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The word of the Lord is coming again.

On this episode, my guest is Hasan Kerim Güç. Kerim graduated from Istanbul High School in 1992 and from Yildiz Technical University in 1996. Between 1997-2004, he completed his master's degree in Information Systems and Business Administration in Baltimore, USA. He returned to Turkey in 2010. Realizing that the treasure he had been looking for for 14 years was right in his own home, he took the position of Chief Editor at Nefes Publishing House in 2014. Kerim nourishes his business life with Sufi studies and is pursuing a doctoral degree from the Usküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies. He has published four books.Show Notes* Rejecting the American Dream* Anatolian and Sufi Hospitality* Sufis and the Ottomans* Tanri misafiri (“God's guest”)* Togetherness, and the roots of Religion* When we welcome suffering, we make honey out of pain* Submission, servants and the prophet Mohammed* The Conference of the Birds / Stories from the Thirty Birds* Limits to hospitality in the Islamic world* Bereket / Baraka* Rumi's Guest HouseHomework* Kerim Vakfı* Stories from the Thirty Birds* Cemalnur Sargut: A Sufi Life of Love, Suffering, and Divine Union* Cemalnur Sargut Books* Kerim Guc - Instagram* Kyoto University Kenan Rifai Center for Sufi Studies* Ken'an Rifâî Chair of Islamic Studies at Peking University* University of North Carolina (UNC) Ken'an Rifâî Chair in Islamic StudiesTranscriptChris: [00:00:00] Welcome to the End of Tourism podcast, Kerim. Hoș geldiniz.Kerim: Thank you very much for having me.Chris: Yeah, it's my pleasure. Thank you for joining me today. Perhaps you could tell our listeners, where you find yourself and what the world looks like there for you.Kerim: Well, first of all, I'm an immigrant also. I was an immigrant. I lived in the US for a while, and then I came back to to my own country. And things are very different here than there, than it is in US. From the perspective of what I did... I was actually an engineer, and I was working in the IT fields, and I was living the American dream, and then I realized that there was some kind of an emptiness, and this whole thing, and I decided to go back to Turkey and [00:01:00] study Sufism, and since my mother was actually a Sufi teacher. She decided to actually move this whole Sufism into academia. So, she basically established an institute in Istanbul - Üsküdar Istanbul - at the University of Üsküdar. The difference between this institute and the other schools, the people like myself, like engineers, coming from different disciplines, including lawyers and whatnot, they were not able to do their masters or PhDs in Sufism, because in other universities, they require for you to actually have theology backgrounds. But with this new establishment, we were able to educate people from all different disciplines and, [00:02:00] so we basically concentrated on ethics rather than the religion itself.So, a lot of people coming from different areas, especially the white-collar people, living this, like - how do I say that? - it's a world of money and materialism and all kind of that stuff. They're coming to our institute and realizing that money or career is not the only goal for life.And we started to concentrating on things like spirituality more than the materialist world.Chris: Thank you. Well, I'm very much looking forward to exploring these themes with you and a little bit of the work that you do with Kerim Vakfı.Kerim: Sure.Chris: And so for the last season of the podcast, I'm very much interested in focusing on different hospitality traditions and practices from around the [00:03:00] world, as I mentioned to you. And, one of the key themes of the podcast is radical hospitality. Now, the word “radical” comes from Latin and it means “rooted,” or we might even say “local” or “living.”And so. I'm curious if there are any radical hospitality practices that you think are unique to your place, to Istanbul, or to the Sufi community that you might be willing to share with us today?Kerim: Well, Istanbul, actually, is a very metropolitan city. So like the other metropolitan cities, we kind of lost that - what we call the hospitality of Anatolia. Anatolia is basically the Eastern part of Istanbul. And in Istanbul, we have, right now, 25 million people in a very small area. And in older days when the population was smaller, [00:04:00] we were able to show our hospitality, because the Turkish hospitality is very famous, actually. In this area the hospitality is very famous, including the, you know, Greek and Arab hospitality. Usually, it's a little bit different than the western countries.For instance, we welcome people - we used to, and probably still, in the countryside - the people coming from other cities or countries or whatnot. The locals actually helped them out as much as possible. They even invite them to their own houses and let them stay for how long they want to stay. And this was kind of like a regular thing in the old days. It's still going on very much in the eastern side of Turkey, pretty much in the countryside. [00:05:00] But Istanbul, like other cosmopolitan cities, we kinda lost that. You know, neighbourly things. We have a lot of neighbours and we we have always good... we used to have a lot of good relationship with them, but nowadays, again, because of this material world, we kind of lost this hospitality.So from the Sufi point of view, hospitality is very important. It's interesting that you mentioned the “radical.” You were talking about where “radical” come from, but you didn't talk about where “hospitality” comes from. See, there is a relationship between the hospital and the hospitality and the way the Sufis look at things is very much like the illnesses in our body are our guests. So, we don't think that they're bad for you. They're actually [00:06:00] the guests of our house for a time being. So we show them the hospitality as much as we can, and then hopefully we say goodbye to them.Chris: Wow. Wow. That's fascinating. I do know that the term “hospitality,” hospital is part of that, and hospital historically came from these notions of hospitality. I mean, in the western world in, and at least in the Christian world, there's a kind of unauthorized history in which a lot of this hospitality, as you mentioned, that was offered to the stranger, was done by the families or the individual houses or homes within a community. A stranger would come and they would ask for hospitality, ask for food and shelter, and the family would have to decide whether to do that and how to do it. [00:07:00] And then at some point, the institution of the Church kind of stepped in and said, “you know what? You don't have to do this anymore. When the stranger comes to the community, when they show up at your door, just send them to us. Just send them to the church and we'll give them what they need.”And so this did a number of things, but the two most obvious ones, I think, are that the family, the individuals in the family and the community on a grassroots level, slowly ended up losing their ability, their unique kind of familial or personal ability to host the stranger. And at the same time, of course, the church used this as a way to try to convert, the stranger.Kerim: Right.Chris: And so I'm curious if there's anything in that realm that you see in the Islamic world, maybe in the Sufi world... you mentioned that, since the [00:08:00] imposition of modernity and the industrial Revolution in the world, we see less and less possibilities for small-scale, grassroots hospitality between people, in part, because there's so much movement, and of course, because the hospital has its brothers and sisters in the sense of the “hotel” and the “hostel.”Kerim: Absolutely.Chris: So, I'm curious if there's anything like that that comes to mind for you in regards to the Islamic world.Kerim: Well, one thing is about like the Ottomans. The Ottomans, when they were coming from the Anatolia and then started conquering all those places in the Balkan area, Greece and Bulgaria, Hungary and all those places, after they actually conquered, they sent Sufis to those places. And, like in Hungary, there is a person, his name is [00:09:00] Gül Baba, which means “Rose Father.” That's what they call him. He actually has his own tekke (tekke is like a church for Sufis). And this place, it's like a school more, more like a school, but it's a religious school.And in this tekke, he actually finds all those people with needs, and he pretty much helped them out with all those needs. And the people coming from different religions, they actually started liking people like from the Turks' point of view, because the Turks were symbolized by these Sufi movements. And instead of, you know, pushing people to convert or demolishing the churches and rebuilding mosques and stuff. Instead of that, they actually [00:10:00] welcomed people from all over the world, or all over the place, basically, to stay in the tekke, to eat and to get education in the tekke. So this was a great strategy of Ottomans. That's how they actually stayed in Europe for almost like 600 years. So that was very much like, you know, their strategy, I think. And in a good way.Chris: Yeah, you know, in my research I found out that there's still Sufi orders in the Balkans a group called the Bektashi.Kerim: Right.Chris: And of course, with the very little historical understanding that I had, I was very surprised. I had no idea. But of course, when I eventually went to visit the regions that my father is from, I saw churches, synagogues, and mosques, all in the same little neighbourhoods.[00:11:00] So, quite an impressive kind of understanding that the major religions in those places could coexist for so long. And that in the context of someone who grew up in North America, who thought it was the opposite (previously) and such things are so difficult.Kerim: Right. Right.Chris: So, Kerim, a mutual friend of ours has told me, that in the Turkish language, there is a phrase (and excuse my pronunciation). The phrase is tanri misafiri.Kerim: Right.Chris: Which translates into English as something like “God's guest.”Kerim: Right.Chris: Or “the guest sent by God.”Kerim: Right. Right.Chris: And so I'm wondering if you could speak about this phrase, maybe what it means to you and where you think it comes from?Kerim: Well, in Anatolia, it's a very famous phrase. And like I said previously, you know anybody coming from somewhere else, who comes into somebody's [00:12:00] house, is allowed to stay in the house as “the guest of God,” because we believe that God has sent that guest to us and we try to... you know, it's more like making that guest happy means making God happy. So, that's the understanding of older generations.In today's metropolitan areas, I don't think it's possible because of the security problems and everything. But like I said, in the countryside, people are very welcoming when it comes to this, because it is very important that knowing that person is actually coming from God, from Allah, so we have to take care of that person as much as possible to please God, actually.So that's how it is. I still see that in many cities in the [00:13:00] more eastern side of Turkey or south side of Turkey, or even north side of Turkey except in the bigger cities. But in the smaller cities, people are much more welcoming, again because of this specific idiom, actually.Chris: From tanri misafiri?Kerim: Right. Tanri means “God” in our language. In the original Turkish language, it's tanri, and, misafiri means “ the guest.”Chris: Yeah. So beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with us.Kerim: Absolutely.Chris: And so when guests arrive in a home, you know, in English, at least in, in the context of the older traditions, it is said that the guest or the potential guest, the stranger, asks for hospitality. They don't necessarily say “ they ask for food,” which we can imagine that surely they [00:14:00] do. They don't necessarily say that “they ask for shelter” or “accommodation,” which we surely we could imagine they do. But the literature often says they ask for hospitality.And so, when we think of hospitality today, we often think about people sitting around a table eating food together. And so I'm curious if there's a shared understanding among Sufis or at least the community that you live among and in, about the importance of both eating food and eating food together.Kerim: Togetherness is probably one of the most important things in the Islamic religion. Because like even our way of worshiping God - Allah - we try to do that in a union as much as possible. It is very interesting, the words that “religion” comes from.[00:15:00] Re- means “again,” and legion means “union.”So it's almost like “religion” itself means “to recreate the union,” “to reshape the union,” “ to have the union back,” because we have the tendency to be alone. And even you can imagine that in the western countries, in the western world, a lot of people want to be alone.Like, there's a lot of individuals rather than a group of people. And in the eastern world, it's a little bit different. We are more like family-oriented people. We try to do things together. I mean, there are advantages and disadvantages obviously, but there is a difference between them.So, we always had this [notion that] “the more is better,” basically. You know, more people is better. So, we help each other, [00:16:00] we understand each other, we talk about our problems. When we try to solve them, it's easier together. And if there's pain, you know, the pain actually, can be eased with more people, easier, I think, compared to have this pain alone. So, again, we're more family-oriented people.And the Sufi are very much like that. The Sufi always pray together, and they think that it creates a n energy, basically. It produces an energy that basically helps all of them at the same time, in a union.Chris: Hmm hmm. And do you find that sitting down for a meal together also creates that kind of union, or recreates as you were saying?Kerim: I think so. Doing any kind of activities, including eating... eating is basically the most common activity [00:17:00] that we do in our daily life and getting together, to talk about our things together, and discuss things together, all those things - togetherness, when it comes to the idea of togetherness - I think, is beautiful.Chris: Hmm, hmm. Amen. Yeah, I very much agree with that, Kerim.And so, when we think about hospitality, and we think about food, we often imagine big banquet tables and as you said, this sense of togetherness and celebration.But there's also, you know, from what little I've read, there's also this important aspect of the religious life in the Islamic world, and perhaps in the Sufi world as well that points to, maybe not the absence of food, but a different way of being fed, and a different way of feeding that doesn't [00:18:00] include the food we're used to, the kind of material food. And we often refer to this as fasting. And so, there's a beautiful video that you sent me, Kerim, of your mother speaking, and she recalls a phrase in that video from her own mother who said that “when we welcome suffering, we make honey out of pain.”And so, this is a question I very much want to ask you because I've fasted myself quite intensely. I'm curious, what is the honey that comes from fasting? Or, what do you think is the honey that comes from fasting?Kerim: Right? First of all, yeah, fasting is in our religion. So, we basically do that one month in the whole year. It's