Podcasts about Persians

When the Transit Agency of Central Kentucky (TACK) renovated its headquarters, it wanted to make sure people noticed. Instead of a subtle sign or announcement, it installed a massive, nearly twenty-two feet tall thumbtack at its entrance. The thumbtack, a world record, is an undeniable marker that no passersby can miss. In Daniel 6, God used something undeniable to get people’s attention: He miraculously rescued Daniel after he’d been placed in a lion’s den for choosing to defy King Darius’ decree and continuing to pray to God (vv. 10-23). The prophet survived because he’d “trusted in . . . God” (v. 23). Darius then declared that—unlike the dead idols of the Medes and Persians—Daniel’s God was “the living God [who] endures forever” (v.26). He alone “rescues and . . . saves [and] performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth” (v. 27). It’s remarkable that even a pagan king acknowledged God’s power and sovereignty. Like a giant, divine “thumbtack,” God’s act of power couldn’t be overlooked. Sometimes God gets our attention as He does something significant and undeniable (v. 27)—supernatural rescues, right-on-time provisions, and heart transformations. Other times, He works quietly as we watch and wait. Let’s stand in awe of what He’s doing in and around us today—trusting in Him and His great power (v. 23).

Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comBe confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddGet the new limited release, The Sisterhood, created to honor the extraordinary women behind the heroes. Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeThere's a lot of opinions flying around about the War with Iran. So, which one matters?Episode Links:"I'm being bombarded by different emotions." CBS News contributor Masih Alinejad, whose parents and siblings live in Iran, says the Iranians she's spoken to are overcome with joy that "their killers have finally been the target of the U.S. government and they see justice; but at the same time, they are worried, they're concerned that if this is not going to lead to regime change... if the American government, the Israeli government only target the military leaders, not the political leaders, then the people of Iran are going to be left alone."The Hodgetwins are not pleased. 3.5 MILLION followersBabak Taghvaee - The Crisis WatchBREAKING: This Iranian Sky News Australia anchor is going worldwide for her FAREWELL MESSAGE to Ayatollah Khamenei live on-air, dropped straight in Persian. "A message to the late Supreme Leader: You son of a b*tch, BURN IN HELL!"I am a woman from Iran. Let me tell you honestly how women like me see politicians like you in America, women who speak about freedom from the safety of Congress while sympathizing with our killers under Islamic regimes. You stand next to the American flag, speaking about freedom. Now you launch campaigns saying, “No War With Iran.” Now I want to introduce you to a brave Iranian woman who understood America better than you ever will.Red Pill, USA is not pleased 311,000 followersBREAKING: Muslim protesters in Washington DC are chanting “ALLAHU AKBAR” and marching with “NO WAR” signs. They are very angry that the ayatollah was killed. They are showing their true colors. - BREAKING: Iranians are now tearing down statues of ayatollah Khamenei. Iranians are taking back their country.Wow it's crazy in downtown dc right now as hundreds of Persians descend on the White House to celebrate the ouster of the Iranian Islamic regime.” - Raheem J. Kassam, Editor @thenatpulse, Butterworth's co-owner, ex-Farage advisor, co-founder of War Room, bestselling author of ‘No Go Zones' and ‘Enoch Was Right'“Targeting the IRGC is not an attack on Iran or its people—it's quite literally the opposite. It's targeting the very force that massacred 40,000 unarmed protestors just a few weeks ago. Iranians are celebrating the strikes to dismantle the Ayatollah's killing machine.” - Kasra Aarabi (کسری اعرابی) @KasraAarabi, Director of IRGC Research, United Against Nuclear Iran (@UANI). Specialist on Iran & its military apparatus | PhD-ing IRGC @univofstandrews | فارسی | Own ViewsI'm Shaking While I'm Writing This. All Of Iran Is Celebrating The Death Of Khamenei. Cry Harder, Lefties!George Galloway is “Straight talking, straight forward.  Leader @WorkersPartyGB Seven time Parliamentarian. Anchor @moatstv”Iranian boys CHEERING as bombs rain on their own country!In what might be some of the most powerful footage to come out of today, Israelis and Iranians are dancing and celebrating side by side in the streets of London.Did Israel REALLY bomb schoolgirls in Iran today? BOMBSHELL ALERT!  Iranian sources expose the TRUTH: It was the regime's OWN deadly explosionIranian Christians God answered their prayers

-Rob celebrates “Operation Epic Fury” like it's the Super Bowl of foreign policy, as videos roll of Persians dancing worldwide as Rob declares this the biggest geopolitical mic drop since the Berlin Wall, while “Hands Off Iran” protesters muster what appears to be a medium-sized book club. Today's podcast is sponsored by : WEBROOT : No more stress over data breaches, scammers, identity theft, or accidental file deletion. With Webroot Total Protection, your entire digital life is protected by one subscription. Get 60% off now at http://Webroot.com/Newsmax BIRCH GOLD - Protect and grow your retirement savings with gold. Text ROB to 98 98 98 for your FREE information kit! To call in and speak with Rob Carson live on the show, dial 1-800-922-6680 between the hours of 12 Noon and 3:00 pm Eastern Time Monday through Friday…E-mail Rob Carson at : RobCarsonShow@gmail.com Musical parodies provided by Jim Gossett (http://patreon.com/JimGossettComedy) Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at http://Newsmax.com/Listen Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at http://NewsmaxPlus.com Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : http://nws.mx/shop Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media:  -Facebook: http://nws.mx/FB  -X/Twitter: http://nws.mx/twitter -Instagram: http://nws.mx/IG -YouTube: https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV -Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV -TRUTH Social: https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX -GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/newsmax -Threads: http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX  -Telegram: http://t.me/newsmax  -BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com -Parler: http://app.parler.com/newsmax Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

-Rob compares Operation Epic Fury to the fall of the Berlin Wall, declaring this the biggest geopolitical mic drop of his lifetime while imagining the Ayatollah's successor nervously eyeing a laser dot on his forehead. -CNN guests reluctantly admit Democrats might want to stop hating Trump long enough to notice hundreds of millions of Persians celebrating in the streets. -Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer joins Rob to break down the strategy behind Operation Epic Fury, describing decapitation strikes, collapsing IRGC defenses, and a timeline that may wrap up faster than critics expect. Today's podcast is sponsored by : WEBROOT : No more stress over data breaches, scammers, identity theft, or accidental file deletion. With Webroot Total Protection, your entire digital life is protected by one subscription. Get 60% off now at http://Webroot.com/Newsmax BIRCH GOLD - Protect and grow your retirement savings with gold. Text ROB to 98 98 98 for your FREE information kit! To call in and speak with Rob Carson live on the show, dial 1-800-922-6680 between the hours of 12 Noon and 3:00 pm Eastern Time Monday through Friday…E-mail Rob Carson at : RobCarsonShow@gmail.com Musical parodies provided by Jim Gossett (http://patreon.com/JimGossettComedy) Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at http://Newsmax.com/Listen Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at http://NewsmaxPlus.com Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : http://nws.mx/shop Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media:  -Facebook: http://nws.mx/FB  -X/Twitter: http://nws.mx/twitter -Instagram: http://nws.mx/IG -YouTube: https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV -Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV -TRUTH Social: https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX -GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/newsmax -Threads: http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX  -Telegram: http://t.me/newsmax  -BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com -Parler: http://app.parler.com/newsmax Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been interesting to see the reactions to the military strikes against Iran. Iranian women are shedding their hijabs which were mandatory under Islamic dress code rules. Here in America, woke women are cloaking themselves in the hijab. Students in Iran are celebrating in the streets chanting President Trump’s name. Students here are chanting, “Death to America.” Persians across our nation are marching in the streets, waving American flags and dancing to “YMCA” – the unofficial theme song of the MAGA movement. And yet so-called conservative influencers like Candace Owens and Nick Feuntes and Tucker Carlson are condemning our nation and our president. Tucker said President Trump’s actions were absolutely disgusting. Ironically, he shares the same opinion as Jane Fonda and the Islamists. It is a great day for freedom fighters and a bad day for the Islamists and their American propagandists. And never forget that the Ayatollah tried to assassinate President Trump not once, but twice. And now Iran’s Supreme Leader is a pile a Kibbles & Bits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you have any questions or comments, send Pastor John a text.Pastor John Bornschein and Dr. Steve Ford discuss the Antichrist (pompous horn) as revealed in Daniel 7. Support the showProduced by Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley church. Learn more at www.CalvaryFountain.com

The boys drink and review Crowhill's latest homebrew then discuss Iran. Persia was one of the first great empires. At times it stretched from Libya in the west, into India and the stans in the east, and stretched into the Slavic countries in the north. Some of the notable names are Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes. Isaiah mentioned Cyrus as God's chosen but took a jab at Zoroastrianism in the process. Persian dominance came to an end in waves. First, Alexander the Great conquered them, then Islam came along and caused a bloody mess, then the Mongols invaded and slaughtered so many Persians that the population didn't recover until the mid 20th century. In more recent times, Iran was a very modern, pro-western country. Americans tend to think of Iran as a country full of screaming lunatics, but that's not true. It's not a particularly Muslim country. Mosque attendance is very low. But somehow that lunatic Ayatollah Khomeini was able to take over and the country has been under the thumb of crazies for decades. That might end soon. Protests against the oppressive regime have increased, and Donald Trump seems inclined to put an end to the rule of the mullahs. At the end of the show, the boys make some predictions about what comes next. We'll see.

Purim & The Shabbat Connection Welcome to our daily Bitachon series, and specifically to our special Erev Shabbat edition where we discuss the holiness of the day. As Purim approaches, it is the perfect time to explore the deep connection between Shabbat and the miracle of Purim. The Megillah tells us: "On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was good with wine..." (Esther 1:10). The Gemara is immediately bothered by this. This was the seventh day of the elite Shushan party, which followed 180 days of worldwide celebration. Why, only on day 187, was Achashverosh finally "content" with his wine? The King of the World The Gemara explains a fundamental rule of the Megillah: Whenever it says the word Hamelech (The King) without the name Achashverosh, it can be understood as a reference to God, the King of the World. We even see this in "Hamelech Megillot," where the top of every column begins with that word. Another famous example is "On that night, the sleep of the King was disturbed" (Esther 6:1). This doesn't just mean Achashverosh couldn't sleep; it means the King of the World "awoke," so to speak. Does God Sleep? The Midrash points out a contradiction in Tehillim. One verse says: "Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps." Yet another verse cries out: "Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?" The Gemara explains that this "sleep" depends on us. When we aren't keeping the mitzvot, God is kavyachol (as it were) asleep; He hides His face. This is why Haman said of the Jews, "Yeshno am echad" —there is a certain nation. The word Yeshno can be read as Yashen (sleeping). When we sleep spiritually, God remains in Hester (hiddenness)—the root of the name Esther . But when we awaken ourselves through Teshuvah , God "awakes" for us. Through the repentance of the Jewish people in Shushan, the King's "sleep" was disturbed, and the salvation began. The Contrast of the Seventh Day The Gemara in Masechet Megilla explains that "the seventh day" refers to Shabbat . On that day, the King of the World was "happy with wine." Which wine? The wine of the Jewish Kiddush . God looked at the contrast. The Midrash says that when the Persians celebrated, they spent their time in drunken, crude arguments about whose women were more beautiful. Achashverosh eventually said, "Bring Vashti to show everyone." The rest is history: she refused, she was executed, and the door opened for Esther. The salvation of Purim was birthed on Shabbat because God saw how we celebrate versus how the world celebrates. He saw us sanctifying the day with Kiddush while others were descending into debauchery. The "Et Ratzon" of Shabbat This isn't just a Purim story; it happens every week. The Tur explains that during Shabbat Mincha, we say: "As for me, may my prayer to You, Hashem, be at an auspicious time (Et Ratzon)..." Why is Mincha time on Shabbat so auspicious? The preceding verse in Tehillim mentions those who "sit and drink beer." King David is highlighting a contrast: What do other nations do on their day off? They are in the bars or rolling in the gutters. But what do the Jewish people do? Yes, we ate; yes, we drank; yes, we slept—but here we are, back in Shul for Mincha. When God sees us turn a "day off" into a "holy day," it creates a massive Et Ratzon in Heaven. That is the secret of Purim and the power of every Shabbat. By choosing to use our rest for praise and holiness, we arouse God's presence and bring about our own salvation.

If you have any questions or comments, send Pastor John a text.Pastor John Bornschein and Dr. Steve Ford examine Daniel 7 and the rise of the final kingdom of the Beast before the return of Jesus Christ our Lord.Support the showProduced by Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley church. Learn more at www.CalvaryFountain.com

Trigger warning: This episode is not for the fragile.In today's hot-button podcast episode, we're talking about the accusation every serious pedigree cat breeder has heard at least once:“Your cats live in cages.”Let's unpack that.We're diving deep into:Cattery setups and housing standardsQueen management Kitten safety protocolsWhy non-breeders misunderstand professional catteriesIf you breed Maine Coons, Persians, Bengals, Ragdolls — or any pedigree cat — you know the internet loves drama. But what does responsible cattery management actually look like?We're breaking down:When and why cats may be safely confinedHow professional breeders prevent injury, stress, and accidental littersWhat enrichment looks like inside a well-run breeding programWhy “cage” doesn't mean what people think it meansThis episode is real talk for serious breeders who treat their cattery like a business — not a hobby. We're done apologizing for doing things correctly.If you're tired of online breeder shaming…If you're building a structured, ethical, profitable breeding program…If you want mentorship from people who actually DO this at a high level…

Today we're going to answer one of your burning questions when it comes to Bible study: can angels be girls?OK, that's probably not one of your burning questions. But we will address that today.The main thing we're gonna have to talk about, though, is God's plan for Babylon. You may say: wait, Babylon was destroyed by the Persians, like, 2,500 years ago. Babylon's old news. God even said nobody would ever set foot in it again for forever and ever, that's how irrelevant it is now. So how can you say that Babylon's gonna make a comeback in the end times?Well, it's not just me. John the Revelator said it. And the prophet Zechariah told us that, too.And you'll be saying it after you listen today to the God and His Prophets podcast.Watch these episodes at my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeTaylorPodcastsNeed to get in touch with me? Reach me at GodAndHisProphetsPodcast@gmail.comIf you're looking for a Bible study podcast that goes deep into the major and minor prophets, God and His Prophets offers a verse by verse Bible study through these powerful Old Testament writings. Each episode explores the prophecy in the Bible, from the Book of Ezekiel study and later in Zechariah, helping listeners in understanding prophetic books and seeing their relevance today. We also connect the prophets' words to end times Bible teaching and highlight connections to Revelation, giving you a Christian Bible commentary that equips you for spiritual insight and growth.

