Podcasts about second kings

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 4-5; Psalm 83; 1 Timothy 2 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode—June 20th, 2025—we journey through Second Kings, chapters 4 and 5, Psalm 83, and First Timothy, chapter 2. Host Hunter guides us through powerful stories of miracles, faith, and God's provision. We'll hear about Elisha's compassion as he brings hope to a struggling widow, restores life to a grieving mother's child, purifies a poisoned meal, and heals the mighty Naaman of leprosy. As we reflect on these acts, we see vivid foreshadowings of Christ—the one true Mediator who brings life and reconciliation. Alongside these narratives, we explore prayers from Psalm 83 and mindful instructions from First Timothy on worship, prayer, and living a godly life. Join us as we open our hearts to what the Spirit is saying, seek God's presence in prayer, and are reminded—no matter where we are or what we face—that we are deeply loved. TODAY'S DEVOTION: There is only one man who can make things right. The woman of Shunam knew this deep in her soul. In her hour of loss and grief, when her boy had died, she didn't want just anyone—she sought after the man of God. Gehazi, Elisha's servant, or anyone else simply wouldn't do. She believed, against all hope, that somehow this one man could bring her son back to life, could set things right that had gone terribly wrong. And Elisha did something unexpected. He went up to the lifeless boy, stretched himself out face to face, hand to hand, eye to eye over the child. It is as if Elisha was absorbing the death of the boy into himself so that the child could be restored to life. What a powerful image—a man of God bridging the gap between death and life. But this isn't just about one miracle centuries ago. It's a living picture pointing forward to another man who would come and absorb death—not just for one boy, but for the whole world. Jesus, the true Man of God, stepped into our story. He absorbed our sin, our sorrow, our death into himself upon the cross. He defeated death, and with tender care, draws us into his life—face to face, hand to hand, eye to eye. In him, we experience resurrection even now, the beginning of eternal life. Paul, in today's reading, reminds us: “For there is one God and one mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” Jesus stands alone as the One who can bridge the gap, the only One able to make things right between us and God. His resurrection life is offered to us. His victory over death is our hope, our foundation, our future. May God open our eyes to see that death has been defeated. May we recognize the One who stands before us, calling us into a resurrected life—today and always. That's the prayer I have for my own soul. That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife and my daughters and my son. And that's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Almighty and ever loving God you have brought us to the light of a new morning. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may walk this day in peace. Guard our steps from temptation. Shield us from the weight of fear and shame, and lead us deeper into the joy of your presence through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. O Christ, light of the nations, shine in every place where shadows dwell. Call the scattered home, heal the wounds of division and gather all people into the communion of your grace. May the knowledge of the Lord cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Amen. And our Lord, make my hands ready for mercy. Make my eyes quick to see the hurting, my ears open to the cry of the lonely, and my feet swift. To bring good news. Let me seek to bless, not to be noticed, to serve, not to be praised, to forgive, not to hold back. For in your way is life, in your mercy is healing, and in your love is the peace this world cannot give. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 1-3; Psalm 82; 1 Timothy 1 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode, join Hunter as we journey together through the Bible on this 19th day of June. We'll dive into the dramatic stories of Second Kings chapters 1-3, witness Elijah's fiery encounters and miraculous departure, and see Elisha step into his prophetic calling. We'll also spend time in Psalm 82, where God calls us to justice and compassion, and move into the New Testament with First Timothy chapter 1, where Paul reminds us not to miss the heart of the gospel—a life transformed by love, pure conscience, and genuine faith. Hunter shares encouraging reflections on letting God's Spirit shape us from the inside out, rather than getting lost in meaningless debates or empty rule-keeping. We'll close with heartfelt prayers for peace, gratitude, and strength for the day ahead. So grab your Bible, take a deep breath, and let's immerse ourselves in God's Word and presence together. TODAY'S DEVOTION: Don't Miss the Point We are so prone to miss the point when we misapply the law. It can lead us into a life of pride and arrogance or self-loathing and despair. Engaging with the law in this way, as Hunter reminds us, can become a colossal exercise in missing the point. When we seek to justify ourselves by keeping the law or becoming experts in its letters, we actually miss the underlying message and purpose. That's exactly what Paul points out in his letter to Timothy—some people have veered from the simple truth, spending their days in meaningless discussions that add nothing to a life of faith (see 1 Timothy 1:6). They had turned away from the simple gospel, the good news that is received by faith and fills our hearts with love, cleanses our conscience, and makes us new. Paul reemphasizes this in verse 5: “The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.” This, Hunter says, is the real deal—this is the point. This is the work that God alone can do as his Spirit abides in his people. Through the Spirit's presence, God brings about a new heart, a clean conscience, and a new life. And we need to remember: that's a gift. It isn't something we can attain by mastering the law. True change comes not from our proficiency or expertise, but from the Master's presence in our lives. As we surrender, as we let the Master master us, God reclaims that which was lost. That's the power and the gift of the gospel, the very truth Paul is unashamed to proclaim. Living in the reality of Christ in you means you're not missing out on love, generosity, or peace—they are yours. And in receiving them, you'll have something beautiful to offer this world. That's a prayer Hunter has for his own soul, for his family, and for you: that we may not miss the point, but instead receive the love of God, a clean conscience, and a new life in Christ. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you. Bring the nations into your fold. Pour out your spirit on all flesh and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. And now, Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Lord, grant that I might not seek so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Pastor Jim transitions from First Kings into Second Kings, highlighting how the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah reflects the spiritual fractures that led to exile. He contrasts the partial faithfulness of King Jehoshaphat with the outright rebellion of King Ahaziah, showing how both compromise and idolatry have consequences. Through Elijah's confrontation with Ahaziah and the powerful reminder that “there is a God in Israel,” Jim calls listeners to examine where they turn in distress, and to respond to God's word with repentance rather than resistance.

There's a physical world all around us. It's very real to us because we can see it with our own eyes. But there's also a spiritual world as well, that is just as real! Problem is we can't see what's going on in this hidden spiritual realm. So today on Abounding Grace pastor Ed Taylor is going to challenge us to start praying, Lord open our eyes to see what we cannot see! That's actually a prayer of Elisha in Second Kings chapter six. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/302/29

CAUTION!I've been studying through First and Second Kings in the Bible.  It's amazing to me of all the kings that did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.  It still seems today that many haven't learned from the biblical history the cautions of what has happened for wrongdoing without repentance.

This week's episode is a little different. We've made it to the end of the book of Second Kings, and boy were there a lot of kings! It would be nearly impossible to name all the kings we went through, and don't worry there's no test at the end. Today we are starting something new, thank you for joining us as we tackle the books of First and Second Chronicles.  Welcome to the Village Kids Podcast. Our bite-sized story podcast is a fun way to learn truths from the Bible in a fun story format. Tune in every week for a new episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Welcome to Day 2441 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – Promise Undelivered? – I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2441 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2441 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the eighteenth lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God's redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it's also a book that seems strange to us. While God's Word was written for us, it wasn't written to us. Today, our lesson is, Promise Undelivered? When exposed to evil, we might doubt God's presence. Soldiers' accounts and memoirs often recall times of doubt as they grappled with war atrocity and, ultimately, the struggle between good and evil. While Scripture is clear that good will triumph, it also says evil will win its share of battles. Second Kings 3 records a war event where evil won. Yahweh Takes Sides Second Kings 3 describes the rebellion of Moab, led by its king, Mesha, against the monarch of the northern kingdom of Israel, King Jehoram (3:5). Like his father Ahab, Jehoram solicited King Jehoshaphat of Judah (the southern kingdom) for assistance against his enemy (3:7). They were joined by the king of Edom (3:9). The invasion route—“by way of the wilderness of Edom”—is critical to the storyline. Edom was the territory settled by the descendants of the red-haired Esau (Gen 25:25: 36:1, 8). “Edom,” a play on the word adorn (DIN, “red”), was epitomized by the reddish soil and rock of its wilderness. By taking a circuitous approach to Moab, the invading armies must cross desert terrain without water (3:9). Jehoshaphat called the wilderness wandering prophet Elisha for advice (3:11-12). After a testy response to Jehoshaphat's plea (3:13-14), Elisha received word from Yahweh: God would supply the armies with water (3:16-17). It would appear—without rain—in a streambed that was presently bone dry. Elisha had even better news: “This is a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will also give the Moabites into your hand” (3:18). No Faith, No Gain When they arrived at the place of battle, the Moabite soldiers were fooled by the pools of water that appeared red against the ground and the sun's reflection (3:21-22). They assumed it was blood and that invading armies (often enemies themselves) had erupted in battle against each other (3:23). When the Moabites approached to strip and plunder the dead, they were ambushed by the invading armies. In desperation, the king of Moab committed a horrible...

Mass Readings for 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 28, 2024 Reading 1, Second Kings 4:42-44 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18 Reading 2, Ephesians 4:1-6 Gospel, John 6:1-15

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download. BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS Monthly Audio & Video Downloads: Now you can subscribe to monthly sermons, Bible studies or topical videos in download form.  Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVDs, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview. Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD. Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD! Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download. BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS Monthly Audio & Video Downloads: Now you can subscribe to monthly sermons, Bible studies or topical videos in download form.  Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVDs, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview. Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD. Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD! Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download. BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS Monthly Audio & Video Downloads: Now you can subscribe to monthly sermons, Bible studies or topical videos in download form.  Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVDs, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview. Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD. Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD! Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download. BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS Monthly Audio & Video Downloads: Now you can subscribe to monthly sermons, Bible studies or topical videos in download form.  Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVDs, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview. Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD. Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD! Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