called Ramadan. In some cases, we actually do that because our Prophet Muhammad, when he [00:19:00] lived, he was fasting every Monday and every Thursday. So it was like a common practice for some of the religious people. And at least we do that one month in the whole year.And obviously, that month is a little bit difficult, you know, because we not only stop eating, we also stopped drinking and all that stuff. In theory, we should not be lying, we should not be telling bad things to other people or gossiping and all that stuff, but usually we do during that time. I mean, in theory, we should not be doing that.So it's like a whole discipline thing - the whole fasting. And at the end of the thirty days, you become a really, really different person. And first of all, one thing that [00:20:00] I feel, is that you understand the people who do not have food. We still have people in the world, unfortunately, in Africa, and all those places, the people, having less access to food as we do, and we feel like, oh yeah we don't actually thank God for all those things that he's giving to us. And this is the time that you start thinking about the reality and start thanking God for actually giving us all that food, twenty-four hours, seven days [a week]. And when you are fasting during that time, you are understanding the feeling of these people, who are like poor and who cannot eat.There are people now, in the social media, we are seeing people, who never had [00:21:00] chocolates in their life. The people living in these countries or in the cities or metropolitan cities, we never think about these things.So, we take these things for granted, and during that time of fasting, you start thinking about these stuff and then you become more thankful, and that's basically honey itself, after the suffering. And I wouldn't say “suffering,” because we don't suffer as much as they do, honestly.And we're just telling our egos, “just stop for a day to do bad things and stop eating,” and all that stuff that ego wants to have. And again, it's at the end of the thirty days, you become a new person because now you have a different mentality. Now, in the other eleven months, you still forget about these things, but [00:22:00] again, it comes through. It's like a cycle.Chris: Yeah. Yeah. I totally agree with you that, you know, gratitude is the honey and...Kerim: Absolutely.Chris: ...I remember the fasting that I did over the course of four years, and I don't know if it was as intense as the fasting that happens during Ramadan, but doing that fasting and trying to feed something other than myself for a time imbued a degree of hospitality and gratitude that I don't think I had ever felt before. And it sticks to me. It sticks to my bones to this day. And it's something that, like you said, I also have to constantly remind myself of those moments when I sit down to eat a meal, because it's so easy to forget.Kerim: Absolutely. Absolutely. And one thing is [00:23:00] basically during that time of fasting, you basically stop feeding your ego, and start feeding your spirit, basically. That's what I think.Chris: That's beautiful. Yeah. I absolutely understand that. Thank you, Kerim.So my next question is around the word “ submission.” So, translated into English, the word “Islam” means “submission.” Now I've read that this word can also be translated to mean “servants of God.” Servants of God.Now in English, the word “servant” can be synonymous with “host.” A servant and a host. Now, there's a book by an author named Mona Siddiqui called Hospitality in Islam. And in that book she writes, it's actually a quote, but she writes,“'What is faith?' The Prophet replied, ‘the giving of [00:24:00] food and the exchange of greetings.' He ends on a most dramatic note saying, “a house which is not entered by guests is not entered by angels.”Kerim: Perfect. Yeah.Chris: And it seems that in this phrase, the Prophet is suggesting that the way we are with guests and strangers has something to do with how we are with the divine, which I think you kind of alluded to a little bit earlier.And so I'm curious, is this something that you've seen in your own days or in those of others that you know? Is hospitality a practice that connects us to the divine?Kerim: Absolutely. Because reaching God, you need to reach people first. To be able to reach God... when I say “reach God,” meaning be in communication with Him, is basically being in a communication [00:25:00] with the people he created. So, to serve the people is basically serving him from the Islamic point of view.So, and that's a hadith that you mentioned in the book. It's a hadith of Prophet Mohammed, like you said. And Prophet Mohammed always... it was a common practice that he was hosting maybe, you know, 10-15 people every night. And he was a poor person, by the way. I mean, he doesn't have much money, much food or anything, but they share. There was a time that... there's a story that somebody, actually, one of his apostles rather, asks him to visit him for a dinner. So he invites him to a dinner.But during his conversation, Prophet Mommed said, “can I bring my friends too?”[00:26:00]And the apostle says, “of course you can bring your friends.” And he brings hundreds of people. Now, the host only have some bread, and maybe a little bit meat, and a little bit rice in the cup.So, he was ashamed because he doesn't have any money, and the Prophet Mohammed is going to bring all those guests together, and he didn't know what to do. But he uses submission, basically.He said, well, if Prophet Mohammed is coming, then something is going to happen. And as he was thinking all those things, Prophet Mohammed puts his hand on top of the rice holder. And every time he was putting rice onto the dishes, the rice never ends, the meat never ends. So he served like 200 people during this invitation and the food never ended.[00:27:00]So he was happy for his submission, basically.Chris: Wow. Beautiful. Thank you, Kerim.Kerim: Of course.Chris: You know, you have this beautiful book - that is still in the mail, unfortunately I haven't got my hands on it yet, but I'm very much looking forward to it - called Stories From the Thirty Birds, which I understand is inspired by The Conference of the Birds, this incredible book from I think the 1300s.And I'm curious if you could tell us a little bit about that book and what, if any inspiration or maybe teachings around hospitality that come from both, The Conference of the Birds and how you've employed it in your book.Kerim: Right. The Conference of the Birds is really a beautiful story of Farid ud-Din Attar who lived in Nishapur, which is in Khorasan, in Iran, today. And he was one of the very famous [00:28:00] Sufis at that time. He was the teacher of Rumi. A lot of people know Rumi. And he wrote this book about birds, millions of birds, who are in the process of going to their king, which is the phoenix (or what we call it simurg). And during that time, during that travel, they go through seven valleys, and in each valley some of the birds get lost, because the valleys actually symbolize things.Like, the first valley is the valley of intention. So, a lot of birds actually don't have the intention to reach their king. The king is basically symbolizing Allah (God), and the birds are symbolizing us very much, and we are getting [00:29:00] lost during the time of life. Like, our intention is basically this world. If our intention is staying in this world, then we stay in this world. And that's the valley of intention.And a lot of birds, like half of them, actually, get lost in this stage.And the second valley is the valley of love. And the birds that get lost in this valley are the ones that actually think the beauty is in this world, rather than they don't see the beauty of God himself. So they see the shadow of that beauty in the world, but they're content with that beauty, and they don't really want to move on.And again, the third valley is the value of wisdom. And the birds that get lost in this valley are the ones who think that knowledge, [00:30:00] in this world, is more important than anything else, and they don't realize the source of the knowledge is actually their king.So on and so forth, they go through the seven valleys and at the end of the seventh valley, only thirty birds remain. And the thirty birds, they're ready to see their king, and they go through this mountain called Qaf, where the  simurg, the phoenix lives (behind the mountain). And it's very difficult to get there, basically. When they get there, they can't find the king over there. They only find a mirror. So, they realize the king is themselves, but more specifically, the union of thirty birds. So simurg - the [00:31:00] phoenix - in Iranian, in Persian means “thirty birds,” actually. Si is “thirty.” “Burg” is “bird,” actually.So from what we understand is, the union of ourselves, what we are seeing, is our reflection, because the king is actually a perfect mirror. But we don't see ourselves, only, we see the union of thirty birds together. So there are birds that we don't think live together. For instance, a hawk doesn't live with a smaller bird together, but in this union, they live together. There in one. And they use whatever advantage they have together. So it's almost like being one and using the characteristics of every single bird [00:32:00] itself.Chris: And I imagine that someone growing up in a culture like that, whether back then or more recently, and hearing this story or hearing it multiple times throughout their life or maybe once a year, that that notion also might arise in the way that they are with others, the way they are with strangers.Kerim: Right.Chris: And so, I have one final question for you, if that's all right?Kerim: Absolutely.Chris: So, before we say farewell I'd like to ask you about Istanbul, and I'd like to ask you about the limits to hospitality. So, last year, on a trip I took to the city I met a friend of a mutual friend of ours, and for a couple of hours we walked around the Karakoy neighbourhood and he spoke to me about how the city has changed quite a bit over the last decade.For many people who grew up in Istanbul, the city [00:33:00] might now appear to be very difficult to live in. He said that the cost of living has skyrocketed. The rents, the rent prices or costs have doubled. And much of this is a combination of tourism and gentrification in the city.Now it seems that many religious traditions speak of the importance of welcoming strangers and offering them hospitality, but they also speak of the limits to such hospitality. In one particular, hadith or saying of the Prophet Mohammed, it is said that “hospitality is for three days. Anything more is charity or sadaqah.”Again, excuse my pronunciation.Kerim: No. That's perfect pronunciation.Chris: And so I'm curious, you mentioned a little bit earlier, in the Sufi community and perhaps in the Islamic communities, there is this notion of togetherness, but also that “more is better.” And so I'm [00:34:00] curious in the context of what's happening in Istanbul and what's happening in many places around the world, do you think there should also be limits to the hospitality that is offered to the guest or stranger?Kerim: Well, of course. I mean, of course we have financial issues here, and it's very difficult for us to actually serve other people as much as we want to. But again, when we are together, even if it's very difficult to live in the city, it's still something, you know?What I see: the rent went up, like you said, so the people try to move into their family houses, the houses there of their families and everything. And in western countries, it's difficult. You usually don't do this kind of stuff, but in our community, it's much easier to do these things. And, you know, the families welcome the children [00:35:00] more than other countries. So that's something I think that's a positive thing.But to the strangers. What do we do for strangers? Obviously, we do as much as possible. We may not be able to serve them as much as we used to, obviously, before this inflation. And we have the highest inflation in the world, or probably the second-highest inflation. So again, it's difficult, and Istanbul became probably one of the most expensive cities in the world. But even that, again, we may not be able to take them to dinner every night, but we serve what we have in the house, like in the Prophet Mohammed's story.Whatever we have, we share. And, we call it bereket, as in Arabic baraka, they call it. Baraka is something [00:36:00] like... we use it for money. It's not “more money.” That's not important. How do I say that? I don't even know how to say it in English, but it's more like “the luck of the money, itself.” Basically, you may be able to buy more stuff with less money based on your luck. That's basically what we call it. Bereket. So the bereket is much more important than the amount of the money or the financial thing. And the bereket always goes up when you share it.Chris: Beautiful. Yeah, I love that. I mean, in English, not to reduce it at all, but in English we say, quality over quantity.”Kerim: Yeah, absolutely.Chris: And you said that, in order to offer hospitality or the hospitality that we would like to offer to our guests, sometimes maybe that means not doing it all the time, [00:37:00] because one simply cannot. Right. It's not possible.Kerim: Right.Chris: But yeah, it's a really beautiful point.Kerim: Rumi is a very important Sufi, probably known by many Americans. Even the world knows him. He wrote a poem, which is about the guests. So, if you don't mind, I'm gonna read that, uh, it's called the Guest House and it goes like:This human life is a guest house. Every dawn, a new visitor arrives.A gladness, a sadness, a pettiness, a flash of insights all come knocking, unannounced.Welcome them all. Make room even if a band of sorrows storms inand clears your rooms of comfort.Still honour every guest.[00:38:00] Perhaps they empty you to prepare you for something brighter.The gloomy thought, the shame, the bitterness,greet them at the door with a smile, and lead them inside.Be thankful for whoever comes, for each is sent as a messenger from the beyond.So that's a poem by Rumi, and I think it pretty much explains the whole hospitality thing.Chris: Yeah, that's a gorgeous, gorgeous poem. I love that. I'll make sure that's up on the End of Tourism website when the episode launches.And so finally, Kerim, uh, I'd like to thank you so very much for being willing to join me today, to be willing to speak in a language that is not your first, or mother tongue, and to share with us some of the beauty that has touched your days. Before we say goodbye, [00:39:00] perhaps you could tell our listeners how they can follow and learn more about Kerim Vakfı, Stories from the 30 Birds, your book, and any other projects you might want them to know about.Kerim: We have a Sufi centre in North Carolina, at the University of North Carolina. We have a centre in China, Beijing University, and another center in Kyoto University in Japan. And my mother's book about the commentary of some Quranic verses is the one. For instance, Yasin is available through Amazon and my book Stories from the 30 Birds is available on Barnes and Noble and all that other places in US.Chris: Beautiful. Well, I'll make sure that those links are all available on the End of Tourism website and on my Substack when the episode comes out. [00:40:00] And on behalf of our listeners, tesekkur, tesekkur.Kerim: I thank you. Get full access to Chris Christou at chrischristou.substack.com/subscribe

