Podcasts about when aaron

Reading: As Moses came down from Mount Sinaiwith the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiantwhile he conversed with the LORD.When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Mosesand noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,they were afraid to come near him.Only after Moses called to them did Aaronand all the rulers of the community come back to him.Moses then spoke to them.Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,and he enjoined on them all that the LORDhad told him on Mount Sinai.When he finished speaking with them,he put a veil over his face.Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,he removed the veil until he came out again.On coming out, he would tell the children of Israelall that had been commanded.Then the children of Israel would seethat the skin of Moses' face was radiant;so he would again put the veil over his faceuntil he went in to converse with the LORD.(Ex 34: 29-35)

- Press the PLAY button to listen to the catechesis of the day and share if you like -+ A reading from the Book of Exodus +The children of Israel set out from Elim,            and came into the desert of Sin,          which is between Elim and Sinai,          on the fifteenth day of the second month          after their departure from the land of Egypt.Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel          grumbled against Moses and Aaron.The children of Israel said to them,          “Would that we had died at the Lord's hand in the land of Egypt,          as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!But you had to lead us into this desert          to make the whole community die of famine!”Then the Lord said to Moses,          “I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;          thus will I test them,          to see whether they follow my instructions or not.On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in,          let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation            of the children of Israel:          Present yourselves before the Lord,          for he has heard your grumbling.”When Aaron announced this to the whole assembly of the children of Israel,          they turned toward the desert, and lo,          the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud!The Lord spoke to Moses and said,          “I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel.Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,          and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,          so that you may know that I, the Lord, am your God.”In the evening quail came up and covered the camp.In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,          and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert          were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.On seeing it, the children of Israel asked one another, “What is this?”          for they did not know what it was.But Moses told them,          “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.” The Gospel of the Lord.

- Press the PLAY button to listen to the catechesis of the day and share if you like - + A reading from the Book of Exodus + The children of Israel set out from Elim, and came into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The children of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died at the Lord's hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!” Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of the children of Israel: Present yourselves before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.” When Aaron announced this to the whole assembly of the children of Israel, they turned toward the desert, and lo, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud! The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel. Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread, so that you may know that I, the Lord, am your God.” In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning a dew lay all about the camp, and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground. On seeing it, the children of Israel asked one another, “What is this?” for they did not know what it was. But Moses told them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.” The Gospel of the Lord.

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'” 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'” 14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.Has God proved himself faithful to you?  How?  In what areas of your life do you forget God's faithfulness and make replacement gods?Can you believe that God is preparing something beautiful for you when he seems absent?Why do we need a mediator between us and God?  How does this simplify things for us?Which of the three arguments from Moses are most comforting/which is hardest to believe?  God will finish what he starts in you; God will make himself known through you; God will keep his promises to you.Is it comforting to think that God is stuck with you, that he relents from judging you for his own glory?What will it look like for you personally in the coming years for God to stick with you?

                                        Our continued summer travels and various NBA happenings.It bears mentioning that The Athletic has reported the details of the sexual assault accusation against Trevor Bauer. Those details are disturbing.When Aaron brought up the original news of the accusation on Tuesday when we recorded, that was the first time I had heard of it, as is probably apparent on the podcast. I did not mean my reference to his unpleasant personality (said before Aaron mentioned the news) to underplay the kind of person it seems like he just might be. It is likely not necessary to clarify it, but I feel obligated to do so.Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.Read more »

Aaron Nash joins Julie and Corey to talk about scaling a business and building a brand. Julie and Corey start the show by talking about setting up businesses for success from the start and the work that goes into that. When Aaron joins, they dive into what makes Aaron strong as an entrepreneur and how culture, systems, and processes factor into successfully scaling a business. They cover the importance of experience and how what you've done in the past lays the groundwork for success in the future. Process comes back up as everyone's favorite topic, and the three discuss how simplification makes growing easier. Aaron finishes the episode by discussing his approach to business when it comes to building without accumulating debt. Everything you need to know about Aaron can be found on his Instagram page (@aaronnash20) You heard it here first that WAYT is dropping a cookie dough flavor soon. In the meantime, support his supplement company waytnutrion.com. Check out our latest course on time management: TIME B.O.M.B. (sb-pace.mykajabi.com/time-bomb) Follow our podcast on Instagram (@bizquik.podcast), and if you want to learn more about SB PACE, head on over to our website SBPACE.com. You can also find us on the following social media platforms: Facebook (SB PACE) Instagram (@sb.pace) LinkedIn (@sb-pace) Twitter (@sb_pace) YouTube (SB PACE) You can buy our book, Seriously? Now What?! A Small Business Guide to Disaster Preparedness, on Amazon. BizQuik is a Traxler-Harris production. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Mercy and Justice of God Numbers 27 As we consider Numbers 27 today, it may seem puzzling that the story of Zelophehad's daughters is juxtaposed with the story of Moses not getting to enter the promised land. Why are these stories put together in the Bible? Moses' Lack of Gentleness Perhaps when dealing with Zelophehad's daughters, Moses made the same mistake he may have made when striking the rock for the second time: he did not honor the Lord God as holy. What does it truly mean to honor God? It means correctly representing God's kindness and compassion in front of the second generation of Israelites. Although the Bible does not say that Moses was impatient with Zelophehad's daughter, like he was when he struck the rock, we can surmise that he may have ignored the daughters of Zelophehad. Both stories reveal the compassion of God. Why do I say that? Let's look at the second section of this chapter. The Bible says that this decision took place “standing at the door of the tabernacle, in front of Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders and the whole congregation.” This is a very meaningful verse. Let me illustrate with a modern example. In the 2020 US election, the right-wing population in some states believed that the election was unfair. They began to bring charges in the district courts. State courts did not accept the cases, and the cases were brought before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court didn't take the case, either. Under normal circumstances, all complaints are brought first to the district courts, then gradually move up to the Supreme Court. If Moses truly cared about Zelophehad's needs, he should have been able to handle this matter before the daughters appealed to the Supreme Court. When Moses first heard that Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh did not get any land, he should have asked God how to deal with it at that time, but he did not. When he finally asked God what to do about it, God immediately raised the matter of Moses' disobedience to God after he clarified how to deal with the matter. Was this happening by chance? Moses also lacked compassion for the second generation of Israelis and said something impatient as he struck the rock. Perhaps his way of handling Zelophehad's daughters' needs was not gentle enough, either. Although the leadership responsibility of Moses was transferred to Joshua here, the actual authority was not immediately transferred to Joshua. Moses was still the leader who guided the people's itinerary. Numbers 27-36 speak of Moses leading the Israelites. The death of Moses is not recorded until Deuteronomy 34, at least 44 chapters later. If our speculation is correct, then this chapter is still related to Moses' failure. What was wrong with Moses when he smote the rock for the second time? He had no respect for God as holy. Moses knew the principle of God's character: not to get angry easily, to be full of kindness, to bless the generations of those who love him, to never regard those who hate him as innocent, but punish their sins down to the third and fourth generation. Earlier, when Moses told God about Korah's betrayal, God severely judged Korah. However, when Moses told God about the second generation's betrayal and complaints, God did not judge them as severely. This may have been one of the reasons for Moses' anger. Moses should have accepted the fact that the first generation of Israelites represent our old man, and the second generation represents the flesh of our new man after salvation. The nature of the two is different, so the way God treats them is also different. It can be said that the Bible record still got a lot of chances to mention Moses' disobedience to God, and it is not necessary to immediately raise the case of Moses' disobedience to God together with the judgment of not allowing him to enter the good land right after mentioning Zelophehad's daughters' request to claim the property. This matter must have something to do with the division of property between Zelophehad 's daughter. Where is this relationship? It is God's judgment on Moses. This is God's judgment on Moses regarding the issue of Zelophehad and the way Moses dealt with his matter. Although Moses might not be that impatient, he might have been negligent. What was the cause of Moses' negligence?   Pitfalls of Pride Many leaders start out with humility, but later in life fall into pride and sin. All leaders face difficulties and obstacles at the very beginning, and these difficulties and obstacles will make them humble. David's experience is a good example. When Saul was persecuting David, David submitted to God. Instead of killing Saul, David humbled himself before God, admitting that Saul was God's anointed one. At the end of his life, however, after he had conquered his enemies and made peace throughout the country, David committed sin with Bathsheba and killed Uriah. David sinned for a second time when he numbered the Israelites. Joab opposed David's unwise decision, and he would have stopped him if he could have. But the Bible clearly records that the King's words prevailed over Joab's words (1 Chronicles 21:4). Similarly, although Moses was one of God's greatest servants, he also needed to go through humbling experiences. His brother Aaron and sister Miriam gave him a lot of difficulties. These difficulties helped Moses grow in humility. When Aaron and Miriam attacked Moses, the Bible specifically called Moses the humblest person in the world (Numbers 12:3). The Lord himself came to Moses' defense and blamed Aaron and Miriam. However, by this chapter, both Miriam and Aaron were dead. Aaron's son, Eleazar, was priest. Except for Caleb and Joshua, most first-generation people had died. At this time, Moses became the absolute authority. In the eyes of the Israelites, he was like a god. The Israelites were slowly turning Moses into an idol. I believe that Moses knew God and did not agree with their idolatry. But the Israelis indeed elevated Moses to the position of deity. When the Lord Jesus came, many Israelites would not accept Jesus Christ. Instead, they said they would only accept Moses. Moses had gradually become the Israelites' idol. Even though Moses did not have the intention to exalt himself, his failure to honor God was a very serious matter in God's eyes. He reinforced the people's idolatry when he attributed the miracle to himself. Therefore, God must discipline Moses. When God uses a person greatly as his servant, he also disciplines that person severely. Because of the great revelation Paul got from God, he was also given a thorn from the enemy to bother him. He asked the Lord three times to take it away, but God did not do so. He said his grace was enough for him. The chapter demonstrates that as leaders, we must not mistakenly represent God and snatch away the glory that is rightfully God's. God's judgment is strict and there is no room for pride in His service. Even if you are someone as important as Moses or David, God will still discipline pride in his servants.   Inheritance Restored Zelophehad's daughters asked Moses for land, and he granted their request. This story teaches us that we can receive what we ask for in prayer and faith, as long as it is promised in Christ. The first section of this chapter specifically mentions the family tree of Zelophehad and his five daughters. The five daughters came to Moses and the crowd with a request. They were not only fighting for their inheritance, but also for their father's status. The five daughters made it clear to the congregation that their father died in sin, though it was not related to Korah's betrayal. In the Old Testament, the death of an Israeli man in sin would indeed bring danger to his inheritance. Therefore, this story is about God setting a precedent for similar cases in future generations. For example, Ruth's father-in-law, husband, and brother-in-law died in Moab. Naomi, her mother-in-law, took Ruth back to Judah. Not only did these women lose their husbands, but they also had no sons. Because of this, they lost their inheritance in Israel. However, since Zelophehad's daughters had already asked for protection of their father's status and inheritance, the precedent was set. This precedent helped Ruth and Naomi redeem their inheritance. In Ruth and Naomi's case, their relative Boaz was the one who helped them redeem their property. However, before Boaz could help redeem their land and marry Ruth, he had to give another relative who was closer to Ruth the opportunity to do so. The relative refused, because he knew that if he married Ruth, their son would not belong to him, but to Ruth's father-in-law and husband who had no descendants. He was worried that this would damage his own property. This story reminds us that as sinners, we have lost our inheritance: God himself. Christ came as our Kinsman Redeemer to redeem us, even though we could not redeem ourselves. Jesus came in the Year of Jubilee to give us back our inheritance. He is our elder brother and relative, so he can redeem us. He can return our inheritance (God himself) to us, and allow us to return to our inheritance (God himself). Zelophehad's daughters are from the tribe of Joseph, and Christ is from the tribe of Judah. The story may seem to have nothing to do with the birth of Christ, but it is indeed related. The precedent set in this chapter led to Ruth's redemption by Boaz, who later gave birth to Obed. Obed, in turn, was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David. David is the ancestor of Christ. Therefore, the main purpose of this story is to prepare for the appearance and salvation of Christ.   The Lord told Moses that if a person dies without sons, he must give the inheritance to his daughters. If there is no daughter, then he must give it to his brother. If there is no brother, then he must give it to the father's brother. If his father had no brothers, then he must give it to the closest relative in the family. This rule eventually paved the way for Ruth to be redeemed. What Zelophehad's daughters did was very commendable. Although their father committed sins and died, God's mercy was extremely generous. This is true in the Old Testament, and even more so in the New Testament. Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer, so we must come to Him without fear and ask for mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16) Jesus said to his disciples, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me something in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14) Jesus also said, "If you live in me, my words will live in you. Whatever you want, ask and it will be done for you." Mercy and Justice. The story of Zelophehad's daughters and the story of Moses' inability to enter the Promised Land are put together here so we can recognize the difference between God's mercy and God's justice. Zelophehad's death in sin and Naomi's husband and two sons' deaths in Moab were all due to God's righteous judgment. But God granted Zelophehad's daughters requests and established the principle that Kinsman Redeemers can redeem their relatives.  As a result, the salvation that Naomi and Ruth later obtained was due to God's mercy. The Lord told Moses about his mercy and justice in Exodus 34: "The Lord, the Lord, is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and rich in love and honesty. To save love for thousands of people, to forgive sins, transgressions, and evils, never regard the guilty as innocent. He must be punishable for his sins from his father and his son until three or four generations.” (Exodus 34:6-7) This is God's character and mode of operation. Moses knew this very well. Therefore, when dealing with the complaints of the second generation who wanted water to drink, he should have been full of compassion and grace for the Israelites, not impatience and anger. This is an extremely important principle. Although Moses failed, Paul set a good example in the New Testament. The people in the Corinthian church he established had many complaints and criticisms against him. They also committed many sins, including sins of immorality, such as marrying a stepmother. Paul was very angry with their sin. But when he handled this matter, he was very compassionate. He told the Corinthians to remove fornicators from among them--even handing them over to Satan so they would be physically corrupted, but their spirits would be saved in the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:1-5). However, after Paul heard that the disciples in Corinth had repented, he immediately changed his tone. He asked the disciples in Corinth to forgive the sinners, and Paul forgave them too. He urged for restoration for these people, lest they become too sorrowful and be swallowed up with grief. Paul did not want Satan to take advantage of them through the overly harsh treatment of sin (2 Corinthians 1:11). Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 4:18-21: “Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.  But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.  For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.  What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” ESV The people were arrogant because Paul was not there. Paul said that the kingdom of God lies not in words, but in power—and even in the rod of discipline. Paul had the authority and power from God to judge them, just as Moses had God's authority to judge Israel. But Paul's attitude here is very humble, giving the Corinthians choices and begging them to turn from sin. In fact, Paul kept himself under control and stayed humble, pleading with the Corinthians to repent in mercy. Just like Moses and Paul, spiritual leaders in the church today will face similar tests. People will complain or even misunderstand them. Our responses will reflect our knowledge of God's rules and the manifestation of God's life in us. We must remember that God is merciful and gracious. When we face complaints and opposition, we have an amazing opportunity to demonstrate the life of God in us. The more we have God's anointing and authority, the more we should have God's temperament of mercy and kindness. If we lose the mercy and kindness of God, we lose the authority God has given us. The level of our authority lies in the level of the mercy of God manifested in us. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, he had compassion on people who were like sheep without a shepherd. Whether he saw the blind people (Luke 18:35-43) or lepers (Mark 1:41), he had mercy on them. Jesus is the best manifestation of God's temperament. The story of Zelophehad's daughters reveals the compassionate heart of God. Luke 1:78-79 says, “Because of our God's compassionate heart, the morning sun comes to us from high to illuminate those who sit in the darkness and the shadow of death and lead our feet to the path of peace." The story of Moses shows that if believers cannot demonstrate a compassionate heart as we serve Him, then in God's eyes we "do not respect God as holy." We must be strictly disciplined. But God's strict discipline to Moses does not mean you cannot pray for God's mercy or that God won't answer your prayers. If you believe this, you are falling into the enemy's traps. Both stories not only speak of justice, but also of God's mercy. If you are in a similar situation to Zelophehad's daughters, come to God without fear and ask for His mercy. If you are a person who serves God like Moses, remember to show God's mercy in everything so as to honor God as holy. The more we show God's mercy in our service, the more we have God's authority. However, if we lose God's mercy, we will also lose God's authority. I hope that the relationship between these two stories will help you better understand God's mercy and how we can apply it in our lives. We welcome you to come to God's most holy place without fear, ask for grace and mercy, and get help in time of need.

