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Return to Work After Stroke: How Marco Calabi Rebuilt His Career, His Purpose, and His Life At 47 years old, Marco Calabi was a DevOps engineer living in Italy – someone who spent his days automating systems, solving complex problems, and helping companies stop wasting time on repetitive tasks. He was healthy, working, paying bills, and spending time with friends. Life was normal. Then, without warning, everything changed. A small hole between the two chambers of Marco’s heart, a condition known as Patent Foramen Ovale, or PFO, had allowed blood flows to mix. A clot formed. It travelled to his brain. By the time his partner and sister realised something was terribly wrong, Marco was moving his arm involuntarily, unaware of what was happening to his own body. The emergency services were called twice. The second time, they came. Marco underwent eight hours of brain surgery. He was placed in a medically induced coma to allow his brain to rest. When he finally opened his eyes, he was on a hospital bed, and the road back had only just begun. The Reality of Stroke at 47 Marco woke from surgery to find the right side of his body had been affected. His arm, hand, and leg were weak. His speech was impaired. He left the hospital in a wheelchair. For many stroke survivors, this is the moment that defines everything that follows, not the stroke itself, but the first honest look at what recovery is actually going to require. “In the beginning, I was helped in everything,” Marco recalls. “They prepared my lunch. They helped me go to the bathroom. My family never left me alone.” His mother, his partner, his sister, and a close friend in the Netherlands all rallied around him. At home, physiotherapists and local health professionals visited him directly, a level of care he describes as incredible. Step by step, he began to reclaim his independence. First, the bathroom. Then the kitchen. Then the stairs. Each small act of autonomy arrived with a feeling he hadn’t expected: power. “You feel good because you think you have power again,” he says. “It is a very important moment.” Return to Work After Stroke: Why It Matters For working-age stroke survivors, the question of whether they can return to work after stroke is one of the most pressing they face. Identity, purpose, financial security, and routine work carry all of these things, and a stroke threatens all of them at once. For Marco, returning to work wasn’t just a financial necessity. It was evidence that his life still had forward momentum. He went back to his role as a DevOps and Site Reliability Engineer, initially working six hours a day instead of eight. The work itself, automating processes and improving systems, remained the same. Only the pace had changed. “I do the same things, but with different speeds,” he says simply. That shift in pace is something many stroke survivors recognise. Recovery doesn’t demand perfection. It demands persistence. “The right moment is now. Not after, not tomorrow, not next week. Now.” — Marco Calabi Recovery Happens in Steps One of the most grounded things Marco shares is this: recovery cannot be rushed. “The experience is made of steps,” he says. “You must live every step. The first steps are physical. And then your mind changes. But you must let yourself be.” This is the part that rarely gets talked about openly. The pressure to recover quickly — to prove to yourself, your family, and your employer that you are still capable — can work against the very process you are trying to complete. Marco’s advice is to resist the urge to skip ahead. Physical recovery comes first. Mental and emotional transformation follows naturally from there. Trying to rush past the physical phase doesn’t speed up recovery. It disrupts it. The Book, the Purpose, and the Shift Deep into his recovery, Marco did something unexpected. He wrote a book. Cambio di Vita, translated into English as Life Change: To Hell and Back, is his account of what happened, what he felt, and what he learned. Available on Amazon in digital and paperback. Writing started as a personal exercise. Somewhere in the process, its purpose shifted. “I said, my story is useless in this moment. I can make something,” Marco explains. “And so the book has another meaning to share.” For a man who had always found purpose through his career, the stroke opened an unexpected door. Helping others became a new calling. Speaking engagements, podcasts, and community conversations, Marco has built a new layer of meaning onto the life he already had. His best friend told him he had become wiser. His own reflection on what changed is striking: “Heartlessness is useless. You reach the hearts of people with softness.” What Stroke Taught Him About Life Perhaps the most powerful thing about Marco’s story is not what he lost, but what he found. He found that the right moment is always now, not when conditions are perfect, not when recovery is complete, but right now, with whatever capacity you currently have. He found that family and friends matter more than most of us acknowledge until we truly need them. He found that purpose doesn’t require a perfect body or a full working week. It requires a decision. If you are navigating life after stroke, wondering whether you can return to work, rebuild your identity, or find meaning in what remains, Marco’s story is proof that it is possible. Not easy. Not fast. But absolutely possible. If you are rebuilding your life after stroke and want a guide for the journey ahead, Bill’s book The Unexpected Way That a Brain Injury Can Change Your Life is waiting for you at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. If this podcast has supported you, consider supporting it back at Patreon. Your contribution keeps this community growing. FAQ: Return to Work After Stroke Can you return to work after a stroke? Yes, many stroke survivors do return to work, though the timeline and capacity vary depending on the severity of the stroke, the type of work, and individual recovery. Marco Calabi returned to his role as a DevOps engineer, initially working six hours a day instead of eight. The key is a gradual, supported transition. How long does it take to return to work after a stroke? Recovery timelines vary widely. Some survivors return within weeks; others need months or years. Factors include the type and severity of stroke, the physical and cognitive demands of the job, and the quality of rehabilitation support. There is no universal timeline. Patience and persistence matter more than speed. What can I expect when returning to work after a stroke? Many survivors return at reduced hours or modified duties. Adjustments to pace, task complexity, or physical demands are common. Open communication with employers and occupational therapists can help structure a gradual, sustainable return. Marco worked six-hour days and describes it simply: “I do the same things, but with different speeds.” Does returning to work help stroke recovery? For many survivors, returning to work contributes positively to recovery, providing routine, purpose, social connection, and a sense of forward momentum. Marco Calabi describes his return to work as evidence that life still had forward momentum. However, the timing must be right, and the transition should be gradual. What if I can’t return to my previous job after a stroke? Some survivors find that stroke opens doors to new kinds of purpose volunteering, writing, advocacy, or a different career direction. Marco Calabi used his recovery to write a book and speak to others about life after stroke. The key is finding what gives you meaning, even if it looks different from before. For more guidance on rebuilding life after stroke, visit recoveryafterstroke.com/book. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. Marco Calabi — From Induced Coma to Back at Work: A Stroke Survivor's Honest Recovery Story At 47, Marco Calabi had a stroke caused by a hole in his heart. Today he's back at work, has written a book, and is helping others go on. Marco’s Facebook Marco’s Instagram Marco’s Book: Life Change Highlights: 00:00 Introduction: Return to Work After Stroke 02:27 Life Before and After the Stroke 05:23 Health Awareness and Stroke Causes 09:22 The Day of the Stroke 15:02 Writing the book “Life Change: To Hell and Back” 27:51 The Importance of Support During Recovery 33:15 Gaining Autonomy and Finding Purpose 39:14 The Power of Mindset in Recovery 43:24 Life Lessons Learned Post-Stroke 47:24 Inspiring Others Through Personal Experience Transcript: Introduction: Return to Work After Stroke Bill Gasiamis (00:00) what kind of things is okay to complain about? Like in Italy, if the pasta is not cooked al dente, you must complain. Marco Calabi (00:07) Okay, yeah. Okay, yes, yes. Bill Gasiamis (00:08) you Marco Calabi (00:13) Okay, but you complain, you learn to complain about very important things. Bill Gasiamis (00:24) Hello everyone and welcome to the recovery after stroke podcast. Before we get into today’s episode, I want to tell you about a tool I’ve been using and genuinely love turn to.ai. If you’ve ever tried to keep up with the latest stroke research, you’ll know how overwhelming it can be. There are literally 800 new things published every single week about stroke research papers, patient discussions, expert comments, clinical trials, events. Nobody has time to read all of that. Turn2.ai is an AI health sidekick that does it for you. It searches everything published in the past week and sends you what’s most relevant to your situation personalized every week straight to you. It’s my favorite new tool for 2026. It’s just $2 a week, patient first, low cost. And here’s what I love about this. When you sign up through my link, you’re supporting this podcast at absolutely no extra cost to you. Use code Bill10 for 10 % off and try it free at the link below or scan the QR code on your screen. Speaking of resources, if you’re rebuilding your life after stroke and want a roadmap for what comes next, my book, The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing to Happen is available at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. It’s written from experience, my own and other stroke survivors. And I hope it helps you the way writing it helped me. And to everyone supporting the show Patreon, thank you genuinely. This is not possible without you. Now today’s guest is Marco Calabi, a DevOps engineer from Italy who had a stroke at 47 caused by a hole in his heart. He went through eight hours of brain surgery, wake up from a medically induced coma, left hospital in a wheelchair and went on to return to work, write a book, and find a new sense of purpose. This is a remarkable conversation. Let’s get into it. Bill Gasiamis (02:18) Marco Calabi welcome to the podcast Marco Calabi (02:21) Yes, I’m ready and thank you for your invitation. Life Before and After the Stroke Bill Gasiamis (02:27) Tell me a little bit about what your life was like before you had the stroke. Marco Calabi (02:33) Yes, before my stroke, my life was normal, I say. Working, paying bills, going outside with friends and so on. After the stroke, everything changed because… Bill Gasiamis (02:53) Yeah. Did you have a, what kind of work did you do before the stroke? Marco Calabi (02:58) Before the stroke, even after the stroke, I work ⁓ in computer science field. I’m a DevOps engineer. And after the stroke, I work a little less. Six hours, I can do eight hours before the stroke. But I do the same things. I do normal things. project something about I’m very, very, very vertical in this moment. I work in a site, the reliability engineer field. my aim is to help this system to service. to automate things. And I’m like a robot. I like a robot. Bill Gasiamis (04:05) to automate. To automate things. So, okay, to automate manual processes or something like that. Marco Calabi (04:10) ⁓ so pretty. Yes, yes, I try to automate everything because the people, the company now try to avoid to make the people to repeating things. because you want people… make more important things and the repeating things are not very important. in my opinion, diminishing view of the work. And I try to make the things better in some way. before the soak and even after the soak. I do the same things but with different speeds. Health Awareness and Stroke Causes Bill Gasiamis (05:23) Yeah. With you regards to your health, how did you view your health before the stroke? Did you think you were healthy? Did you think you were well, or was there some things that you were dealing with that were related to the stroke that occurred? Marco Calabi (05:38) Yes, before the stroke I was healthy, but I was very worried about my health because I found a lot of health problems in my body, but the problems were not there. because after the stroke, I did understand I was healthy in that moment. And the stroke teached me to understand my health better. yes, yes, yes. Bill Gasiamis (06:30) You were heavy? Marco Calabi (06:37) because I went out from the hospital with wheelchair. And now I’m able to walk. Bill Gasiamis (06:51) Aha. So were you overweight? Marco Calabi (06:56) No, no, I’m not. I had a stroke maybe because the doctors doesn’t know the motive. Perhaps, perhaps it was a genetic problem in my heart because of FOP, because a small all between the two chambers in my heart. And the mixing of the two flow bloods makes problems to the brain. And after the stroke, ⁓ the stroke happened. But I… Bill Gasiamis (07:51) Yeah, did they? Did they find a hole in your heart? Marco Calabi (07:55) Yes, yes, and I was operated in my