This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.On today's edition of The Briefing, Dr. Mohler discusses the death of Paul Ehrlich, the problems with population control ideology, if medical associations will backpedal from the transgender revolution, new legislation in California that would require insurance companies to cover female medical procedures that are biologically impossible for men, another woke ruling and its controversy in California, and what nudism in the headlines lays bare about our cultural moment.Part I (00:13 – 09:36)The Death of Paul Ehrlich: Author of “The Population Bomb” and Prophet of the Culture of Death Dies at 93Part II (09:36 – 19:53)Reality vs. the Population Control Worldview: Evidence Did Not Confirm Ehrlich's Population Control Hypothesis – So as a Scientist, Why Didn't He Change His Theory?Paul R. Ehrlich, Who Alarmed the World With ‘The Population Bomb,' Dies at 93 by The New York Times (Keith Schneider)Part III (19:53 – 20:21)Population Control vs. Creation Order: By Definition, Population Control Cannot Be the Real Problem When the Creator Has Told Us to Be Fruitful and MultiplyPart IV (20:21 – 22:29)Will Medical Associations Backpedal from the Transgender Revolution? Money and Ideology are Driving the LGBTQ RevolutionPart V (22:29 – 23:14)The Transgender Revolution Rolls On? New Legislation in California Would Require Insurance Companies to Cover Female Medical Procedures That Are Biologically Impossible for MenPart VI (23:14 – 25:10)Another Woke Ruling in California: A 9th Circuit Ruling and Its Dissent Have Caused a Big ControversyOlympus Spa vs. Armstrong by United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitPart VII (25:10 – 27:36)Rules For Nude Cruises? That Nudism is News Lays Bare Our Cultural MomentYes, there are nude cruises. An insider explains what you should know by USA Today (Nathan Diller)Nudist Camp for Sale: The Rise and Fall of the Florida Naturist Park by The New York Times (Ronda Kaysen)Sign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.

Today we dive deep into the heavy reality of wives who are carrying the spiritual load alone. We break down the biblical definition of headship—Prophet, Priest, and King—and explain how a wife can win her husband "without a word" through a gentle and quiet spirit, while also giving a direct, sobering call to men to repent and embrace Godly leadership. RESOURCES:Master marital communication: https://speak.fiercemarriage.comTake the 31-Day Pursuit Challenge: https://31daypursuit.comPray for your spouse with intention: https://40prayers.comTo learn more about becoming a Christian, visit: https://thenewsisgood.comThis ministry is entirely listener-supported. To partner with us, visit https://fiercemarriage.com/partner Good news! You can now find FULL video episodes on our YouTube channel, The Fierce Family. Visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkyO4yVeRdODrpsyXLhEr7w to subscribe and watch. We hope to see you there!

John 6 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.  3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, "It would take more than half a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" 10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down."  There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.   John 6 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.    3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.     5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, "It would take more than half a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" 10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).    11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.   12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.   14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.   25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"   26 Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.    27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."   28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."   30 So they asked him, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"   32 Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."   34 "Sir," they said, "always give us this bread."   35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.    36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.    38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.    40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."  

