Podcasts about to paul

This episode we talk To Paul and Greg about Swimbaits, answer some Q&A and having to drop load on the side of the road To support the podcast click on the link below to become a Patreon Member https://www.patreon.com/CastandcrankThis month the podcast is sponsored by SwimbaitUnderground. 4 winners will get -Rago/SU Bait -SU Bait wrap-SU Hat GO GRAB SOME NEW MERCH IN LINK BELOW https://castandcrankpodcast.com/collections/cast-and-crank-shop

May 30, 2021 AM, Titus 1:1-4.Paul is a servant and apostle whose goal is to see God's elect come to faith and knowledge of the truth. This is founded upon the hope of eternal life which God has promised, and He cannot lie. The promise was made from eternity past, but has been manifested at just the right time through the vehicle of preaching. To Paul this preaching was entrusted according to the command of God our Savior. May you desire to live with the same kind of purpose as Paul—to help people be saved, sanctified and glorified. Furthermore, may you be one who can be called a “true child according to the standard of the commonly received Christian faith.” Simultaneously, you yourself need to be being sanctified so that your life reflects godliness. Finally, may God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ grant you grace, mercy, and peace. Our Scripture reading was found in Isaiah 54:1-17.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

To Paul, the love of God meant everything. Just check out 1 Corinthians 13. It is more important than speaking in tongues or giving all to the poor or having faith to move mountains. As spectacular as these may be, if they are done without love, they are meaningless. Just a bunch of noise makers. And of faith, hope and love, the greatest is love. Why? Because love is God's nature. As John wrote, God is love. He is the source. He is the one who is patient and kind to you, who never keeps records of your wrongs, who rejoices in truth, who protects, who hopes and believes the best and perseveres with you. This is the love of God, a love that never fails, a love that means everything.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution. If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun. How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?" Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution. If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun. How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?" Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution. If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun. How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?" Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

We are continuing our reading through the book of 1 Corinthians this week in Chapter 4! Paul's about to dive in to address some pretty serious problems happening in the church in the chapters following this one. But, before he does, he reminds the church in Corinth who he is. He is their spiritual father. He's not approaching them ready to bash them over the head with harsh punishment. But he comes with a loving warning and discipline for this church. Love disciplines. Love corrects. But the goal of love is unity. That's clear through every chapter in this book. When you choose to follow Jesus, you can expect to be misunderstood. You can also expect to suffer, sacrifice, and surrender. These things will come. It's 100% guaranteed. Paul was experiencing these things in his relationship with this church. He was like a good father being judged by his rebellious kids. To Paul, he makes it clear that his intention isn't to please them but to love them. Paul's love is one that was willing to follow the example of Jesus to go where others very rarely do. The corinthian church have a lot going for them... but they're lacking one thing that Paul has. The power of God. "The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power!" (1 Corinthians 4:20) Paul's ready to bust the bubble of arrogance and lead them back to the source of true transformation - the holy spirit. Let's dive in! Have a question or a topic you want to see covered on the podcast?? Send me an email! foreternityanduntil@gmail.com

By Erik Manning Over 99% of historical scholarship acknowledges that Jesus was a real person. It doesn't matter if that scholar is liberal or conservative, or Christian, atheist, agnostic or Jewish. The

In the ancient world - boasting was key to making a name for yourself. It was accepted and excelled at. To Paul, it's just plain foolishness. However, to play the game of the 'super-apostles', he as worked himself up to ...

In the ancient world - boasting was key to making a name for yourself. It was accepted and excelled at. To Paul, it's just plain foolishness. However, to play the game of the 'super-apostles', he as worked himself up to boast. But, he boasts in a way that's so wrong that it ends up being so, so right!

