me, mark, but you don't love your neighbor, and you don't love yourself, so you can't love your neighbor. And I realized because I didn't love myself, I wasn't taking care of myself. I love my children. I love my wife. I wanna take care of 'em. They don't need me. I wife can, but I want to. I wanna do things for, I wanna take care of 'em. I wanna help 'em be better and stronger and smarter and wiser, and love the Lord. And I realized I didn't love myself. So the weight loss journey, forgiving the nightmare, forgiving my mom, forgiving the abusers, forgiving those [00:37:00] who betrayed me as a child, helped me begin to love myself again. No visions of grander. I'm still a just a normal guy saved by grace. Uh, I still put my big foot in my mouth, my wife can come in and tell you all the stories, but, uh, but you know, I started to love myself and. It sounds like, you found your self worth in the Lord Jesus because Jesus sees you as his child. You are a child of God, and that's where your worth is. So it sounds like your healing journey brought you to that place. Yeah. It's not self-confidence like the world says it is. It's how God sees you. You're precious and you're loved. Amen. And you're valuable. He died for you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You're gonna get me going now. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelujah. I want others to [00:38:00] experience this. You know, I, my whole ministry, I've been surrounded by hurting people and hurting churches. I've worked with people that have had major traumas in their life. Not that I ever sought it. I can't. I think the Lord just led me to it. And as I've worked with people, people say that I've been able to bring comfort. I'm easy to talk to. I thought, well, okay, Lord. And I want people to find that freedom that I have. I understand being shackled to pain in the past. I understand allowing those things to form the way you think about and believe about yourself, and never truly being set free. Waking up with that numbing feeling of brokenness all the time. All the time, just constantly. But God truly set me free. He set me free. And because he set me free, I'm nobody special. And being a pastor, I see so many people that have a [00:39:00] form of this and they don't. They haven't gone through it. So they're still living with a confession in Christ, but still the hurts of the past. Blame them. I don't, I'm not putting fingers, I'm not taking the log out on my own eye before I take the twig from their eye. But I'm saying the freedom that God has for his people. Uh, and again, do we still stumble? Yeah. Do we still need refining? Sure. Are we still the clay? And he's still the potter of court, but there's a freedom that we find as a pastor. I've just met so many people who will say, pastor, I'm killed. I'm delivered. And you realize it's, it's only an inch deep. It's, you know, as soon as they get tested, as soon as they get, get bothered, it just spills out. It pulls out of them in, in a defense or in, in a rejection or in a way they, they have a self view of the world or of themselves. Now God's consent is free. God can set [00:40:00] us free. So, what's the difference between being a victim and being victorious? Hallelujah. Well, in my humble opinion, a victim is somebody who always sees themselves broken, sees themselves in a way that, that that allows them to stay in their victimhood. For a long time, my victimhood became my identity. I remember one day when the Lord brought me to the altar and he said those words to me. He said, mark, I want you to give this up. And I literally said, in an audible voice, Lord, if I'm not a victim, then what am I? Because all I knew was the, the role of being a victim. Oh, my victimhood was good. I could manipulate with it. I could win every argument with it. Oh, when I was 16 years old, my mom, who was a single mom with not much money she bought me a car. I had a phone in my room. I had cable on my own [00:41:00] tv. She made me breakfast in bed. Why she owed that to me. Why? Because I was a victim. And I got to see how I could win every argument at school. I could put my head down and I could lift up my head and go, well, who here else was molested? I was, and no one would say anything. And the Lord rebuked me at that and said, said, yeah, that's what victims do. At least that's what I did. He said, I wanna make you victorious. And I remember him saying, me saying to the Lord, if I'm not a victim, what am I? And he said, you're victorious in me. I had to learn what it meant to be victorious. Amen. I had to learn to let that facade go. Let that personality go, let that old man die and let the new man of Christ rise up inside him. That is awesome. I just love that. I've never heard anybody describe it like that. Now, I prefer the, word survivor instead of victim. But I think you took [00:42:00] it up another notch. We are, victorious in the Lord. Well, my victimhood, you know, as much as I was a victim, but I used it for my own gain. Mm-hmm. Which made me just as not guilty of what happened to me, but made me not a healthy place. It put me in a Right. But it's all I knew, you know, I could manipulate, I could win the argument. Right. I was the guy. Who else here was stabbed and burnt and abused? I could show you my scars where they stabbed me. I could show you the burn marks. I was prostituted for other men to abuse me. Boy, you know, I could really win the, the argument. But that was wrong. Yeah, it was wrong. It was wrong to put that on my mother, it's wrong to put that on my family. It was wrong to put that on others. And the Lord had to rebuke me and, uh, wow. And he did, because he loves, he rebukes the ones he loves, so he rebuked you. I just so appreciate your raw [00:43:00] and honest, telling of your story. Because, you've heard stories where they just put the fluff or they put the stuff that's gonna, bring up the ratings or whatever. But you really, kept it real. And I think you're a great pastor because people see that you're a real person. You're not some fake up there that can't relate to your congregation's problems, do you feel that way? Oh, definitely. You know, my congregation, as you know, like we talked earlier, I wrestle with dyslexia and every once in a while I'll stumble over a word while I'm reading the Bible and in front of my congregation. And, and that really bothered me for a long time. My Lord, I'm a pastor. How can I not read this and now. When I stumble over a word, my congregation yells it up to me. So I'll be on the platform. And you know what? They'll see me stumbling and you know, they'll yell it up to me and it's just a term of endearment. [00:44:00] It's not been one of rejection or shame, and I say, you know what? I'm doing that just to make sure you're in the Bible. That's what I tell 'em. But I'll be reading the scripture and, and my dyslexia kick in, or, or the word will be all scrambled. And, and they're the kind voices. Oh, pastor, that's, that means this. And, and it's kind of a nice direction. I tell people the church I pastor is a real church with real people serving a real God. Wow. So, wow. Fancy fluff. Church don't come to us because, you know, we're real and we cry together, we do life together. We step on each other's toes. We don't always agree, but we always love God. That is so awesome. Pastor of Christian is Alia Scott. That's right. I didn't announce your church name. I wanted to ask you to tell another story about. You said that you met your birth father at one point. What happened during that reunion Union? [00:45:00] Well, I was 45 years old and I wanted to reach, I wanted to know, I tell people my birth father and I met at the right place in life. I think if I would've met him younger, I would've still been angry. Rejected Kyle, but I was 45. I was the father of four. I've made my own mistakes, my own problems. I learned to mature a little bit. To be really frank, my father's wife passed on, so he was more ready to meet me. So his wife that he had the affair on to si me, if you would, she passed. So he was more open to meet me and uh, I just didn't meet him, but the whole family met him together. We met in a restaurant, we met in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and the family came in and the kids instantly. Started to call him grandpa. I thought, I don't know if I'm okay with that. And he never rejected it. So the last few years of [00:46:00] life, we just lost him. I, I had him for about four years. It wasn't warm and fuzzy, daddy and son, but it was something, we had a relationship. We'd talk about sports, we'd talk about life. He was a snowbird from Massachusetts to Florida and he just kind of let me know. So I'm very thankful for the four years I had. Again, it wasn't, Hey buddy, I'm proud of you kind of moment, but I got to find out a little bit about. Who my dad was and who some of my relatives are on my father's side. I got to learn about some of the health conditions of, of my father. And you know, he said he was pretty, he made it to 84. He liked to drink and he liked ladies, I like Jesus, I like one lady, Wow. That's an incredible story. I tell people it was the right time. Again, if I would've met him at 25, I would've been angry. I would've said, you