PASSOVER was soon. PAINT your doorposts with the BLOOD of the lamb. Many went to JERUSALEM but others flocked to JESUS. Jesus had COMPASSION because we were like sheep without a SHEPHERD. Jesus told them to FEED us. This is indeed the PROPHET who has come into the WORLD! This is the work of God, […]

The Trump administration miscalculated how Iran would respond to this war. And the United States, Iran and Israel were brought to the brink of war in the first place because of a whole series of misjudgments and miscalculations going back decades. Ali Vaez is the Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. He was involved in the negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear deal, and is in fact himself a nuclear scientist. He's also an author of “How Sanctions Work: Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare.” In this conversation, Vaez explains how over 47 years the United States, Israel and Iran came to one another as threats, and why so many efforts to thaw relations failed. It's the briefing on Iran that Trump should have received before he decided to go to war. Mentioned: How Sanctions Work by Narges Bajoghli, Vali Nasr, Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, and Ali Vaez Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Book Recommendations: Persians by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones The Mantle of the Prophet by Roy P. Mottahedeh Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs. This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Jack McCordick. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris with Kate Sinclair. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Isaac Jones and Aman Sahota. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show's production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Kristin Lin, Emma Kehlbeck, Marina King and Jan Kobal. Original music by Aman Sahota and Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some hearts enter Ramadan carrying a quiet weight. Not the pain of sudden loss, but the pain of long waiting. Dua made again and again… yet the answer seems delayed. This episode speaks to the heart that feels worn down by waiting - the heart that still hopes this Ramadan will bring healing, direction, and relief. Through the story of Zakariyya (عليه السلام) and the words of the Prophet ﷺ, we are reminded why no waiting is ever meaningless. If your heart feels tired from asking, this episode is for you. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #islamicreminder #Dua #ramadan2026

The last ten nights of Ramadan are approaching. Nights unlike any other. Nights in which sins can be erased. Nights in which a servant can move from distance to closeness in a single moment. Nights that hold a reward greater than a lifetime. Yet many of us enter them unaware. Still distracted. Still treating them like ordinary nights. In this episode, Ustadh Muhammad Tim Humble reminds us what these final nights truly are, why the Prophet ﷺ changed his entire routine for them, and why relying on a single night could mean missing the greatest opportunity of the year. Laylatul Qadr may arrive on any of these nights. And a single night within them is better than more than eighty years of worship. The question is not whether these nights will come. The question is whether our hearts will be ready when they do. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #ramadan2026 #laylatulqadr #heart #islamicreminder

There comes a moment in a believer's journey when something quietly changes. You realise you're not where you used to be. Not where you hope to be, either. But at least… you're moving in the right direction. This episode speaks about the heart that has begun its journey back to Allah. A reminder that no step toward Him is ever small, and that Allah welcomes the returning servant with a mercy greater than we can imagine. The Prophet ﷺ told us that Allah is more joyful at the repentance of His servant than a man who finds his lost provisions in the middle of a barren desert. And sometimes the path back does not begin with something overwhelming. It begins with small, consistent acts that keep the heart moving toward Allah. Because what matters in the end is not where we started, but where we finish. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #ramadan2026 #islamicreminder #muslim

Linktr.ee/JonathanDorn

Note: Sorry for the radio silence! Long story short, the latest MacBook Pro seems to have some kind of line-wide defect. When I first bought it last year, the screen died a day later. And I got another one, and it worked fine for like a year and then about three weeks ago the screen died again. I took it to the Apple Store for a repair, they fixed it, I got it...and the screen died again. And so I had to get it fixed all over again. Unfortunately I opted for the 64gb ram version, which they don't sell in stores. So every time I need it fixed, it takes a week to order in the parts. Needless to say, this has completely made me unable to edit the show or any other videos. But I've got my computer back now and it seems to be going strong, so we'll be back to regular posting.--BACK OUR PATREON!https://bit.ly/deepcutspatreonCHECK OUT OUR NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL!https://bit.ly/mysterytreehouse--If you lived in New York in the '80s or '90s and had a taste for the weird corners of cable television, you might have stumbled upon a public access show called Dirge of the Charlatans. It aired at strange hours and looked like something taped in a janitor's closet. Its host was a manic street corner preacher in a cheap suit who punched up at politicians, crooked police, and the government at large. But his passion was infectious, and at least once, hauntingly on point. --Written by Adam Smith--Join our Discord server!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/deepcutsdiscord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--Pick up some Deep Cuts T-Shirts and other merch!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/deepcutsmerch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--Get the official Deep Cuts shoulder patch!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/deepcuts_patch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--Listen to our album, a 9 song rock opera about the rise and fall of Napster!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/album/63C5uu1tkzZ2FhfsrSSf5s?si=q4WItoNmRUeM159TxKLWew

Do you spend most of your time chasing money? Get ready to be inspired by two incredible stories: Mus'ab ibn Umayr's transformation and the lesson from the Battle of Hunayn! True Muslims who chose the joy of being with the Prophet over the temptations of worldly wealth. These tales are a powerful reminder of where the real rewards lie.

Urdu Friday Sermon delivered by Khalifa-tul-Masih on March 13th, 2026 (audio)

Each Epic episode is produced by Playful World Ministries! To help us continue to playfully reach kids for Christ, please go to: https://actintl.givingfuel.com/brownlee Thank you for your support, in allowing us to creatively express God's Truth to a worldwide audience! Episode 7 “And He Will Be Called” – With Liz nearby, Isaiah begins to name names for the coming Messiah! The IAMISPHERE finally arrives in our studio, so our epic animals can finally answer questions from young Reese, though Gillamon's still stuck in the 16th century. And Jenny's got a game we all can play! Featuring the audiobook “The Prophet, the Shepherd, & the Star,” by Jenny L. Cote3:01 – Part III of Reese's letter from Richardson, Texas 4:06 – The IAMISPHERE arrives in our studio! 6:29 – Chapter 7: “And He Will Be Called” 17:00 – In Jenny's Corner, Jenny tells us about a game we all can play! 17:59 – While Gillamon steps into the 21st century, we all answer playful questions from ReeseAnd as always – we'd love to hear from you! Email Jenny: Jenny@epicorderoftheseven.com or email our studios: playfulworldministries@gmail.com And don't forget – you can get your very own copy of the audiobook, “The Prophet, the Shepherd,& the Star,” written by Jenny L. Cote, and narrated by Denny Brownlee, by going to Audible.com. Click here to order: https://tinyurl.com/acv2atsc

Message at iHope 3.8.26 Malachi 1.1-5

Linktr.ee/JonathanDorn

Tonight is the 23rd night. And because the Islamic calendar begins at Maghrib, tonight is already Friday night. Many of our pious predecessors said that when an odd night of Ramadan falls on a Friday night, the likelihood of it being Laylatul Qadr increases.This is the night we've been hunting for all year. So do extra. Make lots of du'a. Don't waste a minute of it.And as it happens — alhamdulillah — the ayat we reach tonight in Surah Al-A'raf are about du'a itself. About how to make it, what should be in our heart when we make it, and why it is the very heart of all worship. Allah has a way of doing that.A paid subscription includes a free digital copy of the Surah Al-A'raf Study Guide and Workbook. Now That You Know Who He Is — Call HimWe spent two nights on ayah 54. We talked about the six stages of creation, about Prof. Jenkins' framework, about matter and antimatter, about why physicists keep stopping just short of saying “God” — and why that has everything to do with European trauma and nothing to do with the evidence.The point was this: Allah introduced Himself. He is the one who created the heavens and the earth. The sun, the moon, the stars — all operating under His command. And this matters because now ayah 55 opens with a natural next step.You know who your Lord is. So call Him.Ud'u rabbakum tadarru'an wa khufya.Call your Lord with tadaru' — with humility — and khufya — quietly.The Outer and the InnerTadaru' captures two things at once: humility on the outside and humility on the inside. Both. Together.The external side — your body posture when you make du'a. You don't stand chest out, arms crossed, making demands. You beg. And the way we beg is with our palms open, raised to the sky. The Prophet ﷺ taught us this. And he said that Allah is — and I want you to sit with this — embarrassed when His servant raises his hands to the sky and then puts them back down empty.That's not to say Allah owes us anything. He doesn't. But it tells you something about how much He loves to hear from us. He is waiting for us to call. He wants us to call. So when we raise our hands, He will not let us lower them without answering.The Prophet ﷺ when making du'a would look downward — hands raised, gaze lowered. The qibla of salah is the Ka'bah. The qibla of du'a is the sky. But in moments of great need, moments of complete brokenness, he would raise his hands high and look upward. Not demanding. Just — there is no one else. There is nowhere else to turn. Ya Allah.Then there is khufya — quietly. The companions were once marching and making du'a at the top of their lungs. The Prophet ﷺ told them to bring it down. Your Lord is not deaf. He hears you.So the outer dimension of du'a: humble posture, lowered voice.But there is also the inner dimension — and that comes in the next ayah.What Du'a Feels Like on the InsideAyah 56: Khawfan wa tama'an. Make du'a with fear and longing.We talked about tama' a few nights ago in the context of the people of A'raf. In Malay it means greedy — but in Arabic it means something different. It means a deep, intense desire for something. You want it so much. So tama' in du'a means you are making du'a with a genuine ache for it. Not going through the motions. Actually wanting.And khawf — fear. What are we afraid of? Not that Allah won't answer. But that we are not worthy of the answer. That we might be arrogant enough to think we've earned it. The khawf keeps us humble. It stops du'a from becoming a transaction — Ya Allah, I've been to taraweeh 23 nights straight, so now give me what I want, or I'm not coming tomorrow. That is not du'a. That is negotiation.Khawf and tama'. Fear and hope. These two things together are not just for du'a — they carry us through our entire journey to Allah.Think about what happens when they get out of balance. If a person only has fear — only reads the ayat of punishment, only thinks about Jahannam, only focuses on their sins — they will break. They'll reach a point where they think: everything I do is wrong, Allah is going to throw me into the fire anyway, why bother? So they give up. The fear, without hope, destroys.And if a person only has hope — only focuses on Allah's mercy, only reads about forgiveness — they get lazy. Why worry about halal and haram? Allah is Ghafurul Rahim. He'll forgive me. The hope, without fear, makes you complacent.You need both. Fear reminds you that Allah is Al-Muntaqim — the Avenger, the One who punishes, the One who has full power over Jahannam. Hope reminds you that He is Ghafurul Rahim. And when those two things live in your heart together, you keep moving. You don't collapse, and you don't drift.Du'a Is the Essence of Every IbadahHere's something that might reframe how you see worship.After spending all of ayah 54 introducing who He is — after all of that — the next instruction Allah gives is not pray. Not fast. Not give zakat. It is: make du'a. Why?Because the Prophet ﷺ said: al-du'a mukhkhul ibadah — du'a is the marrow of worship. The core. The essence. Every act of worship, properly understood, contains du'a within it.What is the most important part of salah? The Prophet ﷺ said: there is no salah without Surah Al-Fatiha. So what is Al-Fatiha about? Strip away the opening praises — Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen, Al-Rahman Al-Rahim, Maliki Yawmid-Din — those are the adab. You praise Allah first before you ask. You don't walk up to someone and say I need five hundred dollars before you've even said hello. You warm them up. You acknowledge them. Then you drop the ask. And the ask in Al-Fatiha is one thing: Ihdina As-Sirat Al-Mustaqim. Oh Allah, keep us on the straight path. The entire prayer — seven times in every raka'ah — is that one du'a. Put me back on the path.And fasting? The Prophet ﷺ said: whoever enters Ramadan and leaves it without their sins being forgiven, Allah curses them. That means the entire month of fasting is one extended du'a: Ya Allah, forgive me. Every hunger pang is that du'a. Every moment of thirst. Every night of taraweeh. All of it is saying: Ya Allah, I am broken, I need You, forgive me.Al-du'a mukhkhul ibadah. When you understand that, you understand why du'a comes before everything else in this ayah.Don't Spread Corruption After the Earth Has Been Set RightAllah ends ayah 56 with something that reaches far beyond our personal worship: do not spread corruption on earth after it has been set right.Ba'da islahiha. After its reform. After its repair. The earth has been made good. Don't undo that.This is bigger than just don't harm people. Our responsibility is to all of Allah's creation — human beings, animals, plants, the water, the land. Allah follows this immediately with the image of wind carrying rain clouds across the sky, dead earth suddenly turning green after winter — that is Allah's islah. He repairs the earth constantly. Who are we to corrupt what He keeps restoring?The Prophet ﷺ once saw a companion using excess water while making wudu. He asked him: what is this waste? The companion said: is there waste in wudu? I'm doing ibadah. And the Prophet ﷺ said: yes. Even if you are making wudu in a flowing river.A flowing river. 1,400 years ago, people could not imagine that human beings would ever have the capacity to destroy something as vast and powerful as a river. And yet here we are — post-industrial revolution, with water undrinkable in country after country, because we corrupted it. The Prophet ﷺ saw it coming. The instruction was already there.Even at war, Islamic rules of conduct prohibit cutting down trees and burning crops. If we cannot corrupt the environment in war, what is our excuse in times of peace?Qaribun Min Al-MuhsineenAllah ends with: indeed the mercy of Allah is near to those who are muhsineen — those who are excellent, those who do ihsan.We'll pick this up tomorrow insha'Allah and explore what it means that Allah's mercy is specifically close to the muhsineen — and what that tells us about the standard we should be reaching for.Thanks for reading Grounded! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundeddaily.substack.com/subscribe