Big Idea: It takes a strong center to stand tall under pressure from every side.Esther 1:10-22I. The Queen takes a stand for purityEsther 1:10-12On the seventh day, when the king was feeling good from the wine, Ahasuerus commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—the seven eunuchs who personally served him—to bring Queen Vashti before him with her royal crown. He wanted to show off her beauty to the people and the officials, because she was very beautiful. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command that was delivered by his eunuchs. The king became furious and his anger burned within him.II. The King's feelings get hurt   Esther 1:13-15The king consulted the wise men who understood the times, for it was his normal procedure to confer with experts in law and justice. The most trusted ones were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven officials of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and occupied the highest positions in the kingdom. The king asked, “According to the law, what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey King Ahasuerus's command that was delivered by the eunuchs?”III. The bad advice born out of selfish fear  Esther 1:16-18Memucan said in the presence of the king and his officials, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the officials and the peoples who are in every one of King Ahasuerus's provinces. For the queen's action will become public knowledge to all the women and cause them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti brought before him, but she did not come.' Before this day is over, the noble women of Persia and Media who hear about the queen's act will say the same thing to all the king's officials, resulting in more contempt and fury.IV. The law takes center stage     Esther 1:19-22“If it meets the king's approval, he should personally issue a royal decree. Let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be revoked: Vashti is not to enter King Ahasuerus's presence, and her royal position is to be given to another woman who is more worthy than she. The decree the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom, so all women will honor their husbands, from the greatest to the least.” The king and his counselors approved the proposal, and he followed Memucan's advice. He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language, that every man should be master of his own house and speak in the language of his own people.Next Steps: Believe: Today, I surrender to the real King of my soul.Become: Today, I will trust God's hand even when it's scary.Be Sent: I will take a stand against evil this week.Growth Group Questions: What pressure were you under last week? How well did you stand up to it?Do you ever feel punished for doing the right thing in God's sight?How do you respond when doing what the culture expects of you violates what God expects of you?Who in our society pressures women, like in Vashti's day?How can you support someone who is currently under a lot of peer pressure?How can the people in this group help you find the courage to stand strong when under pressure to compromise your faith?Pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to stand against evil this week.

In spring 334 BC, a young Macedonian king sets out to conquer the Persian Empire.Tristan Hughes and Dr Adrian Goldsworthy explore Alexander the Great's early campaigns, from the daring crossing into Asia to incredible victories. They discuss Alexander's strategic genius, respect toward Persian royalty, and how these triumphs forged his path to legend.MOREThe PersiansListen on AppleKing MidasListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have any questions or comments, send Pastor John a text.Pastor John Bornschein and Dr. Steve Ford take a closer look at Daniel 7 and the vision of the four beasts, as revealed to Daniel. Support the showProduced by Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley church. Learn more at www.CalvaryFountain.com

Diocletian and Maximian have established themselves as co-Emperors, working together to amicably administrate a sprawling Roman Empire. But with Persians to the east, Britons to the west, and discontent all around… maybe it's time for more laurel wreaths? Support Emperors of Rome on Patreon: patreon.com/romepodcast Episode CCLI (251) Part III of Diocletian Guest: Professor Caillan Davenport (Centre for Classical Studies, Australian National University)

If you have any questions or comments, send Pastor John a text.Pastor John Bornschein and Dr. Steve Ford examine the declaration of Darius in Daniel 6 and the vision of the four beasts in Daniel 7. Support the showProduced by Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley church. Learn more at www.CalvaryFountain.com

How do you ignite a decades-long East-West conflict? Sometimes all it takes is some meddlesome Greeks, a Persian Transformer, and a tight oarhole. In this episode, we revisit a pivotal moment in 500 BC as the Persians sail for Naxos and history starts to shift—permanently.PLEASE Subscribe to our YouTube channel!https://www.youtube.com/@WhatsNewinHistoryThis is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.Contact information:E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.comhttp://facebook.com/fanofhistoryhttps://twitter.com/danhorninghttps://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have any questions or comments, send Pastor John a text.Pastor John Bornschein and Dr. Steve Ford go verse-by-verse through Daniel 6 in this expositional study of the book of Daniel. Support the showProduced by Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley church. Learn more at www.CalvaryFountain.com

Daniel 5:22–28, 30, Luke 12:13–21Daniel said to Belshazzar, “You knew what happened to your father, yet you did not humble your heart. Instead, you praised idols and did not honor God. The hand wrote: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.' God has numbered your days and brought your reign to an end.” That very night, Belshazzar was killed. Both Belshazzar and the rich fool are unaware that judgment is imminent. Jesus, like Daniel, warns against arrogance and false security. Daniel 5:22–28, 30And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.“Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”Luke 12:13–21Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”' But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Jewish Diaspora Report - Episode 188  On this episode of the Jewish Diaspora Report, Host Mike Jordan discusses the current events happening in Iran with the anti-regime protests and the massacres caused by the Regime clinging to power. We look at how the world human rights organizations have done nothing to save the Iranian people and how, it seems, the USA may be coming to defend the Iranian people within the next few days.Explore these challenging issues and join the Jewish Diaspora Report for future episodes on issues of Politics, Culture, Current Events and more!   Check us out on Instagram @jdr.podcastSend us a textSupport the show

If you have any questions or comments, send Pastor John a text.Pastor John Bornschein and Dr. Steve Ford discuss the events at the WEF and teach from Daniel 6 on the circumstances that led to Daniel being sent into the Lions' Den.Support the showProduced by Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley church. Learn more at www.CalvaryFountain.com

The second part of the discussion of embroidery history covers blackwork and Opus Anglicanum, then embroidery samplers and beetle-wing embroidery. Research: Абильда, Айжан. “Scythians are creators of embroidery art.” Qazaqstan Tarihy. May 24, 2019. https://e-history.kz/en/news/show/7178#:~:text=Embroidery%20is%20a%20traditional%20East,a%20wedding%20or%20a%20party. Angus, Jennifer. “Nature’s Sequins.” Cooper Hewitt. Sept. 14, 2018. https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2018/09/14/natures-sequins/ “The art of printing textile.” Musee de L’Impression sur Etoffes. https://www.musee-impression.com/en/the-collection/ Badshah, Nadeem. “Bayeux tapestry to be insured for £800m for British Museum exhibition.” The Guardian. Dec. 27. 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/27/bayeux-tapestry-to-be-insured-for-800m-for-british-museum-exhibition “Bayeux Tapestry.” UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/bayeux-tapestry “The Bayeux Tapestry.” La Tapisserie de Bayeux. Bayeux Museum. https://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry/ Binswanger, Julia. “These Delicate Needles Made From Animal Bones May Have Helped Prehistoric Humans Sew Warm Winter Clothing.” Smithsonian. Dec. 11, 2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-delicate-needles-made-from-animal-bones-may-have-helped-prehistoric-humans-sew-warm-winter-clothing-180985601/ Britannica Editors. "Scythian art". Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/art/Scythian-art “Chasuble (Opus Anglicanum).” The Met. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/466660 Chung, Young Yang. “Silken Threads: A History of Embroidery in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.” Abrams. 2005. Daniels, Margaret Harrington. “Early Pattern Books for Lace and Embroidery.” Bulletin of the Needle and Bobbin Club. https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/articles/nb33_lac.pdf “DMC.” Textile Research Center Leiden. https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/organisations-and-movements/companies/dmc “Dragon Robe Decoded.” Sotheby’s. May 23, 2019. https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/dragon-robe-decoded Embroiderers’ Guild. https://embroiderersguild.com/ Embroiderers’ Guild of America. https://egausa.org/ “Embroidery Techniques from Around the World: Crewel.” Embroiderer’ Guild of America. Oct. 28, 2024. https://egausa.org/embroidery-techniques-from-around-the-world-crewel/ Francfort, H.-P., 2020, “Scythians, Persians, Greeks and Horses: Reflections on Art, Culture Power and Empires in the Light of Frozen Burials and other Excavations”, in: , Londres, British Museum, p. 134-155. https://www.academia.edu/44417916/Francfort_H_P_2020_Scythians_Persians_Greeks_and_Horses_Reflections_on_Art_Culture_Power_and_Empires_in_the_Light_of_Frozen_Burials_and_other_Excavations_in_Londres_British_Museum_p_134_155 “Girlhood Embroidery.” Pilgrim Hall Museum. https://www.pilgrimhall.org/girlhood_embroidery.htm Gower, John G., and G.C. Macaulay, ed. “The Complete Works of John Gower.” Clarendon Press. 1901. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/71162/71162-h/71162-h.htm#Page_1 “Introducing Opus Anglicanum.” Victoria and Albert Museum. https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/about-opus-anglicanum?srsltid=AfmBOor2pOTddjxaPC9AXHvvQuGXD4Tyx9N3zBeISzMSDHX1KnaUnfnL “Introducing the Scythians.” British Museum. May 30, 2017. https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/introducing-scythians Nazarova, Yevhenia. “Ukraine's Ancient 'River Guardians.'” Radio Free Europe. Oct. 17, 2021. https://www.rferl.org/a/scythian-dig-ukraine-river-guardians-discovery/31507187.html "Ancient Peruvian Textiles." The Museum Journal XI, no. 3 (September, 1920): 140-147. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://www.penn.museum/sites/journal/843/ “Embroidery – a history of needlework samplers.” Victoria & Albery Museum. https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/embroidery-a-history-of-needlework-samplers “History of The Broderers.” The Worshipful Company of Broderers. https://broderers.co.uk/history-broderers “The History of Britain's Bayeux Tapestry.” Reading Museum. https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/collections/britains-bayeux-tapestry/history-britains-bayeux-tapestry Kennedy, Maev. “British Museum to go more than skin deep with Scythian exhibition.” The Guardian. May 30, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/may/30/british-museum-skin-scythian-exhibition-tattoo-empire Lattanzio, Giaga. “Byzantine.” Fashion History Timeline. FITNYC. https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/byzantine/ Leslie, Catherine Amoroso. “Needlework Through History: An Encyclopedia.” Greenwood Press. 2007. Libes, Kenna. “Beetle-Wing Embroidery in Nineteenth-Century Fashion.” Fashion History Timeline. FITNYC. https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/beetle-wing-19thcentury/ Liu Y, Li Y, Li X, Qin L. The origin and dispersal of the domesticated Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi, in China: a reconstruction based on ancient texts. J Insect Sci. 2010;10:180. doi: 10.1673/031.010.14140 “Mrs. Jacob Wendell (Mary Barrett, 1832–1912).” The New York Historical. https://emuseum.nyhistory.org/objects/68658/mrs-jacob-wendell-mary-barrett-18321912 Muntz, Eugene and Louisa J. Davis. “A short history of tapestry. From the earliest times to the end of the 18th century.” London. Cassel & Co. 1885. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofta00mntz/page/n3/mode/2up Pohl, Benjamin. “Chewing over the Norman Conquest: the Bayeux Tapestryas monastic mealtime reading.” Historical Research. 2025. https://academic.oup.com/histres/advance-article/doi/10.1093/hisres/htaf029/8377922 Puiu, Tibi. “Pristine 2,300-year-old Scythian woman’s boot found in frozen Altai mountains.” ZME Science. Dec. 29, 2021. https://www.zmescience.com/science/scythian-boots-0532/ Razzall, Katie. “Bayeux Tapestry to return to UK on loan after 900 years.” BBC. July 8, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c14ev1z6d5go Royal School of Needlework. https://royal-needlework.org.uk/ Salmony, Alfred. “The Archaeological Background of textile Production in Soviet Russia Territory.” The Bulletin of the Needle and Bobbin Club. Volume 26. No. 2. 1942. https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/periodicals/nb_42_2.pdf “Sampler.” Victoria & Albert Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O46183/sampler-jane-bostocke/ Schӧnsperger, Johann. “Ein ney Furmbüchlein. 1525-1528. Met Museum Collection. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/354716 Schӧnsperger, Johann. “Ein new Modelbuch … “ 1524. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/354660 Shrader, Dustin. “Embroidery Through the Ages.” Impressions. July 28, 2023. https://impressionsmagazine.com/process-technique/embroidery-through-the-ages/39234/#:~:text=The%20Age%2DOld%20Beginning&text=We%20tend%20to%20typically%20think,to%20generation%20across%20the%20millennia. “Silk Roads Programme.” UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/silkroad-interactive-map Sons of Norway's Cultural Skills Program. “Unit 8: Hardanger Embroidery.” 2018. https://www.sofn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/unit8hardanger_rev8.11.pdf “Suzhou Embroidery.” Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.” https://asia-archive.si.edu/learn/for-educators/teaching-china-with-the-smithsonian/videos/suzhou-embroidery/ Teall, John L., Nicol, Donald MacGillivray. "Byzantine Empire". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Dec. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Byzantine-Empire Warner, Pamela. “Embroidery: A History.” B.T. Bedford, Ltd. 1991. Watt, James C. Y., and Anne E. Wardwell. “When Silk Was Gold: Central Asian and Chinese Textiles.” Metropolitan Museum of Art. Harry N. Abrams. New York. 1997. https://cdn.sanity.io/files/cctd4ker/production/d781d44d3048d49257072d610034400182246d3e.pdf Watt, Melinda. “Textile Production in Europe: Embroidery, 1600–1800.” The Met. Oct. 1, 2003. https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/textile-production-in-europe-embroidery-1600-1800 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Security Hour with LTC Sargis Sangari – There is no easy exit from this trap. Iran is not a single narrative. Kurds, Arabs, Turks, Persians, leftists, monarchists, moneyed factions, and armed units all push their own vision. Whoever holds the guns will have a seat at the table. There is no clear, uncontested leader to replace the clerical state. Someone waving an old royal flag will not unify...

The National Security Hour with LTC Sargis Sangari – There is no easy exit from this trap. Iran is not a single narrative. Kurds, Arabs, Turks, Persians, leftists, monarchists, moneyed factions, and armed units all push their own vision. Whoever holds the guns will have a seat at the table. There is no clear, uncontested leader to replace the clerical state. Someone waving an old royal flag will not unify...

Michael Germi is a former Muslim that was born in Iran into a Shia Muslim family. In this setting he learned to practice Islam by praying 5 times a day toward Mecca. He fasted during Ramadan. He practiced self-mutilation for the cause of Allah. He migrated to Australia in 2006 and in 2009 placed his trust in Jesus Christ. He later moved to the States where he now proclaims the Gospel to Islamic nations. He has written several Farsi Christian books and desires to plant churches around the world where Persians are scattered. Iran is in upheaval. Since December 28th millions of people have been protesting against the regime. Merchants have taken to the streets, and the elderly who have been going with no salary are joining them as well as nurses, teachers, women, teenagers and many others. They have called out for the return of the Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pavlavi. They have shouted, "This is the final battle; Pahlavi will return." and "This year is the year of blood; Ayatollah will fall." The Ayatollah has gone to great efforts to keep the rest of the world from knowing what has taken place. There are reports that the leadership of Iran has used snipers, the revolutionary guard and even chemical weapons to quell the unrest. News accounts have reported the massacre of many. There have been calls for new leadership in Iran as clerics demand executions. Recently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared, "We broke the back of the rioters. The day of the successful crackdown will be remembered as a day of celebration for years to come." Our guest today is from Iran and knows all too well the authoritarian power of the Ayatollah and the threat of this Islamic regime.