know, why did you abandon me? 45 was a good time because. You know what, by that [00:47:00] time I, I stepped in enough life of my own to, to not, to be slow to judge, oh, God does have the perfect timing. I haven't spoken much about my story at all on here, but my husband and I talk about, boy, I wish that we had met, long time ago, you know, and skipped all the pain because we were both victims of abuse from our previous spouses. I'm sorry. And, um, but we thought about it and we thought we were different people. If we met at that time, I don't think I would've been interested in you and you wouldn't have been interested in me. And, I think that God brought us together this time of our life. No, we've been married 11 years. Congratulations. Thank you. So, God brought us together at our time of life because that was the perfect time and Sure. We're best friends. We never even have had a real fight. We didn't disagree, of course, but now you should write a book [00:48:00] about that. Okay. I mean, we disagree and, um, get on each other's nerves, but the Lord has just, you're normal. Just blessed us. Yeah, we're definitely normal. Um, especially during pandemic. It's like you learn about your spouse when you're stuck with them 24 7. Right? That's true. That's true. Yeah, we had to make some adjustments. Amen. And, um, we still love each other, and that it's great when you're talking about times of life, you know, for such a time as this, and I think for me, the Lord spoke to me years ago about forgiving the nightmare ministry. He actually spoke to me when I was in college about this. I didn't know it was gonna, uh, blossom or what it was gonna look like, but he spoke to me years ago about writing it down and it was always inside me. And I kept, my wife knew about it. We would always think, how's the, what's the Lord gonna do with this? Is it distant inside me to guide me through life? Is it more for others? Is it, Lord, how's it, how's it [00:49:00] gonna? Blossom if you would manifest. And we lost my mom and I have to tell you that, not immediately, but pretty quick. After losing my mom, I felt like this ministry could just launch. And it has launched. God has brought, brought a web designer into our life. He's brought some, um, producers into our life to help me tell the story. We're talking with a, an editor and a publisher. All this has happened fairly quickly. And I think, Lord, why now? And I think, to be honest with you, and this is just my opinion, I, I don't know if I have chapter and verse to back this up, but my mom was so embarrassed. She was so full of shame because of my upbringing every time for the last 20 years of my life, every time me and my mom were alone together, she would just apologize. And I don't just mean say, sorry. She would grovel and I would say, mom, I forgive you. I forgive you, [00:50:00] Marky. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. And if my mom knew that I was speaking to podcasts or writing a book, she would've been so, so embarrassed. So she may, it would've just troubled her so much. So I think outta the grace of God, and again, don't have chapter and verse, but I think upon her passing released me to be able to share this story, to be able to bring others into it, to just think God was being merciful to my mom on her journey. And again, it was almost pretty instant after her, uh, her own passing that I remember being on the treadmill one morning and the Lord just kind of. Just impressing upon me by giving the nightmare. Remember those words? I spoke to you. This is where it's gonna take place. And since then, we've made a couple videos, uh, we've launched a website. I'm talking to wonderful people like yourself and just trying to get the [00:51:00] story out of forgiving the Nightmare and trying to say to people whatever that nightmare was. Was it physical and sexual abuse like mine? Was it a tragedy in your life? Is it regrets? Is it fears? Is it the loss of a child or a loved one? Whatever that pain is that your nightmare. I want you to know that God can help you forgive it and overcome it and break the shackles so we don't have to be the man or the person. The hurt tried to make us. We no longer have to be Jacob. We can become Israel. Your mom would be so proud of you. And I think that, thank you. If, the Lord's probably told her, you know, the good things that have come out of a terrible situation, she said she had, you said she had some shame. Oh. I think if she was looking down at you now that, that shame would be gone. [00:52:00] That shame is no longer there. Look how God's using my son, my, my wonderful son to spread the gospel and to help people. And so Well, thank you. I'm so thankful for you, brother. Thank you for saying those words, sister. It's very kind of you. I used to say to my mom, even up to her last days, I would say, mom, who's your favorite? And she would say, I love you all, all the same. And I'd say, mom, stop lying to my siblings. I'm the youngest of three. My older brother and my older sister never made me feel like a step or a half brother. Uh, we just kind of always lived in the same house. We got real family problems and just life, but they've never left, never met me, felt, never let me feel like I was less than even to today. So I'm very thankful. My oldest sister, who is, a second mom to me, my oldest sister, she is my second mom and I'm thankful for her. So. Wow. Well, we [00:53:00] just had just a great time tonight. When your book comes out, please contact me. I would love to have you on the show again, to promote your book because obviously you, your story is so powerful and we wanna get it out to as many people as we can. So, tell the folks how to connect with you. Well, the best way to connect with me is@forgivingthenightmare.com. Forgiving the nightmare.com. Forgiving the nightmare.com is the best way to connect with me. If you go there, you'll find a email, it's called mark@forgivingthenightmare.com. That comes directly to me, right on my phone. So that's the best way to connect with me. Also you can go to our Facebook page called, forgiving the Nightmare. For giving Nightmare Facebook page. I try to put up pictures and little devotions there and stories there. So that's the two. Best way through Facebook, after Giving the Nightmare, after giving the Nightmare do [00:54:00] com, those are the best ways to connect with me. And I hope to get so Arizona someday. You have an open invitation. Wow. I'll be a tour guide for you. I know that Arizona like the back of my hand. Wow. Wow. Now my children could hear you in the background, so they're gonna be pretty excited about that invitation. There's so much stuff for, for their Edge group as well. So, we will hook you guys up. So thanks for being patient with the tech stuff and I'm glad we pushed through and didn't let the devil get the victory tonight. We found a way to get you on here. That's right. May I pray for you as we close. Oh yes, please. Thank you. Father God, we just come to you tonight and we thank you again for your son, Jesus Christ. Lord, we thank you for the sacrifice that he gave to us upon the cross, Lord. And we pay the price we could not pray, Lord. And we thank you for the gift of life [00:55:00] and life more abundant. Lord, we thank you for the promises. It says in this life there will be many troubles, but fear not because you are with us always. And Lord, tonight I pray for my sister. Father, I thank you that you're using her Lord. To spread the gospel to share, hope to be a light and a dark place. But Father, now, I pray that you come beside her father as she's shared that she's lost her brother this week, Lord. And I pray you comfort her. Lord, you said you had to go so the comforter could come. I pray, the comfort of the Holy Spirit will come beside my sister and be with her and her family as they grieve their loved one, their family member, their friend, Lord. So Lord I pray peace upon my sister. I pray Lord that you use her, continue to bless her. I thank you for the testimony of her and her husband, 11 years that you've brought together for such a time as this. I pray, Lord God, that they grow closer to you so they can grow closer to each other. And Lord, we thank you tonight [00:56:00] that Lord, we're no longer Jacob. You've made us Israel Father, no longer do we have to be shaped by our past, but now we can hold on to the promises. Lord, no longer does, we have to be shackled by somebody else's abuse, and we can be set free by your word. So, Lord, I pray that you fill us. You lead us, and may we be the light and may we be the salt, and may we lift up your name. We pray for a unity across our nation. We pray for a healing across our land, and we pray, Lord, for a revival of your salvation to come to our our country again, in Jesus name, amen. Thank you so much, brother. God bless, sister. Thank you. Take care yourself. Bye now. Bye. Thank you for listening to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast. If this episode has been helpful to you, please hit the subscribe button and tell a friend. You could connect with us at [00:57:00] DSW Ministries dot org where you'll find our blog, along with our Facebook, Twitter, and our YouTube channel links. Hope to see you next week.