The Last Ten Nights Are HereBefore diving into the final ayah of Surah Al-Muzzammil, a timely reminder — tonight is the 23rd night of Ramadan. The last ten nights are upon us, and the Prophet ﷺ told us to hunt for Laylatul Qadr in these nights, especially the odd ones. Tonight is one of them.So what should fill these nights? Extra raka'at. Extra Quran. Extra dhikr. And the best du'a for this occasion comes to us through Sayyidatuna Aisha (رضي الله عنها), who asked the Prophet ﷺ: if I encounter the Night of Al-Qadr, what should I say? He replied: “Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa'fu ‘anni” — “O Allah, You are the Most Pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.”Now, there's an important distinction here between ‘afw and ghafar. When we say astaghfirullah and ask for Allah's forgiveness (ghafar), the record of the sin remains — but the punishment is cancelled. The deed is still in the books on the Day of Mahshar, but Allah will not punish us for it.Al-'Afw is something else entirely. It is when the record is expunged altogether. Wiped clean. As if the sin never happened. This is why the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever fasts sincerely and prays during the nights of Ramadan — and catches Laylatul Qadr — will have all their past sins forgiven. They exit Ramadan like the day they were born. No record of sins whatsoever.It's just a few nights. Sleep a little less. Yes, there will be tiredness — that's okay. This is our training. Don't miss a night that is greater than a thousand months, greater than 83 years of worship.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Where We Left Off — The Arc of Surah Al-MuzzammilThe surah opened with a command: stand up at night, pray, and recite the Quran. Why? Because the day is full of heavy tasks — spreading truth, standing for justice, enduring hardship — and the strength to carry all of that comes from the spiritual work done at night. Reading about Jannah motivates. Reading about Jahannam sobers. The connection to Allah realigns everything.Then came the warning through the story of Fir'aun — richer, stronger, more powerful than the Quraysh, yet destroyed in an instant when he rejected Prophet Musa. Then the terrifying imagery of Yawmul Qiyamah: skies torn apart, children's hair turning white from sheer terror. And finally, the choice: believe and take the prophetic path, or reject and face the consequences. Every choice carries a consequence.Now the surah circles back to where it began — Qiyamul Layl — but this time with something remarkable: mercy.Allah Knows Our WeaknessThe original command was demanding. Stand up most of the night — two-thirds, or at least half, or at the very minimum a third. The Prophet ﷺ did this every single night, without exception, even while travelling, even during battle. But Allah knew that the rest of the ummah would struggle.Allah says: “Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand less than two-thirds of the night, sometimes half, sometimes even less than a third — and so do a group of those with you.”Allah is the One who measured the length of night and day. Some seasons, the nights are long and Qiyamul Layl is easier — in Perth during winter, Maghrib comes in at 5:15 and Fajr isn't until around six. Plenty of time to sleep and still wake up. But in the peak of summer, when Fajr is at 3:30? That's a different story. Allah knows all of this.And so He says: “He has forgiven you.” Qiyamul Layl is fard upon the Prophet ﷺ, but for the rest of us, Allah has already shown mercy and lifted that strict obligation.But Don't Abandon It AltogetherHere's the key — just because the full obligation has been eased doesn't mean doing nothing is an option. Allah says: “So read what is easy for you from the Quran.” Stand up for even two raka'at. Read whatever surahs have been memorised. Carve out even a small portion of the night for spiritual work.This is a fundamental principle in Islam: what cannot be accomplished entirely should not be abandoned in totality. Islam doesn't teach perfectionism — it's not 100% or nothing. It teaches consistent effort. The Prophet ﷺ said that the most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are consistent, even if they are small. Two raka'at every single night outweighs a marathon session once a month.And this, by the way, is one of the great purposes behind memorising the Quran — so that those surahs can be recited in prayer. Al-Kahf, Al-Mulk, Al-Baqarah — they come alive when recited standing before Allah at night.The Three Excuses Allah AcceptsThen Allah provides specific concessions. First: those who are sick. Illness isn't a choice — when rest is needed for recovery, Allah says it's okay.But then come two more categories that are remarkable, because they are things people can choose — and Allah still grants them as valid reasons for doing less Qiyamul Layl.The first: those who travel the earth seeking Allah's bounty — meaning those who are out working, doing business, building economic stability. The second: those who fight in the path of Allah, defending the religion and the community.These two are placed in equal standing. Working hard to earn a living is given the same weight as defending the faith. That is extraordinary. It tells us something profound about how Islam views economic productivity — not as a worldly distraction, but as an act valued by Allah Himself.The Prophet ﷺ said the best rizq is what a person earns from their own effort, and he pointed to Prophet Dawud (عليه السلام) as the example — a prophet, a king, and yet also a blacksmith who worked with iron and ate from the labour of his own hands.Ibn Umar expressed this beautifully. He said the best deaths he could wish for were two: martyrdom in the path of Allah, and dying on a business journey — on his camel, with his trade goods, on his way to earn a living. Because this ayah puts them side by side.Islam Wants Muslims to Be Wealthy — But With PurposeThe encouragement to work hard and build wealth doesn't come without direction. Islam doesn't say: get rich so you can buy the fanciest car, then a fancy island, and once you run out of things to buy on earth, spend a trillion dollars trying to conquer Mars.Islam says: be rich, but that's not the end goal. The ummah becomes strong when Muslims have economic power and an akhirah mindset. With wealth, the community can build schools, support students in critical fields, fund long-term projects. This is Sadaqatul Jariyah — continuously flowing charity that keeps giving long after the initial contribution.There's a telling hadith in Imam Al-Nawawi's Forty Collection that captures this tension perfectly. The poor companions once came to the Prophet ﷺ and complained: “Ya Rasulullah, the rich have taken all the extra reward! They pray like we pray, they fast like we fast — but they can give charity from their surplus wealth, and we can't.” The Prophet ﷺ reassured them that dhikr — saying SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar — is also charity. The poor companions went away happy. But a few days later? The rich started doing dhikr too. Now they had both. The poor came back and said: what about us now?The point isn't to vilify poverty. The Prophet ﷺ went on to explain that there is charity in every good act — helping someone onto their ride, carrying someone's load. But wealth opens doors that nothing else can. Zakat, the pillar of Islam, is only payable by those who have wealth. And the framing matters: it's not that the wealthy have to pay zakat — they get to pay zakat. Without wealth, that entire pillar of Islam is inaccessible. And hajj is the same.The story of Sayyidina Uthman (رضي الله عنه) at the Battle of Tabuk drives this home. He donated so generously — horses, camels, wealth — that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Nothing Uthman does after this will harm him.” Guaranteed paradise. And Uthman wasn't living in poverty. He had luxuries. But look at the scale of what his wealth allowed him to do for the ummah.At the same time, Islam doesn't expect anyone to give 100% away. The best charity, the Prophet ﷺ said, is what is spent on family — on spouses, on children. The balance is always there: spend on yourself, on your family, and on the ummah for the sake of the akhirah.The Beautiful LoanEven with all these concessions, Allah says: still, read what is easy from the Quran. Establish your salah. Pay your zakat. Don't let the extras overshadow the foundations — a hundred raka'at of Qiyamul Layl mean nothing if Fajr is missed. Generous charity donations mean nothing if zakat is neglected. The obligatory always comes first.Then comes a stunning phrase: “And give Allah a beautiful loan (qard hasan).”A qard hasan is a loan with no deadline for repayment and no interest. Every good deed — every act of worship, every charity, every kindness — is a loan to Allah. And here's the beauty of it: Allah doesn't need our loan. He owns everything in the heavens and the earth and everything in between and beyond. He could simply say: “That's Mine, I gave it to you, give it back.”But in His mercy, Allah understands human nature. He understands that people are wired to think in terms of profit and return on investment. So He frames it as a transaction: give Me a loan, and I will surely repay you — multiplied many times over. In human transactions, demanding extra on a qard is riba. But with Allah, He is the One promising to multiply the return. It's the ultimate ROI.And what can a person invest with? Two things: wealth or skills. Both require Muslims to be hardworking.It's All For UsAllah then makes something clear: whatever is sent forth for the akhirah, it's essentially for our own benefit. Allah doesn't need our investment. Every command He gives is for our sake, not His.And there's a profound observation embedded here. As humanity lives more and more comfortably — materially, physically — mental health continues to decline. The richer the country, the higher the rates of depression and anxiety. Why? Because life without purpose erodes the soul. When everything is easy and comfortable, humans lose their sense of direction.Islam solves this by providing a purpose so enormous that no amount of wealth or comfort can make it irrelevant: getting to Jannah. How do we get there? That question structures every day, every decision, every effort. It keeps life purposeful no matter the circumstances. And when the community works together with that shared purpose, everyone rises.Ending with IstighfarThe surah closes with a command to seek Allah's forgiveness. Wastaghfirullah — make istighfar. There are two dimensions to this.First, the timing. The pre-dawn hours — suhoor time — are the best time for istighfar. Allah praises those who seek forgiveness in the early morning. For those already awake for Qiyamul Layl, this flows naturally.Second, there's a subtler reason. Sometimes, in the middle of worship and good deeds, something dangerous creeps into the heart. A feeling of: “I woke up for Qiyamul Layl. I read Surah Al-Kahf in one raka'ah and Surah Al-Mulk in the next. I'm amazing.” Or after giving a large charity: “I'm so generous. Look at what I gave.”This is kibr — arrogance — and it's one of Shaitan's favourite tricks. When he can't stop someone from doing good deeds, he tries to spoil the deed through the intention. So the surah ends with the antidote: astaghfirullah. Centre yourself. Realign the intention. “Ya Allah, if there was any misalignment in my heart, I seek Your forgiveness.”Indeed, Allah is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful.The Complete Message of Surah Al-MuzzammilAnd with that, Surah Al-Muzzammil comes to a close. Its message is beautifully complete: stay up at night, even a little. Pray. Read Quran. Let that spiritual recharge fuel everything in the day — the work, the earning, the serving of the ummah. Islam is a religion of balance: worship at night, work hard in the day. And in between, give everything its right. The body has a right — rest, nutrition, exercise. Family has a right — time and attention. And Allah has a right — acts of worship.Fulfil all those rights. That's the straight path.Your Action Steps This Week* Make the du'a of Laylatul Qadr every night. Memorise “Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa'fu ‘anni”and repeat it abundantly in the remaining nights of Ramadan. Understand the difference — this isn't just asking for forgiveness, it's asking for a complete clean slate.* Do something every night, even if it's small. If two raka'at is all that's manageable, pray two raka'at. If one page of Quran is what's realistic, read one page. Don't let the inability to do everything become an excuse to do nothing.* Reframe how work fits into worship. This ayah places earning a livelihood alongside fighting in the path of Allah. Approach work this week with the conscious intention that economic productivity is an act Allah values — and use what is earned to benefit family and community.* Audit the foundations before the extras. Before adding more nawafil, make sure the obligatory salah and zakat are fully in order. The extras don't compensate for gaps in the foundations.* End every night with istighfar. After Qiyamul Layl, after du'a, after any act of worship — close with astaghfirullah. Let it be the safeguard against arrogance creeping into the heart through the very deeds meant to bring closeness to Allah.May Allah grant us the strength to apply the lessons from Surah Al-Muzzammil — to pray at night, recite the Quran, and work hard in the day for the benefit of the ummah. May Allah allow us to enter Jannah with the Prophet ﷺ and with the Sahaba.Next week, inshaAllah, we begin Suratul Muddaththir. Don't forget — tonight is the 23rd night. Qiyamul Layl. Stay up extra. Make lots of du'a.Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.Thanks for reading Grounded! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundeddaily.substack.com/subscribe