Today's episode features Jonathan and Sy talking with Pastor Rasool Berry. They discuss:-        The importance of acknowledging and understanding your own and your community's power-        The social and spiritual forces behind the opposition to CRT or DEI (or whatever they're calling it today)-        Pastor Berry's incredible documentary about Juneteenth and Christian faith-        When to leave communities that push back against racial justice-        And after the interview, Sy and Jonathan reflect on the work it takes to pass on a tradition like Juneteenth well, and the truly, literally unbelievable levels of ignorance whiteness creates in people-        Plus, they discuss the Daniel Perry pardon, and the threads that connect it to the Donald Trump convictionsMentioned in the Episode-        Our anthology - Keeping the Faith: Reflections on Politics and Christianity in the era of Trump and Beyond-        An abridged version of Pastor Berry's article from the anthology.-        His subsequent article, “Uncritical Race Theory”-        The documentary Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom-        Resources for screening Juneteenth and inviting speakers involved with the film-        The soundtrack for Juneteenth-        Pastor Berry's podcast, Where Ya From?-        The article on Daniel Perry Sy put in our newsletter-        The Texas Monthly article about how legally unusual Perry's pardon wasCredits-        Follow KTF Press on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Subscribe to get our bonus episodes and other benefits at KTFPress.com.-        Follow host Jonathan Walton on Facebook Instagram, and Threads.-        Follow host Sy Hoekstra on Mastodon.-        Our theme song is “Citizens” by Jon Guerra – listen to the whole song on Spotify.-        Our podcast art is by Robyn Burgess – follow her and see her other work on Instagram.-        Transcripts by Joyce Ambale and Sy Hoekstra.-        Production by Sy Hoekstra and our incredible subscribersTranscript[An acoustic guitar softly plays six notes, the first three ascending and the last three descending – F#, B#, E, D#, B – with a keyboard pad playing the note B in the background. Both fade out as Jonathan Walton says “This is a KTF Press podcast.”]Rasool Berry: There was a lot of nicknames and still are for Juneteenth. One was Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, but Jubilee Day. And when I discovered that, that's when I said we got to get involved in this process. Because you mean to tell me that these formerly enslaved people at a time when it was illegal to read, that they understood enough of the story that they picked out this festival, that it was this reordering of society, the kingdom of heaven coming back to earth. And in the context of this, of their faith, they saw God doing a jubilee in their lives?[The song “Citizens” by Jon Guerra fades in. Lyrics: “I need to know there is justice/ That it will roll in abundance/ And that you're building a city/ Where we arrive as immigrants/ And you call us citizens/ And you welcome us as children home.” The song fades out.]IntroductionSy Hoekstra: Welcome to Shake the Dust, seeking Jesus, confronting injustice. I'm Sy Hoekstra.Jonathan Walton: And I'm Jonathan Walton. Today, hear us talk to Pastor Rasool Berry about his thoughts on the movement against CRT, or DEI, or whatever the term for the moment is right now when you listen to this. We're also [laughs] going to talk about his incredible feature length documentary called Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom, which is available for free on YouTube right now. And then after the interview, hear our thoughts on the pardon of Daniel Perry and the conviction of Donald Trump in our segment, Which Tab Is Still Open?Sy Hoekstra: The 34 convictions of Donald Trump.Jonathan Walton: All of them.Sy Hoekstra: All of them [laughs]. We're going to talk about each one individually…Jonathan Walton: Exactly.Sy Hoekstra: …the specific business record that he destroyed, whatever.Jonathan Walton: [laughs].Sy Hoekstra: Don't be afraid, we're not going to do that. By the way, I said at the end of last week that the guest this week was going to be Brandi Miller, and then we realized that we had to do the episode that was about Juneteenth before Juneteenth. So Brandi Miller's going to be in two weeks from now. And this time [laughs], it's Pastor Rasool Berry.Before we get to that, just a reminder, we need your subscriptions. Please go to ktfpress.com and become a paid subscriber on our Substack. Your support sustains what we do, and we need that support from you right now. We've been doing this as a side project for a long time, and like we've been saying, if we want this show to continue past this season, we need to get a lot more subscribers so that we can keep doing this work, but not for free as much as we've been doing it.So go and subscribe. That gets you all the bonus episodes of this show, which there are many, many of at this point. And then it also gets you access to our new monthly subscriber conversations that we're doing. Jonathan and I will be having video chats with you to talk about all the different kinds of things that we talk about on this show, answer some questions, just have a good time. And if you cannot afford a subscription, if money's the only obstacle, just write to us at info@ktfpress.com. We will give you a free or discounted subscription, no questions asked. But if you can afford it, please, ktfpress.com. Become a paid subscriber. We need your support now.Jonathan Walton: Pastor Rasool Berry serves as teaching pastor at The Bridge Church in Brooklyn, New York. He's also the director of partnerships and content development with Our Daily Bread Ministries. Pastor Berry graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in Africana Studies and Sociology. He's also the host of the Where Ya From? podcast sponsored by Christianity Today, and the writer, producer and host of Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom. Let's get to it. Here's the interview.[the intro piano music from “Citizens” by Jon Guerra plays briefly and then fades out.]Sy Hoekstra: Pastor, thank you so much for joining us on Shake the Dust today.Rasool Berry: Oh, well, I'm glad to be here with you all, back at it again, Keeping the Faith.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. Yes, exactly [laughter].Jonathan Walton: Amen. Amen.The Importance of “Mapping” PowerSy Hoekstra: So, you wrote this fantastic essay for… so, well, actually, it was originally for your blog, I think, and then we kind of took it and adapted it for the anthology. And it was about critical race theory, and you broke down a lot of the history and sort of the complex intellectual background of it and everything. But you talked specifically about something that you said, critical race theory and the Bible and the Black Christian tradition in the US all help us do something really important, and that thing is mapping power. Can you talk to us a little bit about what power mapping is and what the importance of it is?Rasool Berry: Yeah. I first kind of got wind of that framework when we were launching a justice ministry at our church. And two friends Gabby, Dr. Gabby Cudjoe Wilkes and her husband, Dr. Andrew Wilkes, who do a lot of great work with justice, actually walked our church through thinking about mapping power in our church as a way of evaluating what types of justice initiatives did it make sense for us to engage in, in light of what we had in the room. And so for instance, when I was in my church in Indiana, a lot of the parishioners worked at Lilly who's headquarters is in Indiana. And so when they decided to do something for the community, they ended up opening up a clinic in the church building, which still exists and serves the local community, because they all had medical backgrounds.So when they do mission work, they do mission work with a medical component, because that's a effective way of mapping power. Where our church in Brooklyn average age is about 28, 29 and they're more artsy. So we're not opening up clinics, you know what I mean? But what we can do is events that help inspire and help engage with people. And then eventually with our pastor's leadership started something called Pray March Act, which looks to be a place to mobilize churches around issues of justice in New York City. So what is oftentimes overlooked in Christian spaces, and I really am indebted to Andy Crouch and his book, Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, for really surfacing the need for us to have a theology of power.That this is something that oftentimes especially evangelical churches, or more kind of Bible oriented or people kind of churches, there's a sense in which we don't know how to think about power. And I believe, I suspect this is one of the reasons why the church has been so susceptible to issues like sexual abuse, to egregious theft in money, is because we are not really conditioned to think about power, which is really ironic because the scriptures really do point to… I mean, we literally have two books, First and Second Kings, and those books are pointing to you have the king, this king was a good king, and it impacted the kingdom of Israel this way. This king was a bad king, and then this is what happened.And so it's wired in the text, right? Amy Sherman in her book, Kingdom Calling, Dr. Amy Sherman points to this when she points to the proverb that says, “when the righteous prosper, the city rejoices.” And it's this idea, when she says righteous, she's not thinking about it in the kind of traditional pietistic aspect of righteousness, but she's talking about “tzedakah” in the Hebrew, which has this connotation of justice. Because when people who are put in positions of power and influence, when they do right by the people underneath them when they do right, that people celebrate. Versus when there's somebody who's a tyrant that's in office, the people groan because there's that sense of they recognize we've mapped power dynamics, and somebody who's going to do ill is going to have a disproportionate impact on all of us.And so power mapping is bringing to surface the awareness of what is it that we have in the room. And it's also a very humbling way of being aware of our own power, right? Like how do I show up as a man in a space, in certain things? Like I know if I get up and I'm about to preach that there's some different dynamics depending on who I'm talking to in a room. Like if I'm in a predominantly Black context that's younger, then the locks might actually kind of give me some street cred. Like, oh, that's kind of cool. But if I'm in a older, traditional space, looking younger is going to be more of a uphill climb to say, okay, what's this guy coming at? And if I'm in a White space, versus but I also recognize that when our sisters come up, that there's a whole different type of power mapping situation.And so all of these things are helpful in being aware of how we show up and how that matters. And Andy's kind of thesis is that unlike the kind of post Nietzschean postmodern suspicion and critical view of power that only sees it as a negative, that God has actually given us and ordained us to exert influence and power in redemptive ways. But we can only do that if we map it, if we're aware of it, and if we use it in a way that's not just for our own self or comfort or glory, but for those who we're called to serve.Sy Hoekstra: Can I ask, just for some like to get specific on one thing, because I'm not sure this would be intuitive to everyone. You said if we map power, then we might not end up in the same situations that we are with, like abuse scandals in the church?Rasool Berry: Yeah. Yep.Sy Hoekstra: And I think I… where my mind goes is I think we would react differently to the abuse scandal. I don't know if the abuse scandals themselves would… those happen unfortunately. But I think where the power mapping might come in, is where so many people are then just deferring to whatever the person in, the pastor's narrative is. Is that kind of what you're talking about, like the reaction?Rasool Berry: I think it's on both sides.Sy Hoekstra: You do? Okay.Rasool Berry: Yeah, because for instance, if I am aware, very aware of power dynamics with children and adults, I would see the value in a practice of not leaving an adult in a space with a child by themselves.Sy Hoekstra: Oh, I see. You might put systems in place ahead of time. Yeah, yeah.Rasool Berry: Right. So there's the sense in which we can put policies in place that recognize… it's the same thing why we put the labeling system on kids when they check into childcare, right? Like you put the little label so that some random person can't just come and pick them up because a kid can't defend themselves. Or they may not have the capacity to understand what's going on if somebody just random comes up and says, “Hey, your mom and your dad told me to come get you,” and then they believe that. And so we have systems that we put in place to recognize those power dynamics. And I think unfortunately, that in a lot of our church context and culture there's an overly naive sense of, and really sometimes idolatrous view of pastors and leaders that essentially say, well, they're good and they're godly people, so there isn't a need for accountability, or there isn't a need for, you know…And so no, it's like, well, in the same way that we have trustees in certain churches, or there's a elders board, depending on what your church polity is, that polity should reflect a sense of accountability and transparency so that there is an awareness on the front end as well as on the backend that when it does come to bring people into account, that there's also an awareness of a power dynamic at play there too.Jonathan Walton: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense especially when [laughs] we throw those things out, all we have are the systems of hierarchy and social dominance that exist to define what power is, right?Rasool Berry: Right.Jonathan Walton: So the train just keeps going.The Social and Spiritual Forces behind the Fight against CRT/DEIJonathan Walton: So leaning into that a little bit, you wrote an essay focusing on CRT power mapping and things like that. But it feels like nobody in the Trump camp really had an idea of what CRT was, and it didn't even really matter to them what it was.Rasool Berry: Right.Jonathan Walton: So what do you think is at the core of what's going on with White people when they reject CRT or DEI or whatever the—conscious—whatever the term would be?Rasool Berry: Yeah.Jonathan Walton: What do you think the underlying concern is?Rasool Berry: Well, you know, after… and it's so funny because when I wrote that first piece, I wrote it as a way… [laughs] I wrote it just to get it off my chest. And in my mind, almost nobody was going to read it because it was like a 20-something minute read, and I just didn't care because I was just like, “I'm getting this off my chest,” and this is the last I'm going to say about it. Like I thought that was going to be just this thing, just so I can point people to, if anybody asks. I did not intend, nor did I think that it was only going to kind of position me as this person that people were listening to and reading and resonating with about it. So that was funny. But then what ended up happening, and especially after I was on the unbelievable? podcast with Justin Brierley, kind of in this debate format with Neil Shenvi, who's kind of been one of the most outspoken evangelical Christian critics of critical race theory. Critics is probably too mild of a term, kind of a…Jonathan Walton: Antagonist.Rasool Berry: Antagonist, even stronger. Like this doomsday prophet who says that, who's warning against the complete erosion of biblical norms because of the Trojan Horse, in his mind, of critical race theory. In the midst of that conversation, that kind of elevated, it was one of their top 10 episodes of the entire year, and it just kind of got me into these spaces where I was engaging more and more. And I kind of sat back and reflected, and I had a few more interactions with Neil on Twitter. And I ended up writing a separate piece called “Uncritical Race Theory.” And the reason why I did that, is I went back and I was curious about what kind of insights I could get from previous instances of the way that there were being controversies surrounding race in America in the church, and how the church talked about those debates.So I went back and I read The Civil War as a Theological Crisis by Mark Noll, who looked at and examined the actual debates during the time of the antebellum period of pro-slavery Christians and anti-slavery Christians, and he analyzed that. Then I went back and I read The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby, who looked at the pro-integrationist and segregationist arguments in the church. And what I found was that there was incredible symmetry between what was argued in each of those instances, going all the way back to the 1800s, to the 1960s, to now, and there were two things that emerged. The first was that the primary response from those who were supportive of slavery in the 1800s, or those who were supportive of segregation in the 1960s was to claim first of all, that the opposing view were not biblically faithful, or were not even concerned about biblical fidelity.So this is different than other types of discussions where we could say, even going back to the councils, right? Like when there's some type of, like during the Nicaean Council or something like that, they're debating about how they're understanding the text about certain things. Whereas is Jesus fully God, is he man, is he both? But there's a basic premise that they're both coming at it from different aspects of scriptures. What I noticed in the American context is that there was a denial that the side that was kind of having a more progressive view was even biblically faithful at all.Jonathan Walton: Yeah. Christian.Rasool Berry: The second part is related to the first, is that there was this allegation that there was outside philosophies that was actually shaping this impetus because it wasn't clearly the Bible. So in the 1800s that was the claim, “Oh, you're being influenced by these post-enlightenment ideas.” In the 1960s it was straight up Marxism, communism. You see the signs. “Integration is communism.” Like you see the people protesting with that, and of course the new version of that is kind of the remix of cultural Marxism, or these type of things. And so what I acknowledged in each of those scenarios is that part of the problem is that there is such an uncritical understanding of race that it causes, I think especially those in a dominant culture or those who've been susceptible to the ideologies of White supremacy, which can be White or Black or other, There's a tendency to see any claim that race is a problem as the problem itself because there's an underlying denial of the reality of racial stratification in our society, and the what Bryan Stevenson refers to as the narrative of racial difference or what is more commonly known as White supremacy. So when your default position is that you are introducing a foreign concept into the conversation when you talk about the relevance of race in a scenario, then it causes… that sense of uncritical nature of the reality of race causes you to then look upon with suspicion any claim that there's some type of racial based situation happening. And that is what I call, it is really ironically uncritical race theory. It's the exact opposite of what critical race theory is trying to do.And so I think that that's my take on what's happening. And then I think that's more of the scientific sociological, but then there's also a spiritual. I am a pastor [laughter]. And I have to end with this. I have to end with this, because in some ways I was naively optimistic that there was, if you just reasoned and show people the right analogies or perspectives, then they would, they could be persuaded. But what I have since realized and discovered is that there is a idolatrous synchronization of what we now know of different aspects of White Christian nationalism that is a competing theological position and belief system that is forming these doctrinal positions of what we now kind of look at as American exceptionalism, what we look at as this sense of the status quo being… all the things that are moving toward an authoritarian regime and away from democracy, that that is all solidifying itself as an alternative gospel.And I think that at the end of the day, I'm looking at and grieving about mass apostasy that I'm seeing happening in the church as a result of an unholy alliance of political ideology and Christian symbols, language, and values expressed in this kind of mixed way. And that's what is really being allowed to happen with this unmapped power dynamic, is that people don't even realize that they're now exerting their power to kind of be in this defensive posture to hold up a vision of society that is actually not Christian at all, but that is very much bathed in Christian terms.Jonathan Walton: I want to say a lot back, but we got to keep going, but that was good.Sy Hoekstra: We got to… [laughs]. Yeah. I mean, we could talk forever about what you just said, but we could also talk forever about your documentary. So let's transition to that.Rasool Berry: [laughter] You all are like exercising restraint.Sy Hoekstra: Yes.Jonathan Walton: I am.Rasool Berry: Like, “oh, I want to go there.” I just threw steak in front of the lions [laughter].Why Pastor Berry Made a Documentary about JuneteenthSy Hoekstra: But it's because, I mean, the documentary's interesting in a way... It's sort of like, okay, you've seen this movement of mass apostasy and everything, and you've had all these people tell you you're not faithful. And with this documentary in some ways, you're just sprinting on down the road that you're on. You know what I mean? It's like sort of [laughs], you're just going straightforward like we need to remember our past. We need to learn about power dynamics in American history. So you wrote this—[realizing mistake] wrote— you were involved in, you're the kind of narrator, the interviewer of this documentary Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom. And you went to Galveston and you went to Houston, Texas to learn more about the history of Juneteenth and the communities and the people that shaped the celebration and everything.And I guess I just want to know how this got started and why it was so important for you to engage in what was a very significant project…Rasool Berry: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: …to teach people about this kind of history that I think the movement against CRT or DEI or whatever is quite actively trying to suppress.Rasool Berry: And these two stories are very much intertwined…Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Jonathan Walton: Absolutely.Rasool Berry: …in ways that I didn't even fully anticipate in some ways. In some ways I knew, in some ways I didn't. But I grew up in Philly, where there was not growing up a significant Juneteenth awareness or celebration or anything like that. So I had heard about it though when I was very young, the concept of it. I had a classmate whose middle name was Galveston, and I was like, “That's a weird name. Why is your middle name Galveston?” [laughter] He told me that it's because his mom had told him about this situation where there were Black people that didn't know they were free for two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. I was like eight years old when I first heard that, but filed that away.It wasn't really until more recent years with the, just massive racial justice movement spurred on by the murders of Tamir Rice and George Floyd and others, Sandra Bland. And so, as that movement started to gin up, conversations about race that I was kind of plugged into, I heard about this 90-something year old woman that was appearing before Congress…Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Rasool Berry: …and challenging them to make Juneteenth a national holiday.Sy Hoekstra: I can't believe you got to interview her. She was amazing.Rasool Berry: Yeah. And I was like, why would a 90-something plus year old woman be like this committed to this? So I started looking into it and realizing, I think both spiritually and socially, that there was incredible potency and opportunity in the recognition, the widespread recognition of Juneteenth. I'll go socially first. Socially, the reality has been the United States has never had a moment where we collectively reflect on the legacy of slavery in our country. And if you do the math, from the first enslaved people that we have documented coming into the States in 1619 until if even if you go to the abolition of slavery in 1865 or 1866 with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, that's about 244 years.If you go from 1865 to now, it's like 159 or so years. So we still have way more time in our society that has been shaped by this most intense version of a caste system and brutal slavery that had global, it literally reshaped the globe. And sometimes we forget. I live in Brooklyn where most of the Black folk are Afro-Caribbean. When you think of Jamaica, you think of Usain Bolt or Bob Marley. Do you realize that all of those people are from Africa, like our African descent people. That like the native people of Jamaica would've been Native Americans. So the legacy of slavery and colonialism has literally reshaped population centers in our world. That's how significant it was.And so to not have a moment to reflect on all of it, the implications of how the legacy still shapes us, but also the progress of what we've seen happen and how we are not in that same place is a missed opportunity. But on the contrary, to put that in place is an opportunity for reflection that I think could really help ground us toward being a more perfect union, toward us being a unified people. Because we're basing it on the same story and information, which increasingly in the age of misinformation and disinformation, that the erosion of us having a shared narrative is really upon us. So I think it's interesting and important from that standpoint. Spiritually, it was even more dynamic because one of the… so there was a lot of nicknames and still are for Juneteenth. One was Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, but Jubilee Day.And when I discovered that, that's when I said, “Okay, Our Daily Bread, we got to get involved in this process.” Because you mean to tell me that these formerly enslaved people at a time when it was illegal to read, primarily because they didn't want people to read the Bible, that they understood enough of the story of the Old Testament, that they picked out this festival in Leviticus 25, this ordinance that God had put in place, that on the Jubilee year, the Sabbath of all Sabbaths, I call it the Super Bowl of Sabbaths [Sy laughs]. Seven years times seven, forty nine years plus one, fifty. That on that day that it was this reordering of society, the kingdom of heaven coming back to earth, which simultaneously anticipates the wickedness and the brokenness of human systems in power, but also projects and casts vision about the kingdom of heaven, which would allow for equity and equality to take place. So debts were forgiven, lands were returned, and people who were in bondage primarily because of debt, that was the main reason back then, they would be set free. And in the context of their faith, they saw God doing the jubilee in their lives. So what that gave was the opportunity for us to talk about and reintroduce in many faith traditions the relationship between spiritual and physical freedom, and see that in the Bible story those things were wedded.What's the major account in the Old Testament is the Exodus account. Like it was both physical and spiritual freedom. And in the same way we see that is why Jesus, when he reveals himself and says, “The kingdom of God is at hand,” notice when John the Baptist starts to waver because he's expecting this conquering king. He's still in prison and he says, “Hey, are you the one or we should expect another?” Jesus points to physical and spiritual aspects of liberation in his response. “Tell John what you see. The blind receive sight. The sick are healed. The gospel is preached. Blessed is the one who is not ashamed of me.” So in the sense of that, what we see elements of the kind of seeds of in the gospel is this aspect of the physical and spiritual liberation being tied together.And that is what Jubilee gives us opportunity to explore and investigate. And I think lastly, seeing the role of the Black church in bringing out that insight, I think is particularly valuable in a time where oftentimes those contributions are overlooked and ignored.Jonathan Walton: Yeah, absolutely. I think being able to watch the documentary was transformative for me. Mainly because I'm 38 years old and it's being produced by people who look and sound and act like me. It's interviewing the people who came before us, trying to speak to the folks that are younger than us. And each generation I think has this, this go around where we have to own our little piece of what and how we're going to take the work forward. You know what I mean?Discerning Whether to Leave Communities that Push back on Discussions about RaceYou interviewed Lecrae in the documentary and he's taken that work forward, right? And you both say that you've had the experiences of believing you are loved and accepted in these White evangelical spaces until you started talking about racial justice issues.And so I feel like there's these moments where we want to take the work forward, and then we're like, “All right, well, this is our moment.” Like Opal was like, “Hey, I'm going to do Juneteenth.” Where now you're like, “I'm going to do something.” [laughs] So I wonder, like for you, when you have to make decisions about how to stay, not to stay or just leave. What is the effect of constantly engaging in that calculus for you?Rasool Berry: Oh, man! It's exhausting to do it. And I think it is valuable to count the cost and realize that sometimes you're best suited to reposition yourself and to find other ways to express that faithfulness. At other times, God is causing you to be a change agent where you are. And I think how to navigate through that is complicated, and I think it's complicated for all of us, for our allies who see the value of racial justice as well as for those of us who are marginalized and experience, not just conceptually or ideologically the need for justice, but experientially all of the things through macro and microaggressions that come up, that weigh and weather us and our psyche, our emotions, our bodies.And I think that it's important to be very spiritually attuned and to practice healthy emotional spirituality as well as, best practices, spiritual disciplines, all the things that have come alongside of what does it mean to follow Jesus. I was recently reflecting on the fact that in the height of Jesus' ministry, when it was on and popping, he's growing, the crowds are growing in number, it says that he went away regularly and left the crowds to be with God. And then the verse right after that, it's in Luke, I can't remember which chapters, I know the verse is 16 and 17. And then it talks about how he had power as a result of going away to do more. And there's this relationship between our needing to rest and to find recovery in the secret place in the quiet place with God in order to have the energy to do more of the work.And that's a lot to hold together, but it's really important because otherwise you can end up being like Moses, who was trying to do justice, but in his own strength at first when he kills the Egyptian, and then he tried to go to his people being like, “Yo, I'm down!” And they're like, “You killed somebody. We don't want to hear from you.”Jonathan Walton: [laughs] Right.Rasool Berry: And then he flees. Because he tried to do it in his own strength. And then when God reveals himself at the bush, now he's totally broken and not even confident at all in himself. And God has to say, “No, the difference is going to be I'm with you.” So I think in my own journey, I've been one of many people who've had to evaluate and calculate where I've been in order to kind of see where there are opportunities to move forward. For instance, I was on staff with Cru for 20 years and then as the opportunities to work with Our Daily Bread, and I remember specifically the podcast Where Ya From?, that we launched and then Christianity Today got connected to it.They were eagerly looking, or at least supporting the idea of us having conversations about faith and culture and race and all these things. Whereas in my previous environment, I felt like that was not something… I didn't even feel like it, I experienced the pullback of talking about those things. So it has actually, by repositioning myself to kind of be able to be in spaces where I can tell these stories and advocate in these ways, it has been a better use of my energy and my time. Now, even in that other space, everything isn't perfect. It's still the same type of challenges that exist anywhere you go in the world where you're a minority in race and racial difference is prominent, but at least it's a opportunity to still do more than I could do maybe in a previous position. And all of us have to make those type of calculations.And I think it's best to do those things in the context of community, not just by yourself, and also with a sense of sobriety of encountering and experiencing God himself. Because at the end of the day, sometimes, I'm going to just say this, sometimes the answer is leave immediately. Get out of there. At other times, God is calling you to stay at least in the short term time. And it's important to be discerning and not just reactive to when is the right situation presenting itself. And the only way I know to do that is by doing it in community, doing it with a sense of healthy rhythms and time to actually hear the still small voice of God.Sy Hoekstra: Amen.Jonathan Walton: Amen.Sy Hoekstra: Because you really can err in either direction. Like some people, “I'm getting out of here right away,” without thinking. Meaning, when you're being reactive, when you're not being discerning…Rasool Berry: Right.Sy Hoekstra: …you can get out right away or you can have the instinct, “No, I'm going to stick it out forever,” even if it's bad for you, and it's not going to accomplish anything.Rasool Berry: Yup, yeah.Jonathan Walton: Yeah. Which I think leans into jumping all the way back the critical versus uncritical.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah [laughs]. There you go.Jonathan Walton: Like if we're not willing to lean into the radical interrogation of the systems and structures around us that inform our decisions each day, we will submit to them unconsciously, whether that be running when we should resist or whether that be resisting where we actually should flee. So yeah, thanks for all that.Where you can Find Pastor Berry's workSy Hoekstra: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much. And so we will have links to both of the articles, to the documentary, which is entirely free on YouTube.Jonathan Walton: Yes.Sy Hoekstra: So you're just wasting your life if you're not watching it, really [laughter]. And a couple other things you talked about, we'll have links. But is there anywhere that you want people to go to either follow you or your work online?Rasool Berry: Yeah. So the other thing that what we did with the Juneteenth documentary, because the response was so strong and overwhelming, really, people wanted to host screenings locally. And so we did a few things to make that more possible. So you can actually go on our website experiencevoices.org/Juneteenth. And you can fill out like a form to actually host a screening locally. And we have designed social media so you can market it, posters that you could print out, even discussion questions that you can use to host discussions. And sometimes people invite some of us from the production on site. So I've gone and done, I've been at screenings all the way from California to Texas to Wisconsin and here in New York.So you can reach out to us on that website as well if you're interested in hosting a screening with the director or one of the producers or myself, and we can kind of facilitate that. Also be looking at your local PBS stations. We partnered with PBS to air screenings so far over a hundred local channels.Sy Hoekstra: Oh, wow.Rasool Berry: And have aired it. Now, the PBS version is slightly different because we had to edit it down to fit their hour long format. And so the biggest version is the PBS version doesn't have Lecrae in it [laughs].Sy Hoekstra: Oh no [laughs].Rasool Berry: We had to cut out the four-time Grammy winner. Sorry Lecrae [laughter].Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Rasool Berry: You know what I mean? But it just so happened that way it, that it was the best way to edit it down.Jonathan Walton: You had to keep Opal.Rasool Berry: Had to keep Opal, had to keep Opal [laughter].Sy Hoekstra: I feel like Lecrae would understand that, honestly.Rasool Berry: Yeah, yeah, yeah. He was so gracious. And actually, the other thing that Lecrae did, I had told him that we were working with Sho Baraka, a mutual friend of ours, to do the music. And he said, “Yeah, I heard something about that.” He's like, “I have a song I was going to put on Church Clothes 4, but I feel like it would be a better fit for this. If you're interested, let me know and I can send it to you.” I'm like, “If I'm interested? Yes, I'm interested.” [laughter] Yes. I'll accept this sight unseen. And so he sent us this incredible song that features, well actually is listed as Propaganda's song, but it features Lecrae and Sho Baraka. And you can get the entire Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom soundtrack 13 tracks, poetry, hip hop, gospel, rnb, all on one thing. And wherever you listen to your music, Spotify, Apple Music, anywhere, you can, listen to it, stream it, buy it, and support this movement and this narrative. So yeah. And then personally, just @rasoolb on Instagram, @rasoolberry on, I still call it Twitter [Sy laughs]. So, and we're on Facebook as well. That's where folks can follow me, at rasoolberry.com, website. So thanks for having me.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah, pastor, thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it.Jonathan Walton: Thanks so much, man.[the intro piano music from “Citizens” by Jon Guerra plays briefly and then fades out.]Reflecting on the InterviewSy Hoekstra: Hey, Jonathan, you know what's really useful, is when in the middle of an interview with one of our guests, we say, “Oh no, we don't have time. We'd really like to get into this, so we have to move on to another subject.” It's really useful when we have these little times that we're doing now after the interview to talk more about the subjects than we did with the guests [laughter]. This works out well for us.Jonathan Walton: Yes.Sy Hoekstra: Why don't you tell everybody what you're thinking after the interview with Pastor Berry?Passing on a Tradition Well Takes Significant WorkJonathan Walton: Yeah. I think the biggest thing for me that I took away among a lot of the nuggets that he… nuggets and like big things that got dropped on me while we were listening, was like the amount of work that he went through to make this film. Like traveling to Galveston. There's a lot in the documentary that reminds me of how much it costs us personally to create things that are moving. To be able to have these conversations, sit down with these people, smell the smells of these folks' homes. That's just a big thing, particularly for me, like not having… I grew up with the Juneteenth story and needing to think through my own traditions and what I'm going to pass to my kids and stuff like that.It's just I'm challenged to do that work so that I have something substantial to pass on to Maya and Everest. And to the folks who listen to the preaching that I give or the stories I write, or the books I'm going to write, just so I can communicate with the same amount of intimacy that he did. So, Sy how about you? What stood out for you?The Literally Unbelievable Racial Ignorance of WhitenessSy Hoekstra: I think what stood out for me was actually right at that point where we said we really wanted to talk more about something, I really did have more thoughts [laughs]. When he was talking about the thing that underlies the fight against CRT and DEI and all that sort of thing. Being just a straight up denial of any sort of racial caste system or racial stratification in our country, I think that point is extremely important. That so much of our disagreements about racial injustice, at least on the intellectual level, not on the emotional and all that kind of thing, the intellectual level that come down to a difference in beliefs about the facts of reality in America. It is literally just do you think racism is happening or not? Because if you do think that it's happening, then everything has to change [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Yes.Sy Hoekstra: And there's not a lot of room… you'll have to do a lot more like kind of active denial. A lot more having a very active lack of integrity [laughs] to continue in the way that you're thinking when you believe that there is no racism in America if you find out that there is. Which kind of explains why there's so much resistance to it. But I think one story that sort of illustrates how this dynamic works a little bit that just, this is something that happened to me that this reminded me of. I was an intern right after college at International Justice Mission, and I read Gary Haugen's book, The Good News About Injustice, where the intro to this book is about his childhood growing up in kind of suburban, I think he's outside of Seattle, somewhere in Washington. A suburban Christian home, things were pretty nice and easy and he just did not know anything about injustice or anything in the world. Like oppression, racism, he did not know anything about it. And then the book takes you through how he discovered it and then his theology of what God wants to do about it and what the organization does and all that kind of thing. But just that intro, I remember talking to one of the other interns who was at IJM m when I was there, who was a Black woman who was ordained in the Black Baptist Church and had grown up relatively low income. And I was talking to her about this book because I read that intro and I was like, “yes, I totally resonate with this. This is how I grew up, check, check. That makes sense. I understand all of it.”And it makes sense to a lot of the people who support IJM, which are a lot of suburban White evangelicals. She told me, she read the intro to the book and her immediate reaction was how, there is no way that anyone could possibly be this ignorant. It is not possible [laughs]. And I was like, [pretending to be hurt] “but I was” [laughter]. And there's this wrench in the gear of our conversations about justice where there's a large spectrum of White people who are, some engaging in actual innocent good faith about how much nonsense there is, like how much racism there is in America, and people who are engaging in complete bad faith and have ignored all the things that have been put right in front of them clearly.And it is just very difficult for a lot of people who are not White to understand [laughs] that there are actually… the level of ignorance of a lot of White people is unbelievable, by which I mean it literally cannot be believed by a lot of people. And I don't know, that's just, it is a complication in our conversations about race that doesn't really change what you have to tell people or how seriously you should take your conversations or whatever. It's just a note about what you might need to do to bring people kind of into the fold, by which I mean the fold of the truth [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Yes. This is true of like a lot of White people. And the sad part is that it can also be true of a lot of people of color…Sy Hoekstra: Well, yeah.Jonathan Walton: …who say, “I'm just going to deny, because I haven't experienced.” Or, “We have opted into the system of ignorance and don't want to engage.” And so I'll tell a story. Priscilla was at the airport this week.Sy Hoekstra: Your wife.Jonathan Walton: My wife Priscilla, was at the airport, not a random woman [laughter], was at the airport this week. And someone said, “Yeah, everyone who came to this country, like we're all immigrants.” And Priscilla said, “Actually some people came here as slaves.” Then the person says, “No, that's not true.” And it's like, what do you say to that? When someone just says slavery doesn't exist? And that's literally why we celebrate Juneteenth. So I don't know what this person's going to do on Juneteenth, but when there's a collective narrative and acknowledgement that this happened, and then there's a large group, James Baldwin would say, ignorance plus power is very dangerous.If there's a large group that's ignorant and or like intentionally not engaging, but also has power and privilege and all the things, the benefits of racial stratification without the acknowledgement of the reality of it, which is just a dangerous combination.Sy Hoekstra: So when somebody says something like that, like that didn't happen, people didn't come over here as slaves, I think it is possible that they legitimately don't know that I suppose [laughs], or that they think it's a conspiracy theory or whatever. My guess is, tell me what you think about this. What I would imagine happened there was, “Oh, I never thought about the fact that Black people are not immigrants. And so I'm just going to say no.” Do you know what I mean?Jonathan Walton: Oh yeah. Well, I agree. I think some people even, so let's say like, I write about this in 12 Lies. Ben Carson says that we all came here as immigrants, even if it was in the bottom of a ship. He says that. And I think that is a, to be kind, a gross misrepresentation of the middle passage [laughs], but I see what he's trying to do. He's trying to put Black folks in a narrative that fits in the American narrative so people can, so he's not othered. Because what happens when you acknowledge enslavement is that you have to acknowledge all that. They all come with each other. It's like being at a buffet and there is literally no other menu. Like once you say, once you go in, you can't order one plate. If you talk about slavery, you're opening up all the things and some people just don't want to do that. And that sucks.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Which Tab Is Still Open: Daniel PerryJonathan Walton: It's true. And [laughs], I think this feeds into a little bit of this segment [laughs] that we have aptly called Which Tab is Still Open. Because out of all the things in our newsletter and our podcast, there's stuff that comes up for us and it's just still hanging on our desktops, we still talk about it offline. So for Sy, like for you, which one, which tab is still open?Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. We're going to talk about Daniel Perry and Donald Trump today.Jonathan Walton: Fun times.Sy Hoekstra: So I recently had an article in the newsletter that I highlighted as one of my resources, that is about the case of Daniel Perry, which I think kind of flew a little bit under the radar in the fervor of 2020. But he was a known racist, meaning we have now seen truckloads of social media posts and text messages and everything revealing his out and out racism, his fantasies about killing Black Lives Matter protesters, all these kinds of things. Who in the summer of 2020, during those protests, drove his car through a red light into a crowd of protesters. And he did not at that moment hurt anyone, but another, an Air Force vet, Daniel Perry's also a vet, but another Air Force vet named Garrett Foster, walked up to him carrying, openly carrying his, in Texas, legal assault rifle.He didn't point it at Daniel Perry, but he was carrying it. And he knocked on the window and motioned for Perry to roll his window down, and Perry shot him through the window five times and killed him. He was convicted of murder in 2023 by a jury. And the day after he was convicted, governor Greg Abbott republican governor of Texas said that he wanted his case to be reviewed for a full pardon, so that the pardons board could send him a recommendation to do it, which is the legal way that a governor can make a pardon in Texas. And that happened a couple weeks ago. Daniel Perry walked free with all of his civil rights restored, including his right to own firearms.Texas Monthly did some really good reporting on how completely bizarre this pardon is under Texas law, meaning they very clear, they kind of laid out how these pardons typically go. And the law very clearly says that a pardon is not to be considered for anyone who is still in prison, like hasn't finished their sentence, except under very exceptional circumstances, which are usually that like some new evidence of innocence has come to light.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: And the actual materials that the board reviewed were basically just his defense case where like him arguing that he was doing what he did out of self-defense. He was standing his ground, and that he was afraid of Foster and therefore allowed to use deadly force. In any other case, the remedy for that, if you think that's your defense and you were wrongly denied your defense by the jury is to appeal. Is to go through the appeals to which you have a right as a criminal defendant. And in this case, he became a bit of a conservative cult hero and the governor stepped in to get him out of jail. It was so bizarre. So the weird thing here is, for me at least, for these cases, for the cases surrounding like where someone has been killed either by the police or by an individual, it has always been pretty clear to me which way the case is going.Like if you're someone who's actually taken a, like me, gone to law school, taken a criminal law class, you've studied murder and then like the right to stand your ground and the right to self-defense, and when you can use deadly force, most of these cases are pretty predictable. I knew that the killers of Ahmaud Arbery and Walter Scott and Jordan Davis were going down. I knew that people were going to get off when they got off. Like those were not confusing. And that isn't because the law isn't racist or whatever, it's just the law doesn't take race into account at all. It just completely ignores, it has nothing to do with the cases, according to the law. So it's like this one was stunning.Jonathan Walton: Yes.Sy Hoekstra: Because if it had gone to the appellate judges, the judges who actually are thinking about like the whole system and the precedents that they're setting would say, “Hey, in an open carry state like Texas, we do not want to set a precedent where if someone who is legally, openly carrying a gun walks up to you, you can kill them.” That is not a precedent that they want to set. But this is not an appellate case, so we're not setting that precedent, we're just letting this racist murderer go. That's it.Jonathan Walton: Yes.Sy Hoekstra: And that is like what effectively Greg Abbott and the Board of Pardons in Texas have conspired to do. And I didn't know this was coming actually. I hadn't heard the news that he was calling for the pardon when it happened, but it's wild. And I just kind of wanted to give that additional context and hear what you're thinking about it, Jonathan, and then we'll get into Donald Trump a little bit.Normalizing Punishing Protestors and Lionizing MurderersJonathan Walton: Yeah, I mean, I think first thing for me is like this is a PG podcast. I won't use all the expletives that I would like to use. The reality of like Kyle Rittenhouse lives in Texas now. George Zimmerman, after he killed Trayvon Martin, he was in other altercations with people with guns. So this is not a person or a scenario that is new, which is sad and disappointing. But the reality of an institution stepping into enforce its institutionalized racism, is something that feels new to me in the environment that we're in. And what I mean by that is like, I think we now live in a society that desires for protestors and folks who are resistant to the system that oppresses and marginalizes people, if you believe that is happening.There are individuals and institutions that desire to punish that group of people. It is now normed that that group of people can be punished by anybody.Sy Hoekstra: If you're in the right state.Jonathan Walton: Well, I won't even say the right state, but I almost think if you can get caught in the zeitgeist of a certain media attention, then you will be lauded as someone who did the right thing.Sy Hoekstra: Oh yeah. Even if you might still end up in jail.Jonathan Walton: Even if you might still end up in jail, like you'll become a hero. And so the circumstances have been created where protesters can be punished by regular members of society, and then their quote- unquote punishment could be pardoned in the court of public opinion, and so much so you could end up being pardoned by the institution. There are going to be more protests on campus. There are going to be more protests in light of Trump's conviction and potential election. The chances of political violence and protests are very high, highly probable there're going to be thunderstorms. And what we're saying is like, let's give everybody lightning bolts [Sy laughs]. And we all know if this is a racially stratified society, which it is, if it's a class stratified society, which it is, then we will end up with things like Donald Trump getting convicted and becoming president.Sy Hoekstra: And the racial stratification is important to remember because people have pointed out, if there had been a Trump rally and someone had been killed, that like, not a chance that Greg Abbott does any of this, right?Jonathan Walton: The hallmark of White American folk religion is hypocrisy. If this were a person of color, there's no way that they would've got pardoned for shooting someone at a protest.The Criminal Legal System was Exceptionally Kind to Donald TrumpSy Hoekstra: And this is the connection to the Donald Trump case [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: Because despite the fact that he was convicted, he has been treated throughout this process in a way that no poor or BIPOC would, like no poor person or any BIPOC would ever be treated by the New York State courts. I can tell you that from experience [laughter] as an actual attorney in New York state. Donald Trump had 10 separate violations of a gag order, like he was held in contempt by the court and required to pay some money, which is significant, but nobody does that and doesn't spend some time in jail unless they are rich and famous and White. It was shocking to watch the amount of dancing around him and his comfort that the system does. And this is, pastor Berry mentioned Bryan Stevenson, another Bryan Stevenson quote.I've mentioned, we've mentioned Brian Stevenson so many times on this show [laughter]. But it's true. One of the things he says all the time is that the system treats you better if you're rich and White and guilty than if you're poor and BIPOC and innocent.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: And, that's the demonstration. So the Trump indictments happened when we're recording this yesterday. Or the convictions, I mean. And in terms of what it'll do to the election, probably not much. In terms of what it'll like [laughs], like Jonathan was just saying, like this is the situation that we're in here. We don't have a lot of political analysis to bring you about this case because I don't think there's much political analysis to do except to continue to point out over and over again that this is not the way that people are treated by the criminal justice system. This is an exception to what is otherwise the rule.Outro and OuttakeOkay. I think we're going to end there. Thank you all so much for joining us today. Our theme song, as always is “Citizens” by John Guerra. Our podcast Art is by Robyn Burgess. Transcripts by Joyce Ambale. And thank you all so much for joining us. Jonathan, thanks for being here. We will see you all again in two weeks.[The song “Citizens” by Jon Guerra fades in. Lyrics: “I need to know there is justice/ That it will roll in abundance/ And that you're building a city/ Where we arrive as immigrants/ And you call us citizens/ And you welcome us as children home.” The song fades out.]Jonathan Walton: Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me was like the amount of work that he went through to make this film. I'm challenged to do that work so that I have something substantial to pass on to Maya and Everest, just so I can communicate with the same amount of intimacy that he did.Sy Hoekstra: So now you're going to go make a documentary about Juneteenth, is what you're saying?Jonathan Walton: [deep exhale, and Sy laughs] At least a reel [laughter].Sy Hoekstra: A reel… yeah, those are pretty much the same I'd say. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ktfpress.com/subscribe