heart. Closing, yes, closing the hole because people suffer this common problem. But sometimes the problem is huge. A lot of people… Bill Gasiamis (08:01) to fix the hull. ⁓ huh. Hmm. Marco Calabi (08:25) don’t suffer major problems. But sometimes it is very, very important. In my case, was very, very important because it created the mixing of the blood flows, created ⁓ a blood costrain. to the brain and the platypus brain ⁓ created a stroke. It is the opinion of the doctors. Bill Gasiamis (09:04) on the How old were you at the time? Marco Calabi (09:10) I softened the stroke at 47 and now I’m 51 years old. Yes. The Day of the Stroke Bill Gasiamis (09:22) 41, 47 when the stroke happened. On the day of the stroke, did you notice there was some, something wrong? Did you feel strange, feel different? Marco Calabi (09:31) Yes, during the stroke it was terrible because I did a lot. My mate called the emergency number and they thought it was a problem of annotation. the neck. And my sister, because my brother called my sister, and my sister came into my house and she understood something was wrong, because I moved my arm in the air. Bill Gasiamis (10:02) Mm-hmm. Marco Calabi (10:30) And I had, sorry, because remembering these things makes me a little uncomfortable. yes, but okay. And my sister, together with my mate, decided to call again the Belgics. and then they went to buy house and my story began. Bill Gasiamis (11:14) Hmm. So I’m going to go back for a moment and ask you about what just happened. You got uncomfortable. it emotional to talk about what happened to you sometimes? Marco Calabi (11:23) Yes, yes, yes, because I know I never accepted this thing I’m living together with it but yes, because yes, yes, because I think Bill Gasiamis (11:42) Uh-huh. You haven’t accepted it yet. Marco Calabi (11:52) I will never accept this thing. But I try to go on. I try. Bill Gasiamis (12:01) Why? Why do you think you won’t accept it? And is that helpful to not accept it? Marco Calabi (12:08) Because it is very hard to accept. Because it is not normal, in my opinion, to accept the bad things in life. ⁓ We must live together with them. Because… because we must live and stop. But living gains understanding is very different. Yes. Bill Gasiamis (12:48) If you’ve chosen to live with it and overcome the challenges that it gives, isn’t that a form of acceptance? Marco Calabi (12:58) Maybe. is, in my opinion, it is a form of acceptance. Because sooner or later I make something, I do something. And my father said it is useless to look through the ceiling. And it is a big truth. It is useless. Your life is in your hands. And you in that moment, your life is a lot in your hands. And you must decide your future because No people are able to help you. No other people, friends, family, relatives, and so on. You must do only with your strength and soul. Bill Gasiamis (14:18) Yeah. And to me, that sounds like acceptance. You have taken responsibility for the ⁓ recovery that you have to do. You’ve taken responsibility for your life. You’ve made steps to rehabilitate yourself, your emotions, your mental health. You wrote a book about what happened to you. And that sounds like you have accepted a lot of what happened to you, even though perhaps what it sounds like you’re saying maybe, and you can correct me if I’m wrong, it sounds like you’re saying, ⁓ I’m not going to give up. Writing the book “Life Change: To Hell and Back” Marco Calabi (15:02) Yes, yes, because I wrote a book because I followed a possible path because it was a path of recovering not only physical recovering but mainly mental recovery and writing the book was very helpful for me. And I hope it is helpful for others. Because in the beginning, I wrote the book because I tried to tell my story. And then I said, my story is useless. in this moment. I can make something. And so the book has another meaning. And because I want in this way to help, to share, to share. It is the right word. to share my experience. Not to… to share. To share. Bill Gasiamis (16:36) Yeah. Life change to hell and back is the English title, but you wrote the book in Italian and then had it translated to English. Correct. Marco Calabi (16:45) Yes, yes. In Italian, it is called Cambio di Vita. And in English, is ⁓ called Life Change. And to hell and back is the subtitle, because I went to tell. it was an help for me and perhaps I come back to tell to share to the others what I saw and what I did feel and I hope this experience will help in some way other people. Bill Gasiamis (17:17) Mm-hmm. Understand. Your journey started after the second time the emergency services were called to your house. What happened after that? Did they come to your house and then they took you to hospital? Did they treat you at your house? What happened? Marco Calabi (17:59) No, no, the physiotherapist and the therapist went to my house because I was not able to go to the hospital again. And then Italian hospitals decided to come directly. to my house and help me in my house. And so physiotherapists and local beauties, they were incredible. They were very, very professional and very, very helpful for me. Helped me to recover a little my body. in my speech. Bill Gasiamis (18:59) Before the recovery, I just wanted to understand what happened when you were having the stroke, the day of the stroke. your sister called the emergency services a second time. Did they take you to hospital to understand what was wrong? Marco Calabi (19:14) Yes. Yes, and I was operated immediately because my brain started to grow. And then I was operated because they didn’t want to… Bill Gasiamis (19:23) huh. Expand. Marco Calabi (19:47) to have to experience later problems. And they operated to me for eight hours. And then I was inducted with a comma. because my brain needed to rest. And then I woke up on a bed looking around and seeing people. And I remember I remembered a woman said, it is time to walk. And with a lot of difficulty, I started to walk. And then I was transferred to another hospital. to specialize ⁓ in stroke recovering. And there I was there for two months. Bill Gasiamis (21:10) Mm-hmm. And what were the deficits you needed to get rehabilitated from? Did you have problems with your body, with your limbs, with your, what was the problem? Marco Calabi (21:27) Problems with the walk, problems with the speaker. a problem to it because I was, I don’t know, it is visible. Yes, yes, because during the search they opened a hole. ⁓ Bill Gasiamis (21:47) ⁓ trick you trick you asked me Marco Calabi (22:05) And then the wall remains open for all of that time. And then I was eliminated from this wall. And one month later, the wall was… All was closed. Bill Gasiamis (22:36) Okay, so you had the chocostomy in for a long time and ⁓ they removed the chocostomy, then the hole is there, takes a month to close. Marco Calabi (22:39) Yes. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. And my mate says it seems a cross. I don’t know, I don’t. Okay, Why not? Bill Gasiamis (22:56) It seems across. ⁓ Why not? Yeah. So, so you had to also learn to walk again, which side of your body was impacted by the stroke, which one was it your left side or your right side that didn’t work. Marco Calabi (23:14) my right side my right side my leg my arms my arms my hands and okay all the right side and ⁓ i am weaker to the right side and okay Bill Gasiamis (23:16) Mm-hmm. Waker. Marco Calabi (23:38) In the beginning, I was not able to write. And then after a long, very long training, I am able to write again. Very, very slowly, but I am able. Bill Gasiamis (24:00) Mm hmm. And when you were in hospital, what was the hardest part of the recovery for you? Did you, when you started walking again, what was that like? Marco Calabi (24:14) In the hospital, never stop, always on the wheelchair. And I stop when I come back home. But yes. No, no, no, no. Bill Gasiamis (24:38) You stood up when you came back home, but in rehabilitation, you didn’t stand up. Marco Calabi (24:44) very very sad. very very sad. ⁓ Above all in the transportation for example from the wheelchair to the bed or do an exercise bicycle maybe but stop stop stop. ⁓ I remembered sometimes they tried to make me walk on the stairs, very, very, very few stairs, and tried to make ⁓ me walk in corridors and stuff. Bill Gasiamis (25:48) Okay and your arm, your right arm, you couldn’t use it at the shoulder and the hand, is that what the problem was? Marco Calabi (25:58) Yeah, I can use it. I can use it. It is weaker. A little weaker. But I can use it in this moment. When I was in the hospital, my right arm had problems. Because ⁓ the mobility was limited. And after two months, I was able to move it freely. And now I’m able to move it again in every direction. Bill Gasiamis (26:49) Hmm. ⁓ Very good. When you came home from hospital, who was at home with you? Were you living alone or did you have some family with you? Marco Calabi (26:58) No, no, no, with my family, with my sister and with my mate because my sister and my mate never leave me alone. Leave me alone. they encouraged me. Thanks God because… ⁓ I think in this moment, family, friends, relatives, mates are very, very important. Above all, in this moment. Bill Gasiamis (27:44) Was there somebody that helped guide you through the recovery? Someone that stepped up and you had a lot of support from? The Importance of Support During Recovery Marco Calabi (27:51) My Yes, my friends. Above all, one of my friends who lives in the Netherlands because he was very worried about my health. And my bait talked to him to synchronize him about my condition and after and when I went back home he was very very very present and he was very very he was a very good friend. Bill Gasiamis (28:52) understand. So he came, supported you, was very present when you came back home. Yeah. Marco Calabi (29:00) Yes, yes, yes. Above all, my mom, my sister, my baby, obviously, my friends. Because in this moment, it is a moment you understand very well the friends. more close in the friends maybe, ⁓ maybe are fearful of your situation. Bill Gasiamis (29:44) Yes, yes, very much. Lots of people get fearful ⁓ when somebody they know how to stroke, they don’t know how to help and what to do. Marco Calabi (29:53) Yes, because I think it is natural. I understand it is natural because the first thing a friend, a person who knows you in things is what I can do. And she is very fearful because the situation is huge. And I understand in this moment, in that moment, you understand very well the people. And you understand very well the quality. Bill Gasiamis (30:39) Yes. Marco Calabi (30:46) Yes, you are the same. You are the same. Bill Gasiamis (30:47) your friends. Yeah, very common, very common. Doesn’t matter if you live in Italy, America, Australia, experience is very similar. People have very similar ⁓ reporting about friendships. Marco Calabi (30:59) Yes, I don’t think it is different from country to country because we are human being and stop and and stop. ⁓ Bill Gasiamis (31:08) you People are people. What kind of things did you need help with at home? Could you go to the bathroom on your own? Could you eat on your own? What help was your family providing you? Marco Calabi (31:28) Yes, in the beginning I was helped in everything because they prepared my lunch, ⁓ they helped me to go to the bathroom, they face outside the door, checking the situation. Okay, okay, okay. I understand, okay. And then, with time, I conquered my autonomy. Because, for example, going to the bathroom, cooking something. Bill Gasiamis (31:58) Thank God. Thanks a lot. Marco Calabi (32:22) and doing my pet and so on. It is very important because in these moments you say to yourself, I’m able again. My life is not useless. It is silly to say. I know. It is very, very silly to say. But… Bill Gasiamis (32:54) in the moment, it’s probably okay in the moment, but now on reflection, it’s silly to say that, but at the moment it’s difficult and it’s a emotional experience and it’s a relief that you have and you have some autonomy now again, and you feel good about it. So yeah. Gaining Autonomy and Finding Purpose Marco Calabi (33:01) Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, yes, you feel good because you think you have a power again. I don’t know. And it is a moment. It is a very important moment for you. I understand. I understand the luckiness. able to know because other people ⁓ has no luck ⁓ like me. Like me. And I understand. And this thing makes me run because, OK, I’m lucky and so I want Bill Gasiamis (33:55) Mm-hmm. Marco Calabi (34:11) I want to help others because I’m black. And so. Bill Gasiamis (34:16) Yes, have luck. You have a bit of luck on your side. You are improving. You’re getting better. You have autonomy. Again, you want to help other people because it’s important. Marco Calabi (34:25) Yes, very. In my opinion, it is very, very important because life otherwise is meaningless. you have to give some meaning to your life. And the stroke in some way helped me to discover my possible goal in my life. Bill Gasiamis (34:44) Yeah. calling in life, understand. So you didn’t get married, you didn’t have a family. Marco Calabi (35:09) No, I never married, but I have made a girlfriend for, I don’t know, 11, 12 years. We are like married. No, no, no, no. Bill Gasiamis (35:28) Okay, but you didn’t have children. Okay. So for you made a good point about purpose and meaning in life and helping other people. If you’re, if you don’t have family to, ⁓ fuss over to ⁓ to help out, to support, et cetera, when they’re young, like children, it could be a little bit of a gap