God of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah
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Al, Zach, John Luke, and Christian explore the demonic powers revealed in Exodus as the plagues close in on Pharaoh's Egypt. Al and Zach recall their visit to Auschwitz, where they both felt a chilling, decades-old evil that seemed to confirm the spiritual realities Scripture describes. Back home, John Luke faces his own “plague of biblical proportions,” though his version is admittedly more mundane than the ones that befell Egypt. The guys reflect on why God revealed His name as Yahweh, what that name means for believers today, and how our hearts must be positioned before we can truly enter His presence. In this episode: Exodus 5–10; Exodus 6, verses 1–7; Exodus 7, verse 17; Exodus 8 (select); Genesis 15, verses 9–17; Acts 17, verse 31; Ephesians 6, verse 12 Today's conversation is about lesson 3 of The Exodus Story taught by Hillsdale Professor Justin Jackson. Take the course with us at no cost to you! Sign up at http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ More about The Exodus Story: Explore God's mercy as he leads Israel out of slavery in Egypt. Exodus is a central narrative of the Bible. It recounts the moment that God reclaims Israel as his people, rescues them from slavery in Egypt, and establishes the Ten Commandments to guide their moral and religious freedom as an independent society. In “The Exodus Story,” Professor of English Justin Jackson picks up the biblical narrative where his course on Genesis ended. Join Professor Jackson in learning about the nature of God's mercy, human freedom, and the relationship between the divine and man. Enroll today to discover the beauty of God reclaiming the Israelites through his mercy and love in “The Exodus Story.” Sign up at http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621 Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters: 00:00-01:00 Opening prayer 01:00-06:10 What kept John Luke up all night 06:11-07:27 Phil's reaction to podcast banter07:28-10:45 Inside a podcast hosts's mind 10:46-15:29 Moses is afraid of his own people 15:30-19:10 Moses & the Titanic? 19:11-26:29 Egyptian magicians could have been aliens 26:30-36:18 The Bible says other gods are real36:19-39:39 Al & Zach encounter a real presence of evil39:40-45:41 Evil's encroachment process spelled out 45:42-49:57 God's presence can be dangerous — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark 7:31-37 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss the response the witnesses have to Jesus's miracles, especially the healing of the deaf and mute man.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here. Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=23207The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/
In Mark 12:28-34, Jesus describes what he regards as the greatest commandment, and in doing so, he reinforces the famous Jewish monotheistic creed. This episode explores the interaction between Jesus and a friendly scribe that results in a reaffirmation of the crucial truth that the true God, Yahweh, is only one person. To view the video version of this episode, go here: https://youtu.be/1iY2YCodxQ8 Preorder A Systematic Theology of the Early Church: https://amzn.to/47jldOc Visit Amazon to buy your copy of The AI Critical New Testament: https://amzn.to/3VxO8r5 Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book, Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://amzn.to/4neRGdH Visit Amazon to buy your copy of The Son of God: Three Views of the Identity of Jesus: https://amzn.to/462mqYn To support this podcast, donate here: https://www.paypal.me/10mintruthtalks Episode notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19F91pxsUAP6nVJGvP3K5Y3FkPNw-eKxiEhkRGNyfEhg/edit?usp=sharing Check out some of my videos on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@BiblicalUnitarianPodcast Follow me on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/OneGodPodcast
Josh Monday Christian and Conspiracy Podcast Ep. 310How to Support the ministry: $5.99 a monthpatreon.com/JoshMondayChristianandConspiracyPodcastJoin the Patreon here: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Joshmonday_podcastIf you want to donate to the Ministry CashAPP:https://cash.app/$JoshmondaymusicNew affiliate: https://wsteif.com/ Paul and Crystals links: https://thetinfoilhatfactory.com/Flat Earth Books by Sakal Publishing Affiliate Link: https://booksonline.club/booksonlinecYoutube: @joshmondaymusicandpodcast Tips for the show to Support our Ministry: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/joshmondayCoffee Mug Is Available email me your mailing address Joshmonday@rocketmail.com Please subscribe to our Spotify and You Tube Channel Joshmondaymusic and Podcast and help us grow so we can keep on spreading the good news.To all of our current and future subscribers thank you for your time, we appreciate you. Please do us a favor subscribe to our You Tube Channel, hit that bell, share, like and comment below on our You tube. Please leave us a 5-Star review on Apple and Spotify.Check out my new show Sunday Service and Wednesday Brought to you by Cult of Conspiracy Podcast. On Cult of Conspiracy Spotify, Patreon and Apple Podcast Channel.Join the study as I go deep into the Bible. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/josh-monday-christian-and-conspiracy-podcast--6611118/support.
Study the writings of godly men throughout the ages, and one thing stands out: In their eyes, He was incomparable, unsearchable and eternal. He wasn't just a little better than the false gods, there was no comparison. He wasn't just barely deserving of His people's worship, He was worthy of total and utter devotion. In Part 2 of our Unveiling Yahweh episode, the PLM speaking team sits down to discuss Steve Gallagher's sermon on the greatness of God and will talk about why having a vision of God's greatness is so important for every professing believer. Resources: Obtain a Greater Sight of Yahweh (Sermon) By Steve Gallagher
Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners about how the remnant of Israel and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel. Scripture References: John 17:17; Psalm 119:160; Isaiah 10:20; Hebrews 1:1=-2; Isaiah 1:1-20; Isaiah 6:1-8; Daniel 2:21; Proverbs 21:1-2; Isaiah 10:12-20; Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:29; John 3:16 Scripture translation used is the Legacy Standard Bible. “Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.comFIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishafferCHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code. I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z JOIN DR. JORI IN DEVOTIONAL JOURNALING IN 2025Check out this 9 min YouTube Video outlining her journaling strategy! Don't Forget to subscribe to the YouTube Channel! https://youtu.be/lqe9TO7RSz4 BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters in the Holy Bible. The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals. Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING? CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up. https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website: https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show
Reformed Brotherhood | Sound Doctrine, Systematic Theology, and Brotherly Love
In episode 465 of The Reformed Brotherhood, hosts Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb explore Jesus's parable of the wheat and tares (weeds) from Matthew 13. This thought-provoking discussion examines Christ's startling teaching that good and evil will always coexist within the visible church until the end of time. The brothers carefully unpack the theological implications of Jesus's command not to separate wheat from weeds prematurely, challenging our natural tendency to judge others while offering wisdom about God's sovereign plan for final judgment. This episode wrestles with difficult questions about church purity, assurance of salvation, and how believers should approach the reality of false professors within Christ's church—providing biblical guidance for faithfully enduring in a mixed communion. Key Takeaways The Coexistence of True and False Believers: Jesus teaches that the visible church will always contain a mixture of genuine believers and false professors until the final judgment. The Danger of Premature Judgment: Christ explicitly warns against attempting to completely purify the church before the harvest (end of age) because doing so would damage the wheat (true believers). Proper Biblical Interpretation: Unlike some parables, Jesus provides a detailed allegorical explanation of this parable—the sower is Christ, the field is the world, the good seed represents believers, and the weeds are the sons of the evil one. The Challenge of Discernment: One of the most difficult theological pills to swallow is that it's often impossible to perfectly distinguish between true and false believers. Final Judgment as God's Prerogative: The separation of wheat from weeds is reserved for the angels at the end of the age, not for current church leaders or members. The Reality of False Assurance: Some professing Christians may have false assurance of salvation while genuinely believing they are saved. The Importance of Theological Integrity: Public theologians and pastors have a moral responsibility to be transparent about their theological convictions and changes in their beliefs. Deeper Explanations The Difficult Reality of a Mixed Church Jesus's teaching in the parable of the wheat and weeds directly challenges our natural desire for a perfectly pure church. By instructing the servants not to pull up the weeds lest they damage the wheat, Christ is establishing an important ecclesiological principle that will hold true until His return. This means that no matter how rigorously we apply church discipline or how carefully we examine profession of faith, we will never achieve a perfectly pure communion this side of eternity. The visible church—which can be understood as those who profess faith and are baptized—will always include both true and false believers. This reality should cultivate humility in how we approach church membership and discipline. Jesus isn't suggesting that all attempts at church purity are wrong (as other Scripture passages clearly call for church discipline), but rather that perfect purification is impossible and attempts at achieving it will inevitably damage true believers. This teaching directly refutes movements throughout church history (like Donatism) that have sought absolute purity in the visible church. The Problem of Discernment and Assurance One of the most challenging aspects of this parable is Christ's implicit teaching that true and false professors can appear nearly identical, especially in their early development. Like tares growing alongside wheat, false believers can profess orthodox doctrine, participate in church life, and exhibit what appears to be spiritual fruit. This creates profound implications for how we understand assurance of salvation. As Tony notes, while "assurance is the proper and rightful possession and inheritance of every Christian," there's also the sobering reality of false assurance. Some may sincerely believe they are saved when they are not, raising difficult questions about self-examination and spiritual discernment. This doesn't mean believers should live in perpetual doubt, but rather that we should approach assurance with both confidence in God's promises and healthy self-examination. True assurance must be grounded in the finished work of Christ rather than merely in our experiences or behaviors, while false assurance often lacks this proper foundation. The brothers wisely note that final judgment belongs to God alone, who perfectly knows who belongs to Him. Memorable Quotes "The visible church is set before us as a mixed body. Maybe everybody else's churches, but certainly not my church, like the one that I actually go to on the Lord's day. So it seems like there might be this shocking statement possibly that he has for us, whether you're Episcopalian or Presbyterian or independent or Baptist or Christian life assembly, whatever it is, that no matter what we do to purify the church, our churches, we're never gonna succeed in obtaining a perfectly pure communion." - Jesse Schwamb "I think that's what I find shocking. It is like a massive statement of reality that is at equal points totally sensible. And other times we would think, 'well, surely not in the church Lord, like of all the places, like aren't we talking about a kind of purity of your people?' ...and what I think he's striking at, which I do find a little bit wild, is that Jesus is essentially saying, at least to my ear, anything we try to do, even the purest preaching of the gospel, is not gonna prevent this in every age of the church." - Jesse Schwamb "I'm affirming that assurance is the proper and rightful possession and inheritance of every Christian." - Tony Arsenal Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 465 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I am Jesse. Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. Guess what? It looks like you and I are taking another trip back to the farm on this episode. Tony Arsenal: Yes. For a couple episodes. Jesse Schwamb: For a couple episodes. Yeah. [00:01:01] Exploring Jesus' Parables in Matthew 13 Jesse Schwamb: Because what, Jesus will not stop leading us there. We're looking at his teachings, specifically the parables, and we're gonna be looking in Matthew chapter 13, where it seems like, is it possible that Jesus, once again has something very shocking for us to hear? That is for all the ages. 'cause it seems like he might actually be saying, Tony, that good and evil will always be found together in the professing church until the end of the world. Like in other words, that the visible church is set before a mixed body. I mean. Maybe everybody else chose churches, but certainly not my church, like the one that I actually go to on the Lord's day. So it seems like there might be this shocking statement possibly that he has for us, whether you're Episcopalian or Presbyterian or independent or Baptist or Christian life assembly, whatever it is, that no matter what we do to purify the church, our churches, we're never gonna succeed in obtaining a perfectly pure communion. Could that possibly be what Jesus is saying to us? I don't know what we're gonna find out. Tony Arsenal: We are. We are gonna find out. Jesse Schwamb: It's gonna be definitive. And if now that makes sense. If you don't even know why we're looking at Jesus' teachings, you could do us a favor even before you go any further. And that is just head on over in your favor, interwebs browser to or reform brotherhood.com, and you can find out all of the other episodes, all 464 that are living out there. There's all kinds of good stuff, at least we think so, or at least entertaining stuff for you to listen to. And when you're done with all of that in a year or two, then we'll pick it up right back here where we're about to go with some affirmations or some denials. [00:02:39] Affirmations and Denials Jesse Schwamb: So Tony, before we figure out what Jesus has for us in Matthew 13, in the parable of the weeds, or the tears, or the tears in the weed, what gets all of that? Are you affirming with, are you denying against, Tony Arsenal: I am denying. First of all, I'm denying whatever this thing is that's going on with my throat. Sorry for the rest of the episode, everyone. Um, I'm denying something that I, I think it is. How do I want to phrase this? Um, maybe I'll call it theological integrity, and maybe that's too strong of a word, but maybe not. So the listener who's been with us for a little while will remember that a while back. Um, you know, we've, we've talked about Matthew Barrett and he was a Baptist, uh, who's heavily involved in sort of the theology, proper controversies. He wrote Simply Trinity, which is just a fantastic book. He was a teacher or a professor at Midwestern, um, Baptist Theological Seminary. And he recently, um, uh, converted is not the right word. I hate calling it a conversion when you go from one faithful Bible tradition to another. But he recently, um, changed his perspective and joined the Anglican Church. And at the time I kind of, you know, I kind of talked about it as like, it's a little bit disappointing, like the reasons he cited. [00:03:57] Theological Integrity and Public Disclosure Tony Arsenal: Where I'm bringing this into a matter of sort of theological integrity. And it's not, it's not just Matthew Barrett. Um, there's other elements of things going on that I'll, I'll point to too is it's often the case when someone who is in some form of professional theological work or professional vocational ministry, that as they start to change perspectives, um, there comes to be like an inflection point where they should notify whoever it is that they are accountable to in that job or vocation, uh, uh, and then do the right thing and step down. Right? And so with Matthew Barrett, um. He continued to teach systematic theology at a Baptist Theological Seminary, which has a faith statement which he was obligated to affirm and hold in good faith. He continued to teach there for quite some time, if, you know, when he, when he published the timeline and he's the one that put all the timelines out there. So it's not like people had to go digging for this. Um, he continued to teach under contract and under that, that faith statement, um, for quite some time after his positions changed. I remember in college, um, sim very similar situation, one of my professors, um, and I went to a Baptist college. It was a General Baptist college. Um, one of my professors became Roman Catholic and for quite some time he continued to teach without telling anyone that he had converted to Roman Catholicism. Um. And I think that there's a, there's a, a level of integrity that public theologians need to have. Um, and it, it really makes it difficult when something like this happens to be able to say that this is not a moral failing or some sort of failure. Um, you know, James White has jumped on the bandwagon very quickly to say, of course we told you that this was the way it was gonna lead. That if you affirm the great tradition, you know, he was very quick to say like, this is the road to Rome. And I think in his mind, um, Canterbury is just sort of one, one stop on that trip. Um, it becomes very hard after the fact to not have this color and tarnish all of your work before. 