In this paper presentation, Pastor Kong Hee shares on “simultaneous glossolalia” (speaking in tongues), a hallmark of the Pentecostal experience that connects believers to the life and vitality of the apostolic church in the Book of Acts. Why abandon a practice that has served the movement so well? Rather than diminish it, Pastor Kong Hee proposes that Pentecostals should seek to recover and deepen it.

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, Liv Hill discusses the challenges of navigating holiday stress, emphasizing the importance of mindset, nutrition, and self-care. She shares insights from her coaching community about managing stress, finding balance between hustle and rest, and coping with holiday eating habits. Liv encourages listeners to evaluate their stress patterns and offers practical strategies for enjoying the holiday season without feeling overwhelmed.

Will Jesus come just as He went up in Acts 1:9-11 - as the JW's say, He disappeared from their view? Where is the line between a false teacher and someone who has a different interpretation of Scripture? What are some doctrines that you would separate over? Are there any Biblical examples of a believer being delivered from demons or needing deliverance from sin or spirits? Does Acts 17:28-29 support the Mormon view that the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother gave birth to spirit children in their pre-existence form? Can I have religious common ground with my Mormon neighbor? Can a Christian be an alcoholic? How do I explain to my Pentecostal family that they are not correct in a lot of things they believe in? Does the word 'replenish' in Genesis 1:28 suggest that there was a pre-Adamic race that was destroyed or the Gap Theory? If a Christian dies before confessing and repenting a sin, where will he go, heaven or hell? How should we view human cloning? Are some creatures mentioned in Revelation a result of cloning animals? Did Jesus believe in the authority and inspiration of the Scriptures? Why didn't God just give us all the answers? What are some of the ways the godly will suffer persecution? Listen as Pastor/Dr. David Murphy discusses these and other listener questions.

In this week's episode of Catholic ReCon, testimonies from reverts and converts, guest Carla Lynch shares yet another remarkable journey into the Catholic Church!#Catholic #Pentecostal #Charismatic #Testimony #Story #Conversion #StAndre #Oratory #podcast #Video #christ #relationship ▶To support this channel, visit eddietrask.com/sponsorship▶This is the home of powerful, real-life faith transformations

Who is authorized to perform Christian baptisms? While the New Testament clearly emphasizes baptism in Jesus' name for salvation, it does not directly state which members of the church are qualified to perform them. In this episode of Apostolic Life in the 21st Century, Dr. David K. Bernard offers both biblical and practical guidance on this question.Visit PentecostalPublishing.com to shop Dr. Bernard's full catalog of published works. Enter promo code DKB10 at checkout to save 10 percent on your order.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.

In Episode 94 of Operation: Thriving Marriage, Bryon and Jennifer Harvey open up about a topic that quietly challenges many Christian couples — what happens when you fall in love with someone from a different denomination? Through humor, honesty, and their trademark wisdom, the Harveys share their own journey of blending faith traditions while building a unified spiritual life together.   Jennifer grew up Catholic, while Bryons background was a patchwork of Protestant experiences from various military base churches. Their love story took an unexpected turn when God used their shared passion for musical theater — especially the production Godspell (based on the Gospel of Matthew) — to deepen their spiritual bond. What started as an artistic connection became a divine bridge between two expressions of the same faith.   In this heartfelt episode, the Harveys explore what it means to create “Team Marriage” even when faith traditions differ. Jennifer recalls searching for a Catholic parish where Bryon might feel at home, joking that finding a priest who could “keep a Protestant's attention” was no easy task. But underneath the laughter lies a profound truth: denominational differences don't have to divide a couple — they can deepen understanding, strengthen communication, and expand spiritual growth when approached with humility and grace.   Bryon and Jennifer's story becomes a living example of Ephesians 4:3 — “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Whether you're Catholic and Baptist, Pentecostal and Anglican, or simply on different pages spiritually, this episode offers practical wisdom on how to honor your backgrounds while staying centered on Christ.  

Pastor Kristen Malcolmfalse00:38:32591A New Approach to Life Part 1: A New Focusfull

Ever been so frustrated you exploded on the wrong person? Moses did that — and it cost him the Promised Land. In this message from Numbers 20, we learn why frustration can derail your faith and how to handle it before it explodes.Because once the Rock (Jesus) has been struck, we don't need to hit […]

This message challenges us to rethink what it truly means to be healthy. Drawing from Luke 10:27's call to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we're invited to examine whether we're merely avoiding sickness or actually thriving in every dimension of our lives. The sermon walks us through Jesus' own self-care practices, revealing that the Son of Goddespite His divinitystill needed to tend to His human body, emotions, relationships, and spiritual life. We see Jesus weeping openly, expressing anger, setting boundaries with family members, taking naps in boats, walking miles daily, and intentionally choosing solitude for prayer. This isn't about indulgence or treating ourselves to spa days; it's about stewardship of the one life and body God has given us. The message dismantles harmful religious guilt around spiritual disciplines, reminding us that God delights in five minutes of genuine connection just as much as an hour. We're encouraged to ask ourselves the honest questions: Am I thriving emotionally? Spiritually? Physically? Mentally? Relationally? The baptism at the end beautifully illustrates what it means to fix the wobble in our livesto shore up the unbalanced legs of our existence so we can walk steadily in our calling.

Brian Kinsey, Pentecostal preacher and author of "Mercy Moments: 40 Days to Rekindle Your Passion for God," stops by to Knew Amsterdam Radio to chat faith, fun, and refreshing relationships with God.