in your life about purpose and meaning. And now that you had the stroke, you found that supporting other people provides you with some additional purpose and meaning above your relationship as well with your partner. Marco Calabi (35:50) Yes. Yes. Yes, because not ⁓ having keys makes me available, let me see, help others who have keys and maybe ⁓ they are busy, too busy. Bill Gasiamis (36:22) Yeah. Marco Calabi (36:35) for other things and I try to make ⁓ my life helpful for those ones. Bill Gasiamis (36:46) Yeah, you have more spare time and you can allocate that to helping other people. Yeah. So, you know, the Marco Calabi (36:50) Yes, yes, yes, yes. Bill Gasiamis (36:59) You talk very positively about your recovery. You’re focusing on all the positive things. You wrote a book. You want to help other people. But was there some times that you really struggled, that you had a really hard time and you needed more support emotionally or mentally? Marco Calabi (37:18) both of things. I had ⁓ moments with a lot of climate. Bill Gasiamis (37:21) Both. crying, yeah, very common. Marco Calabi (37:32) because ⁓ in those moments I was ⁓ I saw my life had problems. And for example, my mother’s teach me again ⁓ to wake on the shoes. And so in that moment, I… was I was ⁓ I… ⁓ I understood my situation very deeply. And why I wanted to prove it? Because every day I wanted to go on and every day I wanted to progress because I don’t want to live was moments again. I would like to make my life better. Bill Gasiamis (39:06) Uh-huh. Understand. Yeah. But it was difficult to make your life better because you’re just in the recovery phase. You’re very restricted. Things are difficult. The Power of Mindset in Recovery Marco Calabi (39:14) Yes. It is very, very, important the presence of your family, of your friends, because otherwise I would not be here. ⁓ Bill Gasiamis (39:40) Yeah, that helped to bring you back. Marco Calabi (39:41) Yes, yes. And then after their help, you must help yourself. Because I understand, I understand you have everything to complain, but complaining is useless. It’s useless. Bill Gasiamis (39:54) as well. Marco Calabi (40:09) Complaining is natural, but it must be very short. A moment of self-reflection, a moment and stop. And then you must do something for yourself and stop. Stop to look to the ceiling. This useless. I wanted to say this useless. Bill Gasiamis (40:45) Yeah, I agree. But it’s something we all do. We all find ourselves complaining about our situation, but as long as you don’t stay there for a long amount of time, you can do the complaint and then move on and continue looking at things that you… Marco Calabi (40:57) Hmm. Hmm. Yes, Complaining is not a part, it’s a mainly part of my spirit. I complain ⁓ very, very few times. I understand people are different and the complaining is different, but… You must very, very, very aware of your situation and this stroke maybe makes you aware, more aware about yourself, about your problems, about your weakness and starting, starting, I interline, starting. from that you can go on. Bill Gasiamis (42:04) You can go on. Yeah, I agree. When you complain about things, like what kind of things is okay to complain about? Like in Italy, if the pasta is not cooked al dente, you must complain. Marco Calabi (42:23) Okay, yeah. Okay, yes, yes. Bill Gasiamis (42:24) you It’s important. You have to tell the chef, I’m sorry, the pasta is not al dente. You have to take it back. Marco Calabi (42:35) Okay, but you complain, you learn to complain about very important things. Yes. Bill Gasiamis (42:46) Yes, it’s feedback. It’s not complaining. It’s feedback. My food is not al dente and I need you to make it again so I can eat it because I can’t eat like this. It’s too cooked. Marco Calabi (42:51) What? I never was, I never liked a very, very precious food and I ate everything. I tasted everything, I ate everything. Even in the hospital, I ate everything. Life Lessons Learned Post-Stroke Bill Gasiamis (43:24) Is Italian hospital food good or is it terrible? Marco Calabi (43:31) It is a hospital book. And so it is very light. It is very, very, very simple. And it is very teachable. it is not a good book. Bill Gasiamis (43:43) Yeah. Yeah. You spoke a little bit earlier about how you have to go on with your life. So looking back now, how have you changed the way that you go about your life? How do you do things differently now? Marco Calabi (44:15) everything, everything, everything. I looked at the life in different way because I put the things in different priorities, working, having good time with friends and so on. Because before stroke you… to think about the things you do every day, but you don’t do that. Those ones. Then after the stroke, you start to do immediately the things. You don’t want to wait for things, the right moment and stop. Because the right moment, you understand, is now, not after, not tomorrow, not the next week. Now, it is a new way of singing life. You stop to wake because you understand time is very very precious. Bill Gasiamis (45:50) Yeah, and we may not have tomorrow. Understand. Marco Calabi (45:53) Yes, yes, you must do the things now and stop. As you can. You must not be a Superman. You must not do ⁓ things, a lot of things. You must do what you can and stop. But you must do. Bill Gasiamis (46:24) Yeah. Marco Calabi (46:25) and stop. Not tomorrow, not in one week, and not in one month. Now. You must do now. And stop. Never you understand, never stop you. Bill Gasiamis (46:47) Yeah, I agree. Once you have a stroke, you realize that you are mortal and that maybe you don’t have… Marco Calabi (46:53) It’s just… Bill Gasiamis (46:58) another 50 years or 40 years ahead of you. maybe you need to do, take more action, do more things, have the experiences you want to experience, whatever you can, I agree. ⁓ It’s something I think that is a good way to inspire people who have had a stroke, who have injuries, that you can find a way to do something that you want to do that you haven’t done. Inspiring Others Through Personal Experience Marco Calabi (47:24) Yes. Bill Gasiamis (47:24) that you love. very important to try and get it done, find a way to make it happen. Even if you’re in a wheelchair, even if it’s difficult, even if you need a lot of planning, you know, has to be something that you tick, you tick off your list of things to do. Marco Calabi (47:42) And it is not important what type of disease you suffer, cancer, stroke, leukemia, so on. It is, in my opinion, very important your mind, the way your mind, the way… Bill Gasiamis (48:10) your minds. Marco Calabi (48:10) want you, your mindset, the way you want to go on and stop. But I want, I want, I want to tell my story. Maybe, tell. If I am able to go on, everyone is able to go on. Bill Gasiamis (48:19) Yeah. Marco Calabi (48:41) It is not something special. Everyone can go to work and so Bill Gasiamis (48:51) Yeah, I agree. Everyone should go on with their life in some capacity as much as they can. ⁓ Yeah, that’s excellent. What about strengths? What have you discovered in yourself that you didn’t know was there? Did you uncover some new powers, some new strength, some better understanding of what you’re capable of? Has it been a learning experience for you to Marco Calabi (49:05) Okay. Yes. Yes, after the writing of my books was a moment of reflection because in that moment I asked to myself, I’m able to write a book, so what can block me? And in this moment, in that moment, I was able to do other things. Maybe here write another book, like choosing a social media manager for my Facebook and Instagram and asking. to hospitals and associations to tell my stories, creating podcasts and so on because writing the book created a moment, a precise moment of going forward. And in that moment, I aware. of my powers and my skills to go on. It was… Bill Gasiamis (51:02) Yeah. Yeah. You wrote a book, you did podcasts, you helped your community by speaking. You did all these things that you haven’t done before the stroke. Marco Calabi (51:10) Yes. Yes, and for example, now I’m discussing with a company for a possible speech of myself to inspire other people. And I’m telling the truth. I’m very, very happy because I hope this… Bill Gasiamis (51:30) Yeah. Marco Calabi (51:41) will ⁓ create something beautiful because I’m available to tell my story, to sell, perhaps something helpful. My best friend. Bill Gasiamis (52:01) Yeah, you know what I like about what I like about strokes and bio-codes? Sorry, go ahead. Marco Calabi (52:08) My best friend said, you are wiser. I don’t know. don’t know. I don’t know. Yes, yes. Before, was very hard. I was very, because my father was very hard. And I learned. Bill Gasiamis (52:19) Wiser. Wiser than before. Maybe. Marco Calabi (52:37) to be very hard. after the stroke, understood that heartless is useless because you reach the hearts of people with softness, not with heartlessness. Heartlessness makes ⁓ you more hateful. and not more lovable. Bill Gasiamis (53:10) Yeah, understand. Yes, I agree. Very wise. That’s very wise. Very wise. ⁓ You know what I like about your telling your story in for another organization or to inspire people is a lot of the people in the audience will not have had a stroke or another health issue or anything like that. Marco Calabi (53:11) Go on, go on, sorry. Yes. Bill Gasiamis (53:37) And what I like about it is that now there’s several years have passed since your stroke. So you’re standing on a stage telling your story. And one day, if those people happen to have a stroke or a negative medical experience, they have a picture in their mind of once upon a time, I was sitting in a room and there was this gentleman who… told his story and he was telling us about how he overcame his challenges, how he ⁓ improved, how he got better. And maybe those people who are unwell now because something happened to them, like everybody in life, things go wrong. Maybe they could say, I remember that man and the story that he told me, and maybe I can take some action and do similar things and get better. Marco Calabi (54:27) Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (54:32) like he did. Marco Calabi (54:32) Yes. I tell the truth. It is not easy. It’s not easy. The experience is made of steps. In steps, steps. In the beginning, I… Bill Gasiamis (54:50) steps. Marco Calabi (54:58) You want to prove yourself, you are able to do things. And these are very important to you. And then you change. Steps, you change. Because the situation is changing. And you cannot, cannot, get things before you experience all the steps. It is, in my opinion, impossible. You must live every step. The first steps are physical. And then your mind changes. But the first steps are physical and soft. and you can you must you must us us us let that eat you must us let you be because you are not a superman you are not a special man and every every person experience these steps little by little and so you must aware of this situation. Otherwise, try to go forward faster. And in my opinion, it is a very wrong way to go on. Bill Gasiamis (56:55) Very wise, my friend. Marco Calabi (56:56) Thank you, thank you! Thank you, thank you! Bill Gasiamis (57:03) Your friend was correct when he said that you are much more wise now. I agree with him. Marco Calabi (57:07) Okay, okay, okay. I will report you. Bill Gasiamis (57:15) Report back to him, let him know that I agree with him. Now, your book is available online, correct? We can get it on Amazon, everywhere. Marco Calabi (57:21) Yes. Okay. Because in Italy, ⁓ I found a publisher. In the world, I decided to publish myself the book because I wanted to spread my story. as full as possible, I would say. And so I think what is the best platform, in my opinion, it is in this moment, Amazon. Because it can provide a digital version, paper version. ⁓ Bill Gasiamis (58:07) Yeah. Marco Calabi (58:18) is only for US countries and so on. Instead, digital fashion is worldwide. And so, it is very powerful because I can reach every person in the world. Bill Gasiamis (58:44) Yes, hopefully. Marco Calabi (58:45) It was my idea. And I started and I make my book translated. I published it in Amazon. I created a digital paperback version and so on because I wanted to make it available. Very, very much. Bill Gasiamis (59:19) Yes, indeed. you have well done. I’m going to have a link to the Amazon ⁓ book. And also you will send me some links to ⁓ any other areas you would like us to send people if they’re interested to find out more information about it. I thank you for reaching out and joining me on the podcast. I very much appreciate it. It’s nice to meet you and to hear your story and all the best with your ongoing recovery. Marco Calabi (59:24) Okay. Okay. Thanks. Yes. Okay, and I say thank you, thank you, Bayard for your time, people, and thank you very much to tell my story and to give me the possibility to tell my story. Bill Gasiamis (1:00:08) Well, what a lovely conversation and what a journey and what wisdom to our listeners. If today’s episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. Leave a comment and leave a review. Subscribe if you haven’t already. Marco’s book, Life Change to Hell and Back is available on Amazon. The link is in the description below. And remember, if you want to stay on top of the latest stroke research without the overwhelm, turnto.ai has you covered. just $2 a week use code bill for 10 % off. Link is in the description And until next time, keep going. The post Return to Work After Stroke – Marco Calabi’s Honest Recovery Story appeared first on Recovery After Stroke.