'cause it starts to be questions like, well, when, when did you start to hold these views? Were you writing, were you, were you publicizing Baptist theology when you no longer believed it to be the truth? Were you teaching theology students that this is what the Bible teaches when you no longer thought that to be true? Um. Were you secretly attending Anglican services and even teaching and, and helping deliver the service when you were, you know, still outwardly affirming a Baptist faith statement. And the reason I, I'll point out one other thing, 'cause I don't want this to be entirely about Matthew Barrett, but there's a big, uh, hub glue going on in the PCA right now. Um, a guy named Michael Foster, who some of our audience will probably be familiar with, um, he and I have had our desktops in the past, but I think he and I have come to a little bit of a, of a uneasy truce on certain things. He, uh, went to work compiling a, a list and there's some problems with the data, like it's, it's not clean data, so take it for what it's worth. But he compiled a list of. Every publicly available church website in the PCA. So something like 1800 websites or something like that. Huge numbers. And he went and looked at all of the staff and leadership directories, and he cataloged all the churches that had some sort of office or some sort of position that appeared to have a, a woman leading in a way that the Bible restricts. And that more importantly, and starting to say it this way, but more importantly, that the PCA itself restricts. So we're not talking about him going to random church websites and making assessments of their polity. We're talking about a, a denomination that has stated standards for who can bear office and it's not women. Um. So he compiled this and people in the PCA are coming out of the woodwork to basically defend the practice of having shepherdess and deacons. There was one that he cataloged where, um, the website actually said, uh, that was the pastor's wife and the title was Pastor of Women. Um, and then as soon as it became public that this was the case, they very quickly went in and changed the title to Shepherd of Women or Shepherdess of Women or something like that. So it's, it's really the same phenomena, not commenting, you know, I think we've been clear where we stand on the ordination of female officers and things like that, but not that all that withstanding, um, when you are going to be a part of a body that has a stated perspective on something and then just decide not to follow it, the right thing to do the, the upstanding morally. Uh, in full of integrity move would be to simply go to another denomination where your views align more closely. PCA churches, it's not super easy, but it's not impossible to leave the PCA as an entire congregation and then go somewhere like the EPC, which is the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which still on the spectrum of things is still relatively conservative, but is in general is in favor of, uh, female officers, elders, and diegans. So I, I think, you know, and you see this with podcasters, there was the big, there was a big fu and Les became a Presbyterian, and then when Tanner became a Presbyterian on the pub, I think it is, um, incumbent on people who do any form of public theology and that that would include me and Jesse when our views change. There comes a point where we need to disclose that, be honest about it, um, and not try to pretend that we continue to hold a view that we don't be just because it's convenient or because it might be super inconvenient to make a change. I don't even want to pretend to imagine the pressures, uh, that someone like Matthew Barrett would face. I mean, you're talking about losing your entire livelihood. I, I understand that from an intellectual perspective, how difficult that must be, but in some ways, like that kind of comes with the territory. Same thing with a pastor. You have a Baptist pastor or a Presbyterian pastor. It can go both ways, I think. I'm more familiar with Baptist becoming Presbyterians. I don't, I don't see as many going the other direction. But you have a, a Baptist pastor who comes to pay to Baptist convictions and then continues to minister in their church for, I've, I've seen cases where they continue to minister for years, um, because they don't, they don't have the ability to now just go get a job in a Presbyterian context because there's all sorts of, um, training and certification and ordination process that needs to happen. Um, so they just continue ministering where they are, even though they no longer believe the church's state of, you know, state of faith statement. So that's a lot to say. Like, let your yes be yes and your no be no, and when we really all boil it down. So I think that's enough of that. It, it just sort of got in my craw this week and I couldn't really stop thinking about it. 'cause it's been very frustrating. And now there are stories coming out of. Doctoral students that, um, that Barrett was teaching who have now also become Anglican. Um, so, you know, there starts to be questions of like, was he actively pros? I mean, this is like Jacob Arminius did this stuff and, and like the reform tradition would look down on it, where he was in secret in like sort of small group private settings. He was teaching convictions very different than the uni. I'm talking about Arminius now. Not necessarily Barrett. He was teaching convictions very different than the, the stated theology of the university he taught for, and then in public he was sort of towing the line. You have to ask the question and it is just a question. There's been no confirmation that I'm aware of, but you have to ask the question if that was what was going on with Barrett, was he teaching Baptist theology publicly and then meeting with, with PhD students privately and, and sort of convincing them of Anglican theology. I don't know. I'm not speculating on that, but I think it, the situation definitely right, brings that question to mind. It forces us to ask it. Um, and had he. Been transparent about his theological shifts sooner than that may not be a, a question we have to ask. Um, the situation may not be all that different, but we wouldn't have to ask the question. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's totally fair. I mean, disclosure is important in lots of places in life and we shouldn't think that theological dis disclosure, especially like you're saying among our teachers, among our pastors, it is a critical thing. It's helpful for people to know when perspectives have changed, especially when they're looking to their leaders who are exhibiting trust and care over their discipleship or their education to express that difference. If there's been a mark, change it. It's worth it. Disclose, I'm guessing you don't have to over disclose, but that we're talking about a critical, we're talking about like subversive anglicanism, allegedly. Yeah. Then. It would be more than helpful to know that that is now shaping not just perspective, but of course like major doctrine, major understanding. Yeah. And then of course by necessary conviction and extension, everything that's being promulgated or proclamation in the public sphere from that person is likely now been permeated by that. And we'd expect so. Right. If convictions change, and especially like you're talking about, we're just talking about moving from, especially among like Bible believing traditions, just raise the hand and say loved ones, uh, this is my firm conviction now. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I think if someone walks up to you and says, do you think that we should baptize babies? And you're like, yeah, I think so. Then you probably shouldn't be teaching at a Baptist seminary anymore. Like, seems like a reasonable standard. And that seems to be what happened, at least for some period of time. Um, you know, and, and it, that's not to say like, I think, I think there are instances where the church, a given church or um, or a university or seminary or, or whatever the situation might be, can be gracious and recognize like, yeah, people's perspectives change and maybe we can find a way for you to continue to finish out the semester or, you know, we can bridge you for a little while until you can find a new, a new job. Um, you know, we'll, we'll only have you teach certain courses or we'll have a guest lecturer come in when you have to cover this subject that is at variance and like, we'll make sure we're all clear about it, but it doesn't seem like any of that happened. And that's, um, that's no bueno. So anyway, Jesse. What are you affirming and or denying Tonight? [00:13:43] Music Recommendations Jesse Schwamb: I'm just gonna go with something brief. I suppose this is an affirmation of me. I'm saying that like somewhat tongue in cheek, but maybe it's, wait, I'll rephrase. It's because this will be more humble. I'm affirming getting it right, even more than I thought. So I'm just gonna come back to the well and dip it into something that I mentioned on the last episode. So the keen listener, the up-to-date listener might remember. And if you're not up to date, uh, just let this be fresh for you. It'll, and I, it's gonna be correct because now I have posts, you know, I'm on the other side of it. I've clear hindsight. I am affirming with the album Keep It Quiet by Gray Haven, which I affirmed last week, but it came out on the same day that the episode released. And since you and I don't really like record in real time and release it like exactly as it's happening, I only did that with some, a little bit of reservation because I only heard they only released three songs in the album. And I thought I was overwhelmed that they were, they were so good that I was ready to jump in and loved ones. Oh, it, it turns out. I was so correct and it was, it's even better than I thought. So go check it out. It's Grey, GRE, YH, and they are, this is the warning, just because I have to give it out there and then I'll balance it with something else for something for everybody here today. So, gr Haven is music that's post hardcore and metal core. You're getting two cores for the price of one, if that is your jam. It has strong maleic sensibilities. It's very emotional, it's very experimental. But this new album, which is called, um, again, keep It Quiet, is like just a work of arts. It real like the guitar work is intricate haunting, lovely, and it's bold, like very intentional in its structure and very el loose in its construction. It's got hook driven melodies and it's got both heart and soft. It really is truly a work of art. So if you're trying to, to put it in your minds, like what other bands are like this? I would compare them to bands like, every Time I Die, Norma Jean, let Live Hail the Sun. If you just heard those as combinations of words that don't mean anything to you, that's also okay. No worries. But if you're looking for something different, if you're looking for something that's maybe gonna challenge your ear a little bit, but is like orchestral and has all of these metal core post hardcore, melodic, textured movements, there's no wasted notes in this album. It's really tremendous. If that's not your thing. I get, that's not everybody's thing. Here's something else I think would be equally challenging to the ear in a different way. And that is, I'm going back to one other album to balance things out here, and that's an album that was released in 2019 by Mark Barlow, who I think is like just. So underrated. For some reason, like people have slept on Mike Barlow. I have no idea why he put together an album with Isla Vista Worship called Soul Hymns, and it's like a distinct soul and r and b album of praise with like these really lovely like falsetto, harmonies. It's got these minimalistic instrumentation, warm keys, groove oriented percussion, like again, like these false soul driven melodies. It's contemplative. It's got a groove to it. This is also equally a beautiful album for a totally different reason. So I think I've given two very book-ended, very different affirmations, but I think there's something for everybody. So my challenge to your loved ones is you gotta pick one or the other. Actually, you could do both, but either go to Gray Havens, keep it quiet, or go to Mike Bellow's Soul hymns. I do not think you will be disappointed. There's something for everybody on this one. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, it was funny because as you were saying the names of those bands, I literally was thinking like Jesse could be speaking Swahili and I wouldn't know the difference. And then you, you, you know me well, yeah. Uh, I haven't listened to Gray Haven. Uh, I probably will give it a couple minutes 'cause that's how it usually goes with songs that meet that description. Uh, I can always tell that the music that Jesse recommends is good from a technical perspective, but I never really, I never really vibe with it. So that's okay. But I mean, lots of people who listen to our show do so check that out. If, if you ever. Want a good recommendation for music. Jesse is the pers so much so that he can recommend amazing music before it's even available and be a hundred percent correct, apparently. That's right. So Jesse Schwamb: affirm with me everybody, because turns out I was right. Uh, it was easy to be correct when of course I had all of that fair sightedness by being able to listen to those. Yeah, those couple of songs, it, this is a kind of album. Both of these, both of these albums. When I heard them, I reacted audibly out loud. There are parts of both of 'em where I actually said, oh wow. Or yeah, like there's just good stuff in there. And the older you get, if you're a music fan, even if you're not, if you don't listen to a lot of music, you know when that hook gets you. You know when that turn of melody or phrase really like hits you just, right. Everybody has that. Where the beat drops in a way. You're just like, yes, gimme, you make a face like you get into it. I definitely had that experience with both of these albums and because. I've listened to a lot of music because I love listening to music. It's increasingly rare where I get surprised where, you know, like sometimes stuff is just like popular music is popular for a reason and it's good because it's popular and it follows generally some kind of like well established roots. But with these albums, it's always so nice when somebody does something that is totally unexpected. And in these, I heard things that I did not expect at all. And it's so good to be surprised in a way that's like, why have I never heard that before? That is amazing. And both of these bands did it for me, so I know I'm like really hyping them up, but they're worth it. They're, they're totally worth it. Good music is always worth it. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I, uh, I think that is a good recommendation. I will check those out because, you know, you're a good brother. I usually do, and I trust your judgment even though it, you'll like the second one. Yes. Hopefully. Yeah. Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: You'll like the second one. Second one is like, just filled with praise and worship. And like, if, if you're trying to think, like say, here's how I'd couch the proper atmosphere for Mark Barlow's soul hymns you're having, you know, it's, it's a cold and chilly. A tal evening, the wind is blowing outside. You can hear the crisp leaves moving around on the pavement and the sun has gone down. The kids are in bed, the dinner dishes are piled up in the sink. But you think to yourselves, not tonight. I don't think so, and you just want that toneage to put on. You want that music as you dim the lights and you sit there to just hang out with each other and take a breath. You don't just want some kind of nice r and b moving music. You don't want just relaxing vibes. You want worshipful spirit filled vibes that propel your conversation and your intimacy, not just into the marital realm, but into worship and harmony with the triune God. If you're looking for that album, because that situation is before you, then sol hymns is the music you're looking for. Tony Arsenal: See, I'm gonna get the, I'm gonna get the recommendations backwards and I'm gonna sit down with my wife with a nice like evening cup of decaf tea and I'm gonna turn the music on. Yes, it's gonna be like, yes. That was me screaming into the microphone. That was not good for my voice. Well, the good news is it's gonna, it's gonna wake the kids up. That's, I'm gonna sleep on the couch. That's, it's gonna be bad. That's, Jesse Schwamb: honestly, that's also a good evening. It's just a different kind of evening. It's true. So it's just keep it separated again, uh, by way of your denial slash affirmation. Tony disclosure, I'm just giving you proper disclosure. Everybody know your music KYM, so that way when you have the setting that you want, you can match it with the music that you need. So it's true. Speaking of things that are always worth it. [00:21:30] Parable of the Weeds Jesse Schwamb: I think the Bible's gotta be one of those things. Tony Arsenal: It's true. Jesse Schwamb: And this is like the loosest of all segues because it's like the Sunday school segue into any topic that involves the scriptures. We're gonna be in Matthew 13, and how about we do this? So this is one of these parables and in my lovely ESV translation of the scriptures, the, we're just gonna go with the heading, which says the parable of the weeds. You may have something different and I wanna speak to that just briefly, but how do we do this, Tony? I'll hit us up with the parable and then it just so happens that this is one of the parables in the scripture that comes with an interpretation from our savior. It's true. How about you hit us up with the interpretation, which is in the same chapter if you're tracking with us, it's just a couple verses way. Does that sound good? Tony Arsenal: Let's do it. Jesse Schwamb: Okay. Here is the parable of the weeds. Jesus puts another parable before them saying The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sewed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sewed weeds among the weeds and went away. So when the plants came up and bork rain, then the weeds also appeared, and the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? He said to them, an enemy has done this. So the servant said to him, then, do you want us to go and gather them? Then he said, no. Lest in gathering the weeds, you root up the wheat along with them, but let them grow together until the harvest and at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first, and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. Tony Arsenal: Alright, so then jumping down. To verse 36. We're still in Matthew 13, he says, then he left the crowds and went into the house and his disciples came to him saying, explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field. He answered, the one who sows the good seed is the son of man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angel. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age, the son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom, all that, all causes of sin in all lawbreakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. It is that in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears let him hear. Jesse Schwamb: So let me start with just like a little bit of language here, which I've always loved in this passage because where else in like the contemporary context, do you get the word tear? Yeah. Aside if you're like using a scale, and that's a totally different definition. I like this. I like the word tear. It force, it forces to understand that what's common to our ear, why that's being used, it often is translated weed. Here's just like my, my little like linguistic addition to the front end of our discussion and is the reason I like it is because here does have a specific definition. If like you were to look this up in almost any dictionary, what you're gonna find is it's like a particular type of weed. It's actually like an injurious weed that is indistinguishable in its infant form from the outgrowing of green. So I like that because of course that is exactly why. Then there's all this explanation of why then to not touch anything in the beginning because one, it causes damage to it looks like everybody else. I just thought I'd put that out there as we begin our discussion. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, yeah. You know, I, um, I am a homeowner and I don't own the land that I'm on, but I'm responsible for the land that I'm on. And we have this really gnarly weed problem. There's this, uh, sort of floor growing, uh, carpeting weed called, uh, I think it's called like a carpeting knob, head weed or something like that. Some really descriptive thing. And I went out there the other day and there's really nothing you can do about this other than to rip it up. But I went out there the other day to start to pull some of it up and it totally wrecks the yard. Like it totally pulls up the grass, it destroys the sod. And when you're done, this is why it's kind of nice that I don't have, I'm not responsible for the land as I'm not gonna have to pay to resod the land. But when you're done pulling up this weed, you have to resod the whole place. You have to regrow all the grass because it, first, it takes over for the grass, and then when you rip it up, it rips the roots of the grass up as well. And so this parable, um, on one level is immediately obvious, like what the problem is, right? The situation is such. That the good, uh, the good sower, right? He's a good sower. He knows what he's doing. He understands that simply ripping up the weeds. Even if you could distinguish them right, there's this element that like at an early stage, they would be very difficult, if not impossible to distinguish from, uh, from wheat. Even if you could distinguish them, you still wouldn't be able to pull up the weeds and not do damage to the grain. And so we, we have this sort of like, um, conflict if you wanna follow like literary standards, right? We have this conflict and as we come to sort of the climax of this, of this plot is when all of a sudden we see that, that the problem needs a resolution and there is a resolution, but it's not necessarily what we would think it would be. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I think that's what I find shocking. It is like a massive statement of reality that is that like equal points or equal times totally sensible. And other times we would think, well why surely not in the church Lord, like of all the places, like aren't we talking about a kind of purity of your people, the very people that you're assembling together, the chief of which is Christ and the apostles being the building stones and Christ of course being the cornerstone. And I, I think that's what I find and I wonder the people hearing this, if they thought like, well, surely Lord, that not be the case like you are bringing in and ushering in this new kingdom. Isn't this new kingdom gonna be one of absolute purity? And, and what I think he's striking at, which I do find a little bit wild, is that Jesus essentially saying, at least to my ear, anything we try to do, even like the purest preaching of the gospel, is not gonna prevent this in every age of the church. The same state of the things that's existed in that is in the time of the early fathers. In the first century, and the church as it stands right now in the land and the time of the reformers, and of course with the best ministers at this hour right now and on your next Lord's day, and everyone after that, there is always and ever will be a visible church or a religious assembly in which the members are not all wheat. Yeah. And then I like what you're saying. It's this idea that. There's a great harm that's gonna come about if you try to lift them up because you cannot tell. So, and this is what's hard, I think this does influence like how we interact with people online. Certainly how we interact with people in our own congregations, but we are going to have no clear convicted proofs. We might only have like probable symptoms if we're really trying to judge and weigh out to discern the weeds from the weeds, which at most can only give us some kind of conjectural knowledge of another state. And that is gonna sometimes preemptively judge cause us to judge others in a way that basically there's a warning against here. It, it's, it's not the right time. And ba I think mainly from the outside where I find like this parable coming together, if there's like maybe a weird Venn diagram of the way Christians read this and the way unbelievers hear this, the overlap between them is for me, often this idea of like hypocrisy and you know. When people tell me that the church is full of hypocrites, either like Christian or non-Christian, but typically that's a, a, you know, statement that comes from the non-Christian tongue. When people say that the church is full of hypocrites, I do with a little bit of snark, say it's definitely not full of hypocrites. There are always room for more in the church and, and there's like a distinction of course between the fact that there is hypocrisy in the Christian or whether the Christian is in fact or that person is a hypocrite. So like when I look through the scriptures, we see like Pharaoh confessing, we see Herod practicing, we see Judas preaching Christ Alexander venturing his life for Paul. Yeah, we see David condemning in another, what he himself practiced and like hezeki glorifying and riches Peter. Doing all kinds of peter stuff that he does, and even all the disciples forsaken Christ, an hour of trouble and danger. So all that to say, it goes back to this like lack of clear, convicted proofs that I think Jesus is bringing forward here, but only probable symptoms. And I'm still processing, of course, like the practicality of what you're saying, Tony, that in some ways it seems like abundantly clear and sensible that you should, you're, you're gonna have a problem distinguishing. But our human nature wants to go toward distinguishing and then toward uprooting sometimes. And the warning here is do not uproot at the improper time. And in fact, it's not even yours to uproot because God will send in the laborers to do that at the time of, of harvest. And so there will be weeds found among the wheat. It's just like full stop statement. And at the same time it's warning, do not go after them now. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, I'm sure this, um, I, I'm sure this will spill over into a second conversation, but we, I think we have to talk a little bit about the interpretation here before we, before we even like talk more about the parable itself, because if you're not careful, um, and, and. I need to do a little bit more study on this, but it, it's interesting because Matthew almost seems to want you to sort of blend these parables together a little bit. Jesse Schwamb: Yes. Tony Arsenal: Right. These, these, there's three, um, there's three, maybe four if you count the parable of the treasure in the field. But there's three agricultural parables that have to do with sowing seed of one, of, one way or another. And in each one the seed is something different. And I, it almost seems to me. And then on top of that, the parables are like interwoven within each other. So like right smack in the middle of this, we have the parable. Uh, is given. Then the next parable of the mustard seed, which we're gonna talk about in a future episode, is given, and then the explanation of this parable of the tears is given. Um, and so we have to talk a little bit about it and sort of establish what the seed is, because we just spent three weeks talking about the seed in the par of the sower. Um, or the parable of the, of the soils. And in that parable, the seed was the word of God in this parable. And this is where I think sometimes, um, and again, this is like the doctrine of election in parable form, right? Yes. I think sometimes we read this and we, we misstep because the seed is not, uh, is not the word of God in this. The seed is the believers. Jesse Schwamb: Yes. Tony Arsenal: Right. So the good seed is sewn into, uh, into the field, which, you know, I think maybe there'll be some, we, we can save this for, for next week. But a little sneak peek is, it's not always clear exactly what the field is. Right. And I think we often, we often talk about the field as though it's the church that doesn't necessarily align a hundred percent with how Christ explains the parable. So we'll have to, we'll have to talk through that a little bit. I affirm that it is the church in, in a, a broad sense. Um, but, but the, the way that Christ explains it slightly different, but the, the seed is sewn into the world. The sons of the kingdom of heaven are sowed into the, into the world. And then the seed of the enemy, the bad seed, is the sons of the devil that's also sewn into the world. And so these two seeds grow up next to each other. If we think about the seed here as though it's the word of God, rather than the, the actual believers and unbelievers that elect in the ate, we're gonna make some missteps on how we understand this because we're not talking about, um, the, the seed being, you know, doctrine being sewn into the world. And some of it grows up good and some of it grows up bad or good doctrine and bad doctrine. We're talking about the believers themselves. Sorry, Jesse is mocking my rapid attempt to mute before I cough, which I, I did. That was pretty good. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that was, that was pretty good. Listen, this is real. Podcasting is how it goes. Yeah, I'm with you. Thank you for pulling out that distinction. 'cause it is critical. We, we have some overlap of course, with Jesus being really ascribed as the farmer, the son of man, right. He's sowing this good seed, but not the word. It's believers or the sons of the kingdom. And it is into his field, which is the world. Part of that world of course, is necessarily the church, right? But while everybody's sleeping, this enemy, the devil, he comes, he sows weeds or unbelievers, the sons of the evil one among this weed, they grow, go up together. And of course, like if I were servants in this household, I'd ask the same thing, which was like, should we get the gloves out? Yeah. Just pull those bad boys out. Like and, and so again, that's why I find it very so somewhat shocking that. It's not just, you could see like Jesus saying something like, don't worry about it now because listen, at the end of all time when the harvest comes, uh, I'm gonna take care of it. Like it's just not worth it to go out now. Right. That's not entirely The reason he gives, the reason is lest they uproot the wheat by mistake. So this is showing that the servants who are coming before Jesus in the parable, in this teaching here to really volitionally and with great fidelity and good obedience to him to want to please him to do his will. He there, he's basically saying, you are not qualified to undertake this kind of horticulture because you're just not either skilled enough or discerning enough to be able to do it right. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I think, um. Maybe just a word of meth methodology too. Um, this parable also flies in the face of all of the, like, parables are not allegories, kind of kind of people. Um, and this is, we talked about this in our introductory episode. You have to take each parable for what it's worth, this parable very much is explained like a traditional allegory, right? Right. [00:35:39] Understanding the Parable's Symbols Tony Arsenal: It's got, it's got several different elements and Christ goes through and the first thing he does is tell you what each element represents, right? The sower is the son of man, the field is the word. The good seed is the sons of the kingdom of the weed. It's like, he's like clicking down all of the symbols and then he explains how all of it works together and like a good, all like a good allegory. Once you understand what each element and each symbol is, the rest of it actually is very self-explanatory, right? When you understand who's what in the parable. The outcome and the sort of the punchline writes itself as it were. And I think this is one of those parables that we would do. [00:36:18] Challenging Our Sensibilities Tony Arsenal: I think we would do well to sort of let marinate a little bit because it does challenge a lot of our sensibilities of what, um, what is real in the world, what is real in terms of our interaction with the world, right? What's real in terms of the role of unbelievers in the life of a Christian, um, whether we can identify who is or isn't an unbeliever. Um, I think we, you know, I, I'm not one of those people that's like, we should assume everyone's a Christian. And I'm certainly not one of those people who's like, we should assume nobody is a Christian. But I think there are a lot of times where we have figures either in public or people in our lives. Like personal acquaintances that have some sort of outward appearance. And, and that's like the key here that that distinction between weeds is a, is not a great translation as you said. Right. Because right. That distinction between wheat and weeds, to go to my analogy, like it's very clear what is grass and what is this like carpeting, knob weed. Like there's no, there's no doubt in my mind, which is the weed and which is the grass. Um, that's not what we're talking about here. And so it does, it does say here, I mean, it implies here that it's not going to be easy to distinguish the difference between exactly. The, a son of the kingdom and a son of the evil one. And I think that's a, that's a. A theological pill that is very difficult to swallow. Yes. [00:37:43] Personal Reflections on Identifying Christians Tony Arsenal: Because a lot of us, um, and this goes back to like what I, what we were saying in the last, the last parable, A lot of us were reared in our Christian faith on sort of this idea that like, you can check your fruit or you can check other people's fruits and you can determine, you can easily identify who's a Christian and who's not. I remember when I was in high school, you know, I got, I was converted when, when I was 15 and, um, I got to high school and it felt very easy to me to be able to identify the people who were play acting Christianity and the people who were real Christians. That felt like the most natural thing in the world to me. Um, it, it's an interesting story, but one of the people that I was absolutely sure was not a Christian. That he was just doing kinda civic Christianity. He was in confirmation 'cause his parents wanted him to. Um, and I had good reason to believe that at the time he was very worldly. He, he, um, did not seem to be serious about his faith at all. There was good reason to make the assessment that I did. And then I ran into him on Facebook like 15 years later and he's a pastor at the Lutheran Church and he's, you know, he loves the Lord Jesus Christ. And he would not explain it as though he had a later conversion story. It's not as though he would say like, well yeah, in high school I pretended to be a Christian. And then, you know, I got through college and uh, I really became like I got converted. He would, would grow this, or he would explain this as slow, steady growth from an immature state that knew the facts of the gospel and in a certain sense trusted that Jesus was his savior and didn't fully understand the ramifications of that. I mean, who did at 15 years old? Mm-hmm. Um. And, and that it was a slow, steady growth to the place that he's in now. [00:39:21] The Difficulty of Distinguishing Believers Tony Arsenal: So I, I think we should take seriously, and maybe this is the takeaway for this week at least, and we can, we can talk about it more, is we should take seriously the fact that the Sons of the Kingdom and the Sons of the evil one in this parable are not only inseparable without doing damage, but in many ways they are not easily distinguishable. Jesse Schwamb: Right. On. Tony Arsenal: Um, and that, that's a baked into the parable. And I think we do spend a fair amount of time and I, I'll. I'll throw myself on on this. You know, this, we, I'm not just saying we, um, we as a genuine statement, like I have participated in this. I'm sure that I still do participate in this sometimes intentionally. Other times, uh, subconsciously we spend a fair amount of time probably in our Christian lives trying to figure out who is a Christian who's not. And it's not as though that is entirely illegitimate, right? The, the, as much as we kind of poke at the, the, um, workers in this who sort of are kind of chumps, right? They're sort of like the idiots in this. They, they don't seem to know how this happened. They propose a course of action that then the master's like, no, no, that's not, that's not gonna work. They can tell the difference, right? They can see that some are weeds and some are are weeds, and they're asking, well, what do we do about it? But at the same time he is saying like, you're not really competent to tell the difference, Jesse Schwamb: right? On Tony Arsenal: a good, uh, a good. Competent farmer could probably go out and take all the weeds out. Just like a really good, I dunno, landscape technician, I'm not sure what you would call it. I'm sure someone could come into my yard and if I paid them enough money they could probably fix this knobby grass, weed, whatever it is. Um, infestation. They could probably fix it without damaging the lawn. Like there are probably people that could do it. I am not that competent person and the workers in this are not that competent person. And I would say by and large in our Christian life, we are not that competent person to be able to identify who is and who isn't, um, a Christian who is or isn't a son of the kingdom versus a son of the devil. Jesse Schwamb: And there's sometimes like we just get history reprised, or it's like, again, the same thing microwaved over and served to you three or four times as leftovers. So it's also gonna remember like any as extension that like any attempt to like purify the church perfectly, and this has happened like donatism in the fourth century I think, or even like now, certain sectarian movements are completely misguided. Yeah. And Jesus already puts that out ahead of us here. It's almost like, do not worry what God is doing because God again is, is doing all the verbs. So here's a question I think we should discuss as we, we move toward like the top of the hour. And I think this is interesting. I don't know if you'll think it's interesting. I, I kind of have an answer, but I, I'll post it here first. [00:42:01] Visible vs. Invisible Church Jesse Schwamb: So the setup like you've just given us is two things. One, we got the visible church, we talk about the visible church. I think a lot across our conversations. Yeah. And we might summarize it, saying it's like the community of all who profess faith, maybe even the community of all who are baptized. Right. Possibly. Yeah. And it's going to include then necessarily as Jesus describes it here, true and false believers. So that's one group. Then we've got this invisible church, which as you said is the elect. Those who are known perfectly to God. So the good seed is those elect true believers. The weeds, then the weeds to me, or the tears, even better, they sound a lot like that. Second and third soils that we talked about previously to some, to some degree. I'm not, I'm not gonna lump them all in because we talked about receiving the word and it taking root, all that stuff, but to some degree, and also probably like a soil one. But here's, here's the way I would define them up and against or in contradistinction to the elector believers. They're the reprobate. They're false professors or they're children of the evil one. Now here's the question, Doni, Alex, I, I think this is very interesting. I'm trying to build this up for like more dramatic effect. 'cause now I'm worried it's not that good. The question is, I'm going to presume that this good seed, the elect, true to believers, the confidence of perseverance of the saints, the justification in sanctification of God's children is in fact though we at some points have our own doubts, it is made fully aware and known to the good seed. That is, we should have, as you and I have talked about before, the confidence that God has in fact saved his elect. So the question that on the other side is for the ta, do the tears always know that they are the tears? Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I mean, you know, I think, um, I've said this before and I, I mean it, and I think it takes probably more. More discussion than we have time for tonight. And and that's fine because we can do as many episodes on this as we want to. 'cause this is our show and you can't stop us actually. Jesse Schwamb: Correct. [00:43:56] Assurance of Faith and False Assurance Tony Arsenal: Um, I've said before that assurance is the proper and rightful possession and inheritance of every Christian. Jesse Schwamb: Amen. Tony Arsenal: Right. So I, I am not one to say that the technical terminology is that assurance is not of the essence of faith. Um, I think we have to be really careful when we say that it's not, but we have to be equally careful when we say that it is. Because if we say that assurance is of the essence of faith, then what that means is someone who doesn't have assurance, doesn't have faith. Um, the reason I say that we can say that is because there's a sense that that's true, right? If you don't believe you're saved, then you don't believe you're saved and you don't trust that you're saved. But that doesn't mean that you always have full awareness of that confidence. And, you know, I think, um, I think. I think you're, you're right that, um, it may not always be, let me put it this way. I, I think that we have to consider the entire life of a Christian when we're, when we're making that analysis. And in a certain sense, like, I'm not even sure we should be making that analysis. That's kind of the point of the, the, um, the parable here, or at least one of the points. But, um, when that analysis is made, we'll, we'll channel a little bit of RC sprawl. It's not as funny when he's actually, uh, gone. I don't really mean channel RC sprawl. We will, uh, speak in the tradition of RC sprawl, um, in the final analysis, whatever that means. Whenever that is. You have to consider the whole life of a Christian, the whole life of a believer. And so there may be times in the life of a believer where they don't possess that full assurance of faith or that that full assurance is weak or that it seems to be absent. But when we look at the entire life of a believer, um, is it a life that overall is marked by a confident trust, that they are in fact children of God? Um, that a confident, uh, a confident embracing of what the spirit testifies to their spirit, to, to borrow language from Romans, I think in, in the life of a true elect Christian, um, that with the perseverance of the saints, uh, with the persistence of the saints and the preservation of the saints, um, I think that yes, those who are finally saved, those who are saved unto salvation, if you wanna phrase it that way. They finish the race, they claim the prize. Um, that assurance will be their possession in their life as a Christian. Jesse Schwamb: Right on. Tony Arsenal: All of that to say, I think there are, are, there's a good case to be made for the fact that there is also people who have false assurance, right? And this is where it takes a lot more, you know, finagling and jockeying and theological explanation of how can we know we have true assurance versus false assurance. You know, it's kinda like that question, like, does an insane person know they're insane? Well, does a false, does someone with false assurance know that their assurance is false? I don't think, I don't think so. Otherwise, it wouldn't be false assurance. Um, if they knew it wasn't real assurance, then they wouldn't have any kind of assurance. So I, I think I agree with you at least where, where I think you're going is that we do have to, we do have to make some judgements. We have to look at our own life, right? Um, there is an element of fruitfulness in this parable, right? We'll talk about that. I, I think we'll get into that next week. But it's not as though this is entirely disconnected from the parable of the soils. Both of them have a very similar kind of. End point. [00:47:20] Final Judgment and Eschatology Tony Arsenal: At the end of all things, at the end of the harvest, when the end of the age comes, and the reapers, the angels are sent, what they're gathering up are fruitful Christians, right in the parable, he sends out the, it's funny be, I love my dispensational brothers and sisters, but in this parable, like the rapture is the rapture of the unbelievers, right? The angels go out and reap the unbelievers first. The, the weeds are bundled up and thrown into the fire, and then the, the fruitful wheat is gathered into the barns. Um, there is this delineation between the fruitless weeds and the fruitful wheat or the, the grain that has borne, you know, borne fruit. That is part of what the, the outward. Elements of this parable are, so we should talk about that more, of what is this trying to get at in terms of not just the difference between weeds and wheat and how that maps up to those who are in Christ versus those who are not in Christ, but also like what is this telling us about the, the end of the age eschatology. All of that's baked in here and we haven't even scratched the surface of that Jesse Schwamb: yet. Yeah, we, we, I, and we just can't, even on this episode, probably, you're right, we're gonna have to go to two so that, I guess it's like a teaser for the next one. I'm told they're with you. It's interesting. I've been thinking about that, that question a lot. And I do like what you're saying. You know, at the end here, it's almost as if Christ is saying at the time of harvest, things become more plain, more evident In the beginning. The chutes are gonna look really, really similar, and you're gonna go in and you're gonna think you're guessing properly or using your best judgment, and you're gonna get it wrong in the end when he sends out those who are harvesting. I liken this passage here in the explanation as you read to us starting in verse 36, how there's this comparison of heat and light. And so there is the heat and light of the fiery furnace into which, as you said, all of those who are the children of the enemy will be gathered up and burned. And then there's that contrast with in verse 43, then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father. So there is like a reward that comes from the bearing of the fruit and that made evidence by a different type of heat and light. So I do struggle with this question because. It's easy to answer in some ways if we're defining the weeds in pirate or the tears in pirates as false professors typically. Let's say false professors of a nefarious kind, then it seems pretty plain that somebody, right, that the enemy has implanted certain people to stir up trouble with the intention to stir up trouble that is in fact their jam. Or they know that even if they're putting on heirs, that they're in fact play acting that the hypocrisy is purposeful and that it is part of like the missional efforts that they're doing to disrupt what God is doing in the world. So I might think of somebody like when we go, when we're looking in, um, Exodus, and we find that at least to some degree, all of Pharaoh's magicians can replicate everything that Moses is doing. Moses doing that by the power of God. But the magicians are so good and whatever means they're using, but they know, I presume they know they're not, they're not using Yahweh, they're not drawing their power or their influence from Yahweh. Tony Arsenal: Right? Jesse Schwamb: But it's so convincing to the people that Pharaoh is like, eh. Obviously I've seen that before because we just, we just did that here. Come back with your next trick until God flexes his mighty muscles in a really profound way, which cannot be replicated. And at some point there's a harvest that happens there. There's a separation between the two, those who are truly professing, the power that comes from God, the one true God, and those that