Myles sits down with, Dr. Hormoz, whose family fled the 1979 Islamic Revolution which has since enslaved the Persian people. He earned his Ph.D in Artificial Intelligence from USC, but when gospel reached him, it lit a fire in Hormoz to see the Iranian people know Jesus, the Jewish Messiah.  For decades he has been preaching the message of salvation into Iran with great results.When Myles and Katharine hosted Zola Levitt Presents on TV, Hormoz was one of their most valued interviews. Myles and Katharine have subsequently been on his TV  program several times, seeking directly to the Iranian people. At shalomhousefamily.com, we have been supporting the underground church movement since 2009.  We wrote a song, “The Bride Behind the Veil” , which was banned by YouTube for incorporating actual footage of Neda, the young girl murdered by the IRGC  in the streets of Tehran, directly in front of her  Dad. Hormoz brings a message of current grief AND  great hope for his countrymen.Support their work at:https://iranalive.org/who-we-are/Support the show

Michael Germi is a former Muslim that was born in Iran into a Shia Muslim family. In this setting he learned to practice Islam by praying 5 times a day toward Mecca. He fasted during Ramadan. He practiced self-mutilation for the cause of Allah. He migrated to Australia in 2006 and in 2009 placed his trust in Jesus Christ. He later moved to the States where he now proclaims the Gospel to Islamic nations. He has written several Farsi Christian books and desires to plant churches around the world where Persians are scattered. Iran is in upheaval. Since December 28th millions of people have been protesting against the regime. Merchants have taken to the streets, and the elderly who have been going with no salary are joining them as well as nurses, teachers, women, teenagers and many others. They have called out for the return of the Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pavlavi. They have shouted, "This is the final battle; Pahlavi will return." and "This year is the year of blood; Ayatollah will fall." The Ayatollah has gone to great efforts to keep the rest of the world from knowing what has taken place. There are reports that the leadership of Iran has used snipers, the revolutionary guard and even chemical weapons to quell the unrest. News accounts have reported the massacre of many. There have been calls for new leadership in Iran as clerics demand executions. Recently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared, "We broke the back of the rioters. The day of the successful crackdown will be remembered as a day of celebration for years to come." Our guest today is from Iran and knows all too well the authoritarian power of the Ayatollah and the threat of this Islamic regime.

The first installment of this two-parter covers ancient embroidery around the world, and then focuses on European embroidery, Chinese dragon robes, and the Bayeux Tapestry. Research: Абильда, Айжан. “Scythians are creators of embroidery art.” Qazaqstan Tarihy. May 24, 2019. https://e-history.kz/en/news/show/7178#:~:text=Embroidery%20is%20a%20traditional%20East,a%20wedding%20or%20a%20party. Angus, Jennifer. “Nature’s Sequins.” Cooper Hewitt. Sept. 14, 2018. https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2018/09/14/natures-sequins/ “The art of printing textile.” Musee de L’Impression sur Etoffes. https://www.musee-impression.com/en/the-collection/ Badshah, Nadeem. “Bayeux tapestry to be insured for £800m for British Museum exhibition.” The Guardian. Dec. 27. 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/27/bayeux-tapestry-to-be-insured-for-800m-for-british-museum-exhibition “Bayeux Tapestry.” UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/bayeux-tapestry “The Bayeux Tapestry.” La Tapisserie de Bayeux. Bayeux Museum. https://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry/ Binswanger, Julia. “These Delicate Needles Made From Animal Bones May Have Helped Prehistoric Humans Sew Warm Winter Clothing.” Smithsonian. Dec. 11, 2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-delicate-needles-made-from-animal-bones-may-have-helped-prehistoric-humans-sew-warm-winter-clothing-180985601/ Britannica Editors. "Scythian art". Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/art/Scythian-art “Chasuble (Opus Anglicanum).” The Met. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/466660 Chung, Young Yang. “Silken Threads: A History of Embroidery in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.” Abrams. 2005. Daniels, Margaret Harrington. “Early Pattern Books for Lace and Embroidery.” Bulletin of the Needle and Bobbin Club. https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/articles/nb33_lac.pdf “DMC.” Textile Research Center Leiden. https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/organisations-and-movements/companies/dmc “Dragon Robe Decoded.” Sotheby’s. May 23, 2019. https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/dragon-robe-decoded Embroiderers’ Guild. https://embroiderersguild.com/ Embroiderers’ Guild of America. https://egausa.org/ “Embroidery Techniques from Around the World: Crewel.” Embroiderer’ Guild of America. Oct. 28, 2024. https://egausa.org/embroidery-techniques-from-around-the-world-crewel/ Francfort, H.-P., 2020, “Scythians, Persians, Greeks and Horses: Reflections on Art, Culture Power and Empires in the Light of Frozen Burials and other Excavations”, in: , Londres, British Museum, p. 134-155. https://www.academia.edu/44417916/Francfort_H_P_2020_Scythians_Persians_Greeks_and_Horses_Reflections_on_Art_Culture_Power_and_Empires_in_the_Light_of_Frozen_Burials_and_other_Excavations_in_Londres_British_Museum_p_134_155 “Girlhood Embroidery.” Pilgrim Hall Museum. https://www.pilgrimhall.org/girlhood_embroidery.htm Gower, John G., and G.C. Macaulay, ed. “The Complete Works of John Gower.” Clarendon Press. 1901. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/71162/71162-h/71162-h.htm#Page_1 “Introducing Opus Anglicanum.” Victoria and Albert Museum. https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/about-opus-anglicanum?srsltid=AfmBOor2pOTddjxaPC9AXHvvQuGXD4Tyx9N3zBeISzMSDHX1KnaUnfnL “Introducing the Scythians.” British Museum. May 30, 2017. https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/introducing-scythians Nazarova, Yevhenia. “Ukraine's Ancient 'River Guardians.'” Radio Free Europe. Oct. 17, 2021. https://www.rferl.org/a/scythian-dig-ukraine-river-guardians-discovery/31507187.html "Ancient Peruvian Textiles." The Museum Journal XI, no. 3 (September, 1920): 140-147. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://www.penn.museum/sites/journal/843/ “Embroidery – a history of needlework samplers.” Victoria & Albery Museum. https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/embroidery-a-history-of-needlework-samplers “History of The Broderers.” The Worshipful Company of Broderers. https://broderers.co.uk/history-broderers “The History of Britain's Bayeux Tapestry.” Reading Museum. https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/collections/britains-bayeux-tapestry/history-britains-bayeux-tapestry Kennedy, Maev. “British Museum to go more than skin deep with Scythian exhibition.” The Guardian. May 30, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/may/30/british-museum-skin-scythian-exhibition-tattoo-empire Lattanzio, Giaga. “Byzantine.” Fashion History Timeline. FITNYC. https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/byzantine/ Leslie, Catherine Amoroso. “Needlework Through History: An Encyclopedia.” Greenwood Press. 2007. Libes, Kenna. “Beetle-Wing Embroidery in Nineteenth-Century Fashion.” Fashion History Timeline. FITNYC. https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/beetle-wing-19thcentury/ Liu Y, Li Y, Li X, Qin L. The origin and dispersal of the domesticated Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi, in China: a reconstruction based on ancient texts. J Insect Sci. 2010;10:180. doi: 10.1673/031.010.14140 “Mrs. Jacob Wendell (Mary Barrett, 1832–1912).” The New York Historical. https://emuseum.nyhistory.org/objects/68658/mrs-jacob-wendell-mary-barrett-18321912 Muntz, Eugene and Louisa J. Davis. “A short history of tapestry. From the earliest times to the end of the 18th century.” London. Cassel & Co. 1885. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofta00mntz/page/n3/mode/2up Pohl, Benjamin. “Chewing over the Norman Conquest: the Bayeux Tapestryas monastic mealtime reading.” Historical Research. 2025. https://academic.oup.com/histres/advance-article/doi/10.1093/hisres/htaf029/8377922 Puiu, Tibi. “Pristine 2,300-year-old Scythian woman’s boot found in frozen Altai mountains.” ZME Science. Dec. 29, 2021. https://www.zmescience.com/science/scythian-boots-0532/ Razzall, Katie. “Bayeux Tapestry to return to UK on loan after 900 years.” BBC. July 8, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c14ev1z6d5go Royal School of Needlework. https://royal-needlework.org.uk/ Salmony, Alfred. “The Archaeological Background of textile Production in Soviet Russia Territory.” The Bulletin of the Needle and Bobbin Club. Volume 26. No. 2. 1942. https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/periodicals/nb_42_2.pdf “Sampler.” Victoria & Albert Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O46183/sampler-jane-bostocke/ Schӧnsperger, Johann. “Ein ney Furmbüchlein. 1525-1528. Met Museum Collection. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/354716 Schӧnsperger, Johann. “Ein new Modelbuch … “ 1524. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/354660 Shrader, Dustin. “Embroidery Through the Ages.” Impressions. July 28, 2023. https://impressionsmagazine.com/process-technique/embroidery-through-the-ages/39234/#:~:text=The%20Age%2DOld%20Beginning&text=We%20tend%20to%20typically%20think,to%20generation%20across%20the%20millennia. “Silk Roads Programme.” UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/silkroad-interactive-map Sons of Norway's Cultural Skills Program. “Unit 8: Hardanger Embroidery.” 2018. https://www.sofn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/unit8hardanger_rev8.11.pdf “Suzhou Embroidery.” Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.” https://asia-archive.si.edu/learn/for-educators/teaching-china-with-the-smithsonian/videos/suzhou-embroidery/ Teall, John L., Nicol, Donald MacGillivray. "Byzantine Empire". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Dec. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Byzantine-Empire Warner, Pamela. “Embroidery: A History.” B.T. Bedford, Ltd. 1991. Watt, James C. Y., and Anne E. Wardwell. “When Silk Was Gold: Central Asian and Chinese Textiles.” Metropolitan Museum of Art. Harry N. Abrams. New York. 1997. https://cdn.sanity.io/files/cctd4ker/production/d781d44d3048d49257072d610034400182246d3e.pdf Watt, Melinda. “Textile Production in Europe: Embroidery, 1600–1800.” The Met. Oct. 1, 2003. https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/textile-production-in-europe-embroidery-1600-1800 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we sit down with Walter Penrose, PhD, associate professor of history at San Diego State University. Dr. Penrose specializes in the History of Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greek, Hellenistic, and South Asian contexts. We talk with him about the historical views of the Amazons, particularly in the non-Western world. Female bodyguards were employed by the Ancient Indians and Persians and many of these women came from the Black Sea region-- the same region where the Greeks identified the presence of Amazons.  We discuss the Indian concept of "Stri Rajya" or "The Kingdom of Women"  which the Ancient Indians located to the west of them, towards the Eurasian Steppe and Caspian Sea-- in the same neighborhood as the Black Sea.  Lastly, we also explore the stories of Hellenistic warrior queens and their connection to the warlike tribes from the same region as the female bodyguards and The Kingdom of Women: the Thracians, Scythians and Sauromatians. Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.

If you have any questions or comments, send Pastor John a text.Pastor John Bornschein and Dr. Steve Ford continue our study of the fall of the Neo-Babylonian empire and the rise of the Medes and Persians. Support the showProduced by Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley church. Learn more at www.CalvaryFountain.com

SHOW1-14-251671 Guests: Elizabeth Peek and John Batchelor. Batchelor and Peek discuss inflation holding firm at 2.7% in December. They evaluate falling gasoline prices and strong holiday retail performance as indicators of improving consumer sentiment. Peek also critiques a DOJ investigation into Jerome Powell, labeling it an "unforced error" that might inadvertently extend Powell's tenure. Guest: Elizabeth Peek. This segment addresses political dissent in Minnesota following a tragedy involving an ICE agent. Peek argues that liberal activists are nationalizing the incident to demonize law enforcement. She views this as partisan positioning for the midterms, intended as a weapon to be used against President Trump. Guests: Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus Matter. Dempsey explains that the EU lacks a cohesive strategy for Irandespite a consensus on increasing sanctions. Regarding Ukraine, she highlights staggering divisions among European states as the U.S. withdraws military help. Dempsey notes a ceasefire remains unlikely because Russiacurrently has no interest in negotiations. Guests: Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus Matter. The discussion focuses on Chancellor Friedrich Merz's efforts to address immigration to counter the populist AfD party. Dempsey explores the nuances of refugee integration into the German workforce. Finally, she reports European "horror" at potential U.S. moves to annex Greenland, which could threaten the survival of NATO. Guest: Joseph Sternberg. China faces a "sluggish zombie economy" characterized by a burst property bubble and anemic consumption. Sternberg warns of "Japanification," where growth remains stagnant for decades. Beijingstruggles with price deflation, further burdening a heavily indebted economy. Meaningful recovery requires political reforms Xi Jinping resists.  Guest: Joseph Sternberg. President Trump is reportedly using an investigation into Fed Chairman Jerome Powell as a pretext to influence interest rate decisions. Sternberg notes that while central banks like the Bank of England strive for independence, they are increasingly politicized. Additionally, Western media outlets like the BBC initially faced criticism for slow coverage of Iranian massacre 7Guest: Jonathan Schanzer. Intense protests in Iran, sparked by decades of mismanagement, have led to a violent crackdown by the regime. Schanzer highlights that these demonstrations are uniquely supported by President Trump's rhetoric. Reza Pahlavi has emerged as a potential figurehead for a transitional government or constitutional monarchy, as the population remains largely pro-Western.8 Guest: Jonathan Schanzer. Syria's new central government remains extremely fragile, with authority barely extending beyond Damascus as factions clash in Aleppo. Schanzer describes a "Sunni jihadist regime" facing retribution from sectarian minorities. Meanwhile, regional tensions escalate as Israel and Iran reportedly narrowly avoided direct conflict, prompting Russia to evacuate its embassy. Guest: Dr. Brenda Shaffer. Iran is a multi-ethnic state where Persians constitute less than 40% of the population. Shaffer explains that while current protests are Persian-led, the regime's survival often depends on the participation of ethnic minorities like Azerbaijanis, Kurds, and Baluch. These groups frequently engage in direct retribution against security forces. Guest: General Blaine Holt (retired). Holt discusses potential U.S. intervention to support Iranian protesters, emphasizing strikes on command nodes rather than ground troops. While the U.S. maintains air superiority, putting special operators on the ground carries high risk. The Iranian people face a critical window of days to succeed before facing stunning reprisals. Guest: Brandon Weichert. Iranian protesters face a brutal regime that may utilize a "Samson Option," firing all missiles at Israel if the government falls. Weichert notes that while the Israelis and CIA have covert assets on the ground, the protest movement lacks a cohesive leader. Proposals for restoring the Pahlavi dynasty are criticized as an impractical solution. Guest: Brandon Weichert. Turmoil in Iran threatens China's energy security, as Beijing receives roughly 70-80% of Iranian oil. Weichert suggests Russia and China are using the crisis to test anti-Starlink technologies. Furthermore, the regime might import foreign terrorists to suppress domestic dissent, while the U.S. provides behind-the-scenes support to the movement. Guest: Gregory Copley. Iran's collapse could dismantle the "International North-South Transport Corridor," a vital trade route for Russia and India. Copley argues that the Iranian public is increasingly secular, with the youth rejecting clerical authority. While the regime may fire remaining missiles in desperation, a post-clerical Irancould ignite Central Asian economic potential. Guest: Gregory Copley. Although the U.S. promises help, Copley warns that a ground invasion is physically difficult and historically unsuccessful. There are signs that Iranian police and some Revolutionary Guard units are refusing to fire on protesters. Ultimately, the Iranian people must take ownership of the revolution to ensure the legitimacy of any successor government. Guest: Gregory Copley. Following the arrest of Maduro, Venezuela is controlled by four competing "crime families." Copley notes the absence of a clear U.S. plan for citizens facing food and medical insecurity. The U.S.seeks to enforce an oil embargo against Cuba, which is currently suffering from infrastructure collapse and electric grid failures. Guest: Gregory Copley. Reza Pahlavi proposes a constitutional monarchy where the crown serves as a symbolic figurehead, similar to the British system. Copley highlights Pahlavi's unique name recognition and legitimacy as the former crown prince. However, air power alone cannot decisively change the situation on the ground, requiring covert support after the clerics collapse.