The Good (Jelly Roll), The Bad (Bunny), and The Ugly ('f--- ICE' by Billie Eilish) from acceptance speeches at Sunday's 2026 Grammy Awards.

thanks god, Smartmeter 01.16.26 | VISLA FM by VISLA

Send us a text1 Corinthians 1:4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,Support the show

Send us a textEnter his gates with thanksgiving,and his courts with praise!Give thanks to him; bless his name!For the LORD is good;his steadfast love endures forever,and his faithfulness to all generations.Psalm 100:4-5Support the show

Our new short series on thankfulness!

The sermon emphasizes the profound joy and celebration in the heavenly realm when individuals accept Jesus Christ as their savior, regardless of their background or previous experience with faith. Drawing from a personal encounter within a prison setting, it highlights the transformative power of the Gospel to reach even those shrouded in darkness and unfamiliar with prayer. The narrative underscores the significance of sharing the message of salvation and anticipates a future reunion with fellow believers who have also embraced Christ. Ultimately, the message conveys a hopeful vision of eternal fellowship and the enduring impact of divine grace.

WarRoom Battleground EP 838: “Catholic” Priest Caught On Tape: Thanks God For “Gift Of Being Able To Pleasure Himself Sexually.”

Giving Thanks as a manner of living

Skip Bayless DESTROYED for INSANE post on NFL office SHOOTINGS! Thanks God other people GOT KILLED!

https://purposechurch.com/nextsteps/ What do your strongest emotions reveal about your heart? In Jonah 4, the story takes a turn, not because God fails, but because Jonah is furious that God showed mercy to people he didn't think deserved it. This message explores how ungodly anger can cloud our vision, distort our priorities, and keep us from […]

https://purposechurch.com/nextsteps/ What do your strongest emotions reveal about your heart? In Jonah 4, the story takes a turn, not because God fails, but because Jonah is furious that God showed mercy to people he didn't think deserved it. This message explores how ungodly anger can cloud our vision, distort our priorities, and keep us from […]

https://purposechurch.com/nextsteps/ This week is our Pastor swap where we get to hear from our Purpose en Español Pastor, David Vargas. No matter how far you’ve run or how many times you’ve failed, God’s grace still has the final word. In Jonah 3, we see a powerful portrait of a God who gives second chances, not […]

https://purposechurch.com/nextsteps/ This week is our Pastor swap where we get to hear from our Purpose en Español Pastor, David Vargas. No matter how far you’ve run or how many times you’ve failed, God’s grace still has the final word. In Jonah 3, we see a powerful portrait of a God who gives second chances, not […]

Welcome to Inside the Epicenter with Joel and Lynn Rosenberg. In this episode, Joel discusses President Donald Trump's momentous decision to send U.S. B-2 bombers to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities—a action poised to change the Middle East dramatically. Joined by military affairs expert and former Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Yaakov Katz, Joel explores the details of the incident, its significance, and the urgent consequences for Israel, Iran, and the global community. The episode looks into the leadership behind these choices, what may follow, and how Christians can pray and assist those in need as events unfold swiftly. If you are looking for timely insight, in-depth analysis, and a spiritual perspective during this pivotal moment, this episode is a must-listen. (00:00) "Trump Bombs Iran: Global Shockwaves"(03:33) U.S. Bombs Iran's Nuclear Sites(10:19) "Psalm 91: Divine Protection"(12:07) "Historic US-Israel Night Unpacked"(15:58) Jerusalem Quiet Before Attack Chaos(19:25) "America First: Israel Policy Controversy"(23:33) Reevaluating Israeli Strength and Sympathy(25:33) "Evangelicals Oppose Iran's Nuclear Threat"(28:51) Netanyahu's Strategic Shift(32:29) "Trump's Iran Policy Dilemma"(49:52) Israeli Military Success and Divine Aid(52:54) "Alaska Cruise Full: No Seats" Learn more about The Joshua Fund: JoshuaFund.comMake a tax-deductible donation: Donate | The Joshua FundStock Media provided by DimmySad / Pond5 Verse of the Day: Psalm 91:1-5 (NASB)- He who dwells in the shelter of the Most HighWill abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,My God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapperAnd from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; Pray for peace, pray for total victory over the Iranian regime, and pray for protection from these missile and drone attacks from Iran, and that Israel could defeat and destroy all of those missiles and drones so we don't have to shoot them out of the sky. Links for Reference Netanyahu bet big and brought the US-Israel alliance to a whole new level - analysis https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-858506 AFTER DESTROYING IRAN NUCLEAR THREAT, PRESIDENT TRUMP ADDRESSES NATION, PRAISES ISRAEL, WARNS MULLAHS, THANKS GOD https://allisraelnews.com/after-destroying-iran-nuclear-threat-trump-addresses-nation-warns-mullahs-thanks-god TRUMP BOMBS IRAN – ISRAEL ON HIGH ALERT – PLEASE PRAYhttps://allisraelnews.com/breaking-news-trump-bombs-iran-israel-on-high-alert Your bold decision will change history’: Israeli politicians across the spectrum thank President Trump after US strikes. https://allisraelnews.com/your-bold-decision-will-change-history-israeli-politicians-across-the-spectrum-thank-president-trump-after-the-us-strikes Iran threatens closure of strategic Hormuz Straits | After 'obliterating' nuclear program, US says it seeks peace with Iran | Russia condemns US strikes https://allisraelnews.com/operation-rising-lion-live-updates-june-22-2025 Related Episodes: SPECIAL EPISODE: Fmr VP Mike Pence "Trump & Israel must FINISH THE JOB of crushing Iran" #294Israel at War: Urgent Updates and The Humanitarian Response in the Epicenter #293Special Episode - Wartime Update: Inside Israel’s Defining Conflict with Iran #292Special Episode - ATTACK: Israel launches massive strikes on Iran’s nuclear program #291 Donate a generous monthly gift to The Joshua Fund to bless Israel and Her Neighbors now and for the long haul. Become an Epicenter Ally today! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God doesn’t give up on us—even when we run. In this message from Jonah 2, Pastor Eric shares how God’s grace often shows up in unexpected, difficult, or even painful ways—not to punish us, but to get our attention and draw us back to Him. From the depths of despair, Jonah discovers the surprising character […]