Episode Notes Who's Hungry? Aaron is going crazy over his co-workers vegan diet, but how far will he go to prove MEAT IS WHAT MATTERS? Find out, and make sure to bring napkins... You Are What You Eat by Rob Fields Buy the new "Babysitter Massacre" book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P4ZF9LG/ Get Cool Merchandise http://store.weeklyspooky Support us on Patreon http://patreon.com/IncrediblyHandsome Support Weekly Spooky by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/weekly-spooky Contact Us/Submit a Story twitter.com/WeeklySpooky facebook.com/WeeklySpooky WeeklySpooky@gmail.com Music by Ray Mattis http://raymattispresents.bandcamp.com Produced by Daniel Wilder This episode sponsored by HenFlix.com For everything else visit WeeklySpooky.com Transcript: Robbie Farns walked into Mirren Automotive, the factory where he worked, about twenty miles from Strickfield. He didn’t particularly care about the place or the job itself, but at least it was steady work with a decent paycheck. He’d been working there for a couple of years now, at least as a way to pay his way through Strickfield University. As he walked through the plant to get to his work area, he knew it was going to be hot as hell. Carrying his lunch box, he knew he would soon get even more hell from one of his coworkers about what was inside.  Robbie had been living the vegan lifestyle for the last few months. He had been careful to avoid eating literally anything that came from animals. That included – in addition to not eating meat – dairy, eggs, or any processed foods containing animal byproducts. Whenever he’d go out to eat, he was careful to avoid eating fried foods cooked in shared oil. He had even gone to a vegan festival in Erie City.   When Robbie reached his work area, he punched in at the time clock. After putting his earplugs in, he went to his locker to change into his work shoes and prepare for his shift. It wasn’t long before he was greeted by a troublesome coworker in the form of Aaron Jameston. Aaron and Robbie were opposites in many ways. Robbie was a head taller than Aaron, also thinner. Robbie had long dark hair that went down to his shoulders and was always clean-shaven, while Aaron kept his head shaved and had a long, shaggy beard. Robbie’s skin was a clean slate, while Aaron had many tattoos. The big difference was that Aaron was a hunter who always bragged about his kills, the trophies that he kept from many of them, and all the meat that he enjoyed. Then he learned that the new guy in his department, this quiet young pup, wasn’t a meat eater – a vegan – which got his attention in more ways than one.  As always, Aaron just looked at Robbie with contempt and disgust. Robbie knew and expected this every day, but he didn’t care. He’d been used to people picking on him about his vegan ways. Some of his other coworkers had asked him many questions about his veganism, mainly because they were curious. For the most part, people usually left him alone. Aaron Jameston, however, had issues with Robbie and would be anything but subtle.  “What kinda rabbit food you bring today, Rabbit?” Aaron asked, taking a seat at a picnic table across from Robbie.  Robbie remained calm, in spite of the nickname Aaron had hung on him. He looked up at Aaron. “What do you care?” Aaron was twice Robbie’s age and never liked when people back-talked him. There were times when he wanted to just lay into Robbie. Sure, Robbie always did his job and turned out great numbers. Just the same, he wanted to find something – anything – to justify giving Robbie a good ol’ fashioned ass whooping. As long as they both worked for Mirren Automotive, however, Aaron couldn’t physically lay a hand on Robbie, in or out of the plant. Not if he wanted to keep his job. “What, you don’t wanna tell me?” Aaron said in his always-threatening tone.  Robbie sighed. “Look, we both know you really don’t care about the food I bring. So why don’t you just save it?” Aaron smiled, which Robbie knew was never a good thing. “Lemme explain somethin’ to you, Rabbit. I don’t know what you think yer doin’ with all this vegan bullshit. But here, outside Strickfield, we’re hunters. That means meat is the way we do things. We love our meat. We kill for our meat. We eat meat! Now you come in here with yer vegan bullshit and expect us to just stop eatin’ meat?” Robbie held up his hand in front of him. “Whoa! Let’s get something straight. I don’t go around telling anybody to not eat meat. There are vegans out there that would, but I personally don’t care what you eat. You eat what you want, and I’ll eat what I want. I mainly do it for health reasons, if you must know. I’ve lost weight because of it.” Aaron kept on him. “So . . . you sayin’ we’re all fat fucks ’cause we eat meat?” True, Aaron was quite portly for a little man, but Robbie wouldn’t go there. “I never said that. Don’t put words in my mouth.” Aaron threw his arms up. “Why the fuck be a rabbit? Why can’t you just go bust yer ass at the gym or somethin’? Why you gotta be so fuckin’ different?” Robbie countered, “Again, what do you care? I’m not here to preach vegan. I’m here to do my job and get paid so I can keep the lights on at my place, eat, and attend college. Leave me alone, okay?” Aaron smiled more sinister now. “Yeah, yer a rabbit now.” He pointed at Robbie and shook his finger. “I seen yer kind before. Yer gonna crack. Yer gonna be back. Yer gonna eat meat again. Know why?” He leaned in a little. “’Cause that’s the way it is. Our ancestors have been huntin’ and eatin’ meat since caveman years. Meat is the way! The only way! There ain’t no room in this world for fuckin’ rabbits like you. People like you are weak. Always have been.” Just then, Robbie and Aaron were greeted by the presence of their boss.  “Hey, Aaron, you causing trouble back here again?” Mike Cruz demanded. “How many times have I talked to you about that? You looking to get wrote up or what?” Aaron wasn’t even afraid to talk back to his own boss. “You already wrote me up! What more you gonna do? I’m just havin’ a conversation with Rabbit here.” “I don’t see anybody here named Rabbit,” Mike snapped. “Last time I’m telling you, quit getting in everybody’s shit! I’m sorry about what happened to your sister, but mind your own goddamn business! You wanna keep going this way, I’ll give you your final write-up. After that, I’ll have no other choice but to walk you out. That what you want? You both do good work in this department, and I don’t want to lose either one of you. But if you keep it up, Aaron, you’re gonna be out on your ass. We on the same page here?” Aaron chuckled and looked at Robbie. “Know what, Rabbit? Yer part of a dyin’ breed. I mean it. Yer dead! Know why? ’Cause we meat-eaters hunt rabbits and other plant-eaters like you. You understandin’ me, you fuckin’ weaklin’? Only the strong survive! It’s only a matter of time before you end up like all God’s creatures . . . right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy! My sister was a fuckin’ rabbit – just like you. It didn’t keep her from bein’ kidnapped and killed a few months back. And you know what?” He pointed in a random direction. “The fucker that did it is still out there – still roamin’ free! And that’s another thing! Women are in the same place as you rabbits on the food chain – nothin’ but weak, dead weight. When the killer catches up to you . . . I’m gonna laugh my fuckin’ ass off.” Mike had had enough. “You know what, Aaron? Go home! This ain’t negotiable! We don’t need your shit here. It’s obvious you still ain’t over your sister’s death. Go home and cool off. Last warning! You come back in here tomorrow and start your shit again, I won’t worry about no final write-up. I’ll just walk you out myself, and you won’t have a job here no more.” He pointed in the direction of the nearest door. “Go home! Now!” Aaron didn’t move at first. Finally, he slammed his palms on the table, making sure he got Robbie’s attention. Then he stood up, still smiling his sinister smile at Robbie. “Be seein’ you, Rabbit.” “Move!” Mike commanded him.  “Fuck you, I’m goin’!” Aaron snapped.  Robbie and Mike both heard Aaron yelling and cursing as he moved to the exit door and walked out of the plant. Robbie was relieved to not have to work with Aaron, at least for today.  Robbie managed to avoid Aaron when he returned to work. He started taking his lunch box to a different break area and eating there. Mike had told Aaron not to talk to Robbie, unless it was work related. However, that didn’t keep Aaron from giving him his sinister looks.  Over time, Robbie had heard around the work area about what had happened to Aaron’s sister, Susan. Aaron had never gotten along with Susan. True, Aaron was old enough to be Robbie’s father . . . and Susan’s. Aaron’s mother had taken over raising him when her husband, David, had died of a heart attack. Aaron was around ten, and he never really got over the loss of his father. After that, he looked up to his uncle, George, who was even meaner and more vicious than his dad. Still, Uncle George taught Aaron everything he knew about hunting and fishing.  Then, when Aaron had reached twenty, his mother had met a man named William Sanders. Aaron didn’t think much about it at first. As far as he was concerned, William wasn’t going to be around long. All of the other men before him had left. But months went by and William was still around, committed to his mother. Aaron never saw the surprises coming when his mother made two big announcements. The first was that she and William were getting married. The second was that she was going to have William’s baby. Aaron flew into a wild rage and threatened to shoot William. As far as Aaron was concerned, he was the man of the house – end of story. Just the same, William and Rosie were married. Months later, Susan came into the world.  Aaron would never come to accept this daughter as his sister and let William and Rosie know about it on no uncertain terms. As Susan grew up, Aaron would be verbally abusive towards her. Being an overbearing bully, he never had to raise his hand to her. Over time, Susan became both angry and afraid of Aaron. As long as William and Rosie were around, Susan felt some semblance of safety from Aaron.  Over the last two years that Susan had lived at home, she had taken up a vegan lifestyle and refused to eat anything that Aaron had put on the table for her. Aaron became increasingly frustrated and abusive with her because of it. Susan had finally decided that she wasn’t going to tolerate Aaron anymore. During her junior year at Strickfield High School, Susan moved out and went to live with friends who shared her compassion for animals, who were also vegan. It had taken a restraining order to keep Aaron away from Susan.  After Susan graduated from high school, she had gone on to Strickfield University. Aaron was around forty and had become meaner and bitter than ever. During this time, Rosie had died. William died not too long after. By then, Susan was living in a dorm room at Strickfield University.  Aaron had been arrested once for breaking the restraining order during Susan’s freshman year at Strickfield University. He’d gotten drunk and confronted Susan in Wilder Hall, the student union building. Susan decided not to press charges, and he was released. The police gave him a warning about what would happen if he broke his restraining order again.  Aaron had heard through the grapevine that Susan had met someone on campus and was seeing him. He didn’t know who the person was, but he was determined to find him and make  life hell for anyone who thought about hooking up with Susan.  A few months later, Aaron was arrested again when it was revealed that both Susan and her boyfriend had been kidnapped. The remains of their bodies were found not too long after, with their clothes on them and the flesh and muscles stripped clean off. Aaron went into a rage when he was in jail and screamed up and down that he had nothing to do with the abductions or murders.  Aaron would be released since it was proven that he didn’t abduct and kill Susan and her boyfriend, whose name he didn’t know because he never could remember it. He had been home drinking with friends, all of whom were able to vouch for him. Aaron continued to go further down the spiral, and it showed at Mirren Automotive. If it wasn’t for Mike Cruz keeping the peace, Aaron would have created quite the hostile working environment.  A month later, Robbie had accepted some overtime at Mirren and was given an hour break to go and get some dinner. Robbie hadn’t packed extra food for the overtime period, but he knew that Rockne’s Bar and Grill across the street was a place that had vegan options and decided to go there. Robbie went in and sat at the bar. Rockne himself knew Robbie and told him of the vegan special, which was a meatloaf dinner with macaroni and cheese and a vegetable medley.  Robbie felt the glare and saw that Aaron was sitting about four seats down from him. Still, he knew that old man Rockne didn’t put up with Aaron outbursts in his bar any more than Mike Cruz did at work. Aaron gave Robbie his sinister smile, but he made no move.  Robbie looked back to Rockne. “Sounds good. I’m going to go use the restroom.”  “Your food’ll be waiting here for you when you get back, kid,” Rockne said.  Aaron watched as Robbie walked away. He watched with even greater anticipation as Rockne prepared the college rabbit’s food. He put the finished plate on the table and then put the silverware next to the plate. He finished it off by putting a glass of water down. As soon as Rockne went to the back, Aaron struck. He had a big bowl of beef gravy that he used for his plate of food. There was quite a bit of it left. He picked it up and moved over to Robbie’s plate. After making sure that Rockne was still in the back, he tilted the bowl and poured the gravy all over everything. When he finished, he went back to his seat.  When Robbie returned and sat down, he immediately noticed the gravy all over his food. When Rockne came back out, Robbie made his complaint. Rockne looked at the plate. “I didn’t put any gravy on that, kid.” He groaned. “I’ll getcha a new plate.” “The fuck you will!” Aaron called out. Then he pointed at Robbie. “You just sit yer ass down there and eat that food right there.” Rockne pointed right at Aaron. “I’m putting this meal on your tab, you little son of a bitch.” Aaron ignored Rockne and got off his stool. “Well, come on, Rabbit! Sit down there and eat.” Rockne said to Robbie, “Don’t touch that food. I’ll getcha a new plate.” Aaron glared at him. “No, you will not! He’s eatin’ this one.” He glared at Robbie. “Eat that food there! Or I swear to God I’ll fuckin’ feed it to you myself.” “Since you tainted my food, I’m not touching it,” Robbie replied in defiance.  Aaron’s glare turned into a sinister smile. “Fine, have it yer way.” Aaron hauled off and punched Robbie in the face with enough force to send him backward and flying over a nearby table. Aaron was quickly around to the other side. He pulled Robbie up and hauled off on him again. Before Robbie could fall, Aaron picked him up into a fireman’s carry. He took Robbie to another table and slammed him right top of it, making the table collapse. “What’s the matter, Rabbit?” Aaron taunted. “It’s vegan food, ain’t it? I just spiced it up a little for you.” He kicked Robbie in the gut. “This place used to be just for real men. Then you fuckin’ college kids came along with yer vegan shit. Now Rockne’s servin’ rabbit food here.” He kicked Robbie in the gut again. “You can’t even get a real man’s meal in here no more.” He kicked Robbie in the gut one more time. “Because of you fuckin’ rabbits!” Robbie tried to pick himself up. Aaron helped him up enough to punch him hard in the gut. “Look at you! You ain’t even a real fuckin’ man. Yer just some sissy-ass kid who can’t even fight me.” Aaron grabbed Robbie’s hair and pulled him back to the bar. Before Robbie could think, Aaron shoved his face right into the gravy-soaked food. Then he started rubbing Robbie’s face in it. “Come on, Rabbit! Come on! Eat that fuckin’ rabbit food. Doesn’t that gravy make it taste that much better? Huh? Mmmmmm . . . ! Eat as much as you want!” But the sound of the pump-action shotgun quickly forced Aaron to let go of Robbie. Rockne had pulled his shotgun out from underneath the bar and was now aiming it right at Aaron. “Let go of the kid, you little bastard!” When Aaron hesitated, Rockne screamed, “I said let him go!” Aaron finally let go of Robbie and stepped back very slowly. Rockne gave Robbie a wet towel. “Here, kid, wipe yourself off. Don’t worry, I just called the cops.” Aaron raised his hands in front of him as Rockne kept the gun on him. “Now, look here, old man . . . We wouldn’t want –” “Shut the fuck up, Aaron!” Rockne interrupted. “You’re done here! You hear me?! You’re banned for life from here. You ever step foot in my place ever again, and I’ll blow your goddamn head clean off. And you know I mean just what I’m saying! And don’t think I ain’t collecting what you owe me for wrecking my place.” Then Aaron heard another voice. “Hey, Aaron! You ever step foot in Mirren Automotive ever again, and I’ll have security walk your ass out.” Aaron quickly spun around and saw Mike Cruz standing there. He pointed right at Mike. “Bullshit! You didn’t see nothin’!” “I saw enough,” Mike said. “You’re fired! You hear me? Fired! Don’t even bother coming back to work. I’ll be in on Saturday. You can come back in and get your shit then.”  Mike came over to Robbie. “You okay, kid?” Robbie nodded. “I’ll be all right?” “I got the police coming,” Rockne told Aaron. “I’m pressing charges on you. You’re paying for all the damage you caused here – and that ruined plate.” Aaron pointed right at Rockne. “Fuck you, old man! You ain’t gettin’ one goddamn dime outta me.” He pointed at Robbie now. “This ain’t over between you and me, Rabbit! Yer permanently on my fuckin’ shitlist!” When Rockne raised the shotgun to Aaron again, Aaron shouted curses as he turned and stormed out of the bar.  Around 3:00am, Aaron sat in his pickup truck and eyed the Mirren Automotive east parking lot. Aaron took another swig out of the bottle of whiskey he’d brought with him and felt the alcohol mix really good with his anger. He caressed the double-barreled shotgun that he had sitting in the passenger’s side.  “Yeah, you think I can’t think, huh, Rabbit?” Aaron muttered. “Maybe I never knew yer fuckin’ name, but I know where you leave here from. I know what car you drive. I’ll fuckin’ kill yer rabbit ass before you make it back to that panty-waste college of yers.” He took another swig, then shouted, “Vegan, my ass!” He didn’t have to wait that much longer. Eventually, he saw a small group of people coming out of the plant. He raised his binoculars and saw that Robbie was among them. He grinned with anticipation. “Ooooh, yeah! I’ll get you easy, boy. I’ll run you right offa the goddamn road. Then I’m gonna go on a little rabbit hunt.” As Aaron reached over to caress his shotgun again, he suddenly realized that it was no longer there. “What the fuck?!” Suddenly, he felt the double barrels being pressed right up against the left side of his neck. Aaron turned his head to see who managed to sneak his shotgun out of the open passenger’s side window and brought it over to his side. His eyes went wide when he recognized the face.  “You?!” Aaron choked out. “Can’t be . . . ! Yer – !” Aaron didn’t have time to finish. The person quickly raised a pistol and fired it. Aaron gasped when he felt the dart hit his chest. He blacked out seconds later.  Aaron opened his eyes and groaned. “What the fuck . . . ?” he mumbled.  Aaron sniffed and recognized that all-too-familiar scent of smoked meat. When he managed to overcome more of the tranquilizer, he realized that he was tied up and elevated in some backyard somewhere. He looked and saw somebody was roasting a big slab of meat over an open fire.  “What the fuck?!” he repeated.  The person turned around. Then he moved over to Aaron. In the dim light, Aaron could see Robbie now. “Oh, hey! Glad to see you’re awake, Aaron. Guess that was some pretty good tranq, huh?” Aaron glared down at Robbie and demanded, “What the fuck you think yer doin’, Rabbit?!”   Robbie laughed. “Why . . . just watching you hang around. Literally! Pretty soon, you’re going into that little building right behind you. Since you can’t see it, it’s a smokehouse. Oh, and you’re going to be getting smoked to perfection. Once you’re skinned, that is . . .” Aaron screamed with rage and tried to squirm free. Robbie wasn’t in the least bit intimidated. When Aaron couldn’t fight anymore, he glared at Robbie again. “Lemme go, God damn you!” Robbie laughed. “Congratulations, asshole! You were right about me. Me being a vegan  won’t last. Okay, when we first met, I was eating vegan. Not because I wanted to, mind you. But the real truth is . . . you were the one I was hunting. See, I’m a hunter, too. Except I don’t just hunt deer and other wild animals. I also hunt for people that might make some great, tasty meat. And, yes, you were definitely right about meat being the way. Believe me, you were so right. And you are going to make some great eating once you’re all finished smoking.” Aaron growled. “When I get my fuckin’ hands on you, you son of a bitch . . . !” “Good luck with that,” Robbie said. “You might want to look down at your legs, though.” Aaron looked down to see that he not only had no pants on . . . he no longer had his lower legs!! Only stumps where they once were. “Holy motherfuckin’ shit! Oh, my fuckin’ god! Jesus fuckin’ – !” “Oh, for fuck’s sake, would you please – for once in yer life – just shut the fuck up?” a female voice familiar to Aaron called out from the back door.  Aaron looked to see the girl who came and stood next to Robbie. “I did see you outside the factory . . . Susan! But . . . but . . .  yer dead!” Robbie wrapped an arm around Susan’s waist. Then the two of them shared a kiss before they looked at Aaron again.  “Our plan worked, lover,” Susan said. “Yes, it did,” Robbie agreed.  “Goin’ to college was the best thing ever happened to me,” Susan explained to Aaron. “You see, when I met Robbie, he was such a sensitive guy. Yeah, he done has his problems, such as all the meat he eats, but he’s still all sweet on me. I mean, I literally fell in love with him at first sight.” Robbie smiled. “I used to think girls were trouble, especially the ones who lived out here in the country. Then I met your sister here – a country girl – while I was at the university. Boy, did she ever catch me off guard. Now, I don’t know how I ever lived without her. Anyway, when she told me about what an insufferable prick you were to her and how she had so many sleepless nights because of you . . .” He sighed. “I flat-out suggested just killing you.” Susan was angry now. “And, believe me, you don’t know how many times I wanted to blow yer fuckin’ head off while you was sleepin’. Robbie done showed me that killin’ you will be so easy. We’ll even benefit from you, too. Surprise! I ain’t vegan no more. Turns out I love eatin’ meat.” She giggled a little. “Human meat!” Susan picked up a knife and carved off a small piece of the meat from the roast. She turned back to Aaron. “This here’s one of yer legs over this here fire.” Aaron was horrified to see Susan put the cut meat into her mouth and eat it. She turned to Robbie. “Mmmm . . . smoked to perfection,  baby.” Robbie smiled at Aaron. “For the record, I did go vegan for the last few months. See, Susan made a little bet with me. She said I couldn’t be vegan for two whole months, so I agreed to try it. She in turn agreed to try eating human meat. If I made it two months, which I did – today, she would go back to eating meat on the full-time basis.” He turned to her. “Don’t worry, hon, I won’t hold you to it. If you want to be vegan, it’s fine by me.” They shared another kiss. Then Susan said, “Vegan food is mighty good, but I’ll consider eatin’ human steaks. As long as it don’t bother you that I still wanna eat vegan.” Robbie shook his head. “No, we can eat vegan food. You were right, it’s actually not bad. I’d say we found our happy medium, you and me.” They kissed one more time.  Again, Aaron struggled to free himself. He roared and thrashed with all his might. Finally, he realized it was useless and gave up.  “You were dead, Susan!” Aaron protested. “You and yer college boyfriend both.” “You saw two bodies we done carved up,” Susan corrected him. “Robbie and I put our clothes on them bodies. The police never even thought to do any kinda forensics to see if they was really us or not. We’re both legally dead. My new name is Megan Farns now. We got married shortly after we decided we was gonna kill you.” “Speaking of killing you, Aaron,” Robbie said, “we’re going to strip the flesh off you. Then we’ll put you in the smokehouse and smoke you to perfection, just like we did your legs. Susan wanted to keep you alive long enough so she could see you before we do what needs to be done.” “I know I’ll savor every bite of you until yer all gone,” Megan murmured.  “Still think I’m a rabbit now, you short little fat fucker?” Robbie teased.  “This is bullshit!” Aaron cried. “Bullshit!” “Puttin’ up with you all them years of my life was bullshit,” Megan snapped. “Now I’ll sleep peacefully, and with my wonderful man.” She glanced at Robbie. “I’m done talkin’ to this shitheel now. Thank you for this opportunity, honey. I love you.” “I love you, too, babe. Here, I’ll give you the honors,” Robbie said, handing her a buck knife. Megan stepped up onto a sturdy metal ladder to look at Aaron one last time. “This is for my life of hell, you fuckin’ Neanderthal!” Aaron screamed as Megan stabbed him hard in his stomach. His blood was spurting out quickly. He groaned, intent on not giving up on his life. Megan knew this and drew back again for another hard stab. Aaron Johnston knew that the second stab would be . . .  THE END!! Support Weekly Spooky - Scary Stories to Keep You Up at Night by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/weekly-spooky Find out more at http://weeklyspooky.com