My Story  Talk 30  Finding my successor and saying farewell to Mattersey Welcome to Talk 30 in our series where I am reflecting on God's goodness to me throughout my life. Today my subject is finding my successor and saying farewell to Mattersey. From all I have said so far it has been clear that the Lord had abundantly blessed our work for him at Mattersey and there was no requirement that I should retire in 2004 at the age of 65. The system at the time was that my name was put forward for re-election every four years and the next time this was to happen was in 2003. There was little doubt that I would be re-elected if I let my name go forward, but did I want to serve another four years and continue until I was 68? More importantly, what did the Lord want? It was clear that he had been blessing my ministry beyond the College for some years and an increasing number of doors were opening for me, particularly with regard to teaching internationally on the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps I would be able to continue teaching in the College but make room for someone else to take over the principalship. The more I thought about this the more I felt it was right. Guidance comes in a variety of ways, sometimes supernaturally and quite dramatically, and at others by an increasing inner conviction that a particular course of action is the right one. I have already described the wonderful way the Lord led us to Mattersey and how, soon after we arrived there he confirmed that the building we were planning was his plan too. But now, as no clear guidance was forthcoming, I decided that we just had to do what we felt was right and ask the Lord to intervene if it was not his will. I wondered if the AoG Conference would agree to let me put my name forward for just one more year, instead of the usual four and decided to talk to my friend Paul Weaver, the AoG General Superintendent about this. A suitable opportunity arose when we both arrived a day early for a PEF meeting in Prague and were both accommodated in the same hotel. Paul assured me that he felt that, if I decided to take that route, no one at Conference would raise an objection, and we started to explore possibilities about who would be my successor. Colleagues had already told me that they couldn't think of anyone suitable, but I realised that, whoever they were, my successor didn't need to be another David Petts. Talking to Paul, I suggested four names who I thought could do the job and he agreed. However, I need to make it clear that it was not my responsibility to appoint my successor, though I would be part of the interview panel and hopefully people would prayerfully consider any suggestion I might make. Having informally agreed these things with Paul, I referred the matter to the Board of Governors and the Executive Council who all agreed with the procedure I was suggesting. As a result, Paul Alexander, a South African who had been a student at Mattersey and who had gone on to found the Africa School of Missions and who had been one of the four names I had mentioned to Paul Weaver, was appointed as Principal with effect from summer 2004. He was, however, expected to work alongside me from 2003 so as to get used to the way we were doing things. I personally felt it a pity that he never really did so, but he did, nevertheless make an excellent Principal and invited me to continue teaching annually on the Master's programme, which I did until 2015. But before Paul finally took over the reins suitable arrangements had to be made to celebrate the years we had spent at Mattersey. The Board of Governors asked me what I would like, and I said that I wanted opportunity to say thank you to all who had made possible the things we had accomplished together over the past 27 years. As a result, we ended up with no less than four celebrations. First there was a sumptuous buffet banquet at the General Conference for all former students, staff and faculty who were able to attend. Then, in the final week of the Summer Term there was a celebration meal for all the present students. This was followed a day or so later by another meal for all the staff and faculty, past and present, who had ever served the College during my principalship. And finally, there was the Graduation Service on the Saturday where Ken Morgan, the Chair of the Board of Governors, expressed appreciation on behalf of the College and handed me a generous cheque. It was also the occasion when the University of Wales conferred upon me the honour of appointing me as an Honorary Academic Fellow of the university. I, of course, expressed my appreciation to all concerned and welcomed Paul Alexander as the new Principal. Two days later we vacated the house we had lived in for 25 years and moved to Devon, grateful to God for all he had done and excited about all he was yet to do. But that's the subject of the next talk.   Meanwhile, by way of a summary of our years at Mattersey, I want to read you my final report as Bible College Principal to the AoG Conference held in 2004:   Thanks be to God… This is something of a special occasion as this will be the last report that I shall write as the Principal of the Bible College. I intend, therefore, instead of reporting on events in the college over the past 12 months, to look back over the 34 year period of my relationship with the college, and especially the 27 years of my principalship, in order that I might place on record my profound gratitude to God for all he has done, and to those who have helped to make it all possible. My relationship with the college goes back to 1970 when, at the invitation of the Principal, George Jeffreys Williamson, I became a visiting lecturer. It was during that period when, in January 1972, God spoke to me supernaturally in the middle of the night and told me that I was going to live at the Bible College. When David Powell became Principal in 1973 and the college moved to Mattersey, he continued to use me as a visiting lecturer until, in 1976, I was appointed by Conference as a member of the Board of Governors. In 1977 David Powell offered himself for re-election but withdrew his name at the last minute at conference. This led to my sharing the principalship for a year with Alfred Missen and Keith Munday whose experience, expertise and advice were to prove of great value to me. I was finally appointed Principal in 1978 and took up residence at Mattersey in June of that year.   … for what he has done The purpose of the college has always been to prepare men and women for Christian service at home and overseas. I feel deeply privileged to have been involved in the training of well over 1000 full-time students during my time as Principal. On leaving college many have gone into church leadership roles and those who have not have been better equipped to serve the Lord in other capacities. In recent years, since we developed our degree programme up to 10 each year have gone into school teaching. Several are now in prominent positions in the Fellowship nationally or regionally. Others are doing a great job for God overseas. We are so grateful that the money we invested by giving scholarships to students from India and Africa has resulted over the years in many churches being planted in those countries. It is because I passionately believe that the training Mattersey provides results in a better-equipped Christian leadership that we have sought from the start to expand the number of students as far as our capacity and ability would allow. As a result I am pleased to report that there are some 500+ students who are currently engaged on courses provided by Mattersey Hall compared with the 48 we started with in 1978. We started the current year with 126 full time BA students, 56 part time MTh students, and 323 students enrolled on our distance learning courses. This growth has only been made possible by the development of both the programme and the campus. As far as the programme is concerned, much has been added over the years. Whereas we originally offered only a two-year diploma programme where all students took all the same subjects, we now provide a varied curriculum with specialist options for training in the specific areas where students are gifted or to which they feel called. Details of these are to be found in the latest college prospectus and there is no need to mention them here. Suffice it to say that Mattersey now offers courses that combine both academic excellence and practical relevance with a spiritual dynamic that reflects our Pentecostal heritage. But the development of the programme has only been possible because of the development on the campus. Thanks to the many gifts we received from churches and individuals, particularly back in the 1980s, the Lord has enabled us to improve the facilities on campus beyond recognition. This may be summarised as follows:   1979 Construction of the Principal's house 1980s Erection of the hall of residence providing 120 individual study-bedrooms for students Purchase of playing field doubling the size of campus to 14 acres. 1998 Erection of new chapel and three new classrooms. We are very grateful to property trust for the help they have given us in providing a mortgage for this and for other assistance they have given from time to time. In connection with all of the above, I wish to place on record my sincere appreciation for the faith of those who have served on the Board of Governors and for the support they have given me over the years. It has not all been easy, but the Lord has stood by us and by his grace we now have a campus equipped with facilities commensurate with the task that we seek to undertake.   … for those who have helped Of course, there have been many helpers along the way. It gives me great pleasure to place on record my sincere appreciation to all who have served the College in any way during the course of my principalship. Worthy of special mention are my wife, Eileen, who served as Matron for 21 years; Dave and Beryl Allen who have worked with me full time since 1983; Brian Quar, whose experience in the building industry was most valuable to us in our major building projects; and William Kay, who has encouraged me and helped me to bring the college to its present academic standard. However, I am no less grateful to all who have played their part and accordingly I honour them here.  (There then follows a long list). My thanks to them all, and to any whose names I may have inadvertently omitted. …for what the future holds Finally, It seems appropriate to say a word as to what I feel the future holds. As far as the college is concerned, it is clear that the job is by no means finished. I have every confidence in Paul Alexander and I know that he has a vision for further growth and expansion. I entrust to his care the college I have been privileged to lead for 27 years and the gifted and dedicated team who have been working with me. I pray that he will be able to take the college further than I have been able to. May the Lord inspire him and direct him to that end. I believe with all my heart that Mattersey is the best – though not the only – means we have of preparing men and women for the ministry. Potential leaders need to be encouraged to make the most of the great opportunity it offers. As for me, I have made it clear that I am not retiring from ministry. The call of God is as strong as ever. I am relinquishing my responsibilities as Principal in order to be free to serve in a wider capacity. As long as the Lord enables, I shall continue to preach and teach and write. I shall remain a member of the Board of Governors, though now in an emeritus capacity. Paul has kindly asked me to continue to teach some part time courses that relate to the work of the Spirit, and this I have agreed to do. I will be happy to support him in any way I can. Thank you for giving me the great privilege of serving you. When all is said and done, I have only done what it was my duty to do (Luke 17: 10). But it has given me great joy to do it. To God alone be all the glory! Respectfully submitted David Petts, Principal

Although raised Methodist, Susan Sucher began attending an Assemblies of God youth group in her teens, which is where her faith really took off. As she and her husband were discerning marriage, they were also processing together some of the inconsistencies they'd been noticing in Pentecostal theology, particularly when it came to the Lord's Supper. She decided to explore the Catholic Church, and was surprised to find that it answered many of her questions. While she initially objected to Church teaching on contraception and women's ordination, even those began to make sense to her, and she knew she had to become Catholic.

The Gospels include many accounts of Jesus casting out devils. In Mark 16:17 (NKJV), Jesus told His disciples that "those who believe" will "cast out demons." In this episode of Apostolic Life in the 21st Century, Dr. David K. Bernard compares cases of demon possession in North America with accounts from the New Testament and modern reports from other parts of the globe.Visit PentecostalPublishing.com to shop Dr. Bernard's full catalog of published works. Enter promo code DKB10 at checkout to save 10 percent on your order.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.