God doesn’t give up on us—even when we run. In this message from Jonah 2, Pastor Eric shares how God’s grace often shows up in unexpected, difficult, or even painful ways—not to punish us, but to get our attention and draw us back to Him. From the depths of despair, Jonah discovers the surprising character […]

Why do we really run from God? In this powerful kickoff to our new series No Thanks, God, Pastor Eric dives into Jonah 1 to uncover the deeper reason behind our resistance to God’s call: the desire to be our own god. Through Jonah's story, we confront our own selfishness, impatience, and the dark places […]

Why do we really run from God? In this powerful kickoff to our new series No Thanks, God, Pastor Eric dives into Jonah 1 to uncover the deeper reason behind our resistance to God’s call: the desire to be our own god. Through Jonah's story, we confront our own selfishness, impatience, and the dark places […]

Segment 1: • Church leadership can harm from within—watch for these six red flags. • Pride, control, burnout, and compromise are signs of sick shepherds. • Don't weaponize this list—use it to pray for and support your leaders. Segment 2: • Want a thriving church? Be a good churchman—it strengthens the whole body. • Small habits—prayer, presence, encouragement—have eternal impact. • Church isn't just about consuming—it's about contributing with joy. Segment 3: • Your justification isn't based on your effort—it's Christ's work alone. • The early church affirmed what the Bible teaches: righteousness is imputed, not earned. • Don't confuse sanctification with justification—eternity hinges on this distinction. Segment 4: • E.O. theology redefines salvation—shifting it from grace to performance. • Progressive salvation and deification contradict forensic justification. • The Reformers stood firm—will you? – Preorder the new book, Lies My Therapist Told Me, by Fortis Institute Fellow Dr. Greg Gifford now! https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/liesmytherapisttoldme – Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn't be more thankful for you if we tried!

Date: May 11th 2025, Mother's Day SundayText: 2 Tim. 1:1-9OutlineWhat does a Godly Mother Look like?1. Have that quality of Jesus2. Put their Faith and Heart in Him3. Thanks God for what she HAS, not what she don't have4. She's Generous 5. Got a forgiving heart6. She carries the burdens of her children7. She Loves Unconditionally8. Never ask for anything in return

"I'm not domestic..."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mad About You. For most of us, our tendency is to feel others deserve judgment while we deserve grace, mercy and comfort. In the end, what's most concerning to God gets overshadowed by what's more concerning to me.

The Hidden Lightness with Jimmy Hinton – Brad Smith, living with ALS, has regained speech using Elon Musk's Neuralink brain implant, typing thoughts directly into words. In a remarkable blend of faith and innovation, his journey highlights hope for neurological patients and sparks worldwide debate across cultural divides, celebrating human resilience and the transformative power of technology.

The God of "Bring Back," Not "Payback" God will often let us experience exaggerated consequences of our decision to tell Him "Thanks God, but no thanks" NOT to pay us back, but to bring us back.

Trying to Outrun God. We all run from God at some point. There is a conflict between what we want and what we perceive God wants for us, and our response is "thanks, God, but no thanks." In this message, we discover the reason why we do that and the irony that in our running, we run away from the very thing we desire most. Listen in!

Starting on page 100From the text of Alcoholic Anonymous First paragraph Second half on First things first. We have Laughs and readings. A fellowship is created. Thanks God for AA.

Top headlines for Wednesday, January 29, 2025In this episode, we begin with a contentious claim from The New York Times, accusing former President Trump of misrepresenting the Democrats' stance on abortion, a debate reignited as Democrats halted a born-alive infant protection bill. Switching to personal trials, we discuss former Pastor Steven Lawson, who, following a scandalous affair, takes a new path by relocating after his exit from Trinity Bible Church in Dallas. On a different note, we explore the legal and cultural implications of Canada's Supreme Court deliberating on Quebec's controversial ban on religious symbols for public officials. Lastly, we touch on a moment of relief amidst calamity, as actor Chris Pratt shares his gratitude for his home's safety during the devastating LA fires. Subscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercast⠀Follow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTube⠀Get the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for Android⠀Subscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!⠀Links to the NewsNYT says Trump lied about Dems' support for abortions after birth | PoliticsWebpage for changing sex on Social Security card removed | PoliticsPastor Steve Lawson moved out of Texas after resignation: friend | Church & MinistriesWorsening persecution in North Korea calls for change in strategy | WorldCanada's top court to rule on religious symbols ban | WorldPCUSA backs Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde who rebuked Trump | Church & MinistriesChris Pratt says by God's grace house was spared from wildfires | Entertainment

That awkward moment when you want to play some poker with the guys but the poker chips aren't shitty little plastic penguin things…Thanks GOD those days are over! With that and more projects from this crazy little episode of our wacky little show, I think the future is looking very, VERY bright. Bright, indeed! And I'm not talking about the new movie that could potentially be someone's “Star Wars”! I'm talkin' something else, altogether, baby! Let's see what else. Oh yeah there's a thing on here to wipe your dick. OK see yaMusic for YKS is courtesy of Howell Dawdy, Craig Dickman, Mr. Baloney, and Mark Brendle. Additional research by Zeke Golvin. YKS is edited by Producer Dan. Social Media by Maddalena Alvarez.Executive Producer Tim Faust (@crulge)We just paused all YKS Premium subscriptions in the US due to legal concerns. Okay, now they're back. Enjoy!Follow us on Instagram: @YKSPod, TikTok: YourKickstarterSucks and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more video stuff! This episode of YKS is brought to you by these fine brands:Quince - Mmmm….textiles!!! Go to Quince.com/yks for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order!NordVPN -

Friday, 22 November 2024   “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. Matthew 5:17   “You, deem not that I came to disintegrate the law or the prophets. Not, I came to disintegrate but to fulfill” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told the disciples to radiate their good works in order to glorify their Father in heaven. Now, He brings up words that are so misquoted and misapplied within the church that entire cults have used them to justify the unjustifiable. He begins with, “You, deem not that I came to disintegrate the law or the prophets.”   First, Jesus' words are to the people of Israel, to whom the law was given. No other people on the planet were given the Law of Moses. The law was not binding on any other people in the past, and it is not binding on any other people today. The context is Jesus, speaking under the law and to the people of Israel. Nobody else.   To remove this context is to form a pretext. It is unsound. Jesus is telling Israel that they should not perceive that His mission was to destroy the law or the prophets. That was not His mission, and nobody was to accuse Him of conducting His ministry otherwise. He was born under the law, and He had no design or intent to set aside Moses in His ministry.   But some may accuse Him of such, saying He was disobedient to Moses. No! He exclaims. That was not His mission at all. Because of these words, Judaizers, such as in Paul's time, and a myriad of cults in our time, such as the Hebrew Roots movement, seize on His words and avow that everybody must adhere to the Law of Moses. He lived under it, and so we are obligated to it too.   From there, they will take the words of the coming verse and build upon their terrible theology with those words as well. For now, it is absolutely certain that Jesus did not come to disintegrate the Law and the Prophets. He has clearly avowed that. However, He doesn't stop there. He next says, “Not, I came to disintegrate but to fulfill.”   You can't stop with half a verse and expect your theology to be complete and proper. Jesus did not come to disintegrate the law. The law is binding on Israel as much today as it was when Moses gave it to them at the foot of Mount Sinai.   However, Jesus' mission was to fulfill it for those who trust in Him, thus setting it aside and offering them His grace in place of it. And fulfill it, He did –   “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30   Jesus fulfilled the law, finishing the task set before Him. Paul speaks of this as well –   “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4   Paul is writing to both Jews and Gentiles, telling them that the law's requirements are fulfilled in Christ and they are set aside in Christ. This is explained, explicitly, many times in the New Testament epistles –   “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” Ephesians 2:14-16   Paul says the law is abolished through the cross for both Jews and Gentiles. He repeats this again in Colossians 2, using Christ's physical body as a metaphor for the law –   “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13, 14   The author of Hebrews says that the law is annulled –   “For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” Hebrews 7:18, 19   The “former commandment” refers to the Law of Moses. The “better hope” is the fulfillment of the law by Jesus. He also says the law is abolished –   “In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” Hebrews 8:13   The words “ready to vanish away” refer to the time when Israel calls to the Lord, receiving the grace of Jesus Christ. At that time, they will no longer observe the law. He also says –   “Previously saying, ‘Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them' (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.' He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:8-10   The sacrifices of the Old Covenant were ineffectual to bring man near to God. Jesus, not coming to disintegrate the law but fulfill it, did this in accord with the will of God. In His accomplishment of that, the law is “taken away,” and the New Covenant is introduced for all who will come to Him through faith, being sanctified once and forever by the precious blood (meaning the life) of Jesus Christ.   Life application: Context matters. Know your Bible through and through. Properly divide what is being said. Attempting to earn God's favor through law observance is to set aside the grace of the cross – “Thanks God, I know you tried, but I will get this.”   It is a proverbial slap in God's face, and you will find yourself condemned when you stand before Him at the Great White Throne. All that effort... for nothing. Come to Jesus and be saved, once and forever. All His effort... for all things!   Heavenly Father, help us not to think more of ourselves and our deeds than we should. Christ did it all. Now, may our lives being lived for Him be a pleasing and acceptable offering back to You for what You have done through Him. May we never set aside the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Top headlines for Monday, November 4, 2024In this episode, former President Donald Trump's unconventional press conference from atop a garbage truck in Wisconsin. We delve into a new survey revealing that nearly half of Gen Z voters have lied about their electoral preferences, shedding light on the complexities of political expression among young Americans. Then, we turn our attention to the CatholicVote's call for Vice President Kamala Harris to denounce a controversial drag troupe she was photographed with, exploring the tensions between faith and public representation. Finally, we celebrate victory on the sports front as Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen attributes their World Series win against the New York Yankees to divine intervention. Subscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercast⠀Follow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTube⠀Get the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for Android⠀Subscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!⠀Links to the NewsTrump trolls Harris, Biden with garbage truck press conference | PoliticsJoe Rogan's interview with Sen. JD Vance: 4 key moments | U.S.Nearly half of Gen Z voters lied about their vote: survey | PoliticsTexas megachurch leaves Southern Baptist Convention | Church & MinistriesLauren Daigle releases end title track for 'Bonhoeffer' film | EntertainmentAd rips Kamala Harris for posing with anti-Catholic drag troupe | PoliticsDodgers player says 'God is good' after World Series win | Sports