Disciple Up #119 Show Notes What's So Important About the Cross? By Louie Marsh, 7-31-2019   Introduction: The only way to comment publicly on the podcast is at the FaceBook page, facebook.com/discipleup.  You can e-mail me at louie@discipleup.org.   Request for an upcoming episode I'm researching now.   Most of the information on today's episode is taken from John Stott's masterful book, “The Cross of Christ.” Link below.   The Centrality of the Cross   What part does the cross of Christ play in our Christian faith? Why did Jesus have to die on the cross, and why has the cross remained the central symbol of the Christian faith for over 2,000 years?   Christians agree that it was on the cross that Christ died to save our souls. But is it really central to our faith? Here's what Paul said, For Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speeches and high-sounding ideas, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. 1 Cor. 1:17-18 (NLT) [See also Gal. 5:11; 6:12,14; Phil. 2:8]   To Paul there is more to the cross than it's use by God in redeeming mankind. He makes it central to his message and his life. As we begin our look at the cross of Christ we must start with attempting to discover why it is placed squarely at the center of our faith.   The Cross as a Sign and a Symbol   Every major group, movement, nation and religion has a visual symbol. Buddhism has the lotus flower and Islam the crescent. Ancient Judaism avoided a symbol for fear of making an idol, but modern Judaism has two symbols, the Star of David and the Menorah.   Secular states have symbols also. The Nazi's had the swastika, the Soviet Union had the hammer and sickle and the New Age Movement today uses the rainbow. Today almost every business or group has its own symbol (called a logo usually). This includes Christ's Church on the River!   In the early church the Christian symbol wasn't the cross. The earliest symbol was the peacock, which symbolized immortality. The first Christians also used a dove, the athlete's victory palm and of course the fish. Yet gradually the cross replaced all these. (It also precluded others from rising such as the manger, the empty tomb, etc.)   Instead the cross was chosen. It's two bars were already a cosmic symbol from antiquity of the axis between heaven and earth. When the church chose the central truth of the faith to commemorate they chose neither Christ's miracles nor teachings, they didn't even choose His resurrection! Instead they chose the cross. (By the way, just in case you're wondering, the crucifix doesn't seem to have been used before the 6th century AD.)   How they used the Cross   From the second century onward early Christians made the sign of the cross on themselves and others. Early Church Father Tertullian (A.D. 200) wrote this,   “At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table, when we light the lamps, on couch, on seat, in all the ordinary actions of life, we trace upon the forehead the sign.”   Hyppolytus wrote The Apostolic Tradition (215 A.D.) about the traditional rites of the church. He recommended in private prayer to, “imitate him always, by signing the forehead sincerely; for this is the sign of his passion.”   It seems clear then that the sign of the cross was intended to identify and sanctify each act belonging to Christ. In the early church the cross of Christ was ever present in the life of the believer.   The Surprise of the Cross   It is surprising that the church chose the cross as their symbol when we remember the horror it was regarded with in the ancient world.   Cicero wrote, “To bind a Roman citizen is a crime, to flog him is an abomination, to kill him is almost an act of murder; to crucify him is – what? There is no fitting word that can possibly describe too horrible a deed…the very cross should be far removed not only from the person of a Roman citizen, but from his thoughts, his eyes, his ears.”   The first surviving picture of the crucifixion of Jesus is a caricature found on Palatine Hill in Rome, in a school for Imperial Pages. A crude drawing shows stretched on a cross a man with the head of a donkey. To the left stands another man with one arm raised in worship. Scribbled underneath are the words, “Alexamenos worships his God.”   In the light of all this why did the church choose the cross for its main symbol? Only one answer can suffice – that the centrality of the cross originated from the Lord Jesus Himself.   Scripture and the Cross   The centrality of the cross began early in Christ's ministry.  He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. (Mark 8:31-32)  The word plainly means “with freedom of speech or openly.” In a parallel passage (Matthew 16:21-23) the cross was so important that Jesus called Peter “Satan” when he urged Jesus to avoid it!   Jesus repeats himself in Mark 10:32-34. By saying the Son of Man will suffer and die Jesus daringly combined the two images of the Messiah in the Old Testament; the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 and the Reigning Son of Man of Daniel 7. Jesus said that He is both and will die before He reigns.   Jesus emphasis on the cross is also reflected in the amount of space the Gospels give to their accounts of His passion. It takes up between one-third and one-fourth of the Synoptic Gospels, and almost one-half of John!   The Apostles View of the Cross   How the Apostles viewed the cross can be discovered in their use of the word “tree.” Peter used it in Acts 5:30 and Paul used it in Acts 13:29.   