Podcasts about Universal church

Fr. Mike reveals Solomon's plan of leadership, and how he is aiming to unite the people. He also foreshadows the importance of the temple as a place where Israel can go to worship God as one people. Today's readings are 1 Kings 4, 2 Chronicles 6, and Psalm 65. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Metaphors of the Universal Church(05/10/26)

Honoring Leadership Authority (2) (audio) David Eells, 5/6/26 Precious Father, we thank You so much for opening our understanding so that we can cooperate with You in these days to come. Lord, put a sense of Your sovereignty in us that we might know that You are in control of all these things, and that history repeats because there's only One mind in control, and that is Yours, and that we can put our trust totally in You. You are teaching us not to lean upon the arm of the flesh, or the strength of man, but to lean on You in faith, to trust in You as our Savior in all things. And we thank You, Father. Lord, this teaching of honoring leadership authority certainly puts us in a position of weakness, where we need to trust in You to be our defender. And we thank You, Lord, that You are omnipotent, You are all-powerful to take care of Your people, to defend them, and provide for them. And we thank You, Lord. We can trust You. We thank You, Lord. Hallelujah! Amen.  In thinking on Revelation 13, how in verse 7 that the beast is making war on the saints, He commands the saints that if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. The Lord has put us in a position of weakness. Here, the beast is making a physical war on the saints, but they can't do any physical warfare. They need to fight using the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and trust God as Savior.  And it wasn't any different with Jesus. He said to Peter and the disciples, Mat.26:52 Then saith Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. In the next verse, He said He could call down twelve legions of angels, if he really wanted to fight. He trusted Himself to God as Savior. We just looked at quite a few promises to the people who will not go out and fight with the beast. And on the other hand, God made quite a few very ominous threats to those who do. There's a revelation in Ezekiel 17, which I'll just touch on. Here's a parable that the Lord gave to me through the word of knowledge, which helped me to understand what was being said. Israel in this story was between two great eagles. One of them was Babylon, and the other was Egypt. Except that the Father pointed out to me that these two eagles represented the same country. And that Egypt here represents a bondage that God's people were to forsake. He forbade them from ever going back to Egypt. And what He meant was Egypt represented the old man in their baptism in the Red Sea. The old man died, and He never wanted them to go back to being in bondage to the old man, or to trust in the strength of Egypt, as He said in Isaiah 30. So you can understand that the beast kingdom, the Great Eagle that was ruling over the nations, at that time was literally Babylon. It was the head of the nations, just like America is today, as the Great Eagle. The Lord showed me in Ezekiel 17 that a civil war would come in which the Great Eagle would be pitted against the Great Eagle. And that's the story here in Ezekiel 17, and many people have never actually seen that, but once it's pointed out to you, it's very clear. Babylon was bringing God's people under dominion. It was taking authority over them, taking their freedom from them. They had their own country, they were free, but now they were coming under the dominion of Babylon. Much like Christianity has been in freedom. But increasingly, we see that it has come under the dominion of the beast, and many laws are taking away Christian freedoms. And that's the parable here. So when He speaks about making a covenant with Israel, He's talking about the end time covenant. Ezekiel represented the Man-child of Revelation 12. Ezekiel was caught up to the throne of God. He saw God. He was ordained of the Lord there, and he received an anointing there in Ezekiel 2, verse 1. When this happened, he immediately began to be called the Son of Man, like Jesus, Who was also the Man-child. Throughout the whole Book of Ezekiel, he's called the Son of Man. The ministry of the Man-child is going to be opposed by the apostate church. The Jews wanted Jesus to fight with Rome, but He would have nothing of it. His battle was always with the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He didn't want any battle with Rome whatsoever. Rome had been given authority over Israel because Israel was rebellious, and Jesus wasn't going to go against His Father. It's the same situation with Ezekiel. He was trying to tell them not to fight with the king of Babylon. Like Jesus and Jeremiah, his battle was with the apostate leadership of God's people.    Let's start in Eze.17:11 Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, (he's warning the people) saying, 12 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him to Babylon. (Well, this literally was Jehoiachin, who was the king when Babylon came, and took him, took the princes, and thousands of God's people away to Babylon. But then he did something else.) 13 And he took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him; he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land;  So here's the word ‘covenant', and the Lord showed me in previous revelations that this person was Zedekiah. His administration was the one that the king of Babylon set up. He took of the seed royal, and he made him a ruler over Israel, and He made a covenant with him. Now, I believe that this first part of Jeconiah and that whole leadership being taken into bondage has already happened. I believe where we're headed now is the covenant, and the covenant was made with the Zedekiah administration.  A bondage of the world beast of seven heads and ten horns is coming. I'm going to share a portion of what this ‘taking into bondage' represents, which will be a time in our day. The name of the article is Baiting the False Prophet. Ecc.3:15 That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away. Our modern-day revival of the Roman Empire, the U.S. over the Alliance of Nations, is doing exactly what Constantine did to unite the earth. Those false prophets sat at Constantine's table, and a modern-day false prophet leadership will sit over the Alliance of Nations. A modern equivalent or type has happened. The Reverend Sun Myung Moon, was the leader of the Unification Church. And he claimed that Christ failed in His mission, that he himself was the new Messiah who had come to finish the job and to unite the world through uniting religious forces. Almost all of the well-known evangelical Christian leaders and their organizations were beholden to this man. It was not by accident, it's was by design. He took his work very seriously. As a billionaire, he targeted these influential leaders with the hook and bait of bailouts and grants and political power and prestige, and so on. I couldn't believe how these men showered admiration for this lost man. He brought them what they lusted for while unifying them through his related organizations: the Council of National Policy, the Coalition for Religious Freedom, the Council of 56 of the Religious Roundtable, and others. It is here that he associates them with the leadership of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Council of Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, Freemasonry, all closely tied to the Bilderbergers. Do you think this couldn't happen again on a larger scale?This shadow government was joining the leaders of apostate religions together as a false prophet of unity to the masses of Christians who don't know that they, as a harlot, were being sold into bondage to the beast. History repeats as the apostate leaders were set at Constantine's Round Table to build an end-time Catholic or Universal Church. In like manner, Babylon took the leadership of God's people captive and made a covenant with them. I give these verses Eze.17:12 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him to Babylon. (and that was Jehoiachin or Jeconiah; His name has been used in those two different ways. That's just a different version of the same name.) But then, in verse 13, where we just read, he raised up one of the royal lineages and made a covenant with him. Before I read that, I want to read this. An assortment of other ecumenical movements has worked on the whole religious world to bring this unity to pass. In other words, we see in the United States that this has been an effort for many years but not only that, it's happened around the world. The United Religions Initiative was putting together a UN of all religions worldwide called United Religions in their hope of bringing peace And Dominion. Like Constantine formed to make peace between the religions to bring peace to the world. George Bush, along with influential people like billionaire George Soros, the Dalai Lama, and Reverend Moon, threw their weight behind the UR. And all of this was in preparation for a US/UN/UR type Roman Empire. So they are lusting for a one-world religion, and they are capturing, through devious means, these people who have found themselves in trouble, money-wise. As we have seen “the things that have been shall be.  Reverend Moon, who's actually acting for this shadow religious beast government, under the tutelage of the CIA got the leaders out of trouble. So that makes them beholden unto him. All of these historic examples and more have come as a type for the future. Thank God their efforts failed for the time was not yet. This second part is yet to come, and that is verse 13 And he took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him (that was Zedekiah); he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land. And so, when I reached this point, the Lord asked me a question when I got to verse 13, and He said, “In how many verses is the word covenant mentioned?” So I started in verse 13, and as I read, I counted and discovered that it was seven verses. And He pointed out to me that that represented the seven years of the covenant. The word covenant is used in seven verses here. And then He asked me, “How many verses until the covenant is broken?” And I counted, and it was about three and a half, in the middle of the sixteenth verse, where he says, Covenant he brake. And then He asked me, “How many times ‘covenant' is spoken in those seven verses?” And it was spoken six times, the number six is the number of the beast and the number of the covenant. Well, I think it's pretty neat. Reading on, He speaks about the covenant, and also about this puppet of the seed royal that the king of Babylon made the covenant with, that he's the one who broke the covenant and rebelled to fight against the great eagle king of Babylon. And not only that, he went to the great eagle of Egypt to seek help, strength, horses, and so on, to fight with the king of Babylon. Well, that was a very bad thing to do, because Babylon was already conquering Egypt at the time. So there really wasn't going to be any help from Egypt. They put themselves in a very bad position, because now the king of Babylon was making war upon them. And he tells them that they won't escape. You can read it for yourself when you get time.  But he also said in Eze.17:19 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, I will even bring it upon his own head. The Lord is saying that these people who fought against the king of Babylon were breaking His covenant. Now, He wasn't talking about the beast covenant being His covenant. He's talking about this being His covenant, the Word of God, and His commands. They had been commanded to submit to the king of Babylon (for chastening) and not to fight with him, and they broke their covenant with God.  And he went on to say that these people who fight against the king of Babylon are just like those who will fight against America, in verse 20 And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me. 21 And all his fugitives in all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward every wind: and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it. Meaning that those who fight against Babylon, this is the promise that God makes to them. This is a type and a shadow. “That which hath been is that which shall be” … (Ecc.1:9) This is a type and a shadow for our day and the seven-year covenant and what's about to happen when God's people rise up to fight, trusting in the arm of the flesh, because of the mark of the beast. Many other “Christians” will just take the mark to hold on to their standard of living. As we saw, submit does not mean to take the mark. This will cause a civil war in the midst of the Great Eagle kingdom and the Christians will lose as our text proves. The mark is to separate the wheat from the tares for the end approaches. Those without faith in God will take the mark. But a new leadership is being raised up to give last minute understanding to many rebels. 22 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain: That's talking about the Man-child ministry; it was Jesus in His day, and then Jesus in the Man-child ministry in our day as history repeats on a larger scale. The mountain is spiritual Mount Zion. Rev 14:1  And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand (man-child), having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. (the mark of God)… 4  These are they that were not defiled with women (False sects of Christianity.); for they are virgins (Having not received the seed or word of man). These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, to be the first fruits unto God and unto the Lamb.  So, going back to this Jehoiachin administration and the administration that was taken out of that, the Zedekiah administration, and we go to 2 Kings chapter 24, we can see the whole story. And it shows there are two different people: those who rebel and those who don't. He makes promises to those who don't, and He makes judgments upon those who rebel. This is a type and a shadow for our day and what's about to happen. 2Ki.24:10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And verse 14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths; none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. (This was in the time of Jehoiakim, when they were taken captive, and when Babylon invaded.) 15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon; and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the chief men of the land, carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths a thousand, all of them strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's father's brother, king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. (which means, ‘Yah is might'. This guy felt like he needed to exercise his might against the king of Babylon. They were the people of God, and they thought they didn't deserve this. But Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the writer of Kings here believed that they did deserve what was happening because it was because of their rebellion. This caused God to deliver them over to the king of Babylon. They felt like they should fight to deliver themselves. In other words, to trust in the arm of the flesh, to go back down to the eagle of Egypt, and let the old man rule.) 18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem… And verse 20 For through the anger of Jehovah did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. So this is the same place we were in Ezekiel when the covenant was made. He made a covenant with Zedekiah and the people of Israel. They broke it, and rebelled, and they fought. And Jeconiah or Jehoiachin (the same king), and his followers were taken into bondage.  