It's Friday, September 20th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Pakistani Christian mother sentenced to death On Wednesday, a Pakistani Christian mother of four children received the death sentence after a judge convicted her under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, reports Morning Star News. Shagufta Kiran, age 40, was convicted under Section 295-C of Pakistan's widely condemned blasphemy laws for insulting Muhammad, the false prophet of Islam, which carries a mandatory death sentence. She was arrested in Islamabad by the Federal Investigation Agency on July 29, 2021, for allegedly sharing blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group in September 2020. Her husband and two sons were also taken into custody during the raid but were later released. Attorney Rana Hameed said, “The complaint against Kiran was registered by a Muslim named Shiraz Farooqi, who alleged that she had shared content disrespectful of Islam's prophet. However, Kiran has maintained that she has not authored the content and had forwarded it in the WhatsApp group without reading it.” Formerly a nurse, Kiran had joined several interfaith WhatsApp groups, where she proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ and defended her Christian faith. One such group, Pure Discussions, was administered by the complainant, Shiraz Farooqi. While the mother is hopeful of a positive outcome from the superior courts, she misses her family terribly. The verdict did not come as a surprise, as 99 percent of those charged under Section 295-C are convicted by trial courts under pressure from Islamists. According to the Center for Social Justice, nearly 3,000 people have been accused of blasphemy in Pakistan since 1987. Specifically, in the Punjab Province alone, 552 Christians are currently detained in prisons. Pakistan ranks seventh on the Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian. Trump objects to Kamala's lies and thanks God for sparing his life twice On the presidential campaign trail, Donald Trump spoke on Wednesday at a rally on Long Island in Uniondale, New York. He took issue with the dishonest claims by Kamala Harris and the liberal media, reports RealClearPolitics.com. TRUMP: “It's time to stop the lies, stop the hoaxes, stop the smears, stop the lawfare of the fake lawsuits against me, and stop claiming your opponents will turn America into a dictatorship. Give me a break, because the fact is that I'm not a threat to democracy, they are. “They're doing things in politics that have never been done before in the history of our country. And worst of all, with their open borders and bad elections, they have made us into a Third World nation, something which nobody thought was even possible. Americans deserve a campaign based on the issues. We try and keep it on the issues.” And, Trump also expressed gratitude to God for sparing his life twice from recent assassination attempts. TRUMP: “God has now spared my life — It must have been. God, thank you. Not once, but twice. There are those that say He did it because Trump is going to turn this state around. He's going to turn this country around. He's going to make America great again.” Pro-abortion Republican Congressional candidate: A gutless wonder Republican Matt Gunderson is hoping to unseat incumbent Democrat Rep. Mike Levin of California's 49th congressional district. But his strategy is raising eyebrows by campaigning on a promise to keep abortion “safe, legal, and rare,” apparently hoping that his pro-abortion view will help him prevail in America's most liberal state, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Listen. GUNDERSON: “On a woman's right to choose, I'm pro-choice. I believe abortion should be safe, legal and rare. I don't want politicians dictating health care for my daughters. You might disagree, and that's okay. “But I bet there's more that unites us, like lowering housing, grocery, and gas prices, securing the border, and protecting Social Security. We can end the overheated political rhetoric and focus on fixing a broken Washington. I'm Matt Gunderson, and I approved this message.” Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, shifting public opinion and a wave of 10 pro-abortion ballot initiatives have led some in the Republican Party to conclude they must moderate the party's longstanding pro-life stance. Pro-life activists such as Lila Rose, founder of LiveAction, have forcefully challenged that conclusion, but because Trump has vocally sided with the moderation camp throughout his current campaign, other GOP candidates have been given cover to compromise as well. Psalm 119:1-3 says, “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths." Good Samaritan saves trucker from fire And finally, a Virginia man is being hailed a hero after he saw a fire blazing under a tractor-trailer — and immediately took action, reports FaithWire.com. Akeem Dixon was on his way to a job interview this week in Norfolk, Virginia, when he noticed the blaze. DIXON: “I was in a tunnel. Beside me, I see a tractor trailer. And I see under the tractor trailer, I see a fire under the truck.” Recognizing the need to move quickly, he started honking to get the driver's attention, but to no avail. That's when Dixon decided to pull his car in front of the tractor-trailer, according to WVEC-TV. DIXON: “[As] soon as we get inside the tunnel, I just drive right in front of him, put my forward flashers on, and I slowed right down to a complete stop. Then he stopped behind me. So, when I got out of my car, I rushed straight to the truck. And I was, like, ‘Yo, there's a fire underneath your truck!” The driver got out of the truck and Dixon told him to get a fire extinguisher. But it quickly became evident time was running out. Due to the flames, the engine was going to explode at any moment. DIXON: “I tell him to leave the truck, because it's going to blow any minute. Just leave it and come to my car. Let's move to my car, far away from the truck. As soon as we move from the truck and close to my car, at the same time, we hear a boom.” Thankfully, Dixon and the driver remained safe — all thanks to his selfless actions. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, to lay down his life for his friends.” Or, in the case of Akeem Dixon, for a stranger! Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, September 20th, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or 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.

On this full episode of LARRY, we discuss Donald Trump's first public comments addressing the assassination attempt against his life, one of the Trump shooter's classmates giving a detailed background of exactly who this guy was, the latest secret service failures, Joe Biden's disastrous interview in which he calls his Secretary of Defense a "black man," Joy Reid pushing conspiracies, and MUCH, much more! Watch LARRY LIVE — Monday-Thursday at 12PM Eastern EXCLUSIVELY on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5769468 Find LARRY wherever you get your podcasts! SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7i8F7K4fqIDmqZSIHJNhMh?si=814ce2f8478944c0&nd=1&dlsi=e799ca22e81b456f APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/larry/id1730596733 Become a Townhall VIP Member today and use promo code LARRY for 50% off: https://townhall.com/subscribe?tpcc=poddescription https://townhall.com/https://www.facebook.com/townhallcom/https://www.instagram.com/townhallmedia/https://twitter.com/townhallcomBecome a Townhall VIP member with promo code "LARRY": https://townhall.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dean's List with Host Dean Bowen – Roughly a two-millimeter distance is all that separated Trump from certain death. Many are calling it a miracle the shooter missed his target by such a small margin. The unthinkable did not happen because of the grace and protection of God. Trump's gratitude to “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening” is reminiscent of Washington's comments to his brother after the battle of...

Handoyo Salim - Pengkhotbah 2:24 (TB) Tak ada yang lebih baik bagi manusia dari pada makan dan minum dan bersenang-senang dalam jerih payahnya. Aku menyadari bahwa ini pun dari tangan Allah.

It's Wednesday, May 15th, 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 New Zealand churches might lose tax-exempt status Churches have enjoyed tax-exempt status in New Zealand for hundreds of years. However, the country's government is considering a plan to revoke the tax exempt status of churches. Not surprisingly, churches provide many forms of social and spiritual support to their communities for free. Removing their tax-exempt status would result in fewer people receiving help. International Christian Concern is circulating a petition to keep the church in New Zealand tax free. You can sign it through a link in our transcript today at TheWorldview.com.  76 million displaced people The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center reports more and more people are facing displacement in their own country. Conflicts and natural disasters led to 76 million internally displaced people last year. Violence caused 90% of the displacements, and over half of them were in sub-Saharan Africa. The number of internally displaced people increased by 50% over the last five years. And, over the last 10 years, the number has roughly doubled.  Brazilian flooding kills 143 people Speaking of displacement, flooding in Brazil has triggered landslides and flash floods, displacing over half a million people and killing 143 people. Electricity has been cut off to more than 1.4 million Brazilians. The flooding came after torrential rains at the end of last month in the country's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Churches across Brazil are providing shelter and care for those affected by the flooding. U.S.-based aid groups are also stepping in to help. On Sunday morning, May 12th, a DC-8 aircraft, funded by Samaritan's Purse, departed the Greensboro Airlift Response Center in North Carolina bound for Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil in a second airlift transporting relief to the flood-ravaged region. The flight carried shelter tarp and other relief supplies. Also on board were relief staff deploying to the area. Onboard the May 11th Samaritan's Purse flight were personal water filtration systems, hygiene kits, blankets, and solar lights. They also supplied ten community water filtration systems, each capable of supplying clean drinking water for up to 10,000 people per day. Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan's Purse said, “Please continue praying for all those whose lives have been devastated by this flooding as even more heavy rains are on the way.” You can make an on-line donation through Samaritan's Purse to help the people in flood-ravaged Brazil through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. California school district agrees to pay FCA $6 million A California school district agreed to a nearly $6 million settlement with a Christian high school student group recently. A Fellowship of Christian Athletes student group had been operating at Pioneer High School in San Jose. The group required leaders to agree with its statement of faith which included saying that marriage is between one man and one woman. The high school stripped the FCA group of its official status.  Now, after years of litigation, Christian students are free to operate the group according to their beliefs.  Biden puts pro-abortion spin on Pregnant Workers Act Congress passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act back in 2022. Now, the Biden administration is trying to make the law pro-abortion. Last week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced a new rule that would require employers to make accommodations for abortion. Multiple attorneys general from states across America are already challenging the rule. Louisiana's Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill said, “This new action ... is another example of bureaucrats rewriting acts of Congress to their own liking, and it's unconstitutional. We will continue to challenge this administration's overreach and protect pregnant women.” Isaiah 59:6-7 says, “Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood.” Trump is leading in five of six battleground states A new poll from The New York Times found that former President Donald Trump leading President Joe Biden in battleground states. Ahead of the presidential elections this year, Trump is leading in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, and Nevada. Of six key states, Biden was only leading in Wisconsin. He won all six states in 2020. The poll found young, non-white voters were not satisfied with Biden. And Trump received record support of 20% of black voters. Target eager to promote sexual perversion AGAIN Target, once again, announced its plans to celebrate sexually perverted lifestyles during so-called “Pride Month” this year. The retail giant will included “pride” merchandise at stores. However, it will only be a handful of stores based on “historical sales performance.” And Target won't be selling such apparel for children.  Target appears to be scaling back such merchandise after huge boycotts last year over the issue. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” You can sound off against Target for promoting sexual perversion by writing a letter to the CEO, Brian Cornell, Target, 1000 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403. Pastor thanks God for sparing congregation in tornado And finally, a church in Pennsylvania is giving thanks to God after surviving a tornado during a worship service over the weekend. An F1 tornado struck the church building of Crossroads Ministries, tearing off the roof. Nearly 100 people were in the building, and no one was severely injured. Pastor Ken Barner  called it a miracle.  Listen. BARNER: “We had a tornado come and hit the wing of our church. The tornado came up the hill at about 6:14pm, and it took the roof off of that building, and it sent it into the woods. I just have to tell you: God was with us. The steeple got knocked out. Cars were damaged. Nobody was injured. “There's a few cuts and bruises and bumps, as you might imagine, but nobody had to be hospitalized, that we know of. We're just so thankful for that. And folks, I just want you to know that we're standing on the promises of God right now.” Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, May 15th, 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.