Matt Swaim stops in with Journey Home highlights that feature a Pentecostal convert. Bishop Athanasius Schneider visits to discuss his book on martyrdom, “No Greater Love”. Plus, Kimberly Henkel (Springs of Love) visits the studio to talk about the value of a Catholic curriculum for foster and adoptive parents.

In this episode of the Living Well podcast, host Liv Hill discusses strategies for navigating the holiday season, particularly Halloween. She emphasizes the importance of being mindful of eating habits during holidays, setting realistic goals, and having a plan in place to avoid weight gain. Liv shares personal anecdotes and practical tips for enjoying treats in moderation while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The episode concludes with the significance of having a reset meal to get back on track after indulgences.

This powerful message confronts one of the most challenging tensions in Christian living: how do we reconcile Jesus's command to deny ourselves with His instruction to love our neighbors as we love ourselves? Drawing from Luke 10:25 and the greatest commandment, we're invited into a journey of self-discovery that isn't about self-absorption but about spiritual maturity. The core revelation is strikingwe cannot be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. When we suppress our feelings, ignore our emotions, or live behind masks of performance and possessions, we actually shut off a vital channel of communication with God. The message challenges us to examine three deceptive lies that keep us from knowing our true identity: the lie that we are what we do, the lie that we are what we have, and the lie that we are what others think. Through the lens of Jesus's temptation in the wilderness, we see how Satan still uses these same tactics to keep us from discovering who God created us to be. The call is clear: tune out distractions, surround ourselves with the right people, step out of our comfort zones, and most importantly, see ourselves the way God sees usas fearfully and wonderfully made, as the very pupil of His eye. This isn't New Age philosophy; it's biblical truth that sets us free to love authentically.

Wherever your treasure is, your heart follows — and that's exactly what God was reminding Israel in Numbers 15. Right after their biggest failure, He didn't cancel the promise… He confirmed it. In this message, Pastor Justin unpacks what it means to live generous in a world that says “hold tight.” You'll see why money […]

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 26th of October, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Gospel of John 3:7. This is Jesus talking: ”Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.”Then we go to 2 Corinthians 5:17:”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” We must make a new start. We must be born again. That is not a charismatic or a Pentecostal statement, that is a Jesus statement. Every single man, woman and child must be reborn. You see, you telling me that, ”Ah, I come from a Christian family and I was born into a Christian family, and my mother and my father were Christians, and my grandfather and grandmother were Christians. I want to tell you something very carefully, the Lord has no grandchildren in heaven. Do you know what that means? It means that every one of us, me included, especially me, we need to make a clean start. We need to start all over again. Each one of us has to make a personal commitment to Jesus. That's what Jesus told Nicodemus. Nicodemus said, ”How can a grown man go back into his mother's womb for a second time?” Jesus said, ”You don't know where the wind comes from and you don't know where it goes but you can feel it. You can feel it on your face.”I want to say to you today, please consider what the Lord is saying. It is so very important. We are living in the last days. Look around you, see what is happening. We need to make a complete change in our lives. Let's do it today. I want to pray a prayer with you. There's somebody that's listening to this message who has been struggling with this issue for many years. Please let that pride fall away and say, ”Lord today, I want to tell you, I cannot carry on on my own, I can't make it. This depression is killing me. The stress. The responsibility with the family.” I know, I was there. Now let us pray this prayer together. I'm going to pray it real slow so that you can grasp it and it's going to be very simple. Pray after me:Dear Lord Jesus,I know that I am a sinner, and I need you to save me. You have told me this morning, very clearly, through Your word that I need to be born again. I repent of all my sins and I ask You alone to be my Lord and my Saviour. I will serve no other gods but You. Thank You for dying for me, a sinner, on the cross of Calvary.In Jesus' name, amen.Now go out and tell the first three people you meet what you've done, ”I have become a born-again Christian.” Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,Goodbye.

The Window Between IN and OUT 

Pastor Dave Larmourfalse00:40:095887 Dimensions of Human Flourishing: Contentmentfull

649. This week we chat with Leah Payne about her book, God Gave Rock and Roll To You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music. We focus especially on the role of the family of Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Mickey Gilley in the history of Rock and Roll. Her book chronicles the confluence of evangelical, Pentecostal, and charismatic networks through the lens of Contemporary Christian Music, or CCM. The book indexes American evangelicalism's political and social aspirations as seen through its cultural intermediaries: the youth group leaders, non-profit groups, industry executives, and parents who contributed to what was morally permissible and economically profitable in CCM.  Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 221 years. Order your copy today! This week in the Louisiana Anthology. H. P. Lovecraft. "The Call of Cthulhu." "In a natural glade of the swamp stood a grassy island of perhaps an acre's extent, clear of trees and tolerably dry. On this now leaped and twisted a more indescribable horde of human abnormality than any but a Sime or an Angarola could paint. Void of clothing, this hybrid spawn were braying, bellowing, and writhing about a monstrous ring-shaped bonfire; in the centre of which, revealed by occasional rifts in the curtain of flame, stood a great granite monolith some eight feet in height; on top of which, incongruous in its diminutiveness, rested the noxious carven statuette." This week in Louisiana history. October 25, 1769. Bloody" O'Reilly executes rebels who ousted Ulloa to hang but no hangman, they were shot instead. This week in New Orleans history. Earl Cyril Palmer born in New Orleans and raised in the Tremé (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American rock & roll and rhythm and blues drummer, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer played on many recording sessions, including Little Richard's first several albums and Tom Waits' 1978 album Blue Valentine. playing on New Orleans recording sessions, including Fats Domino's "The Fat Man", "I'm Walkin" (and all the rest of Domino's hits), "Tipitina" by Professor Longhair, "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard (and most of Richard's hits), "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" by Lloyd Price, and "I Hear You Knockin'" by Smiley Lewis. This week in Louisiana. Halloween in New Orleans Website     If you thought that Halloween was just a night for the kids to go trick or treating with their parents in tow, you need to think again. Here in New Orleans, like everything else, it's different.     Halloween, Crescent City-style, is second only to Mardi Gras for wild and crazy, dressing-up-in-costume kind of fun and it isn't just for kids, either. Adults get to join the fun and craziness as well. In fact, there are a few events that are much more fun for the grown-ups than for the little ones! You can go on our haunted tours, visit our voodoo shops, our costume shops, our street parties, and we even have events for the kids! Postcards from Louisiana. Delfeyo Marsalis at Snug Harbor. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Listen on audible. Listen on Spotify. Listen on TuneIn. Listen on iHeartRadio. The Louisiana Anthology Home Page. Like us on Facebook. 

In this episode, you'll discover:Why some people receive clear spiritual downloads while others hear nothingThe protection filter that keeps negativity out while divine guidance flows in How your religious upbringing might be the exact foundation you neededHave you ever had a thought pop into your head that you knew didn't come from you?Not the anxious spiral. Not the mental to-do list. I'm talking about the quiet knowing that tells you to take a different route home. The sudden clarity about a relationship that's been draining you for months. The download that arrives fully formed, like someone just handed you the answer you've been searching for.Most people write it off. They call it intuition or gut instinct and leave it at that. But what if it's not coming from your gut at all? What if there's an entire team on the other side actively guiding you, protecting you, speaking to you every single day? And what if the only reason you can't hear them clearly is because you've been taught that this kind of communication ended 2,000 years ago?What if I told you that someone's mother sat down one day and received a channeled message that ended with words so clear, so specific, it demanded an answer?Today our guest is Michael McAdams. Michael has felt a sense of destiny and purpose his entire life. A lifelong sincere seeker of truth brought up in the Pentecostal church, Michael has endeavored to reach out with an open mind to all sources available, enabling his mind to receive information that helps the greatest number of people.Links from the episode:Show Notes: mindlove.com/424Join the Mind Love CollectiveSign up for The Morning Mind Love for short daily notes to wake up inspiredSupport Mind Love Sponsorshttps://spiritspeaks.com/ See 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 Living Well podcast, Liv Hill discusses the key to happiness in dieting, emphasizing that dieting doesn't have to be a punishment. She explores the common challenges associated with the diet mindset, the importance of reframing exercise as a tool for health rather than weight loss, and the benefits of a phased approach to dieting. Liv also highlights the significance of maintaining balance and flexibility in one's diet and ultimately finding freedom and happiness with food.