And I want to tell you that the leadership of Christianity will repeat history. They will be taken into bondage except for the righteous. And we're coming to the time of this covenant and this civil war that's about to happen during the time of the Great Eagles. And Zedekiah here represents that apostate ministry. It was said of both Jehoiachin and Zedekiah that they did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. These were evil kings who rebelled against the Lord. And it's the same today. The leadership of God's people is evil as it was in Jesus' time. They have departed from the word of the Lord and done their own thing. And 2Ki.25:2 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. In their rebellion, God did not defend them, He wasn't preserving them, or feeding them, and He wasn't taking care of them because they had rebelled. He had given them the order to submit, which they hadn't done.  And it reminded me of the apostates who had rebelled against him in Isa.65:12 I will destine you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but ye did that which was evil in mine eyes, and chose that wherein I delighted not. (Listen to this now.) 13 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be put to shame; 14 behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall wail for vexation of spirit. See, this is the exact same thing he says about those who rebel against the king of Babylon and those who don't. He threatens those who rebel with starvation, hunger, and so on. And they eventually flee their land into the nations, and they don't escape even then. This war is going to be totally lost by those who call themselves Christians who stand up to fight will lose this war badly. They're going to be scattered among the nations. And verse 4 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about); (the Babylonians, the Great Eagle.) and the king went by the way of the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. 7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon. Now, the ultimate end of this situation was that these people were the harlot. I'm sure they considered themselves the people of God, but you remember in Revelation 17, at the end of the tribulation, the beast burned the harlot with fire. And it is the same thing here. 8 Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem. (apostate Jerusalem) 9 And he burnt the house of Jehovah, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burnt he with fire. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. We see the same story in Jeremiah 24. First, a couple of verses in chapter 23, he said, Jer.23:39 … and I will cast you off, and the city that I gave unto you and to your fathers, away from my presence: Now, why is it in some of the beast attack types, like Assyria, do the people of God escape? Let me read this to you: 2Ch.32:22 Thus Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. 23 And many brought gifts unto Jehovah to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah; so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from thenceforth. Now, there's the seven-headed beast. Well, Assyria was one of the heads, and Babylon was one of the heads. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, and revived Rome. It's a seven-headed beast. So all of those kingdoms were types and shadows of this end time corporate beast. So how come we see that the time of the Assyrian beast, Jerusalem, and their king were righteous, and they're the only ones that are preserved. Whereas in the time of the Babylonian beast Jerusalem and their king were taken captive? Because we're talking about two different leaderships. God is saying that the backslidden leadership of apostate Jerusalem is going into judgment. And everybody who follows them will follow them into judgment. At the same time, there is a good leadership over the people of God. There is a real Jerusalem, which is the heavenly Jerusalem. So, these people are going to be defended by God; the others are not. That's the difference. There's one unregenerate Jerusalem, as the leadership of God's people, and there's a regenerate. Each one of those beast empires has a type and a shadow for the end time that fits into it. So in Jeremiah chapter 23, He says he's going to cast those apostates off, out of His presence. And Jeremiah, here, represents the Man-child ministry; he's speaking against the rebels, like Ezekiel was doing. What was Jesus doing? Speaking against the rebels like Barabas. Resist not him that is evil, love your enemy, do good to those who despitefully use you, etc. Now, Jer.24:1 Jehovah showed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs set before the temple of Jehovah, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. 2 One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first-ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. 3 Then said Jehovah unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the bad, very bad, that cannot be eaten, they are so bad. 4 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 5 Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so will I regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, for good. The whole government of America is going to take more authority over Christianity in general. Have you seen that the Christians have lost their rights in the UK while the invaders have rights while Starmer kisses Muslim leaders? The rights that Christians have had to speak to other people, and to raise their children the way they want, and on and on. The rapists are set free. Some are going to fight and try to take the country back but prayer, faith, and spiritual warfare, is the method. Some are not going to fight. But He said that this bondage is coming for good to the good figs, but not so for the bad figs.  He said in verse, 6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: (He's talking about New Jerusalem Paul said we were to come to. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed apostate Jerusalem? So what land and what city were they coming back to? The New Jerusalem and the new land.) … I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Jehovah: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.  Now these are the people who do not rebel against the king of Babylon. And then He starts to speak about Zedekiah and the people who do rebel. 8 And as the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad, surely thus saith Jehovah, So will I give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: (who trust in Egypt for strength). 9 I will even give them up to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth for evil; (That's a terrible threat! I think a large portion of Christianity in America will rise up and fight. The more liberal, the more authority used over them, and when their rights have been taken away, the more the corrupt UN demands its rights, the more treaties are made that give the UN authority in the United States. Very leftist treaties  are just waiting for more liberal leadership to come in and loose them or agree with them. But God says that these people who rebel are going to be tossed to and fro among the kingdoms of the earth for evil. They're going to be scattered all over the world, and they're not going to be free there  …to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. 10 And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. And why? Because they are rebelling against the word of the Lord. God says, ‘Go to your cross,' and they say, ‘I'm not going.' Jesus went to His cross. The Lord is not necessarily demanding a physical death for His people in this cross. But the ones who rebel will definitely find a physical death. That's what He's saying here. They will repent or be destroyed from the face of the Earth. And the next chapter is all about Babylon conquering the nations of the Middle East. The first one is Israel, which represents the church spiritually. Jeremiah the prophet was the one speaking this judgment upon not only the church but the rest of the world. He was the one speaking this judgment and releasing it through the words that he spoke in verse 2 and all of it was because he said, from verses 4 - 6, that they had not hearkened unto the Lord; they were paying no attention whatsoever to what God said in His word. That's why He said this was coming. Listen, there's a judgment coming very fast upon the people of God. The whole world is going to turn, and the head of the United States, too, is going to turn against Christianity for the sake of peace. You're going to see  judgment upon what we loosely call Christianity.  Now go to Jer.27:1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim (some of your Bibles say Zedekiah there; it's supposed to be Zedekiah, not Jehoiakim, because he'd already spoken about Jehoiakim back in verse 26. Now he was coming down to Zedekiah. My Bible says properly, Zedekiah. The Amplified version used Zedekiah here instead of Jehoiakim, because Jehoiakim doesn't fit here at all; somebody made a mistake here.) Jer.27:1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, 2 Thus saith Jehovah to me: Make thee bonds and bars, and put them upon thy neck; 3 and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the children of Ammon, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers that come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; 4 and give them a charge unto their masters, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say unto your masters: 5 I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by my great power and by my outstretched arm; and I give it unto whom it seemeth right unto me. (We know through reading scriptures that God has given the Earth over into the hand of beast kingdoms that persecuted God's people unto repentance. In every case, they had been rebellious, they had ignored His word, it was not important to them to obey, and so He had given them over into the hand of these beast kingdoms, and now it was Nebuchadnezzar's turn.) 6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon (The Great Eagle in Ezekiel 17. In this case, Jeremiah is the one speaking the word against the people of God, as Jesus did and Ezekiel did, and Jeremiah here represents the Man-child. He preached against the rebels, the bad figs.), my servant (That doesn't mean he was a Christian. But he was serving God in the creation of His people. And since they were rebelling, He was going to bring them a necessary chastening.); and the beasts of the field also have I given him to serve him. The beasts of the field or the beasts of the world. The field is the world, and the beasts here represent the other kingdoms of the world. Babylon was the head of the nations. It was the head of the U.N. in its day. That's exactly like America is today. Jer.27:7 And all the nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the time of his own land come: and then many nations and great kings shall make him their bondman. 8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith Jehovah, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. He's talking here about the bad figs, because that's the exact same wording he used about the bad figs, who were the people who rebelled against the king of Babylon. See, when God sends you a chastening, you don't want to rebel against Him. You want to humbly submit to your cross. And that's what's going on here; these people were rebels, and self-willed and wanted it their way. They had taken control over the kingdom of God, and God was sending a chastening, and He said, ‘Submit.' 9 But as for you, hearken ye not to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreams, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:(Let me tell you something, we've been hearing from them for some time, that the church is not going under the authority of the beast. “We're out of here. We're flying away.” But that's not going to happen. This is exactly what they were prophesying then.) And even after it happened that the beast, at the end of chapter 28, it says, Jer.28:11 And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon within two full years from off the neck of all the nations. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way. (So he said, “Okay, okay, so we did come under the bondage of the kingdom, but we're out of here in two years.” And Jeremiah says, “No, you're not. You're going to be here 70 years. You're not going to be out of here until the Lord visits you.”) For instance, in Jer.29:8 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets that are in the midst of you, and your diviners, deceive you; neither hearken ye to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith Jehovah. 10 For thus saith Jehovah, After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, (That's the coming of the Lord. Babylon, in the Book of Revelation, was seven years after this happened. God said He was going to shorten the time. And this is how he shortened it. Seventy years was the type, and it was shortened to seven.) …After seventy (seven) years are accomplished for Babylon, (In other words, your bondage in Babylon, after seven years.) I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. Notice, he only said that about the good figs, who were going to return to that place. We just read that. The rebels were not returning. Now, there will be people who are going to rebel, and they're going to repent, and switch sides because they will gain understanding and submit to God. God's going to be with them; He will be their Savior. He's going to forgive them. But there are going to be people who will not repent, and they're going to be what the Bible calls, “the bad figs, very bad they can't be eaten.” He said in Jer.27:10 for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land, and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. 11 But the nation that shall bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, that nation will I let remain in their own land, saith Jehovah; and they shall till it, and dwell therein. 12 And I spake to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. 13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as Jehovah hath spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 And hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, (We're going to hear a rash of this stuff, how this is not going to continue, that it's all going to be turned around. We've already heard these false prosperity prophets speaking lies about the things that are coming. All the peace and the prosperity and the blessings. I believe the blessings will be gone after NESARA provides to get the Gospel out. And yet, these are the same people who will rebel.) saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon; for they prophesy a lie unto you. 15 For I have not sent them, saith Jehovah, but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that ye may perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you. Those who rebel are going to receive this judgment. But God said that He was going to bless and preserve, and He was going to give a heart to the people who did not rebel to know Him - the good figs. He called Hezekiah, his leadership, and Zedekiah's people the bad figs. They were going to be swept from nation to nation under the judgment of God until they perished from off the face of the earth. When God's people get stubborn and rebellious against His Word, He raises up a beast to chasten them, to bring them to humility, to turn them back to the Lord, and when He's through doing His sanctifying work on them, then He turns on that beast and destroys it. God separates the harlot from the true church through persecution. When He's through doing that, then He destroys the harlot by the beast. They think, “We're God's people. God's on our side. We'll fly away.” Well, no, He wasn't, because they were rebelling. How many apostate religious people do you know who sincerely believe that they're the people of God, but ignore the Word of God to trust a preacher who doesn't agree with the full Gospel? You can share the Word of God with them, and they will still ignore it, because they're self-willed. God knows what He's doing. If He tells us to submit, and to turn the other cheek, to love your enemy, to do good to them that spitefully use you, then we have to obey Him. That's what our cross is all about. Some people are not willing to give up their carnal life to gain their Godly life, which Jesus commanded us.