Title: Last Sunday Service together - Evidences of God's Grace Speaker: Pastor Gary Lee Date: Apr 28, 2024 This is our last Sunday service together. Thanks God for everyone who were blessed by our previous sermons. God blessed you. #onlinechurch #churchonline #rootedinchrist #carync Stay Connected Website: https://www.rootedrtp.org/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rootedrtp/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RootedRTP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootedrtp/ Copyright Rooted Church 2024, all rights reserved

By end of the day we are humans and even that we are doing work on self and evolving and growing we still will experience human moments, emotions and experience. Thanks God! The good news is that when we are more healed and conscious the uncomfortable moments of humanness are less intense and shorter. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inthegoodcompany/support

Prayer Reflecting on 2023! Psalm 107:1 "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 106 and Psalm 107 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wrappedinhiscomfort/message

Get your tickets TODAY to The Domino Revival by clicking here!Top headlines for Thursday, October 19, 2023In this episode, we examine the harrowing situation in Israel, where Hamas has released chilling footage of one of the 200 hostages, taken amidst a surprise attack causing vast unpredicted devastation. While religious faith fluctuates in the US with Northeast Catholics witnessing declining enrollment, a rapid resurgence is seen in certain states. We then turn focus to the shift in religious orientation among Asian Americans, exploring a study from Pew Research detailing how Christianity remains vital within this demographic. Lastly, we share an inspiring story of a football player expressing deep gratitude post serious burns sustained in a face accident, escaping blindness. Subscribe to this Podcast Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Overcast Follow Us on Social Media @ChristianPost on Twitter Christian Post on Facebook @ChristianPostIntl on Instagram Subscribe on YouTube Get the Edifi App Download for iPhone Download for Android Subscribe to Our Newsletter Subscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and Thursday Click here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning! Links to the News Hamas releases first hostage video of 21-year-old captive | World News Fla. church tour group safely returns to US from Israel | Church & Ministries News Catholic Church seeing 'troubling' decline in attendance | U.S. News AI-generated church service lacked 'spiritual depth,' pastor says | U.S. News Christianity remains most common religion among Asian Americans | U.S. News Kat Von D slams 'judgmental' Christian critics of her baptism | Entertainment News Football star gives 'glory to God' after surviving burn injuries | Sports News

For Maria Menounos, pancreatic cancer felt like a death sentence. But miraculously, she survived and knows it's all because of God.   AND   We have the secret inside the impressive 40-plus-year marriage of Gary Sinise and his wife, Moira Harris.   To see videos and photos referenced in this episode, visit GodUpdates!   https://www.godupdates.com/maria-menounos-survives-pancreatic-cancer-and-knows-it-was-all-god/ https://www.godupdates.com/gary-sinise-wife-moira-harris/   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