Why is this so important? Because of what the book of Deuteronomy says, If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. Deut. 21:22-23   The Apostles deliberately drew to people's attention that Jesus died under a curse! Why on earth would they do that?   Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." (Galatians 3:13)  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)   These Scriptures show that the ancient people guessed right about the cross. The cross of Christ indeed became the nexus of heaven and earth! For on the cross God met and dealt with man's central problem – sin!  Jesus did this by bearing our sins in His body!   Why Did Christ Die?   The standard Christian answer to this question is four fold: 1) He died for us (Rom. 5:8). Professor Martin Hengel has shown that the concept of a person dying voluntarily for his city, family, friends, the truth or to pacify the gods was wide spread in the Roman world. They even had a special word for it. That's one reason they so quickly understood the Gospel.   2) He died to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). 3) Christ died to forgive our sins (1 Cor. 15:3). 4) Christ died our death, (Rom. 6:23) He died so that we might live.   All this means that the simple statement Christ died for our sins says a lot more that it appears to on the surface. It says that Jesus, though sinless and not needing to die, did die the death we deserve to die for our sins.   Do these answers fit the facts, as we know them from the Gospels? Or are they something cooked up later to explain what happened to Jesus? To find out let's look at two events beginning with Maundy Thursday and the institution of the Lord's Supper, and Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.   The Last Supper   When I read about the Last Supper the first thing that stands out to me is that Jesus doesn't spend the evening sadly looking back over His life and lamenting the fact He is going to die so young. Instead He look forward to His death as something that must happen and must be remembered!   Here in the only regular commemorative act ever authorized by the Lord Jesus, He is concerned not about His birth, miracles or teachings, but His death. Jesus is saying to us that above all else we must not forget His death and what it means!   According to Matthew and Paul Jesus said that His death and the shedding of His blood would forgive sins and bring about a new covenant (relationship) between God and man.   The Old Covenant was brought about by blood.  Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey."  Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words." ( Exodus 24:7-8)   Later the Prophet Jeremiah foretold a New Covenant,  "The time is coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Jeremiah 31:31 (See Jer. 1-34 for the whole picture) Six centuries after this prophecy Jesus said that His blood must be shed to bring this New Covenant into being.   The Lord's Supper was an advance dramatization of Christ's death. It is designed in such a way that everyone in the room is a participant! No one is a spectator – everyone must get involved. To take part in it you must personally take inside of yourself the bread and the cup. This symbolizes the necessity of personally making a choice about Christ.   Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. (John 6:53-55)   The Garden   The Gospel accounts of Jesus in the Garden use some very forceful words to describe what happened there. Luke says Jesus was in “anguish,” the Greek word means “Appalled reluctance.” Matthew and Mark use the word “troubled,” which means a “loathing aversion.”   Jesus said He was “overwhelmed” with “sorrow.” Mark says He was “deeply distressed,” a phrase that literally means “horror struck!”   What caused these very strong reactions? The Cup. What was The Cup? Some say that it was Christ's fear of physical death. To that I say – No way Jose!! Christ who knew that there life after death, who had brought people back from death itself, could not have feared it.   So what caused this reaction? In the Old Testament The Cup was a phrase often used to refer to God's wrath. As a nation or people sinned the cup would get fuller and fuller until at last it was filled up. Then God in His righteous wrath would pour out His judgment until the cup was empty and justice was satisfied.   Jesus knew that He was going to take upon and within Himself all His Father's wrath for all the sins of the world! This knowledge that He – a sinless being – would experience all sin – caused Him such horror.  He foresaw that this would separate Him from His Father for a moment – and that in Paul's words,  “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:21, NLT)   Yes The Cup had to be drunk. People often say that God can do anything – but that's not true. According to the Bible He cannot lie, cheat or fail to fulfill His Word. He also could not avoid the need for a sacrifice for our sins. His love drove Him to make the greatest sacrifice of all – Jesus dying on the cross for your sins and mine!   Why the Cross?   There are many theories about why God chose to use the cross to forgive us. Was it to satisfy the devil, as the early Greek Fathers (church leaders) thought? Was it to satisfy the Law as the early Latin Fathers thought? Or did God's sense of honor and justice as Anselm taught in the 11th century?   While there is some truth in each of these ideas, the plain fact is that the cross is necessary because it arises from within the nature of God Himself. So how and why does God react to sin? The Bible uses several words that will help us understand this question.   