Bible Study with Jairus - Numbers 7 After our Bible meeting finished, we were still puzzled over Numbers 7. We didn't understand some of the questions in this chapter. For example, the twelve tribes of Israel offered the same gifts twelve times. Each time, they were exactly the same. Yet, they are described repeatedly. We know that one written word of the Bible is worth a thousand pieces of gold. The Holy Spirit would surely not record unnecessary words in the Bible. However, from the perspective of efficiency, it seems a bit wasteful to repeat the sacrifices offered by the twelve tribes. This was a question that everyone had during our meeting. The context of Numbers 7 is the story of Moses and the tabernacle. Moses finishes setting up the tabernacle and anoints and consecrates it and all its furnishings. He also anoints and consecrates the altar and all its utensils (NIV, Numbers 7:1). We noticed something unusual in this verse that we will discuss. Brother Watchman Nee has a famous hymn. One of the sentences states, "First the blood, and then the anointing oil." This references the general order of the sacrifice. First, the priest was to present a sin offering or sprinkle blood. In fact, the book of Exodus instructs that the priest first be sprinkled with blood before he is anointed with oil. Exodus 29:21 (NIV) says, "Take some blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated." Exodus 29:36 (NIV) then says, "Sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it and anoint it to consecrate it." This second verse demonstrates that the sin offering must be offered first before anointing the altar to consecrate it. However, Numbers 7 does not record the rule of sprinkling blood or offering the sin offering first. We should keep in mind, therefore, that Numbers 6 had mentioned the sin offering as it relates to the law concerning the Nazarites; therefore, it is likely these verses in Numbers were specifically spoken and directed towards the Nazarites after their defilement. It seems the verses in Numbers and Exodus may have no direct relationship. Of course, the sacrifices of the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel later included the sin offering. Each leader presented a male goat as a sin offering. The total number for the sin offering was twelve. But this happened after Moses anointed the tabernacle, altar and all its utensils. Today, we will not discuss the specific numbers and spiritual meanings of the various sacrifices offered by the leaders of the twelve tribes. We will just talk about the last verse of Numbers 7 which states, “When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony. And he spoke with Him" (NIV, Numbers 7:89). How did Jehovah and Moses talk before? When Aaron and Miriam rebelled against Moses, Jehovah came to defend Moses. It was recorded that He spoke with Moses face to face (Numbers 12:8). It was also recorded in Exodus 33:11 that Jehovah spoke to Moses face to face like speaking to a friend. However, in Numbers 7 Moses heard Jehovah's words on the atonement cover, and he spoke with Jehovah in that place. So, when Jehovah was talking with Moses here on the atonement cover, was it a new way? Since the tabernacle had just been set up, perhaps a new way had been established. Exodus 40 records that when the tabernacle was set up, a cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not even enter the tabernacle. This chapter also talks about Jehovah commanding Moses to anoint the tabernacle and the altar and sanctify them. Our group was left wondering why anointing the tabernacle and the altar had to be done first, only then allowing the twelve leaders to make offerings. We also wanted to understand why the Lord and Moses were speaking at the atonement cover. What is the relationship between these three? Whether it is Numbers 7 or Exodus 40, both record details about anointing the tabernacle and that the presence of Jehovah was in the tabernacle. In other words, the twelve Israelite leaders represent the twelve tribes coming to the tabernacle to see God and enter His presence. Although they had not seen Him with a naked eye, they had entered His presence. Therefore, even though the leaders of each tribe offered the same sacrifice, the sacrifices should not be devalued and only considered repeats of the same gift. Why? Because in the eyes of God each leader and tribe they represented are extremely precious. I once read testimonies of Anna Rountree, a female prophet in the United States. She authored the book, “The Heavens Opened.” In her book, she testifies to seeing countless prayers flying to our heavenly Father. When Father God appeared to her, she asked Him, "Are you busy? Millions of prayers come to you every second." Our heavenly Father smiled and said, "But each of my children will receive My unique attention." In another vision, Anna saw a large group of children lined up in front of the Father, each holding a flower that they picked outside. The children gave their flowers to the Father and he received the blessing of the flesh flowers from each one. He embraced them one by one. Anna was told afterward that these children in queue were all aborted babies. They were lining up to give flowers to the Heavenly Father to thank Him for giving them eternal life and for taking care of them. I was touched that each of these children had the chance to do this one at a time. It was not a mere repeat. Each act represents a sincere thanks to the Father God. I felt this picture resembles well the sacrifices of the twelve tribal leaders in Numbers 7. Many people often feel that there isn't a lot of God's presence in their daily life. Perhaps the normal spiritual thing is that we need to pray and apply the blood of Jesus Christ to ourselves in order to come into God's presence. This process seems to be the same as when the priest entered the tabernacle. First, we will take our sin offering, guilt offering, and other sacrifices to be cleansed. At the same time, we present gift offerings such as a grain offering and a burnt offering. Then we will go to the basin to wash away our defilement. All of these are sacrifices are performed in the outer courtyard. After which, we enter the sanctuary and present the showbread on the table (some people say that the Hebrew meaning of this showbread is “the face of God”). Then we will go to the golden lampstand to receive light. We enter to approach the golden altar of incense to intercede and offer a pleasing aroma to God. Now we can enter the Holy of Holies and meet God. The process of meeting God is like when Moses and Jehovah were talking on the atonement cover. We can also talk to God in the Spirit like this. In the Old Testament, the blood covered and made atonement for sins. In the New Testament, the blood of Jesus Christ covers and cleanses us from our sins, making it so that God does not to look at our sins. Through the blood of Christ, our sins are covered and we are redeemed allowing us to meet with God. But in Numbers 7, the tabernacle and utensils had to be consecrated. Why did they need to be consecrated? Because the presence of the Lord would fill the tabernacle. He is holy and everything had to be cleansed and made holy. The picture of the sacrifices offered here by the twelve tribes of Israel is a demonstration of how to stay in God's presence and how to serve Him in His presence. It is not merely a process of how to enter into God's presence like I mentioned. Let us first look at the gifts that the leaders of Israel offered together. Numbers 7:3 (NIV) says, "They brought as their gifts before the LORD six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle." This means that the leaders gave such gifts in partnership. Every two leaders would give a cart, and each leader an ox. Perhaps the cart represents one's ministry; therefore, in this case, ministry should be performed in partnership with others. But the ox represents a redeeming sacrifice, or our personal spiritual experience. Everyone must have their own unique experience of redemption with the Lord. Next, Jehovah instructed Moses to accept these gifts and do things on behalf of the Levites. There existed specific instructions for particular groups of people. Kohathites did not receive any gifts because they were responsible for carrying the objects of the sanctuary. The Gershonites and Merarites served in the outer courtyard and were responsible for transporting the objects into the outer courtyard. The Gershonites were given two carts and four oxen while the Merarites were given four carts and eight oxen. There is a spiritual lesson here. That is, the closer our life and service are to the outer courtyard, greater will be the influence of the outside world or the flesh on our lives. But the closer our life and service are to the Holy of Holies, less will be the power of the outside world to affect our lives. A lack of obedience in following God's specific instructions is why God struck down Uzzah when he put his hand on the ark of God to stable it when the oxen stumbled (1 Chronicles 13:7-13). First, Uzzah is a descendant of Merari (1 Chronicles 6:29), and he himself should not have transported the ark. Second, even if the ark had to be transported, it should not have been done so by an ox cart. It must be carried by shoulder, and only the Kohathites could carry it on their shoulders. Finally, the ox cart they used was sent by the Philistines. Therefore, God killing Uzzah was inevitable. God did not suddenly strike someone down without reason. Rather, God had already explained to the Israelites many times in advance how things should be done. This verse illustrates the seriousness of the priestly order that God has set up. There is order in the service of God. Defying this order may cause us to face grave consequences. While we all serve God, our roles in serving God are different. Jehovah explained to Kohath, Gershon, and Merari that they would assume different responsibilities. We each have different gifts and functions within the body of Christ due to our varied callings from God. For example, Paul said that God's gifts include the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). Each one is a different function. We cannot deny that these functions are different, nor can we deny that there is a correct spiritual order within the church of God. Paul also told us that we should not go beyond our limits (NIV, 2 Corinthians 10:13) when we look at ourselves. But this does not mean that we have class differences. Through the ages, God's people have often committed mistakes in two areas of thought. First, the gift of God is often distorted into class differences, such as the situation within the history of Catholicism. The other area is opposition against a clergy system because of the belief that it interrupts the correct spiritual order established by God within the Church. In fact, there is still a lot of controversy among churches and leaders as to whether a clergy system is needed. In particular, the Brethren under John Darby were very opposed to the idea of a clergy system and they experienced many divisions because of this. In the end, they had not reached their goal of becoming "the pure body of Christ." It can be said of their experience that simply removing the clergy does not completely solve the problems of the Church. I recently wrote a paper on the history of John Darby for my doctoral dissertation. I specifically quoted one author's comment regarding this kind of situation. The quote came from the book, "Plymouth Brethren," and the author is Massimo Introvigne. Introvigne wrote, according to research done by American sociologists Roger Finke and Rodney Stark, “The spirit of Protestantism, Stark and Finke claim, is in itself anti–institutional. Its protest is largely about the corruption it regards as inherent in large structures and instructional churches. Often in history, Protestants have proclaimed their desire to move ‘outside of Babylon' and to return to the ‘purity' of primitive Christianity. According to Finke and Stark's model, these ‘good intentions' normally would not last long. Little by little, the second generation of each new Protestant wave will in turn start a journey toward institutionalization.”[1] Introvigne positively commented on the Brethren's efforts to break away from institutional Christianity. He concluded that they had failed reaching their utopian. In my paper, I shared my experience and observations from the Local Church Movement (LCM) and I attest to Introvigne's observation being true. The LCM was heavily influenced by the Brethren. It also attempted to break away from institutional Christianity. Unfortunately, even after years, it cannot be said that institutional religion did not still infiltrate the LCM until today. Breaking away from institutional Christianity may stem from a genuine motivation to be more holy, but often when a Christian movement reaches the second and third generations, this kind of institutionalization is inevitable. Therefore, when commenting on this phenomenon, I said that we should neither deny people with the gift of God (such as the apostles, prophets, etc.) nor the gift of the Holy Spirit (such as healing the sick and casting out demons, prophesying, preaching, and speaking in tongues). God's intentions are not to completely deny the clergy system since the distinct functions of Aaron and the Levites are the clergy system established by God. At the same time, God longs for every member of the body of Christ to mature and function individually because each one carries the gifts of the Holy Spirit and can receive more. We cannot completely deny the clergy system, but we must establish a dynamic and organic cooperative relationship between the clergy system and ordinary people with various gifts. For example, we need to have a basketball star such as Yao Ming to represent China's national team in basketball matches such as the NBA. We also need to actively encourage all the members on the team to play basketball, so that everyone can stay fit and cultivate their basketball talents. This is a dynamic relationship. Without a player like Yao Ming, we cannot win international competitions. However, not everyone needs to be a Yao Ming; we must use each gifted and talented person for their purpose. Additionally, if there were no promotion of basketball for all, we might not be able to select the next Yao Ming. I personally think that the efforts of the Brethren and the Local Church Movement to remove pastors and other traditional clergy systems in an attempt to achieve priesthood in the body of Christ, was successful to a certain extent. It brought a lot of positive influence and helped many brothers and sisters to develop their gifts. For example, in the Local Church Movement, everyone is taught to prophesy (forthtell). This teaching encourages many to develop a gift of teaching. This is nearly impossible to develop in the case of many traditional churches where pastors are the main preachers. This is because lay people are not given the opportunity to speak to the congregation in a teaching format. I personally think that the two paragraphs of Numbers 7 are talking about these two different situations. In the first paragraph, God did establish the distinct functions of Aaron, the sons of Aaron, the descendants of the Levites (Kohath, Gershon, and Merari), and their limitations. In the eyes of God, there are indeed separate roles and different ministerial functions. This is the clergy system set up by God. The second paragraph, which appears to show the content of the sacrifices of the twelve leaders as the same, is not merely repetitive. Rather, God is pleased with everyone's service to Him. Everyone has their own gifts from God and no one can replace what each offers to God. God also created every snowflake differently; they are not simply replications of each other. Everyone can also bring unique joy to God. This is likened to receiving gifts by your two sons. Although the gifts given to you by your sons seem to be the same, the meaning they represent is different. Each gift represents each one's love for you. If I were one of the sons, I would not allow myself to think that my gift was worthless in the eyes of my father just because my brother had brought the same gift as me. Both gifts are equally precious. Recalling Darby, he was actually not completely opposed to the clergy system. He hoped that the church would receive the gifts bestowed from God to the body of Christ as Paul did—to serve as members of the church's clergy system. One reason Darby opposed the Anglican Church is because they required that a person be ordained by the state in order to preach. Darby pointed out that if Paul came to the Anglican Church of England at that time, Paul would likely not be able to preach because he was not ordained. So, the correct way for order is to respect the clergy system established by God. On the other hand, we must also boldly accept all the gifts of the Holy Spirit and not just the three gifts that the traditional evangelicals are familiar with and that Darby promoted (preaching, pastoring and evangelism). We must receive all God's gifted persons including prophets and apostles. We also need to be open to all the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (prophesying, speaking in tongues, healing the sick and casting out demons). This will create a lively body of Christ. There are gifted people everywhere who are bestowed by God to the Church to train other brothers and sisters. Because of the bestowing of the Holy Spirit, all brothers and sisters should serve using their various gifts. Only in this way can the Church of God fulfill its collective calling as one body with many members working for the glory of God. I personally think that when we establish a dynamic relationship between these two, it will make the church more pleasing to God. God will also entrust us with more, such as releasing more prophetic words. Let me give a final example. Samuel mentioned that when Eli was priest, the word of the Lord was scarce. It's only when God raised Samuel as a prophet and priest that the situation gradually changed. Not only did Jehovah's words by the mouth of Samuel come to pass and not fall to the ground, but Samuel went on to establish a school for the prophets to teach them how to serve God with their gift. This example is a good illustration. Not only did Samuel's life serve as a gift to God, but he perfected the gifts of others in people such as in David and other ordinary people whose names are not recorded. God has bestowed both the gifted people and the gift of the Holy Spirit to His church. Their organic cooperation can change the current church. This is the inspiration I received from the pictures of the two stories regarding the spiritual order of the priest and the repeated gifts offered by all twelve tribe leaders. Concluding, God has gifted all in the body of Christ and he expects that each one will operate in their function within the body. Also, God's desires continual communication with believers just as he was always talking to Moses. As demonstrated in Numbers 7, God spoke to Moses in a new way and this represented a new beginning. After Moses, priests began to do the same thing and now New Testament believers also do likewise. We enter the Holy of Holies by the blood of Christ which cleanses us from all sin, but it is by God's Spirit that we commune with the Godhead. Moses set the new example for those wishing to enter God's presence and meet with Him.   [1] Massimo Introvigne, The Plymouth Brethren (Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2018), 159, Kindle.