Today, Pastor Al Dagel revisits Second Kings with a quick look at the gist of the Book from 15 years ago, to show that the truth of God's Word never changes or loses power.

This episode of 'Let's Talk' introduces a new series on living with pain, beginning with a discussion on a biblical narrative from 2 Kings Chapter 4, verses 1-7. The host, Daniel Collins, flying solo for this episode, explores the story of a widow's plea to Elisha for help to save her two sons from being taken by a creditor as bondsmen due to her deceased husband's debts. The episode delves into the concept of the 'sons of the prophets,' young men trained by prophets in Old Testament times, to provide context for the widow's situation. The host reflects on the widow's multifaceted pain, including emotional, spiritual, maternal anguish, physical, and financial pain, drawing parallels to challenges listeners might face. The episode concludes with the first step to overcoming overwhelming situations: seeking help and looking for a turnaround, using the widow's action of crying out to Elisha as an example. The Host promises to explore the second step, submitting to guidance, in the next episode. 00:00 Welcome to a New Format and Series Introduction 00:13 Diving into Scripture: The Story of Second Kings 4 01:56 Understanding the Sons of the Prophets 03:55 Exploring the Multifaceted Pain of a Widow 08:00 Seeking Solutions: The Widow's Cry for Help 08:58 Wrapping Up and Looking Ahead --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gnbc/message

Join Dr. Michael Youssef for the next encouraging episode of LEADING THE WAY . He takes you to the book of Second Kings for a close-up look at what led to Elisha???s victory over an overwhelming enemy! Plan to listen! (2 Kings 6)Support the show: https://au.ltw.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 2 of the series, “Improving Our Serve”, this sermon focuses on the account of Naaman the Syrian general recorded in Second Kings, Chapter 5, verse 1 -15.  Despite his position of power and prominence in the Syrian nation, military renown, and wealth, Naaman was a leper.  His visit to the prophet Elisha in Israel began with the faithful witness of a Jewish slave girl and culminated in healing and spiritual wholeness as he experienced firsthand the awesome power of God.  Naaman became a witness too!   

CAUTION!I've been studying through First and Second Kings in the Bible.  It's amazing to me of all the kings that did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.  It still seems today that many haven't learned from the biblical history the cautions of what has happened for wrongdoing without repentance.

Today we pick up where we left off in our series, In the Volume of the Book. It's a 20 week through the Bible study that emphasizes prophecy! For the next few programs we'll speed through First and Second Kings and First and Second Chronicles. And yes, even these books contain prophecy! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

It's Thursday, January 11th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Vietnam imprisoned or put on home detention 258 people International Christian Concern reports that Vietnamese Christians feature prominently in a recent report from Defend the Defenders. The report found that Vietnam has imprisoned or put on home detention 258 prisoners of conscience. Each of them faced harassment, arrest, and imprisonment for exercising free speech and religion. The targets for persecution include religious leaders.  One example is Mr. Trần Văn Bang. The Christian leader is serving four years in prison. He has opposed communism in Vietnam and openly shared his faith in Christ. Vietnam is ranked 25th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Jesus said in Matthew 10:32, “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in Heaven.” Christians are leaving India for United Kingdom The Guardian reports that churches in the United Kingdom are getting a boost from Christians migrating from India.  Over the last decade, Christian identification has fallen from nearly 60% of the U.K. population to under 50%. Meanwhile, the number of Indian Christians in the country has surged from 135,000 to over 225,000.  Local pastors report Indian families also have large numbers of children who tend to show more interest in religion than British young people. Biden rolls back conscience protections Yesterday, the Biden administration continued to role back conscience protections for Americans. Under the Obama administration, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a mandate forcing employers to pay for abortifacients in their health insurance plans. However, religious organizations were able to get exemptions after challenging the mandate in court. And the Trump administration expanded these exemptions to businesses.  The latest rule from Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra claims to balance respect for religious beliefs and a so-called “right” to contraception.  Tom McClusky with CatholicVote commented, “Is this a win for religious freedom? I'd say it could have been much worse. The onslaught of public protest prevented HHS from sending us back to 2011. But the rule definitely leaves Americans at the mercy of Becerra's whims – and whether he feels that the protections we do have are even worth enforcing.” U.S. House approves $1.6 trillion spending deal U.S. Congressional leaders agreed to a $1.6 trillion spending deal Sunday ahead of a potential government shutdown later this month. The agreement includes nearly $900 billion in defense spending and over $700 billion in non-defense discretionary spending. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer negotiated the deal. The agreement accelerates $20 billion in cuts to funding for the Internal Revenue Service and rescinds $6 billion in unspent pandemic aid.  However, conservatives with the House Freedom Caucus  criticized the deal for too much spending, calling it a “total failure.” 20% of office space is vacant Moody's Analytics reports 20% of office space in big U.S. cities was unleased at the end of last year. It's the highest number on record for commercial buildings. Working from home has become more common since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Moody's also noted the 1970s and 1980s saw overbuilding in the commercial space. Texas had the top three cities for office vacancy rates: Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Scientists confirm destruction of Biblical city of Gath And finally, scientists from several universities in Israel believe they have confirmed the destruction of a Biblical city as described in Second Kings. Chapter 12:17 says, “Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.” Researchers identified the city of Tell es-Safi as the Biblical city of Gath occupied by the Philistines. In fact, Goliath, the giant, was from Gath.  Previously, scientists believed bricks from a wall in the ancient city were kiln-fired before construction. But, thanks to the technology of thermal demagnetization, researchers discovered the bricks were most likely burned in a destructive event, aligning with the Biblical account.  Professor Aren Maeir at Bar-Ilan University said, “Our findings are important for determining the intensity of the fire and the scope of destruction in Gath — the largest and most powerful city in the land at the time — and also for understanding construction practices in the region.” Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, January 11th in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Today pastor James picks up where we left off in our series, In the Volume of the Book. It's a 20 week through the Bible study that emphasizes prophecy! For the next few weeks we'll speed through First and Second Kings and First and Second Chronicles. And yes, even these books contain prophecy! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

We continue our look at the Hosea Generation as we dive into the story of Hosea, a prophet commanded by God to marry a prostitute, reflecting on the symbolic significance of their first child, Jezreel and its connection to the Hosea generation - a group of passionate people consumed by their love for the Lord. This narrative parallels with the tale of Jehu from Second Kings, a king anointed to bring God's wrath upon Ahab's dynasty. Drawing on these ancient stories, we reflect on the evangelical mission that echoes in the lives of modern-day Christians.But our conversation doesn't stop there. We also confront a perennial confusion within Christianity - the complex relationship between faith and works. Many profess faith in Jesus outwardly yet harbor distance in their hearts. Through Proverbs, we illuminate how mercy and truth are God's tools to clear this confusion. Join us as we uncover how God invites us into a deeper understanding of faith and works, and how this wisdom will bring about a more fruitful ministry.The Redeeming Love Bible Broadcast is a ministry of Grace Baptist Tabernacle. We're excited to be under construction on a brand new building in our hometown of King, NC. Please continue to share these episodes, and please consider coming to visit our church. We are excited and expectant for you to come!

Join us as we chat all things First and Second Kings. Honestly, between summer schedules and the content of these books, we both struggled to get through them. But as always, God spoke to us in different ways and we share our insights from these books in this episode. This podcast is brought to you by Lutheran Counseling Services in Winter Park, FL. @lutherancounselingservicesfl @itsoktonotbeokpodcast lcsfl.com

In this episode of Coffee and Prayer, our devotions are found in Matthew chapter 13-16, Second Kings chapter 25 and First Chronicles chapter 1-3. We talk about getting what you want and not being mad at God when it's not what you expected. I talk about how God cares about you and He hasn't forgotten about you. We discuss how many of us know our history. Lastly, we chat about life being more than just bread. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coffeeandprayer/support

Join host Tamra Andress in The F.I.T. in Faith Podcast, a place where faith, identity, and truth intersect. In a world filled with rules, regulations, and the pursuit of personal agendas, Tamra invites you to dive deeper into a conversation about genuine freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of spiritual happiness. Drawing inspiration from her ride in Spain, biblical teachings, and the timeless message of Acts and Second Kings, Tamra explores the concept of breaking free from the shackles that bind us and embracing the liberty found in Christ. Through passionate discussions, personal insights, and a touch of saucy revelation, Tamra walks you through the journey from rules and religion to genuine relationship and liberty. She unpacks the divine favor experienced by those who step into the realm of God's grace, regardless of past mistakes or societal norms. By examining the struggles of historical kings and relating them to the challenges of modern life, Tamra sheds light on the ultimate freedom we can find when we let go of ego and embrace a life aligned with the Holy Spirit. Discover how the principles of liberty, identity, and relationship shape our understanding of faith, calling, and purpose. Join Tamra on a mission to empower you to break free from false ideologies, embrace your true identity, and light up the world with the torch of divine freedom. Tune in to The F.I.T. in Faith Podcast for thought-provoking conversations, spiritual insights, and a fresh perspective on what it truly means to live in the freedom that Christ offers. Open your ears, open your heart, and let Tamra Andress guide you on a journey toward a life liberated by faith. ⁉️ Have a faith & or biz question you'd like to have me answer? Feel free to write it, along with your honest review on Apple Podcasts - I'll share you and give you the answer in an upcoming episode!