The first one is “provoked”. In Judges 2:12-13; 1 Kings 15:30, 21:22 among others places we see this word used. It expresses the inevitable reaction of God's perfect nature to evil. He is never provoked without reason and must react this way or He would cease to be God!   The second word is “burning.” It's used in Joshua 7:1, 23:16; Judges 3:7-8 & Hosea 8:5 and many other places. It's when God is provoked to anger that He is said to burn with anger. (See 2 Kings 22:17)   So there is something in God's essential moral being which is provoked by evil, which is ignited by it and that burns until the evil is consumed.   Our third and final word is “satisfaction.” The Hebrew word means “to be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent.” It's found in Ez. 7:8 and Lam 4:11 where God is described as about to “pour out” and “spend” His wrath. Notice that pouring out and spending go together. That which is poured out can't be gathered again, that which is spent is finished.   So, to sum this up, God is provoked to anger over sin, once kindled His anger burns and is not easily quenched. At last He unleashes it, pours out the cup, and spends it.   But this isn't a complete picture because it leaves out the background of God's wrath. What's that?  Believe it or not it's God's love!   Love and Wrath   In this section I'll be using human figures of speech here, because I don't have any others to use! Does the Almighty really have problems? Not from His perspective I'm sure, but from ours He's does! So I'm talking this way so that it will, hopefully, make sense to us mortals!   God's problem in dealing with humanity is described in Hosea 11:       "When Israel was a child, I loved him,         and out of Egypt I called my son.     But the more I called Israel,         the further they went from me.     They sacrificed to the Baals         and they burned incense to images.     It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,         taking them by the arms;     but they did not realize         it was I who healed them.     I led them with cords of human kindness,         with ties of love;     I lifted the yoke from their neck         and bent down to feed them.       "Will they not return to Egypt         and will not Assyria rule over them         because they refuse to repent?     Swords will flash in their cities,         will destroy the bars of their gates         and put an end to their plans.     My people are determined to turn from me.         Even if they call to the Most High,         he will by no means exalt them.       "How can I give you up, Ephraim?         How can I hand you over, Israel?     How can I treat you like Admah?         How can I make you like Zeboiim?     My heart is changed within me;         all my compassion is aroused.     I will not carry out my fierce anger,         nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.     For I am God, and not man--         the Holy One among you.         I will not come in wrath. Hosea 11:1-9   Paul expresses this dual nature of God, “he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26) This dilemma between justice and grace is always worked out in a way that is in perfect accord with both love and holiness.   The cross then is the event in which God reveals His holiness and love simultaneously. The cross is the only place where we can see that God's holiness and love are equally infinite. Emil Brunner wrote this daring sentence, “The wrath of God is the love of God.”   It might help us understand this if we think about why we discipline our children. We do it out of love – but they don't see it that way do they? Have you ever looked at God's wrath like a child?   Well you don't have to any longer because God's wrath against your sin was poured out, and spent on, the cross of Christ! There isn't any left to pour on you – it's was spent on the cross! That's what the whole New Testament means as Paul points out in Romans, “But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight—not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.” “For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-26)   The Achievement of the Cross   What did Christ's death on the cross achieve? To really answer that question we'll need to look at the four main images that the New Testament uses of Salvation. They are drawn from four different places: the shrine, the market place, a court of law, and the home.   Propitiation   I know, I know, this sounds more like a disease than anything else doesn't it? Well it's isn't! It comes from the ancient temples and shrines. It means to appease or to pacify anger. Is God an angry God who demands bribes and gifts to forgive us? No!   Propitiation is necessary because as we've seen sin arouses God's wrath. Pagan religion, and in some ways legalistic Christianity, say that we must provide propitiation for our sins. But the Bible doesn't say that! In fact it says the exact opposite!   In the Old Testament God provided the Law – “for the life of any creature is in its blood. I have given you the blood so you can make atonement for your sins. It is the blood, representing life, that brings you atonement.” (Leviticus 17:11, NLT)   In the New Testament God presented Jesus to save us as we saw in Romans 3:25.   