When Aaron lost his sons because of the fire that came out of the Tabernacle and consumed them he was devastated. And to worsen the situation, Moses scolds him for not eating the sin offering. But through all of this, Aaron is able to make a wiser decision than Moses. How was he able to? Through the power of silence. Learn more in the 5MT commentary on Parashat Shemini (Leviticus 9:1-11:47).

EP77. When Aaron’s daughter was diagnosed with autism at an early age and initially denied access to special education, he began to write about his family’s journey. Aaron chats with Renee about how the most vulnerable students are losing their access to a suitable education, and what can be done to change the system that is traumatizing children and their parents. Read Aaron's book Thirteen DoorsThis episode is supported by The Latte Co. Visit thelatteco.com and use code THEMOMROOM10 to get 10% off + free shipping on your first order! ***no limit on the max value/not valid for subscriptions***To join The Mom Room Facebook Community, click HERE.To connect with Renee Reina, click HERE.To visit Renee's blog, click HERE.Follow Renee Reina (@the.mom.room) on TikTok. Follow Renee Reina (@the.mom.room) on Instagram. To visit The Mom Room podcast website, click HERE.Follow Aaron (@authoraaronwright) on Instagram.Follow Aaron on Facebook.To visit Aaron's website, click HERE.

When Aaron learns that Erika wants to tell her "secret" to Vanessa, Erika’s life is placed in sudden peril, and the shocking truth about her past of peeing in public is revealed. Meanwhile, Vanessa is puzzled by Locke’s cult leader-like behavior, and a drunken Aaron must repay a debt to their guest Chris by watching Zack Snyder’s Justice League.  This week we drank Boone's Farm(you can find it on the bottom shelf of any liquor store) and Aaron had a Mind Eraser, which you can find the recipe for here: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/mind-eraser/   Don't forget to Rate & Review us! And make sure to follow us to see the pics we check out during the episode: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youalleverypod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youalleverypod

Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 16 Moses' prophetic word Numbers 16 tells the story of Korah's rebellion and the discipline God sent as a result. When Moses spoke out about the earth opening and swallowing these imposters, did he know in advance what God was going to do? Or did the prophecy come to him in that very moment, before he had even realized it? Numbers 16:30 says, "If the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.” I don't believe Moses knew in advance what he was about to say. Instead, I believe he released prophetic words in that very moment. When a prophet speaks, things start happening to fulfill his words. When I first learned about releasing the "word of knowledge", the teachers in my prophetic class proposed many ways to receive the word of knowledge, including "hearing", "seeing", "feeling", "dreaming" and "speaking out."  When those who have the gift of prophecy use this spiritual gift, they speak out first and only later realize that what they said is not of themselves, but of the Holy Spirit. These practices are not preached about or exercised in evangelical churches, so many evangelicals lack such experience. But in the Pentecostal Movement, which pays more attention to the use of prophetic gifts, there are many such examples. For example, Chuck Pierce, a Charismatic prophet, was prophesying at a meeting when he suddenly found himself saying that Bin Laden would be caught within a few hours. He recalled that he felt regret and fear immediately after saying this, because if this thing did not happen, he would be convicted as a false prophet or a prophet who gives false prophecies. However, it turned out that Bin Laden was indeed caught within a few hours. I had experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit which made the prophetic gift possible. I tried my best to pursue the gift of prophecy, but I have never experienced the ability to predict future events. However, when I am sharing the Lord's words in meetings, I often find myself saying something I had not previously planned on saying. Other times, someone asks me a question about a verse I don't quite understand, and I suddenly get an inspiration about its meaning. Sometimes, I give the explanation quickly, before my thoughts and understanding can catch up. After experiencing the filling or outpouring of the Holy Spirit, I frequently have experiences like this while serving the Lord. This kind of spiritual inspiration not only lines up with real, lived experience, but also with the truths of the Bible. The Lord Jesus said, “When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (ESV, Matthew 10:19-20). The Holy Spirit can speak through or even control our tongue. But this does not happen naturally. We must dedicate ourselves to God and experience the filling and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We must give the Holy Spirit freedom, so that he can use us in this way. Under normal circumstances, the Holy Spirit respects our free will. There are many differences of opinion regarding the prophetic gifts in the Old and New Testament. But if we assume that many of the prophetic gifts in the modern church are real, then the same Holy Spirit speaks through the mouth of the prophets in both the Old and New Testaments. Understanding prophecy in the Old Testament will shed light on the gift of prophecy in the New Testament. Since I left the Local Church Movement in 2015, I have tried my best to learn about and pursue the gift of prophecy in Pentecostal churches. I have had many experiences of seeing prophetic gifts in use. My doctoral dissertation at the United Theological Seminary compared the practice of prophecy in the Local Church Movement with that of the Charismatics. Let's explore some of the differences between prophecy in the New Testament and the Old Testament. One big difference between the New Testament and the Old Testament gift of prophecy is that the Holy Spirit's way of prophesying through prophets in the Old Testament is visitation. Once the Holy Spirit comes upon on a certain prophet, even Balaam or Saul, he will give a 100% accurate prophecy. But New Testament prophecy is "habitational", which means the Holy Spirit dwells in us. The Holy Spirit will inspire us to speak, but the word will be mixed with our own words and the prophecy will not always be completely accurate. Due to a lack of understanding of the differences between Old Testament and New Testament prophecy, many people deny that there are true prophetic gifts in the New Testament. Most Christians understand that priests are no longer limited to a certain group of people as they were in OT; instead, every believer is a priest of God today (1 Peter 2:9). The same is true of prophesy. In the Old Testament, a select few were prophets of God. Now, God has poured out the Holy Spirit on all flesh so that everybody will prophesy (Joel 2 quoted in Acts 2:17-18). Paul also echoed this idea saying that we all can prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:31). Despite this shift, many people still hold an Old Testament view of prophets. Hebrews 1:1-2 explains that in ancient times, God spoke to the Israelites through the prophets at many times and in many ways. Now, in these later days, God has spoken to us by His Son (Jesus Christ). We all know that the Lord Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit, so the Lord and the Holy Spirit who live in us can also speak through our mouths. It is wrong to think that there are no prophets in the New Testament. First, the New Testament gives examples of prophets in the New Testament, such as Agabus (Acts 11:27-28), Judas, and Silas (Acts 15:32). Second, throughout the ages, there have been people who have had the gift of prophecy. Although it is very rare to have such people in the history of Christianity after the apostolic era, and though some people with such gifts have a mistaken theological understanding, they have not been lost completely. Instead, they've only been buried for a time. Remember how the truth of justification by faith was buried for many years? It was not restored until Martin Luther was enlightened. Similarly, the gift of prophecy has been restored considerably through the Pentecostal Movement. Though I don't have time to go into detail on this topic, I wanted to touch on the issues surrounding prophecy in modern Charismatic churches. One of the biggest questions and concerns is the errors in the prophecies in the Pentecostal Movement. This requires understanding the difference between the gift of prophecy in the New Testament and the Old Testament. Yes, we certainly hope that every New Testament prophet can be like the Old Testament prophets in terms of giving infallible prophecies. But we also see that the difference between the Holy Spirit's word in the New Testament and the Old Testament is by God's design. The prophets in the Old Testament did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, so they would envy us who have the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, living in us every day. It was important that the Old Testament prophets produce error-free work so they could compile the infallible words of Scripture. The Bible is like our driver's manual and handbook, a guide to the Christian life. It was important for it to be accurate. But today the Bible has already been completed. This guide is already in our hands. We are all learning and applying this Bible (guide), whether through exegesis or prophecy, with the purpose of helping others grow spiritually. When pastors or preachers interpret the Bible in preaching, their understanding is not always accurate. However, many believers are very tolerant of the errors preachers make when trying to express their understanding of the Bible. But with regards to the gift of prophecy in the New Testament, these believers expect 100% accuracy as it was in the OT. Otherwise, they will consider those who prophesied to be false prophets. On the one hand, this is understandable, since prophecies are supposed to be true. On the other hand, they are applying an Old Testament understanding to a New Testament phenomenon. Many modern prophets make errors in interpreting and applying the revelation from God, even though these revelations are genuinely from God. In my real-life experience of learning the gift of prophecy, I have observed true prophecies as well as false prophecies. Overall, although there are some problems with the gift of prophecy and the practice of prophecy in the Pentecostal Movement, these prophecies also have many advantages. They encourage believers and build churches. Many prophetic errors in the Pentecostal Movement, with the exception of deliberately false prophecies, are due to spiritual immaturity in the prophet, or the person's mistaken interpretation and application of the vision or message given by God. Sometimes, a person may be inspired by the Holy Spirit; sometimes they may be inspired by their own feelings. There is a mixture of truth and misinterpretation. Instead of rejecting all prophecy outright, we should have a more balanced approach. We should neither accept all prophecies nor reject all prophecies. Instead, according to Paul's words, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (ESV, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22). There are similarities between the way the Holy Spirit speaks to New Testament prophets and the way he spoke to Old Testament prophets. We need to distinguish between what a person says when he is inspired by the Holy Spirit and what he says when he is not. For example, if you read David's Psalms, you will find that many times he is simply pouring out his emotions, the feelings in his heart. Suddenly, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit comes and he is speaking from God in first person. When the inspiration of the Holy Spirit passes, he continues to express his feelings. This is a common occurrence in David's Psalms, as well as other psalms. This may be also the case when Moses was speaking in Numbers 16. Although we are not ruling out the possibility that God told Moses in advance about the earth splitting, my personal guess is that what he said during that time was inspired in the moment by the Holy Spirit. Moses' Differing Roles In Numbers 16:1-3, we learn that Korah and 250 leaders of Israel rose up against Moses and Aaron. When Moses heard it, he fell on his face. He told Korah and all his company that in the morning, the Lord would show who was chosen by God (vs. 4-6). He suggested that everyone take the censer to burn incense. In verse 7, Moses said, "You have gone too far, sons of Levi!” (ESV) He blamed the Levites for coveting the priesthood and not being satisfied with their service in the tabernacle (Numbers 16:8-10). Moses called Dathan and Abiram, but they didn't come. Instead, they accused Moses of bringing them up from Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to die in the wilderness (Numbers 16:12-14). Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not respect their offering.” (ESV, Numbers 16:15). Moses was expressing his true feelings. On the second day, when Moses and those who rebelled were gathered together, the Lord appeared and said to Moses and Aaron that he would destroy all the Israelites except for the two of them. Moses and Aaron begged the Lord not to be too harsh. The Lord agreed to honor their plea, and he agreed to only kill Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Numbers 16:19-27). It is at this juncture that Moses says, "Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord. If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me.  But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord. And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods.” (ESV, Numbers 16:28-32). Regardless of whether or not Moses knew in advance how God would discipline Korah and his company, the shift in Moses' role can be seen here. First, Moses is just a human, angry and praying for God's help. Then he becomes an intercessor, praying that God would not destroy all the Israelites. Finally, he acts as a prophet, the representative and judge of God's authority. In this role, he declares and accomplishes God's chastisement on the people. A person used by God often has multiple roles. This role transformation is often a very important link in the biblical narrative. Understanding this concept will help us better understand the Bible.   Aaron's Intercession After the Lord disciplined Korah and his company, many people were still complaining. This time, they were accusing Moses of killing them! They gathered again to rise up against Moses and Aaron. The Lord told Moses and Aaron to destroy these Israelites, and Moses and Aaron interceded for the Israelites yet again. But it was too late. God's wrath had broken out, causing a plague. Moses asked Aaron to take the censer, put fire on it from off the altar, lay incense on it and carry it to the congregation to make atonement for them. Aaron's prayer stopped the plague, but 14,700 people still died because of the plague (ESV, Numbers 16:41-50). Today, we are just as sinful as the ancient Israelites. Just as Aaron's intercession stopped the plague, Christians' prayers can stop God's wrath. Even though God's wrath was already poured out on Jesus on the cross, God still sends his discipline on believers. He still punishes those who do not accept his free gift. Sometimes, his discipline includes plagues and disasters. The book of Revelation records disasters that are an outworking of God's wrath. Similarly, Coronavirus could be both an attack from the enemy and an expression of God's discipline. (I am speaking in a general sense. I am not condemning people who got the virus. Many people who fought against this disease, like many medical workers, are in fact victims or even martyrs in a sense. May God heal everyone who is sick because of this. Nobody is immune to the virus. But God will protect and heal His people.) The coronavirus was brought about by the rebellion of the world, but our prayers play an important role in stopping the virus. When we repent in our hearts, and beseech God's mercy through practical physical actions, he may choose to take the coronavirus away. God wants us to do more than pray about the virus; he wants us to repent and turn to Him. Instead of simply praying that the Coronavirus is removed, we should pray that we repent and turn to God through this coronavirus. When everyone repents and turns to God, the coronavirus will naturally stop. As a prophet, Moses was God's representative in administering discipline to those who rebelled. When Aaron interceded for the people, he represented spiritual intercession. Korah was a Levite who served in the sanctuary, and the people who died served in the outer courtyard. God sent his cleansing discipline to these areas, and Aaron's intercession stopped the plague. In the same way, God sends his discipline to purge away the sins of the flesh. The intercession of the church, as well as the blood of Christ, provide a powerful intercession that stops the wrath of God.   In the Old Testament, the golden incense altar was located the sanctuary, near the veil that divided the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies only once a year to offer a sacrifice for the people's cleansing. On the cross, the Lord Jesus removed the veil that divided the sanctuary from the Holy of Holies. Through His blood, we can all draw near to the Holy of Holies with confidence and receive God's grace and mercy (ESV, Hebrews 4:16). Not only does Christ intercede for our forgiveness, but we as believers are also allowed to offer prayers that ascend to God from golden censors (see Revelation 8:4). Often, we need God to purify us from sins of the flesh before we can offer effective prayers (1 Peter 3:7). As our lives are purified by God, our prayers become more powerful (1 Peter 1:22). God will continue to cleanse us as we grow closer to him. When we sin, however, God disciplines us to restore his relationship with us (Hebrews 12). A plague may arise to purify and cleanse our souls from sin. Lack of prayer may cause lack of healing from the plague (James 4:2). In the New Testament, the golden incense altar is counted as a part of the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 9:4) because the veil that separates the Holy of Holies and the sanctuary has been torn apart. In the Old Testament, Aaron's prayers are effective despite the veil that separates him from the Holy of Holies. How much more powerful are the prayers of Christians in the New Testament! God has removed the veil, tearing it apart through the work of Christ on the cross. We must repent of sins of the flesh and rebellion in our soul, so that the fragrance of our prayers may reach God. We must pray for the sins of the world. The effect of intercession is very powerful. We not only pray that the plague may stop, but for sinners to repent and turn to God so that the plague may stop. In other words, the outbreak of the coronavirus is not only caused by the sins of the world, but it also reflects the lack of prayer in churches. If we prayed with fervency and power, perhaps God would bring an end to the coronavirus or prevent it altogether. The pandemic not only requires sinners to repent, but it also requires churches to humble themselves through prayer. Recently, many people have begun to pray powerfully to God. I pray that the pandemic may soon come to an end. The pandemic is a precursor of coming revival and awakening in the US and all around the world. God is preparing our hearts by cleansing us. Soon, He will pour down His blessings from heaven. Let us not lose hope. May God open our eyes to see this blessing in disguise. Let us pray before the incense altar and come to the throne of grace.