In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul wrote, "Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel" (NKJV). Some cite this verse to downplay the importance of water baptism to Christian salvation. Dr. David K. Bernard responds with an examination of the context of 1 Corinthians and Paul's teaching on baptism in other New Testament passages.Visit PentecostalPublishing.com to shop Dr. Bernard's full catalog of published works. Enter promo code DKB10 at checkout to save 10 percent on your order.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.

In this episode, we're kicking off a new series walking through the story of the Church — from the apostles to the modern day — to uncover where things went right, where things went wrong, and what it means to stay faithful to Jesus' design.--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Drive through any city and you'll see it — church signs everywhere.Catholic. Baptist. Methodist. Presbyterian. Pentecostal. Non-Denominational.How did we get here? And more importantly… have we lost something along the way?In this series, we're walking through the story of the Church — from the apostles to the modern day — to uncover where things went right, where things went wrong, and what it means to stay faithful to Jesus' design.Here's where we're going: From the Apostles to the Catholic Church (The Church Takes Shape)The Great Schism – East and West DividePre-Reformation Movements – Wycliffe, Hus, and the AnabaptistsThe Protestant Reformation – Truth RediscoveredThe Denominational Explosion – 1600s – 1800sModern Movements – Pentecostals, Evangelicals, and Non-DenomsWhen Jesus said, “I will build my church,” He wasn't talking about buildings, politics, or denominations. He was launching a movement — a family of believers united by truth, transformed by the Spirit, and commissioned to make disciples of all nations.Over the next two thousand years, that movement grew, spread, divided, and institutionalized. Some of it was faithful. Some of it wasn't.Our goal isn't just to study history. It's to recover the essence of a biblical church — one rooted in the gospel, led by the Spirit, and faithful to God's Word. What does it mean to be the kind of church Jesus actually envisioned?The Church Jesus FoundedJesus made an unshakable promise:“I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” — Matthew 16:18 (NLT)At Pentecost (Acts 2), that promise became reality. The Holy Spirit filled believers, Peter preached, and thousands came to faith.“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer.” — Acts 2:42 (NLT)The Church began as a grassroots movement of ordinary people empowered by an extraordinary Spirit. There were no buildings, no denominations, and no political power — just a message of forgiveness and hope in Jesus Christ.The Structure of the New Testament ChurchAs the gospel spread, the apostles appointed elders (presbyteroi), also called pastors (poimēn) or overseers/bishops (episkopoi), to shepherd local congregations. These terms describe different aspects of one office — mature, Spirit-led shepherds guiding God's people.Paul...

In this episode, we're kicking off a new series walking through the story of the Church — from the apostles to the modern day — to uncover where things went right, where things went wrong, and what it means to stay faithful to Jesus' design.--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Drive through any city and you'll see it — church signs everywhere.Catholic. Baptist. Methodist. Presbyterian. Pentecostal. Non-Denominational.How did we get here? And more importantly… have we lost something along the way?In this series, we're walking through the story of the Church — from the apostles to the modern day — to uncover where things went right, where things went wrong, and what it means to stay faithful to Jesus' design.Here's where we're going: From the Apostles to the Catholic Church (The Church Takes Shape)The Great Schism – East and West DividePre-Reformation Movements – Wycliffe, Hus, and the AnabaptistsThe Protestant Reformation – Truth RediscoveredThe Denominational Explosion – 1600s – 1800sModern Movements – Pentecostals, Evangelicals, and Non-DenomsWhen Jesus said, “I will build my church,” He wasn't talking about buildings, politics, or denominations. He was launching a movement — a family of believers united by truth, transformed by the Spirit, and commissioned to make disciples of all nations.Over the next two thousand years, that movement grew, spread, divided, and institutionalized. Some of it was faithful. Some of it wasn't.Our goal isn't just to study history. It's to recover the essence of a biblical church — one rooted in the gospel, led by the Spirit, and faithful to God's Word. What does it mean to be the kind of church Jesus actually envisioned?The Church Jesus FoundedJesus made an unshakable promise:“I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” — Matthew 16:18 (NLT)At Pentecost (Acts 2), that promise became reality. The Holy Spirit filled believers, Peter preached, and thousands came to faith.“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer.” — Acts 2:42 (NLT)The Church began as a grassroots movement of ordinary people empowered by an extraordinary Spirit. There were no buildings, no denominations, and no political power — just a message of forgiveness and hope in Jesus Christ.The Structure of the New Testament ChurchAs the gospel spread, the apostles appointed elders (presbyteroi), also called pastors (poimēn) or overseers/bishops (episkopoi), to shepherd local congregations. These terms describe different aspects of one office — mature, Spirit-led shepherds guiding God's people.Paul...

Dominique Beaumont's life reads like a modern-day parable of divine orchestration. Born to a severely schizophrenic mother who worked as a prostitute, Dominique bounced between foster homes until landing with a Pentecostal foster mother who introduced him to church. What followed was nothing short of miraculous—at just eight years old, he felt drawn to ministry, organizing "churches" with his cousins and stuffed animals, complete with offering collections and maple bar communion.The podcast takes a stunning turn when Dominique reveals a recent discovery. After conducting an Ancestry.com DNA test, he learned his biological father was the founder of a prominent Los Angeles gang. Though his father passed away before they could meet, Dominique discovered his father had written a book revealing his own spiritual journey and call to ministry—an incredible confirmation of the inexplicable pull toward preaching Dominique had felt his entire life.Despite his early calling, Dominique's path wasn't straightforward. During college, he rebelled against being known as "preacher boy," joining a fraternity and distancing himself from church. It took a supernatural encounter during graduate school in Las Vegas to reignite his commitment to ministry. Now, he's planting a church specifically targeting those who, like himself, didn't experience faith through traditional family structures—foster youth, young adults, and those needing transformational encounters with Jesus.Send us a textWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL. Ministry Partner: Christian Community Credit Union

Back to the Basics (Part 6): The Baptism of the Holy Ghost

What happens when you finally decide to obey—but God's already moved on?Israel tried to go back and fix yesterday's disobedience… but they learned the hard way that delayed obedience is still disobedience. In this message from our “Most Boring Book in the Bible” series, Pastor Justin Bradley shows us that:The promise without God's presence isn't […]

The River Between A Healed Man And A Sick Man

“Can God hear our mental prayer?” This episode explores the nuances of prayer and divine communication, alongside intriguing questions about the establishment of early churches by the apostles, the concept of infallibility, and the comparison between the Catholic and Pentecostal churches. Tune in for a thoughtful examination of these important topics. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 07:33 – Are we able to trace back what churches the other apostles established? 13:50 – What did you see in the Catholic Church that made you open your eyes to converting? 21:45 – Would it be possible for a year of divine judgment? If yes, then why doesn't he? 28:55 – Can the pope ever break from the seat of Peter? 36:55 – What Catholic study bible do you recommend? And which translation? 39:43 – How does the Pentecostal church compare to the Catholic Church? 44:04 – Can God hear our mental prayer? Was Jesus a good boy as a kid? 46:43 – How do we reconcile parts of the church that have been corrupt in the medieval ages and the infallibility of the church? 53:00 – What is infallibility