Gospel Matthew 5:17-19 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” Reflection The Jews had developed along with to Ten Commandments another over 600 regulations and rules. Jesus is not talking about them. He's talking about the heart of the law and the heart of the message of the prophets. The law is to love God yourself and others, and the words of the Prophet were always the truth. So all he's saying is that the kingdom of Heaven is going to be based always in what is absolutely true. And when one lives more and more in the truth, one creates this beautiful thing called the Kingdom of Heaven. Closing Prayer Father, open our hearts to the fullness of who you are as a teacher, opening our hearts to the most fundamental truths that when we embrace them, understand them, obey them, we find this beautiful place that God has called us to, The Kingdom of Heaven, a place where there is peace and unity and joy. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beginning of Prophetic Messages. Ezekiel, a Prophet, Priest, and Prisoner, a captive among others that were so down they couldn't sing, yet God gave visions to Ezekiel. The Greek word for man in Ch.1:v.26 is the word "ADAM", not "ISHI". A Prophet's starting point is Repentance, Metanioia. Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2026 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved

Pastor Justin Karl preaches on Deuteronomy 18:15-22, 21:18-23

In this episode, Clint has a conversation with David Aaker – the “Father of Modern Branding,” Vice Chairman at Prophet, and bestselling author of 18 books – about why stories are one of the most powerful tools leaders and organizations have to communicate their message and build lasting brands.David shares the origin of the modern concept of brand equity, how the marketing world shifted away from short-term tactics toward building long-term brand assets, and why storytelling is far more effective than simply presenting facts.He also introduces the concept of “signature stories,” which are compelling narratives that capture attention, spark emotion, and communicate a strategic message in a way people remember and share.Along the way, David explains why facts alone rarely persuade, why stories dramatically improve memory and engagement, and how leaders can use narrative to cut through today's noisy and skeptical communication environment.This is the first part of a two-part conversation.Topics Covered:David's journey from MIT and Stanford to becoming the “Father of Modern Branding”Why the concept of brand equity reshaped marketing strategy in the 1990sHow companies unintentionally destroyed brand value by chasing short-term salesWhat signature stories are and how they differ from simple anecdotesThe four elements of a powerful signature story: intriguing, authentic, involving, and strategicWhy stories are remembered far more than facts aloneHow storytelling helps overcome skepticism and information overloadTurning facts and data into narratives people actually care aboutWhy taglines play a crucial role in building long-term brand equityThe surprising effectiveness of long-form communication in a short-attention-span worldLinks:David's company, Prophet - https://prophet.com/ David's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidaaker/ David's book, “Aaker on Branding” - https://bit.ly/40bgtGg

In this passage, David is running for his life and ends up in Gath; the very place where his enemies live. To escape, he does something unexpected: he pretends to be insane. It's not a moment of strength, but a moment of weakness that God still uses to preserve him. Following God doesn't always look impressive or logical. Sometimes obedience in the middle of fear looks strange to the world. But faith means learning to follow Christ through fear rather than letting fear control us. The real question is: What are you doing with your fear? Will you trust God through it like David, or be ruled by it like Saul?

Prophets, we get excited when the word is going forth, that we forget to eat the word for ourselves.

Linktr.ee/JonathanDorn

In an eerily prophetic speech 11 years ago, Marco Rubio warned that Democrats were arming Iran with the missiles that would give them the ability to hit US bases and eventually America. To understand what's going on now, you've got to hit rewind. (Please subscribe & share.)

What’s the difference between knowing about God and truly being with God? In this episode, Alan reflects on a question at the heart of the Christian life: Are we formed more as scribes—accurate, informed, articulate—or as prophets—people shaped by lived communion with the living God? Drawing from voices like A. W. Tozer, Eugene Peterson, John of Ruusbroec, and Thomas H. Green, Alan explores the interior life Jesus invites us into—a life not marked by spiritual fireworks, but by learning to see ordinary life through the eyes of God. This conversation invites pastors, leaders, and everyday followers of Jesus to slow down, listen deeply, and allow prayerful attentiveness to shape not only what we say about God, but who we are becoming in his presence. Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website. Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A Regnum Christi Daily Meditation. Sign up to receive the text in your email daily at RegnumChristi.com