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 86 Psalm 86 (Listen) Great Is Your Steadfast Love A Prayer of David. 86   Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.2   Preserve my life, for I am godly;    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3   Be gracious to me, O Lord,    for to you do I cry all the day.4   Gladden the soul of your servant,    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.5   For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.6   Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;    listen to my plea for grace.7   In the day of my trouble I call upon you,    for you answer me. 8   There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,    nor are there any works like yours.9   All the nations you have made shall come    and worship before you, O Lord,    and shall glorify your name.10   For you are great and do wondrous things;    you alone are God.11   Teach me your way, O LORD,    that I may walk in your truth;    unite my heart to fear your name.12   I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,    and I will glorify your name forever.13   For great is your steadfast love toward me;    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14   O God, insolent men have risen up against me;    a band of ruthless men seeks my life,    and they do not set you before them.15   But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.16   Turn to me and be gracious to me;    give your strength to your servant,    and save the son of your maidservant.17   Show me a sign of your favor,    that those who hate me may see and be put to shame    because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me. (ESV) Pentateuch and History: Exodus 32 Exodus 32 (Listen) The Golden Calf 32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden1 calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” 11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. 15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” 30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” 35 Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. Footnotes [1] 32:4 Hebrew cast metal; also verse 8 (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Nehemiah 12:27–47 Nehemiah 12:27–47 (Listen) Dedication of the Wall 27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; 29 also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall. 31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate. 32 And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, 33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, 35 and certain of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; 36 and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east. 38 The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, 39 and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Gate of Yeshanah,1 and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. 40 So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; 41 and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. 43 And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away. Service at the Temple 44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. 45 And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon. 46 For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs2 of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron. Footnotes [1] 12:39 Or of the old city [2] 12:46 Or leaders (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: 1 Corinthians 4 1 Corinthians 4 (Listen) The Ministry of Apostles 4 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. 6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers,1 that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? 8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. 14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless2 guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent3 you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,4 as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18 Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21 What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness? Footnotes [1] 4:6 Or brothers and sisters [2] 4:15 Greek you have ten thousand [3] 4:17 Or am sending [4] 4:17 Some manuscripts add Jesus (ESV)

With family: Exodus 32; John 11 Exodus 32 (Listen) The Golden Calf 32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden1 calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” 11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. 15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” 30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” 35 Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. Footnotes [1] 32:4 Hebrew cast metal; also verse 8 (ESV) John 11 (Listen) The Death of Lazarus 11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus1 was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin,2 said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” I Am the Resurrection and the Life 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles3 off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.4 Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” Jesus Weeps 28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved5 in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” Jesus Raises Lazarus 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” The Plot to Kill Jesus 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. 54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. 55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for6 Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him. Footnotes [1] 11:6 Greek he; also verse 17 [2] 11:16 Greek Didymus [3] 11:18 Greek fifteen stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters [4] 11:25 Some manuscripts omit and the life [5] 11:33 Or was indignant; also verse 38 [6] 11:56 Greek were seeking for (ESV) In private: Proverbs 8; Ephesians 1 Proverbs 8 (Listen) The Blessings of Wisdom 8   Does not wisdom call?    Does not understanding raise her voice?2   On the heights beside the way,    at the crossroads she takes her stand;3   beside the gates in front of the town,    at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:4   “To you, O men, I call,    and my cry is to the children of man.5   O simple ones, learn prudence;    O fools, learn sense.6   Hear, for I will speak noble things,    and from my lips will come what is right,7   for my mouth will utter truth;    wickedness is an abomination to my lips.8   All the words of my mouth are righteous;    there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.9   They are all straight to him who understands,    and right to those who find knowledge.10   Take my instruction instead of silver,    and knowledge rather than choice gold,11   for wisdom is better than jewels,    and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. 12   “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,    and I find knowledge and discretion.13   The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.  Pride and arrogance and the way of evil    and perverted speech I hate.14   I have counsel and sound wisdom;    I have insight; I have strength.15   By me kings reign,    and rulers decree what is just;16   by me princes rule,    and nobles, all who govern justly.117   I love those who love me,    and those who seek me diligently find me.18   Riches and honor are with me,    enduring wealth and righteousness.19   My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,    and my yield than choice silver.20   I walk in the way of righteousness,    in the paths of justice,21   granting an inheritance to those who love me,    and filling their treasuries. 22   “The LORD possessed2 me at the beginning of his work,3    the first of his acts of old.23   Ages ago I was set up,    at the first, before the beginning of the earth.24   When there were no depths I was brought forth,    when there were no springs abounding with water.25   Before the mountains had been shaped,    before the hills, I was brought forth,26   before he had made the earth with its fields,    or the first of the dust of the world.27   When he established the heavens, I was there;    when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,28   when he made firm the skies above,    when he established4 the fountains of the deep,29   when he assigned to the sea its limit,    so that the waters might not transgress his command,  when he marked out the foundations of the earth,30     then I was beside him, like a master workman,  and I was daily his5 delight,    rejoicing before him always,31   rejoicing in his inhabited world    and delighting in the children of man. 32   “And now, O sons, listen to me:    blessed are those who keep my ways.33   Hear instruction and be wise,    and do not neglect it.34   Blessed is the one who listens to me,    watching daily at my gates,    waiting beside my doors.35   For whoever finds me finds life    and obtains favor from the LORD,36   but he who fails to find me injures himself;    all who hate me love death.” Footnotes [1] 8:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint govern the earth [2] 8:22 Or fathered; Septuagint created [3] 8:22 Hebrew way [4] 8:28 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [5] 8:30 Or daily filled with (ESV) Ephesians 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful1 in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritual Blessings in Christ 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us2 for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known3 to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee4 of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,5 to the praise of his glory. Thanksgiving and Prayer 15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love6 toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Footnotes [1] 1:1 Some manuscripts saints who are also faithful (omitting in Ephesus) [2] 1:5 Or before him in love, 5having predestined us [3] 1:9 Or he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known . . . [4] 1:14 Or down payment [5] 1:14 Or until God redeems his possession [6] 1:15 Some manuscripts omit your love (ESV)

Episode Notes Lemuel: I am Lemuel Gonzalez, repentant sinner, and along with Amity Armstrong, your heavenly host, I invite you to find a place in the pew for today’s painless Sunday School lesson. Without Works. Amity: Today we will investigate an instance of heathen idolatry a CPAC. Yes, someone a actually made and worshipped a golden idol. There is a historical precedent for this, and we discuss that in The More You Know. First, though, we are going to speak about taking a stand in a brief edition of Canon Fodder. Canon Fodder Popular Bible teacher Beth Moore may be the most high-profile Southern Baptist to publicly cut ties with the conservative evangelical denomination in the last year, but she is not the only one to go. Some say a string of recent departures should serve as a wake-up call for the Nashville-based network of churches. "Southern Baptists need to do some soul searching of why so many African-American leaders have left and now why their most prominent woman leader has left," said Ed Stetzer, a Southern Baptist pastor and executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. When the author and Bible teacher Beth Moore announced she was leaving the Southern Baptist Convention this week, she cited the “staggering” disorientation of seeing its leaders support Donald J. Trump, and the racism and sexism revealed in her community by his presidency. Ms. Moore is not the leader of a church, a role inaccessible to Southern Baptist women. But as an itinerant speaker, she attracts significantly larger — and more engaged — audiences than most church leaders. Ms. Moore has an electric stage presence. She is also an “exegetical powerhouse,” said Kate Bowler, a historian at Duke Divinity School who wrote about Ms. Moore in her 2019 book, “The Preacher’s Wife: The Precarious Power of Evangelical Women Celebrities.” Rather than simply telling personal stories or offering generic inspiration, she goes deep on biblical texts that can look dry or complicated to the untrained eye. Ms. Moore’s books are ubiquitous in evangelical Bible studies, which are often targeted to one gender; like secular book clubs, they tend to function as intimate social gatherings as well as sites of literary analysis. In recent years, Ms. Moore has achieved a new fame online that is distinct from her writing and speaking career. On Twitter in particular, where she has more than 950,000 followers, she found a new audience including men and non-Christians, and space to speak on topics beyond her usual portfolio of women’s issues and spirituality. Her new outspokenness has turned her into a kind of avatar for evangelical women who may be theologically conservative but are increasingly uncomfortable with the cultural politics they have seen revealed in their churches since the 2016 election. In August, Ms. Moore issued a thread that read like a fiery sermon, directly addressing the racism she saw in the white evangelical world. “White supremacy has held tight in much of the church for so long because the racists outlasted the anti racists,” she began. “Outlast THEM.” She exhorted her readers to ignore name-calling and to take the long view. And, as always, she directed them back to the text: “Stay in your Bibles,” she wrote, advising her followers to read the Old Testament prophets, starting with Isaiah, for insight into “God’s displeasure over injustice.” Then read through the Gospels, she wrote, and the rest of the New Testament: “Read, read, READ.” About her departure, she has said: "I love so many Southern Baptist people, so many Southern Baptist churches, but I don’t identify with some of the things in our heritage that haven’t remained in the past," "I do not believe these are days for mincing words. I’m 63½ years old & I have never seen anything in these United States of America I found more astonishingly seductive & dangerous to the saints of God than Trumpism. This Christian nationalism is not of God. Move back from it." https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/11/us/beth-moore-evangelical-women.html https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/11/bible-teacher-beth-moore-black-pastors-cut-ties-southern-baptists/4652217001/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/09/beth-moore-southern-baptist-convention-president-donald-trump/6931983002/ The More You Know Lemuel: Imagine that you are the leader of your people. You didn't want the job, but you were given it by a powerful and impetuous tribal God who cannot be resisted, even by the most powerful empire on earth. Jehovah, the fierce God of the enslaved hebrews remembered his promise to his often delinquent people by rolling through Egypt, crushing all opposition to his will. He directed you to take his people out into the desert to their ancestral homelands. The people you are leading are not prepared for this. They are hardy from the rigors of living exclusively to work, but they are not prepared for mass migration through a hostile region filled with wild animals, and wild men. Worse than this, those people don’t remember this tribal God who rescued them! They have been in Egypt for so long they only know the Egyptian Gods, and not this strange, invisible God who is terrifying! Yes, Jehovah is terrifying! He is invisible, and he is everywhere. He could be over your shoulder, watching you when you sleep, watching you always. He has a very rigid idea of right and wrong. Do you want to anger him? Amity: Hell No! Lemuel: Jehovah turns rivers to blood! Jehovah kills firstborn children! Jehovah sets up world leaders so that he can crush them and their kingdoms into powder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-K8qi_AoXI Lemuel: In the interests of scholarship, I will point out that the scripture cited in Pulp Fiction is not genuine. The desert trek is hard on the ancient Hebrews. They have been divorced from their culture and religion for many years. While stopping at Mount Sianai, the place where Jehovah first revealed himself to Moses, and there God revealed that he would reveal himself. The mountain would become holy; people were not allowed to approach on pain of death. They had to wash their clothes, bathe, and abstain from sex. God was going to appear in thunder and lightening and something that would sound like a trumpet blast. Moses would go up the mountain and talk to him. Jehovah gives Moses a very specific set of laws. Ten of them. The first of his commandments was this: “You shall have no other gods before me. As if that was not clear enough, God explains his directive in detail: You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Now, while Moses was speaking to the Most High, the Hebrews were in a desert camp, terrified of the noises and clouds and thunder. When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,[b] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. Jehovah warns Moses that the people have turned against him and were worshipping an idol. Moses has to convince Jehovah not to kill the israelites for the offense. Moses descends from the mountain, and discovers the worshiping the calf.. In a rage he shatters the commandments, written on slabs of stone, and demands the camp separate into separate groups, those loyal to Jehovah, and those who are not. Then he orders the priests to slaughter the disloyal. Yes, the Old Testament was all about hard men, and hard women, and a God who could not be disobeyed. I bring this story up because it illustrates something about the nature of the new conservative movement. It no longer has a clear set of morals, motives, or ideas. It is a cult, and the deity they worship is also made of gold. Find us on Twitter: @WithoutWorksPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/withoutworks Email @ withoutworkspod@gmail.com Our Internet home: www.withoutworkspodcast.com Find out more at https://without-works.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Aaron Martel from Ridiculous Rock Records Review Podcast visits the Gateway to talk about his first favourite album, Elton John's smash success "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". When Aaron was a young child he fell in love with his mother's favourite album as she listened to it over and over again. He loves it to this day. Aaron and Howard discuss the massive popularity of Elton John in the early 70s and review the album as the apotheosis of the incredible songwriting partnership of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Check out Aaron's Excellent Music Appreciation Podcast "Ridiculous Rock Record Review": https://ridiculousrockrecords.libsyn.com/ For access to other Gateway Music episodes: https://linktr.ee/gatewaymusicpodcast or on The Upford Network @ https://upfordnetwork.com/ Checkout Gateway Music on facebook and Instagram @gatewaymusicpodcast Logo Design: Eric Doudeau Original Music: Howard Mitnick