In today's episode of Coffee and Prayer our devotions are found in Matthew chapters 9-12 and Second Kings chapters 21-24. We talk about being where God wants us and moving when He calls. We discussed sitting with sinners, the power of this book and how if He calls you to it, He will equip you for it. We discussed the importance of cleaning house by periodically, reflecting on your life and asking yourself some important questions. Lastly, we analyze if we're missing the miracle that's happening in front of us because of our own religiosity and we discuss the unforgivable sin. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coffeeandprayer/support

In today's episode of Coffee and Prayer, our devotions are found in Matthew chapter 5-8 and Second Kings chapter 17-20. We talk about God taking our mess and turning it to miracles. We discuss going against the grain and how it's up to us to be the change that we want to see in this world. Lastly, we talk about prayer and how it matters. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coffeeandprayer/support

In this episode of Coffee and Prayer our devotions are found in Matthew chapter 1-4 and Second Kings chapter 13-16. We asked the question, who are you following? Those who can't before you or God? And we talk about breaking generational curses. We talk about pride and humility. And we discussed being spiritual, but not submitted to a relationship with God. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coffeeandprayer/support

In this episode of Coffee and Prayer our devotions are found in Second Kings chapter 9-12 and Revelation chapter 19-22. We talk about God's promises and not being half hearted when following our Lord. We discussed being used by God but not being in fellowship with Him. We also talk about finishing well and how God‘s plan is always greater than ours. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coffeeandprayer/support

In this episode of COFFEE and PRAYER our devotions are found in Revelation chapter 14-18 and Second Kings chapter 4-8. We talk about measuring your faith and missing your miracle. We discuss complaining, and how God is able to do the impossible. Lastly, we touch on how God is a God of restoration and how it's not wise to be unequally yoked.

In today's episode of Coffee and Prayer, our devotions come from Revelation chapter 9-13, First Kings chapter 21-22 and Second Kings chapter 1-3. We talk about how it is never too late and you're not too far gone for the love of God. We discuss where we should turn in the face of death, tragedy, rebellion, and life. We also talk about God's love, protection, and preparation.

What if you could get a comprehensive understanding of slavery in the Bible from a historical perspective? Today's deep-dive session offers just that. We navigate through the complex subject of servitude, analyzing the Hebrew words 'ebed' and 'abad' and their translated meaning in various Biblical passages. We also examine the different types of bondslave arrangements during Biblical times. We shed light on how the Mosaic Law not only addressed servitude but also directly prohibited all people from being kidnapped and sold into slavery.Ever wondered how concepts like dowries, bride prices, and voluntary slavery played out in the ancient world? Be prepared for some thought-provoking insights. In today's session, we scrutinize the cultural backdrop that shaped views on marriage and slavery during Biblical times. We bring to light how customs like dowries and bride prices, often seen as survival mechanisms, were prevalent in the ancient world. We draw examples from notable Biblical figure Jacob, who voluntarily became a bond slave, elucidating the stark contrast between the options available in ancient times and now.Our exploration doesn't stop there. We delve deeper into the biblical perspective on slavery, discussing the issue of kidnapping in the ancient world and why the Mosaic Law prevented it. We look at instances like in Second Kings 4:1, where a family was debt-bonded and the creditor seized the family members as a bond slave. Our episode is more than a dry historical account. It's a journey that takes you back in time, provoking thought and offering perspectives that enlighten your understanding of a sensitive issue that is used by modern critics, skeptics, and scoffers to divide people. We've woven together historical facts with Biblical teachings and cultural understandings, creating a tapestry that promises to challenge your assumptions and broaden your perspective. Tune in and be prepared to see the ancient world in its proper context.All of the "Slavery" three part series are recommended for anyone facing skeptics, and atheists attempting to twist Scripture's clear meaning. This series is a must for students headed to college campuses where scoffers lay in wait to try and confuse a young Christian's understanding of God and their faith. Support the show

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download. BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS Monthly Audio & Video Downloads: Now you can subscribe to monthly sermons, Bible studies or topical videos in download form.  Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVDs, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview. Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD. Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD! Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download. BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS Monthly Audio & Video Downloads: Now you can subscribe to monthly sermons, Bible studies or topical videos in download form.  Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVDs, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview.Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD.Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD!Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.  

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download. BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS Monthly Audio & Video Downloads: Now you can subscribe to monthly sermons, Bible studies or topical videos in download form.  Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVDs, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview. Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD. Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD! Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.  

On this this week's edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell, Jay Rivenbark, and Chris Rexroad discuss the themes of the Book of Second Kings. Are there different levels of evil? How is it measured? What things does God consider evil? Is it better to suffer a long protracted demise or a sudden one when it comes to God's judgment? Does God still send “disaster” upon individuals or groups of people who willfully disobey him? What triggers the anger of God? In addition to the obviously named sins, verse 9 says they had done things secretly that were not pleasing to the Lord. Which is more tempting and which is more dangerous, the secret or the obvious sins? What kind of warnings does the Lord send today? Why did God leave Judah? Does God still send “lions” to destroy non-worshippers? 

We're on a journey through the Bible. We'll speed through First and Second Samuel, and First and Second Kings today. And a pattern begins to emerge. When people seek the Lord, He blesses them. When they walk away from the Lord, He curses them. Through this study you'll see why it's so important that we obey the Word of the Lord. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

The Book of Second Kings, Chapter Four, verses one through seven introduces a desperate mother facing suffocating debt.  The choke hold on her life was tightening because of the real threat that her two sons could be forced into slavery to satisfy her creditors.  She cried out to the Prophet Elisha who challenged her faith.  A miracle occurred that allowed her to pay her debts and live on the rest.  Her breakthrough began with the question, “What do you have in the house?” This sermon explores four responses to that searching question.  

How can an entire nation return to God? One repentant soul at a time. The book of Second Kings is partially a tale of Israel's rebellion against God. The nation first becomes divided into two kingdoms. For most of that four hundred year period, with very few exceptions, both kingdoms did evil in the sight of the Lord. And ultimately, Israel was taken into captivity. Ron takes us back to this period in Israel's history next, as he continues his teaching series, “Route 66: The Ultimate Road Trip Through The Bible.” --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/something-good-radio/support

God is not mocked. As a man sows he also shall reap. It's true of individuals. It's also true of nations. Well, after the reign of King Solomon, and partly due to the latter stages of his reign, the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms, and with few exceptions, every king, and by extension, the inhabitants themselves, did evil in the sight of the Lord. What are some practical applications for us today? Find out next, as Ron continues his teaching series, “Route 66: The Ultimate Road Trip Through The Bible.” --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/something-good-radio/support

While preaching at the historic Galilee Baptist Church in St. Louis, Missouri, one of the city's storied congregations, Dr. Stubblefield shares a message from Second Kings, Chapter 6.  The prophet Elisha miraculously recovers an axe that had slipped off the handle and plunged into the waters of the Jordan River.  The user of the axe panicked because the axe was “borrowed.”  When we lose our edge in life, marriage or ministry, God can work a miracle in our lives too.  

2 Kings 5:1 There's nothing like sitting before an open Bible, with an open heart, asking that the Lord might breathe upon the text and illuminate one's understanding.  Ah, to have those rhema moments where the text of Scripture seems to leap from the page, where the Word of God is comprehended from His Spirit to our spirit, there's nothing that compares like unto it.  Fasten your seatbelt, as we go for a ride through chapter 5 of the Book of Second Kings to learn lessons from the life of Naaman the Syrian.