Table of Contents: STRATEGIC WARFARE PRAYER Previously Scott Johnson's Reports On Iran and Iran’s Supreme Devil Muslim Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: End Time Current Events-1-6-20-Part 2–Table of Contents: Will Trump give neocons their war with Iran?–…Actual PROOF that your television news is all Propaganda–Iran: “Our Response Will Shock America to its core”–…U.S. Issues National Terrorism Advisory–Iran Has Hezbollah Sleeper Cells in the U.S. Ready to Strike–Major U.S. Cities Ramp up Security to Prepare For Potential Iran-Backed Attacks–Thousands chant ‘Death to America!' and hold signs vowing revenge at funeral of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani after he was killed in US airstrike–First Time in Modern History: Mosques in Iran Raise Red Flag of Vengeance and War–Red flag raised at Mosque warning of severe battle to come…–Will punish Americans wherever they are–…CIVILIAN WAR PREPS RECOMMENDATIONS–…IF IRAN SITUATION BECOMES A GLOBAL WAR, THAT WOULD NOT BE GOOD FOR THE USA AT ALL. THE COUNTRY IS SO UNPREPARED SPIRITUALLY MENTALLY EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY–Islamic Groups ‘Thrilled' About US Governors Approving More Islamic Savage Refuges–WORLD WIDE RUSH PREPARING FOR THE BUILD UP FOR WORLD WAR 3-AND THE APPEARNCE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST MAN OF PEACE End Time Current Events: 3-29-15 — Part 3-Table of Contents: USA CAVES TO IRAN NUKE DEMANDS–Iran allowed to run nuke centrifuges at underground bunker…–KHAMENEI CALLS ‘DEATH TO AMERICA'–KERRY HAILS NUKE DEAL PROGESS–…Army issues troops safety instructions following Islamic State kill list threat–Announcement: USA Shelbyville Tennessee Terrorist Camps Positioned To Destroy Oak Ridge USA Nuclear Plants–DPS REPORT: Terrorists From ISIS and al-Shabab Apprehended in Texas: US Malls on Alert Following Threat–Tennessee terrorist camps well positioned to strike key cities End Time Current Events: 3-23-14 — Part 2-Table of Contents: …Leading Iranian Ayatollah: Mahdi (Islamic Messiah) Is Coming And He Has Plans To ‘Behead Western Leaders' End Time Current Events: 2-26-12–Part 1-Table of Contents: Iran has possessed nuclear warheads and that Western Intelligence has known of it for years–Ayatollah: Kill all Jews, annihilate Israel–Maitreya & the 12th Imam/ Imam Mahdi–Islam the Religion of Peace Teaches: Jews & Americans are enemies of Allah and humanity – Kill them Current: Iran’s Supreme Muslim Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed at 86 Iran’s Regime Executes 353 in One Month–February 2026; 2,600 Executions in the Past 11 Months!!–This unprecedented surge in executions demonstrates that the inhuman clerical regime cannot survive even for a single day without execution, imprisonment, and torture! Iran: Khamenei's New Record in Executions and Crimes–The number of executions in Iran in 2023 accounted for about 74% of all documented executions worldwide! USA – Israel & Iran War Top Headlines Read: USA burns through precision munitions, air defense interceptors…–Tehran shows off underground ‘Missile City’ of drones, rockets…THE COMING INVASION OF IRAN–LIST: All the countries now involved in conflict…–Global Leaders Brace for Fallout From Fast Metastasizing War…–Tehran's plan to turn Hormuz into death trap…–BOOTS ON THE GROUND–KURDS PREP FOR IRAN GROUND INVASION–AMERICANS STRANDED IN WARZONE–Iran’s new Ayatollah vows to ‘shed Trump’s blood’ in televised address…–Conflict spreads as drones hit Azerbaijan; Europeans send warships to Cyprus… IRAN THREAT TO NUKE TEL AVIV–RUSSIA ‘APOCALYPSE’ WARNING–MOSCOW PROVIDING INTEL TO TARGET US FORCES–LEAKED US INTEL WARNS OF IRAN DISASTER–DOUBTS IRAN REGIME WILL FALL CIA Analyst Larry Johnson Exposes Truth on Iran War US-Israeli attack on Iran expands into GLOBAL WAR: EU & UK join, Canada supports, Gulf regimes hit Trump Confirms US Went To War For Israel Previously: Here We Go! Trump’s Base Breaks Further As He Demands States Support Israel Or Risk Getting Disaster Relief! Scott Johnson's Previous Teachings: Emergency Freedom Alerts: 11-18-24-Part 2–Table of Contents:…Nov 12–Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell meets with newly elected GOP senators in his Capitol Hill office. These new senators are Israel-approved–AIPAC Tracker–Breaking–Donald Trump: “My first week back in the Oval Office, my administration will inform every college president that, if you do not end antisemitic propaganda, they will lose their accreditation and federal taxpayer support” I thought U.S had free speech? Emergency Freedom Alerts: 10-28-24-Part 1-Table of Contents:…Israeli Spy: Anyone Who Gets in Our way – even Politicians in the west . . . Will FALL”–The AIPAC PAC is a bipartisan, pro-Israel political action committee. It is the largest pro-Israel PAC in America and contributed more resources directly to candidates than any other PAC. 98% of AIPAC-backed candidates won their general election races in 2022–Every member of US Congress has an “AIPAC person” — a liaison between AIPAC and the politician–This “AIPAC baby sitter” tells the Congressman how to vote, what to tweet/say etc–This is just one way on how Israel controls America. Listener Comment: Does the Bible COMMAND Christians to blindly support the nation of ISRAEL?? What Does The Bible Say About The Jews (or any other race) Being Better Than Another? Is God done with the Jews? No, Not According to the Bible ‘End Times’: U.S. Troops Were Told the Iran War Is for Sparking “Armageddon” & the Return of Jesus Christ Trump’s commanders tell troops to prepare for Jesus’ return and issues a chilling Armageddon prophecy–US commanders tell troops Trump ‘anointed by Jesus’ to start Iran war sparking hundreds of complaints: I WONDER HOW MUCH INFLUENCE ‘SPIRITUAL ADVISOR’ PAULA WHITE CALLED ‘A PROPHET’ HAD ON TRUMP’S DECISION  What do USA & Israel TRULY want in Iran? Total Control and Societal collapse PDF: Emergency Freedom Alerts 3-9-26 Click Here To Play The Part 1 Audio Source

Send a textPastor Harlo White delivers the message "The Fall of Babylon, Part 2", originally delivered on September 9, 1982.Stand with Pastor Harlo White in supporting the Harlo White Healing Stream Podcast. Your donation helps keep this podcast reaching people all across the Earth. Ask God the Father what he would have you do in giving to this ministry. You can visit our website at www.harlowhitehealingstream.com/giving to make a secure donation online. You can also mail your donation to:HARLO WHITE HEALING STREAMP.O. BOX 4695CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 60680.

We pause before Nehemiah to read Haggai, tracing how stalled priorities, thin harvests, and heavy opposition met a simple call: consider your ways, rebuild the temple, and trust that God is with us. We explore procrastination, purpose, and the courage to bring one brick and begin.• why Haggai speaks into Zerubbabel's stalled temple project• how opposition, drought, and discouragement fed delay• “consider your ways” as a reset of priorities• God's promise of presence and greater future glory• holiness versus contamination in community life• blessing tied to resumed obedience, not perfect conditions• practical steps to move from delay to actionKelsey and I are releasing three books, a whole trilogy at once, and one of them is very much centered on the story of Nehemiah, and a little bit about Haggai, actually, what we're gonna be reading today as well At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you're there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.Support the showCheck out outloudbible.com for helpful study resources, and to discover how to bring the public reading of God's word to your church, conference, retreat, or other event.

A helping hand isn't helpful if you don't reach out to take it.

Women In Scripture Pastors JF and Ashley Wilkerson Genesis 2:18 NIV 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Adam = human Ezer Kenegdo (עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ) - A powerful partner who is a strong aid corresponding to him or a strength as his front or “Deliverer”. Genesis 2:19-24 NIV 19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,' for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. צֵלָע (tsēlāʿ / tsela) = Side   Genesis 1:26-27 NIV 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 3:16b NIV 16b...Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. Galatians 3:26-28 NIV Luke 6:12-16 NIV Luke 10:1 NIV 1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. Matthew 12:46-50 NIV 46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you. 48" He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. Luke 8:1-3 NIV Luke 10:38-42 NIV In the Old Testament: Deborah – Judge, Prophet, Military Leader Deborah served as both judge and prophet and led Israel into battle, which was one of the highest leadership positions in Israel.  (Judges 4:4–9 & Judges 5) Miriam – Prophetess, worship leader (Exodus 15:20–21; Numbers 12:2; Micah 6:4) Huldah – National prophetic authority consulted by the king (2 Kings 22:14–20 & 2 Chronicles 34:22–28) Isaiah's wife – Prophetess (Isaiah 8:3) Jael – Delivered Israel (Judges 4:17–22; Judges 5:24) Esther – Saved the Jewish people (Book of Esther) Abigail – Prevented bloodshed, advised David (1 Samuel 25) The Wise Woman of Abel – Negotiated peace (2 Samuel 20:16–22) The Shunammite Woman – Influential patron of Elisha (2 Kings 4:8–37; 2 Kings 8:1–6) Rahab – Protector of Israel's spies (Joshua 2; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25) In the New Testament: Anna – Prophetess who proclaimed the Messiah (Luke 2:36–38) Philip's four daughters – Prophets (Acts 21:8–9) Junia – Apostle that Paul called “outstanding among the apostles.” whose name was changed in some translations (Romans 16:7) Priscilla – Teacher, church planter that corrected and taught Apollos, one of the most influential early teachers. (Acts 18:24–26; Romans 16:3–5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19) Lydia – Church planter / patron whose home became the first church in Philippi. (Acts 16:13–15; Acts 16:40) Mary Magdalene – Disciple, Apostle to the Apostles (Luke 8:1–3; John 20:17–18) Joanna – Disciple and supporter of Jesus' ministry (Luke 8:3; Luke 24:10) Susanna – Ministry supporter (Luke 8:3) Mary of Bethany – Disciple (Luke 10:38–42; John 11; John 12:1–8) Samaritan Woman – Evangelist who brought an entire town to Jesus. (John 4:7–30; John 4:39) Euodia – Ministry Leader (Philippians 4:2–3) Syntyche – Ministry Leader (Philippians 4:2–3) Tryphena – Ministry Leader/Apostle (Romans 16:12) Tryphosa – Ministry Leader/Apostle (Romans 16:12) Persis – Ministry Leader/ Apostle (Romans 16:12) Priscilla – Teacher of doctrine (Acts 18:26) Lois – Teacher of Timothy 9 (2 Timothy 1:5) Eunice – Teacher of Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:14–15) Phoebe – Deacon / church leader / patron (Romans 16:1–2) Nympha – House church leader (Colossians 4:15)