Dr. David Wells wrote, “man is alienated from God by sin and God is alienated from man by wrath. It is in the substitutionary death of Christ that sin is overcome and wrath averted, so God can look on man without displeasure and man can look on God without fear.”   Redemption   Our next word comes from the ancient market place. The word literally means, “a ransom or price of release,” and was used of buying or setting free slaves.   Just was have we been redeemed from?  “He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right.” (Titus 2:14, NLT) Moral slavery, guilt, God's wrath etc.   We must never forget the great price Christ paid to redeem us. What was that price? First his incarnation (when he became a man, Phil. 2:5-7). Secondly his shed blood on the cross (I Peter 1:18-19).   We're looking at these things in a logical manner. Propitiation inevitably comes first, because until the wrath of God is appeased (that is until His love has found a way to avert his anger) there can be no salvation for us. Next, when we are ready to understand the meaning of salvation we begin negatively with redemption. Which is our rescue, at the high price of Christ's blood, from sin and death.   Justification   This third word is taken from the law court. Justification is the opposite of condemnation, and both are verdicts of a judge. Justification is the positive counterpart of redemption. It bestows on us a righteous standing before God. J.J. Packer wrote: “Justification by faith appears to be the heart of God's saving grace…like Atlas, it bears a world on its shoulders.”   The Source of our Justification according to Romans 3:24 is God's grace. “…and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24)   Grace means something freely given that brings about well being. Therefore self-justification is impossible (Rom. 3:20) and so God does it for us (Rom. 3:21-25). This is grace, a free gift that brings good.   The Ground of our Justification. We are justified by Christ's blood, “And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ,” (Romans 5:9, NLT). The blood shed on the cross allows God to make us right with him. Therefore justification isn't amnesty or an overlooking guilt, or a pardon without principle. It's not some plea bargain with God. Justification is an act of justice, a gracious justice, but justice nonetheless.   The Means of our Justification, is faith. “So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.” (Romans 3:28, NLT). But faith in what? Faith and grace belong together. Since faith's only function is to receive what Grace freely offers, you cannot split them apart. So we are made right with God by our faith in his gracious sacrifice of Christ on the cross.   Reconciliation   The fourth word or image of salvation is very popular because it's so personal. We've left the temple and the market place and the court of law behind, and now we've come home.   “And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's judgment. For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.” (Romans 5:9-11, NLT)   To reconcile means to restore a relationship, or to renew a friendship. So this word presupposes an original relationship with God, which was broken, and that Christ recovered for us. Reconciliation is the opposite of alienation.   It's linked to justification in Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” (NLT) Only after you have a right standing with God can you have peace through reconciliation.   Reconciliation is the fruit of justification. Peace is a synonym for, and a result of, reconciliation. It gives us peace and a personal relationship with God. According to Ephesians 2:13-18 it helps to bring us into peaceful and close relationships with those around us, especially those in the church.   How did this happen? According to 2 Cor. 5:18-22 it took place on the cross. “All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (NLT)   God was in Christ and together they reconciled us to them! God took the initiative, and reached out to us when we couldn't reach out to him!   Reconciliation is finished! All we have to do is accept it!   What Does All This Mean To Me?   The first thing that the cross assures us of is that God is not mad at you – ever!  His wrath's been placated by the cross. He's now free to love us completely and unconditionally because of the cross. We then should be free from fear (1 John 4:16-18).   The Death of False Guilt   False Guilt will die when we understand and take this to heart. False Guilt is feeling guilty over something that you shouldn't feel guilty about. If God has not condemned us how can we condemn ourselves?   And even if I am guilty the cross still rescues me! Justification teaches us that we are legally and morally in the clear – there's no reason to feel guilty. Reconciliation teaches us that God's not holding our sins against us- we have a restored relationship with Him! It also teaches us that we don't have the right to refuse to forgive someone God has forgiven!   This is the real answer to guilt – this and not psychology – holds the answers we need!   The cross says that God wants you! He paid an unbelievable price for you. This doesn't prove how wonderful you or I are – it proves how wonderful He is! He paid this price in spite of knowing, far better than we do, what terrible sinners we are!   And finally the cross teaches us that God's not going to give up on us! After everything He went through to propitiate His anger and to ransom us from sin – there's no way He's gonna quit on us now! (See 1 Peter 1:3-6)   Thank God for the Cross!   LINKS:   The Cross of Christ by John Stott - shorturl.at/GKZ56    