Pastor Bill: [0:00] Hello and welcome to season 4 episode 3 of The Berean Manifesto; Faith, Hope, and Love for the Modern Christian I'm Pastor Bill and I'm joined as always by Pastor Newms. Pastor Newms: [0:15] Hola. Pastor Bill: [0:17] How are you senior Pastor Newms?  Took a nap and it made you happy. Pastor Newms: [0:34] I did, I took a nap had some weird dreams though. Pastor Bill: [0:38] Does a nap that made you happy, is it thereby defined as a nappy?  You took a nappy. Pastor Newms: [0:46] No, a nappy is something you put on a baby's butt. Pastor Bill: [0:51] Ah it's also a certain classification of dirty greasy hair. Pastor Newms: [0:58] That's spelled differently. Pastor Bill: [1:00] How is it?  How is that spelt? Pastor Newms: [1:02] I don't know, but I know it's spelled differently. Pastor Bill: [1:04] Okay okay well that's neither here nor there I don't know I don't know. Pastor Newms: [1:10] I don't know, I don't even have any hair. Pastor Bill: [1:15] Well you have, you got some you got the beard. Pastor Newms: [1:18] That's not the same kind of hair. Pastor Bill: [1:18] And you've got the chest hair. Pastor Newms: [1:22] I have no chest hair you can't prove it. Pastor Bill: [1:25] And you've got the back here. Pastor Newms: [1:27] You can't prove that either. Pastor Bill: [1:29] But not as much as there was this guy that I was in the internship with at Teen Mania. You know in that first when you first get there, you're you sleep out in the Quonset Huts like the long you know just long dome-tinted room with bunk beds. You're all using these communal showers one shower for the men one shower for the women this dude is so hairy on his chest and back that he looked like he was wearing a sweater vest, he even had it cut into a v in the front and then he had a cross shaved into the back. Pastor Newms: [2:12] That's a look - okay. Pastor Bill: [2:17] But that was crazy like he could be shirtless and from a distance, you'd swear he had a sweater vest on because it did the whole around here by the arms and then he had it a v-neck cut into the front of it, to make it look like a V, what's up Sarafina you gonna join us tonight, a v cut in the front there it was crazy good guy great guy really yeah it was weird, yeah, so how was your week Pastor Newms? Pastor Newms: [2:54] My week was. Pastor Bill: [2:57] My way. Pastor Newms: [2:59] It was. Pastor Bill: [3:01] My week was a very week. Pastor Newms: [3:05] It was pretty good I um… Was you know, busy at work.  It's the end of the year and my job tends to get a little crazy towards the end of the year so. Pastor Bill: [3:18] Yeah I was editing the transcript this week and you were saying you guys actually got busier in December which is the antithesis of how it goes. Pastor Newms: [3:28] Antithesis to. Pastor Bill: [3:30] In medical Tech. Pastor Newms: [3:32] Every tech company I've ever worked at except for this one, but that's okay. You know, everyone has a different business model. We try to get a lot of stuff done at the end of the year and at the first of the year too. Bring more clients on right at the beginning and end and that is the business model they have chosen and that is all I will say about that, but yes. Pastor Bill: [4:00] What trips me up in the nonprofit sector was always ending the year in August. Pastor Newms: [4:12] The fiscal year. Pastor Bill: [4:13] Yeah the fiscal year, is like it always just messes with my mind, ending the fiscal year in August and it not corresponding with the daily calendar and oh man. Wal Mart, right and then didn't they did the week's Week 1 week 2 week and you had to know, as a merchandising supervisor, you had to know what week you were in. Pastor Newms: [4:45] You did and it did not correspond to the calendar. Pastor Bill: [4:48] And it did not correspond to the calendar and you if you look at the calendar you went okay what week of the year is it that did not correspond with what merchandise week, it is in the numbers, you had to know and then you had to know what end caps were set for that week and the next week and what you could put together and then sometimes they would just leave you big holes in your department in electronics and they were like, “Just fill it with something…” and you're like, I have a hard enough time getting my general manager to approve orders on the things that are actually supposed to be there, that Walmart says they're supposed to be there I'm not going to get him to order me extra stuff for an empty spot, on my floor, that's not gonna so. Pastor Newms: [5:37] Well let's be honest you were at probably the worst Walmart that I've ever seen. Pastor Bill: [5:44] That's what I hear but it's the only WalMart I've ever worked at. So I don't really have anything to compare it to so. Pastor Newms: [5:51] Oh yeah Biggs stated the Nissan year starts in April because they follow the Japanese year not the calendar year also. Pastor Bill: [6:04] We'll see at least that makes sense. Like that's the cultural calendar from where the company exists there's some logic to that. Pastor Newms: [6:14] It does make more sense than some others will the fiscal year. Pastor Bill: [6:18] And just making up your own calendar. Pastor Newms: [6:21] The fiscal year for retail makes sense too because you want to capture what money you lose to returns in January from Christmas. So that way you actually know what your fiscal year is or if you don't do that, what happens is the first month of your year is - and you, terrible for the year starting off and it hurts because you're years starting - and you spend the rest of the year trying to catch up as opposed to technically that revenue was captured in December and then lost in January. So it's it, that's the reason they do it and it makes sense from a. The way they fiscally are doing it so that way because it is technically lost from the Christmas sales so because of that it balances out so it works pretty well. My week's been pretty good, we also did today the church we visited. This is the third time we visited them, we actually took the girls and they have a full one of their ministries is a theater company. Not like, oh we have drama we do or not you know, hey, we have no but they actually have like a theater where they sell tickets throughout the year and it's a full production and tryouts and it's a full thing, box you know they have the you can order the whole years' worth of stuff and go to all of them and they were doing Christmas Carol for Christmas which is logical. So they put on, for morning service they put on their Christmas Carol and then, so we got to see that for free. what other people had to pay for it that always makes me feel special love free things and then they had a church-wide Christmas party thing afterwards, where there was like everyone brought desserts and so there was a huge dessert bar and, just people just lots of people just people. Pastor Bill: [8:36] People being people in. Pastor Newms: [8:37] And so we sat with the co-worker that Tina has that is her friend. During that so that was good and just overall you know trying to, figure everything out there it's pretty cool place I think but still, you know checking it out. But yeah, so that was kind of cool and then last night we did our first night of our family celebration of Yule which was fun. You should be getting a picture of that from your present. So that's good we'll be doing that for the next eleven nights, until the solstice for Sez in his celebration as well. So that's good. The fire pit was a success, the one I ordered worked very well. We enjoyed it and everyone, most of the family, enjoys the Yule cake that I made. It's a cranberry-based cake so if you don't like cranberries, it's hard to enjoy a cranberry cake if you don't like cranberries like myself but. Pastor Bill: [10:09] I like cranberry, sauce. Pastor Newms: [10:11] No, so this is actually a, it's an old recipe that it's also called Christmas cake sometimes of course because you know dear people love to borrow things from other. Pastor Bill: [10:23] Appropriate. Pastor Newms: [10:24] Yeah we'll use that word. Pastor Bill: [10:27] That's what it is. Its appropriation. Pastor Newms: [10:28] It is it's also theft but that's okay that's what appropriation is, theft of culture. Pastor Bill: [10:34] Appropriation is theft. Pastor Newms: [10:36] Yeah. Pastor Bill: [10:37] It's different there's appreciation which is, taking something and going hey this is a Yule cake, and we're going to enjoy it at Christmas, that's appreciation, then there's appropriation where you go, hey there's your cakes really good but I'm gonna change the name and pretend like it doesn't have some historical meaning attached to it. Pastor Newms: [11:21] Three eggs and then, cranberries and so it's super simple it's nice and crumbly and traditionally you kind of leave it out. You don't like put it in the fridge or put it in the and by the end of Yule it gets a little harder and so it's almost like a bar by the end. The one I made is not going to last to the end of Yule I've already planned on buying more ingredients and making another because I wanted the Cranberries to be semi-fresh so I don't want to or buy them. Pastor Bill: [11:57] Isn't part of the point for it to last and become a hardy you know through that you can continue to eat in the cold. Pastor Newms: [12:06] That is the point of it, but Groggy is here this weekend which means. Pastor Bill: [12:13] It's not going to last. Pastor Newms: [12:13] 7 people in the house. Last night, and even cutting them in like 1 by 1 squares a 13 by 9 only has so many squares in it so, I'm pretty sure it ain't going. Pastor Bill: [12:32] I would imagine the 13 by 9 only has 13 squares across and 9 squares. Pastor Newms: [12:38] That's if I actually measured and did inch squares which you know me, I didn't measure, and they are bigger than a one-by-one. Pastor Bill: [12:47] Those were two-inch squares easily. Pastor Newms: [12:51] If - because it was just knife carving knife you know. But it was good, fire and stuff which is fun I like fire I've limited the amount of wood we bought. We only bought you know a little bit of wood for each night and we're not doing the, belief that the fire has to burn the whole time or it's bad luck because well one, it doesn't you know the sun isn't not going to come back if the fire goes out says, it was like I was like do we need to keep this fire going and we tend it throughout the day and he's like no like okay cool I'll do it if we need to like if that's part of your not belief system but part of the traditions that you do. Pastor Bill: [13:48] He was like I aint sitting out here and tending that fire. Pastor Newms: [13:52] Relax and keep the fire going. We'll just light logs each night and like all right cool so that's kind of what we're doing and that's good it's been a good week how was your week? Pastor Bill: [14:08] It was life, just you know walking the dog every day multiple times it probably like at least every hour. Pastor Newms: [14:16] How's that doing for your health? Pastor Bill: [14:20] I don't know I haven't noticed the difference yet. Pastor Newms: [14:22] I mean like are your knees hurting a lot more are you are you doing okay doing that often? Pastor Bill: [14:28] I mean as long as I sit down for a little bit after doing it each time, I'm fine. I mean I've just got to sit down and let my back recoup. Pastor Newms: [14:36] I wasn't thinking that the standpoint that some people would take of oh you're walking. You don't ever walk normally, you've obviously lost 190 pounds but doing it now I wasn't going that route I meant just. Pastor Bill: [14:46] Actually, and I haven't lost a pound. It doesn't do anything for my weight you know. Pastor Newms: [14:57] Because life's not magical. Pastor Bill: [15:00] That's right life's not magical, and getting a dog at the end of October and walking it every hour except for while you were asleep for a month does not equal weight loss. Pastor Newms: [15:14] Well to be fair if anything it would it could mark weight gain because you're using muscles you normally don't. Pastor Bill: [15:24] Building up those muscles. Pastor Newms: [15:25] Right and that's the worst part about weight is everyone's like most people measure by pounds and they're like, I'm so fat alright I've gotten fatter so I started working out you're like no no you haven't I can see that you look different, I can't tell real well because cameras you know but and I don't see all of you but there's that aspect of, if you do that then obviously you've lost weight if I do like this I look skinny but you know it just doesn't work that way none of us have that good of a tour so we're just pushing fat up so the, but I know there are people that get upset and they're like how I'm gained weight when I started working out you're like yeah but have you measured, and that's the other thing is looking at it from that standpoint. How do your clothes fit? How do your you know? Those types of things are important also not just, poundage because poundage is not how you measure that especially. Pastor Bill: [16:31] That's another guy over there this week. Pastor Newms: [16:50] But I just meant your pain levels, not your. Pastor Bill: [16:51] No my panels are manageable, it's all right my bad there's been a few times where I've been limping the dog out but you know those aren't all the time. Anyway yeah, I mean other than you know you see I got this Christmas tie up. Pastor Newms: [17:19] I do you see your Christmas tie. Pastor Bill: [17:22] I've got this Christmas tree over here that I've added to my office Shelf ah. Pastor Newms: [17:27] I am, I don't think I have anything Christmas. Pastor Bill: [17:41] Put this in your stuff. Pastor Newms: [17:43] We do have two Christmas trees this year. One that has no ornaments and isn't plugged in because I forgot that we, found a Christmas tree towards the end of last year middle of last year when we ordered it. I forgot I just remembered the fact that we didn't have one, and so we were doing something we were out there for the wedding, and Walmart the one over on Cheek Sparger had just put out their Christmas trees. So I found a six-foot black one and bought it and then brought it home and Tina's like, you know we already have one and I was like yeah of course I do, which I had forgotten a little bit oh okay I now do you want to be on camera or no just hand, okay I now have a black Christmas tree. Pastor Bill: [18:46] That's not 6 foot that's um. Pastor Newms: [18:48] That's this one's not 6ft does that work could not be seen that can't be seen and used to be over here we'll put it right here for Here We Go. Pastor Bill: [19:01] Then I just put it right in front of the camera like. Pastor Newms: [19:03] Right in front of the camera okay. Pastor Bill: [19:06] Just sitting right in front there you go. Pastor Newms: [19:07] So I have a Christmas tree now it's a wonderful Christmas tree and it's. Pastor Bill: [19:14] Move it over Happy Halloween, nice. Pastor Newms: [19:14] It's definitely a Christmas tree and nothing else other than a Christmas tree all right. Pastor Bill: [19:22] Don't just move it over to the right, come on man move it to the right up hiding behind the tree okay is that right okay move it to the left then, hold it nope too far little bit more in a little bit more into the camera a little bit more little bit right there oh Pastor Newms. Pastor Newms: [19:47] You want me to okay there's a second one I could technically bring it and put it right in front of the Saints but. Pastor Bill: [19:54] It doesn't even look real it looks like you've added an image a PNG image into the shot, not a real tree. Pastor Newms: [20:07] It looks purply because the red light right there, there's a red light right there, and there's a red light right there. That's the reflection of the red light that's over there and there's red lights right here but yeah so. Pastor Bill: [20:28] All right so Biggs on Twitch asks what kind of dog did you get. My dog is a pit lab, it seems American Pit Bull and Chocolate Lab. I love her, she's great. She's a little stinker though sometimes she plays a little too hard with the kids, but she's just a baby. Pastor Newms: [20:55] Labs have that issue, I've never owned a pit, but well Kaiju has just a little bit but it's not much she's mainly lab but, never had a full mix and Kaiju doesn't understand that she's 65 pounds, she thinks that she is 10 pounds and she gets jealous Shyla will lay right here on your shoulder when you're sitting in a chair, and she puts her back she puts her front up here and then you're supposed to hold her butt and then and then she just cuddles just like a cat, yeah just like a 10-pound 12-pound cat you know no big deal she claws the whole way up but that's okay you know she's special and if you try to remove her, by shoulder meat but. Pastor Bill: [21:49] Really at the claws then. Pastor Newms: [21:50] Yeah you really get too close if that's the case but then she'll start whining and then try to climb up in the chair with you, and I'm not talking like you know big fluffy lazy boys I'm talking just like chair, you know we've got these swirly, these swivel chairs that are like you know the only the backs only go like, this tall on your back you know. She'll try to pick her up and you're holding her and then she gets right here and she's like I could do it and the tails just, you know smacking you over and over again because she's happy and you're just like oh my gosh you got to get down. But yeah she so I can do it too just dad look, and it doesn't it doesn't work here like no no baby you can't it hurts you got to get down because she has no idea. Pastor Bill: [22:44] But I is baby. Pastor Newms: [22:46] Yeah so yeah dogs are fun. Pastor Bill: [22:56] All right so now it's time for. Getting To Know The Pastors. Pastor Newms: [23:02] See this is the problem, I think we do enough of this in the opening that we don't have to do these cards, and yet you say we have to do these cards. Let's just see… if you were to create just create not go to but create. Pastor Bill: [23:17] Okay I'm creating something. Pastor Newms: [23:19] The ultimate vacation destination. Where would it be located and what would it be like? Now here's my question if I can create the ultimate vacation spot right I would assume that I can also create the means to get there. Pastor Bill: [23:55] I mean you own the place you could technically live there. Pastor Newms: [23:59] No, I mean like if I'm granted a wish of the ultimate vacation spot by definition, if you were the Jinn doing this you'd have to then create the ability to get people their back or wouldn't be the ultimate vacation spot because no one could go there, okay cool alright go ahead. Pastor Bill: [24:23] It sounds like you've put more thought into this than I have what you what do you what do you brewing over there. Pastor Newms: [24:34] Under the Sea. The domed like Atlantis style amusement park under the sea. Pastor Bill: [24:42] There's that one hotel that only has one room. Pastor Newms: [24:47] And they. Pastor Bill: [24:48] And it is a submerged room. Pastor Newms: [24:54] That's what I'm thinking Atlantis Style, like domed sea creatures all around you hopefully, the meg is not real, and you know we're good to go. Pastor Bill: [25:10] The meg is not real. Pastor Newms: [25:12] Don't start cuz I got someone in this house that believes the meg is 100% real and so no man don't start this conversation we will lose it. Pastor Bill: [25:23] Dude I can't swim in swimming pools if they're too deep because of my fear of deep-water animals so, I understand the fear. Pastor Newms: [25:40] I won't swim in the ocean, and I won't swim in lakes. Catfish get too big and there are other things other than catfish that can just crawl up from other places and there goes your foot you had a foot you got a foot. Pastor Bill: [25:56] Zaydiee, were doing Get To Know The Pastor's. The card was, if you could create a destination is what are you talking about. Pastor Newms: [26:02] Oh Zaydiee knows what we're talking about. Zaydiee knows what we're talking about. Pastor Bill: [26:11] Or she asking what are you talking about who believes the meg is she's just so guy you've been naughty better now you gotta expose somebody. Pastor Newms: [26:17] Nah I'm good. Pastor Bill: [26:20] Who in your house believes the meg is real? Pastor Newms: [26:22] The megalodon is real. Its knowledge. Pastor Bill: [26:26] It's you isn't it? You're the one that believes the meg is real, isn't it? Pastor Newms: [26:30] We have proof that the Meg was real. Pastor Bill: [26:34] Once. We don't have proof that there are any more. Pastor Newms: [26:38] We don't have proof there's not. Pastor Bill: [26:40] It's true there are depths of the ocean we've never been to. Pastor Newms: [26:45] That's why I believe Nessie is real too. Some of Tina's favorite movies are The Meg and, she loves them and I'm like no that's real, there's those fall right into my I don't do ghost movies and I don't like zombies, see she believes they still exist as well. Pastor Bill: [27:14] So we watched The Meg, and you know there's some jump scares in that movie and if I remember if I'm remembering correctly Roxanne you know I was just unaffected by it Roxanne was like isn't this scary to you? I was like no, because I would never be caught dead in that underwater enclosure so it's not realistic I would never be in that situation so that is not scary to me because I wouldn't go in. I would be firm on the land. Pastor Newms: [27:48] What if your wife and kids had gone and now they're trapped would you go to save them. Pastor Bill: [27:57] What good would it do to have me die too? What purpose would that serve? Pastor Newms: [28:05] Hmm, mmm, man Rox hun, Bat-Brains you gotta come fix your man. Pastor Bill: [28:21] I said so much every other day the kids asked me some question if blah blah blah blah blah would you come would you save me so if I got kidnapped, would you pull a Liam Neeson and come and save me and I was like I don't have those skills. And Roxanne showed me this dirty-look and I was like, what? I don't. I couldn't save them. Well would you at least pay the ransom dad? With what would I pay the ransom with. Pastor Newms: [28:59] Oh, Shea family, y'all are dead if anything happens to y'all. Just so you know, Pastor Bill cannot help you. Pastor Bill: [29:08] I cannot help you, I do not have the skills of Liam Neeson. I do not have the money of Bruce Wayne. I am unhelpful in a kidnap situation in any way. Well, you aren't either I mean come on honestly. Pastor Newms: [29:28] No but I thought I would. Pastor Bill: [29:30] If your kid was kidnapped there's nothing you could do about it but call the police and sit on your hands and wait for something to happen. Pastor Newms: [29:37] I honestly don't think I could. No, I would have to at least try. Pastor Bill: [29:48] You'd want to try. Pastor Newms: [29:49] I'd have to call in some favors. I have to find some numbers from old books but, doo-doo-doo doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo doo-doo-doo-doo-doo. Pastor Bill: [30:05] I have a very specific set of historically documented skills. And they don't handle kidnapping. You call me for other things. You don't call me for kidnapping, you call me for other things. Pastor Newms: [30:22] That is true. Pastor Bill: [30:23] Kidnapping is not on that list. Pastor Newms: [30:24] Kidnappings is not on your list. I'd have to make some phone calls, but I would try hmm it's been 20 years. Pastor Bill: [30:33] Alright so my place. Pastor Newms: [30:35] Aha. Pastor Bill: [30:37] So I really when that question comes up my brain automatically remembered the day in Panama that we spent on the beach. it was the Gulf of Mexico really, but it was on the beach in Panama. White Sands, lots of shade where you didn't have to be in the sun if you didn't want to, the water was crystal clear all the way down, and so you know, and it wasn't that deep you could go swimming you know. You could see what was going on and so my brain automatically goes, well I should create something like that. Nice little water area where you're technically outside but you don't have to be in the sun if you don't want to. Nice big canopy where you know if you want to be in the sun go over there, if you don't want to be in the sun you come over here, and you can swim if you want and there's snorkeling if that's your thing and just hanging out. That'd be my place. Pastor Newms: [31:48] I see. Pastor Bill: [31:50] And at one point okay so the water was like super warm crystal clear, super warm, and then it started raining, and the rain was like super cold but it wasn't too heavy and the water that you were in was super warm and so it's like this awesome mix of just, being submerged in warm water while this cold rain fell on your head and it's beautiful scenery, and yeah it was great. Pastor Newms: [32:19] I'm going to take your word for it. Pastor Bill: [32:24] By far one of the best, what did we call those days when you're on a missions trip and you went off? Excursion, best excursion day of all of my missions trips, it beats bamboo rafting down the river and then swimming at the base of a waterfall in Thailand hands down. Although that might have had something to do with the leeches, that we then had to pull off of ourselves when we were done swimming. Anyway, so yeah that's my thing, and riding elephants was fun, except don't sit on the neck unless you've won more than just blue jeans because those little hairs on elephant necks are tough, and they will poke right through your blue jeans. That is a prickly ride down a mountain, stay where you're at. Pastor Newms: [33:37] Yeah yeah. Pastor Bill: [33:42] All right all right. Pastor Newms: [33:43] Here I do say there is somewhere I want to go I want to take the girls because I haven't yet, there's a lost sea here in this area and it's you basically go down. Well it's called the lost sea because when they found it they were like oh this was lost to time you know blah blah blah, but you go down into it, and it's an underground system of caves that they've you know been taking people through for who knows how many years. So because of that you know, it's built up nice and its still very much, do do do do do do. Glass bottom boat, and you go on this sea, like you know it's an underground lake. It's gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous and like during the prohibition time there was a bar down there. Today its carved, like they've carved stairs into the rock and you can't actually use the stairs because they're too dangerous or not because it's too dangerous but the funny thing is when your lower. This is a funny story when you're lower you don't feel the effects of alcohol as much because of the way the, something about the air and something about them and so then as you go up the stairs you feel the effects this is what they tell you at least I don't know if this is true might be you feel the effects of the alcohol more as you get into. You know miss you get back up and so some people would open the door and then like, the wind would come in and they'd fall back down the stairs and so it was actually a hazard, to drink down there. But you know, it was the prohibition, so people did it anyway. It's called The Lost Sea. Pastor Bill: [35:48] did they carry the pieces down and build the boat on the Lost Sea? Or did they somehow transport the boat whole into the hole? It feels as perplexing as seeing those pirate ships in a bottle like. Okay. Pastor Newms: [36:24] It's a pontoon boat Biggs says, I don't know if that answers the question. Pastor Bill: [36:29] They might have just carried it down there then. Pastor Newms: [36:33] I mean it's not a huge for anyone who wants the information there you go. Pastor Bill: [36:45] TheLostSea.com. Pastor Newms: [36:47] But it's. Pastor Bill: [36:48] Ready to take an unforgettable adventure? Take a boat ride underground. You've never seen, heard, or done anything like this before. Pastor Newms: [36:56] How do you see what I did you click the. Pastor Bill: [36:56] Listed in the Guinness Book of Records your lost the adventure begins with a guided tour of the caverns this includes a three-quarter mile round trip walk on a wide sloping pathways, while touring that's all I got. You were like, “How are you, how are you reading what I.” what did you think about that. Pastor Newms: [37:19] Because I was like, wait did you click the link to stop clicking links man you're not I'm the one who does random stuff while we're doing this you're the one who tries to stay focused. What's wrong? Pastor Bill: [37:34] I accidentally turned on the movie I was watching earlier. And so suddenly the movie Bohemian Rhapsody at 50 minutes in started playing over my head buds and I was like, what is that where's that music what's going on. It was over on this screen behind my notes I didn't see it I just because I tapped my ear. Pastor Newms: [38:01] Oh yeah, the boats aren't that big, you basic they're just like seat CC and then like foot room and it's glass and so they probably it's nice I like it. Pastor Bill: [38:17] So season 4 episode 1. Picked up Genesis chapter 1 and verses 1 and 2. And then and that was called in the beginning and then episode 2 which we called also in the beginning, we did John chapter 1 verses 1 through 4. You can get rid of the tree if you'd like, you don't have to leave the Christmas tree there it's fine. All right, now tonight in episode 3 the title is turn up the house lights. And we are looking at Genesis chapter 1 versus 3 and four so let's read. Pastor Newms: [39:17] So can I take a guess what we're talking about. Pastor Bill: [39:21] We're talking about Genesis chapter 1 verses 3 and 4. Pastor Newms: [39:24] Does it have to do with light - based on the title? Pastor Bill: [39:28] Based off the title of tonight's episode you would probably be a good. Pastor Newms: [39:34] Yay I guessed it. Pastor Bill: [39:39] All right you want to put in the chat Genesis chapter 1 verses 3 and 4 there. Actually, we're not going to get all the way through verse four. We're going to do the first half of verse 4. Then God said let there be light and there was light God saw the light was good and that's only half of verse 4 because that's as far as we're going to get, not actually going to get into the and God separated the light from the darkness okay. Because we're not going to get that far we've only got 14 minutes. Pastor Newms: [40:23] Well I mean I'm sorry the conversation was lively. Pastor Bill: [40:29] The conversation was lively. Pastor Newms: [40:32] I'm bad at following times you know this. Pastor Bill: [40:34] (Singing to the tune of “Let it Snow”) The weather outside is frightening but the conversation is lively. Pastor Newms: [40:43] Please just go, no I mean in that song There's a great thing because there's some mixed historical, things about what that song could mean and someone did a spoof where the girls doing the same exact parts, but the guys like no you need to go well. Pastor Bill: [41:07] That's a different song but yeah. Pastor Newms: [41:08] Is it. Pastor Bill: [41:10] Hey you're talking to your thinking about “Baby It's Cold Outside”. Pastor Newms: [41:12] Oh I was. Pastor Bill: [41:13] Totally different song, yeah the song you're talking about was featured on. Pastor Newms: [41:18] My brain I'm sorry. Pastor Bill: [41:21] That Christmas movie on Netflix. I can't remember the name of it but it's got that, the comedian the Asian comedian has the glasses what his name is. He's done a few Netflix special comedy specials can't remember his name anyway that's not that's neither here nor there. Pastor Newms: [41:46] Is Grayson praying for us to stop and be focused or. Pastor Bill: [41:49] Grayson is praying for our mental sanity he's like oh dear Lord help them, Lord. Pastor Newms: [41:57] What is it what is he praying for exactly? Pastor Bill: [42:00] So Genesis 1 chapter 3 in our translations it says then God said let there be light and there was light okay now when we go to, the Strong's to find out what words are actually they're right we find out that there's one, two, three, four, five, six words. There's only six words here okay, and the words using the same translation the words are “God said be light; be light” are the words. There is no “then” there is no “let there” and there is no “and.” It's just God said be light be light. So, there's a lot of context that has to be thrown in to make a sentence like and God said let there be light and there was light. The problem with contexts when you're talking about something like Genesis chapter one is you have no context. The only way to add words to what's being said, is to make them up is to go well in the future, because we see what happens in the future, we think that what they're saying here is this, and we backwards paste our expectation onto earlier scriptures. And say well we're going to translate this way because of what we read later and what we find out later, but when we break it down and we look at just the words that are there to try to get this deeper understanding and this deeper look at what's going on. Once again, we don't necessarily find the translation to be wrong, but we do find the translation to be shallow. And we don't find it to be bad, but we do find it to be more leaning in a poetic form. So it's crafting this poetic idea that they're trying to communicate, but it's coming across without any of its depth and it's supposed to flow like poetry so it's not hitting all of that those markers of substance that we want, when we're reading the Bible so let's look at the words that are actually there, the first word is God but the God there is that same word for God that we've been seeing so far, in verses 1 and 2 which is Elohim I've got my e-sword up here on the right-hand side of the screen, you can kind of see some of it if you're watching the video, the word there's Elohim it's H430 which is that plural of God which is God's or Divine beings we talked about last week. This definitely included Jesus, because John told us, in the beginning, was the word we also saw that the commentaries really preferred either plan promise provision or motive, instead of translating as word. And then the motive becomes. Human. He is Jesus. So Jesus was there in the beginning, it's part of this plural but it doesn't negate other beings being a part of the creation as well. We apply that understanding to the text like I said because of what we learned later. Now in its original form Genesis chapter one wasn't even, like we said in episode one of season 4 it wasn't a Jewish text it's not a Christian text it's not an Abrahamic text. It's actually a chapter they borrowed when they were in captivity in Babylon, so the meanings of these words could very well have intended by its original writers, to include a whole Pantheon of beings when it said Elohim and it meaning you know a Pantheon of Gods. God said for the Gods, I said now the said there is well it's aw-mar' H559 if you're following along in a Strongs Thesaurus. It is to say and it's used with great latitude it is answer a point of ouch bid boast self call certify challenge charge, um Man commandment commune there's a lot of words there I'm not going to read all of those because it's a pretty lengthy list of things that you can, technically use this word to mean because of that great latitude but you get the idea here of what that word is said. Okay, then we get to the next word, which is be. Now be is haw-yaw' H1961 and that is to exist be or become come to pass always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary. Yeah, it's not a passive word, it's not a side word it is a main word. My words are failing. Pastor Newms: [48:28] I'm like what were you trying to say. Pastor Bill: [48:31] It's a main word all right, exist and then the next word is light which is ore is the pronunciation there, H216 which comes from H215 and it is illumination for concretely luminary, every sense of the meaning of the word luminary including lightning happiness Etc. It can be bright clear day like lightning morning sun, but even there. Light in this actual in this context right because we have two verses before this is our only actual context. In the context of those two verses and what we broke them down and saw what they meant and how deep they were and what this scene is that we've with it has been painted for us, light is an over simplification of the translation of the word ore. Just like saying darkness in verse 2 which is the word kho-shek' was an over simplification of that word because that word kho-shek', is the word darkness, they translated as Darkness or the dark that one's H2822 from verse 2 which is this chapter one but when we looked at it we saw that it meant that means darkness - figuratively misery destruction death ignorant sorrow wickedness darkness night of security, it doesn't just mean dark is in the absence of visible light that word is so much more than that and to just translate it as darkness as is an over simplification, of the message. They're just like light is an oversimplification of this the concept of what's happening here, is so much deeper than we can really wrap into finite words to try to explain what's going on. But basically, there's always void in this darkness and there's you know the Earth is there and the spirit of God is moving or we said warring could be it was a very aggressive word, on the face of the deep against the darkness against misery and sorrow and all these things. There was no way for life to exist that spark of life wasn't anywhere in the universe. And last week when we were going in John chapter 1 we got to that verse 4 and we were talking about the all of my commentaries agree that the light, was you know the motive was the light in the light was the life of men. That light they were talking about was sentience that it was the spark of life that it was what separates life from not life and that allowed human beings to then, take that step up to awareness of your surroundings and wanting to better ourselves the basic things that are sentience and enlightenment. So then we go back to Genesis and we look at well, were oversimplifying all these words so this light that may have been the word that was used but the meaning behind this word. Is spark of existence is the ability of life, is happiness, is brightness, is joy this all these things, are all tied up right in this work. And so when we look at this verse again and we take everything that we saw in Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 and verse 2 and then we go to verse 3 we no longer see, God said let there be light we get this mental image of God, greeting an old friend named light as if light already exists. So it's this concept of if Newms called me and we hadn't talked in a few days, and it wasn't weird for him to call me because normally he just text, but if it wasn't for him to call me and we hadn't talked in a few days when I picked up the phone I would say, “Newms!” And I would greet my old friend as if he existed right there with me this is the concept were reading about in Genesis 1:3, God said, “Light!” Greeting light as if it existed, happiness joy life the existence of Life the spark of life greeted it as if it existed, called out to something that didn't exist as if it did exist and he was very familiar with it. And then light existed, that's the concept that we're looking at in verse 3. Does that make sense? Pastor Newms: [54:14] Yeah, it's not just like flip the switch thing it's the way it is still making something exists, but it is definitely in a different, feeling then what is sometimes conveyed, to people it is. Pastor Bill: [54:38] And you get a lot of questions at this point. How did light exist if the sun didn't exist yet? How does this work? Why? Well , it's because we're not actually talking about. Pastor Newms: [54:49] Lights. Pastor Bill: [54:50] The light that you are perceiving with your eyes. We're talking about happiness and life and joy and, this is the word that we've translated as light it's not actually light rays from a light source that's not what's being created here. So then we get to the next verse see we're already out of time and I've probably got 15 more minutes in me. Pastor Newms: [55:12] Let's be honest I might have elongated the beginning, so it's okay. Pastor Bill: [55:19] So I'm going to go for 15 more minutes and then what we'll call it okay. So we get to verse 4 and we're using the same word for God. Remember we're only going to do the first half of verse 4. We got the same word that's just this multiple word were talking about this plural God, and then we get to the word saw okay. And this word That We're translating as saw (surprise-surprise) is an oversimplification. The word saw is actually a compound of two separate words or rather it's the usage of two separate words raw-aw' and ayth. Raw-aw' is H7200 and ayth is H853 those are those numbers if you want to go look those up. Now, H7200 is to see, literally or figuratively it's used in numerous applications direct and implied transitively in transitively and causative lie, it is advised yourself appear approved behold considered discern make to enjoy have experienced gaze take heed. It's all the things that you would think of for seeing. Yeah, it is saw that word ayth, however. Is in the demonstrative sense of entity properly self, but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition even or namely as such unrepresented in English well, I'm here to tell you how to represent that in English. You ready okay. Raw-aw' ayth is to look within yourself. So the gods or God looked within themself. It looked within themself and what they found there they found the light. It looked within themself found the light that they had just created. And judging it against themself saw that it was good okay? So God looked inside of himself and given everything that God was, God is, God always will be, judge the light against that. And based off of what God saw inside of himself he declared that it was good. The that there kee H3588. Nothing deep about that word it's just prepositional prefect's its, it indicates casual relationships of all kinds. It's the word that and the word good is tobe, it's H2896, it's good as an adjective in the widest sense use likewise as a noun both in the masculine and the Feminine singular and the plural, good a good or good thing a good man or woman good goods or good things good men or women also an adverb well beautiful best better Bountiful cheerful at ease, fair word be in favor fine glad good, deed, deedlier deadliest deadly deed - Deeds, graciously joyful kindly kindness like if like it's best loving Mary most Pleasant, please have pledged your precious Prosperity ready sweet wealth welfare bewell be favored, good means. In all the sense of good right. It doesn't mean good for something it doesn't mean, taste good it doesn't mean oh yeah that's good but it's not best it doesn't mean you know oh I'm good but I'm not well it doesn't mean you know it's not these modern ways that we use the word good, by good, he was in Eternal fate, that this thing in the widest sense of the definition. Was beautiful best better Bountiful cheerful it's this all-encompassing word of that is a good thing always, God looked within himself and he compared the light to what he saw inside of himself that it was good, remember that light is life that light is that spark of creation that light is, is all the things that would come to be enlightenment it is all the things that would come to be tensions it is all the things that, cause the universe to spin and causes gravity to work and causes you know everything to be, moving and growing and changing and that, without that light, everything just sat stagnant in death and Decay and misery. Darkness there was no moving forward there was no spark there was no change there was no sentience there was no existence. There was just cold dark rocks and primordial ooze. Until God greeted light as an old friend, causing light or causing life to exist spark of life to exist compared life to himself and went yeah life is good. Genesis chapter 1 verses 3 through the first half of verse 4. See what we relegate to elementary school we relegate toSunday school and we relegate to a quippy poem, written in archaic version of English that we've been tried to dumb down and translate down and transliterate into the easiest version to read, it's really some of the heaviest stuff in the Bible it's so deep and so existential. It blows my mind every time I go back and start to study it again. How deep the pictures that are being painted actually are in Genesis chapter 1. Pastor Newms, you have anything you want to add to that? Pastor Newms: [1:03:36] No it's exactly like you said we so often look upon, you know these topics and we glaze over them based on, the English that used to be glazed over them based on what we've been taught and you know it's probably some of the most read parts of the Bible. Pastor Bill: [1:04:02] Second to John 3:16 but yeah. Pastor Newms: [1:04:04] Yeah because and the reason I say this is every year, probably Millions but at least thousands of Christians start a reading plan start with Genesis and then fail somewhere around you know either the Minor Prophets or, you know Numbers cuz some people don't and so. Pastor Bill: [1:04:29] If you're reading the whole Bible in the course of the Year Kudos that's great but you might as well be reading the phone book I mean. Pastor Newms: [1:04:39] Well. Pastor Bill: [1:04:40] Once you're actively studying what are you reading, if you're just reading it to read it and you're not listening to Holy Spirit and you're not pacing yourself. Pastor Newms: [1:04:50] There you go. Pastor Bill: [1:04:51] Right because if you're trying to read it in a year you're reading three chapters a day at least. Pastor Newms: [1:04:57] You are but. Pastor Bill: [1:04:59] Unless you're sitting down and taking all day to read those three chapters you're probably missing a lot. Pastor Newms: [1:05:07] There are some of us that read, and comprehend differently everyone learns differently the spirit speaks to everyone differently so there are people who do get, out of a daily Bible reading like that they do because they take the time to listen to the holy spirit so there is. Pastor Bill: [1:05:27] But it's I would say probably one percent of people that are doing yearly Bible readings are those people. Pastor Newms: [1:05:34] I don't know if it's quite that low but it is lower than what people anticipate the key though is the listening, and a lot of people there are some people who do the reading and don't do the listening, and those are normally the people who will not make it through because you're not going to get anything out of, large portions I never make it through because I forget it exists because. Pastor Bill: [1:06:07] I never make it through because they're like Read Genesis chapters 1 through 3 today and I'm like I get through the first five verses of Genesis and I'm done for the day and I'm like I'm so far behind by the end of the first week, but I'm like I can't even catch up at this point. I can't even catch up. Pastor Newms: [1:06:28] No I understand but I'm just saying there are so because of that this is some of the you know most read parts of the Bible because if you pick up a book you start at the beginning and that's what everyone does and so, it's interesting how much people will miss if they just blow through it, don't think on it don't apply the, the studying aspect and just blow through reading it because all I know the Judges I know Genesis is easy I've been taught Genesis since I was little like that's an easy story I know it just like put, do you understand the meanings behind the heavy words that are used not just, you know yes this happened. Pastor Bill: [1:07:24] And if you try to translate Genesis with all that weight behind it, they would probably be 10 times longer you know if you really tried to explain in the full concept of what actually is there. Now you don't think so. Pastor Newms: [1:07:45] Because I mean, you get into farther parts of Genesis and there's even weightier stuff that would take you know there's this some of its real big so I do. Pastor Bill: [1:08:04] Honestly honestly I don't even think, I don't even think Genesis is a good place to start if you're a new Christian or if you're just like, I'm gonna start reading the Bible I don't think Genesis is a good place to start anyway like we said like the first ten chapters of Genesis, they're not Christian text or not Abrahamic text or not Jewish texts there straight history, from the viewpoints of other cultures, that then someone in the Jewish realm said that seems like truth to me we're going to include that. I used to really start in Genesis and then as Jesus makes references. Pastor Newms: [1:08:54] You said Genesis as you should start in Genesis I know that's not what you meant. Pastor Bill: [1:08:59] You should start in Math maybe not Matthew. I would think I would start in mark. Pastor Newms: [1:09:08] You would a lot of people say start in John. Pastor Bill: [1:09:12] Mark was the first one next you write the Gospel his gospel and then. Pastor Newms: [1:09:15] No I understand why you would say. Pastor Bill: [1:09:17] Matthew and Luke both had a copy of Mark when they were writing there's and then you know John is good, but even John is a little deep for starting I think it would be better started Marks you get the overview of the story and then we John so you get the deeper behind the story, and then move on beyond there and honestly only go back to the Old Testament, when the New Testament references it. And then when you're done with the New Testament if you like you know what I want to go do a deep study about you know what all this stuff is and the origins of it didn't go back to the Old Testament. And read through it because the New Testament when they quote the Old Testament they're very clear that they're quoting the Old Testament and you can easily go back and go okay well where's this quoting and if you don't understand it. It's all cross-referenced Every Bible you're ever going to get it's going to have cross-references so that you can go back and understand what you know why they're saying it this way why they do it that way. The only time you should be in the Old Testament is when you intend to study you shouldn't just be there to read. That's my take on it. Pastor Newms: [1:10:44] Yeah I. Pastor Bill: [1:10:45] You may disagree that's and that's okay. Pastor Newms: [1:10:46] We do on this one and that's okay the eye I like both as far as, if you are a new Christian I agree with you wholeheartedly please, he's starting the New Testament because you're going to get caught up in some stuff and not until you understand the grace of the New Testament you can get caught up in some Old Testament stuff that's going to flip you but. Pastor Bill: [1:11:12] Yeah for goodness sakes First and Second Kings are just lists of ways that people are screwed up and need a savior like, that's all first and second Kings are and Judges. Judges is the same way. Pastor Newms: [1:11:27] Yeah so I mean it's definitely the old. Pastor Bill: [1:11:30] List of example after example after example after example after example of why we need a savior and you're sitting here reading these awful things, and thinking is this cool it's just okay that things that they're doing and it's like no it's not. That's the whole point of that book. Pastor Newms: [1:11:49] Yeah the whole point of the first half is “no” and so. I do think once you have settled there is time to there is a time to reflect on the whole thing. Pastor Bill: [1:12:04] But see that's the thing is the reflect not just read but actually take it in. Let me add on a qualifier then casual. Do not casually read the Old Testament. Pastor Newms: [1:12:36] Right. Pastor Bill: [1:12:38] That's my qualifier because most people casually read. Pastor Newms: [1:12:43] That's true I'll give you that one I'll give you. Pastor Bill: [1:12:47] Should never be casually reading. Pastor Newms: [1:12:49] I don't think I'm able to casually read I don't think that's why I have so many books behind me. Pastor Bill: [1:12:57] You can casually read the book of Acts you can, you literally have there's no hidden secrets in the book of Acts it is literally God did this miracle for the church then God did this thing through the church and then God did this thing too. And if they're not excited about God moving on the Earth, then you can casually read it. Now myself Acts doesn't particularly excite me, it just doesn't. I get it God moves God does things I believe it, it's cool, other people read acts and they get all excited about it and that's fine for them that's cool but you can technically casually read it you don't have to do a whole bunch of study to take any information there. The Old Testament is not written that way. All right well that's what we have for tonight I hope you guys enjoyed it. The Berean Manifesto comes out every Wednesday at 7 p.m. as a podcast wherever you get your podcasts. If you've enjoyed this episode, it's helped you or you think it might help someone else. Please like, share, follow - all the things on social media and where are you get your podcasts. That really helps expand our reach and then forward a link to someone you know might benefit from this episode or one of the other episodes that we've done. We do recorded these episodes live on video on Sunday nights at 6:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, you can go to our web site www.ekk.house, and see which Twitch, which Facebook, and which YouTube you can go to watch us live and also participate in the chat while we're recording, and we can interact with you if you have questions or you have comments or you just want to send a pray hands symbol because you think we've lost our minds and you're praying for our mental sanity, that's fine too thank you Grayson for that emoji earlier, I think that is all we have for tonight right. Pastor Newms: [1:15:11] That is all we have I think. Pastor Bill: [1:15:15] So happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Christmas, Saturnalia. Whatever you're celebrating this time of year it's fine, I'm going to say Merry Christmas because I celebrate Christmas, I don't say that because I expect you to celebrate Christmas. I say that because while I'm celebrating, I hope, that you were having a bright and merry time in that time. However you celebrate it. Love you guys hope you have a great week. Pastor Newms: Stay safe out there. Pastor Bill: [1:15:54] And until next time.