are just replicating the cheap copy, the one that's just pure trickery and smoke and mirrors. So. That's an easy category. I'm with you. And I'm not saying that this is an invitation to bring the kind of judgment here that we've just spoken against. I'm not condoning this. What I do find interesting though is if the enemy is crafty, is it possible that they're always going to be forms of terror in the world that do feel that they have very strong conviction and belief about biblical things? Maybe there's, there's strong hobby horses or there are misguided directions here that pull us apart, that become distractions. Or maybe it's just even attitudes, uh, things that can be divisive, disruptive, derogatory that again, pull us away. For making the plain things, the main things and the main things, the plain things, which in some ways draws us back to like the whole purpose of you and I talking every week, which is we wanna get back to what the scripture teaches. We wanna follow the our Lord Jesus Christ very, very closely. I'm gonna clinging to the hymn of his rob as we walk through life so that we do not fall to those kind of false convictions. So I'm not, please hear me, loved ones. I'm not trying to call into question your faith as Tony just said. I am saying that there, this is kind of scary, just like we talked about. There are elements of the parables of the, of the soil that were equally scary. And so it's just in some ways to say, we gotta keep our heads not theological, swivel. We, we gotta be about the Lord's business, and we gotta be about understanding through prayer and study and communion with him, what it is that he wants to teach us in the purest way, knowing that the church itself and the world, of course, is never going to be entirely pure. At the same time, it is our responsibility to, as you already said, test for ourselves to understand what is that true gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because some tears are going to be maybe easy to identify and with without, you know, throwing too much shade or. I was gonna say spilling the TI don't think that works here, but I'm not young anymore, so I'm trying to use or or put on blast. Yeah. I'm looking at you Mormons or Jehovah's witnesses. Like it's, it's easier there to be like, yeah, right, this is wrong. It is a false profession, but we've just gotta be careful even in our own hobby, horses not deviates into ground. I think that doesn't preclude us from being children of the light and children of the kingdom, but can still be disruptive or uh, you know, just distracting. But either way, yeah. I think what's scary to me about this is exactly what you said, Tony, is, is could it be that there are people that are very sincere about the Christian faith, but are sincerely wrong? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: And what does that mean for God's elected purpose? What does that mean for our understanding of how to interact in our churches in the world? Does that make sense? Tony Arsenal: It does. And I'm not sure whether you were trying to set up the, what might be the first genuine reformed brotherhood cliffhanger, but you did. Because we're on minute 54 of a 60 minute podcast, and, uh, there's no way we're gonna get into that and not go for another 60 minutes. So, Jesse, I, I'm, I'm glad that we are taking our time. Um, I know that sometimes it's easy when you put out a schedule or you put out a sort of projected content calendar to feel like you have to stick to it. But I wanna give these parables, the time they deserve and the effort and the, uh, the, uh, study and the discussion that they deserve. And I think the questions you're posing here at the end of this episode are really, really important. And they are questions that this parable forces us to ask. Right, right. It's not as though we're just using this as a launching pad. Um. If the workers can't tell the difference between the, the seed and the, or the, the weeds and the weeds, it's reasonable to think that the weeds themselves may not be able to tell the difference. Right? The sons of the evil one, um, are probably not in this parable, are probably not the people like in the back, like doing fake devil horns, right? And like, you know, like there's, there's probably more going on that we need to unpack and, and we'll do that next week. Jesse Schwamb: I love it. So we've got some good stuff coming then, because we've gotta, this is like, do you ever remember when you were in, uh, you know, doing your undergraduate postgraduate work, you'd get like a topic or an assignment or a paper and you'd be super stoked about it and you start reaching it, be like, okay, researching it. And you'd be like, all right, I've got some good topics here. And then you get into it, you're like, oh, but I'm gonna have to talk about this. And Oh, like before I could talk, I'm gonna have to explain this. Sometimes when we get into these, as you and I have been talking, that's what it feels li
Josh Monday Christian and Conspiracy Podcast Ep. 309How to Support the ministry: $5.99 a monthpatreon.com/JoshMondayChristianandConspiracyPodcastJoin the Patreon here: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Joshmonday_podcastIf you want to donate to the Ministry CashAPP:https://cash.app/$JoshmondaymusicNew affiliate: https://wsteif.com/ Paul and Crystals links: https://thetinfoilhatfactory.com/Flat Earth Books by Sakal Publishing Affiliate Link: https://booksonline.club/booksonlinecYoutube: @joshmondaymusicandpodcast Tips for the show to Support our Ministry: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/joshmondayCoffee Mug Is Available email me your mailing address Joshmonday@rocketmail.com Please subscribe to our Spotify and You Tube Channel Joshmondaymusic and Podcast and help us grow so we can keep on spreading the good news.To all of our current and future subscribers thank you for your time, we appreciate you. Please do us a favor subscribe to our You Tube Channel, hit that bell, share, like and comment below on our You tube. Please leave us a 5-Star review on Apple and Spotify.Check out my new show Sunday Service and Wednesday Brought to you by Cult of Conspiracy Podcast. On Cult of Conspiracy Spotify, Patreon and Apple Podcast Channel.Join the study as I go deep into the Bible. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/josh-monday-christian-and-conspiracy-podcast--6611118/support.
Mark 6:45-56 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss Jesus walking on the water and the possibility that He was saying more than just "It's I, Jesus." Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here. Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=23133The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/
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2 Chronicles 8 told of Solomon's accomplishments in the administration of his realm. Verses 1-2 tell us that 20 years were spent in the building of Solomon's own house and the Temple of the LORD. Verses 3-10 describe king Solomon's industriousness in providing for his kingdom. Verse 11 states that king Solomon built a separate palace for Pharaoh's daughter who seems to have been the love of his life and the wife spoken of in Psalm 45 and in the Song of Solomon. Verses 12-15 says that at the beginning of his rule Solomon was active in promoting the worship of Yahweh his God. Verse 16 returns to king Solomon's greatest accomplishment in the building of the Almighty's House. Verses 17-18 tell of the great golden wealth that came annually to Solomon. In Ezekiel 43 we have the climax of the prophecy with the King of Glory coming to his temple through the East Gate from whence it had left in chapter 10 verse 4. Also read Psalm 24 which was originally composed by David as it spoke of the glorious arrival of the ark in Jerusalem: see also Psalm 132 and 1 Chronicles 16. It is likely that this Psalm may be sung to celebrate the arrival of the King of Glory via the eastern gate as the temple is inaugurated. This eastern gate of the Sanctuary is reserved for the Messiah. We also have the arrangements for the altar, as there will be animal sacrifices in the kingdom. Animal sacrifices in the Kingdom, pointing backwards to Christ just as those under the Law of Moses had pointed forwards to him. In John 9 we have the 6th sign in the healing of the blind man. The discussion in this chapter is similar to the pattern established in chapter 5. Both the blind man and his parents are persecuted by the rulers for accepting Jesus. The formerly blind man gives a remarkable and compelling testimony that Jesus must be from God. The religious leaders spitefully cast out the man who has dumbfounded them with scriptural logic. Our Lord later finds this man in the temple so as to complete his restoration. These events most likely happened at the feast of the Dedication. John 10 is the magnificent account of Jesus being the door and the Good Shepherd. Christ had come that believers might have life and have it more abundantly verses 10-11. Our Lord by laying down his life for his sheep secured for believers that wonderful hope of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Once again the theme of chapter 10 contain echoes from and are an elaboration of chapter 5 i.e. that his sheep will recognise his voice. In the purpose of bringing salvation to believers he and his Father are one i.e. united - but our Lord's power is derived from his Father. The Jews reacted to our Lord's words and by claiming that he was speaking blasphemy. Jesus proves from Psalm 82 that the judges of Israel were called "god" as they spoke God's Word. The chapterfinishes with Jesus going across the Jordan for some months - in Perea - where he remains until the events of chapter 11 would bring him back.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners Moses's reminder to the children of Israel about how Yahweh had set HIS affection on their fathers and on them. Scripture References: Deuteronomy 10:15; Genesis 1; Genesis 3:15; Numbers 13-14; John 5:45-47; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21; Deuteronomy 10:10-15; 1 John 3:1; Romans 8:31-39 Scripture translation used is the Legacy Standard Bible. “Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.comFIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishafferCHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code. I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z JOIN DR. JORI IN DEVOTIONAL JOURNALING IN 2025Check out this 9 min YouTube Video outlining her journaling strategy! Don't Forget to subscribe to the YouTube Channel! https://youtu.be/lqe9TO7RSz4 BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters in the Holy Bible. The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals. Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING? CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up. https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website: https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Sally and Curtis read Hosea chapter 8, where the prophet declares that Israel has “planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind.” Through Hosea's message, God warns His people that their idolatry, self-appointed kings, and misplaced alliances will lead to destruction. Israel has built altars meant to remove sin, yet those very altars have become places of sin. They've forgotten their Maker and trusted in their own strength, seeking security in palaces, fortified cities, and foreign powers instead of the Lord. As Sally and Curtis reflect, this passage reveals the danger of turning to anything other than God for hope and stability. Like Israel, we may strive to secure life through our own works or alliances, but these efforts are fruitless apart from the Lord. Curtis draws a parallel to modern faith, noting how our attempts at righteousness can drift into legalism when we depend on our own strength rather than Christ's finished work. Sally reminds us that life and fruitfulness come only from seeking God first—echoing Matthew 6:33: “Seek the kingdom of God above all else…” Even amid judgment, there is grace. God still sends warnings—signs of His steadfast love calling us back to Him. As the hosts conclude, the true hope of this chapter is not in avoiding discipline but in trusting the Maker who loves, warns, and redeems His people.
Come journey with me to the cosmos and engage Yahweh
In 2 Chronicles 7 Yahweh answers Solomon by fire to accompany the huge number of sacrifices. Verses 1-3 tells us that when the priests saw this miraculous event that they responded by praising Yahweh forHis lovingkindness. Verses 4-6 says that there was an incredible number of animals slain as the priests blew their trumpets at the dedication of the House. Verse 7 says that additional to the offerings mentioned before there were peace offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings made. Verses 8-10 speaks of the great assembly being gathered from the ends of the Land. Verses 11-18 say the Almightyappears to Solomon the second time and speaks of His sincere response to Solomon's loving and dedicated prayer. His ears would always be open and He would respond with loving kindness. Solomonurges his people that whenever they are in trouble they need to beseech their Almighty and loving Sovereign as He will be responsive to their pleas from His House - verse 15. Verses 19-22 indicate thatthe blessings on Solomon and his people are conditional and dependent on their obedience. Note therecurring use of the word IF in these verses.Ezekiel 42 describes the temple's chambers i.e. small rooms. These chambers occupy the entire length of the outer square buildings. These rooms may be for the instruction and meeting the needs of the worshippers who will come in their millions. They measure 500 reeds in length for each side (north, south, east and west) - that is of six cubits (being the Royal cubit of two feet in length - making each side of the House about 1.8288 kilometres long. The perimeter of the Temple would therefore be about 7.31 kilometres. Some versions of John 8 omit the earlier verses of this chapter. There can be little doubt that they should be included in the record. A woman was brought to the Lord caught in the very act of adultery. Where was the man also caught in the act? It was a set up designed to trap Jesus. The Law of Moses made it very clear that adultery was punishable by stoning. As the Lord's enemies persist in goading Jesus he says: "Let the one without sin cast the first stone". Then Jesus stoops down and writes in the dust - most likely our Lord wrote their names in fulfilment of Jeremiah 17 verse 13. One by one the Lord's foes leave beginning at the eldest. Finally, the woman is left alone with Christ and although he does not condemn her she is charged to go and sin no more. This obviously meant an abandonment of her current manner of life. A discussion follows as to Jesus being the light of the world - one of the many Messianic titles John uses. This leads on to a discussion regarding origins - our Lord was from God but his adversaries were murderous liars and were in no way children of Abraham. Only the truth could set them free. Finally, Jesus astounds his foes with a claim that he is the entire focus of God's purpose. Abraham understood this and rejoiced in that knowledge.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
Josh Monday Christian and Conspiracy Podcast Ep. 308How to Support the ministry: $5.99 a monthpatreon.com/JoshMondayChristianandConspiracyPodcastJoin the Patreon here: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Joshmonday_podcastIf you want to donate to the Ministry CashAPP:https://cash.app/$JoshmondaymusicNew affiliate: https://wsteif.com/ Paul and Crystals links: https://thetinfoilhatfactory.com/Flat Earth Books by Sakal Publishing Affiliate Link: https://booksonline.club/booksonlinecYoutube: @joshmondaymusicandpodcast Tips for the show to Support our Ministry: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/joshmondayCoffee Mug Is Available email me your mailing address Joshmonday@rocketmail.com Please subscribe to our Spotify and You Tube Channel Joshmondaymusic and Podcast and help us grow so we can keep on spreading the good news.To all of our current and future subscribers thank you for your time, we appreciate you. Please do us a favor subscribe to our You Tube Channel, hit that bell, share, like and comment below on our You tube. Please leave us a 5-Star review on Apple and Spotify.Check out my new show Sunday Service and Wednesday Brought to you by Cult of Conspiracy Podcast. On Cult of Conspiracy Spotify, Patreon and Apple Podcast Channel.Join the study as I go deep into the Bible. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/josh-monday-christian-and-conspiracy-podcast--6611118/support.