Ephesians 4: 1-16. In the eighth part of our exploration through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, Matt introduces the central argument towards which Paul has been building and from which Paul will be building for the rest of the letter: that we may live our daily lives in light of Jesus’ death and resurrection. To Paul, it isn’t enough to simply acknowledge Jesus’ ministry and leave it at that. Jesus came and died for a grander purposethan lip-service alone; He did not come to simply build the Church. Rather, Jesus built the Church to bless the world. This passage is filled with practical wisdom for our daily lives as Paul dives even deeper into what that looks like, and how it is that the Church is supposed to accomplish such a task.

Christ died for our sins. He was buried in the ground. He was raised on the third day. To Paul, this was of first importance. Not our behavior. Not even a list of beliefs. But a story. The story.

In this podcast, we take a dive into the culinary world and explore where there is a lot of “fake food” out there. From doctored extra virgin olive oils and grated cheese to wine and balsamic vinegar, we give you the real news on fake food. Topics we cover: •  How we’ve had a few podcast fans visit this year, including Kendra and her new business:  www.vida.wine •  How often we don’t realize the wool is being pulled over our eyes in regards to food. Here’s a list.  Do you have others?  Let us know in the comments. Extra Virgin Olive Oil •  The corrupt world of extra virgin olive oil and the struggles we face with that. It is definitely a fake food most times. •  This book covers this topic extensively.  Check it out: Extra Virginity •  How by Italian law that even if the olives come from a different country, as long as the oil is bottled in Italy it is allowed to be called “Italian Olive Oil” •  How producers from Tuscany come down to Puglia and buy Puglia olives, then bottle extra virgin olive oil in Tuscany and call it Tuscan olive oil •  How our extra virgin olive oil is really just freshly squeezed olives •  We’ve covered this subject a couple of times in past episodes.  Check out: — Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Everything you always wanted to know and never knew to ask — How to tell if your extra virgin oil is really extra virgin — Why your Italian "food" may not be real food   And click here to sign up for our email course explaining more on how to tell if your extra virgin olive oil is really extra virgin.   Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email Address Subscribe   Coffee •  Paul wonders why whole bean coffee costs less than ground coffee •  Paul believes there must be other additives to make it cost less •  After doing a little research, I think there may be other reasons:  Namely, inferior beans.  Here's what one site had to say: "Whole bean coffees come from better lots, because it’s impossible to hide negative qualities in a bag of whole bean coffee. Much of the coffee’s aromas and flavors are released when it’s ground. Therefore, customers who purchase whole bean coffee and grind it at home will notice the coffee’s nuanced qualities — regardless of whether they are good or bad. In comparison, coffee that’s pre-ground has already lost many of its aromatics and flavors by the time the customer purchases it. Thus, it’s not as important to use beans that are highly flavorful and aromatic when selling pre-ground coffee. Roasters that offer ground selections can get away with using lower-quality beans." •  Does anyone have any insight?  Let us know in the comments! •  How Paul had a work colleague was bragging about how he makes coffee pods that have 75% pure coffee grounds in the pods Parmesan Cheese  •  We did a whole podcast on this here: Why your Italian "food" may not be real food •  How Parmesan actually is legally allowed to have cellulose (wood pulp) in every jar. Supposedly it is a safe anti-clumping additive when it is only 2-4% of a product. But FDA investigations found 8.8% in some! In some cases ,the cheese was less than 40% of the product! Wal-Mart has now be slapped with a lawsuit over selling a product labeled as 100% Grated Parmesan but had 7.8% wood pulp! Truffle oil •  How Paul bought some fresh truffles a few years ago and we made truffle oil •  But then we discovered this can be very very dangerous, and only last 2-3 days •  This sight https://www.idratherbeachef.com/how-to-make-truffle-oil/ goes into it a bit more: "When you make fresh truffle oil as demonstrated in this post, it has a VERY limited shelf life of two, maybe three days maximum. I suggest making it in small batches to ensure all the oil may be used quickly. Fresh truffle oil has a limited shelf life due to the oil not being brought and held 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature that kills botulism and other bacteria which thrive in an anaerobic environment. Learn more about botulism from homemade canned, preserved or fermented foods. The truffle oil isn’t brought to 212 degrees because the truffle would start to toast and produce strange flavors. We want truffle oil to embody the essence of the truffle itself, not taste like burnt mushrooms." •  In other words, the extra virgin olive oil you are using to make your truffle oil is only brought up so a low heat to infuse the oil.  This low heat infuses the oil but it not hot enough to kill botulism.  If it was brought up to that heat it would burn the truffles. • So unless a chef is making truffle oil as a special for a few nights meals, don't think any Truffle Oil has any real truffles in it.  