Guest: Dr. Brenda Shaffer. Iran is a multi-ethnic state where Persians constitute less than 40% of the population. Shaffer explains that while current protests are Persian-led, the regime's survival often depends on the participation of ethnic minorities like Azerbaijanis, Kurds, and Baluch. These groups frequently engage in direct retribution against security forces.1971 IRAN

SHOW SCHEDULE1-13-251868 PUBLISHER'S ROW NYC Guests: Elizabeth Peek and John Batchelor. Batchelor and Peek discuss inflation holding firm at 2.7% in December. They evaluate falling gasoline prices and strong holiday retail performance as indicators of improving consumer sentiment. Peek also critiques a DOJ investigation into Jerome Powell, labeling it an "unforced error" that might inadvertently extend Powell's tenure. Guest: Elizabeth Peek. This segment addresses political dissent in Minnesota following a tragedy involving an ICE agent. Peek argues that liberal activists are nationalizing the incident to demonize law enforcement. She views this as partisan positioning for the midterms, intended as a weapon to be used against President Trump. Guests: Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus Matter. Dempsey explains that the EU lacks a cohesive strategy for Irandespite a consensus on increasing sanctions. Regarding Ukraine, she highlights staggering divisions among European states as the U.S. withdraws military help. Dempsey notes a ceasefire remains unlikely because Russiacurrently has no interest in negotiations. Guests: Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus Matter. The discussion focuses on Chancellor Friedrich Merz's efforts to address immigration to counter the populist AfD party. Dempsey explores the nuances of refugee integration into the German workforce. Finally, she reports European "horror" at potential U.S. moves to annex Greenland, which could threaten the survival of NATO. Guest: Joseph Sternberg. China faces a "sluggish zombie economy" characterized by a burst property bubble and anemic consumption. Sternberg warns of "Japanification," where growth remains stagnant for decades. Beijingstruggles with price deflation, further burdening a heavily indebted economy. Meaningful recovery requires political reforms Xi Jinping resists. Guest: Joseph Sternberg. President Trump is reportedly using an investigation into Fed Chairman Jerome Powell as a pretext to influence interest rate decisions. Sternberg notes that while central banks like the Bank of England strive for independence, they are increasingly politicized. Additionally, Western media outlets like the BBC initially faced criticism for slow coverage of Iranian massacres. Guest: Jonathan Schanzer. Intense protests in Iran, sparked by decades of mismanagement, have led to a violent crackdown by the regime. Schanzer highlights that these demonstrations are uniquely supported by President Trump's rhetoric. Reza Pahlavi has emerged as a potential figurehead for a transitional government or constitutional monarchy, as the population remains largely pro-Western. Guest: Jonathan Schanzer. Syria's new central government remains extremely fragile, with authority barely extending beyond Damascus as factions clash in Aleppo. Schanzer describes a "Sunni jihadist regime" facing retribution from sectarian minorities. Meanwhile, regional tensions escalate as Israel and Iran reportedly narrowly avoided direct conflict, prompting Russia to evacuate its embassy. Guest: Dr. Brenda Shaffer. Iran is a multi-ethnic state where Persians constitute less than 40% of the population. Shaffer explains that while current protests are Persian-led, the regime's survival often depends on the participation of ethnic minorities like Azerbaijanis, Kurds, and Baluch. These groups frequently engage in direct retribution against security forces. Guest: General Blaine Holt (retired). Holt discusses potential U.S. intervention to support Iranian protesters, emphasizing strikes on command nodes rather than ground troops. While the U.S. maintains air superiority, putting special operators on the ground carries high risk. The Iranian people face a critical window of days to succeed before facing stunning reprisals. Guest: Brandon Weichert. Iranian protesters face a brutal regime that may utilize a "Samson Option," firing all missiles at Israel if the government falls. Weichert notes that while the Israelis and CIA have covert assets on the ground, the protest movement lacks a cohesive leader. Proposals for restoring the Pahlavi dynasty are criticized as an impractical solution. Guest: Brandon Weichert. Turmoil in Iran threatens China's energy security, as Beijing receives roughly 70-80% of Iranian oil. Weichert suggests Russia and China are using the crisis to test anti-Starlink technologies. Furthermore, the regime might import foreign terrorists to suppress domestic dissent, while the U.S. provides behind-the-scenes support to the movement. Guest: Gregory Copley. Iran's collapse could dismantle the "International North-South Transport Corridor," a vital trade route for Russia and India. Copley argues that the Iranian public is increasingly secular, with the youth rejecting clerical authority. While the regime may fire remaining missiles in desperation, a post-clerical Irancould ignite Central Asian economic potential. Guest: Gregory Copley. Although the U.S. promises help, Copley warns that a ground invasion is physically difficult and historically unsuccessful. There are signs that Iranian police and some Revolutionary Guard units are refusing to fire on protesters. Ultimately, the Iranian people must take ownership of the revolution to ensure the legitimacy of any successor government. Guest: Gregory Copley. Following the arrest of Maduro, Venezuela is controlled by four competing "crime families." Copley notes the absence of a clear U.S. plan for citizens facing food and medical insecurity. The U.S.seeks to enforce an oil embargo against Cuba, which is currently suffering from infrastructure collapse and electric grid failures. Guest: Gregory Copley. Reza Pahlavi proposes a constitutional monarchy where the crown serves as a symbolic figurehead, similar to the British system. Copley highlights Pahlavi's unique name recognition and legitimacy as the former crown prince. However, air power alone cannot decisively change the situation on the ground, requiring covert support after the clerics collapse.

Today we take a look at the momentous events in Iran. From the 1950s overthrow by the CIA of an elected prime minister, to a shah, to the ayatollahs, Iran has had a rich and long world history. How are today’s headlines significant in the scheme of things, including Israel? Why did God give a mention to the Persian empire in Daniel? What is the nature of protests here regarding Iran? We look in-depth at several key bits of information, including the role of the Shah’s son as he tweets encouragement across the fruited internet.  Since Iran is in Bible prophecy we have to at least peek into what is going on. We also look at the United States of Protest, where mob rule, a lynch mob mentality, just might get worse this year. We already know who is fomenting and sponsoring it, buy why do people seem so attracted to all that anger? Because they have been told to be angry? What can we learn if we put both nations side by side? Well, Americans fighting for freedoms they already have is one way to look at it, while Iranians are dying for significant life and death issues.