This is a continuation of the series "The Church". The church's primary responsibility is to influence the world for Christ.

Metaphors of the Universal Church(05/03/26)

Good Shepherd Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, is when the Universal Church celebrates our shepherds, the priests, bishops, and pope who all act in the person of the One Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. God the Father knew we would need Shepherds like Jesus and His priests in order to help us get to heaven.

Good Shepherd Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, is when the Universal Church celebrates our shepherds, the priests, bishops, and pope who all act in the person of the One Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. God the Father knew we would need Shepherds like Jesus and His priests in order to help us get to heaven.

Historical Beginning of the Universal Church(04/19/26)

Today is day 98 and we are on the Third Article of the Apostles' Creed. Today we are on the fourteenth line: “The Holy Catholic Church”. 98. Why is the Church called “catholic”? The Church is called “catholic” (“according to the whole”)because it keeps the whole faith it has received from the Lord, in continuity with the whole Church, in all times and places. (Micah 4:1–4; Acts 2:1–11; 1 Corinthians 15:1–8; 2 Timothy 1:13–14; Jude 3; Revelation 5:9–10) We will conclude today with Prayer 1. For the Universal Church found on page 646 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Today is day 95 and we are on the Third Article of the Apostles' Creed. Today we are on the fourteenth line: “The Holy Catholic Church”. 95. What are the “marks” or characteristics of the Church? The Nicene Creed expands upon the Apostles' Creed to list four characteristics of the Church: it is “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.” (see Articles of Religion, 8, see also Articles of Religion, 19 and 20, and the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral) We will conclude today with Prayer 2. For the Universal Church found on page 646 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Memorare of St Joseph in English and Latin | FREE Latin Learning Guide Learn the Memorare to St. Joseph in Latin and English, a powerful Catholic prayer of intercession to carry the graces of Lent into the Easter season. In this episode of The Latin Prayer Podcast, we pray the Memorare to St. Joseph together, first in English, then in Latin, following a devotional rhythm rooted in confidence and trust. This prayer mirrors the structure of the traditional Memorare to Our Lady, inviting us to seek St. Joseph's protection and intercession in every season of life. As Lent gives way to Easter, this episode offers a simple but profound spiritual practice: take what God has begun in you and entrust it to St. Joseph, that it may remain alive and grow through the fifty days of Easter and beyond. This is a pray-along episode designed to help you: – Learn the Memorare to St. Joseph – Pray it in both English and Latin – Establish a daily habit through the Easter season Pray this daily and ask St. Joseph, guardian of the Holy Family and patron of the Universal Church, to protect the graces God has given you. St. Joseph, terror of demons, pray for us.   Help us restore sacred tradition and bring timeless prayers to new ears. Support our mission and gain access to our Latin learning guides, feast day resources, and audio devotionals. Find the Free Latin Learning Guide on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thelatinprayerpodcast A huge thank you to my Patrons! To follow me on other platforms Click on my LinkTree below. linktr.ee/dylandrego Submit Prayer Requests or comments / suggestions: thelatinprayerpodcast@gmail.com To Support FishEaters.com Click Here (  / fisheaters  ) Join me and others in praying the Holy Rosary every day; here are the Spotify quick links to the Rosary: Joyful Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/1yhn... Sorrowful Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/3P0n... Glorious Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/3t7l... Luminous Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vlA... 15 Decade Rosary https://open.spotify.com/episode/2q33... Know that if you are listening to this, I am praying for you. Please continue to pray with me and for me and my family. May everything you do be Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. God Love You! Valete (Goodbye)   This podcast may contain copyrighted material the use of which may not always have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advanced the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church for the promulgation of religious education. We believe this constitutes a "fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US copyright law, and section 29, 29.1 & 29.2 of the Canadian copyright act. Music Credit: 3MDEHDDQTEJ1NBB0

Today is day 93 and we are on the Third Article of the Apostles' Creed. Today we are on the fourteenth line: “The Holy Catholic Church”. 93. How does Holy Scripture teach you to view the Church? Holy Scripture teaches me to view the Church as God's family, as the Body and bride of Christ, and as the temple where God in Christ dwells by his Spirit. (Isaiah 54:5–8; Hosea 2:16–20; Matthew 12:46–50; 1 Corinthians 3:16–17; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1; Revelation 5:9–10; 19:6–10) We will conclude today with Prayer 1. For the Universal Church found on page 646 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

March 19th is considered the traditional date of St. Joseph's death. The Feast of St. Joseph-Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is celebrated annually on this date as a solemnity in the Catholic Church honoring the spouse of the Virgin Mary and earthly foster father of Jesus. It highlights St. Joseph as a model of humility, obedience, and familial protection. He is known as the patron saint of the Universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and a happy death. Hearing Jesus podcast available at https://amzn.to/3QLEpee Gospel of Matthew available at https://amzn.to/3sxXmZS ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Mark's History of North America podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovel Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Hearing Jesus podcast with Rachael Groll, episode 378: Joseph’s Obedient Journey (Life Audio, Salem Web Network). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