Making it a real fake food. Wine •  You can find really cheap wines sometimes •  So when you see something labeled as "Red Wine" is there a rule that says it has to be made with grapes? •  Well, according to the legal definitely, wine's legal definition is according to https://definitions.uslegal.com/w/wine-trade/ is: "Wine refers to any fermented alcoholic beverage and is generally made from grapes or other fruit. It is mainly used for nonindustrial use." •  Also, wines if they are below 11% alcohol content, you do no have to specify what is in the wine on the label. Chili Peppers •  We talk a little about our chili crop this year •  Paul talks about he believes they put red dye in chili flakes •  You also have no idea how long the chili flakes have been sitting in the bag Balsamic Vinegar •  What real balsamic vinegar is all about •  How regular vinegars are made versus balsamic vinegars •  This is one of what our vendor explained about IGP for balsamic vinegars •  Why it's only made in Modena There is 2 different types of IGP. -          Industrial IGP produce in Steel silos in maximum 2 month. And in This balsamic vinegar is a mix of vinegar, strong balsamic vinegar, caramel to thicken and colored the balsamic vinegar. And in this silos is put this mix for 2 month to Repose.  In the bottom of this silos is “easy found” wood sawdust, to give the effect of the olded balsamic vinegar and the taste of wood. See the steel silos  in the pic(this is industrial) Is to easy and quick to obtain the product but is not the original. Is easy to found in all store and supermarket. Especially abroad -          Artigianal IGP (MY BALSAMIC VINEGAR)  produce, respect the product specification, and the old process of production. Is put in different  wooden barrel  of different wood (oak, chestnut, mulberry, juniper, cherry, locust, ash). This is the barrel use also for DOP (after I explain the DOP ), but there isn’t a battery set (you chose of two different type of barrel) and put the vinegar, with cooked must,  to grow old in this barrel, for minimum 5/6 years. And my grandfather  They taught  to me, “Is impossible buy the time”. You see the picture with wood barrel. -          The DOP is the best of Balsamic vinegar. The product specification, is very strong like Artigianal IGP. You have a wooden barrel, composed to minimum 5 bottle( Example my battery barrel is composed to 5 bottle, you see in 3 pic.) and is possible arrive to the maximum with 12 barrel.  Is possible compose your battery with this wood(oak, chestnut, mulberry, juniper, cherry, locust, ash). There is long process to obtain the certification of your wooden Battery, by competent persons and public authority,. And you obtain the first Balsamic vinegar, in 2 step . Step 1 is 12 year old,  is called “Affinato” you take a maximum 10 % to the  bottle (the little one) which composed your Wooden battery, and after you bring this balsamic vinegar in a special place  (Consortium Balsamic Vinegar D.O.P.) when the people check it (see in database when you are register your wooden battery). And in this place The competent person  put  your balsamic vinegar, in  the “Giuggiaro bottle”. Step 2 is 25 year old, is called “extravecchio” “extraold” the process is the same of the 12 year old balsamic vinegar, but you attend 25 years to take it.   Vitamins •  If you don't know, most vitamins are filled with fillers, like silica (sand) •  Check the inactive ingredients on any vitamins and you will see they filled with tons of things that are not vitamins •  And for their Vitamin D, they use our extra virgin olive oil as a carrier inside the vitamin •  You can check out Pure Vitamin Club here.   Skim Milk •  We argue a bit about is if really fake or not for consideration in this episode •  To Paul's point, they have taken all the good stuff out and now it's really just colored water •  How we only buy whole milk here at the villa •  The podcast Steven mentioned: Food: A Cultural Culinary History Podcast •  Also, how white bread is so over processed that it losses all it's vitamins, so they have to add the vitamins back in.  But how if they just didn't over process it, they would have all those vitamins to begin with. Ham & Turkey •  How most of the ham and turkey you use to make cold cuts is all the remnants of the original animals "glued" back together •  That's also called a pressed ham •  The different between prosciutto and and prosciutto crudo Baby Carrots •  How these are just deformed carrots that are cut down and treated to make baby carrots •  About the guy who invented them, and his other products Bunny Balls •  Paul argues that they are "fake" because they lead you to believe they are grown to be small •  The multicolored carrots we get here in Puglia •  Why carrots are mostly orange •  And why the Irish hate the color orange on St. Patrick's Day     Juice •  How you really have to check the labels, especially if doesn't say 100% of whatever fruit you are buying. •  Most might say 100% juice, but it's a mix of all kinds of different juices, not just the "orange juice" you think you are buying Tea Bags •  Paul has seen a lot in the news lately about all the bad thing being found in tea bags. Scallops •  Most scallops are not real scallops, but pressed together fish This is the shellac picture I was talking about. •  How I used to add wax to chocolate when making peanut butter balls with my mother.  I assumed it was to skip the tempering process.  Does anyone know?  Let us know in the comments. •  Why eggs are sold non-refrigerated in Italy but sold refrigerated in the states.  And here's our spicy products we talked about. To sum up our Real New, Fake Food podcast.  Look for real food from the fresh food aisle, not processed food. And be sure to read your labels. What do you think?  Did we miss a fake food?  Let us know in the comments!  