Come journey with me to the cosmos and engage Yahweh
Lessons From The Life of David | Week 6 | Ken Miller--This lesson will cover the early days of David's reign as he attempts to rule his kingdom in a way that honors Yahweh. Having never served as a king before, David has a lot to learn about managing the affairs of state in keeping with Yahweh's commands.--Notes
2 Chronicles 5 describes the ark being brought to Zion and its resting place in the Most Holy Place. The final picture of immortality the cherubim - represents the unity of believers with their Lord.; as it was made out of the same piece of gold and perpetually recognising his sacrifice and glory. The choir praises the "chesed" i.e. the lovingkindness of Yahweh. Chapter 6 describes Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the house. Note the humility of Solomon as he offers his prayer and the repetition of the phrase - "Hear in heaven, Your dwelling place". No physical house can contain our magnificent Sovereign. The whole ceremony is blessed by God. Note the pertinence of the words that we must extend the LORD's tender mercies i.e. loving kindnesses to others as we surely recognise our need of Yahweh's mercy. Punishment would be brought to Israel for their disobedience to their Sovereign to bring the nation back to God. Once again there is an allusion to Psalm 132. Ezekiel 41 tells us of the inner temple and the folding double leaved doors. Verses 1-26 describe the entrance rooms to the inner circle of buildings which constitute the Most Holy Place. Readers are encouraged to consider the writings of Henry Sulley - an architect from Nottingham - on Ezekiel chapters 40-48 in his book titled "The Temple of Ezekiel's Prophecy". Palm trees and cherubic figures are to befound in the vestibules of the Most Holy Place. Ezekiel's enthusiasm was heightened by the coming visionof the future house of prayer for all nations. May our contemplation of this glorious day likewise enlivenour hope and desire to likewise be there.John 7 records an unannounced visit of Jesus to Jerusalem at the Feast of Booths i.e. Tabernacles. There was a division among the people, as to whether our Lord was a good man, or a deceiver of the people. Jesus arrives in the middle of the feast. Many were convinced that he was the Christ. Although officers from the Sanhedrin were sent to arrest Jesus they could not do so because his time had not yet come. Jesus prophesied to them of his ascent to heaven and the giving of the Holy Spirit. Some said that this was the prophet like Moses. Others rejected this idea just because our Lord was from Galilee. Jesus just like Jonah, also from Gath-Hepher in Galilee told his audience to consider the sign of the prophet Jonah. We have seen in our earlier studies that the sign had many levels of significance and spoke primarily both of Jesus' resurrection and witnessing.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
About a year ago, we embarked on a new preaching series called "Unveiling Yahweh." Why? Because Scripture tells us that without a sight of God, we are spiritually foolish, shortsighted, proud, and hard-hearted. But when the eyes of our hearts are opened, His glory convicts us, breaks our pride and selfishness, leads us to repentance and then fills us with hope, courage, purity and love. In this 2-part episode, the speaking team of Pure Life Ministries will discuss two sermons that are part of this series, in hopes that your eyes will open to see the transforming glory of God. Resources: What Does it Mean to Know God (Sermon) By Nate Danser
Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners the account of Saul's disobedience to Yahweh and that he died for his unfaithfulness and not keeping Yahweh's word and because he asked counsel of a medium. Scripture References: 1 Chronicles 10:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:6; 1 Chronicles 10:1-14; 1 Samuel 15:1-23; 1 Samuel 28; 1 John 1:9 Scripture translation used is the Legacy Standard Bible. “Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.comFIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishafferCHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code. I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z JOIN DR. JORI IN DEVOTIONAL JOURNALING IN 2025Check out this 9 min YouTube Video outlining her journaling strategy! Don't Forget to subscribe to the YouTube Channel! https://youtu.be/lqe9TO7RSz4 BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters in the Holy Bible. The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals. Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING? CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up. https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website: https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show
Solomon writes a letter to King Hirum: He asks for servants and lumber to be delivered to him Why would Solomon need more lumber when he already has an infinite amount for God's house? Solomon says "God is above every god," but his idea of what that means is not quite right... Be sure to click every link for the full P40 experience: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-6493869 Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40 Become a member to gain access to The Bible Explained on Fridays: https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries
Love and Torah – what's the connection? This study series is centered around the “Two Great Commands” – love Yahweh and love your neighbor. Psalm 119, verse 150, continues this teaching, where Rabbi Steve Berkson explains that those who pursue mischief have a different agenda than Yahweh and are far from His Torah. These individuals lack an intimate relationship with The Creator. They may outwardly do what is right, but their hearts are far from Him. Rabbi Berkson also explores the distinction between “mercy” and “grace/favor,” providing a clear understanding of these terms. King David, the psalmist, wrote about those who “have not sought Your Laws” and called them “the wrong ones.” Do you seek His Laws? Lashon Hara, Hebrew for “evil tongue,” is a term many people are familiar with but may be confused about its true meaning. Rabbi Berkson delves into the meaning of this term and its impact on your life and the lives of those around you. Rabbi Berkson offers some of the best life coaching available as he explores the intricate world of human relationships, including dating, marriage, and raising children. He highlights relationship attributes such as “default expectancy” and “understood expectancy,” helping you understand how these attributes can affect you. Rabbi Berkson once again dissects the words in these passages, providing a deeper understanding of what Yahweh expects of you, enabling you to fulfill His expectations and receive His blessings. Visit our website, https://mtoi.org, to learn more about MTOI. https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwide You can reach MTOI by emailing us at admin@mtoi.org or calling 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services and Torah Study LIVE, streamed on our website, mtoi.org, YouTube, and Rumble every Saturday at 1:15 p.m., and every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time for Torah Study Live Stream.
Come journey with me to the cosmos and engage Yahweh
Is it possible that Yahweh might have a special group that he runs ideas by or likes to have around as witnesses? Something like a Board of Directors? There are scholars who believe that Yahweh has something like a Divine Council and the Bible does seem to support that belief. Who are the entities that make up this council? How many are there? Where do they meet? Could this Divine Council be the Stones of Fire that appear in two verses in Ezekiel? Main theme: Crazy For Thrills by Muse Music with Groove Studios
Welcome to the sermon. Last week, we explored Moses's question, "Who am I?" Today, we tackle the other great question from the burning bush: "Who are you, God?" We're diving into Exodus 3 to explore the profound meaning behind the name God reveals for Himself—a name full of mystery and power, which is ultimately and most clearly revealed in the person of Jesus.Scripture ReferencesExodus 3:13-15: Moses asks for God's name, and God reveals Himself as "I AM WHO I AM."John 8:56-59: Jesus declares, "Before Abraham was, I AM," identifying Himself as Yahweh.Hebrews 12:29: "For our God is a consuming fire."Colossians 1:15-20: A description of Jesus as the supreme and exact image of the invisible God.Key Points1. Why Moses Asks for a NameMoses wasn't just asking for a label. In a world of many gods, he needed more than a title; he was asking for God's character and power. He needed to understand who this God was so he could confidently lead the Israelites. It was a request for a deeper revelation of God's very nature.2. The Mysterious Name: "I AM" (YHWH)God's answer is a profound riddle: "I AM WHO I AM." This reveals His personal name, YHWH (often translated as "the LORD"), which points to His self-existence, His eternal and unchangeable nature, and His power as Creator. Like the burning bush itself, God's name is both inviting and holy—the fire draws us in with fascination but also warns us with its power. It's an invitation to spend a lifetime getting to know this mysterious, all-powerful God.3. Jesus is the Answer to the RiddleThe mystery of God's name finds its ultimate answer in Jesus. In the New Testament, Jesus repeatedly uses "I AM" statements ("I am the good shepherd," "I am the vine," etc.) and makes the staggering declaration, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). He wasn't just pointing to Yahweh; He was identifying Himself as Yahweh in the flesh. If the name YHWH was the introduction, Jesus is the full story.ConclusionThe name of God, Yahweh, is not just an ancient fact; it's an invitation into a relationship with the self-existent, all-powerful Creator. Jesus is the final and clearest revelation of this name. He is Yahweh in the flesh, the perfect image of the invisible God, making the mysterious known. To truly know the great "I AM," we must know Jesus.Calls to ActionBow to Jesus: If you have never surrendered to Him, recognize Him today as the one true God, Yahweh in the flesh.Ask for the Fire: If your faith has grown stagnant, pray for the fire of the Holy Spirit to burn away your boredom and fascinate you with God's presence anew.Go Deeper: Move beyond knowing facts about God to pursuing an experiential relationship with God through Jesus. Support the show*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI. Please notify us if you find any errors.
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally read and reflect on Psalm 135—a song of worship that calls all who serve the Lord to praise Him for His goodness, power, and enduring love. From creation to deliverance, the psalm recounts God's mighty works, contrasting His living presence with the lifeless idols made by human hands. Curtis shares how the psalm's repeated invitation to “praise the Lord” reminds us to glorify God in every circumstance—remembering His faithfulness through all generations. Sally explores the deep contrast between a living relationship with the Creator and the emptiness of false treasures that cannot see, speak, or hear. Together, they reflect on how God's Spirit continually reminds us of His justice, compassion, and the victories He brings even when we don't yet see them. Psalm 135 reminds us that God's name endures forever, His compassion reaches His servants, and His justice is sure. Through praise and remembrance, we draw near to the living God who reigns with power and love across all time.