March 19th is considered the traditional date of St. Joseph's death. The Feast of St. Joseph-Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is celebrated annually on this date as a solemnity in the Catholic Church honoring the spouse of the Virgin Mary and earthly foster father of Jesus. It highlights St. Joseph as a model of humility, obedience, and familial protection. He is known as the patron saint of the Universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and a happy death. Hearing Jesus podcast available at https://amzn.to/3QLEpee Super Saints podcast available at https://amzn.to/46spnjl Consecration to St. Joseph by Father Donald H. Calloway at https://amzn.to/47m4MOJ Gospel of Matthew available at https://amzn.to/3sxXmZS ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Mark's History of North America podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovel Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Hearing Jesus podcast with Rachael Groll, episode 378: Joseph’s Obedient Journey (Life Audio, Salem Web Network); Super Saints podcast with Bob and Penny Lord by Brother Joseph; Saint Of The Day podcast with Mike Roberts by Covenant Network (ourcatholicradio.org). All audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saint Joseph is a prime example of fatherhood for fathers, godfathers, and spiritual fathers. He trusted in the Lord and provided for Mary and Jesus despite not having a word in scripture. This blogcast explores “St. Joseph's Noble Example" from the Ad Infinitum blog, written by Chris Pierno and read by Brian Rhude.As we continue through this “Year of St. Joseph” as proclaimed by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, one cannot help but reflect on St. Joseph: adoptive father of Jesus, spouse to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Patron of the Universal Church. These lofty and impressive titles have been given to a man who in many respects is seen as humble, consistently in the background, and having no words come from his mouth in Scripture. His example of what it means to be a man and a father is one men can strive for.As a father of a precocious one-year-old, I cannot help but look for examples of how to be a father. Of course, we often look to our own fathers, grandfathers, friends, and perhaps even godfathers and spiritual fathers through the priesthood. There are many qualities that we can emulate from these father figures in our lives, indeed very practical ones. How to change diapers without a mess; how to look good while carrying an undersized backpack filled with wipes, pacifiers, and a change of clothes; or at what posture to best steer that not-tall-enough stroller? What prayers should we be introducing to our young family? How can we strive to provide for our child both practically and spiritually? However, I would suggest another figure to look to: St. Joseph.When my son was baptized, a friend of ours – who happens to be named Joseph – gifted to him (and to us) a statue of St. Joseph. At the time, I considered it more of a funny coincidence, and a nice gesture. As I continued to reflect on it, I really began to see it as providential. Admittedly, as a new father, I was scared and anxious (I still am). St. Joseph undoubtedly faced many of the same anxieties. However, throughout Scripture he is portrayed as a man who sorts out problems and comes up with solutions in practical and brave ways. It is this particular quality that I think we, as fathers, should take as a noble example.There will be times throughout our fatherhoods when we will come to face challenges, confusion, and doubt. St. Joseph protected the Holy Family and trusted in the word of God when it was easy not to trust. As fathers we are called to protect our own families, not necessarily always from harm or danger, and also to provide an example of kindness, love, and humility that so often is characterized as weak. Instead, I invite you to seek St. Joseph's noble example and see these qualities as a strength.We also need to trust in God. Pope Francis says in Patris Corde, “The greatness of Saint Joseph is that he was the spouse of Mary and the father of Jesus. In this way, he placed himself, in the words of Saint John Chrysostom, 'at the service of the entire plan of salvation.'” Let us as fathers follow in St. Joseph's noble example to place ourselves at the service of God's plan for us. Then we will truly be able to serve our families without fear or anxiety. Author:With the Center since 2011, Chris Pierno is the Catholic Apostolate Center's Manager of Marketing & Consulting. In this role, he oversees the Center's marketing program and coordination of consulting services. He also supports the staff in areas of  graphic design, advancement, public relations, administration, and strategic planning for the Center. Chris also is a co-host for the Center's premier podcast, OnMission. Resources:Listen to On Mission: The SaintsOn Mission: The Year of Saint JosephBrowse the Saints and Feast Day SiteRead the Ad Infinitum blog Follow us:The Catholic Apostolate CenterThe Center's podcast websiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastsSpotify Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. also appears on the podcast, On Mission, which is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center and you can also listen to his weekly Sunday Gospel reflections. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources.

Revelation 21:22-27And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Ephesians 2:1-10 - Living Water Bible Fellowship exists to lead people into a life changing and ever growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining us today. If you have a need or prayer request, please check our links and connect with us.  If you made a decision today for Christ, please call or email us so we can celebrate with you! Phone: 719-589-6351 Email addresses for our leadership: Pastor Jeron - pastorjeron@livingwateralamosa.org Derek Sisneros - derek.sisneros@livingwateralamosa.org Luke Smith - lsmith@livingwateralamosa.org LWBF Office - office@livingwateralamosa.org Donations: https://www.livingwateralamosa.org/give Website: http://www.livingwateralamosa.org Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lwbfalamosa YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs0GuaHLwY2ZP_rBvw8Ep7g We have an app! From your phone: http://lwbf.app Apple App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/living-water-bible-fellowship/id1417883284?mt=8 Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tentapps.livingwateralam Subscribe to our Podcast: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sermons/id1294034914 Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Ipbuu6siddg57clx4kinggfjuxm Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=153528&refid=stpr Thank you for watching and listening!

The Church dedicates the month of March to St. Joseph. He is the patron of the Universal Church. Just as the Blessed Virgin is the mother of all Christians, St. Joseph has been entrusted with the care of all, including the Church herself. This makes sense as St. Joseph was entrusted with being the father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, he stands as an example for all. He was a man who accepted the will of God completely, even in the face of requests he could not fathom.

This was a powerful message presented by our lead pastor's wife, Pastor Courtney. It will show you the biblical importance of being a part of both the Universal Church and the Local Church.If you hear the end and want to be born again, go to https://www.realchurch.us/back-to-the-basics and go through lesson 1. It will explain the Gospel and help you take that step. If you fill out the assessment, our lead pastor will receive it and respond to you answering any questions you have.www.realchurch.us

The Holy Universal Church (Matthew 16:13-18) - Rachel Matson | February 15, 2026The Apostles Creed is one of the oldest and most important summaries of the Christian faith, anchoring us in the unchanging story of who God is and what He's done. It is like a roadmap of what Christians have believed for nearly two thousand years. As we unpack each line over the next few weeks, this series will help us understand what we believe, why we believe it, and how it shapes the way we live.The Way Church is a church in Vancouver joining Jesus in the restoration of all things. For more information, visit our website at http://thewaychurch.caLINKSConnect Form: http://connect.thewaychurch.caKids: http://thewaychurch.ca/kidsYouth: http://thewaychurch.ca/youthAlpha: http://thewaychurch.ca/alpha

Friends of the Rosary,Today, February 3rd, the Universal Church offers two saints, Blaise and Ansgar, for separate celebration as an Optional Memorial. To St. Blaise (or Blaise) (d. 320), many cures are attributed. From the eighth century, he has been invoked on behalf of the sick, especially those afflicted with illnesses of the throat. St. Blaise was a physician and Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia, and was martyred under Licinius. St. Blaise is included in the list of Fourteen Holy Helpers.On this day, the Church celebrates a "Blessing of the Throats" in honor of St. Blaise. St. Ansgar (801-865) became known as the "Apostle of the North" for his great evangelical work in Denmark and Sweden. He was Bishop of Hamburg, Germany, and then of Bremen, Germany. Known for his great preaching, working miracles, and being greatly devoted to the poor and sick.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠February 3, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Universal Voices is back with an all new mini-series. This season we explore how different folks within the Universal Church are experiencing community within the Body of Christ. In this episode, Alissa welcomes Katie Holler and Viridiana Herrera of The Dorothea Project. The Dorothea Project is a community of Catholic women formed by Catholic Social Teaching, called to speak truth and defend human dignity. The three women spend time talking about the beauty and power of women coming together to act and move in the defense of human dignity. They also chat about:Motherhood.The power of belonging and connection.Vidi's gift of gab.   :)The Holy Spirit present in connection between persons. The longing to be seen, known and safe.How The Dorothea Project began.CST as a best kept secret.The beauty and variety of gifts, talents and backgrounds of the women that are drawn into The Dorothea Project. "On Earth As it is in Heaven. The beauty of CST being rooted in the tenets of the Catholic faith and The Gospel.Women Leading.Find out more about The Dorothea Project here or find them on Instagram here.///Katie Holler is, in no particular order, a community organizer, a wife, a mom, and a Gilmore Girls enthusiast. She currently organizes moms for universal childcare and founded The Dorothea Project to organize Catholic women to take action in defense of human dignity rooted in Catholic Social Teaching. She also teaches social work part time at Franciscan University. In her very limited free time, Katie likes baking, listening to podcasts, and dreaming of a more just society. Viridiana Herrera Solis is a catechist and Catholic Youth Minister in Bakersfield, California. She has a background in tech and data, but is currently pursuing a degree in Speech Language Pathology. Within the Dorothea Project, Viridiana serves on the Intercessory Prayer Team and Social Media Team. In her spare time she loves to write, make candles, create small sculptures, and create prayerful retreats for her friends.