Sermon by Elder Billy Dalton

IT WAS REVEALED | PROPHET SHEPHERD BUSHIRI

GOD'S DECREE | PROPHET SHEPHERD BUSHIRI

SET APART | PROPHET SHEPHERD BUSHIRI

Why do the numbers 14 and 22 keep appearing in cult rituals, historic dates, and unexplained events? Tonight we break the pattern. From secret societies and ritual timing to genetic splicing and the possibility of controlling technology with brainwave frequencies—this conversation gets deep, strange, and a little dangerous. You might never see numbers the same again. #lookItUpThe Testimony PodcastRebel PodcastWebb of MysteriesHometown ProphetSTAND WITH CHEF AND HIS WIFE AGAINST KIDNEY FAILUREBUY THE LIMINAL TREES BOOK NOW ☂️☂️☂️ALERT OPERATIONS: CRYPTID WARFARE GET CLEAN: DETOX AND MAKE KIDS HEALTHY AGAIN// // GET 15% OFF AT CHECK OUT USING "PARANOI" at FLAVORS OF THE FORESTTHE TREBLES SHOW

Some hearts do not feel distant from Allah because they reject Him, but because they feel unworthy of Him. After the heart wakes up, it begins to remember. Old sins, missed prayers, wasted years. And slowly, a painful thought settles in: "Maybe, Allah's mercy is for others, not for me." This episode speaks to the heart that believes in Allah and wants closeness, yet hesitates at the door of forgiveness. The heart that fears its past disqualifies it. The heart that doubts whether Allah will respond at all. Through the words of the Prophet ﷺ, the reflections of the scholars, and a deeper look at who Allah truly is, we confront a dangerous and common whisper, especially in Ramadan. This is not a reminder for the perfect. It is for the hesitant, the burdened; it is for those who nearly gave up but are still standing. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #ramadan #muslim #heart #islamicreminder

What if the fear haunting your heart isn't hypocrisy… but proof of Iman? Some of the most sincere believers in history were terrified of Nifaaq. Not because they were fake - but because they cared. This episode dives into one of the most frightening inner battles a believer faces: the fear that your outer self doesn't match your inner self. From the fear of the Sahaabah, to the powerful story of Handhala رضي الله عنه, to the Prophet ﷺ explaining the fluctuation of Iman - this reminder exposes the difference between real hypocrisy and a living, struggling heart. If your heart aches, repents, fears showing off, and keeps returning to Allah - this message is for you. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #Islam #Dawah

Some hearts don't break from weak Iman - they break because they sincerely loved someone they lost. This episode speaks to the heart that is grieving. The heart learning, through loss, the true nature of this world. A reminder shaped by Qur'ān, the tears of the Prophet ﷺ, and the quiet wisdom found in patience. Patience is not the absence of tears - it is the absence of rebellion. If you are carrying grief, this reminder is meant to meet you gently - and leave you stronger, clearer, and facing Allah with a steadier heart. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #Islam #Dawah

Loneliness doesn't always come from being surrounded by no one - sometimes it comes from being surrounded by the wrong people. This episode explores the quiet ache of the heart that longs for support, sincerity, and real companionship.  A reminder drawn from Qur'an and the life of the Prophet ﷺ that reveals where true connection is found, why some hearts feel isolated, and how Allah draws His servants out of Iman-centred solitude. Not every gathering brings closeness. And not every form of support is meant to last. If your heart has felt distant, unsupported, or searching for belonging, this episode will realign where and with whom your heart should be. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #ramadan2026 #islamicreminder #muslim #heart

You open the Qur'an… but close it again a few minutes later. Days pass. Sometimes weeks. And before you realise it, Ramadan has arrived, and your relationship with the Qur'an feels distant. Not through rejection. But through quiet neglect. In this episode, Ustadh Muhammad Tim Humble speaks to the heart that has slowly drifted away from the Qur'an, the heart that still loves to hear it, yet struggles to live by it. A reminder drawn from the Qur'an, the Prophet ﷺ, and the early Muslims about how distance from the Qur'an begins, and how a heart can find its way back again. Ramadan was always meant to be the month of the Qur'an. The question is not how much you can read, but whether your heart is ready to return to it. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #Islam #Dawah

This week, Scott sat down with his Lawfare colleagues Benjamin Wittes, Daniel Byman, and Ari Tabatabai for an in-depth discussion of the U.S. military operations against Iran, including:“Isn't it Iran-ic.” Trump's decision to join Israel in removing Ayatollah Khamanei reflects a deep reversal by the president, who has spent years criticizing his predecessors' own experiences with regime change and other overseas adventurism. What drove Trump to proceed this time, after stopping short twice in the past year? What can we learn from the way the Trump administration has proceeded? And how far will Trump let things go?“Bibi's Big Adventure.” Regime change in Iran is something Israel and the Arab Gulf states have advocated for frequently in the past. But they had all adopted a more cautious and even conciliatory posture toward Iran in the months before the current offensive, at least in public. How has the region approached this conflict? And what will it do moving forward?“MIGA.” The death of Ayatollah Khamenei is a major shift in Iran, but we don't know where it is going to lead. One concern that people have always had about regime change in Iran is that it will be highly destabilizing, resulting in a failed state in a crucial corner of the Middle East. On the other end, other people have asserted that removing the Ayatollah and his regime will give Iran the opportunity to flourish back into a democracy, or at least something closer to a state that's more stable and free than Iran has been for the last several decades. Between the two is a mass spectrum of possibilities. What does the future hold for Iran in the post-Ayatollah era, if that's the era that we're heading into?In object lessons, Ben is vibe-coding his way through Lawfare's litigation tracker, as well as vibing his way through The Rest is History's four-part series, Revolution in Iran. Dan is war-gaming his way through the attack on Iran with Next War: Iran. Scott is consuming as much Iran content as he can get his hands on with (another) Scott Anderson's “King of Kings,” Roy Mottahedeh's “The Mantle of the Prophet,” Gary Sick's “All Fall Down,” and Dutch documentary “The Birthday,” finally discovered online by Lawfare's own Anna Hickey. And Ari, not to be outdone in Iran content, recommends the graphic novel “Persepolis,” but really is escaping it all with Final Fantasy VII Remake.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Scott sat down with his Lawfare colleagues Benjamin Wittes, Daniel Byman, and Ari Tabatabai for an in-depth discussion of the U.S. military operations against Iran, including:“Isn't it Iran-ic.” Trump's decision to join Israel in removing Ayatollah Khamanei reflects a deep reversal by the president, who has spent years criticizing his predecessors' own experiences with regime change and other overseas adventurism. What drove Trump to proceed this time, after stopping short twice in the past year? What can we learn from the way the Trump administration has proceeded? And how far will Trump let things go?“Bibi's Big Adventure.” Regime change in Iran is something Israel and the Arab Gulf states have advocated for frequently in the past. But they had all adopted a more cautious and even conciliatory posture toward Iran in the months before the current offensive, at least in public. How has the region approached this conflict? And what will it do moving forward?“MIGA.” The death of Ayatollah Khamenei is a major shift in Iran, but we don't know where it is going to lead. One concern that people have always had about regime change in Iran is that it will be highly destabilizing, resulting in a failed state in a crucial corner of the Middle East. On the other end, other people have asserted that removing the Ayatollah and his regime will give Iran the opportunity to flourish back into a democracy, or at least something closer to a state that's more stable and free than Iran has been for the last several decades. Between the two is a mass spectrum of possibilities. What does the future hold for Iran in the post-Ayatollah era, if that's the era that we're heading into?In object lessons, Ben is vibe-coding his way through Lawfare's litigation tracker, as well as vibing his way through The Rest is History's four-part series, Revolution in Iran. Dan is war-gaming his way through the attack on Iran with Next War: Iran. Scott is consuming as much Iran content as he can get his hands on with (another) Scott Anderson's “King of Kings,” Roy Mottahedeh's “The Mantle of the Prophet,” Gary Sick's “All Fall Down,” and Dutch documentary “The Birthday,” finally discovered online by Lawfare's own Anna Hickey. And Ari, not to be outdone in Iran content, recommends the graphic novel “Persepolis,” but really is escaping it all with Final Fantasy VII Remake.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode walks through John 1 verse by verse to show why the apostle John leaves no room for a "just-a-prophet" Jesus and instead presents Him clearly as the eternal, divine Word of God. Drawing on cold-case investigative principles and the cumulative-case approach he used in homicide trials, J. Warner Wallace explains how the language, structure, and Old Testament echoes in the opening of John's Gospel build a powerful case for the full deity of Christ.​ You'll hear how early Christians came to embrace the triune nature of God not by importing philosophy into the Bible, but by trying to stay faithful to everything Scripture says about the Father, Son, and Spirit. The episode also addresses common objections from those who deny Jesus' deity while still claiming to follow Him, and offers practical guidance for talking with friends and family who affirm a "human-only" Jesus.​ If this conversation helps you think more clearly about who Jesus really is, please subscribe or follow the podcast and take a moment to leave a rating and review in your app—your feedback helps more people discover the show and explore the case for the Christian worldview.

This week is part one with Liz Cameron, survivor of South Korean religious sect Jesus Morning Star (aka JMS, aka Providence), and author of Cult Bride: How I Was Brainwashed – and How I Broke Free. She explains how her entry into JMS began with being approached by a woman in a bookstore for a harmless survey, and how that survey turned into a bible study group full of women who gained her trust and introduced her to their new and exciting Christian church.Liz shares how the group began encouraging her to spend more and more time together and get up earlier and earlier, and how they painted her old church, community, and even family as people who weren’t dedicated enough to Jesus–all as they slowly introduced the idea of an incredibly spiritually devoted man they called Pastor Joshua.Next week: we’ll get into how they began to reveal who Pastor Joshua really was (hint: his name was Jung Myung-seok), his criminal history, and how a god on earth could be sitting in a prison in Korea. SOURCES Cult BrideSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is Jesus named “The Christ”? Today we discover the meaning behind this powerful title. We also learn about the three-fold ministry of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Fr. Mike explains the true meaning of the kingship of Jesus and how as followers of Christ, we have the opportunity to participate in his priestly, prophetic, and kingly ministry. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 436-440. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.