••• Working In Dominion, Segment-2 of 2, Ep 403a . ••• Bible Study Verses: 2 Timothy 2.19-21, Daniel 1:6-21 & 6:28, Acts 11:26, 1 Peter 1:16 . ••• “Holiness of heart and life. This is not the perfection of the human nature, but the holiness of the divine nature dwelling within" A. B. Simpson,1843 –1919 † ••• “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" 2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV . ••• What are 3-reasons why Holiness is so important for Working in Dominion? ••• What were 2-reasons why Daniel and his friends decided not to take part in the king's delicacies? ••• What are 2-things that Holiness in not? ••• What are 3-aspects of Holiness? ••• What are 2-reasons why Holiness a necessary requirement for working in dominion? ••• Please listen to next weeks podcast, episode 404b, for the conclusion of this podcast topic. ••• Pastor Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounter Radio Podcast originally aired on November 15, 2025 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcast to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible. ••• This Discipleship Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in its mission through prayer and support. Thank you . ••• Broadcaster's Website - https://www.lifelonganointing.com/ . ••• Exceeding Thanks to Universe Creator Christ Jesus AND photo by Stacey Franco, https://www.instagram.com/staceyfranc0/, on unsplash, Art Direction by gil on his mac with free mac layout software . ••• Study Guides at - https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/episodes . ••• SHARING LINK: https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/251018-the-secret-behind-the-believers-dominion-p10-s1-ep403a . ••• † http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/A.B.-Simpson-Quotes/ . FOUNDER OF THE Christian and Missionary Alliance, Albert Benjamin Simpson was born in Canada of Scottish parents. He became a Presbyterian minister and pastored several churches in Ontario. Later, he accepted the call to serve as pastor of the Chestnut Street Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. It was there that his life and ministry were completely changed in that, during a revival meeting, he experienced the fullness of the Spirit. He continued in the Presbyterian Church until 1881, when he founded an independent Gospel Tabernacle in New York. There he published the Alliance Weekly and wrote 70 books on Christian living. He organized two missionary societies which later merged to become the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Simpson sought for the gift of tongues. While he did not ever speak in tongues, he did, in the course of his seeking, have other ecstatic experiences of the kind that often bore the criticism of Pentecostal excessiveness, such as an experience he described as, "The Spirit came with a baptism of Holy laughter for an hour or more and I am waiting for all He has yet to give and manifest"••• RESOURCE - https://www.soundcloud.com/thewaytogod/ . ••• RESOURCE - https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/john.1%20 .••• FERP251018-Episode#403a GOT251018 Ep403a . ••• The Secret Behind the Believers Dominion, Part-10a: Working In Dominion, Segment-1 . Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Southern History Remixed: On Rock ‘n' Roll and the Dilemma of Race (UP Florida, 2024) spotlights the key role of popular music in the shaping of the United States South from the late nineteenth century to the era of rock 'n' roll in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. While musical activities are often sidelined in historical narratives of the region, Michael Bertrand shows that they can reveal much about social history and culture change as he connects the rise of rock 'n' roll to the civil rights movement for racial equality. In this book, Bertrand traces a long-term culture war in which white southerners struggled over the region's cultural complexion with music serving as an engine that both sustained and challenged white supremacy. He shows how rock 'n' roll emerged as a working-class genre with biracial sources that stoked white racial anxieties and engaged the region's color and culture lines. This book discusses the conflict over southern identity that played out in responses to jazz, barn dance radio, Pentecostal and gospel music, Black radio programming, and rhythm and blues, concluding with a close look at the popularity of Elvis Presley within a racially segregated society. Southern History Remixed suggests that both Black and white southerners have used music as a tool to resist or negotiate a rigid regional hierarchy. Urging readers and scholars to take the study of popular music seriously, Bertrand argues that what occurs in the music world affects and reflects what happens in politics and history. Guest: Michael T. Bertrand is a historian of the American South and the modern United States. Host: Caroline Alt (she/her), a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at the University of Georgia. She studies the hauntings of the American South from the 19th through the 21st centuries. 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

(5:35) Bible Study: Luke 11:47-54 Don’t be presumptuous! Romans 3:21-30 What are the different types of laws? (20:36) Break 1 (21:53) Letters: Why does the devil use world power as a way of testing Jesus if he doesn’t own the world? What are the nuances in translating texts? Father answers these and other questions, send him a letter at simon@relevantradio.com (34:57) Break 2 (35:36) Word of the Day Key of Knowledge (38:56) Phones: James - why would there be a law about stoning unmarried women who are with child if that was the way god intended Mary to have Jesus. John - My daughter is dating a Pentecostal who says you need to speak in tongues to go to heaven. Margaret - are there ways to get confession if I can’t get to church? Kathy - how was Jesus taken off of the cross and by whom?

It's Tuesday, October 14th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Chinese Communists detain dozens of leaders of unregistered church The American State Department has condemned the Chinese Communist Party's recent detention of dozens of Christian leaders of the unregistered house Zion Church in Beijing. The arrests included the prominent Chinese Pastor Mingri “Ezra” Jin.  Zion Church includes 10,000 people from at least 40 Chinese cities -- making it  one of the largest house churches in China.   Secretary of State Marco Rubio is calling on the Communists to “immediately release the detained church leaders and to allow all people of faith, including members of house churches, to engage in religious activities without fear of retribution.”   Pastor Jin's son-in-law, Bill Drexel of the Hudson Institute, called the arrests “the most extensive attack on a Chinese church in four decades.” Trump rolls out additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports Speaking of China, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, above and beyond current rates. It will become effective on November 1st. This would raise tariff rates on Chinese imports to at least 155%. The Trump tariffs have not damaged Chinese exports much so far this year.  . .  Official numbers released yesterday indicate a 4% increase on total Chinese exports for the year. This occurred despite a 19% drop in US imports from China year-to-date. The U.S. makes up only 14% of Chinese exports. Israeli leader compares Trump to Cyrus the Great Celebrating the end of the recent war in the Middle East, President Donald Trump talked to the Israeli Parliament yesterday, reports the Times of Israel. Listen, TRUMP: “This is not only the end of a war; this is the end of an age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God. “It's the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region. I believe that so strongly. This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.” This comes as the Israeli-Hamas War ends and the twenty remaining living Israeli hostages were returned to their families. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  thanked President Trump for his support of Israel. NETANYAHU:  “The American-Israeli Alliance has never been as strong as it is now. The President has been an outstanding global leader. He's really transforming the world to better all of us. And I can again repeat what I've said time and time again: He's the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House.” And Amir Ohana, the Speaker of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, also spoke in glowing terms. OHANA: “Mr. President, you stand before the people of Israel not as another American president, but as a giant of Jewish history -- one for whom we must look back two and a half millennia, into the mists of time, to find a parallel: Cyrus the Great. “You, President Donald J. Trump, are a colossus who will be enshrined in the pantheon of history. Thousands of years from now, Mr. President, the Jewish people will remember you.” Keep in mind, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6-7 says, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end.“ The conservative Global Methodist Church has drawn 6,000 churches The more conservative Global Methodist Church now has 6,000 congregations worldwide, about 80% of which are in the United States.     That compares with about 29,000 congregations participating in the more pro-homosexual United Methodist Church. Barna: 20% fewer churchgoers identify as pro-life Christian researcher George Barna revealed devastating news this weekend. The pollster found that the percentage of American churchgoers identified  as pro-life has dropped off from 63% to 43% in just the last two years. The largest decline of pro-life commitment occurred among Evangelical churches — an incredible 33% decline!   Churchgoers claiming to be pro-abortion increased from 22% to 35% over the same two years.   Yet, at the same time, 75% of churchgoers believe that God is the author of life, and 83% say they believe that every human has value and dignity. The report also found that 49% of Gen Z churchgoers are in favor of homosexual faux marriage. Among the nearly nine in 10 Americans who self-identify as Christian, the most common types of Christian church they attend are Catholic at 39%, mainline Protestant at 20%), Evangelical at 18%, independent or non-denominational Christian at 9%, and Pentecostal/charismatic at 4%. Of American churchgoers surveyed, 34% claim to be conservative, and 20% claim to be liberal. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the Earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13) Gold up 54% within the year Metals have become the preferred go-to for investors, or those who are out to preserve capital. Over the last month, gold is up 11% and silver is up 17%, while Bitcoin and the Nasdaq have been about even over the same time frame. Year-to-date, gold is up 54%! Experts point to the Fed's monetary easing, sluggish economic growth, rising inflation, and geopolitical instabilities as contributing to the trend.  Central banks fighting inflation Central banks worldwide are fighting inflation by reducing their Quantitative easing to tightening, from a peak of $38.6 trillion in 2022 to $29.5 trillion today.  These numbers are still up from $12 trillion back in 2009. The world inflation rate has dropped from 8.6% in 2022 to about 5% today. By contrast, between 2010 and 2020, the world inflation rate was running at 3.5% Government shutdown in 14th day And finally, the U.S. government shutdown enters its 14th day today.   The longest shutdown in history occurred in 2018, over a period of 35 days. About half of the 3,000,000 people on the federal payroll are out of work —or at least are foregoing a paycheck. About 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed. However, the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 will ensure that all federal employees receive back pay for the shutdown period, if the government reopens for business sometime in the future. Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, October 14th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