It's our 2025 year in review... the three biggest takeaways in the Catholic Church, in the Diocese of Bridgeport, and in the personal life of Bishop Frank Caggiano. A recurring theme in all three: hope vs discouragement. Plus, Bishop Frank's resolutions for 2026. Enjoy! Pax Christi, Steve Lee The other guy on Let Me Be Frank Email List: https://www.veritascatholic.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy9oYx0t7imNDH5nLwSiM8Q Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ Other shows The Tangent: https://thetangent.podbean.com/ Daily Gospel Reflections: https://dailycatholicreflection.podbean.com/ The Frontline With Joe & Joe: https://thefrontlinewithjoeandjoe.podbean.com/ Restless Catholic Young Adults: https://restlesscatholicmedia.podbean.com/  

Sermon Text: Various Texts Teacher: Al Kenitz Scripture Reading: Revelation 19:6-9 Click here to download the slides referenced in the sermon: Universal Church & Local ChurchDownload

Friday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; a feast of the Universal Church since the 16th Century; this celebration continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/21/25 Gospel: Luke 19:45-48

Universal Voices is back with an all new mini-series. This season we explore how different folks within the Universal Church are experiencing community within the Body of Christ. In this episode, Alissa welcomes Karina Breceda. Alissa and Karina discuss Fr. Rick Thomas whose case for canonization was recently opened. Fr. Rick was a central figure in Karina's life and she credits him for leading her to the work with migrants that she now does. The two chat about the rich community Fr. Thomas shepherded and how his model of prayer, joy, obedience, and service left a lasting impression. In this episode you'll also hear the two talk about:The blessing of place.The multiplication of Christmas Dinner.The miracle of a dump that becomes a "city on a hill."Being crazy for Jesus.The only thing that makes sense.Fr. Thomas' prophetic witness in creating a youth center.Being the 2025 version of the work of the Gospel.Being one day saints like Father Thomas.The video we reference (in which Father Thomas is interviewed about Christmas Dinner can be found here or by searching "The Glory of God" - Juarez Full Length on Youtube. Karina Breceda is a Fronteriza activist and cross-border advocate focusing on pro-life migrant work. She is Co-Founder and Director of Stela and Casa Maris, shelters located on both sides of the US/MX international border serving pregnant women and children seeking refuge. 

Send us a textThis week we're discussing the universal church? What is the Church? What's our purpose and what does it mean to say that we believe in the holy catholic church? Support the show If you have any questions about the subjects covered in today's episode you can find us on Facebook at the links below or you can shoot me an email at joe@buddywalkwithjesus.com One Stop Shop for all the links Linktr.ee/happydeamedia

Friends of the Rosary,The second coming of Christ Jesus will be like the time of Noah, as He revealed to his disciples and we read today (Luke 17:26–37):"As it was in the days of Noah,so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;they were eating and drinking,marrying and giving in marriage up to the daythat Noah entered the ark,and the flood came and destroyed them all."The flood was the result of humanity's sin. His refusal to properly steward the creation and the worship of false deities.God then sent, in a salvation operation, a righteous man named Noah, who built a giant ark in the midst of the desert. It was the Ark of the Covenant.Animals of all species, as well as Noah and his family, came on board.Noah would become a precursor of Christ and the ark of Noah as the womb of the Blessed Mother and later as the Universal Church.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠November 14, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

ShownotesLast week we talked to Susan Brinkman from Women of Grace about necromancy, mediums and conjuring the dead and as our conversation confirmed God forbids these actions.  Ironically, in today's episode we are going to talk about what the deceased want us to know about heaven and purgatory.  But I promise you we are breaking no rules. As Susan pointed out last week there are disembodied souls waiting for us to pray them into heaven, but we should not try to contact them.  In fact there are many Saints in the church who have had approved visions: Padre Pio, St. Tolentino, St. Gertrude, as well as even mystic Maria Simma, whose writings about the souls in purgatory received the imprimatur. Souls who have come from purgatory have sought out the prayers of individuals to gain entrance into heaven. Yet the question remains: What can we learn from these souls? Our GuestsLeslea Wahl lives in beautiful Colorado and is the author of several award-winning teen novels. She strives to write stories that encourage teens to grow in their faith through fun adventurous mysteries. Leslea is often inspired by her family, their travels, and real-life adventures. She particularly enjoys including the furry, four-legged members of her family in her novels. Besides writing Leslea also reviews faith-based novels on her website and is a founding member of CatholicTeenBooks.com.Theresa Linden is the author of award-winning Catholic fiction for children, teens, and adults, including Tortured Soul, a purgatory soul story that won recognition in the Catholic Media Association book awards. One of her great joys is to bring elements of the Catholic Faith to life through a story. A wife, retired homeschooling mom, and Secular Franciscan, she resides in northeast Ohio with her family. Links from the showJennifer's Letters to Mom and Dad‘The Incorruptibles': Who Are These Mysterious Saints?St. JeromeShadows: Visible and Invisible, part of the Catholic Teen Books: Visible & Invisible -AnthologySeries available at Catholicteenbooks.comAllhallowtideSoulcakesScripture Verses“Great Mary who has worked for you…” “for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead.But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought.Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sin.2 Maccabees 12:44-46” Prayer from St. GertrudeEternal Father, I offer You the most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family. Amen.Journaling QuestionsWhat surprised you about this episode?What are some misconceptions you have or had about purgatory, All Saints Day, or All Souls Day?Who is someone you can ask to intercede on your behalf?What is your mourning glory?We hope you enjoy this episode of the Mourning Glory Podcast and share it with others who are on a journey through grief. You can find links to all of our episodes including a link to our brand new private online community on our website at www.mourningglorypodcast.com. God Bless!

Universal Voices is back with an all new mini-series. This season we explore how different folks within the Universal Church are experiencing community within the Body of Christ. In this episode, Alissa welcomes Jessica Mendoza. Alissa and Jessica discuss, "Partners in the Gospel," currently taking place in the Archdiocese of Seattle. The two talk about:Why Partners in the Gospel came about and the hope behind it.The power of being intentional and careful with important things.The power of listening and responding.Practicing not bringing "serial consumerism" into parish life.Working together as the Body.Allowing ourselves to grieve loss or change.Bringing a lion's share of fraternal care to the table.Jessica Mendoza was born and raised in the  Seattle area but counts her roots in Michoacán México. Her works as a pediatric and neonatal physical therapist, and  is also active in her parish, volunteering in high school youth ministry, parish leadership, and working alongside their companion parish in Guatemala.  She also helps chair her Archdiocesan Disability Inclusion Ministry, so that people of all abilities are able to participate fully in the life of the Church. In her spare time Jessica loves reading, hiking around the beautiful Pacific Northwest scenery, and playing the flute in a community Wind Symphony.  

1 After these things was a festival day of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.Post haec erat dies festus Judaeorum, et ascendit Jesus Jerosolymam. 2 Now there is at Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica, which in Hebrew is named Bethsaida, having five porches.Est autem Jerosolymis probatica piscina, quae cognominatur hebraice Bethsaida, quinque porticus habens. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered; waiting for the moving of the water.In his jacebat multitudo magna languentium, caecorum, claudorum, aridorum, exspectantium aquae motum. 4 And an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond; and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water, was made whole, of whatsoever infirmity he lay under.Angelus autem Domini descendebat secundum tempus in piscinam, et movebatur aqua. Et qui prior descendisset in piscinam post motionem aquae, sanus fiebat a quacumque detinebatur infirmitate.Benedict XV extended to the Universal Church the Feast of the holy Archangel St Raphael, who is known to us from the inspired words of the book of Tobias as the angelical physician of soul and body.From the Book of Tobias, 12, 7-15 7 For it is good to hide the secret of a king: but honourable to reveal and confess the works of God.Etenim sacramentum regis abscondere bonum est : opera autem Dei revelare et confiteri honorificum est. 8 Prayer is good with fasting and alms more than to lay up treasures of gold:Bona est oratio cum jejunio, et eleemosyna magis quam thesauros auri recondere : 9 For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting.quoniam eleemosyna a morte liberat, et ipsa est, quae purgat peccata, et facit invenire misericordiam et viam aeternam. 10 But they that commit sin and iniquity, are enemies to their own soul.Qui autem faciunt peccatum, et iniquitatem, hostes sunt animae suae. 11 I discover then the truth unto you, and I will not hide the secret from you.Manifesto ergo vobis veritatem, et non abscondam a vobis occultum sermonem. 12 When thou didst pray with tears, and didst bury the dead, and didst leave thy dinner, and hide the dead by day in thy house, and bury them by night, I offered thy prayer to the Lord.Quando orabas cum lacrimis, et sepeliebas mortuos, et derelinquebas prandium tuum, et mortuos abscondebas per diem in domo tua, et nocte sepeliebas eos, ego obtuli orationem tuam Domino. 13 And because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove thee.Et quia acceptus eras Deo, necesse fuit ut tentatio probaret te. 14 And now the Lord hath sent me to heal thee, and to deliver Sara thy son's wife from the devil.Et nunc misit me Dominus ut curarem te, et Saram uxorem filii tui a daemonio liberarem. 15 For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord.Ego enim sum Raphael angelus, unus ex septem, qui adstamus ante Dominum.Tobias 8.3Then the angel Raphael took the devil, and bound him in the desert of upper Egypt.Tunc Raphael angelus apprehendit daemonium, et religavit illud in deserto superioris Aegypti.