I grew up snowboarding in Minnesota's version of mountains: Afton Alps, Trollhaugen, Lutsen, all that. And at some point along the way I'd learned that if you wanted to the real experience of snowboarding, the real thrill, you had to head west. It was in college that I got the opportunity to do it with a trip out to Vail, Colorado. The first morning I was there I woke up early, got my lift ticket, and headed over to the mountain. I'd already studied the map of the mountain and knew well which chair lift I'd need to get on in order to get to the very top-most peak. Exiting the chair lift at the top, having moved over to the very edge of the peak where nearly flat land meets a near 90 degree angle downward-land, I found myself absolutely swallowed up by my surroundings – sky, just gigantic blue sky, stretching all around behind me, the lines of trees and boulders down below that appeared almost toy-like in size from where I was standing. Mesmerized by what appeared to be miles of steep, cavernous, snow-covered space in between. There may have been other people around me, if there were I didn't notice them. There may have been sounds from people talking, snowmobiles driving, chair lifts running, if there were I didn't hear them. I was entirely engulfed by the situation. In awe of the awesome. In that moment the sense of wonder, fear, excitement, joy, and all of it in overwhelming amounts came flooding in. And though I felt totally inadequate for the situation, even more I felt fully invited into it all. And I had no words. I just stood there. I just stood there, mouth open, no words, just silence, and awe, and joy. “Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion.” To some it's a word that falls flat and feels stale. To some, praise is a word fit for mere preamble, a word soon to be drowned out by others more significant than it. Because of how often we see it in Scripture, even we can tend to skip over it like it's a mere formality. “Psalm 65:1, ‘Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion.' Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's move on and get to the point here.”Tread carefully brothers and sisters, praise has an object. Praise always has an object. And there is nothing ordinary about the word “praise” when it comes to its ultimate object, God himself. God turns praise into quite an intrusive word. With God as its object, praise cuts loose from all its civility and domestication. It's as if when God walks into the room, the word praise awakens from its slumber and reaches out to seize anyone and everyone around it, saying, “Look here, look at God, look at him, and be amazed! ‘Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion.'” It's a phrase fit for bowed heads and bended knees.And along with this word praise in the original is a word that connotes silence. Paired with praise it puts a sense of anticipation into the air – Praise is due to you, like praise is marked out for you, praise awaits you – praise is coming, we wait for it in silence. Even the silence itself, in a very real way, is the praise. The silence allows the awe and wonder of God to just hang there. It allows the reader to say, “slow down, slow down, slow down – I am a human being beholding my maker and I am in need of more time to take it all in.” Swallowed up by the reality of God, engulfed by all that he is, there's really no words fit for such a moment, at least not at first. Just silence, and awe, and joy. I got just a hint of that while atop a mountain in Colorado, we get it even fuller force here in psalm 65, and indeed it is the tone of this entire Psalm from beginning to end – “praise to God.” It's in that tone that the Psalmist moves through the rest of the Psalm testifying to God's working on behalf of his people, and it seems he does so according to three main categories: God supplies his people with life, he saves them from death, and he satisfies them with himself. That'll be our 3-part structure for the rest of this sermon, with the tone of “Praise to God” Lord willing, continuing to ring in our ears. God supplies his people with life, he saves them from death, and he satisfies them with himself.1) SuppliesGod supplies his people with life – it's our first major point within this Psalm and it's one that's relatively easy for us to spot, especially as we turn to the latter half of this psalm. In fact, verse 11 says it all, “You crown the year with your bounty.” From verses 9 to 13 that's really what we see – a year-long, God-supplied growing season from beginning to end. It begins with watering, verse 9, “You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it.” And there's this interesting phrase, “The river of God is full of water.” When I first read that I thought, what river is he referencing? The Jordan, the Gihon spring? On the map is it here, or here, or here? But many suggest, the “river of God”, may be better understood as the “fountain of God.” Not here, but up there. It's His heavenly storehouse in which water is always at a surplus. So the idea would be “You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it,” and the reason you can not only do that, but also (verse 10) soak the ground until its soft, pour forth rain upon the ridges until they give way, is because your river, your storehouse of water never runs dry. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and he also owns the water in a trillion clouds. Does he not possess enough to flood the whole world? So, part 1 of the growing season, God waters the earth.As the year progresses, and the months of planting and watering turn into the months of first growth, the Psalmist says of God (back to verse 9), “You provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.” But you say, what grain?Look to the wilderness (v 12), “The pastures of the wilderness overflow.” Look to the hills (v. 12) “the hills gird themselves with joy!” Look to the valleys (v. 13), “the valleys deck themselves with grain,” Look to the flocks gathered upon the meadows (v. 13), see the sea of sheep and goats as they gather to feed in so great a number that their sheer mass seems to cloth the land in white wool. And listen (v. 12, 13) as the harvest and flock shout together and sing for joy! Listen as praise to God and delight in his work bursts forth from every leaf and every lamb in the land.Lastly, past the days of water, past the days of first growth, now to harvest at the end of the year – here come the workmen to gather. (Verse 11), they gather so much that their wagon tracks overflow with abundance. Just picture a harvest piled up so high upon the wagons that it just keeps falling off the top all down the line leaving a kind of breadcrumb trail of harvest stretching all the way from field to barn. This is the abundant supply of God. This is his happy harvest in the world. And to a people living in a largely agrarian society, it meant life. God supplies his people, with life! So, imagine a timeline, we'll call it a timeline of God's working on behalf of his people. Spanning the entire timeline, a thick, consistent line stretching from beginning to end, is, point 1, God's consistent, year-to-year supplying of life for his people with life. Dotting that line then, at intermittent points throughout is, point 2, God's saving of his people from death. Don't think the more common causes of death per se – old age, more common illness, etc. – but large-scale, epoch-making, chapter in a history-book type causes of death. Think armies, plagues, natural disasters. Dotting the timeline at intermittent points is God saving his people from these kinds of threats of death. 2) God SavesWhere do we get that in this Psalm? Look at verses 5-8. The language is different here, is it not? The tame, picturesque view of grain fields and meadows is preceded, verse 5, “By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness” Some translations have it “By terrible deeds.” There's a sense of holy fear bound up here. We could say it this way: if God is the gardener who supplies in verses 9-13, then he is the warrior who saves in verses 5-8. We see this strength, this awesome power, exercised in God's creation of the world. Verse 6, It was “By his strength (God) established the mountains being girded with might.” The mountains – can your mind comprehend the sheer mass of even one mountain? Here we're talking all the mountains – The Andes, Rockies, Himalayas, all of them – to these billions of tons after billions of tons of rock God says, “Rise up, stand up straight, and don't move until I tell you otherwise!” We see his awesome strength in his continued rule over creation (verse 7). God is the one who stills the roaring of the seas, (God is the one who stills) the roaring of the waves. Why did the flood of Noah dissipate? Like what caused the water to recede? Why do flash floods, or tsunami's, or hurricanes ever give way to calm? Because to all those gallons of raging waters God says, “Peace, be still.” In his creation of the world, the Psalmist says, we see God's strength. In his continued rule over the world we see God's power. And - perhaps especially - we see his awesome deeds worked out through his sovereign rule over the kings and nations of the world. Don't miss this - Still verse 7, “Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of the waves, the tumult of the peoples.” The tumult, the raging, of the nations. All throughout history kings have arisen, produced weapons, amassed armies, drawn up battle plans, taken over empires. And God has, and continues to, still every one of them. And here's where things get really cool. When God saves his people from death, particularly when it's the threat of death from enemy forces (Assyria, Babylon, Rome, whoever), he not only succeeds in saving them, but along with them, he wins the nations. He not only succeeds in saving his people from death, but in the train of these victories, he wins the nations. Back up to verse 5, “By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and the farthest of the seas.” Hold up. “By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and the farthest of the seas.” How does this work? He answers us, he is the source of hope for them. How?This is how, verse 7 into 8, “Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the people, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe of your signs. You make the going out of the morning [That's the east, the sun first rises in the east] and the evening [That's the west, the sun sets in the evening] to shout for joy.” See what's happening here? The land shouts for joy (verse 12), the flocks shout for joy (verse 13), and yes, the nations, even the nations, the result of their beholding of the awesome deeds of God, is that they, too, shout for joy! God's working on behalf of his people catches the eyes of the nations around them. Causes them to look and say, “The one who did that could only have done that if he were the God over this whole world. He must be the king of all. He must be the great sovereign. And I find my heart saying, “Behold, behold the one you've longed for. Behold the one you've been made for. Behold your God and I respond, ‘I must have him. I must be found amongst his people.'” You believe that? You think that could ever happen? The Jews had been slaves in Egypt – the powerhouse of the world at that time. God answered his people by awesome deeds, sending Moses, sending plagues, splitting a sea in half and then smashing it down upon Pharaoh and his army. A deed so awesome, that the inhabitants of Canaan - many miles away from Egypt - heard of it.As one of its own residents would come to say, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” God saves his people and wins the nations in his wake.Breathtaking, right? And yet, there is still something here, a supplying of life that surpasses the grains and flocks, a saving from death that overshadows the glories of stilled seas and quieted nations.The Psalmist says, verse 3, “When iniquities prevail against me.” When they prove too strong for me, when they rise up above me, when they like a dark, menacing, merciless ocean wave grow far above my head and threaten to pulverize me into the ground. And now I want to ask that we not move on from here just yet, because its my fear that many of us rarely feel the threat of death that attends our sin, and we should. For many of us, sin is just a normal part of life. It's not our enemy, it's not our foe, it's akin to that extra slice of cake in the fridge that we probably shouldn't eat, and definitely have no plans to make a regular part of our regular diet, but every couple days or so, a slice here, a slice there, after all its only human to indulge every once and a while. To many, sin is the thing that knocks at our door and we look and say, “Oh You don't look that menacing to me, come on in, but you can only stay for a short while.” In our mind, the verse would go, “When sin gets a bit too attached, yet I still prevail over it.” Brothers and sisters, do you know that your sin could end up prevailing over you? On your own, if left to your own devices, just you in one corner, your sin in the opposite corner, the bell rings and you come out fighting – your sin would destroy you. Your sin would knock you to the ground with no intention of letting you up again. Your sin, if you were left to fight it all on your own, your sin would prevail over you. Do you think I'm exaggerating? Just look outside and see how many millions of men and women are being absolutely ruled by their sin. Go to any church and ask for the list of souls who have destroyed their relationships, destroyed their marriages, destroyed their souls by allowing their sin to prevail over them. “When iniquities prevail against me” – he's not exaggerating. He's not playing games. He's telling the truth – iniquities prevail against people. Picture that sin in your life right now that you think you've got a handle on. Picture that sin in your life that you think you've established a boundary with and will go no further. Brothers and sisters there have been plenty of others before you who felt similar and today have their sin standing over them with its foot upon their neck. Make no mistake, your sin aims, it always aims, to prevail over you. Now, having pressed all the way down on this spring, all the way to the floor, now is the time to hit the switch and let the spring launch and send us heavenward for, as David says, “When sin prevails against me, when sin thinks it's defeated me, when sin thinks it's got me down for the count, God says, “No More!” When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions!” God saves his people from death! God says to us, down on the ground, with sin upon our necks, “Rise up! Sin will not have the final say over you!” Rise up, for in my presence, death must flee! God atones for your sins, my brothers and sisters, God atones for your sins! He saves his people from death. And that's not all.God supplies his people, God saves his people, and God satisfies his people.3) God SatisfiesLook at that word atone, verse 3 – you atone for our transgressions. Atone is an old word that combines the concepts of “at” and “one.” Like, “Where are you at with God?” “Where do you stand with him?” Atone says, “Well, I'm “at” “one” with him.” Reconciled with him. He's my Father, I'm his child. Brothers and sisters, here's where things come together. To the one who'd say, “Great, I'm just going to go back to my normal with sin since God's just going to forgive me for it anyways.” To the one who'd say, “Thanks God, walk out of the courtroom with your stamp of not-guilty and go on with your life.” Brothers and sisters, don't make the mistake of thinking your salvation consists of you merely being saved. Like merely being saved from death, merely declared not guilty before God, merely not having to go to Hell when you die. Yes – to be saved from death, declared not guilty, and rescued from Hell – these are some of the greatest enjoyments of the Christian life, but not thee greatest. See God doesn't settle for merely saving his people. He atones for them. He makes them “at one” with him. See The greatest thing in all of life – the very point of it all – is to be brought near to God – At One with him. Not only being pulled up out of the grave of death but sat up to the feast of his very table. To enjoy God. To be “at one” with God. To be satisfied by God. That, and nothing short of it, is Christian salvation. Brothers, sisters, don't think yourself merely saved. Don't aim to be merely saved. I mean, don't you find your soul calling out for more than that? A gospel where freedom from death is the highest aim is a hollowed out gospel. Brothers and sisters, if nearness to God is absent from your picture of salvation, if at-one-ment with God is not at the very center. Oh don't you hear your hearts crying out for more? Don't you hear your hearts shouting, “that's not enough.” “I've been made to be filled with so much more than that!” I mean, if intimacy with God is not in the plans, if nearness to him is not in our future, if fellowship with Him, if satisfaction in Him is not at the end of all things – Oh how our souls would starve! What you need is not to be merely saved by God, but satisfied in God. What your spouse needs is not to be merely saved by God, but satisfied in him. What your children need is not to be merely saved by God, but satisfied in him. What your neighbors, and your co-workers, and all the people you pass by on the street need is not to be merely saved by God, but satisfied in him. Pastor Kenny and Malaina, we'll have more to say at the commission, but for now, do you know what Orlando needs? Orlando needs a church planting couple who are not merely saved by God, but satisfied in him.So I say thank you God, thank you Jesus, for Psalm 65:4, “Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your Temple.” That, my brothers and sisters, is what we set our sights upon. That, my brothers and sisters, is where we will finally find satisfaction. Now, and this is where I'll close, getting to preach this part of the Psalm, having just gone through both Leviticus and Hebrews as a church is just too cool. You put your Leviticus/Hebrews lens on this and it just gets so cool. The Table“Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts!” – David, who wrote this Psalm, was most assuredly referring not to the common Israelite, when he wrote those words, but to the Levitical priests at the Temple. As we saw in Leviticus, it was the priests who were chosen by God, due to their bloodline through Levi and Aaron, it was the priests who were brought near to dwell in the Temple courts. But note the change in grammar in the second part of verse 4: Blessed is the one you choose and bring near to dwell in your courts (the Priests), we shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!”What's he talking about? The priests go near, they're blessed, And we (out here) shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house. Of the five major sacrifices prescribed in Leviticus carried out at the temple, the peace offering was the one that came at the very end. It came at the end because it depicted what the offerings before had accomplished – peace between God and man. That peace having been brought about through sacrifice, the priests take a portion of the sacrifice back to the people, and together they all eat it in the presence. The priests go near, offer the sacrifices, and then we sit up to the table of fellowship with God – satisfied with the goodness of his house, the holiness of his temple.And that is what brings us to the table. Here is where we, an assembly of the Royal Priesthood, celebrate that God has atoned for our sins, not by the blood of bulls and goats but by the blood of his very own son. And he has not merely saved us from death, but has brought us near, raised us up with him, where we will be ever-satisfied by the goodness of his house, where we sit down to the marriage supper of the lamb and feast for ages to come. We eat from this table in anticipation of that greater table. So if you're here today and you've trusted in Jesus, then we invite you to take and eat. If you've not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you'd let the elements pass, you not partake, but we pray you would, in this moment, draw near, for the very first time, to him by faith.

Happy Thursday Bitties! We open up todays episode discussing the slow, dragged out month of August and all the terrible things that come with it. What's the deal with EB wearing jerseys on the beach? Also, Valdez made his triumphant return to Ocean City over the weekend with a smashola photo that got Drab & The Stallion sized. Then, the boys behind the glass are bitter about John The Intern getting an intro after being on the show for a few weeks. Lastly, what should the punishments be for running late to the show? 

Happy Thursday Bitties! We open up todays episode discussing the slow, dragged out month of August and all the terrible things that come with it. What's the deal with EB wearing jerseys on the beach? Also, Valdez made his triumphant return to Ocean City over the weekend with a smashola photo that got Drab & The Stallion sized. Then, the boys behind the glass are bitter about John The Intern getting an intro after being on the show for a few weeks. Lastly, what should the punishments be for running late to the show? 

Eric Adams pats himself on the back for being Mayor of New York declaring 'Thank God I'm Mayor' while pushing for gun scanners in the subway.

In hour 2, Chris talks about Biden embarrassing America on the world stage this past weekend, saying things that his team had to immediately walk back or correct, as some like Jennifer Rubin and Joe Scarborough praise him as the greatest president ever. For more coverage on the issues that matter to you download the WMAL app, visit WMAL.com or tune in live on WMAL-FM 105.9 from 5:00am-9:00am Monday-Friday. To join the conversation, check us out on twitter @WMAL and @ChrisPlanteShow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.