A Sermon for the Epiphany Ephesians 3:1-12 and St. Matthew 2:1-12 by William Klock   Have you ever wanted to live in another story?  For me the high point of Second Grade came every day after our lunch recess.  We'd sit down at our desks and Mrs. Andrews would sit on a stool at the front of the class and read us a chapter from C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia.  From the get-go, I was completely drawn into this story of four kids who stumble through the door of an ordinary wardrobe into another land of magic and talking animals.  And pretty soon I was obsessed.  Now, in 1979 there was no Narnia “merch” like there was in the early 2000s after The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe movie came out, but I still had everything I could get my hands on.  Pretty soon I had my own set of the books, because our teacher wasn't reading them fast enough.  I had a calendar.  I had a giant map my dad laminated so I could hang it on the wall.  My mom even spent months making me a quilt with all my favourite characters sewn on it.  And I couldn't open a closet door without a little tingle of hope: maybe this time there'd be a path to Narnia.  I'd even reach in and push on the back wall.  I remember blowing out my birthday candles at least once and wishing Narnia would be real.  But Narnia wasn't my story.  It wasn't even real.  There was no escape from my real-life story. Decades later I reconnected with one of my old school friends from those days.  “Remember when we wished Narnia was real?”  And he said, “You wanted to get into Narnia.  I just wished I could be part of your family.”  His home life wasn't good.  His family was kind of a mess.  It didn't help that they were poor—not that we were rich, but it's funny that he thought we were even though we weren't.  But he wanted out of his family and his story and into mine.  “That's why I used to hang around your house so much and hardly ever invited you over to mine,” he said to me.  I felt really bad when he told me that.  I knew his life wasn't easy, but it had never occurred to me that he might think mine was.  And I wonder: How often do we wish we could escape our story and live in someone else's?  I guess if we were to go by things like Pinterest and Instagram, by the prevalence of all the home and garden and renovation shows on cable TV, by all the ways our culture gives us to try to escape reality—when you think of all the fantasies we obsess over that aren't real and aren't ours—a lot of us long to live in a story that isn't the one we were born into. But here's the thing.  Raise your hand if you're baptised.  Put that hand on your head—on the place where the priest, the pastor poured those baptismal waters on you.  Martin Luther used to say that when the devil caused him to doubt his standing before God, he would put his hand on his forehead where the baptismal waters had been poured, and he would say to himself, “You are baptised!”  A tangible fact, an historical event in each of our pasts, that has objectively marked us out as God's own.  Not fantasy.  Reality.  You belong to God.  And not just that.  Our baptism marks us out as the people, as the sons and daughters of the God of Israel, made one with the Messiah—with Israel's anointed king—and filled with the God of Israel's own Spirit.  And Brothers and Sisters, that means that you have been transferred into a story, into a family, into a household that is not your own.  I think of my ancestors.  A few of them were Sephardic Jews who eventually became Christians.  But most of my ancestors were born into a story of paganism.  They danced with druids or worshiped oak trees.  One branch of my family comes from a place not far from where Thor's Oak was said to be, that sacred tree that St. Boniface set out to chop down with his axe.  I've wondered if my ancestors were amongst the pagan who watched, expecting him to be struck down by the gods for felling their sacred tree and then stood in awe as, instead, a great wind blew it down for him.  Were they amongst those first German converts who gathered to worship Jesus in the church Boniface built from that fallen oak tree?  One way or another, they heard the gospel, the good news about Jesus the Messiah who died and rose again and they were invited to pass through the waters of baptism.  And they weren't just captivated by this story and its good news—by this family that was filled with riches they never could have imagined.  When they passed through those baptismal waters in faith, they stepped out of their old pagan stories and into a new story, not one that was theirs by birth, but one that was now fully theirs by faith and by the grace of God.  Just like the Israelites leaving behind their slavery in Egypt as they passed through the Red Sea to be named God's beloved firstborn, so we've passed from a story of idolatry and sin into a new story of redemption and of light and of life.  What my friend longed for every time he came over to my house, what I longed for every time I pushed on the back wall of my closet, it's happened for real in Jesus.  By faith, I—and you all—have been given a place, a home, a part in a story not originally our own.  And in that, Brothers and Sisters, God has revealed his glory.  But now I'm getting ahead of myself. What's this got to do with Epiphany?  Epiphaneia is a Greek word that means “appearing” or “appearance”.  Or you could say, “manifestation” like the Prayer Book does when it gives the subtitle for the Feast of the Epiphany: the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.  That's us—most of us, at any rate.  We're gentiles.  And that makes Epiphany our great feast.  The day we remember the wise men—those Persians astrologers—who came to worship the new-born King of the Jews.  And I have to think that if Christians had observed Epiphany in the First Century—they didn't, it came along later, but not all that much later—I think Paul would have had a special place in his heart for Epiphany.  Because proclaiming the good news to the gentiles and offering them a welcome into this story that was not theirs by birth, that was—as we say today—that was Paul's “thing”.  He was even in prison because this was so much his “thing”.  Look at our Epistle from Ephesians 3. He writes: “It's because of all this that I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus the Messiah on behalf of you gentiles…”  He trails off at that point.  He needs to say something else before he goes on.  But what we need to know is that the Church at Ephesus was predominantly a gentile church.  Paul had started it when he visited the city on his second missionary journey.  Now he's in Rome, under house arrest, waiting to be able to appeal his case to Caesar.  He goes on: “I'm assuming, by the way, that you've heard about the plan of God's grace that was given to me to pass on to you?  You know, the mystery that God revealed to me, as I wrote briefly just now.  Anyway…  When you read this you'll be able to understand the special insight I have into the Messiah's mystery.  This wasn't made known to human beings in previous generations, but now it's been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.  The mystery is this, that, through the gospel, the gentiles are to share Israel's inheritance.  They are to become fellow members of the body, along with them, and fellow sharers of the promise of Jesus the Messiah.”   The great mystery, Paul's passion, is the message that in Jesus, the gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews.  A lot—most—of Paul's fellow Jews would have gasped at this.  He could have gotten himself stoned, proclaiming this in Jerusalem.  Imagine your family is really wealthy.  And then imagine that you've got a brother—let's call him Paul—who goes to the house of some strangers.  They're not even remotely related to you.  They're poor and miserable.  Maybe they're even slaves.  But worst of all, they don't share your values.  In fact, they laugh at your family's values. They scoff at the very things that made your family rich.  But Paul goes to them and announces: My family's riches?  Yeah, they belong to you as much as they belong to me and my brothers and sisters.  That's what Paul's doing here.  And that's why he calls it a “mystery”.  The old Paul—Saul of Tarsus—would be gasping at the thought that he'd be saying these things a few decades later.  Even the Jewish believers in Jesus had trouble with this mystery.  Yes, gentiles could share in Israel's inheritance, but to do so they had to become Jews.  Ritually purified, circumcised, observing torah so that they weren't gentiles any longer.  But Paul's now saying you don't even have to do that.  The great “mystery” of the gospel is that it brings the gentiles—through Jesus—into the family, into the people of the God of Israel.  The law, torah, is no longer the defining mark of the family of God.  Faith in Jesus the Messiah is. “This is the gospel,” he writing in verse 7, “that I was appointed to serve, in line with the free gift of God's grace that was given to me.  It was backed up with the power through which God accomplishes his work.  I am the very least of all God's people.  However, he gave me this task as a gift: that I should be the one to tell the gentiles the good news of the Messiah's riches, riches no one could begin to count.  My job is to make clear to everyone just what the mystery is, the purpose that's been hidden from the very beginning of the world in God who created all things.  This is it: that God's wisdom, in all its rich variety, was to be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places—through the church!  This was God's eternal purpose, and he's accomplished it in Messiah Jesus our Lord.  We have confidence and access to God in him, in full assurance, through his faithfulness.”   It took Paul a while to sort it out after he met the risen Jesus and realised that he really was the Messiah, but what Paul realised is that his people had got their own story wrong.  The way Israel told her story, it no longer had a meaningful place for the gentiles.  As far as they were concerned, they—the Jews—were God's people, God cared about them, God would deliver them from their oppressors and put them on top, and one day he would rain down destruction on all the unclean people of the world.  Salvation was for the Jews, they might have said.  But judgement was for the gentiles.  Even those first Jewish Christians were still thinking in this vein.  Jesus was their Messiah.  There were a few gentiles who believed, but they had to first become Jews.  And there were the Samaritans who believed.  That was a challenge to this kind of thinking, but until Paul, no one had this vision of the deliverance, of the salvation of the Gentiles—at least not on a large scale.  But Paul, when he met Jesus, it started to sink it.  If Jesus had risen from the dead, then he was the Messiah, and if he was the Messiah, he had redefined the people of God around himself.  Jesus and the Spirit now define “Israel”. The irony is that today we've made the opposite mistake.  We've so dehistoricised, flattened out, and universalised the story that we've all but forgotten that “Salvation is of the Jews.”  Jesus spoke those words—Salvation is of the Jews—to the Samaritan woman and they ought to be a rebuke to much of the Church today that has forgotten our own story.  St. Paul writes in today's Epistle to explain his unique apostolic ministry to proclaim the good news about Jesus to the Gentiles.  It has been my experience that many Christians have never stopped to consider just how odd Paul's ministry would have seemed at the time.  They've never stop to think, because we have largely removed the gospel from its narrative and historical context and unnecessarily flattened it to communicate its universal nature.  Occasionally we need to recall that, even though “God so loved the world,” it is also true that “salvation is of the Jews”.  Out of a world that had lost all knowledge of him, the Lord chose and called Abraham and from him created a people whom he made holy and in whose midst he lived.  He gave this people his law and his presence and made them unique amongst the nations.  Jesus was born a Jew.  He was the Jewish Messiah.  He fulfilled the Jewish law and the words of the Jewish prophets.  He proclaimed good news about a coming kingdom and a coming judgement to Jews and for Jews.  While gentiles were welcomed when they came to him, he made it clear that his ministry was to his own people.  Even in his death by crucifixion, Jesus foreshadows the means of execution that the unrepentant Jewish rebels would face when judgement came a generation later.  Jesus literally took the death of his people on himself in that sense.  It cannot be stressed enough that Jesus, Israel's Messiah, lived and died for the sake of his own people and to fulfil their story and to fulfil God's promises to them. We can't jump over this to get to John's announcement that God so loved the world that he gave his Son, because when we do that, we short-circuit the story, we leave out most or all of the bits that show us how God, in Jesus, has been faithful to his promises made under the old covenant.  And when we short-circuit the story that way—hear me, because this is incredibly important—when we do that, we cast a veil over God's glory.  It was necessary for Jesus to fulfil the story of his own people, because only then would the Gentiles see the faithfulness of Israel's God, be drawn to what they saw, give him glory, and in the process be incorporated into the new people of God by faith.  In this, too, we see that the means by which the Gentiles are incorporated into the new Israel fulfils the message of Israel's prophets and glorifies the Lord.  While it is certainly true that a dehistoricised and flattened gospel has brought millions to the Lord Jesus, it is also true that communicating the gospel within its context communicates the faithfulness of God as the basis for our own faith with far greater depth and builds upon a firm foundation, in contrast to so much that passes today for evangelism and Christian faith that is merely subjective.  Again, Christians today need to understand just how weird Paul's ministry would have seemed in his day—even, at first, to the other apostles.  Again, most believed that the good news about the Jewish Messiah was for other Jews, and of little interest (or even relevance) to gentiles.  Jesus radically changed what it meant to be the people of God and this became Paul's passion—and it should be ours.  Like you've spent your life pushing on the back wall of the wardrobe to no avail, but suddenly in Jesus you push through and find yourself in Narnia—you finally find yourself in that story of new life you've always longed for and the child of a God unlike any other god you've ever known of. To be clear, Israel should have known all of this all along.  Jesus and Paul are both clear about that.  The Lord delivered Israel from Egypt and set her apart before the watching nations.  She was to be his witness.  Through her he would restore and reconcile humanity to himself.  But as Paul points out in our Epistle, this “mystery” was largely lost on Israel—on previous generations.  And yet there it was from the beginning, all the way back in Abraham's day—if anyone was paying really close attention—that the Lord's intent was to one day bring the gentiles into his family and to make them fellow heirs with those who were children by birth rather than adoption.  This truth had been revealed by the Spirit to the prophets of old and, in the same way, had been revealed to the apostles—who took some time to parse it out—and to Paul it was a personal commission: to proclaim the good news about Jesus to the gentiles.  Paul adds here that this mission is not simply to ordinary people, nor is it a matter of personal piety.  As gentile believers come into their inheritance in the Messiah, the church becomes both a witness and a challenge to the rulers of the gentile world.  This diverse body of Jews and gentiles of every sort, living in unity the inheritance given them by Jesus, announces that he is Lord and that a new age is breaking in.  Just as was the case with Israel, the lords of the earth can submit in faith to the lordship of Jesus or face the judgement to come. Our Gospel today foreshadows all of this in story form.  Matthew puts the messiahship, the kingship of Jesus at the forefront.  First he shows us Jesus over against Herod.  The true King of the Jews over against the pretender and cheap imitation.  But very quickly, Matthew drives home the point that in Jesus the prophecies about Israel's King are being fulfilled.  When the wise men go to Herod to ask where this newborn king is, it sparks a discussion of Micah's prophecy.  Matthew includes a paraphrase of Micah 5:2-4.  This King of Israel, he said, will shepherd the Lord's flock.  The Messiah is the King of Israel.  It is only once Micah has established that the Messiah will be King over Israel, that he will fulfil the Lord's promises to judge and to renew his own people, that he will take up the role of King David, that he then goes on to tell us that this King “shall be great to the ends of the earth”.  Why?  Because in Jesus and in how he fulfils the Lord's promises to his own, the pagan nations of the world will see the living God—a God unlike any god they've ever known.  Their idols—and our idols—pale in comparison.  And in the end, the nations can't help but come to bow before him and to give him glory.  The wise men, the magi foreshadow this.  Matthew bookends his Gospel with the gentiles.  It begins with these wise men from the east coming to worship Jesus and to honour him as King.  And it ends with Jesus sending his disciples to go out and make disciples of all the nations.  The good news is only good news to the Gentiles because it reveals that the God of Israel is unlike the gods of the nations: he does what he says he will do and he fulfils his promises to his own.  Think of the gentiles in the book of Revelation: They worshiped the beast and frolicked with the great prostitute, but they discovered in the downfall of the beast that the kings and gods of this world can't hold a candle to the God of Israel revealed in Jesus, to his power and might, and most importantly, to his faithfulness.  Specifically, he fulfils his promises to his people in Jesus.  It is this faithfulness just as much as the amazing report of Jesus risen from the dead and the defeat of his enemies that draws the Gentiles to give glory to the God of Israel and to submit in faith to Jesus, the King of the Jews.  Of course, this carries the same ramifications for Caesar and the other rulers and gods of this age as it did for Herod.  This is what Paul stresses in the final verses of our Epistle.  Their days are numbered, for as the royal summons to the King goes out, Jesus “shall be great to the ends of the earth”. Brothers and Sisters, the gospel about Jesus is good news, because it reveals the faithfulness of God.  He does what he says he will do.  He fulfils his promises.  He does so like no other.  And that's reason for us to trust him, to give him our allegiance, to worship him and to give him glory.  And to proclaim his good news to the world.  And the wonderful part of it is that the gentiles, that we aren't simply left to look into the windows of this rich family's house and to wish that we could have part of it.  Jesus welcomes us in.  And there's no having to go back home to our poor houses and our silent idols when the party's over.  Through Jesus, we belong.  Later in Matthew 12, Jesus will say to the people with him, “My mother and brothers are those who do the will of my Father in heaven.”  By faith, we become his family.  He is our brother.  His house is our house.  Think about that today as you come to the Lord's Table.  Eat the bread.  Drink the wine.  And think on the fact that it is our brother by adoption and faith, it is King Jesus, who welcomes us—not as outsiders, but as family.  If we are in him, if he has marked us out by baptism, this is where we belong.  This is our life and this is our story. And if you're still looking in from the outside and wishing to be a part of it—like a kid who keeps pushing on the backwall of the closet in hopes of finding his way into a new world and a new story.  Stop pushing on the wall.  That's not the way into this house.  Instead, take hold of Jesus' hand in faith knowing that in him all the promises of God are fulfilled, knowing that he is supremely trustworthy and faithful.  Take his hand in faith and he will lead you, as he has led so many, through the waters of baptism and into this new story of redemption and light and life. Let's pray: O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith, may at last behold your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Jewish Diaspora Report - Episode 185  On this episode of the Jewish Diaspora Report, Host Mike Jordan discusses the recent events of Israel's Recognition of Somaliland, Iranian counter-regime protests and the USA's recent actions in Venezuela and how it proves the way that "Human Rights" groups, the United Nations and Western Useful Idiots and leaders don't care about issues like "oppression" and "resistance", unless they can somehow use it to their personal advantage. Why are they hypocrites and have double standards, often against the Jews and the Jewish state?  Explore these challenging issues and join the Jewish Diaspora Report for future episodes on issues of Politics, Culture, Current Events and more!   Check us out on Instagram @jdr.podcastSend us a textSupport the show

In this powerful and moving interview, I sit down with Marziyeh (Marzi) Amirizadeh, an Iranian-American Christian who faced unimaginable persecution for her faith in Iran.Marzi was arrested in 2009 alongside her friend Maryam Rostampour for converting to Christianity and sharing the Gospel. They spent 259 days in the notorious Evin Prison — one of the world's most brutal facilities — enduring intense interrogations, solitary confinement, unsanitary conditions, and a death sentence by hanging for "apostasy."Yet, in the midst of darkness, Marzi's unwavering faith shone brightly. She and Maryam boldly shared God's love with fellow inmates, turning their cellblock into a place of hope and even leading many to Christ.After international pressure led to their miraculous release, Marzi immigrated to the United States. Today, she is a published author, international speaker, and advocate for human rights.Marzi is also the founder and president of New Persia, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for persecuted Christians, empowering oppressed women under radical Islam, exposing the Iranian regime's lies, and restoring historic ties between Persians, Jews, and Christians.In our conversation, Marzi shares her inspiring story of courage, forgiveness, and redemption — a testament to the power of faith in the face of extreme persecution.Support Us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cryforzionnFollow Marzi Amirizadeh here:Website: marzisjourney.comNewPersia.orgInstagram: @marziyehamirizadeh.official#Podcast #Israel #BreakingIsraelNews #DoronKeidar #TheDoronKeidarPodcast #Iran #Christianpersecution #MarziAmirizadeh 

You may have heard of many of the largest empires in world history. The Romans, the Mongols, the British, the Persians, the Ottomans, the Incas, and the Byzantines. That last empire, however, the Byzantines, never actually existed. How can one of the world's greatest empires not have existed? Learn more about the Byzantine Empire and why no one ever called it that during its existence on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Chubbies Get 20% off your purchase at Chubbies with the promo code DAILY at checkout! Aura Frames Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/DAILY. Promo Code DAILY DripDrop Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code EVERYTHING for 20% off your first order. Uncommon Goods Go to uncommongoods.com/DAILY for 15% off! Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attacking the largest empire the world had ever seen is a huge endeavor at any age, but try doing it at 21. Alexander, fusing the qualities of a Napoleon with a gladiator, aims for immortality. The Persians are just in his way.