“When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place and the Tabernacle and the altar, he must present the live goat. - Leviticus 16:20 (NLT) Read Transcript: Purify the Vessel on PastorPriji.com Become a monthly partner towards revival in Africa: Donate Here

I had a great conversation on the Podcast with Ryan an amazing patriot, legit bad ass & a man who walks his talk... Ryan’s personal story is like no other artist in country music today. Growing up with a family of eleven in a small town in Floral City, Florida, he joined the Army right after high school. After several years of working as a Military Intelligence Analyst, Ryan followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers, Steve and Aaron, by attending Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school. He graduated top of his class in flight school, becoming a Black Hawk Aviator.  In April 2003, he deployed to Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Shortly after, one of his brothers, Aaron, was deployed just west of him in Fallujah. On January 8, 2004, Aaron was killed in action when the Medivac helicopter he was a passenger in was shot down by enemy fire. Ryan certainly understood mortality and the risks of combat…  After all, Aaron had survived the bloody 1993 battle in Mogadishu, Somalia – the same battle that became the basis for the movie, Black Hawk Down. When Aaron died, however, something changed for Ryan. He returned from combat, taking a new position training the next generation of Army aviators and officers at Fort Rucker, Alabama and has not piloted a Black Hawk since that fateful day.  On December 17, 2013 Ryan’s brother-in-law, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy Billings, was killed in action in Afghanistan when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting was shot down by an enemy ground-detonated explosive device.  This second heartbreaking loss made the Weaver family a two-time Gold Star family. Both of his brothers’ ultimate sacrifices continue to fuel Ryan’s fire to accomplish his dreams in music. In late 2016, Ryan released the music video for his single “Burn,”featuring Kris “Tanto” Paranto and John “Tig” Tiegen from the movie 13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. “Burn” aired nationwide on The Country Network and Heartland, and internationally at over 5,000 retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues throughout the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017. Ryan’s first music video “Crank It”played nationally on ZUUS Country TVand TNN/Heartland Networkand spent 8 weeks on their Top 10 Video Countdown – a network record. In 2017, Ryan was named the Patriotic Voice of the PBR(Professional Bull Riders) for theirCelebrate AmericaCampaign.  The World Finals is the biggest global stage in professional bull riding – a booming sport now seen in more than 400 million homes worldwide. The Celebrate AmericaCampaignis a season-long initiative that honors America’s heroes, inspires youth, and brings communities together. Weaver made his debut in the primetime performance slot, which was previously held by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler in 2016. At that time, the PBR officially launched Ryan as a PBR artist and debuted his new EP entitled Celebrate America.  Ryan worked closely with hit songwriter Wynn Varble on the Celebrate AmericaEP, co-writing three of the four songs. He has toured the U.S. and internationally to Australia with the PBR in 2018 and 2019, performing his songs and singing the “National Anthem” at US events. He has several performances scheduled in Australia this year. Ryan performed on the first single from the West Point Military Academy’s Benny Havens Band’s  debut album Songs That Save Our Lives. The song was short-listed for GRAMMY Award consideration in the American Roots category. The album also featured Charlie Daniels.  Ryan released two singles in 2019 titled “ARRIVAL” and “Time Like This.” He is currently working on a human trafficking awareness short film and collateral music video for ARRIVAL, set to release in the fall of 2020.  He is also conducting multiple motivational speaking engagements while promoting his...

Old Testament: Exodus 31–32 Exodus 31–32 (Listen) Oholiab and Bezalel 31 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, 10 and the finely worked garments,1 the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.” The Sabbath 12 And the LORD said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” 18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. The Golden Calf 32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden2 calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” 11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. 15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” 30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” 35 Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. Footnotes [1] 31:10 Or garments for worship [2] 32:4 Hebrew cast metal; also verse 8 (ESV) New Testament: Mark 1 Mark 1 (Listen) John the Baptist Prepares the Way 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.1 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,2   “Behold, I send my messenger before your face,    who will prepare your way,3   the voice of one crying in the wilderness:    ‘Prepare3 the way of the Lord,    make his paths straight,’” 4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The Baptism of Jesus 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;4 with you I am well pleased.” The Temptation of Jesus 12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. Jesus Begins His Ministry 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;5 repent and believe in the gospel.” Jesus Calls the First Disciples 16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”6 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit 21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. Jesus Heals Many 29 And immediately he7 left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. Jesus Preaches in Galilee 35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. Jesus Cleanses a Leper 40 And a leper8 came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus9 sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. Footnotes [1] 1:1 Some manuscripts omit the Son of God [2] 1:2 Some manuscripts in the prophets [3] 1:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness [4] 1:11 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved [5] 1:15 Or the kingdom of God has come near [6] 1:17 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women [7] 1:29 Some manuscripts they [8] 1:40 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [9] 1:43 Greek he; also verse 45 (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 40 Psalm 40 (Listen) My Help and My Deliverer To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 40   I waited patiently for the LORD;    he inclined to me and heard my cry.2   He drew me up from the pit of destruction,    out of the miry bog,  and set my feet upon a rock,    making my steps secure.3   He put a new song in my mouth,    a song of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear,    and put their trust in the LORD. 4   Blessed is the man who makes    the LORD his trust,  who does not turn to the proud,    to those who go astray after a lie!5   You have multiplied, O LORD my God,    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;    none can compare with you!  I will proclaim and tell of them,    yet they are more than can be told. 6   In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,    but you have given me an open ear.1  Burnt offering and sin offering    you have not required.7   Then I said, “Behold, I have come;    in the scroll of the book it is written of me:8   I delight to do your will, O my God;    your law is within my heart.” 9   I have told the glad news of deliverance2    in the great congregation;  behold, I have not restrained my lips,    as you know, O LORD.10   I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;  I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness    from the great congregation. 11   As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain    your mercy from me;  your steadfast love and your faithfulness will    ever preserve me!12   For evils have encompassed me    beyond number;  my iniquities have overtaken me,    and I cannot see;  they are more than the hairs of my head;    my heart fails me. 13   Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!    O LORD, make haste to help me!14   Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether    who seek to snatch away my life;  let those be turned back and brought to dishonor    who delight in my hurt!15   Let those be appalled because of their shame    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” 16   But may all who seek you    rejoice and be glad in you;  may those who love your salvation    say continually, “Great is the LORD!”17   As for me, I am poor and needy,    but the Lord takes thought for me.  You are my help and my deliverer;    do not delay, O my God! Footnotes [1] 40:6 Hebrew ears you have dug for me [2] 40:9 Hebrew righteousness; also verse 10 (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 10:19 Proverbs 10:19 (Listen) 19   When words are many, transgression is not lacking,    but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. (ESV)

Old Testament: Exodus 31–32 Exodus 31–32 (Listen) Oholiab and Bezalel 31 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, 10 and the finely worked garments,1 the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.” The Sabbath 12 And the LORD said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” 18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. The Golden Calf 32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden2 calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” 11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. 15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” 30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” 35 Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. Footnotes [1] 31:10 Or garments for worship [2] 32:4 Hebrew cast metal; also verse 8 (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 40 Psalm 40 (Listen) My Help and My Deliverer To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 40   I waited patiently for the LORD;    he inclined to me and heard my cry.2   He drew me up from the pit of destruction,    out of the miry bog,  and set my feet upon a rock,    making my steps secure.3   He put a new song in my mouth,    a song of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear,    and put their trust in the LORD. 4   Blessed is the man who makes    the LORD his trust,  who does not turn to the proud,    to those who go astray after a lie!5   You have multiplied, O LORD my God,    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;    none can compare with you!  I will proclaim and tell of them,    yet they are more than can be told. 6   In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,    but you have given me an open ear.1  Burnt offering and sin offering    you have not required.7   Then I said, “Behold, I have come;    in the scroll of the book it is written of me:8   I delight to do your will, O my God;    your law is within my heart.” 9   I have told the glad news of deliverance2    in the great congregation;  behold, I have not restrained my lips,    as you know, O LORD.10   I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;  I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness    from the great congregation. 11   As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain    your mercy from me;  your steadfast love and your faithfulness will    ever preserve me!12   For evils have encompassed me    beyond number;  my iniquities have overtaken me,    and I cannot see;  they are more than the hairs of my head;    my heart fails me. 13   Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!    O LORD, make haste to help me!14   Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether    who seek to snatch away my life;  let those be turned back and brought to dishonor    who delight in my hurt!15   Let those be appalled because of their shame    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” 16   But may all who seek you    rejoice and be glad in you;  may those who love your salvation    say continually, “Great is the LORD!”17   As for me, I am poor and needy,    but the Lord takes thought for me.  You are my help and my deliverer;    do not delay, O my God! Footnotes [1] 40:6 Hebrew ears you have dug for me [2] 40:9 Hebrew righteousness; also verse 10 (ESV) New Testament: Luke 4 Luke 4 (Listen) The Temptation of Jesus 4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,   “‘You shall worship the Lord your God,    and him only shall you serve.’” 9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,   “‘He will command his angels concerning you,    to guard you,’ 11 and   “‘On their hands they will bear you up,    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. Jesus Begins His Ministry 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. Jesus Rejected at Nazareth 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18   “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,    because he has anointed me    to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives    and recovering of sight to the blind,    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,19   to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers1 in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away. Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Demon 31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha!2 What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region. Jesus Heals Many 38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. Jesus Preaches in Synagogues 42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.3 Footnotes [1] 4:27 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [2] 4:34 Or Leave us alone [3] 4:44 Some manuscripts Galilee (ESV)

Morning: Exodus 31–33 Exodus 31–33 (Listen) Oholiab and Bezalel 31 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, 10 and the finely worked garments,1 the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.” The Sabbath 12 And the LORD said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” 18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. The Golden Calf 32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden2 calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” 11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. 15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” 30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” 35 Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. The Command to Leave Sinai 33 The LORD said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ 2 I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” 4 When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. 5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” 6 Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. The Tent of Meeting 7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD3 would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. Moses’ Intercession 12 Moses said to the LORD, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” Footnotes [1] 31:10 Or garments for worship [2] 32:4 Hebrew cast metal; also verse 8 [3] 33:9 Hebrew he (ESV) Evening: Matthew 22:23–46 Matthew 22:23–46 (Listen) Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection 23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” 29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. The Great Commandment 34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Whose Son Is the Christ? 41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 44   “‘The Lord said to my Lord,  “Sit at my right hand,    until I put your enemies under your feet”’? 45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. (ESV)

Exodus 30–32 Exodus 30–32 (Listen) The Altar of Incense 30 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit1 shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. 4 And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the LORD throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.” The Census Tax 11 The LORD said to Moses, 12 “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the LORD when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. 13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel2 according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs),3 half a shekel as an offering to the LORD. 14 Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD’s offering. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD’s offering to make atonement for your lives. 16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make atonement for your lives.” The Bronze Basin 17 The LORD said to Moses, 18 “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, 19 with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. 20 When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering4 to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. 21 They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.” The Anointing Oil and Incense 22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, 24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin5 of olive oil. 25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. 30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 31 And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’” 34 The LORD said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. 37 And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the LORD. 38 Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.” Oholiab and Bezalel 31 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, 10 and the finely worked garments,6 the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.” The Sabbath 12 And the LORD said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” 18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. The Golden Calf 32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden7 calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” 11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. 15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” 30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” 35 Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. Footnotes [1] 30:2 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 30:13 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 30:13 A gerah was about 1/50 ounce or 0.6 gram [4] 30:20 Or an offering by fire [5] 30:24 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters [6] 31:10 Or garments for worship [7] 32:4 Hebrew cast metal; also verse 8 (ESV)

Exodus 30–32 Exodus 30–32 (Listen) The Altar of Incense 30 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit1 shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. 4 And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the LORD throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.” The Census Tax 11 The LORD said to Moses, 12 “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the LORD when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. 13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel2 according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs),3 half a shekel as an offering to the LORD. 14 Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD’s offering. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD’s offering to make atonement for your lives. 16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make atonement for your lives.” The Bronze Basin 17 The LORD said to Moses, 18 “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, 19 with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. 20 When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering4 to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. 21 They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.” The Anointing Oil and Incense 22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, 24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin5 of olive oil. 25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. 30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 31 And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’” 34 The LORD said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. 37 And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the LORD. 38 Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.” Oholiab and Bezalel 31 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, 10 and the finely worked garments,6 the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.” The Sabbath 12 And the LORD said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” 18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. The Golden Calf 32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden7 calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” 11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. 15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” 30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” 35 Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. Footnotes [1] 30:2 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 30:13 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 30:13 A gerah was about 1/50 ounce or 0.6 gram [4] 30:20 Or an offering by fire [5] 30:24 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters [6] 31:10 Or garments for worship [7] 32:4 Hebrew cast metal; also verse 8 (ESV)