Come journey with me to the cosmos and engage Yahweh
In chapter 1 of 2 Chronicles Solomon worshipped at Gibeon and later that evening when Yahweh appeared to him, he was told to ask from God whatever he desired. Solomon's response was to ask wisdom to rule the people of the LORD in a wise way (this showed that Solomon had a degree of wisdom in making such a request). In addition to wisdom Solomon was granted great wealth. In chapter 2 Solomon prepares for the building of the temple and commences his rule in great humility. Solomon's start to his reign was remarkable. The king had, perhaps, the greatest potential of any of Israel's monarchs. The king's heart was towards his divine Sovereign but was sadly later misdirected by his marrying of foreign wives who took the king away from God. Chapter 39 of Ezekiel tells of the devastation wrought on Gogue and his hosts. They will fall in their multitudes and be carrion to the birds of prey - those birds who will feed on the slaughtered symbolise many other nations. Gog (Gogue) and his multitude will be given a place of graves east of Jerusalem - and this mausoleum will be called Hamon-Gog. It will take seven months to bury the dead. When Yahweh magnifies Himself in this great victory Israel and all nations will recognise the power that resides in that Great and Holy Name. Our Sovereign will exalt and restore His people Israel to be the head of the nations and will place His spirit within them. John 5 gives the third sign recorded in his account in the healing of the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda (meaning "the house of mercy"). It would seem that the Jews had a superstition about this place - just as surrounds the mythology of Lourdes. Some translations add, 'it was said that an angel ..'. The man was about 38 years old and a symbol of Israel, who for 38 years were powerless and perishing in wilderness. The miracle occurs on the Sabbath day and so this is a continuation of the Jews seek to contentions with our Lord about the Sabbath day. In verses 19-47 Jesus witnesses to his sonship,authority and truth. There was no equality between our Lord and his Father - Jesus' power was derived from his Father and without God Christ could do nothing. But the authority of the Word of Jesus, as he says, extended to raising the dead. The morally dead who listened would be enlightened and enlivened by the saving words of the gospel. This would mean that having now 'heard' the voice of the Son of God; they would be brought to life as they will be called forth to resurrection when Jesus returns to earth. The chapter concludes with Christ outlining the "witnesses" that incontrovertibly prove he was from God. This chapter demonstrates both the spiritual conception i.e. "new birth" in verses 24-27 and physical resurrection which precedes birth to spirit nature verses 28-29.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners Ezra's exhortation to those who had returned from exile to Jerusalem to confess their sins to Yahweh and to do HIS will.Scripture References: Ezra 10:11; Ezra 1:1-4; Ezra 7:6; 1 Corinthians 10:6; Ezra 9:5-10:11; 1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:1-7 Scripture translation used is the Legacy Standard Bible. “Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.comFIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishafferCHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code. I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z JOIN DR. JORI IN DEVOTIONAL JOURNALING IN 2025Check out this 9 min YouTube Video outlining her journaling strategy! Don't Forget to subscribe to the YouTube Channel! https://youtu.be/lqe9TO7RSz4 BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters in the Holy Bible. The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals. Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING? CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up. https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website: https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show
Come journey with me to the cosmos and engage Yahweh
1 Chronicles 29 outlines the extensive offerings for the temple, that David in gratefulness to God had prepared. And like the Tabernacle those offerings had had come from willing hearts - verse 9 compare Exodus 25:2. David then prays for the Assembly and asks that whatever those assembled had done would be acceptable to the Almighty. Note the similarity between David's prayer and the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6. Also take notice of the deep spirit of humility in which it was offered. Solomon was anointedking for the second time and we need to consider the import of verse 23 "He sat as king upon the throne of Yahweh over Israel". Thus began the kingdom of God on earth in its first constitution. David dies and is buried and let us consider the Apostle Paul's comments on David's faithful service in Acts 13 verses 36-37. Ezekiel 38 speaks of an invasion of the recently regathered and reconstituted nation of Israel (verses 7-8). The chapter speaks of a northern confederacy headed by one termed Gogue - meaning 'roof', or 'one at the top'. Looking at a map of Eurasia we need no imagination to be able to see the nation being spoken about. The leader of this nation is called in the Hebrew tongue prince of Ros, Meshech and Tubal - the ancient names for Russia, Moscow and Tobolski as many lexicographers tell us. In a book by a notable Russian historian (George Vernadsky - he says Ezekiel 38 is the first historical reference to Russia. Note the alliances mentioned and much of this has already transpired. This Eurasian confederacy is opposed by Israel and Arabian countries (verse 13). The principal aggressor comes from the "uttermost parts of the north" (verse 16 RSV). Moscow is directly north of Jerusalem. Verses 17-23 indicate that the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY will come to the aid of His beleaguered people and there will be a great earthquake (see Zechariah 14 and Joel 3 verses 16-21). It will be occasioned by the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ standing on the Mount of Olives. This was promised by the two angels at Jesus' ascension to heaven: Acts 1:1-11 compare with Luke's other record in Luke 24 verses 50-52. John 4 deals with the incident between Jesus and the woman of Samaria in which he offers her "living water". There follows a discussion between Jesus and the woman about the site of acceptable worship - Jerusalem, or Gerazim. Jesus firstly tells her that salvation is from the Jews. Acceptance by God is dependent on two factors sincerity and truth - these have always been the focus at Shechem, and with Joseph and his brothers in Egypt (Joshua 14 verses 14-15; Judges 9 verses 14-15). The woman accepts Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) and she then has an incredible impact on helping the Samaritans to receive Jesus also. Philip would about 7 years later reap the gathering harvest now being sown. That harvest is spoken about in Acts 8. From verse 46 to the end of John chapter 4 our Lord Jesus heals the son of an official from Capernaum - this being the second of the signs recorded by John and resulting in the official and his household believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. That Nobleman is thought by some to be Herod's keeper of the larder ChuzaThanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
Come journey with me toThe cosmos and engage Yahweh
1 Chronicles 28 speaks of David's charge to Israel and to Solomon. The very important word in both these charges is "IF". Provided they faithfully adhered to the covenant they would be blessed by Yahweh. Ezekiel 37 is one of the greatest prophecies of the resurrection of Israel, from a people subjected to genocide during the Holocaust, to a nation reborn on May 14, 1948. Ezekiel the prophet saw a vision of a valley full of dried human bones, the bones of national Israel. The imagery is graphic and startling. Think as you read it and reflect. Consider the words of verses 13-14(see Romans 11:15-32). They have been revived, but are not yet restored to the people of their Sovereign. This will occur when the Lord Jesus Christ comes and is accepted by them. At that time, they will be reborn and grafted back into fellowship and covenant again. Unfortunately, much suffering will precede that time as chapter 38 tells. Indeed, how near we are to that time. Note the chapter requires a monarchy over them with our Lord as the "King of the Jews". In John 2 we have the first of the signs of the account. When Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt, at the time of the Exodus, their departure was accompanied by miracles, wonders (Hebrew 'Pala' - cp the angel Palmoni - the wonderful numberer) and signs. That Hebrew word is the equivalent of "signs' in the record of John. It took place at Cana, in Galilee. Jesus was there, together with his mother and his disciples of chapter 1. It was perhaps the wedding of a relative. The sign was the turning of water into the highest quality wine. The result was verse 11 - his disciples believing in him and the manifestation of his glory. Between verses 13-22 Jesus cleansed the temple for the first time - doing so again at the end of his ministry. He fulfilled the words of Psalm 69 and gave them the sign of his resurrection after 3 days in the grave. There are many signs in John's record of his visits to Jerusalem which are omitted by the other three accounts. At the end of John 2 we are told Jesus would not commit himself to them (since he knew humans - likely in three ways: 1) what Scripture revealed; 2) experience; 3) the ability to read minds). We need to try to understand the zeal that motivated our Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter 3 told of the first encounter between our Lord and Nicodemus, the holder of the second rank in the Sanhedrin ('the teacher'). John records the first of the 3 incidents - ch3; ch7; and ch19. Each is a step in coming to know the Christ (ch3 the man who came by night; ch7 he who first came by night; and ch19 an open disciple, who brought the spices to prepare Jesus' body). The talk centred in the imperative of being born "from above" - firstly by a mind developed by the Word of God 1 Peter 1:22-25 and then by immersion, or burial, in water. The 3rd chapter of John tells us that Jesus is the only man to go to heaven (v13) and salvation comes through belief in a crucified Messiah (v14 cp Numbers 21:4-9). Even John the Baptist acknowledging that Jesus would increase but that he (John) would decrease. B The best-known words of the Bible are found in John 3:16 - but read aloud and ponder verses 16-21. From verses 22 to the chapter's end, we are told of the incomparable greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
Welcome to Day 2711 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Not of This World” – Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2711 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2711 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we continue with the 14th of 16 segments of our Theology Thursday lessons. I will read through the book "Supernatural," written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor Dr. Michael S. Heiser, who has since passed away. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book, ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter fourteen: “Not of This World” In Jesus' well-known prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before he was arrested for trial, he said of his followers, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). Believers were certainly in the world, specially tasked by God to carry the gospel to every nation (Matt. 28:19–20), but they were not of the world. This paradox—being in the world but not of it—was telegraphed to early Christians in several memorable ways… Sacred Space, Holy Ground, and God's Presence… In chapter 8 we talked about the concept of sacred space. For Old Testament Israelites, God was completely other. The space his presence occupied was set apart from all other space. That wasn't a denial that God was omnipresent—in all places at all times. Rather, it was a way of marking the territory on which he chose to meet with his people. That was one of the purposes for having the tabernacle and the temple. The concept of sacred space was not only the rationale for many of Israel's laws and rituals, but it also reinforced the idea of cosmic geography—how the world was divided among the lesser gods and the Most High God, the God of Israel… The notion of sacred space gets brought into the New Testament in a dramatic way. All we need to ask is, “Where is the presence of God right now?” While God is everywhere, he specifically dwells within each believer. Believe it or not, you are sacred space. Paul very clearly wrote that “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19)… The same is true of the ground where believers gather as a group. Writing to the church at Corinth, Paul told them collectively, “You are God's temple” (1 Cor. 3:16). He told the Ephesian believers they were “members of the household of God … a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:19, 21–22)… The implications are startling. Most of us are familiar with Jesus' statement, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20 leb). But viewed in the context of the Old Testament idea of sacred space, that statement means that wherever believers gather, the spiritual ground they occupy is sanctified amid the powers of darkness… Yahweh's final chosen dwelling place in the Old Testament was Israel—the temple in Jerusalem. Israel became holy ground because that's where God's presence resided. But that holy ground was threatened by the nations that surrounded it and their hostile gods. In the same way, believers today are in a spiritual war. We are now...
Come journey with me to the cosmos and e gage Yahweh
1 Chronicles 27 deals with the military divisions and the leaders, or princes of the tribes. To us the chapter may seem irrelevant, even somewhat trivial, but this is not so. The role of the gatekeepers in Temple worship is fundamental: it includes the admission of only those who are sincere in their worship and also valuing truth: John 4 verses 21-24. Hence in Psalm 84:10, a psalm written by gatekeepers (the sons of Korah) we read: "I would rather be a gatekeeper of the House of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness". The writer said earlier in the same verse: "a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere". It seems that the pattern of David's administration is a pattern for that which will exist in Messiah's kingdom. Ezekiel chapter 36 is a prophecy towards the mountains of Israel. The mountains of Israel is an expression, which dominates these prophecies of the restoration. It is against "the mountains of Israel" that Gogue will come in Ezekiel 38. The nations who have reproached Israel, says chapter 36, will experience the wrath of Yahweh the God of Israel. By contrast, the mountains of Israel, would thrive flourish and grow. 1948 saw the commencement of that process with the state of Israel being proclaimed on May 14th. Israel's reproach will soon be ended and they once again shall be the people of the LORD. The Almighty has done this not because they have been a deserving nation. On the contrary it is in vindication of that name - which they have disgraced and profaned among the nations, where they were scattered. It is because He is the faithful GOD who keeps the covenant He made with Abraham. The time is soon coming when He will remove their stony heart and give them a vibrant fleshy heart. His spirit will be within them and they will be His people and He will be their God. They will be the paradise of the LORD- Eden restored. The gospel record of John was most likely the last of the four written. Nor is it a summary of the ministry of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are many more references to people discovering that Jesus was the Christ. Its theme is stated in chapter 20:31 "These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name." It records 8 signs, which are emphatic proofs of the stated theme. Chapter 1 is deliberately a parallel to Genesis 1. For just as Genesis 1 described the natural creation, which came into being through the Word of God in six days. Two groups of three repeated - LIGHT, WATER, LIFE; days 1-3 are paralleled and duplicated in days 4-6.; so too with the new spiritual creation in Christ. Jesus is declared to have come to his own (by ellipsis- people ) and failed to be accepted. This was not the case among believers. What a lofty theme. Jesus was the Word of God in the flesh i.e. one of us in nature and passions; and yet without sin totally revealing the Father's character to humanity. Read aloud verses 14-17 - Pause and Ponder. John was the disciple who rested on Jesus' bosom during the Last Supper and surely he writes with a measure of understanding his comments in chapter 1:18. The record of Jesus' baptism followed with John theBaptist's announcement of verse 29 "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." From verses 35-42 we have the earliest call of the first four of Jesus' disciples (later to become his Apostles) Andrew and John, Peter and James. From verses 43-51 we have the call of Philip and Nathanael. The latter convinced by our Lord's ability to reveal what Nathanael was thinking that Jesus must be the Son of God and the King of Israel. Twice in the chapter we are told that these men had found the Messiah i.e. the Christ - first by Andrew (v41) and then Nathanael (v49). But the reality was he had found them and extended to them the authority to become 'the sons of God' (verses 12-13).
Josh Monday Christian and Conspiracy Podcast Ep. 305How to Support the ministry: $5.99 a monthpatreon.com/JoshMondayChristianandConspiracyPodcastJoin the Patreon here: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Joshmonday_podcastIf you want to donate to the Ministry CashAPP:https://cash.app/$JoshmondaymusicNew affiliate: https://wsteif.com/ Paul and Crystals links: https://thetinfoilhatfactory.com/Flat Earth Books by Sakal Publishing Affiliate Link: https://booksonline.club/booksonlinecYoutube: @joshmondaymusicandpodcast Tips for the show to Support our Ministry: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/joshmondayCoffee Mug Is Available email me your mailing address Joshmonday@rocketmail.com Please subscribe to our Spotify and You Tube Channel Joshmondaymusic and Podcast and help us grow so we can keep on spreading the good news.To all of our current and future subscribers thank you for your time, we appreciate you. Please do us a favor subscribe to our You Tube Channel, hit that bell, share, like and comment below on our You tube. Please leave us a 5-Star review on Apple and Spotify.Check out my new show Sunday Service and Wednesday Brought to you by Cult of Conspiracy Podcast. On Cult of Conspiracy Spotify, Patreon and Apple Podcast Channel.Join the study as I go deep into the Bible. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/josh-monday-christian-and-conspiracy-podcast--6611118/support.