Matthew 2:1-12 Wise Men, a Con Man, and a King Please turn to Matthew chapter 2. This is a very well-known advent passage about the wise men from the east bringing gifts to Jesus. There's a lot of mystery and wonder in this text. Part of that is because we're not given many details about the wise men. However, we are clearly given their goal. And so, as I read, listen for why they were seeking Jesus and what they did when they found him. Reading of Matthew 2:1-12. Prayer In our house, you'll find several nativity scenes at this time of year. They're festive and add to the aura of the season. But you know, they don't really accurately depict the manger scene. And one of the inaccuracies is with the three wise men. Most nativity scenes have them. They're usually tall, wearing middle-eastern attire, and bearing gifts as they stand next to the animals. Well, first of all, we're never told how many there were. Yes, they had three gifts, but that does not mean there were only three of them. And second, they did not arrive when Jesus was born. No, actually, they arrived likely when he was 1 year old. They weren't there to see Jesus in the manger. I'm not trying to be the grinch and steal your Christmas joy. Rather, I just want to be sure we distinguish what we actually know versus what tradition has come up with over the centuries. There's a big difference. So, then, what do we know? Who were these wise men led by a star to Jerusalem and then to Jesus? Well, we are told they were from the east and we are given a clue of there origin base on their name. The name “wise men” comes from the Greek word magoi. Some translations give them the title of Magi. It's a word derived from the Persian word for wise men. And because of that, some believe that the Magi came from where the Medo-Persian empire was centered (which is where modern day Iran is). Others believe that the Magi came from the region where the Babylonian empire used to be centered. That's where modern day Iraq is. There are good reasons for both possibilities. If we go back to the book of Daniel, it uses a very similar word for the wise men of the land. Daniel, as you may know, lived in Babylon in exile. Similarly, the book of Esther, which takes place in the Persian capital, also uses a similar word for wise men. In both cases, the Greek translation of the Old Testament uses the word magoi. And honestly, I don't think it makes much of a difference whether the Magi came from Medo-Persian roots or Babylonian roots. Even though these empires were centered in adjacent regions in the middle east, they overlapped as each kingdom took control. A few decades after Babylon conquered the whole region, they were then overthrown by the Medes and then the Persians. After that it was the Greeks under Alexander the Great who conquered the land, and then Roman Empire, which was in control when Jesus was born. And when these empires overthrew one another, it's not like they killed all the people. No, the people just were under the control of another kingdom. Yes, some of them moved out or were exiled. Others moved in to govern, but overall, the culture and history were preserved or intermixed with the new empire in power. Furthermore, when we consider the Babylonians and the Medes and the Persians, they each had their wise men. We know this from the Old Testament text as well as from historical writings from the time. The Magi were the highest educated men of the land. They were given utmost respect and they had major influence in the culture. In fact, extra Biblical writings about the Medes particularly emphasize this. Someone could not become a king in that empire without first the same rigorous study as the wise men. Even more, in the Median Empire, it was the wise men who anointed the king. Think about the significance of tht if the Matthew 2 wise men came from that region. The bottom line is that the Magi who were led to Jerusalem were held in the highest esteem and had significant cultural prominence. Now, let me mention something else important. These Magi knew some of the Hebrew Scriptures. Let me make that case. First, let's go back to Babylon. When Babylon overthrew Judah in the early 5th century BC, thousands and thousands of Jews were relocated to Babylon. They brought their culture with them. They brought their history and they brought their writings. Even when they were later permitted to return to Jerusalem, most of them remained in Babylon and some even intermarried with the Babylonians. Not only that, think of the testimony of Daniel and of Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego. Their wisdom and faithfulness earned them great status in the Babylonian Kingdom. King Nebuchadnezzar found them 10 time wiser than the wise men and enchanters of the region. That's mentioned in Daniel chapter 1. And when they were put to the test, God delivered each of them - you know, the three thrown in the fiery furnace, and Daniel from the Lion's den. After each incident, it was the Babylonian king who decreed that the one true God should be worshipped and served. These men were furthermore elevated to a high standing in the land. Daniel himself ended up being promoted to the third highest position in the entire Babylonian kingdom. You see, their wisdom, wisdom from God, became part of the wisdom of the land. A very similar thing happened in the Medo-Persian empire. Esther in the Old Testament was Jewish, but she was chosen to be queen by the Persian King. Some of you know the history. A plot was made against all the Jewish people in the land. They were to be slaughtered, but through the wisdom of Esther and her uncle, that plot was turned against the perpetrators. In the end, it was the Jewish people who prospered in all 127 provinces of the kingdom. It mentions from India to Ethiopia. Here is my point. Whether the wise men from the east came from a Babylonian heritage or from a Medo-Persian heritage, the wisdom of the land included wisdom from God almighty. Their education would have included testimonies of God's people and their teaching, which God had spread all throughout the east. So, these Magi, who were the highest learned men in the near Eastern culture, would have studied and known the God of Israel, and his prophecies, and the wisdom given his people. Perhaps they knew Balaam's prophecy from Numbers 24 that “a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” So, yes, they came from the east, but they were not unfamiliar with what God had revealed and the prophecies of the Messiah. Now, we are not told what prompted them to leave their country and follow a star to Jerusalem. They may have been given a vision given by God in a dream (you know, similar to the dream they were given in verse 12); or it may have been an angel appearing to them similar to how angels appeared to Mary and Joseph and the shepherds. Or, as some have suggested, it may have been their studies of the Jewish Scriptures and the timing of the Messiah. We don't know, but whatever means God used, they knew that they were to seek the promised king who had come… and that he was worthy to be worshiped. Notice what they said when they arrived in Jerusalem. Verse 2. They asked: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Now, given the prominence and status of these Magi, their arrival in Jerusalem came with great acknowledgment. We know that because word of their arrival and their question.. filtered all the way up to King Herod. By the way, this Herod was Herod the Great. That is how he was known. Multiple Herods are mentioned in the New Testament. All of them are descendants of this Herod, Herod the Great. And none of them reached the prominence and power of their father or grandfather. This Herod was even given the title “king of the Jews” by the Roman senate. He wasn't even Jewish. This Herod is the one who built the great city Caesarea by the sea. He similarly constructed the mountaintop fortress of Masada in the south. This is the same Herod who ordered the massive renovation of the temple. He did this to try to please the Jews and solidify his title. If you remember, the temple had been rebuilt some 500 years earlier by some of the exiles who had returned. However, Herod transformed and refined it. He doubled the size of the temple mount. And he had the temple adorned with gold plates, and had it covered in white marble. The Jews appreciated this, of course, but it didn't change their opinion of him. In fact, in 2007 (you know, less than 20 years ago) archaeologists actually found Herod's tomb. It was inside the massive fortress that he built near Bethlehem called the Herodium. When they found it, they also found that Herod's sarcophagus had been smashed to pieces. You see, the Jews hated Herod the Great. It's likely, back in the first century, a group made their way into the chamber and destroyed his coffin and did something with his bones. That is because Herod was not a just ruler. He had his first wife executed, including his mother-in-law. He also executed three of his sons. And he had dozen of opponents killed, including high priests and pharisees. Now, look at verse 3. When Herod heard about the wise men and that they were seeking the newborn king of the Jews, it says Herod was troubled. This larger-than-life ruler of the land, who had political and military power, was troubled. Of course he was. These renowned Magi from the east had arrived and they were seeking a new king of the Jews. But that was Herod's title. Do you see why he asked the Magi in verse 8 to find the child born a King? It was not, as Herod had said, so that he could also worship him. No, not at all. Herod was a con man and a tyrant. He wanted to put to death yet another potential threat to his power. Herod did not know where to find this newborn king, so he did two things. First, he asked the priests and scribes. They mentioned Isaiah's prophecy about Bethlehem. Well, that wasn't narrow enough, so second, Herod met with the Magi. He asked them to return to him after finding the newborn king. Well, as the text mentions later, the Magi were warned about Herod in a dream. And so, Herod would never get his wish. So, the Magi were in Jerusalem. Herod had met with them. They knew they needed to travel further, but exactly where, they did not know. But just like before, a star rose to guide them. This star is mentioned four times in Matthew 2. It had brought them west from their country to Jerusalem. The star then turned them south towards Bethlehem. And it led them to the very house where Mary and Josph and baby Jesus were staying. But you ask, how can a star, high in the heavens above lead to a specific home? This is why I believe that it was more of a supernatural star-like object in the sky. Afterall, it moved. It turned them from heading west to south, and then it was able to bring them to a specific place. As verse 9 says, it came to rest over the place where the child was. So, the Magi arrived. Now, in a minute, I want to come back to what they did at that moment. But first, let's consider their gifts. They had brought gifts with them from the east. We sing about them and hear them often at this time of year. The Magi brought gold, and frankincense (not Frankenstein), and they brought myrrh. Now, different scholars have postulated different meanings for the gifts. Some have simply said the gifts were merely a royal tribute. In other words, the Magi brought expensive gifts as they would for any king. Others have suggested that each gift signified something. I think that's likely the case. Let me work that out. First, the gift of gold. Just like today, it was the most precious of metals. It was hard to find and hard to mine. Gold had many uses, but one prominent use of gold was for a king. You know, crowns were made mainly of gold. Kings drank from vessels of gold and they wore golden rings. They carried golden scepters. All those uses are highlighted in various passages in the Scriptures. Of course, gold was not exclusively used for kings, but it's reasonable to conclude that in the giving of gold by the wise men, they were acknowledging Jesus as a king. Second, they also brought him frankincense. It's a strange word. At its core is the word incense. And that is what it was. It came from a rare tree that grew in East Africa. Frankincense is referenced many times in the Old Testament as a fragrant perfume. Most often it was used in the temple by the priests including the high priest. Now, here's the important part. In it's temple use, Frankincense was reserved for incense and sacrificial anointing for Yahweh – for God. It's even referred to as Yahweh's incense. So, it's reasonable to conclude that the Frankincense signified Jesus' divine nature and his priestly role. Which brings us to the last gift. Myrrh. It was a perfume. It was used as a beautiful fragrance for women. You can find it referenced multiple times in the Song of Solomon. Elsewhere in the Scriptures, it's mentioned as a fragrance for clothing. But also, it was used as one of the burial spices. The bottom line is that Myrrh was a fragrance for man – you know, mankind. So, it was different from Frankincense which was reserved in the temple use for Yahweh. Myrrh was instead used for the people. As one commentator put it, “it was a perfume used by and in the interest of… man to make his life more pleasant… and his burial less repulsive.” So, as a gift from the Magi, Myrrh likely signified Jesus' humanity and perhaps his atoning death. In sum, the gifts brought by the Magi testified to who this child was. In the very least, the gifts testified to his kingship. But likely they furthermore testified to the fulness of Jesus divine nature and the fulness of his humanity. In his humanity he was, at that time, a young child born a king, but in his deity, he had existed from eternity past as God the Son. And he had come. The Magi knew and they testified to the wonder and awe of who this child was. He was worthy for them to worship. And I want you to notice something significant. Before the Magi even entered the house, look what verse 10 says. They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy! They gave praise to God for leading them to Jesus. They recognized the significance of that moment in history and that God had brought them to this place, to this child king. And after that, the Magi entered and it says they fell-down before him and worshiped. These revered men, who were not Israelites, who were known for their decades of study and known for their cultural prominence fell down before a one-year old child and worshiped him. Is that not tremendous? I think it is in a couple of different ways. Number 1 - God used non-Israelites to acknowledge his Son, the true king. These Gentile Magi affirmed what many Jews would reject. As the Gospel of John points out, Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive him. The worship by the Magi is a tremendous thing. It affirmed what the Scriptures in the Old Testament had been saying all along. That through the offspring of Abraham, through the seed of David, all nations would be blessed. It is truly an amazing affirmation of the Gospel call to all tribes, tongues, and nations. Number 2 – the second thing that is tremendous is that they were led by God. God had turned the hearts of these men to him and they followed him. They followed his star. Even with all the temptations for pride that comes with knowledge and wisdom, these men humbled themselves to worship the true king. Go back to verse 10, again. They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. Again, this was before they fell down and worshiped. In other words, they gave glory to God for leading them to Jesus. And then they worshiped him. Believer in Christ, you and I were not led by a star to Jesus. But it is no less supernatural how God turned your heart and mine and led us to him. Yes, let's worship the newborn king in this advent season. Yes, let's give praise to God in Christ who is Lord and Savior. Yes, let's declare the reason that Jesus came. He was born to die in our place and then resurrected so to overcome sin and death and the devil for us. So, yes, let's worship Jesus for all these reasons. But let's also rejoice like the Magi for God bring us to him. Were it not for God leading in our lives, we would still be in darkness. But God has led us to his Son, the King. Perhaps you've come today or you've been coming, but you have yet to fall down and worship. God has been leading you. After all, you are here. He's led you to Jesus. He's led you to hear his Word. But there's something preventing you from falling down in worship. Maybe skepticism. Maybe you say that you cannot intellectually get to a place of belief. But if there was any group back then who could argue against belief, it would have been the Magi. Wouldn't it not? The Magi were the intellectuals of the time. Yet, they submitted themselves to God and they humbled themselves before him. They both praised him for leading them to Jesus and then fell down and worshiped the true king. God has led you to this point. Let him now lead you into the house before the humble king. It takes faith, doesn't it? Was it not by faith that the Magi followed the star. It was. It also requires setting aside your unbelief and forsaking your own way. It takes humility to recognize all that you don't know compared to the wisdom and glory and power of God. And it takes falling down before him and submitting your whole life to him, just as the Magi. Will you let God lead you into his house and will you fall down as the Magi did to worship Christ? He is, as 1 Corinthians says, the power of God and the wisdom and of God. He is worthy to be worshiped. What an amazing testimony in these verses… of God at work leading and affirming that he himself has come to us. May we each praise God for leading us as he did the Magi. And as they also did, may we each humbly fall down before the king of kings, for who he is… and for what he has done for us so that we may worship him. Amen