26 And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth,In mense autem sexto, missus est angelus Gabriel a Deo in civitatem Galilaeae, cui nomen Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.ad virginem desponsatam viro, cui nomen erat Joseph, de domo David : et nomen virginis Maria. 28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.Et ingressus angelus ad eam dixit : Ave gratia plena : Dominus tecum : benedicta tu in mulieribus. 29 Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.Quae cum audisset, turbata est in sermone ejus, et cogitabat qualis esset ista salutatio. 30 And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.Et ait angelus ei : Ne timeas, Maria : invenisti enim gratiam apud Deum. 31 Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus.Ecce concipies in utero, et paries filium, et vocabis nomen ejus Jesum : 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.hic erit magnus, et Filius Altissimi vocabitur, et dabit illi Dominus Deus sedem David patris ejus : et regnabit in domo Jacob in aeternum, 33 And of his kingdom there shall be no end.et regni ejus non erit finis. 34 And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?Dixit autem Maria ad angelum : Quomodo fiet istud, quoniam virum non cognosco? 35 And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.Et respondens angelus dixit ei : Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Ideoque et quod nascetur ex te sanctum, vocabitur Filius Dei. 36 And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren:Et ecce Elisabeth cognata tua, et ipsa concepit filium in senectute sua : et hic mensis sextus est illi, quae vocatur sterilis : 37 Because no word shall be impossible with God.quia non erit impossibile apud Deum omne verbum. 38 And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.Dixit autem Maria : Ecce ancilla Domini : fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. Et discessit ab illa angelus.In its present form the Rosary (according to the accepted tradition) is due to St Dominic, the founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, his objective being to stem the flood of the Albigensian heresy, then spreading far and wide throughout Europe. He propagated this prayer in obedience to a revelation received from the Blessed Virgin, to whom he had recourse for this purpose, about the war 1206, and to him we owe the spread of a devotion, in the Christian world. The decisive defeat of the Turks at the famous battle of Lepanto (A.D. 1571) and at Belgrade (A.D. 1716) gave occasion to the institution of this Feast and to its extension to the Universal Church.

St. Luke 5:1-11. Drawing on St. Luke's account of Christ calling His disciples to become fishers of men, this homily explores why marriages and parishes often falter when built on human strength alone. Fr. Anthony reminds us that brokenness, poor models, and cultural confusion cannot be overcome by willpower or good intentions, but only through Christ and His Church. Just as the apostles' empty nets were filled at the Lord's command, so too our families and parishes flourish when rooted in His blessing and obedience. --- Homily: Why is it so hard to build a good marriage (and parish)? Saint Luke 5:1-11; Fishers of Men So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him (St. Luke 5:1-11). Introduction: How Christ Builds the Church This is a beautiful story from the ministry of Jesus Christ. It comes on the heels of his Baptism, his temptation by the devil in the wilderness, and the beginning of his preaching ministry in the synagogues of Galilee. In this Gospel, Christ has started building something very special; something that would never fall; something that would bring healing to broken humanity; something through which He would change the world. He began building the Church. And He did it with simple fishermen on the side of a lake. Continuation: We are Building, too We are participating in this work as well. We want to build something that will never fail; something that will bring healing to broken people; something that will transform a troubled place. We are building a parish. Today's Gospel provides a wonderful lesson for us on this very thing. In his homily on today's Gospel, St. Nikolai Velimirovich writes; “Except the Lord build the house, all who labor labor in vain.” (Psalm 126:1) If the builders build in God's name, they will build a palace, even their hands are weak and their material poor. If, though, the builders build in their own name, in opposition to God, the work of their hands will be brought down as was the Tower of Babel. There is no power that can bring God's work to ruin. Pagan palaces and cities fall into ruin, but God's huts remain standing. That which God's finger upholds stands more firmly than that which [the mythical titan] Atlas supports on his back… May the almighty Lord preserve us from the thought that we can achieve any good without His help and His blessing… May today's Gospel serve as a warning that such vain thoughts must never be formulated our souls. It speaks of how all men's efforts are in vain if God does not help them. While Christ's apostle's were fishing as men, they caught nothing; but when Christ commanded them to cast their nets once more into the sea, they caught such a great haul of fish that their nets tore. Why would anyone think they can build something worthwhile without Christ? I don't know. It is futile. We know better. But we do it all the time. Understanding the Curse of Sin: the example of marriage Let's look at the example of marriage. It can be so hard to get it right, and there are just so many ways to get it wrong. Why is it so hard? It isn't because people aren't trying. In fact, they are trying all kinds of things… but they aren't working very well. At best, some couples might end up with a marriage that lasts, but marriage was not just meant to endure. It's not supposed to be like a boxing match that makes it to the final round; with the two so tired they can hardly lift a glove and they just lean on one another gasping and looking forward to the bell (or, as is as likely to happen in marriages, the two just hang out in their separate corners doing their own thing until the final bell sounds). A good marriage does more than last, it brings joy to its members and its fruit brings happiness that endures from generation to generation. But why is this so rare? It should come as no surprise. Look how many people  come from broken families. It isn't their fault, but this really puts them behind the eight ball. They come from broken families and a broken world, so they have bad examples and have internalized all the wrong instincts. Brokenness has been imprinted in their minds and hearts; this cannot help but shape their actions, no matter how good and noble their intentions are. Even if they try to rise above and do things right, what examples are they going to follow? Television? Movies? TikTok?  Their friends? Their hearts? None of these is a reliable guide – all of them are fallen. If statistics are correct – and there is no reason to doubt them – our young men are learning more about how to relate to women from pornography than they are from anything good and real. And the expectations and self-respect of our young women are being shaped by this same blighted culture. Is there really any wonder that we are so bad at marriage? That even those young couples who try to get it right end up building a perverted parody of the kind of blessed union of flesh and spirit that we celebrate in the Mystery of Crowning? That we have far more “towers of Babel” than temples of true love? Reiterating the Problem… and the solution To repeat the Psalm; “Except the Lord build the house, all who labor labor in vain.” (126:1). We cannot overcome our own brokenness by trying harder or following the examples and guidance of people who are broken, too (St. Matthew 15:14; … if the blind lead the blind both will fall into a pit). An alcoholic cannot live a healthy life by trying harder; he has to admit his problem, heal and transform his heart and habits. And he has to let God be the foundation of this process. This is why twelve-step programs are so successful: they transform the hearts and habits of the repentant, with God as the foundation of the process. How many addicts do you know that continue ruining their lives because they think they can work everything out on their own? But alcoholics and philanderers do not just hurt themselves. We know from history and our own observations that the children of alcoholics and broken homes are cursed by both nature and nurture. Again, it isn't fair, but it is true. If we want the next generations to succeed then we have to be honest about both the cause and the cure of what ails them and us. The cause is our brokenness, and the cure is Christ Jesus. The cure is His Church. The cure is the Way of Holy Orthodoxy. All else is vanity. They are Towers of Babel. They are sand castles at a low tide. Back to Today's Gospel: becoming fishers of men The curse of sin is the very thing that Christ came to remove. To put it in very practical terms, Christ came to save your marriages, to heal your addictions, to restore your sanity, and to replace your sorrow, pain, and frustration with joy and eternal blessedness. That is to say, He came to save you from the very real, very specific, and very damning problems in your life. And not just yours, but everyone's. A world that was created good groans in agony, and our Lord loves it too much to allow that to continue. And so He became a man, He taught us, He died for us, He was resurrected and ascended into Glory, and, more to today's point, He established the Church to be the Ark of our salvation. What a beautiful image a boat is for the Church. Think about it: we are drowning in a sea of sin and trying to tread water amidst a storm of temptation. We cannot survive this on our own, and it does not help to band together – eventually, even the strongest swimmer must succumb to weakness; moreover, the weak are infamous for dragging the stronger down. It is a terrible situation to be drowning in this stormy sea. Our breaths are numbered, and we are sure to die in agony. It is only a matter of time. But into this bleak scene comes salvation: the apostles cast out their nets and pull us in to the safety of the boat. We can finally breath without struggling. It is calm in the boat. It is here that our real healing begins… then we are given our own nets.  Conclusion: we cannot catch men if we don't try; we cannot catch men if we don't learn how We are in the boat. Here at Christ the Saviour, we have the fullness of the faith (we are like a fractal of the Universal Church) so it is fair to say that we are the boat. But remember that bit earlier about how nature and nurture conspire against our marriages? You know me well enough by now to know that I wasn't just talking about marriage. Marriage is an image of the Church: the union of flesh with one another and the union of that one flesh with God (Ephesians 5:32). Why should we think that we are naturally any better at living as the Church than we are with marriage? The same forces work against us: we suffer from both nature and nurture. Just as good intentions are not enough for the children of broken homes, they are not enough for us as we try to build this parish. Without serious help, we will just end up building the equivalent of a miserable and failed marriage, another Tower of Babel, a perverse monument to our own fallenness. We cannot do it on our own.  We need help.   We need Christ. Without Him, we are like the Apostles in today's lesson before our Lord came; “toiling all night and catching nothing” (St. Luke 5:5). It had been a hard night for them and they had given up on catching anything; but then Christ came and told them to go back out, and they caught more than they could carry. So many that their boats almost broke. This parish has been through a lot.  There was a time when it was down to a handful of people.  Like Simon in today's lesson, we had good hearts and the best of intentions, but we were tired; and we had pretty much given up on catching fish. But the Lord has told us to get back out there and get it done. And so that is what we are doing.  Of course, we are smart in the ways of the world, and we are always tempted to rely on our own strength and our own hearts. But our hearts are broken and our strength will fail us. “Except the Lord build the house, all who labor labor in vain.” (126:1). But for those who put their trust in the Lord and in His way – there is no limit to the good that they can do. This is where we are. We have given our lives and the future of this parish to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Like Simon, we haven't always seen the point of what the Lord commands, but also like Simon, we follow Him. And we know the result of doing the Lord's will: the catch was so great that their nets were so full that they were all but bursting, and the ship could barely stay afloat.  Does this sound familiar?  The Lord has bless your commitment and your faith; and our growth has been so great that we wonder if our walls can hold the number of men, women, and children who have been pulled in to the safety of the Church. So great that we, like Simon calling for the second boat, are helping to plant missions and look for new properties to provide enough room. Because there is no reason to expect this growth to stop.  After all, there are a lot of people drowning in the waters around us. We cannot allow them to perish – it is God's will that all be saved. It is a tough calling. But we do not labor in vain: because we are building according to the Lord's command. We have been transformed fishers of men. To God be all glory and may He bless us as we do this work.