Paul was a prisoner, but he didn’t think of himself as a prisoner of Rome… or anybody else than Christ! To Paul contentment, living life knowing and trusting that God is in control, was to live in opposition to the attitudes, methods, beliefs and opinions of this world.

Paul was a prisoner, but he didn’t think of himself as a prisoner of Rome… or anybody else than Christ! To Paul contentment, living life knowing and trusting that God is in control, was to live in opposition to the attitudes, methods, beliefs and opinions of this world.

Paul Rieckhoff, author of “Chasing Ghosts: A Soldier's Fight for America,” and founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, joins Dr. Oz for an intimate interview about his experience in the military, and details the problems returning service members face. Paul himself worked on Wall Street before being deployed to Iraq, and he shares advice on how to combat the rippling effects of mental illness that 1 in 3 vets struggle with. To Paul, this issue is where we can all unite - in caring for each other and building community, regardless of politics. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

1 Corinthians 15:12-23, Philippians 1:21-26, Revelation 5:9-10; 6:9-11, Isaiah 65:17-25, Revelation 21:22-27, 1 Cor. 15:58Blurb: What we believe about the future shapes how we live in the here and now. To Paul, the resurrection is the key to everything. We need to unlearn some key beliefs about life after death and see our present reality in a whole different way, a way of engaging in the kingdom and yearning for God’s will to be done on earth.Slides:Isaiah - “The New Heavens and the New Earth"Jesus – “The Renewal of All Things”John – “Eternal Life”Paul – “The Age to Come” and “The Kingdom of God"Peter – The Time for God to “Restore Everything”Escapism Or Engagement?

1 Corinthians 15:12-23, Philippians 1:21-26, Revelation 5:9-10; 6:9-11, Isaiah 65:17-25, Revelation 21:22-27, 1 Cor. 15:58Blurb: What we believe about the future shapes how we live in the here and now. To Paul, the resurrection is the key to everything. We need to unlearn some key beliefs about life after death and see our present reality in a whole different way, a way of engaging in the kingdom and yearning for God’s will to be done on earth.Slides:Isaiah - “The New Heavens and the New Earth"Jesus – “The Renewal of All Things”John – “Eternal Life”Paul – “The Age to Come” and “The Kingdom of God"Peter – The Time for God to “Restore Everything”Escapism Or Engagement?

Paul wrote to thank the Philippians for their gift and to reassure them that God had a purpose in his imprisonment. Paul had blinkered eyes that saw everything in the light of the gospel! Physically Paul was in chains,emotionally he was being ridiculed and despised,and mentally, he faced an uncertain future (a possible death sentence). But rather than wallow in despair and discouragement at his imprisonment or become emotionally angry and bitter or mentally despondent and anxious,Paul chose to be excited, encouraged and focus on how God could use this for good. Paul chose to trust God knowing that whatever happened, whether life or death, God was in control and that he could never be the loser. To Paul, the gospel is always good news, whether in life or facing death. The gospel not only gives us the ability to see good in our circumstances and rejoice but also the ability to stand firm regardless of our current life situation. Follow this link for the related Life Group Study Notes