Summary of the Apostles' Creed. The Apostle's Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle's Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, and Pentecost to life everlasting.The Apostle's Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter's confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.The Apostle's Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.We live the entirety of our lives caught between beauty and brokenness, good and evil, life and death. It is the tension between life and death, where two disciples' have a surprising encounter in Luke 24. A Dangerous World of Death & Tyrants “That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” – Luke 24:13-21The Emmaus-bound disciples go on to describe the events of the weekend. We live in a dangerous world; one that is often more like a warzone than a garden. “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26)A STORY OF SUFFERING & GLORYWe do not have any record of what Jesus said to the Emmaus-bound disciples, but we have the Scriptures that are the prequel to the Jesus story. Without the details, it's a fragmented story. So if we have any hope in understanding the phrase– “He descended to the dead, on the third day he rose again.” – we must look to the same scriptures and recreate the story Jesus told his disciples– The CreationThe Fall“Sin in is an unwillingness to trust that what God wants is our deepest happiness.” – Saint IgnatiusWhat God deems sin is not bad because it is forbidden; it is forbidden because it is bad. The fallout of our choice to do what is right in our own eyes is exactly as God predicted in Genesis 2– “you will die” (Genesis 2:17). Or as the Apostle Paul put it– “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Genesis 4-11 tells the story of people choosing to do what is right in their own eyes, and the devastating consequences on themselves, those around them, and creation as a whole. The Nation of Israel. Israel fails to trust that what God desired for them was simply the good life. From Exodus to Judges from First Samuel to Second Kings– time and time again, the Israelites go about things their own way– doing what was right in their own eyes – and the fallout is pain, suffering, violence, and death. The Suffering ServantAt one point the Nation of Israel is split in two– the nation to the south a smoldering ruin– its people taken into captivity. The northern nation suffering under corrupt rulers and unholy alliances. “The servant grew up before God— a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand… But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.”– Isaiah 53:1,5-6 (MSG)OF BROKEN BREAD & BURNING HEARTS.”And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight” –Luke 24:31 On the third day, he rose again. He was dead, but now he is alive. And in resurrection Death is defeated.Upon the realization that Jesus was back from the dead, the disciples exclaim– “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” –Luke 24:32–33Our task is to practice resurrection– to bear witness to the preciousness of life and the sacredness of connection. We practice resurrection with long walks with good friends. We practice resurrection by checking in on a friend and asking – “what's been going on?” We practice resurrection by reading, pondering, and teaching the Story of Jesus. We practice resurrection by sitting at a dinner table with people we don't know. They are as ordinary as bread and cup– but they point to something stronger than death itself.

Jeremiah 49:28-39 Steven R. Cook      God, who is “the Judge of all the earth” (Gen 18:25), had called Jeremiah to be His prophet, both to the Gentile nations (Jer 1:5, 10) and Judah (Jer 1:15-18; 2:1-2). Because Judah was in a special covenant relationship with God, Jeremiah was commissioned to speak to them first and to pronounce God's “judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands” (Jer 1:16). The first part of the book of Jeremiah was written primarily to Judah (Jeremiah chapters 2-45). But after God judged His people, He fixed His canons against the surrounding Gentile nations (Jeremiah chapters 46-52). God, having already judged Egypt (Jer 46:1-26), Philistia (Jer 47:1-7), Moab (Jer 48:1-47), Ammon (Jer 49:1-6), Edom (Jer 49:7-22), and Damascus (Jer 49:23-27), now renders His judgments against Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor (Jer 49:28-33), and Elam (Jer 49:34-39). Judgment Against Kedar, Hazor, and the Men of the East      Jeremiah opens this pericope with a prophecy “Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. Thus says the LORD, ‘Arise, go up to Kedar and devastate the men of the east'” (Jer 49:28). The Kedarites were a nomadic people descended from Ishmael (Gen 25:13), who later became known for their archery skills (Isa 21:16-17). They were also shepherds (Isa 60:7), lovers of war (Psa 120:5-7), and lived in unprotected villages (Jer 49:31). According to Radmacher, “The phrase men of the East is associated with the Arameans, Midianites, Amalekites, and other nomadic desert tribes (Gen 29:1; Judg 7:12).”[1] Though this passage refers to Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, it's message is to Nebuchadnezzar, as the Lord instructs him to attack and destroy the men of this region. The word devastate translates the Hebrew verb שָׁדָד shadad, which means “to devastate, despoil, deal violently with.”[2] Keeping God's sovereignty in primary view, the Babylonians never functioned as an independent power to do as they pleased, but were under God's sovereign control to serve as His agent of judgment against others. Interestingly, the same verb is used later to described God's judgments against the Babylonians (Jer 51:48, 53, 55-56).      When God called the Babylonians to come against the Kedarites, we are told, “They will take away their tents and their flocks; they will carry off for themselves their tent curtains, all their goods and their camels, and they will call out to one another, ‘Terror on every side!'” (Jer 49:29). And the advice God gave to the Kedarites was, ‘“Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor,' declares the LORD; ‘For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you and devised a scheme against you'” (Jer 49:30). Though the men of Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor would run for their lives, they could escape God's judgment upon them. Nebuchadnezzar, whom God had raised up as His instrument of judgment, was unaware of God's invisible hand that would guide him to victory.      The Lord guided Nebuchadnezzar, saying, ‘“Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease, which lives securely,' declares the LORD. ‘It has no gates or bars; they dwell alone. 32 Their camels will become plunder, and their many cattle for booty, and I will scatter to all the winds those who cut the corners of their hair; and I will bring their disaster from every side,' declares the LORD” (Jer 49:31-32). The picture portrays the Kedarites and their neighbors as overly self-confident, at ease, living securely, not needing gates or bars for protection, and dwelling alone. Nebuchadnezzar would exploit this weakness and take their possessions as plunder.      Most importantly in these verses is the revelation that the Lord Himself is the primary causal agent who brings judgment, saying, “I will scatter to all the winds” and “I will bring their disaster from every side” (Jer 49:32). God controls history according to His sovereign purposes. The end result of God's judgment would be that “Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, a desolation forever; no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it” (Jer 49:33). Judgment Against Elam      Next, we are told about God's judgment against Elam, as Jeremiah wrote, “That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying: 35 Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam, the finest of their might'” (Jer 49:34-35). Elam was located about two hundred miles to the east of Babylon, in what today would be part of Iran. According to Huey, “It was conquered by the Assyrians under Ashurbanipal, ca. 640 B.C., but regained its independence with Assyria's collapse. It joined forces with Nabopolassar to destroy Nineveh in 612 B.C. The Babylonian Chronicle seems to indicate there was a conflict between Nebuchadnezzar and Elam, 596–594. In 539 the Elamites helped overthrow the Babylonian Empire.”[3]      Just as God had declared judgment against Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, so He sovereignly declared, “I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of heaven, and will scatter them to all these winds; and there will be no nation to which the outcasts of Elam will not go” (Jer 49:36). Here is another reminder that God is the One who sets up kings and kingdoms and determines their duration of existence (see Dan 2:21; 4:25). And the Lord continued, saying, “So I will shatter Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their lives; and I will bring calamity upon them, even My fierce anger,' declares the LORD, ‘And I will send out the sword after them until I have consumed them. 38 Then I will set My throne in Elam and destroy out of it king and princes,' declares the LORD” (Jer 49:37-38). However, the God who promised to destroy Edom, also gave a promise of a future hope by restoring the nation. The Lord declared, ‘“But it will come about in the last days that I will restore the fortunes of Elam,' Declares the LORD” (Jer 49:39). Here is a message of hope, as the God who chose to bring a nation down, also chose to elevate it again. The truth is all nations are subject to God's sovereign rule, and their moral or immoral behavior will be met with His blessings or cursings. Present Application      The Bible reveals “God is the King of all the earth…He reigns over the nations; He sits on His holy throne” (Psa 47:7-8). It is God “who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings” (Dan 2:21; cf., Dan 4:17, 35). Furthermore, “The LORD is King forever and ever” (Psa 10:16a), for the “LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psa 103:19), and He “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11b), and “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psa 135:6). As sovereign God, He judges His world in righteousness.      When individuals, groups, cities, and nations turn away from God, He will judge them according to His righteous character and moral laws. We know from Scripture that “the LORD is righteous, [and] He loves righteousness” (Psa 11:7), and “Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments” (Psa 119:137). For God, righteousness is an attribute, an inherent quality, not the adherence to laws beyond Himself (of which there are none). The righteousness of God may be defined as the intrinsic, immutable, moral perfection of God, from which He commands all things, in heaven and earth, and declares as good that which conforms to His righteousness and as evil that which deviates. Righteousness and justice are related words. The former speaks of God's moral character, whereas the latter speaks of the actions that flow out of His character. Whatever God's righteousness requires, His justice executes; either to approve or reject, to bless or condemn. God is “the Judge of all the earth” (Gen 18:25), and He “is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day” (Psa 7:11).      Though God judges, He is not One to judge quickly. It is written, “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” (Psa 86:15), and “the LORD is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness” (Psa 145:8). Peter reveals that God “is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). In this way, God is quick to warn and slow to judge. But God is not patient forever, and there are multiple accounts of judgment throughout Scripture. God judged the antediluvian world (Gen 6:1-7, 11-13; 7:21-24), the rebels at the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9), the wicked citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24-25), the Egyptians (Deut 26:6-8; cf. Gen 15:13-14), the Canaanites (Lev 18:25; Deut 9:5), and the Babylonians (Jer 25:11-12). The book of Obadiah was written against the Edomites (Oba 1:1), and Nahum against the Ninevites (Nah 1:1). When Jesus was on the earth at the time of His first coming, He judged the religious leaders of his day (Matt 23:1-36), and pronounced judgment upon the nation of Israel for having rejected Him as their Messiah (Matt 23:37-39). In the future, God will judge Gentiles based on how they treat persecuted Jewish believers during the Tribulation (Matt 25:31-46). And God will judge all unbelievers at the Great White Throne judgment and will cast them into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:11-15). God has also judged Satan (John 16:11), and will punish him in the future (Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10). On What Basis Does God Judge Israel and Gentile Nations?      As a nation, Israel was and is unique in human history, for it's the only nation that was created by God as a theocracy. Speaking to Israel, God said, “I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King” (Isa 43:15; cf. Isa 43:1). Israel was a theocracy, and God was their Judge, Lawgiver, and King (Isa 33:22). As such, God gave Israel specific laws to direct their lives (Lev 27:34). The Mosaic Law was the standard by which Israel lived rightly before the Lord and was the basis for blessing or cursing, depending on their obedience or disobedience to His directives (Deut 11:26-28). Reading through Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, First and Second Kings, and all the OT prophets, one can see a consistent pattern of God blessing or cursing His people depending on whether they obeyed or disobeyed His written directives. God was extremely patient with His people when they disobeyed, repeatedly warning them about His coming judgments, but the historical trend was that of rebellion (Jer 25:4-7). Because of rampant idolatry, human sacrifice, and other egregious sins, God eventually destroyed the ten northern tribes of Israel in 722 B.C. (2 Ki 17:7-23), and the two southern tribes of Judah in 586 B.C. (Jer 25:8-11). The fear of the Lord and obedience to Him would have prevented their destruction, but the nation chose otherwise.      The Gentile nations did not possess the Mosaic Law as Israel did; however, a Gentile nation could be blessed or cursed, and this depended on at least two factors. First, God would bless or curse a Gentile nation depending on how it treated Israel. God told Abraham, the progenitor of Israel, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Gen 12:3). According to Allen Ross, “Those who blessed Abram would receive blessing from God; that is, those who supported and endorsed him in his faith would actually find enrichment. Conversely, if anyone treated Abram lightly, he must be cursed.”[4] God's promise to bless or curse was based on the covenant that started with Abraham and extended to his descendants forever (Gen 17:7).[5] Concerning the curse, Arnold Fruchtenbaum states: "The first word for curse is kalal, which means “to treat lightly,” “to hold in contempt,” or “to curse.” To merely treat Abram and the Jews lightly is to incur the curse of God. The second word for curse used in this phrase (him that curses you will I curse) is aor, from the Hebrew root arah, which means “to impose a barrier,” “to ban.” This is a much stronger word for curse than the first one in the phrase…Therefore, even a light curse against Abram or against the Jews will bring a heavier curse from God."[6]      Second, a Gentile nation could be blessed or cursed depending on whether they pursued godly virtues or wickedness. Scripture reveals, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov 14:34). Biblically, there is a sense in which God's laws are written on the hearts of all people. Paul wrote, “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” (Rom 2:14-15).[7] God has placed within each person a moral sense of right and wrong. Everyone knows it's right to be honest, kind, courteous, patient, helpful to the weak, honoring to parents, faithful to one's spouse, etc. On the other hand, everyone knows it's wrong to murder, steal, lie, commit adultery, etc.[8] And how people behave collectively has results upon their city or nation. The Lord told Jeremiah, “At one moment I might speak concerning a nation [גּוֹי goy] or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it” (Jer 18:7-8). This is what happened when Jonah preached God's message of pending judgment to the Ninevites (Jonah 1:1-2; 3:1-4), and when they believed and repented (Jonah 3:5-9), He relented (Jonah 3:10). There is hope for any nation that has turned away from God, but only if the leadership and people turn to God and pursue righteousness in conformity with His character.      What influence do we, as Christians, have on our country? As God's people living in the dispensation of the church age, He directs us to learn and live His Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17), live by faith (Heb 10:38; 11:6), advance to spiritual maturity (Eph 4:11-16; 1 Pet 2:2), share the gospel (Mark 16:15; 1 Cor 15:3-4), make disciples (Matt 28:19-20), live holy lives (1 Pet 1:15-16), and do good (Gal 6:10; Tit 2:11-14). In this way, God may use us to help shape our nation in godly ways, which will influence its educational, political, economic, and social views for the better. We are, after all, to be a light to the world (Matt 5:14; Eph 5:8).   [1] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 942. [2] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 1419. [3] F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations, vol. 16, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 406. [4] Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998), 263. [5] To love Israel is not a blanket endorsement of all their beliefs and behaviors. God, who loves Israel and chose them to be His people (Deut 7:6-8), also called them to be holy (Ex 19:5-6; Lev 11:45), and promised blessing or cursing, based on their obedience or disobedience to Him (Deut 28:1-68). Israel can and does fail, often rejecting God's love for them and walking in the ways of the world (see 2 Ch 36:15-16; Jer 7:25-26; 25:4-7; Ezek 16; Matt 23:1-39; Acts 7:51-53; 1 Th 2:14-16). The national rejection and crucifixion of Jesus (Matt 27:22-23; Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28), Israel's promised Messiah (Deut 18:15; Isa 7:14; 9:6-7;53; 61:1; Matt 1:1, 17; Luke 1:31-33), was their greatest failure. Did Israel act alone in crucifying Jesus, their Messiah? No! God foretold Israel's Messiah would suffer and die (Psa 22:11-18; Isa 53); and, according to His sovereignty, He used wicked men, both Jews and Gentiles, to accomplish His will (Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28). [6] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Book of Genesis, 1st ed. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2008), 242. [7] The human conscience, when working properly, serves as a moral compass. But because of willful and persistent sin, the conscience can become weak (1 Cor 8:7), callous (1 Tim 4:2), defiled (Tit 1:15), or evil (Heb 10:22). Persistent sin can damage the conscience so that it fails to operate properly. [8] The unbeliever can live morally according to the dictates of a healthy conscience, and though not saved, can receive some blessings in this life. Conversely, a Christian can turn away from the faith and pursue wickedness, and this results in divine discipline and the forfeiture of eternal rewards.