EPISODE 144 | Unwell and Unregulated: The Militia Movement The United States has always had a certain comfort level with violence, or at least the idea of it. Throughout its history, groups of armed citizens will threaten to use, or actually use, force to get their point across, either to effect change or to prevent that from happening. But in the 1990s, something changed, and groups formed around new ideologies that sometimes had little to do with objective reality. The Militia Movement was mainly rural, white, far-right Christians who'd been nurtured on conspiracy theories and half truths which they had chosen to believe because these made some sort of emotional sense to them, and because they had an unerring sense that they were right and everyone else was wrong. And some of them were willing to go to great lengths to achieve their aims. This is the breeding ground for the modern conspirasphere. Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee.  Review us here or on IMDb. And seriously, subscribe, will ya?  SECTIONS 02:38 - Saturday Night Special - Precursors, the Minutemen, the Patriotic Party, Liberty Lobby, the Christian Defense League (CDL), Posse Comitatus  08:27 - Guns in the Sky - The Late Great Planet Earth, Aryan Nations, National Alliance, The Turner Diaries, Hunter, evangelicals, the Satanic Panic, still more anti-Jewish ideas, "Red Dawn" 14:20 - Ride a White Horse - Behold a Pale Horse, Milton William Cooper, Hour of the Time, Mysteries of Babylon 23:40 - Ruby Tuesday - Agenda 21, the Weaver family, the Ruby Ridge siege 30:56 - This Could Be Heaven - Victor Houteff starts Shepherd's Rod (later Branch Davidians), Vernon Howell becomes David Koresh and takes over, the Waco Siege 36:48 - Oklahoma Blues - The Militia of Montana (MOM), the Michigan Militia (Wolverines), Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing 39:56 - Militias take off and expand, attracting scammers and opportunists - Ron Cole, General Benton Partin, Mary Elizabeth Broderick, Roy Schwasinger & We the People, LeRoy Schweitzer & the Montana Freemen, Justus Township standoff 45:30 - Insane in the Brain - Militias also attract terrorists and lunatics - Willie Ray Lampley & the Universal Church of God (Yahweh) plus the Oklahoma Constitutional Militia plan massive bombings, the Unabomber, Georgia Republic, the Mountaineer Militia, Donald Beauregard & and Trix cereal, Mark "Mike from Michigan" Koernke, Norm Olsen, Charles Duke, Bob Fletcher and Belgian weather control, John Parsons talks purple UFOs and starts the Tri-States Militia of South Dakota (but turns out to be on the FBI payroll), Darrel Frech, Rick McLaren and space rays, Ted Gunderson sells pseudoscience gear, Bo "Rambo" Gritz pushes Y2K, Jack McLamb writes Operation Vampire Killer 2000: American Police Action Plan for Stopping World Government Rule Music by Fanette Ronjat More Info Militia movement in the 1990s at EBSCO Militias in the US at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue 5 Things You Need to Know about Private Militia Groups from the National Police Foundation Examining Extremism: The Militia Movement at CSIS False Patriots report at the Southern Poverty Law Center, May 8, 2001 Posse Comitatus The Late Great Planet Earth The Turner Diaries - America's manual of hatred on BBC (audio, 9 minutes) What to Do With the Most Dangerous Book in America The Turner Legacy: The Storied Origins and Enduring Impact of White Nationalism's Deadly Bible CONSPIRACY THEORIES IN THE PATRIOT/MILITIA MOVEMENT Behold a Pale Horse Pale Horse Rider: William Cooper, the Rise of Conspiracy, and the Fall of Trust in America Ruby Ridge, 1992: the day the American militia movement was born Maniacs and Militias: Waco to Extremist Groups Turning Point: The Rise of Right-Wing Politics, the Waco Siege, and the Response of American Law Enforcement Legacy Everlasting: how the 1993 Waco siege became a symbolic rallying cry for the American far right decades later  Clinton administration's deadly mistake in Waco gave rise to Oklahoma City, Columbine in the New York Post (labelled as "entertainment", which seems odd)  The infamous Texas siege with a ‘straight line' to QAnon, right-wing militias, and January 6 Two Minutes Past Nine: The story behind the Oklahoma City bombing on BBC Remembering the Oklahoma City Bombing, 25 Years Later at the Brennan Center for Justice  From Ruby Ridge to Oklahoma City: The Radicalization of Timothy McVeigh paper The Militia Movement and Second Amendment Revolution: Conjuring with the People 1996 paper Beyond the Bombing: The Militia Menace Grows report by the ADL Operation Vampire Killer 2000 text Follow us on social: Facebook Twitter Bluesky Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a Gold Quill Award, Gold MarCom Award, AVA Digital Award Gold, Silver Davey Award, and Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.  PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it's a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it's going. It's Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER 

This episode is sponsored in part by Betterhelp. This week our guest is Rachael Reign, a survivor of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG). At just 13, Rachael was swept into UCKG's world of fire and brimstone – where teenage exorcisms were a weekly ritual, your mental health struggles meant demons were lurking inside you, and giving your last cent to the church wasn't just encouraged – it was demanded. She shares how she went from being a bright, curious teenager to a youth group leader tasked with recruiting others, cleaning the church floorboards with her tears, and enduring violent “strong prayers” that left her bruised, broken, and questioning her sanity. Behind the gospel music and shiny sermons was a cult built on fear, shame, and draining its members dry in the name of salvation. Rachael doesn't hold back as she unpacks the manipulative recruitment tactics, the psychological torment disguised as faith, and the way UCKG weaponized scripture to justify abuse and financial exploitation. She also takes us through her escape – losing everything she knew, only to rebuild from the ashes into an advocate fighting for cult survivors and legal reform in the UK. Because when your church tells you to give God everything, what they really mean is: give it to us – your money, your body, your mind, your freedom. For more from Rachael, follow her on Instagram @rachaelreign. Also… let it be known that: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad. **PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book here Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty' on Patreon Get poppin' fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources Watch Sarah's TEDTalk CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Amphibian.Media Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Associate producers: Amanda Zaremba and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media   Audio production: Red Caiman Studios Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ministry in New York City isn't for the faint of heart but it's full of grace. Oscar and Brandon Morel talk about the power of cultural evangelization, the immigrant roots of Catholic New York, and how figures like Pierre Toussaint still inspire a gospel rooted in justice and joy. Plus, they explore the surprising harmony between the Church and hip hop, and what it means to become saints in the middle of the city. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends! Editing provided by Forte Catholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com/)

Faith Matters is a bi-weekly Basilica of Saint Mary podcast that features conversations with Father Edward Hathaway, the Rector of the Basilica, on topics of interest to Basilica parishioners and the Universal Church. Today's episode centers on Father Hathaway reflecting on the meaning and importance of spending leisure time during the summer, using German philosopher's Josef Pieper's classic book on the subject as a starting point.  If you want to read Pieper's book, "Leisure: The Basis of Culture," just click here.  Please note: There is only one Mass on July 4, 2025, at the Basilica: at 9 a.m. Also, the 12:10 p.m. Masses will be held in our Lyceum Auditorium, 313 Duke Street, from July 8-11 and July 14-18, 2025, due to the new organ installation in the church. Click here to get more details. 