Sermon Summary — Joshua: Session 1 Text: Joshua 1:1–9 Theme: “Be Strong and Courageous — Stand on God's Word” Speaker: Pastor Matthew Robbins (LWWC) 1. Opening & Testimony Ministry outreach continues to grow — 92 nations now tune into the podcast, with Brazil as the leading listener. Reminder from Amos: there is “a famine in the land — not of bread or water, but of hearing the Word of the Lord.” Pastor celebrates that God always gives a platform to those who faithfully teach His Word. 2. The Call of Joshua After Moses' death, Joshua is appointed to lead Israel into the Promised Land — the end of wandering and the start of inheritance. God alone buried Moses, preserving his body for future purpose (referenced from Jude and the Mount of Transfiguration). Joshua is charged to “Arise… go over this Jordan,” marking a new beginning of courage, obedience, and leadership. 3. The Meaning of the Name Joshua (Yahashua / Yahushua) — means “Yahweh is salvation.” Same root name as Jesus (Iēsous) in Greek — both mean “the Lord saves.” Just as Joshua led Israel into the land of promise, Jesus leads believers into eternal life. The sermon explained transliteration (sound-based) versus translation (meaning-based), showing how “Joshua” and “Jesus” are connected through language and purpose. 4. God's Promise to Israel God promised Israel vast territory — from the wilderness to the Euphrates River. Today, Israel holds only a fraction of that land. Their partial obedience and sin caused loss, yet God's promises remain and will be fulfilled in His timing. Every nation is accountable to God — “The nations that forget God shall be turned into hell.” 5. God's Charge to Joshua (and to Us) Three times God says: “Be strong and of good courage.” The Hebrew meaning carries the sense of divine impartation — God depositing strength within Joshua. The same word (“Be of good cheer” — tharreo) in the New Testament shows Jesus imparting courage to His followers. Believers today receive the same spiritual strength through faith and obedience. 6. The Word as the Foundation of Success “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth… then you will make your way prosperous, and have good success.” Success, used only once in the Bible, is defined by obedience and meditation on God's Word. True prosperity is not wealth or position — it is faithfulness to Scripture. “Do not turn to the right or left” — God's Word must be the final authority in every area of life. The pastor warned against redefining morality through governments, culture, or opinion: “If the Holy Spirit lives in us, change is inevitable.” 7. Personal Testimony: Strength Through Affliction Pastor shared his open-heart surgery experience (on Yom Kippur, “Day of Deliverance”) as a turning point where God deepened his walk. Quoted Psalm 119, emphasizing how affliction can become God's classroom: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your Word.” God's faithfulness in affliction brings revelation and renewal. The Word is sweeter than honey and more precious than gold — a believer's constant companion in suffering and success. 8. The Word Made Flesh Read John 1:1–14 — “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word became flesh.” Jesus is the Word — you cannot love Him and reject Scripture. “If they won't believe Moses and the prophets, they won't believe even if one rises from the dead.” To reject the Word is to reject Christ Himself. 9. The Battle of Faith When you were in sin, you weren't battling Satan — you were living with him. The real battle begins when you switch sides and live for Christ. The Christian life is warfare — but God's strength sustains His people. Illustration: a railroad worker's lantern went out though he kept swinging it — a warning that we must not let our light go out. 10. Final Call It's time to: Pray more Study the Word more Witness more “We're running out of time. Be strong and courageous. The Lord is with you wherever you go.”
SpotifyXInstagramBioGospel singer-songwriter Lettie Law is releasing her powerful new single, Forward EverBackward Never Jesus, a song born out of personal trial, unwavering faith, and amission to spread hope across the world. Through heartfelt lyrics and uplifting melodies,the track delivers a message of perseverance and trust in God during life's most difficultchallenges.For Lettie, gospel music has always been part of her foundation. She recalls her earliestmemories with her father, who immersed the family in music that shaped her path. “Iremember what strikes me most is myself sitting between my father and my mom in thecar. It was a Volkswagen, you know, the round kind. And we were listening to gospelmusic,” she shared. “Sometimes we did sing-alongs in the house, like karaoke, thoughwe didn't know that's what it was called then. My father also dropped us off for choirpractice. He even bought DVDs to play gospel performances on TV so we could watchand sing along. That's really how I grew up in the gospel.”Her upbringing instilled in her not just a love of gospel music, but a conviction that faithand song could carry people through trials. That conviction ultimately led to the creationof her latest single. “A lot of things were going on,” she explained. “I was struggling tofind a place to record music, and also facing judgment from people who thoughtbelieving in God was outdated. At my job in behavioral health, I see doctors, teachers,lawyers—even children—struggling to cope with life. I realized the world truly needs asong like this, a message of encouragement. I told myself, no matter how I'm treated fornot following the crowd, I will not look back. I'm following the Lord.”That message of steadfastness resonates throughout Forward Ever Backward NeverJesus. The song emerged from her observation of the world's struggles, includingchildren facing mental health battles and families living through war and hunger. “WhenI speak to people, I remind them that while everyone goes through challenges, thedifference is who we rely on to take us through,” she said. “Knowing God is the bigdifference.”Lettie's music has already touched countless lives. She recalls testimonies fromlisteners of her earlier song Yahweh. “One woman told me she suffered from insomniafor eight years. But after buying and playing the song at night, she slept peacefully, likea baby,” Lettie said. Another listener shared that the song protected her on the road.“Since she started playing Yahweh every time she drove, she hadn't had a singleaccident. One day, she forgot to play it and immediately got into a hit-and-run, butmiraculously, her car was untouched.”For Lettie, the journey has not been without personal tragedy. In 2018, she faced adevastating attack in her home. “My 23-year-old son was killed while sleeping. I wasalso attacked, went into a coma, and nearly died,” she revealed. “When I woke up in thehospital, I realized I had to choose: either die or do what God had been asking me todo—sing publicly. Doctors had said I wouldn't survive or that I would be a vegetable.But by His grace, I walked into my follow-up appointment. Even the surgeons couldn'tbelieve it. The Lord was kind to me.”Despite her trials, Lettie continues to find strength and healing in her own music. “If Icome home with a headache, I play the music, drink some water, and the headacheleaves. If I have a meeting and I'm nervous, I play it, and before it ends, I have peaceand solutions. It does wonders for me,” she said of her new single.Above all, she hopes Forward Ever Backward Never Jesus will bring the same comfortto others. “I hope this music brings solutions to their problems,” Lettie said. “On myYouTube channel, someone from Bangladesh said the music touched her deeply, eventhough she didn't understand the language. That's the power of God through music—itcan change lives across the world.”Her message to listeners is clear and deeply personal: “No matter what you are passingthrough, allow the Lord to see you through. He always does. I've never seen the Lordleave someone in the middle of the road. Allow Him to take your hand, bring solutions,and lift you to the level you want. And He will do it in His own time.”With Forward Ever Backward Never Jesus, Lettie Law invites the world to lean on faithand embrace the peace only God can provide.About Lettie LawLettie Law is a USA-based gospel singer-songwriter whose music is rooted in her earlyupbringing, where her father introduced her to gospel music. Her artistry is dedicated tocreating inspirational songs that strengthen the relationship between people and God.Through her moving performances and soul-stirring lyrics, Lettie Law continues to touchlives around the globe, offering hope and healing through her ministry in music.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support.
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally explore Hosea chapter 7—a sobering look at Israel's rebellion and God's grieving heart. The Lord longs to heal His people, yet their sins run deep. They've become unaware of their spiritual decay, chasing foreign gods and trusting in human power instead of turning back to Him. Through vivid metaphors—an overheated oven, a half-baked cake, a witless dove, and a crooked bow—Hosea exposes how misplaced passions and pride have made the people useless to God's purpose. Curtis and Sally reflect on the Lord's perspective: He sees everything, hears every silence, and still desires restoration. Their discussion highlights the tragic blindness of those who seek fulfillment apart from God and the enduring mercy of a Creator who continues to call His people back. As the hosts connect Hosea's imagery to the human condition today, listeners are reminded that true wisdom, strength, and renewal come only from turning fully to the Lord who longs to heal and redeem.
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We explore the reign of King Hezekiah, a righteous ruler who brought revival to the kingdom of Judah. Discover how Hezekiah, following in the footsteps of King David, restored true worship of Yahweh and celebrated Passover in Jerusalem. Learn about the threat posed by the Assyrian Empire under Sennacherib. Uncover the historical context of the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom and the subsequent challenge to Judah.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...
The common view of hell is that it is a place of separation from God where the unrighteous suffer eternal conscious torment (ECT) in a fire with no relief and no hope of escape. Problem 1: ECT contradicts scriptures that speak of the destruction of the wicked, including Gen 3:19-23; Ps 1:6; 37:9-11, 20-22, 28-29, 34, 37-38; 92:7; 145:20; Prov 2:21-22; 12:7; 24:10-20; Is 66:15-16, 23-24; Mal 4:1-3; Mat 3:11-12; 7:13-14; 10:28; Jn 3:16; 5:28-29; Rom 6:23; 2 Thes 1:6-9; Heb 10:26-27; 2 Pet 2:6, 12-13; 3:7. Problem 2: ECT violates the ethic of proportional justice. Torturing the wicked forever is out of proportion to their crimes. Since we know that Yahweh judges with righteousness and equity (Ps 9:7-8), he cannot also be excessive in his punishment. Problem 3: ECT implies that God is cruel. If you had a friend who was so sensitive and offendable that he wished to punish his enemies by tormenting them forever, what would that tell you about his character? God is not sadistic; he is loving, gracious, merciful, and just (Ex 34:6-7; Deut 32:4; Jer 9:24). When the day of judgement comes, the dead will rise and stand before the judge (Rev 20:11-15). Those not in the book of life will be annihilated. In Rev 20:10 (and 14:9-11) John saw a vision of people getting eternally tormented in a lake of fire. In Rev 21:7-8, we learn that the symbol of people getting tormented in a lake of fire actually refers to “the second death.”The post Who Told You That? Hell Is a Place of Eternal Torture first appeared on Living Hope.
Get your tickets for the Creation shows in November HEREWhen Daniel has questions about Yahweh's plans, angelic emissaries shock him with answers. Text: Daniel 9-12Players: YahwehDanielGabrielThe Man in LinenWhat's Spooky: Not much—this one should be just fine for younger audiencesCredits: Research, Writing, Narration, Sound Editing: Justin GerhardtManuscript Editing: JL GerhardtProduction: Hazefire StudiosLinks:—Get your tickets for Created: A HGS Live Experience—Join the team of listeners who give to make Holy Ghost Stories possible—Sign up for The Latest, an email Justin sends twice a month with behind-the-scenes info about each episode and interesting things from around the internet. —Become a Patron of Holy Ghost Stories (it's tax-deductible!) and get stuff like bonus episodes, remixed scenes, full scripts, discussion guides, and—above all—the joy of partnering with Justin to tell good stories.—Find out about Holy Ghost Stories or contact Justin Gerhardt at holyghoststories.org Get your tickets for the Creation shows in November HERE
Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners Jeremiah's statement of praise and adoration that there is none like Yahweh!Scripture References: Jeremiah 10:6; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Jeremiah 1:1-10; Psalm 139:15-16; 1 John 1:9; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Jeremiah 10:1-6; 2 Peter 3:9 Scripture translation used is the Legacy Standard Bible. “Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.comFIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishafferCHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code. I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z JOIN DR. JORI IN DEVOTIONAL JOURNALING IN 2025Check out this 9 min YouTube Video outlining her journaling strategy! Don't Forget to subscribe to the YouTube Channel! https://youtu.be/lqe9TO7RSz4 BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters in the Holy Bible. The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals. Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING? CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up. https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website: https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show
Love and Torah – what's love got to do with it? This series explores the “Two Great Commands': love Yahweh and love your neighbor. Focusing on our hearts and minds towards the Creator and His Torah, Rabbi Steve Berkson continues our journey through King David's writings in Psalm 119. Starting at verse 145, he highlights how David links petitioning God with explaining why we seek His help and why we believe He should answer. Rabbi Berkson questions whether, when we call out to the Almighty, “Answer me,” we can honestly say, “I observe Your laws.” The Creator initially made us to receive from Him. Through faith in Messiah Yeshua and living righteously, we become a ‘new creature' that moves from earthly, basic things to heavenly ones. This ‘new creature' learns to be a ‘giver,' like the Almighty. What do Jews and Christians agree on? What does Yahweh desire from you? Rabbi Berkson again breaks down these passages to deepen your understanding of Yahweh's expectations, so you can fulfill them and receive His blessings. Visit our website, https://mtoi.org, to learn more about MTOI. https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwide You can reach MTOI by emailing us at admin@mtoi.org or calling 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services and Torah Study LIVE, streamed on our website, mtoi.org, YouTube, and Rumble every Saturday at 1:15 p.m., and every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time for Torah Study Live Stream.
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When God revealed Himself to Moses, He gave a name the world had never heard before: the Lord—Yahweh—the God of compassion. Yet when we read Judges and Joshua, God can appear angry, violent, or unjust. How do we reconcile this tension? This week we’ll explore how the Bible, read in its ancient context, reveals a God whose compassion—not cruelty—defines His identity and ours.
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