A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Advent Philippians 4:4-7 & St. John 1:19-28 by William Klock For the last few months I've been reading Tom Holland's book Dominion.  (That's Tom Holland the historian, not the actor.  Until recently I didn't even know there was an actor because, I guess, I'm a history nerd.)  Anyway, I've been reading a chapter here and a chapter there in between reading other more important things and it's been worthwhile.  Holland isn't a Christian, but this rather large book is nevertheless about the influence that the Gospel, the good news about Jesus, has had in shaping Western Civilisation.  One of the points he stresses is just how brutal and barbaric the ancient world was.  Greeks and Romans knew little of mercy and grace.  Theirs was a dog-eat-dog world.  It was cruel.  The weak were something to be exploited and if they couldn't be exploited, they were a liability and left to fend for themselves.  Nearly a third of the people of the Roman empire were slaves.  Infants were routinely left to die of exposure.  Sexual immorality was everywhere and was a central part of the worship of many gods.  Marital fidelity, especially amongst the wealthy and powerful was uncommon.  Think of the pagan gods of Greece and Rome we learned about in school: petty, capricious, fickle, unloyal, angry, and constantly fighting amongst themselves.  These were the gods the Greeks and the Romans created in their own image.  Whatever problems we see in our world—and it's getting worse the deeper we drift from the Gospel and return to paganism—but however bad you think our world is, theirs was worse.  Brother and Sisters, the gospel has had a profound impact on our world.  And even as gospel virtues go to seed in the secular world and we have distorted and perverted version of love and mercy and justice thrown at us, the very fact that anyone at all in our society cares about things like justice, is because of the powerful impact of the gospel. It's appropriate that Advent comes to us at the darkest time of the year, because it reminds us of the darkness of the world into which Jesus was born.  Surrounded by those pagans, Israel had the light of God's law, but even then, Israel lived in darkness.  They'd returned from their Babylonian exile five hundred years before, but the Lord had never returned to his temple.  The priests kept the lamp lit in the temple—the lamp symbolic of the Lord's presence with his people, but behind the great and heavy curtain, the holy of holies was empty.  And Israel was ruled by a series of pagan empires: the Persians, the Greeks, and then the Romans.  But Israel had her story.  They were the people whom the Lord had delivered from slavery in Egypt.  They knew his character and they knew his faithfulness.  And they knew his promises.  They had faith.  And so they lived in hope and expectant longing.  One day the words of Isaiah—the ones we read in our Old Testament lesson—“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.”  One day those words would be fulfilled.  And, most people were pretty sure, that day was coming soon.  That's the setting for today's Gospel, which begins at John 1:19. This is the testimony John [the Baptist] gave when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”  “What then?” they asked him, “Are you Elijah?” “I am not,” he replied.  “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”  “Well, then who are you?” they said.  “We've got to take an answer back to those who sent us.  Who do you claim to be?”  He said, “I am ‘a voice calling in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord,' just as the prophet Isaiah said.”  (John 1:19-28) So the priests were the spiritual gatekeepers of Israel and when they heard of this prophet, John, preaching and baptising, they sent their people to ask him what he was about—to see if he was legit.  People were talking about John like he was the Messiah—as if he were the one come to fulfil the prophecies of deliverance and salvation.  Was John the one? So they ask, “Who are you?  Who do you claim to be? Elijah?”  Remember that the Prophet Elijah had never died; he was swept up into have by a fiery chariot.  And Malachi had prophesied that “before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes” the Lord would send Elijah back.  Like King Arthur returning to Britain in its hour of greatest need. But John says, “No.  I'm not Elijah.”  He hadn't come to earth in a fiery chariot.  He was the son of Zechariah the priest and his wife, Elizabeth. “Are you the prophet?” they asked.  In Deuteronomy 18 the Lord had promised that he would one day raise up a prophet like Moses, who would declare his words.  Many people thought this prophet would be the Messiah.  But again John answers, “Nope, I'm not the prophet either.”  We get a sense of just how great the longing of these people was.  Like a kid getting up every morning of December and asking his parents if it's Christmas yet, the people of Israel longed for the Messiah to come and set the world to rights, to end the darkness, to once again fill the temple with the glory of the Lord. John was as eager as anyone, but he tells them “No, I'm not the Prophet.”  In fact, John was fulfilling those prophecies—Matthew and Mark tell us as much.   But I think John denied it because he knew people associated the prophecies of Elijah and the Prophet with the Messiah.  John knew he wasn't the Messiah; he was the Messiah's herald.  And so when the priests finally let him speak for himself, he quotes Isaiah 40:3, and says, “I am ‘a voice calling in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord.'”  In other words, John was indeed fulfilling prophecy—not as the Messiah, but as the one sent to prepare Israel to receive the Messiah. And that surprised those priests.  People in the past had claimed to be the Messiah.  No one claimed to be his herald.  That was weird.  So they dig deeper.  Look at verses 25-27: They continued to question him, “So why are you baptising, if you aren't the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?” John answered them, “I'm baptising with water, but there is one standing among you whom you do not know—someone who is to come after me.  I'm not worthy to untie his sandal straps.” For the Jews, baptism was a symbol of cleansing and of ritual purity.  It was a ritual washing.  At this point the other gospel-writers are helpful as they expand on John's answer.  Mark tells us that John's baptism was a baptism of repentance—it was a preparatory act in light of the coming judgement the Messiah would bring.  And Matthew and Luke also report John going on about this one who will come, this one greater than him: “He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16).  In other words, John is calling Israel to repentance in anticipation of the Messiah, who will fulfil the Lord's promises to set Israel to rights by filling his people with his own Spirit.  The law written on stone tablets would be inscribed on the hearts of God's people so that they could finally fulfil his law of love.  But the Messiah was also coming in judgement.  He would baptise the repentant with God's own Spirit, but he would baptise unrepentant Israel with fire. These are the two sides of the gospel coin.  You can't have one without the other.  Jesus' advent, on the one hand, brought mercy to the repentant, but on the other it also brought judgement on the unrepentant of Israel.  What's important for us here, Brothers and Sisters, is that this exchange between John and the priests reminds us of the Messiah's place in Israel's story and of the faithfulness of God to his promises.  It is this manifestation of the Lord's faithfulness (and of his goodness, mercy, grace, and wisdom) to Israel—something we see brought to its climax in the birth, the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus, that has drawn us—you and I—to the God of Israel and that, by faith, has incorporated us into the people of God.  Through our union with Jesus, through our incorporation into this people, through our being made adopted sons and daughters of Abraham, you and I have come to know God's mercy and the life of the Spirit, too.  Because of the faithfulness of God, revealed in Jesus and in the power of the gospel, the darkness that Israel knew; that deep, deep darkness full of false gods and wicked kings and evil principalities and powers has been driven away by the light.  The light has come into the darkness, his gospel has thrown those powers down and lit up the world.  And you and I have seen—we live in—the glory of that light.  And knowing that takes us from our Gospel passage today into our Epistle.  Paul writes those wonderful and challenging words in Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always; I say again, rejoice. Paul spoke these words to a people surrounded by the dark.  “Rejoice in the Lord always!”  Because being surrounded by the dark, it's awfully easy to forget the light of the gospel.  Just before he wrote this, Paul exhorted two women in the Philippian church, Euodia and Syntyche, to “agree in the Lord”.  These two sisters in the Messiah, once close, once working together in gospel life had some kind of falling out.  We don't know the details, but it was something important enough to prompt Paul to address them publicly.  They'd let the darkness extinguish their light.  Instead of standing as a witness to the victory of Jesus over the principalities and powers of the present wicked age, the local church was letting those powers have their way in their midst.  Brothers and Sisters, don't let that happen.  Paul exhorts them (and us) instead: Let everyone know how gentle and gracious you are.  (Philippians 4:5a) Gentle and gracious.  Paul uses the same description in 2 Corinthians 10 to describe the meekness of Jesus as a model for Christians.  This is gospel light lived out.  What Paul's getting at is that Jesus is the King, but in him we see this amazing display of gracious gentleness.  This is the gentleness we see revealed as Jesus, the one to whom heaven and earth belong, humbled himself to be born one of us, to die on the cross, and to show mercy to his enemies.  And in that, Jesus defeated the powers that held the world in darkness and sin and now, we his people, are called to live that victory out amongst ourselves as witnesses to Jesus' victory and the inauguration of God's kingdom.  This is our Advent stewardship. So consider, Brothers and Sisters, when we demand our rights, when we grasp for power, when we nurse grudges, we undermine our gospel witness—we put on display the very darkness from which we've been delivered by the one who is light.  In contrast Paul calls us to rejoice in the Lord and to manifest Jesus-like gentleness in our relationships.  Jesus' gracious gentleness has forgiven and restored us and that same gracious gentleness ought to shine through us and through the life of the church.  Consider that every time we hold a grudge, allow a relationship to break down, or follow the world's advice to cut those problem or negative people out of our lives, we undermine the Church's witness to the world.  But that's not all. Paul goes on: The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything.  Rather in everything let your requests be made known to God, by prayer, supplication, and with thanksgiving.   There's our Advent theme again: Jesus has given us a job to do.  He's given us a gospel treasure to steward in his absence.  In the meantime, rather than being anxious—and anxiousness is so often the thing that evil uses to manipulate us—instead of being anxious we should take our needs to God.  Jesus made the same point in the Sermon on the Mount.  The pagans worry about what they'll eat, what they'll wear, and where they'll sleep.  God's people should know better than to worry unduly about these things.  The God who fed Israel with manna in the wilderness will provide.  He is faithful to his promises.  The story of his dealings with Israel is the proof and even more so, so is his gift of Jesus, who died and rose again to set us free from sin and death.  So go to the Lord with your needs and ask.  And while you're at it, give thanks, because you know his faithfulness and his love. This is part of the witness of the people of God—it's how we are light in the darkness—and it ties back into rejoicing.  When Paul talks about rejoicing, at least part of what he's got in mind is a public display or a public witness.  The pagan Greeks in Philippi regularly held public celebrations to honour their gods.  And yet the pagans, as Jesus said, were always anxious.  Because their gods never delivered.  Pagan religion was a non-stop game of trial and error, trying to guess what the gods wanted, trying to guess what you may have done wrong to offend them, and then guessing at what you might offer to appease their anger or to ingratiate them to you in order to get what you needed or wanted.  The pagan gods were silent and they were notoriously capricious and unreliable.  And in this context Paul exhorts the Philippian Christians: Rejoice yourselves.  Let the pagans see you celebrating the fact that the Creator of the universe has, through Jesus, made you his own and lives in your midst by his own Holy Spirit.  Let the pagans, who know only mean and capricious gods and who live in a dog-eat-dog world, let them see the gracious gentleness of God in you.  Live in such a way that they see in you the God who humbles himself to die for the sake of his enemies.  And let the pagans see you living in faith, praying in confident thankfulness to the God whose story reveals an unfailing pattern of promise and fulfilment.  Shine the light of Jesus into the darkness of the world.  And if you'll do that, he says in verse 7: The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in King Jesus.   I think we tend to look at Paul's exhortation here as something we should do in order to experience the peace of God ourselves, but given the context in Philippians, I think Paul's point is actually more about our witness.  If we truly live as stewards of the good news about Jesus, if we truly live as people who know the faithfulness of God revealed in Jesus and particularly in his death and resurrection, if we truly know the life of the Spirit, the peace of God—instead of the strife and anxiety of the world—will guard our hearts and minds in a way that will astound the unbelievers around us. I like to say that Jesus calls us—his church—to be a pocket of new creation in the middle of the old—to be heaven-on-earth people, living Gods' future in the hic et nunc, in the here and now.  Brothers and Sisters, this is how we do that.  And this makes us the John the Baptists of our own place and age as we proclaim the good news about Jesus—how we proclaim and show the world that Jesus has triumphed over the principalities and powers just as he has over sin and death.  And as the world took notice of those tiny and seemingly insignificant Christian communities popping up around the Roman empire, so it will take not of us.  And some will give glory to God as they see his faithfulness, they will come in faith to Jesus and his cross.  But it will also threaten those who are invested in the present age, its pagan gods and sinful systems.  And they will fight back. So we need to ask: Does the world see our joy?  Are we the voice crying in the wilderness?  Are we the royal heralds the Lord has called us to be, summoning the word to let go of its false gods and to come to the Lord Jesus, calling the world away from sin and self and to come to the cross?  And we need to ask how the world is responding to us.  If we're faithfully proclaiming the good news about Jesus, if we're faithfully calling people to repent and to believe, if we're faithfully proclaiming that Jesus is Lord and that his kingdom has come—well—people will respond in one of two ways.  Either they'll believe or they'll get angry—as Herod got angry with John.  There's some of both out there in the world, but overwhelmingly, when I look at how people respond to or think of the church these days in our part of the world, it's often just indifference.  Why? Because we have not been the witnesses God calls us to be.  We are afraid to confront the world with the good news about Jesus and we are half-hearted in our allegiance to his kingdom.  Like old Israel, we pray to God, but we've failed to tear down the old altars to Baal and Asherah—or money, sex, and power.  We name Jesus, but we deal dishonestly in business, we sell our souls to the commercialism that surrounds us, we look to politics or to science as our saviours, and we dabble in the sexual immorality of the age.  We've failed to proclaim the gospel and we justify it, saying that we'll preach it with our lives.  But if we stop to ask what the world sees in our lives, is it really very different?  Does the world see us rejoicing in the Lord?  Does the world see us manifesting the gracious gentleness of Jesus?  Does the world see us living in faithful prayer and trusting in God, or does it see people just as anxious as everyone else?  Does it see enmity and strife and broken relationships or does it see a gospel people living out the healing and reconciling love of Jesus in loving unity?  Does the world see the peace of God ruling our hearts and minds?  Does the world see us, holding high the gospel, as a challenge to its gods and its kings and its sins?  It should.  But sadly, I think that for the Western Church at large, the answer is often “no”. And, all too often, when we do proclaim the gospel, we do so without power or authority.  Think of John boldly declaring the coming judgement and calling Israel to repentance.  It was urgent and powerful.  In contrast we tend to hold the gospel out as good advice, rather than as the good news that it is.  Friends, the gospel is the royal summons to come in faith to Jesus, the world's true Lord—the Lord who has come with mercy so that the repentant will escape when he comes one day in judgement.  This was the power behind John the Baptist' preaching.  But all too often we present the gospel as just another option on the religious smorgasbord—something you might want to try. See if you like it.  See if it works for you.  If not…oh well.  Brothers and Sisters, that's not the gospel.  The gospel is life! The gospel is good news to the people living in the midst of darkness and death: the king who will set the world to rights has come.  And that means the gospel, when preached as it should be, will challenge and upset the Herods and Caesars of our age and all those invested in the false gods of the world. The Advent message is to be prepared.  Jesus has given us a gospel mission to take the good news of his death, his resurrection, and his lordship into the world.  Brothers and Sisters, pray that we will be faithful to our mission—faithful enough to provoke opposition, because that's the kind of faithfulness that also reaps a harvest for the kingdom.  Pray for the holy boldness of John the Baptist and the gracious gentleness of Jesus.  Pray that we will be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  Pray that the joy of the Lord will overcome us.  Brothers and Sisters, Rejoice!  Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again, I say rejoice. Let's pray: O Lord, come among us, we pray, with your power and strengthen us with your great might; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness we are grievously hindered in running the race that is set before us, your bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit, be honour and glory, now and for ever.  Amen.

Friday Bible Study (12/12/25) // Ezra 4 (ESV) // Adversaries Oppose the Rebuilding 4 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.” 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”4 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build 5 and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.The Letter to King Artaxerxes7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.[a] 8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: 9 Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, 10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River. 11 (This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) “To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now 12 be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. 13 Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. 14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace[b] and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, 15 in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste. 16 We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.”Website: https://mbchicago.org FOLLOW US Facebook:   / mbc.chicago   Instagram:   / mbc.chicago   TikTok:   / mbc.chicago   Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others TO SUPPORT US Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch DAF Donations: https://every.org/mbc.chicago PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but... #Ezra #DanielBatarseh #BibleStudy #mbchicago #mbcchicago #Bible #versebyverse #church #chicago #livechurch #churchlive #chicagochurch #chicagochurches #sermon #bibleexplained #bibleproject #bibleverse #bookbybook #oldtestament #explained