Supporting the Vocations of the Universal Church 6-22-25 Fr. Ballamkonda

Faith Matters is a bi-weekly Basilica of Saint Mary podcast that features conversations with Father Edward Hathaway, the Rector of the Basilica, on topics of interest to Basilica parishioners and the Universal Church. Today's episode centers on the Eucharist, as Father Hathaway invites parishioners to participate in the parish's June 22nd Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession and points out why it's important to be reverent to the fact that Jesus is fully present -- Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist -- citing a recent TV show that mocked the Eucharist.  All are invited to take part in our traditional Corpus Christi procession following the 5 p.m. Mass on Sunday, June 22, 2025. Clergy and parishioners will participate in this prayerful, joyous witness to our core Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. After the Mass, we will process with the Blessed Sacrament, south along Royal Street, to the school gym at 400 Green Street, and back to the Basilica for Benediction. Following Benediction, there will be a reception in the courtyard at 314 Duke Street that will feature Perrier, Prosecco and popsicles.  

In this enlightening episode of "Father and Joe," hosts Father Boniface Hicks and Joe Rockey delve into the profound world of papal encyclicals and their significance in modern society. The conversation explores the importance of taking the teachings of God and applying them to contemporary issues through the lens of encyclicals, all while understanding their hierarchy in relation to divine revelation found in the Bible.Father Boniface elaborates on how encyclicals are structured to build upon one another, providing a rich tapestry of Catholic doctrine that demands thoughtful engagement. The episode touches on various well-known encyclicals, including Pope Francis' "Laudato Si," and discusses the layered complexities and common misconceptions surrounding these papal documents. The hosts address the broader purpose of encyclicals, which is to teach and integrate theological insights into everyday life while steering clear of simplistic interpretations that can dilute their deeper meanings.The episode transitions into an engaging discussion about Pope Leo XIV, a figure distinguished by his unique blend of North American, Roman, and South American experiences. Father Boniface highlights how Pope Leo brings a global perspective to the papacy, traversing cultural and ecclesiastical divides. His diverse background in administration, pastoral ministry, and missionary work positions him as a "bridge builder" in a world often fragmented by tribalism.Listeners gain insight into the authoritative role of the Pope as the Vicar of Christ, tasked with teaching, governing, and sanctifying the Church. Father Boniface shares personal reflections and stories that illustrate the Pope's profound influence as a spiritual leader and teacher, continually shaping the Church's mission to nourish the faithful through authentic doctrine and the sacraments.Tune in to this episode for a rich, nuanced exploration of the papal role in guiding the Church, the layers within Church teachings, and how the humility and humanity of its leaders continue to inspire believers worldwide. The dialogue wraps up with an invitation for listeners to engage further by sharing their questions and feedback via email.Tags:Father Boniface, Joe Rockey, Catholic Church, Encyclicals, Papal Role, Spiritual Direction, Pope Leo XIV, Encyclical Hierarchy, Catholic Doctrine, Divine Revelation, Laudato Si, Rerum Novarum, Church Teachings, Pope Francis, Papal Authority, Vicar of Christ, Bridge Builder, Global Perspective, Catholic Podcast, Spiritual Insight, Theology, Faith Exploration, Spiritual Growth, Relationship with God, Missionary Work, Pastoral Ministry, Religious Orders, Augustinians, Church History, Canon Law, Universal Church, Pope as Teacher, Papal Influence, Moral Doctrine, Deepening Faith, Sacred Tradition, Biblical TeachingsHashtags:#FatherAndJoe, #CatholicPodcast, #Encyclicals, #ChurchTeachings, #PopeLeoXIV, #SpiritualDirection, #VicarOfChrist, #CatholicDoctrine, #DivineRevelation, #PapalAuthority, #LaudatoSi, #FaithJourney, #GlobalChurch, #TheologyTalk, #FaithAndLife, #ChristianPodcast, #PopeFrancis, #FaithExploration, #SpiritualGrowth, #PapalInsights, #CatholicFaith, #SpiritualWisdom, #DoctrineAndFaith, #BridgeBuilder, #Augustinians, #UniversalChurch, #MissionaryLife, #FaithInAction, #FaithAndCommunity, #SacredTradition, #FaithfulWitness, #BiblicalLearning, #MoralAuthority, #ChristianUnity, #PapalTeachings, #FaithDevelopment, #CommunityOfBelievers, #DeepeningFaith

Welcome back to the podcast! In this episode, we're wrapping up our series, "How Stuff Works", with a topic that has many different opinions on it in today's culture: the Church. The Bible is clear on this, though, and today we'll see what is has to say!--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --How the Church WorksBig Idea: God designed his Church to involve his people in key purposes that bring about his plans in this world.No other organization on earth compares to the Church. It's not simply a building or a weekend service. It's the living body of Christ, chosen and designed by God to carry out his mission in the world. From the very beginning, Jesus made it clear that he would build his Church—and not even the powers of hell could stop it. (Matthew 16:18)Let's unpack how the Church works by looking at four core truths from Scripture.1. There Is One True ChurchWhen Jesus spoke of “my church” in Matthew 16:18, he wasn't referring to a specific building or religious organization. The Greek word for church is ekklesia, meaning “the called-out ones”—a gathering of people summoned for a purpose. The Church Jesus established is the community of all true believers in Jesus throughout history. This is sometimes called the “Universal Church.”It's important to understand that the Universal Church transcends denominations, traditions, and geographic locations. No single church or association can claim to be “the one true Church.” The true Church consists of everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.The Bible uses powerful imagery to help us understand the nature of the Church:The Bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7) reflects the intimate and loving relationship between Jesus and his people.A Spiritual Family and Nation (Ephesians 2:19) shows how believers belong to one household, united under God's rule.A Temple and a House (Ephesians 2:20-21) describes how we are being built together as a dwelling place for God's Spirit.2. Jesus Is the Head of His ChurchColossians 1:18 makes it clear: Christ is the head of the Church, which is his body. This means Jesus himself is in charge. He leads through the truth of the Bible, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and through biblically qualified leaders like elders and pastors.Jesus guides the Church like a shepherd leads his flock. In 1 Peter 5:1-4, elders are instructed to care for God's people with humility and a servant's heart, always pointing back to the Chief Shepherd—Jesus.While the Universal Church is invisible and eternal, it takes visible form through local churches. These are the communities where believers gather for worship, teaching, fellowship, and mission. Though no single local church represents the entirety of the Universal Church, each one is a part of the larger body of Christ, carrying...

Fr. Mike reveals Solomon's plan of leadership, and how he is aiming to unite the people. He also foreshadows the importance of the temple as a place where Israel can go to worship God as one people. Today's readings are 1 Kings 4, 2 Chronicles 6, and Psalm 65. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

In his address to the Eastern Churches, Pope Leo XIV spoke eloquently about the traditions of Eastern spirituality and their sense of mystery, and the Eastern Churches are needed by the Universal Church. He also said the East, ever ancient and ever new, is a medicine for the West. Perhaps revisiting Latin spirituality and worship can benefit from a look to the East.

In his address to the Eastern Churches, Pope Leo XIV spoke eloquently about the traditions of Eastern spirituality and their sense of mystery, and the Eastern Churches are needed by the Universal Church. He also said the East, ever ancient and ever new, is a medicine for the West. Perhaps revisiting Latin spirituality and worship can benefit from a look to the East.

As the words, habemus papem, are proclaimed from the central loggia of the Basilica of St. Peter, all eyes in the world turn to see our new pope take center stage. Pope Leo XIV begins his papacy in hope and prayer, becoming the 267th shepherd of the Universal Church.

Many folks think the Catholic belief that Peter was made the first pope of the Catholic Church by Jesus is merely a human tradition. A quick search of Sacred Scripture shows that the Petrine Primacy is of divine origin and intended as an office to be maintained as long as there is a Church on earth.

With the death of Pope Francis, the Universal Church enters a time known as the Interregnum, a time between popes. The process of electing a new leader for the Catholic Church is one steeped in tradition, customs, mystery, and even intrigue, but we believe the Holy Spirit is present for all of it.

Today is Wednesday, March 19, 2025, The feast of St. Joseph with a commemoration of the Lenten Feria, 1st class, with the color of white. In this episode: The meditation: “Forty Steps to Easter,” The Prayer to St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, a preview of the Sermon: “St. Joseph: Our Model for Happiness,” today's news from the Church: “Tonsures and First Minor Orders at Econe,” and today's thought from the Archbishop. Sources Used Today: Forty Steps to Easter “Tonsures and First Minor Orders at Econe” (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/econe-tonsures-and-first-minor-orders-2025-51315 “St. Joseph: Our Model for Happiness” (SSPX Sermons) Watch on YouTube Listen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast The Spiritual Life- Archbishop Lefebvre (Angelus Press) - - - - - - - We'd love your feedback on these Daily Devotionals! What do you like / not like, and what would you like us to add? podcast@sspx.org - - - - - - - Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> - - - - - - - Explore more: Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional - it's a perfect companion! Subscribe to this Podcast to receive this and all our audio episodes Subscribe to the SSPX YouTube channel for video versions of our podcast series and Sermons FSSPX News Website: https://fsspx.news Visit the US District website: https://sspx.org/ - - - - - What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.  https://sspx.org

Fr. Mike reveals Solomon's plan of leadership, and how he is aiming to unite the people. He also foreshadows the importance of the temple as a place where Israel can go to worship God as one people. Today's readings are 1 Kings 4, 2 Chronicles 6, and Psalm 65. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.