Life will give you many hurdles to building a successful business. If you want a relationship with your spouse and kids, don't spend 18 hours of your day working. Most people spend 95% of their time chasing money, forgetting about their relationships, forgetting about what's important. Or don't dedicate the resources they need to make their business work, because they don't believe enough in themselves. Listen to this episode to get your head screwed on straight because there is nothing that you can't achieve if you keep going for it. My Guest: Aaron Walker Aaron Walker has founded more than a dozen companies over the past 41 years. He attributes much of his success to having surrounded himself with his mastermind counterparts. Aaron spent a decade meeting weekly with Dave Ramsey and other amazing entrepreneurs. Aaron is the founder of Iron Sharpens Iron Mastermind that now hosts 19 groups with national and international members. Aaron is the author of View From The Top and Mastermind blueprint. Also, the founder of The Mastermind Playbook an incredible resource for starting, running, and scaling masterminds. Aaron lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife Robin of 40 years and he has two incredible daughters and five beautiful grandchildren. Pivotal Moments: ·       When Aaron was 13 years old, he worked for a local pawn shop. He loved it. At age 15 he decided that was what he wanted to do for a living because he loved engaging people. So he graduated high school 2 years early. ·       At age 18 Aaron took a loan of $150,000 to open his own pawn shop. He did so well he opened a few chains. He was then able to retire, for the first of 3 times at age 27. ·       After working so hard and for so long he became bored and depressed, put on lots of weight. ·       One day his wife said he needs to get another job. ·       Aaron went back and started working for the guy he worked for when he was 13. He built the business and eventually became partners. ·       It was during that time that he met Dave Ramsey. He heard of him on one radio station. He advertised for a week, and 3 days in, people were pouring into their location buying their products. ·       It has now been 21 consecutive years and Aaron has been sponsoring his shows and it changed the whole company. ·       After being involved in a car accident, Aaron retired once again, this time for 5 years. ·       He then began coaching, and eventually ended up with the masterminds. Advice: Aaron grew up with no money. Aaron broke out of the mental cycle of being poor because when he was growing up his mom was his big encourager. She had a saying “Can't, couldn't do it, and could, did it all.” This irritated him when he was young; however, he has adopted it as his life's mantra. Today he believes that he can do anything. With enough help, aid, trusted advisors determination and perseverance anyone can do anything they want. In addition, Aaron discovered that his family have a memory but his business doesn't. If you want a relationship with your spouse and kids, don't spend 18 hours of your day working. Aaron made sure never to miss a practice, basketball game, a cheer leading, you name it! If his kids needed him he was there for them. Current Struggle: What got Aaron from A to B will not get him from B to C. He currently has 200 in his masterminds, he doesn't want more than that. He therefore wants to duplicate it. He needs to build that out. Another struggle he has is he is trying to delegate as many jobs as he can away from him. He only wants to do what he needs to do. However it is a challenge, because he wants to be involved in everything,

Life will give you many hurdles to building a successful business. If you want a relationship with your spouse and kids, don't spend 18 hours of your day working. Most people spend 95% of their time chasing money, forgetting about their relationships, forgetting about what's important. Or don't dedicate the resources they need to make their business work, because they don't believe enough in themselves. Listen to this episode to get your head screwed on straight because there is nothing that you can't achieve if you keep going for it. My Guest: Aaron Walker Aaron Walker has founded more than a dozen companies over the past 41 years. He attributes much of his success to having surrounded himself with his mastermind counterparts. Aaron spent a decade meeting weekly with Dave Ramsey and other amazing entrepreneurs. Aaron is the founder of Iron Sharpens Iron Mastermind that now hosts 19 groups with national and international members. Aaron is the author of View From The Top and Mastermind blueprint. Also, the founder of The Mastermind Playbook an incredible resource for starting, running, and scaling masterminds. Aaron lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife Robin of 40 years and he has two incredible daughters and five beautiful grandchildren. Pivotal Moments: ·       When Aaron was 13 years old, he worked for a local pawn shop. He loved it. At age 15 he decided that was what he wanted to do for a living because he loved engaging people. So he graduated high school 2 years early. ·       At age 18 Aaron took a loan of $150,000 to open his own pawn shop. He did so well he opened a few chains. He was then able to retire, for the first of 3 times at age 27. ·       After working so hard and for so long he became bored and depressed, put on lots of weight. ·       One day his wife said he needs to get another job. ·       Aaron went back and started working for the guy he worked for when he was 13. He built the business and eventually became partners. ·       It was during that time that he met Dave Ramsey. He heard of him on one radio station. He advertised for a week, and 3 days in, people were pouring into their location buying their products. ·       It has now been 21 consecutive years and Aaron has been sponsoring his shows and it changed the whole company. ·       After being involved in a car accident, Aaron retired once again, this time for 5 years. ·       He then began coaching, and eventually ended up with the masterminds. Advice: Aaron grew up with no money. Aaron broke out of the mental cycle of being poor because when he was growing up his mom was his big encourager. She had a saying “Can't, couldn't do it, and could, did it all.” This irritated him when he was young; however, he has adopted it as his life's mantra. Today he believes that he can do anything. With enough help, aid, trusted advisors determination and perseverance anyone can do anything they want. In addition, Aaron discovered that his family have a memory but his business doesn't. If you want a relationship with your spouse and kids, don't spend 18 hours of your day working. Aaron made sure never to miss a practice, basketball game, a cheerleading, you name it! If his kids needed him he was there for them. Current Struggle: What got Aaron from A to B will not get him from B to C. He currently has 200 in his masterminds, he doesn't want more than that. He therefore wants to duplicate it. He needs to build that out. Another struggle he has is he is trying to delegate as many jobs as he can away from him. He only wants to do what he needs to do. However it is a challenge, because he wants to be involved in everything,...

In this episode, Brian talks to Veteran and Country Music Singer Ryan Weaver. Ryan’s personal story is like no other artist in country music today. Growing up with a family of eleven in a small town in Floral City, Florida, he joined the Army right after high school. After several years of working as a Military Intelligence Analyst, Ryan followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers, Steve and Aaron, by attending Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school. He graduated top of his class in flight school, becoming a Black Hawk Aviator. In April 2003, he deployed to Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Shortly after, one of his brothers, Aaron, was deployed just west of him in Fallujah.On January 8, 2004, Aaron was killed in action when the Medivac helicopter he was a passenger in was shot down by enemy fire. Ryan certainly understood mortality and the risks of combat… After all, Aaron had survived the bloody 1993 battle in Mogadishu, Somalia – the same battle that became the basis for the movie, Black Hawk Down. When Aaron died, however, something changed for Ryan. He returned from combat, taking a new position training the next generation of Army aviators and officers at Fort Rucker, Alabama and has not piloted a Black Hawk since that fateful day. On December 17, 2013 Ryan’s brother-in-law, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy Billings, was killed in action in Afghanistan when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting was shot down by an enemy ground-detonated explosive device. This second heartbreaking loss made the Weaver family a two-time Gold Star family. Both of his brothers’ ultimate sacrifices continue to fuel Ryan’s fire to accomplish his dreams in music.In late 2016, Ryan released the music video for his single “Burn,”featuring Kris “Tanto” Paranto and John “Tig” Tiegen from the movie 13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. “Burn” aired nationwide on The Country Network and Heartland, and internationally at over 5,000 retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues throughout the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017. Ryan’s first music video “Crank It”played nationally on ZUUS Country TVand TNN/Heartland Networkand spent 8 weeks on their Top 10 Video Countdown – a network record.In 2017, Ryan was named the Patriotic Voice of the PBR(Professional Bull Riders) for theirCelebrate AmericaCampaign. The World Finals is the biggest global stage in professional bull riding – a booming sport now seen in more than 400 million homes worldwide. The Celebrate AmericaCampaignis a season-long initiative that honors America’s heroes, inspires youth, and brings communities together. Weaver made his debut in the primetime performance slot, which was previously held by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler in 2016. At that time, the PBR officially launched Ryan as a PBR artist and debuted his new EP entitled Celebrate America. Ryan worked closely with hit songwriter Wynn Varble on the Celebrate AmericaEP, co-writing three of the four songs. He has toured the U.S. and internationally to Australia with the PBR in 2018 and 2019, performing his songs and singing the “National Anthem” at US events. He has several performances scheduled in Australia this year.Ryan performed on the first single from the West Point Military Academy’s Benny Havens Band’s debut album Songs That Save Our Lives. The song was short-listed for GRAMMY Award consideration in the American Roots category. The album also featured Charlie Daniels. Ryan released two singles in 2019 titled “ARRIVAL” and “Time Like This.” He is currently working on a human trafficking awareness short film and collateral music video for ARRIVAL, set to release in the fall of 2020. He is also conducting multiple motivational speaking engagements while promoting his partnerships with Nine Line Apparel, Lane Boots, Soledier Socks, Liberty Home Concealment and Forj’d America.

The Covenant BrokenExodus 32:1-35by William Klock As we come to Exodus 32 this morning we shift from a long section of legal material and detailed instructions for the tabernacle and back to narrative—a narrative that runs from Chapter 32 to Chapter 34.  This the incident of the golden calf—a story most of you probably know pretty well.  Ideally, we’d look at the whole thing all at once, but it’s too long for that, so my plan is to look at it in three segments, a chapter at a time and to focus each week on one of three major themes that comes out of this incident.  This morning I want to look at what this has to do with God’s covenant with Israel, with his people.  Next Sunday I want to look at what this tells us about God’s faithfulness.  And, Lord willing, the Sunday after that I want to look at Moses as the mediator between God and this rebellious people and how that prepares us for Jesus.  What we’ll explore in the next two weeks, though, will depend on and grow out of what he learn here about the nature of the Lord’s covenant with Israel.We’ve talked a lot about this idea of “covenant” already.  First, when the Lord delivered Israel from Egypt, he told them that he was doing so because of his covenant promises to Abraham.  He’d promised to make Abraham into a great nation and that through this nation, he would make himself known to the rest of the world.  He would bless Abraham’s family and through that blessing, bless the nations.  And now, in Exodus, we’ve seen the Lord establish another covenant with the people of Israel.  “I will be your God and you will be my people,” he’s said.  Israel will be the people in whose midst the Lord dwells.  And so in establishing this covenant with Israel, he has given a law—a means by which Israel will be a holy people suitable to host the Lord’s presence—and instructions for a tabernacle—a house where his visible presence, the cloud of glory, will dwell in their midst, a house where they will bring their offerings and where they will offer sacrifices in atonement for their sins.  At the heart of the tabernacle sits the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat, this golden chest guarded by golden angels that serves as something of a throne.  David calls it the Lord’s footstool.  Because human beings are sinful and he is holy, the Lord has gone to great pains these last several chapters to graciously and mercifully give his people a means to live in his presence, but it must be on his terms.  The Lord, who is holy, sets the terms, not miserable offenders, as our Prayer Book describes us human beings.  Keep this in mind as Moses, his audience with the Lord up on Mt. Sinai now ended, makes his way back down to the people carrying the covenant carved on the stone tablets.The scene shifts from the mountain top, down to the plain where the people have been waiting for Moses.  Look at verses 1-6:When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us.  As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”  So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”  So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.  And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf.  And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”  When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it.  And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.”  And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Moses has been up on the mountain in the midst of the storm for forty day and nights.  Basically, the people have assumed he’s a gonner.  They’re thinking that there’s no way Moses has survived.  He went up to the mountain and, for reasons unknown to them, God smote him down or something.  Moses was their mediator with the Lord and he’s obviously gone.  He couldn’t cut it.  The way they refer to him as “this man Moses” shows disdain.So the people go to Aaron, Moses’ brother.  The sense of the Hebrew is that they accost him or at least, they come to him in a menacing way.  Moses is gone.  Aaron has to do something.  The people need a new spokesman to act on their behalf with the Lord.  This is what’s going on here.  Our English translations—most of them anyway—are a little misleading when they have the people asking Aaron to make gods (plural) for them.  You’re probably familiar with the word they use in Hebrew: ‘elohim.  This is a generic Hebrew word of “god”.  It’s plural—and the verbs that go with it are often plural—but whether it’s plural or singular comes mostly from the context and here the context demands we read it as singular.  They want Aaron to “make a god for us”.  Now, what does that mean?  It’s not that the people have given up on the Lord.  They haven’t.  They’ve given up on Moses and they need a new mediator.  They’re putting Aaron in that role, but specifically, they want some means to bring the Lord down to them.  They want to know what to do now that Moses is gone.This is the human predicament.  We long for God.  Augustine wrote of God, saying, “Thou has made us for thyself and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.”  C. S. Lewis made the same point when he wrote that each of us has a God-shaped hole that nothing else can fill.  We long for God.  But lacking his revelation of himself, we try either to fill that longing with false gods or we attempt to approach God on our own terms rather than his.  The Israelites are doing the latter here.  They want the Lord, but having rejected Moses, his chosen mediator, they’re only going to get into trouble.So Aaron takes their gold earrings.  The earrings aren’t just innocent pieces of gold.  Genesis 35 and Judges 8 connect earrings of this sort with pagan religious practises.  So this project of Aaron’s is tainted already.  Aaron takes their gold earrings, melts them down, and makes a golden calf—a young ox or bull.  This is significant, too, and it gives a good idea of what the people are trying to do.  So, first, we know that they weren’t abandoning the Lord for some other god or gods.  They just wanted a way to interact with the Lord now that Moses is gone.  The calf was an idol of sorts, but not actually meant to represent the Lord himself.  When we look at Israel’s pagan neighbours, they made representations like this, too—often even oxen or bulls.  The idea was that this golden animal that represented strength, virility, and fertility was meant to be a mount—basically a throne—for the deity.  What they’re doing is making a throne for Lord, to summon him into their presence so that they can know his presence again and receive his guidance.Now, it’s important that this is happening down at the base of the mountain just as Moses is receiving instructions for the tabernacle.  At the heart of the tabernacle is the ark and the mercy seat—the Lord’s footstool or throne.  So the golden calf is essentially a paganise parody of the mercy seat.  And everything about it is wrong.  The only thing they got right was the gold.  They knew it had to be gold if was going to be the Lord’s throne.  But everything else is wrong.  The mercy seat was to be built according to the Lord’s design, not a human design borrowed from pagans.  The mercy seat was veiled and guarded by angels so that no human might approach the holy and die.  The Lord designed the tabernacle to protect the worshipers—they approach on his terms, purified and holy.  With the calf, the people approach the Lord on their terms, foolishly coming with nothing to protect them from the presence of the holy.  The Lord comes to the tabernacle on his own initiative, but the calf is meant to summon him on the initiative of the people.  I think you get the idea.  As a means of connecting with the Lord, the calf is wrong in every way.In verse 7 we return to the mountain top:And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.  They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them.  They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’”  And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”  (Exodus 32:7-10)The Lord disowns Israel.  No longer are the Israelites his people whom he brought out of Egypt.  No, now they’re Moses people, whom Moses brought out of Egypt.  His anger burns against them.  It’s only been forty days since they joyfully shouted out “All these thing we will do!” in response to the Lord’s covenant, and they’ve already fallen into idolatry.  They may even be having some kind of orgy in the presence of the calf—which is what the Hebrew behind those words “rose up to play” sometimes means.  No, the Lord is through with Israel.  Their behaviour is shameful and shocking when you stop to consider all that the Lord has done for them.  He announces that he’s going to consume them in his wrath and then start over with Moses as he did with Abraham.But Moses interposes himself between the Lord and the people.  Moses has changed.  Remember that in the beginning, when the Lord sent Moses back to Egypt to be his mediator to the Israelites and Moses wanted nothing to do with the job and made excuse after excuse?  Moses has finally grown into his role as mediator.  Look at verses 11-14:But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?  Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’?  Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”  And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. Is this a case of the Lord changing his mind?  He was going to destroy the people, but Moses convinces him otherwise?  That’s the topic I plan to address next week as we look at Chapter 33.  I’ll just say today that the answer is, in a way, both “yes” and “no”.  What I want to bring to your attention to today is the covenantal aspect of this.  First, we know that whatever the Lord is threatening to do to Israel here, he hasn’t forgotten the covenant with Abraham.  He might wipe out these miserable, fickle, unfaithful sinners below the mountain worshipping around a gold calf, but he will continue his mission and fulfil his promises through Moses.  Second, Moses appeals to the Lord on the basis of that same covenant: “Remember the promises you made to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.”  That seals it and the Lord relents.  The covenant with Israel may be broken, but the covenant with Abraham still stands and the Lord is always faithful to his promises.  But someone still has to go down and deal with Israel.In verses 15-20 Moses heads down the mountain carrying the stone tablets written by the Lord.  On the way down he meets up with Joshua.  Remember that Joshua had gone part way up the mountain with Moses.  Joshua has heard the revelry below and thinks that war has broken out, but as they draw near the camp they see what’s really going on.  They see the calf and the dancing—whatever the “dancing” entailed.  We’re told:Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.  He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.  (Exodus 32:19b-20)Moses has turned away the Lord’s wrath from the people, but now that he’s seen their idolatry for himself his own wrath burns against them.  Moses is beside himself with fury and smashes the stone tablets.  Now, this isn’t just Moses throwing a tantrum.  As with everything else here, the smashing of the tablets is symbolic.  Presumably the people saw Moses do it.  The Lord has agreed not to smite the people for their idolatry, but Moses himself now declares the covenant broken.  To use the imagery picked up by the prophets later on in Israel’s history, the Lord was the groom and Israel the bride and here, on their honeymoon, Israel the bride has been caught in adultery.  The groom has chosen to let the bride live, but the marriage is off.  That’s what the shattered stone tablets represent.But what’s with Moses pulverising the golden calf and making the people drink it?  This was a mystery to me until I started looking at the Talmud and there, the rabbis made a connection between this and the test for adultery prescribed in Numbers 5:12-31.[1]  There a woman suspected of adultery, in a situation where there are no witnesses, was to be brought before the priest with an offering to the Lord.  He would mix dust from the sanctuary floor with water and she was to drink it.  If she was innocent, nothing would happen.  If she was guilty something would happen to her reproductive organs—the Hebrew is pretty obscure at this point—but it suggests that she would be rendered barren.  The rabbis drew a connection between this practise and Moses making the people drink the gold dust from the calf.  It was a means for the Lord to indicate to Moses who the guilty parties were.  Presumably something happened to some of the people and not to others and the instigators of this idolatry—maybe those who had accosted Aaron or those who had donated their earrings to the cause.  Whatever happened, the guilty became known and this sets up the following scene.First, in verse 21, Moses corners Aaron.  He asks him how he could have done this awful thing that brought such a great sin on the people.  And Aaron responds:“Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.  For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’  So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’  So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” “Don’t blame me, Moses!  These wicked people made me do it.  I threw their gold into the fire and out popped the calf.”  We get a sense of just how pathetic Aaron’s defense is, because Moses doesn’t even dignify it with a response.  Instead, Moses turns to the people.  In verse 25 he sees that Aaron has let them get completely out of control and so he goes to the gate of the camp and addresses the people.  Look at verse 26:“Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.  And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’”  And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses.  And that day about three thousand men of the people fell.  And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.”  (Exodus 323:26b-29)The guilty parties—some three thousand of them—have been singled out by drinking the pulverised golden calf.  Moses then summons the faithful to him. And here we see that all is not lost.  At the very least, the Lord’s own house in order, because we’re told that all the Levites—the priestly tribe—rally to Moses.  There’s no reason to think that there weren’t others from the other tribes, but the emphasis is put on the faithfulness of the tribe specifically set apart for service to the Lord.  At Moses’ command, they go through the camp, putting the guilty to the sword.  If that seems severe, remember that the Lord has instituted the death penalty for a host of offenses that would either undermine the holiness of his worship or that undermine the covenant itself.  To enter the sanctuary unprepared meant death.  Even to use the incense or anointing oil of the sanctuary for personal use meant death.  It was set apart and holy for the Lord.  And remember that to break the sabbath, which was a wilful rejection of the covenant, meant death, too.  These folks, have turned the entire worship of the Lord upside-down.  In their idolatry, they’ve violated the covenant at its most basic level.  And the Levites purge the camp of this wickedness.  This sort of sin was a cancer that had to be dealt with.  While it wasn’t what had been planned, Moses declares that this show of faithfulness to the Lord and to the covenant has become their ordination—they’ve proved themselves fit to serve the Lord.So the guilty have been dealt with.  The camp has been purged.  But the people in some way still bear a burden of collective guilt.  The biggest problem is that the covenant has been broken and the shattered stone tablets lie there at the base of the mountain as evidence.  Moses has to do something more.  Look at verses 30-32:The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”  So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin.  They have made for themselves gods of gold.  But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” As the high priest would enter the tabernacle and the presence of the ark to make atonement for the people, Moses now ascends back up the mountain, into the presence of the Lord in an attempt to atone for what Israel has done—to find some way to renew the broken covenant.What Moses ends up doing is offering himself as an atonement for the sins of his people—blot me out of your book and forgive their sin.  Does that sound familiar?  I hope it does.  Moses willingly takes up the role of mediator and sacrifice for the people.  He’s come a long way from Chapter 3, where he made excuse after excuse!  But the Lord refuses Moses’ offer.  Moses is an effective mediator between the people and the Lord, but he is not an acceptable sacrifice for their sins.  That, however, doesn’t mean the Lord won’t show mercy.  Look finally at verses 33-35:The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.  But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.”  Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. The Lord and Moses come to something of a compromise.  The Lord suspends Israel’s sentence.  Their disobedience will come back on them at some point and we read that in verse 35.  It’s not clear how much time passed between this pronouncement and the plague, how many—or even if anyone—died.  The sin does not go unpunished.  But in the meantime the people are on probation.  The Lord had made a promise to the people to take them to the promised land and he will see that they get there.  Moses is commanded to take the people and to be on their way.  They can no longer camp at the base of the Lord’s mountain.  Sinners cannot live in the presence of the holy.  This also means that the tabernacle is off.  The Lord will not dwell in the midst of an unholy, disobedient, and rebellious people.  He had led Israel himself so far, as the cloud in the day and pillar of fire at night, but from this point on, he will send an angel to lead the people.  He will not lead them himself, just as he will not dwell in their midst.  Again, the covenant has been broken.  Of course, we know that there’s more to come, but at the end of Chapter 32 it would appear that because of Israel’s sin, because Israel has broken the covenant while the ink is still fresh—or the ringing of the chisel on stone has hardly died—the Lord has chosen to part ways with this people.In the great story of redemption, Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and the ratifying of the covenant at Sinai were a hopeful sign of new birth, of new creation.  Beginning with this people, the Lord is advancing his project to reveal himself to the nations and to set his fallen and broken creation to rights.  But before it’s even begun, his covenant partners fail, his bride commits adultery, and it looks like the Lord’s redemptive plans are as dashed as the stone tablets lying in pieces at the base of the mountain.  Praise be to God that his plans do not rely on the faithfulness of mortals!Brothers and Sisters, I think this ought to highlight for us the seriousness of the human predicament.  Even the people who saw first-hand the signs and wonders that the Lord did in delivering them from Egypt, the very people who passed through the parted waters of the Red Sea, the very people who were fed by the Lord’s own hand in the wilderness and saw the thunder and lightning on the mountain, even they could not keep their end of the covenant.  They needed something beyond, outside of themselves.  They need something more than a law carved on stone tablets.  They need the Spirit of God himself to write his law of love on their hearts.  They need a mediator with the Lord, but one greater than even Moses could be.  They need a mediator who can also be a sacrifice for their sins.  They need a new covenant, not dependent on their fickle and unfaithful performance, but a covenant established on one who can keep it.  Friends, Israel reminds us that we cannot redeem ourselves, we cannot return to the Lord’s presence on our own terms.  We need another.  These stories of Israel’s failures point us to Jesus.  In Jesus, the Lord himself came, took on our flesh, and became not only our mediator, but the sacrifice for our sins.  As you come to the Table this morning, as you eat the bread and drink the wine, as you recall and participate anew in the death and resurrection of Jesus for us, let Israel’s story, let the events we’ve read from Exodus this morning give you greater appreciation for what Jesus has done.  Israel reminds us that on our own we are lost.  We need a perfect mediator.  We need a perfect sacrifice for sin.  Brothers and Sisters, Jesus has, for our sake, become both and in him we know the faithfulness and love of God.Let us pray: Father, we asked in the collect for the grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.  We ask now that you would keep us always mindful of our need for grace.  We are, without your intervention, but miserable sinners.  But, too, in reminding us of our need for grace, fill our hearts with gratitude for the undeserved favour you have shown us.  You have given your Son to die for the sake of those who rejected you.  Teach us to think on these things and to mediate on them that we might better grasp your love for us and better love you in return.  Through Jesus we pray.  Amen.[1] Avodah Zarah 44a