1 (2s): Psalm 1 45 says that he is trustworthy and he has faith. He said this morning, we worship you this morning, father, we praise you. 1 (4m 25s): We lift your name. Hi, this place 2 (4m 45s): Bad. And you see oh God you make 0 (9m 51s): You 2 (9m 51s): Make Hi. I'm move. 2 (11m 53s): You make giants. You use songs of praise to shake. I will speak. I will preach them by 3 (12m 53s): Love you so much. You're so faithful. You're so faithful. What a great song to sing on grand opening Sunday, Lord, that we can declare your faithfulness to us as a church and us individually. Lord, you are so faithful and Lord, even in the hard times and the good times that you're faithful, no matter what's going on around us. Jesus, you're so good. We love you so much, Lord, we just give this whole Sunday to you. We celebrate you today. It's all about you, Lord. It's not about this building, but it's about what you want to do with it. It's a tool for your kingdom and for your glory and for your good and for our good as well. 3 (13m 33s): Jesus. And so we love you. We praise you in Jesus name. Amen. All right. You can be seated. Welcome. It's grand opening. Let's give the Lord a round of applause. Yeah. My name is Curtis, and I'm glad to be doing announcements with you guys today. But before that I'm going to invite all of the high schoolers who are going away to camp up to the stage. Come on up, come on up. Let's go. You're going to camp. Come up here. We're going to pray for him. 3 (14m 13s): It's going to be really good. So I just encourage you to extend a hand. You can come up here, come right up here, right up in the front. Yep. File in. Yeah, we can skip this way. If you guys would, we got to have the people online. They got to see you too. Your beautiful faces. All right. Yeah. So if you could extend a hand to that would be great. And Lord Jesus, we just thank you so much for, for all of these students. We thank you for what you want to do while they're away at camp and Lord, no matter what their motivation is, if it's a girl or a boy or one that they don't know, Jesus, we know that you want to get ahold of their hearts. 3 (15m 1s): And so Lord, I just pray that you administered at each individual who's on this stage, Lord. We just want to come into alignment with what you have for their lives. We love them so much. We've, we're so grateful that you've entrusted them to this church. And we just want to lift them up to you, just be with them. Holy spirit, guide them and minister to them as they go in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you guys. Yeah, you guys can go now if you want. Thanks. All right. Awesome. 3 (15m 42s): Well, we've got a couple of announcements going on. If you haven't heard, we have a barbecue and a celebration happening after this service. So at 1230, meet us over at the west campus on our patio on the west campus is not as far as it sounds. It's like one minute walk. So don't be afraid. You can do it. If you need a map to get there, it's at the info center. So check that out. Also, we've got some men's events coming up and want to make you aware of that because a lot of times men don't want to get connected into community. So if you don't want to get connected into community commit right now to going and plug in, because it'll be a great decision for you. 3 (16m 25s): Okay? So we've got two things we've got M six tomorrow night at six o'clock, which is always awesome. They got food. They've got a testimony worship. It's a really great time. And then also on the 23rd, we've got a men's breakfast. So that's here at harvest. It's going to be amazing again. There's going to be great food and testimony. Really good. So come to that. If you're a man, if you're a woman, there'll be other things. Sorry. This is going to be something else. Okay. All right. Yeah. So that's all I got for you. If you're new here, we have restrooms in the back behind this wall and we've got coffee and tea out on the courtyard area. So that's all I got for ya. We've got an amazing legacy video to kind of recap the history of harvest as we're celebrating this big milestone. 3 (17m 11s): So direct your attention to the screen 7 (17m 29s): Started making plans and we didn't have any money. We didn't have any equipment. We didn't have any backing. We just had a few families for the 12 people and, and seven of those people were kids. So we had, you know, it was 12 of us, you know, which is good number. And so we just started making plans and thinking about where we could meet and that sort of thing. And we in landed, we ended up thinking about Lopez high school. It's just down the road from our house and we contacted them and they gave us permission to start meeting there. And so we just kind of picked a date and we didn't like have a lot of big vision or anything for what we were doing. In fact, I remember, I don't know, month or two into it. 7 (18m 13s): A family came by to visit the church on a Sunday morning and they wanted to take us out to lunch. And so we went to lunch and they said, you know, what's your vision for harvest church? And we're like, I don't know. We just want to have church. And we just want to teach the Bible. And we just want to, you know, love people. We don't have much of a vision other than that right now. And you know, things have developed of course over the years, but that was kind of the, you know, the, the very rough kind of beginning. 8 (18m 40s): We really had a heart for a specific type of church culture that was very inclusive. That felt like home for people that felt like a place that they could plug in and be involved and feel a part of the family. And that was something that was really important to us. And so we just felt like maybe other people will enjoy that too. So let's just start moving in the direction of starting a church and see what God does with that. And, you know, if it fails, it fails, then no harm, no foul, you know, we tried and, you know, maybe if we create a culture that we enjoy, that we feel passionate about, maybe other people will enjoy that too. And so that's kind of, you know, maybe the, the roots behind it is that we kind of always had sort of a passion and it was just normal to be involved in the life of a church of our church, whatever church we're involved in 7 (19m 31s): And kind of our belief is that, and it's scriptural that God gives his people gifts to be used. And so we just felt like that's what we were trying to do. Just use our gifts and talents that God had given to us. And, you know, just to bring glory to him and, and invite others to do the same thing so that they could find fulfillments in life and joy in life and, and fulfill God's plan and purpose for their lives. So we wanted to do create something that allowed people to just be free and who they were as Jesus and point people to Jesus and serve Jesus and kind of along the way, you know, thinking back to that original conversation with that couple, that we're, we're, we're curious about who we are and what we're all about. 7 (20m 21s): And we didn't really have a lot of words to describe that. And, but over time we identify some core values that, you know, we're called to love all people. I think that's obvious in scripture, old and new Testament, we're just, God is a God of love and we're called to love all people were committed to that. The Lordship of Jesus Christ, You know, without Jesus, as we've kind of talked about without Jesus kind of guiding and directing everything, we, we don't have a story, you know, and without Jesus, we don't have new life and the purpose that we have, you know, so we're committed to not just Jesus, but the Lordship, the leadership of Jesus Christ. 7 (21m 12s): I, when we need him, want him and depend on him to lead and guided direct, direct to what we're doing. So we're confident in the word of God, that's another core value. So that's what we teach just every week. We just, and throughout mid we Bible studies and youth and young adults and college and home groups. I mean, our goal is just to teach the Bible men's groups, women's groups, you know, and we're, we're confident that God's word is meant to guide us and direct us and give us wisdom and speak to us about the plans and purposes of God. And so we're, we're confident in the word of God, call to love people, committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and we're called to serve. 7 (22m 3s): We're called to serve people. And so we've, we've done that. I think that's what we strive to do and try to do is serve the community by opening our doors and inviting people in serving people in the community, but also serving people within the church. You know, we're, we're called to serve people. That's Jesus said, Hey, I didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many. And so we just trying to do what Jesus modeled for us and instructed us to do. We're just, we're we're we want to serve people 8 (22m 39s): Part of how we've attempted to love and serve our community is through a lot of outreach over the years, we've kind of always felt like it's intimidating for people to walk into this four walls of a church building, but if we can get out and love on people and be a blessing in our community, that that really speaks volumes to people and helps kind of make it less intimidating to enter into the walls of the church. 7 (23m 2s): Sort of, it's mostly about just being faithful in the season, faithful in the moment. And, and, and we've had to learn how to do that 8 (23m 11s): Really at the core of it, you know, it's like the disciples said, like, where else would we go? You know? I mean, what else is there? You know, it's to be a part of furthering the kingdom, helping people along in their walk with Christ. There's nothing else like it. 7 (23m 59s): Let's pray. Thank you. Thank you so much, Lord. We are humbled by what has happened over these years, these 19 years, we're grateful for your constant goodness toward us, the favor that we've received and the provision Lord, there's just been amazing. Goodness, Lord. And we're so, so thankful for your amazing goodness. It we've experienced it every day through the challenging days and through the glorious days, your goodness has been consistent. And so we praise you for that Lord, as we have the celebration service today, thank you for the opportunity to gather in this new space. 7 (24m 40s): He's just part of our story. Like so many other spaces leading up to this. So this is just part of the story. So we praise you, Lord, we thank you for who you are. We bless you Lord in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Well welcome. Hey, it is a family Sunday, although it's not typically a family Sunday on this day in the month, but because it's family sending cause of the celebration, I've got some jokes. Jokes are always part of family Sunday. So this is when I heard, I already paid five bucks for this one today. Cause I just got it. But so the rule is that if you're a kid, no adults qualify, but if you're a kid and you give me a joke that I use and I'll give you five bucks. So that's the deal. So I think I still owe a little girl five bucks anyway. 7 (25m 22s): So, so the joke that I heard this morning was what do you say to a gorilla with headphones on anything you want? He can't hear you just heard that this morning. I got an, I've got another one. What's the joke. I'm trying to remember it now here. What, how did the cell phone proposed to his girlfriend? He gave her a ring. You gave her a ring. All right. Enough of that, as you can see from the video, a lot has changed over the years. We all looked just a little bit younger back in the day. And, but it's fun to kind of look back a couple decades and just kind of see what God has been up to and just to appreciate who he is. 7 (26m 8s): And I'm now going back really 20 years ago, when we first had the idea to plant a church, people asked us, you know, why in the world do you want to plant a church? And you know, we've got plenty of great churches here on the central coast. I said, I know there's amazing churches here on the central coast. And others said, you know, I'm not sure that you actually will. You know, that you've got what it takes to be a senior pastor. I said, I know you're probably right about that. And others said you don't have any resource or backing any people, any facility, any kind of church stuff that you need. I said, I know I totally get all of that, but we just got to have this sense that this is what God is up to you. So if we kind of made a list of all the pros and cons, we probably never would have planted a church. 7 (26m 53s): We never would have done anything. We'd just gone off doing what we think we should have done. I don't know what we did none, but, but when I think about pros and cons, I kind of have a different kind of perspective, a different kind of filter. I think about pros and cons differently because over 45 years ago, my mother-in-law Margaret Miller. She was dating a guy by the name of Marvin Miller. So Margaret was dating Marvin and they were just in this dating relationship. And one night Margaret was coming home through Guadalupe and she got run off the road by a drunk driver and, and she became a quadriplegic. 7 (27m 34s): So she's in traction at cottage hospital down in Santa Barbara and she's in a striker bed. She's got bolts into her head to keep her head from moving. And she's her life is forever and tragically changed as a result of this gnarly accident. And so Marvin Margaret, again, just dating at the time, they decided to make a list of pros and cons. Do we move forward with this relationship or not? They made a list of pros and cons and their cons weigh out, listed the pros. And so they said, you know, we're just, it's not possible for us to move forward. 7 (28m 15s): Like this it's just impossible. So Marv went home and he was at home one night and he felt like the Lord speak, spoke to him and said, Hey, you need to go and be by her side. And so he went to the hospital and knelt down by her bed or she's face down. So she had a mirror I believe. And so that's how she could see who was in the room. And so she said, he said, you know, I don't know how, I don't know what the future looks like for us, but I, I know that I'm supposed to be by your side. And every day for the last 45 years, Marv has been by her side, serving her and faithfully loving her. 7 (28m 57s): And they've just served and loved each other for decades and been an amazing example to my wife and our kids and our grandkids. And so when I think about pros and cons, I've got a totally different filter because I think most things in life that seem impossible, you can make a list and talk yourself out of it like right now, but if God's in it and if God's spoken and I've got us leading, then all of a sudden you've got the courage to do things that don't make a lot of sense. That seem, it seems like a bad idea unless God, unless God is in it, it's a bad idea. 7 (29m 37s): So when we took a made a list, you know, or heard all the reasons why we shouldn't plant a church, we didn't, you know, we said, you know what? All of that is true. It's, they're all true. But that doesn't mean that God's not calling us to do it. And so we just decided to do it. And so in March of 2003, we planted harvest church again with three families, five adults and seven kids. And we just started having church. We just set a date on the calendar and I was, I had never been a senior pastor before, never preached weekly at, at a church service. I'd done other ministry, but I'd never done that type of ministry. 7 (30m 18s): Like full-time lead pastor type stuff. And so I, I didn't, you know, we, we just had, we really had no idea what we were doing. He never planted a church, never any, all of the above. We had never done it before. So it was just this big kind of step of faith. I, I talked to another guy in the area who was getting ready to plant a church around the same time. And he's like, man, I got a hundred sermons in the can. Like he had like a hundred sermons ready to go. And I heard that. I'm like, dude, I don't even know what I'm going to say. Our first Sunday, when we gather, I have no idea. He had all this backing, all of this money. He was being planted by this church planting network. And so they had resource out the, out the ears and they were just going for it. 7 (31m 1s): I'm like, holy cow, Lord, what are we doing? We've got none of the above. But we just, by, by God's grace just decided to just take it a day at a time and do what we felt like God was calling us to do. So in 2003, we started meeting at Lopez high school. Two years later, we had this amazing conversation with Amanda Lambert. Who's sitting here on the front row with us. We had been praying that God would give us an opportunity to move from the Mesa. I don't know if you know where Lopez high school is, but it's up on the Mason. And so if people showed up, we were always surprised. We're like, how did you know that we were meeting here? You know, cause we had the sign up for like two hours on Sunday morning and you know, it was just a miracle if anybody showed up. 7 (31m 44s): And so we knew that we wanted to be in the village of a Ray granny where we could have a bigger impact. And, and so we just began to pray and just ask the Lord. And I was driving through the village and I see this big four foot by eight foot sign out on the lawn of 1 24 west branch up the road here about a minute. And I just pulled over and went in to talk with Amanda. I don't know. I can't remember if Clem was there, but you were there for sure. And clam probably. And I said, Hey, I'm Steve. I pastor this really small church, you know, and we, we have this desire to move into the village of a rear grand day. And we noticed that you've got this church that's for lease. Would you be interested in leasing it to us again? 7 (32m 25s): And she'd been using it as her decorate her, her, her store or storefront for her decorating business or interior design business. And there's the word interior design. And, and, but she was, you know, ready to kind of scale back a little bit and moved back to the back of the property a little bit. And so I said, you know, we just started that conversation. And, and just really just in that moment on kind of a handshake, we decided to move forward. And, and so we started the renovation and come and Amanda helped us with renovation. We had to put in fire sprinklers and all kinds of stuff. Anyway, we, we, we just moved in, in 2003 and during the time that renovation, we were actually meeting outside on the lawn behind the parsonage was just up the driveway at the west campus. 7 (33m 8s): And so, you know, we, we grew from like 60 people to 180 people while they're meeting outside on the lawn and we we'd be outside and be cold and drizzly. And we'd like, why are people coming to our church? We've got we're meeting on the lawn and it's cold and wet. And all these people kept coming up the driveway. I say, who are these people? But God just kept bringing people. And, and it was just this sweet, sweet thing. So 2005, we started meeting here, there, and then we purchased one 20 heart lane, which is the house next door that our friend neighbor Mark Miller had for years and years. And so we just kept having church and slowly but surely we take over more and more of that space. 7 (33m 49s): There's a bunch of buildings behind the chapel, the sanctuary and little by little, we just kind of take, you know, started taking them over. And then in 2015, 2017, we bought it from the Lamberts. And so the circumstances worked out. We bought the house at one 20 Hart lane in 2015, we bought the church property in 2017. And then, and then we just have been having church. And as we've needed to, we've just been praying that God would give us some more space we've we just needed some more space. And so we looked around and we actually had looked at this space like 10 years ago, John Hayashi is the owner of this property. And 10 years ago, I called John and said, Hey, would you be interested in leasing us your space or selling us your space? 7 (34m 33s): And he said, absolutely not. He was like, he didn't want a church here. He didn't want, I don't know what was going on in John's life, but he was not interested in leasing it to our shirts. But fast forward, 10 years, I called him up and said, Hey, John, where, you know, the place is empty again, can we lease your space? He's like, Hey, I'll meet you down there in 15 minutes and we'll talk and really on a handshake, he opened the doors for us to, you know, to, to, to get this place. And so, you know, it was just over a year ago, it was March last year, we made the decision to move in here and took 59 weeks or so to get it renovated, you know, everything around, it had to be changed. And so here we are, and we're just, we're just excited about what God is doing and what he's up to. 7 (35m 17s): And so we just wanted to celebrate in kind of a special way today and just invite people to be a part of what we're doing. There's, there's a lot to celebrate and we're so thankful for what God is doing. So again, we, we planted not because we had a plan, not because we knew what we were doing, but because God had called us to do something. And so I just want to encourage you in your life. Maybe God is calling you to do something. We challenge people all the time to listen to what the God the Lord is saying. And then step into those supernatural plans that God has for you. And just maybe just, maybe God will do something wonderful in your life. 7 (36m 1s): It's a day at a time adventure. So I shared this last week, but recently we were having a lot of like church challenges. I don't know if you've ever experienced church, challenging circumstance. Have you ever been in church where you had like challenging circumstances? Just me. Okay, good. Just me. So I'm not walking, I'm a hundred prayer walk and I'm like, Lord, what's going on? There's some hard stuff going on. And I felt like Lauren said, do three things. Number one, keep your eyes on me. Okay. I can do that. I can just cause you know, the temptation is to see everything that's going sideways in your life and get your eyes and focus your attention on that. So I knew that I needed to get my attention back on the Lord. And then the Lord said, don't be fearful. You know, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of sound mind. 7 (36m 41s): So the temptation to say, watch everything be fearful about what might happen and then just kind of freak ourselves out. But God said, no, just keep your eyes on me. Don't be fearful. And they just take it a day at a time. The Bible says, don't worry about tomorrow. Today's worries are an F for the day. So those three things that's been kind of our, our focus, although I just kind of felt like the Lord reminded me recently, but that's really been our focus for these last 1920 years is that we would just keep our eyes on Jesus, not allow ourselves to get fearful, but just take it, take things a day at a time and watch what he will do. And that's been kind of our story and, and that's kind of continues to be our story and it will always be our story. 7 (37m 25s): Recently this last week I had a chance to speak at our youth group midweek Wednesday nights at six 30, our junior high and high school are actually our club five, six gathers as well, but it was just junior high and high school this week. And Jeremy, our youth and family, pastor got sick. And so we talked and you know, we talked about canceling it, canceling the meeting mid-week I said, no. I said, how about if I speak? I I'd love to speak to the young people. So I volunteered to speak. And I, I love young people because in when, when we were, when I was in that season of life, so many amazing things happen to me. Number one, I got saved, gave my life to Jesus. I felt a call to ministry. When I was in high school, a lot of transformational stuff. 7 (38m 8s): I met my wife during our high school years and 32 years, we're still going and still going strong. And so a lot of amazing things happened for me when I was in high school. So any opportunity that I have to speak to our young people, I do it. And I it's so, so fun to watch what God is doing with our young people. So I spoke to them and I challenged them with choosing the right path. And the title of the message Wednesday night was how do you choose? How do you choose the right path? I want to share with you kind of what I share with them. I'll fill it in a little bit more and give you some more information. I've already done that, but I want to talk to you about choosing the right path. 7 (38m 51s): It's, it's a challenge for young people, but it's also a challenge for people of any age throughout the seasons of life. We're always wrestling with what is the right direction? What is the right path for my life? How do I move forward? And so we're going to look at a king Josiah in second Kings chapter 22. And we're going to look at the scope of his life because we get kind of to jump into his life at age eight. And then we get to see his life lived out as one of the Kings of Judah. So Josiah was one in a long line of Kings in his family. 7 (39m 32s): And that's an interesting place to be your granddad, great granddad, your granddad, your dad were Kings. You know, you're going to be king. And then your generations that follow will be Kings. And so we're gonna learn something about Josiah, his heritage and why he chose what he chose. So Josiah, his great grandfather was king has a Kiah and he was a godly man. You, you, as you read through the Kings about the Kings of Judah and Israel, it'll mention a king. It will say this king did what was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, or it'll say this king did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. 7 (40m 15s): Every king had a choice. Every person has a choice. How will we live our lives? Well, Joseph is great. Grandfather king has a. Kyle was a godly man. It says in second Kings 18 three, he did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight, just as his ancestor king David had done. So just as king David was a man after God's own heart has a Kaia was also a man after God's own heart. Josiah's grandfather was king Manasseh, but he did not follow the footsteps of his father. Instead, second Kings 21 2 says he did what was evil in the Lord's sight. 7 (40m 55s): Following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israel. So as the people of Israel were heading into the promised land, God drove out all the pagans in the land, but when the people settled, some of the Kings misled, the people doing some of the very things that they drove out, the former inhabitants for, they drove out the previous inhabitants of the land of Canaan because of their wickedness. Now the Kings of Judah are leading the people to do the same thing. Josiah, his father king Ammon in his brief two year reign as king second Kings 21, 23 22 says this. 7 (41m 37s): He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, just as his father Manasseh had done. He followed the example of his father worshiping the same idols. His father had worshiped. He abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and he refused to follow the Lord's way. So Josiah's dad and granddad did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Let's take a look at what Josiah will do. Second Kings 22 verse one says this Josiah was eight years old. When he became king, he imagined being king at eight year olds. We have any eight year olds in the room. Eight year olds. Yeah, we got an eight year old. Imagine you're ruling everything like you're in charge like your parents, your grandparents, all your siblings, all your friends, they get to do what you tell them to do. 7 (42m 25s): So that's a big responsibility, right? As an eight year old w the kingdom is mine, right? But Josiah, he was a tender little eight year old, just say I was eight years old when he became king. And he reigned in Jerusalem 31 years, his mother was jetted up the daughter of a Daya from Bose cough. And verse two tells us he did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight. He did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight and follow the example of his ancestor. David. He did not turn away from doing what was right. So how do you choose the right path? Number one from Josiah is example. You must decide, you must decide, will I serve God or the world? 7 (43m 8s): So we're not sure why Josiah chose the path that he chose, but maybe just, maybe he watched his dad and he watched his granddad lead and lead the nation into sin and destruction. Maybe, maybe just, he watched that example. And maybe he heard stories about king David and other righteous Kings, who, who led the people to honor the Lord. They pleased the Lord with their lives. And so somewhere along the line, he was persuaded that it's better to please the Lord with my life. And so at eight years old, he made the decision to honor the Lord with his life. 7 (43m 52s): So I did that at about 17 years old. I gave my life to Jesus when I was in junior high school, but kind of waffled in my faith. I was trying to decide, am I really going to serve God? Or am I going to serve the world? Am I going to go headlong into serving Jesus? Or I'm going to go headlong into the world? I can't do both. I got to decide, right? So at 17 years of age, I decided to give my life to Jesus. I had seen enough of the world and enough of the church, then enough of godliness and ungodliness that I decided at 17 years old to give my life to Jesus. We, we actually have to make that decision. And apparently you're never too young to make that decision. 7 (44m 33s): And the truth is you'll make that decision. And if your decision is to serve, Jesus, you'll need to continue to make that decision all of the days of your life. Like you're going to come up against difficult challenges, temptations hard things in life. And it's in those moments that you're going to have to decide. I'm continuing to put my trust in Jesus. Like I'm going to keep my eyes on Jesus. I'm not going to be fearful. I'm going to take this a day at a time. I'm not going to worry about tomorrow. I'm just going to be faithful today. We have to decide, and really in decision is a decision not to serve Jesus. 7 (45m 14s): We, a decision to serve. Jesus requires that you be intentional and that you're serious about that commitment to follow Jesus and be a follower of the Lord. Jesus Christ. When Jesus called his disciples, he, he called them into something. He said, he said, come and follow me. And I will make you fishers of men. God's calling us to follow him. And so whatever challenged Josiah to make that decision, he decided against, against his suppose, the world, the flesh and the devil, the same foes that we face today, the world, the flesh and the devil that is trying to draw us away. 7 (45m 55s): He, he refused his foes and it appears from his life that we read about in this chapter that he continued to choose to follow God. And to please the Lord with his life. It says in verse three, second, Kings 22 in the 18th year of his reign. So now we're in 18 years, king Josiah, son of Azalea and grand set of the court secretary to the temple of the Lord. And he told him, go to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money. The gatekeepers have collected from the people of temp at the Lord's temple in trust this money to the man assigned to supervise the restoration of the Lord's temple. 7 (46m 40s): Then they can use it to pay workers, to repair the temple. So if you look back at the previous generations, his dad and his granddad, Josiah is a parent dad and granddad. They would probably have taken that money and used it for selfish gain for whatever they chose to use it for. Because after all, they were setting up idols within the temple of God, they would set up Asher, a pole Astro was a female goddess. She was worshiped. She was a fertility God. And so the people would worship her to maybe in hopes that they would become pregnant, that they would be able to have children. 7 (47m 24s): And so they would worship Asherah, but also bale and tradition says that Asher was actually, Asher was the mother of bail and bail was at fertility God, but they would worship him in hopes that their crops would be fertile and that they would have great crops. And so we're told in, I think in second Kings chapter 18, that that the people of God were not to have any type of idols in their lives. So it's interesting that the Kings struggled and the people of God struggled, mostly with idolatry, they struggle with idolatry. God spoke to them specifically about his plans for their lives in this area, so that they would be strong and resist, but instead over and over again, they fell into this trap of idolatry. 7 (48m 12s): And so we see a change in Josiah, his heart in previous kingdoms, his dad and his granddad, they would desecrate, they desecrated the temple and set up idol worship within the temple. But Josiah's heart is to restore the temple. And so he's saying, Hey, give these these resources that have been collected to the craftsmen so that they might honor the Lord by restoring the temple. So Josiah made a decision and his decision is being reflected in his life. In verse six says they will need to hire carpenters, builders, and masons also have them buy the timber and the finished stone needed to repair the temple, but don't require the construction supervisors to keep a count of the money they they received for. 7 (49m 1s): They are, they are honest and trustworthy men. So Josiah had godly, honest, trustworthy people around him, people that he could give work to do. And he trusted them to do the kind of work that would honor the Lord. Now, how do you choose the right path from Josiah is example number one, you must decide, well, I serve God or the world, and we're all faced with that decision now. And throughout the course of our life, Josiah shows to honor the Lord with his life, but also number two, your life must reflect your decision. This is how you make right choices. You decide that my life will reflect my decision to make God priority. 7 (49m 46s): And so now we look at Josiah's life and instead of desecrating the temple setting up idols within the temple of God, he is restoring the temple. He's using resources and dispatching men to restore the temple, honoring the Lord with his decisions. Your life must reflect your decision. This is how you will find the right path in life. You'll discover God's law in verse eight, it says Hilkiah. The high priest said to Schaefer and the court secretary, I have found a book of the law in the Lord's temple. Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to shaven and he read it. So imagine the temples in this order, it's it's in disrepair, but when they go into restore it, they find this law, they find this scroll the word of the Lord. 7 (50m 36s): So shape and went to the king and reported your officials have turned over the money, collected the temple of the Lord to the workers and supervisors at the temple. Shaven also told the king he'll Kaia. The priest has given me a scroll. I'm gonna read it to the king. And when the king heard what was written in the book of the law, he tore his clothes in despair. So our seeing Josiah respond to the word of the Lord. His life is reflecting his decision. He's hearing a word from the Lord and he's in despair. Let's find out why he's in despair. Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, ah, cam son of son of McCaya chef and the court secretary. 7 (51m 23s): And Asya the King's personal advisory said go to the temple and speak to the Lord for me and for the people. And for all Judah inquire about the words written in this scroll that have been found for the Lourdes. Great anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this scroll. We have not been doing everything it says we must do. So he's hearing the word of the Lord and he's realizing we're not doing everything it says we must do. So Josiah is all in. He's made his decision. My life will be pleasing to the Lord. And I'm going to make sure that the actions of my life reflect that and reinforce that reality that I am a follower of God in my life will reflect that. 7 (52m 10s): So he's realizing that they're not doing everything right. He says they must do first 14. So Hilkiah, the priest went to the new quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet holdup. She was the wife of Shalom son of Tikvah. Son of has the keeper of the temple wardrobe. She said to them, the Lord, the God of Israel has spoken, go back and tell the man who sent you. This is what the Lord says. I'm going to bring disaster on this city. And its people, all the words written in the scroll that the king of Judah has read will come true for. 7 (52m 51s): My people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods. And I am angry with them. For everything they have done. My anger will burn against this place and it will not be quench. But he said go to the king. She said, go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the Lord and tell him, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says concerning the message. You've just heard. You were sorry, and humbled yourself before the Lord. When you heard what I said against the city and its people. So God is recognizing the contrition and the humility of his servant and Josiah that'll keep happening by the way. 7 (53m 44s): So God is wrecking. That's the good news of the gospel is that we need a savior. We need Jesus, the Lord to forgive us of our sins. And so when we recognize our need for God, and we are sorry for our sins, not just sorry that we got caught or sorry, because we've got to deal with the consequences, but sorry, like Josiah ripped his clothes because he was in anguish about the disobedience that his people were involved with. Even though they didn't realize that he rent his clothes because he knew he knew there was work to do. You were sorry, and humbled yourself before the Lord. When you heard what I said against the city and its people that the land would be cursed and become desolate. 7 (54m 29s): You tore your clothing in despair and webs before me in repentance, I have indeed heard, you says the Lord. So maybe you're here today. And you're like, man, I feel like I keep confessing the same thing over and over again. Listen, if you've confessed your sins, the Bible says that God is faithful. And just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. So maybe you did something yesterday or last week or last year or 50 years ago, but you're still carrying that baggage. God's grace is sufficient. If you will confess your sins, he is faithful. And just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness, why? Because DOD sees the contrition, the brokenness, the humility of his people. 7 (55m 11s): And he responds. I have indeed heard you says the Lord, so I will not send the promise disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace, you will not see the disaster. I'm going to bring on this city. So they took her message back to the king. So how do you choose the right path? Number one, you must decide. We got to decide, are we going to serve God or we're going to serve the world? And then you must, your life must reflect your decision. And the truth is that if you've really made a decision to serve Jesus, it's a life transformational decision. And so your life will begin to reflect that decision. 7 (55m 52s): The fruit of that decision will produce good fruit in your life. But at times you just have to decide, I'm going to make sure my life reflects my decision. And then you must say contracts and humble. You got to say contract. So the word contract just means, I'm sorry. It goes hand-in-hand with a broken this brokenness. And contrition is what God requires of his people. When we're made aware of our shortcomings and our sins. We just simply say, Lord, I'm so sorry. Not because I got caught now because of the consequences, because I sinned against you. And as we stay humble and contract, God will be able to direct us and guide us and lead us. 7 (56m 38s): I tell you there's been a, 1,001 questions that we haven't had answers to over the course of the planting and this life of this church. And we've made mistakes and we've done things that we wish we hadn't done. But at the end of the day, we've tried to stay just humble about it. Say Lord, that we don't have any idea what we're doing, but we're asking for your help. And Lord forgive that misstep. We didn't realize what we were doing and, and we just watch God lead us and guide us and direct us. It'll be true for every one of our lives as we just stay broken and contract before Lord and stay super humble that this is the, the design of God in the old and the new Testament. 7 (57m 19s): We say, God, blessing, contrition and humility and the old and the new Testament it's God's plan for our lives. So as you're trying to figure out the right path, maybe you've got a decision in front of you. Take it a day at a time. First of all, keep your eyes on God, keep your eyes on God. Not the circumstances. Don't allow yourself to get fearful and then just take it a day at a time and then make a decision. I am choosing to honor the Lord. I want, I don't know about you, but when I stand before the Lord, I want to hear him say, well done, good and faithful servant. I want to have people writing about us as a church that their lives pleased the Lord. 7 (57m 59s): So choose today, make that your choice today to make God your priority and then make sure your, your life aligns with that. And then just stay contract and humble and watch what the Lord will do to direct your path. And so with that, let's just go and stand up and we're gonna invite the worship team. And at the very end, we've got one more video to show you, but let's pray and get ready to sing a couple more songs. And then we'll wrap up the service here shortly Lord. Thank you for who you are. Gotcha. Thank you. That when we're curious about the path to take you, show us you, you make it clear to us and you're faithful to do so, Lord. So thank you, Lord. I pray for anybody. Who's got decisions as in front of them today, Lord, I pray that you give them wisdom. 7 (58m 43s): Lord, I pray. If there's anybody here that needs to say yes to you to make that decision to follow you. I pray that they would do that today as well. So if you're here today, you want to make a decision to follow Jesus. You simply acknowledge your need for him. There's no formula or, or word that you can say. You just have to with humility and contrition, just make yourself available to the Lord. Say, God, I confess my sins. Thank you for your grace. I want to stay humble, Lord. I want to choose you. And I want my life to align with that decision. And I want to, I just to follow you all the days of my life, making sure that I always stay contract and humble as you do that, as you sincerely make that your aim and your commitment, God will meet you. 7 (59m 32s): He'll hear you. And he'll respond to you. If you made that decision today and you give your life to Jesus at the information booth after service, you can grab their Bibles and things like that. We'd like to give to you. And so Lord, thank you for this day. As we worship be glorified. We thank you for your grace in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. 2 (1h 3m 7s): Are you ready to go out some songs of praise We worship the God who was we picked God, we were this giant in the house. 2 (1h 7m 35s): We seem to the God who saves. We seem to and the house there's joy in the house. 2 (1h 8m 35s): We shout out house. 2 (1h 9m 28s): The house of the Lord. Shout out. Y'all pray this joy in the house of the Lord. God, we won't be quiet. We shout out in the house 0 (1h 9m 53s): In 2 (1h 9m 53s): The house. We won't be quiet. Please shout out your in the house. We won't be quiet. We shot it out of your 7 (1h 10m 42s): One last time Glenn, have a seats and then we're going to watch a quick video. But as you have a seat, when everybody's seated, everybody's seated. All right. Now, if you were involved in this project on any level, if you prayed for this project, this renovation of this building, go and stand up. If you prayed at all, go ahead and stand up. There we go. There we go. If you gave financially this project, go ahead and stand up. Now, stay standing, stay standing. Everybody stay standing. If you helped on a cleanup day, if you showed up for a cleanup part of the day, you go out and stand up. If you are a contractor on this project, go ahead and stand up. 7 (1h 11m 25s): If you work in the village for the city of Rio Grande day and you help get this project pushed through, then go ahead and stand up. Cool. Well thank you so much. We're actually going to watch a quick video and it'll just kind of show kind of what happened. That'll lead of credits. Everybody who participated. So good job guys. Watch your video and then we'll come right back. 7 (1h 13m 4s): Lauren. Thank you. Thank you, Lord. For all that you accomplished in the last 59 weeks of getting this building ready to go. We are so thankful for all of the amazing people that participated people who prayed and gave and worked and, and, and worked tirelessly to get this project across the finish line. So we thank you, Lord, pray, blessing upon each person. Lord, pray, blessing upon the city of Rio Grande day. They've worked so well with us. We're so thankful Lord bless them. We pray Jesus and Lord, as we get ready to go have some lunch and celebrate with some food, we praise you. Bless the food to our bodies. 7 (1h 13m 46s): Thank you for the opportunity to celebrate with food. We love you. Thank you for this day presence. You continues to minister to us throughout the balance of this day until we meet again in Jesus name. Amen. Hey man.