What is the theological meaning of American history? In this episode, American church historian Grant Wacker joins Mark Labberton to explore the theological dimensions of American history, the legacy of Billy Graham, and the evolving face of evangelicalism. Wacker reflects on his Pentecostal upbringing, his formation as a historian, and his conviction that faith and scholarship must speak honestly to one another. Together they trace how religion has both shaped and distorted American life—from the enduring wound of slavery to the reformist spirit woven through its history. Wacker, now in his eighties, offers his perspective on evangelicalism's past, present, and global future. Episode Highlights “Religion has always been at the forefront of rationalizing and making enslavement seem perfectly normal—perfectly natural. It's just the order of things.” “Many of the very finest religious historians are not believers—and they do superb work in understanding where religion lies.” “I don't think there is Christian nationalism out there. What there is is that there is nationalism that draws on Christian categories to legitimate itself.” “I don't think what we're looking at is a religious movement. We're looking at a political movement that uses religious categories.” “We should write about others the way we wish they would write about us.” “You Americans are always asking the Holy Spirit to bring revival. What you ought to be doing is asking the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the revival that is already flourishing.” Helpful Links and Resources America's Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation by Grant Wacker — https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Pastor-Graham-Shaping-Nation/dp/0674052188 Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture by Grant Wacker — https://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Below-Pentecostals-American-Culture/dp/0674011287 One Soul at a Time: The Story of Billy Graham by Grant Wacker — https://www.amazon.com/One-Soul-Time-Religious-Biography/dp/0802885500/ Mark Noll's The Civil War as a Theological Crisis — https://www.amazon.com/Theological-Crisis-Steven-Janice-Lectures/dp/1469621819 Religion in American Life: A Short History — ****https://www.amazon.com/Religion-American-Life-Short-History/dp/0199832692/ About Grant Wacker Grant Wacker is the Gilbert T. Rowe Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Christian History at Duke Divinity School. A leading scholar of American religious history, he is the author of numerous books including Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture and America's Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation. His research has helped shape modern understanding of American evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, and the intersection of faith and culture. Show Notes Wacker's path to the study of history through mentorship at Harvard Divinity School and a fascination with theology's relationship to historical reality He distinguishes between observing “religion operating in history” and perceiving “the divine hand,” emphasizing the tension between secular and theological approaches to the past. Four major contexts that define the American story: geography, capitalism, immigration, and race Eleven domains where the power of religion—and possibly divine influence—can be seen, from colonization and enslavement to revivalism and reform. “We are a people of plenty—prosperous partly because of the accident of geography.” Reformed and Wesleyan theology as twin engines shaping the nation's moral and social imagination. Humility as “at the heart of Reformed theology: we don't run our lives; something else is running the show.” Wesleyan theology, by contrast, stresses human enablement and responsibility: “If we are able to do it, we are responsible for doing it.” Catholic contributions to the American story, especially the richness of liturgy and the continuity of two thousand years of history Reflections on racial sin as a “permanent wound,” calling religion both complicit in and necessary for confronting slavery's legacy Mark Noll's The Civil War as a Theological Crisis, highlighting how both sides invoked Scripture without self-awareness or self-critique “Religion has always been implicated in making enslavement seem natural—as natural as breathing.” Describes evangelicalism's deep roots in pietism and revivalism, its mainstream dominance by the late nineteenth century, and its later fragmentation. “Evangelicalism became the main line—it was the standard way Protestantism operated.” Outlines the modern trifurcation: fundamentalists, liberals, and a centrist evangelical river that remains influential. “Christian nationalism” is largely a political, not religious, phenomenon: nationalism using Christian categories to legitimize itself. “Religion is rarely an independent variable in determining how people vote.” Richard Bushman (paraphrase):  Have we written about [the subjects of academic history] as fairly and honestly as we can, or have we distorted their story in order to make ourselves look good? A call for fairness in historical judgment: “Write about them the way you wish they would write about you.” Prediction: Evangelicalism's future lies “south of the equator”—in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Quotes a Jesuit: “Americans keep asking for revival; they should ask to see the revival that's already happening.” On Christian nationalism: “The question is not whether religion and politics collude—they always have—but whether we can be self-conscious and humble about it.” Identifies power, prosperity, and digital speed as the toxic combination shaping contemporary polarization. “Speed is a narcotic for humans—we want to be connected now.” Reflects on Billy Graham's unifying role and his progressive evolution on race and nuclear disarmament: “He became increasingly moderate, increasingly inclusive.” Notes Graham's three conversions—to Christ, to racial justice, and to peace. “The United States and the Soviet Union are like two little boys in a bathtub filled with gasoline, playing with matches.” On teaching and legacy: “My students are earnest—they want to do well for the world they live in.” “Whatever good has come—it's a gift, not earned.” Humility, humor, and grace as rare marks of faith and scholarship integrated Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary.

In Revelation 21, the apostle John described a vision in which he saw "a new heaven and a new earth"," as well as "the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God" (verses 1-2). John's vision seems to contradict popular conceptions of Heaven as a place in the clouds. In this episode of Apostolic Life in the 21st Century, Dr. David K. Bernard examines what the Bible actually says about where believers will live in eternity.Visit PentecostalPublishing.com to shop Dr. Bernard's full catalog of published works. Enter promo code DKB10 at checkout to save 10 percent on your order.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.

On this episode of the Apostolic Life in the 21st Century podcast, Dr. David K. Bernard responds to a listener's question about how Oneness Pentecostals understand Philippians 2:5-11. Dr. Bernard explains how this passage aligns with a Oneness view of Jesus Christ.For further study, see Dr. Bernard's book The Oneness View of Jesus Christ. Dr. Bernard's full catalog of published works is available at PentecostalPublishing.com. Enter promo code DKB10 at checkout to save 10 percent on your order.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.