When was Christ born? I held a livestream to tackle some of the most enduring mysteries surrounding the Christmas story, diving deep into scholarly debates concerning the timing of Christ's birth, the nature of the Star of Bethlehem, and the identity and traditions surrounding the Wise Men. The discussion also included a giveaway of a free copy of Sand Tanner’s book, Lighthouse, authored by Ronald Huggins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d0hOvJoXQc Don't miss our other conversations about Christmas: https://gospeltangents.com/lds_theology/christmas/ Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved The Great Dating Debate: When Was Christ Born? The discussion began by addressing the fact that the calendar we use today, created by the 6th-century monk Dionysius Exiguus. He mistakenly placed Christ's birth several years too late. There is no Year Zero. Modern scholars generally agree that Herod the Great died in 4 BC, a crucial historical marker, meaning Jesus could not have been born as late as 1 BC because Herod would have been dead for three or four years by then. Dr. Jeffrey Chadwick proposes that December of 5 BC is the correct birth month. However, Dr. Thomas Wayment argues that biblical writers like Matthew and Luke were composing gospels, not history, and were unconcerned with precise details, suggesting that historical data only allows us to know the date within a year or two, and certainly not within a specific month. Adding to the complexity is the mention of a census in Luke 2, which is historically problematic, as the census conducted by Quirinius (Cyrenius) is typically placed around 6 AD, about 10 years after Herod's death, creating a significant timeline contradiction. Explaining the Star of Bethlehem The question of what caused the Star of Bethlehem led to an examination of several astronomical and scientific theories, particularly in the context of both the Bible (Matthew 2) and the Book of Mormon (3rd Nephi 1). Information comes from several sources, including the 2004 documentary called Mystery of the Three Kings by Questar Entertainment. Planetary Alignment: Astronomer Michael Molnar proposed that the star was actually an occultation where the moon passed in front of Jupiter, a theory based on Babylon’s astrological beliefs concerning the birth dates of divine kings. Solar Eclipse: Another possibility, suggested by Jerry Grover, is a solar eclipse which occurred in 6 BC, a date near the proposed birth time. In Mesopotamia, eclipses were frequently associated with the rising of a new king or the death of an old king, which would explain why Herod was troubled. The eclipse was rare, rising in Mesoamerica and setting as a partial eclipse in Persia, where the Wise Men were thought to originate. Coronal Mass Ejection (CME): Grover also offered the idea of a CME (a massive ejection of plasma from the sun hitting Earth’s magnetosphere). This event could cause the northern lights (auroras) to become supercharged and move far south, appearing as “weird domes and other shapes in Mesoamerica”. This theory is particularly interesting because it could scientifically explain the Book of Mormon account that the night became “as light as day all night long” in the American Hemisphere, while the phenomenon might not have been noticed in the Middle East. Furthermore, the sign may have been accompanied by a crackling or hissing sound, as ions drop and release their charge in the atmosphere. Supernovas and comets are generally dismissed as options because they are either too short-lived or were historically seen as signs of impending doom. The Wise Men: Identity, Gifts, and Legacy The Wise Men (Magi or Magoi) were likely astrologers, healers, and dream readers from the east, specifically the Parthian/Persian Empire (modern Iran/Iraq area.) Their arrival in Jerusalem would have been concerning to Herod, especially since they were Persians entering Roman-controlled territory. The word Magoi is the same word used for magician or sorcerer. They may have been followers of the Zoroastrian religion, which is monotheistic and shares beliefs with Judaism, such as a belief in resurrection and a coming savior. Zoroastrian astronomers may have recognized the confluence of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC as a sign of a new king in Israel. The three traditional gifts carried profound meaning: Gold represented kingship. Frankincense represented divinity or God. Myrrh was extremely valuable (worth seven times the weight of gold) and represented healing; its use in embalming also served as a foreshadowing of Jesus's eventual death. The Magi are celebrated in many traditions, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries, where January 6th is known as Three Kings Day24,25. On this day, which occurs 12 days after Christmas, presents are exchanged, left by the Three Kings rather than Santa Claus. Legends regarding the Magi’s relics and tombs are found across the globe, including claims in Sava, Iran (recorded by Marco Polo); Axum, Ethiopia; Milan, Italy, and the most famous location in the West, the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. Don't miss our other conversations about Christmas: https://gospeltangents.com/lds_theology/christmas/ Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved

#top .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-09aa062d0236e227f6a253feab70ad8c{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-09aa062d0236e227f6a253feab70ad8c .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-09aa062d0236e227f6a253feab70ad8c .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; } Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 11Daniel 6 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – December 11 Daniel 6 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1211db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Daniel Is Rescued From the Lions' Den 1 It seemed like a good plan to Darius to appoint one hundred twenty satraps over the kingdom. They were to rule throughout the kingdom. 2 Above them there would be three supervisors (Daniel was one of them) to whom these satraps would report, so that the king would not suffer any loss. 3 It came about that this Daniel distinguished himself above the supervisors and satraps, because there was an outstanding spirit in him. So the king intended to promote him so that he would be in charge of the entire kingdom. 4 Then the supervisors and satraps kept trying to find a basis for an accusation against Daniel in regard to his administration of the kingdom. However, they were unable to come up with an accusation or any evidence of corruption, because he was trustworthy and no neglect of duty or evidence of corruption could be found against him. 5 Then these men said, “We will not find any accusation to bring against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.” 6 So these supervisors and satraps came as a group to the king and said this to him, “Darius, Your Majesty, may you live forever! 7 All the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the advisors and the governors advise the king to establish and enforce a decree that prohibits anyone to pray a prayer to any god or person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty. Anyone who does so will be thrown into the den [1] of lions. 8 Now Your Majesty, please establish the decree and sign a document that cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.” 9 That is why King Darius signed the written decree. 10 Now, when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house. It had windows on its upper story that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times each day he would get on his knees and pray and offer praise before his God. He continued to do that, just as he had been doing before this. 11 Then these men came as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking favor from his God. 12 They then went and asked the king about the decree. “Your Majesty, did you not sign a decree that anyone who prays to any god or person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the den of lions?” The king answered, “Indeed I did. The order is established as a law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, does not pay attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree that you signed. Instead, three times each day he is praying his prayers.” 14 When the king heard this report, he was very upset about it, but he was determined to save Daniel. So until sunset he worked hard to rescue him. 15 Then these men came as a group to the king and kept saying to the king, “You know, Your Majesty, that it is the law of the Medes and the Persians that every decree or statute that the king establishes cannot be changed.” 16 Then the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the pit. The king sealed it with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel's situation. 18 Then the king went to his palace. He spent the night without food, and no entertainment was brought before him. But he could not sleep. 19 At dawn the king arose as soon as it was light and hurried to the lions' den. 20 As he came near the pit, he cried out in a fearful voice. The king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God, whom you serve continually, able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel spoke with the king. “Your Majesty, may you live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions. They have not hurt me because he found me innocent in his presence. Also before you, Your Majesty, I have committed no crime.” 23 Then the king was very glad and said that Daniel should be brought up from the pit. So Daniel was brought up from the pit, and he was unharmed because he trusted in his God. 24 The king gave the order, and those men who maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions' den—they, their children, and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the pit when the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. 25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in the entire earth:     May your peace and prosperity increase. 26 I give this command throughout my royal dominion:     People should continually tremble and be afraid before the God of Daniel,     because he is the living God, who endures forever.     His kingdom will not be destroyed,     and his dominion is eternal. 27 He rescues and he saves.     He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth.     So he saved Daniel from the power of the lions. 28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius, that is, [2] during the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Footnotes Daniel 6:7 Or pit. The term den is retained here because of familiarity. Daniel 6:28 Literally and. It is likely that Darius is another name of Cyrus, but some historians think he was a subordinate of Cyrus. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-aocsdx-89cb4ca21532423cf697fc393b6fcee0{ height:10px; } The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-4vzadh-3f04b370105df1fd314a2a9d83e55b26{ height:50px; } Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

#top .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-23697b8e4cbc85460e1d3cb18bbb295f{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-23697b8e4cbc85460e1d3cb18bbb295f .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-23697b8e4cbc85460e1d3cb18bbb295f .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; } Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 10Daniel 5 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – December 10 Daniel 5 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1210db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible The Handwriting on the Wall at Belshazzar's Banquet 1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and in front of the thousand he drank wine. 2 When he had tasted the wine, Belshazzar said to bring the gold and silver vessels that his father [1] Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines could drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that they had taken from the temple, that is, the House of God in Jerusalem. So the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 5 At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand, and the king saw the back of the hand that was writing. 6 Then the king's cheerful appearance changed, his face grew pale, [2] and his thoughts troubled him. His legs went limp, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called out loudly to bring the spell casters, the astrologers, and the diviners. The king said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever is able to read this writing and explain its meaning will be clothed in purple, with a gold chain around his neck, and he will rule as third highest in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they were not able to read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 Then King Belshazzar was really terrified. He grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed. 10 The queen [3] came to the drinking party [4] because of the words of the king and his nobles. The queen said, “Your Majesty, may you live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, and do not look so frightened. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, enlightenment, insight, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. So King Nebuchadnezzar your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, spell casters, astrologers, and diviners, 12 because an outstanding spirit and knowledge and insight in interpreting dreams and explaining riddles and solving knotty problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be summoned, and he will explain the meaning of the writing.” Daniel Interprets the Writing 13 Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to Daniel, “Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and enlightenment and insight and outstanding wisdom are found in you. 15 Now, those wise men who are the spell casters were brought before me to read this writing and to make its meaning known to me, but they were not able to explain the meaning of the message. 16 Yet I have heard about you that you are able to explain meanings clearly and to solve knotty problems. Therefore, if you are able to read the writing and make its meaning known to me, you will be clothed in purple, with a gold chain around your neck, and you will rule as the third in the kingdom.” 17 Then Daniel answered the king: Keep your gifts for yourself, or give your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and I will make its meaning known to him. 18 As for you, Your Majesty—the Most High God gave the kingdom, greatness, splendor, and glory to Nebuchadnezzar, your father. 19 So because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and were afraid in his presence. He killed whomever he wanted, and he let live whomever he wanted. Also, he promoted anyone he wanted, and he demoted anyone he wanted. 20 But when he thought too much of himself, and his spirit became hardened in pride so that he acted arrogantly, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and his splendor was taken away from him. 21 He was driven away from humans, and his mind was changed to that of an animal. So his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass as bulls are fed, and his body was wet with dew from the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdoms of men, and he raises up over them anyone he desires. 22 But you, his son, Belshazzar, did not humble your heart although you knew all this. 23 Instead, you lifted yourself against the Lord of Heaven. The vessels from his house were brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. Then you praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, who do not see and do not hear and do not know. But you did not honor the God who holds your breath in his hand and who controls all your ways. 24 So the back of the hand was sent by him, and this writing was inscribed. 25 Now this is the writing that was inscribed: mene mene tekel and parsin 26 This is the meaning of the message: Mene [5] means that God has counted up your kingdom and paid it out or spent it. 27 Tekel [6] means that you have been weighed in the scales, and you are too light. 28 Parsin [7] means that your kingdom has been broken in two and given to the Medes and the Persians. 29 Then Belshazzar spoke, and they dressed Daniel in purple, with a gold chain around his neck, and they made him the third highest ruler in the kingdom. Darius Receives the Kingdom 30 That very night, King Belshazzar the Chaldean was killed. 31 Then Darius the Mede received the kingdom, when he was about sixty-two years old. [8] Footnotes Daniel 5:2 That is, his royal predecessor, not his physical father Daniel 5:6 Literally his brightness changed Daniel 5:10 Perhaps the king's mother or grandmother, a daughter or granddaughter of Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 5:10 Literally house of drinking Daniel 5:26 Mene means “measured” or “counted” and suggests mina, a unit for weighing money. Daniel 5:27 Tekel means “weighed” and suggests shekel, a unit for weighing money. Daniel 5:28 Parsin means “divided” and suggests half shekel. It also sounds like the word “Persians.” Daniel 5:31 English verse 5:31 is 6:1 in Hebrew. Throughout the rest of chapter 6, the English verse numbers are one number lower than the Hebrew numbers. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-aocsdx-89cb4ca21532423cf697fc393b6fcee0{ height:10px; } The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-4vzadh-3f04b370105df1fd314a2a9d83e55b26{ height:50px; } Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

Some years ago, we took a delegation of teenagers to a youth conference at the Jersey Shore, and one of our volunteers was one of the counselors. One evening she left the meeting early to check on one of the kids from our group. She started walking down the Boardwalk. Suddenly she hears this cry for help from the water down below. She realized that a girl was out there in that dark ocean about to drown. So she yelled for others to come, she pulled off her shoes and she jumped into the water. She knew this was a life-or-death situation, and she said, "I just had to do something." Pretty soon a couple of men jumped in to help her and together they were able to rescue that young woman. And you know what? Our friend realized the real reason she had been out on the Boardwalk that night. Much to her surprise, she had literally been placed there to save a life! I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Surprising Reason You Are Where You Are." Now our word for today from the Word of God comes from the amazing story of Esther, which is told in the book in the Bible that carries her name. Esther was a young Jewish woman who was in Persia as part of the Jews who had been brought there when the Persians conquered her people. But through an amazing series of events, she becomes the Queen of Persia, the wife of the most powerful man in the world, but no one knew she was a Jew. When a power-mad member of the king's court engineered this royal decree to have the Jews annihilated, the man who raised Esther sent her a message, challenging her to use her access to the king to save her people. To do so, she would literally have to risk her life because the law required that anyone who came to the king uninvited - even the queen - would be put to death unless the king extended his golden scepter to spare them, and Esther had not been summoned by the king for a month. The challenge Esther receives is in our word for today from the Word of God, Esther 4:14, and it may very well be the challenge that our Savior has for you at this point in your life. Here it is. "Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" In other words, God has placed you where you are, not just to enjoy the benefits of your position, but to save lives! Have you considered that maybe that's the same reason you've been positioned where you are? You work where you work, you live where you live, you go to school where you go to school, you do what you do because God has assigned you there to be those people's link to Jesus! Some years ago, my friend Gary was talking with a woman whose dad teaches at one of America's military academies. This woman was really spiritually burdened for her dad. Gary knows a lot of influential people and he offered to call the then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to invite her dad to an upcoming adult outreach. Or, he said, "I'll even call a Christian cabinet member I know in this administration." But to my friend's surprise, this woman said, "No, that won't work." Gary asked her what would work - who could get through to her father. Her answer? "Another professor. Someone like him." That's probably how the people around you are going to be reached for Christ - through someone who does what they do, lives where they live, faces what they face. And for the people around you, that would be you. I don't know what you think of when I say the word "evangelist" - probably someone preaching on a crusade platform - but I hope you'll start to think of the man or woman in the mirror. Because all that is, is someone who carries the Good News of Jesus to people who need Him. Of all of the millions of God's children, you're the one He has positioned to rescue the people around you. And where you are is your stretch of the beach and you're His designated lifeguard. Like a young woman near the ocean that night, like that Jewish girl placed in a strategic spot, you've been placed where you are to save someone who is dying - eternally if they die without Christ. You're not there just to enjoy your spot. You are there to save lives!

Acindynus, Pegasius and Anempodistus were courtiers to King Shapur II of Persia. When the king began a fierce persecution of Christians, the three withdrew from court to a private house and, fearless of their own safety, openly exhorted their fellow-Christians to stand firm in their faith. For this they were arrested and brought before their former lord, who subjected them to many cruel tortures, from which they emerged miraculously unscathed. Seeing this, one of the king's soldiers, named Aphthonius, embraced the Faith and was immediately beheaded. The former courtiers were then put to further tortures, but their only effect was to convince Elpidophorus, a distinguished nobleman, and seven thousand other Persians to faith in Christ. All were beheaded, but not before receiving holy Baptism. The trials of the three continued, but once again they were preserved, and even the king's mother was led to the true faith. Finally they were killed (the account does not say how), receiving the crown of martyrdom along with the king's mother and twenty-eight others.

Some say that the Persians had their own Messiah, and some even say that this is where Israel got the idea. Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, once ruled much of the ancient world. But was he God's anointed?

Some say that the Persians had their own Messiah, and some even say that this is where Israel got the idea. Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, once ruled much of the ancient world. But was he God's anointed?