Today we'll be studying the book of Second Kings, chapter four. War movies have always been very popular with film fans, and the story we'll read about here in chapter four is full of the same type of action and behind the scenes wheeling and dealing. The nation of Israel was in decline, yet God never turned His back on them! 

How can an entire nation return to God? One repentant soul at a time. The book of Second Kings is partially a tale of Israel's rebellion against God. The nation first becomes divided into two kingdoms. For most of that four hundred year period, with very few exceptions, both kingdoms did evil in the sight of the Lord. And ultimately, Israel was taken into captivity. Ron takes us back to this period in Israel's history next, as he continues his teaching series, “Route 66: The Ultimate Road Trip Through The Bible.” --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/something-good-radio/support

God is not mocked. As a man sows he also shall reap. It's true of individuals. It's also true of nations. Well, after the reign of King Solomon, and partly due to the latter stages of his reign, the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms, and with few exceptions, every king, and by extension, the inhabitants themselves, did evil in the sight of the Lord. What are some practical applications for us today? Find out next, as Ron continues his teaching series, “Route 66: The Ultimate Road Trip Through The Bible.” --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/something-good-radio/support

Maybe you've heard Proverbs 29:18 before … it says where there is no vision, the people perish. The New Living translation puts it this way, when the people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. Today, on the NEW Bold Steps Weekend, Pastor Mark Jobe is going to be talking about vision …he loves this verse because there are multiple translations, but in essence it says without a vision people go on unrestrained …As we continue our series called, Fully Devoted, we're going to talk about gaining a God centered perspective and if you have Bibles handy, turn with us to Second Kings, chapter 6.  Mark titled the message … Do You See It Yet?. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.