"Brendan McClenahan and Jenna Meyer read and reflect on Exodus 32:1-14. Please make sure to subscribe to this podcast! For the full Bible Reading Plan, head to victorypoint.org. To find out more about the context of Exodus 32:1-14 head to https://thebibleproject.com/explore/exodus. We would love to include your input on this podcast. Send us an email at brendanmcclenahan@victorypoint.org or leave a voice message by clicking the link below. There is more going on at VictoryPoint! (head to victorypoint.org for more trainings, events, worship gatherings, discipleship opportunities, giving, and ways to get connected). Here's the full text from today's scripture: 32:1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, ""Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."" 32:2 Aaron said to them, ""Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."" 32:3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 32:4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, ""These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!"" 32:5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, ""Tomorrow shall be a festival to the LORD."" 32:6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel. 32:7 The LORD said to Moses, ""Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 32:8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'"" 32:9 The LORD said to Moses, ""I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 32:10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation."" 32:11 But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, ""O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 32:12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, 'I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"" 32:14 And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/biblereadingplanvp/message

Welcome back! Today you'll meet Aaron Carter. Aaron is a former Army Field Artillery officer who transitioned in June 2014 and launched his career in a Professional Sales role at Cordis. Cordis is a company that develops and manufactures medical devices for diagnostics and interventional procedures to treat patients suffering from coronary and peripheral vascular diseases. When Aaron started at Cordis in July 2014, Cordis was an operating company with the global healthcare company Johnson & Johnson. Within 9 months of employment, Cordis was acquired by Cardinal Health, a global, integrated healthcare services and products company, providing customized solutions for hospitals, health systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and physician offices worldwide. The acquisition was quite a change and we spend a few minutes exploring how he navigated those waters and his path to regional sales director. Aaron has been extremely successful at Cordis. During our conversation he spends a few minutes describing the start of his career in sales, who he was specifically selling to and how he decided to manage his territory. He was promoted from Sales Representative to Regional Sales Director in early 2019. Since then, Aaron hired a team and led them to win the coveted award of Regional Sales Director of the Year. He describes this success by using the concept that Jim Collins describes in his ubiquitous business book Good to Great - first who, get the right people on the bus. He said this concept was one of the major keys to success in his run up to RSD of the Year. Aaron also provides some excellent advice on how to advance your career in Corporate America. Promotions in the business world are different than in the military. He defines the two key requirements to advance in business:  results and brand. Results likely speak for themselves. Aaron goes into detail on why building your personal brand is crucial to professional growth in business. To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Have you given yourself time to truly reflect on the racism in this country? How about your own thought patterns that may not be completely positive? 2020 has turned into a year of reflection. With the additional time spent at home and alone, and the issues our world still faces, it would be a shame if we all didn’t grow at least some during this time.  Many are wanting this year to be behind us, but let’s not forget about the progress that often comes during challenges. As runners, we know growth doesn’t precede struggle, but this is true for our minds as well as our muscles.  Aaron and Joshua Potts are the voices behind the “2 Black Runners” podcast. They share their love for running and their perspective as black runners in a running world that is often overflowing with white runners. It is easy to fall in love with these two as they speak freely and passionately about what they love. The Black Running Community One of the first questions that Joshua and Aaron answered was, “Why are there fewer black runners?” Compared to many other sports, there is a very low representation of black athletes in long-distance running. Joshua and Aaron noticed this as they increased their distance and speed as they competed during middle school and high school.  As they thought about the question, Aaron and Joshua came up with several barriers and a few suggestions to attract more black athletes to long-distance running. One of the obvious issues with long-distance running is that it can be viewed as an elitist sport. For poor black Americans, running cannot be an attractive choice of sport because it doesn’t provide a monetary solution to their problems. Unlike football, basketball, and other popular sports, running doesn’t give multimillion-dollar contracts to its athletes. In that way, this type of running is a primarily white privilege. Aaron and Joshua also suggest that an increase in black coaches and black runner influencers could bolster black runners. Joshua, who is now a collegiate runner, says that running in college was the first time he had a seen a black running coach since he was coached by his dad. More black coaches during a child or teenager’s life that are reaching out and letting them know about the sport could make a major difference. When Aaron and Joshua grew up, they were influenced by their father to run because he knew it was a way for them to get scholarships. Running was a means for them to better their lives. Running doesn’t have to be an elitist or a sport only for white runners. In fact, it should be quite the opposite! How simple a sport it is, and yet we’ve allowed it to push away many potential runners.  On a broader scale, we can work to get 5Ks in black communities and put black runners on the covers of magazines. On a more personal level we can work to understand the barriers, and be supportive and inclusive of individuals. Something as simple as understanding how running affects someone with dreads, cornrows, or a weave can be important. These types of hairstyles take time, money, and are easily disturbed by exercise. Be aware. Be understanding. What are Microaggressions? There is a lot of learning and unlearning to be done by society, and you can help by doing so yourself and speaking up when you hear something inappropriate. Something that you can work to avoid and correct are microaggressions. Microaggressions are small statements that you may not perceive as offensive, but come off as such. They turn individuals into exhibits, and it’s something you should work to avoid. Examples of microaggressions include statements like, “You’re not like our other black friends,” “Can I touch your hair?” or “I’m so happy to have a black roommate.” Simply, these statements are showing these people that you view them as objects or tokens, more than individuals.  How Do I Talk to a Black Runner? Perhaps you want to be more inclusive towards black runners but are unsure how to go about it. According to Joshua and Aaron, it’s pretty simple, “Don’t be weird about it.”  You should talk to a black runner the same way you would talk to any runner. Talk to them because they are a runner, not because they are black. “Don’t think that you have to make that person your friend,” says Joshua, “Try to find something in common with them.” In the end, be kind and work to unlearn some things, but don’t be overly worried about saying things that are wrong. We all make mistakes. Trying to be better is the best way to be better.  Resources: 2 Black Runners Podcast Running Report YouTube Running Report Instagram Just Mercy Film Marielle Hall Interview Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Tracksmith and Taylormade for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast. Tracksmith is a Boston based running clothing company that truly cares about the quality and care of their running clothes. Running can be a demanding lifestyle for our clothes, they definitely go through the wear and tear to where we may be purchasing new clothes constantly. Tracksmith designers truly work with the finest materials and think of you as a runner in mind with spots for your keys, phone, and fuel.  Go here to check out their 100 days of Summer email campaign where they talk about anything and everything running.  If you are interested into looking at the Tracksmith Fellowship, where they want to highlight stories of the runners our there through their talents other than runner. Go here to see more information.  You can get $15 off your purchase of $75 or more, click here and enter code FORREAL15.   Taylormade Child and Family Services is the black owned business that is being highlighted in this episode. I wanted to highlight Erica Tucker in all of the great work that she is doing for her community including Child & Adult Counseling, Family Counseling, Coping & Adjustments, Anger Management, Behavioral Modification, Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, Phase of Life Changes, and Relationship Issues. There are even one on one sessions and group sessions, and so much more, thank you Erica for all you are doing for your community and for this crazy time right now. Go here to show her some support for being there for her community.   Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode. To share your thoughts: Leave a note in the comment section below. Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from) Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. To help out the show: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one. Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here. Thank you to Aaron and Joshua, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

Aaron Clarke is a working-class man from Colchester in Essex, Aaron is an entrepreneur who started his first business at the age of 21, 17 years on and he has since built 3 other companies and created a brand. When Aaron reached financial freedom he and his family took a year out in Spain where he wrote and published his first book ‘ Yes You Can’ A working-class man’s guide to turning your life around.Within this book and through Aarons social media platforms it is Aarons's passion to help as many people as possible in self-development. Aaron has battled with his mental health, anxiety, self-doubt, self-worth, low confidence to name a few issues throughout his life. On his journey, he has spent in excess of £150,000 on his own personal development. Aaron has worked with countless counselors, psychotherapists, and life coaches. He has attended courses all over the world with the likes of Tony Robbins, The millionaire mind intensive and success resources. Aaron is currently developing a transformation mindset camp for men.Discussed in this episode: - Why many of us will be feeling anxious when returning to 'normal life' after lockdown, be it for business or just life in general.- Why anxious thoughts so hard to shake off sometimes.- How listening to these thoughts can affect so much of our day-to-day lives.- Other telltale signs that we might be suffering from anxiety.- Some of the myths we tell ourselves about why we can't push through these feelings.- Tips for managing anxious thoughts on a daily basis.- The general benefits of working on your anxiety, day-to-day.- The story behind Aaron’s book 'Yes you can" and what he wanted to achieve with it.- What to look out for when looking for a coach.- The process Aaron takes clients through when working with them.- The benefits of working with a Coach.Mentioned in this episode:- Monumental Ink- Aaron’s forthcoming ‘Man Camp’As mentioned in this episode, if you’re suffering from anxiety and haven’t already done so, talk it over with a trusted friend, family member, or colleague. Things are so much better, shared.Further to this, if you feel like you need some help navigating through what to do next, you can speak to your GP or get in touch with an organisation like the following:- MIND - the Mental Health Charity- The SamaritansDISCLAIMER: Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or lifestyle change. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on this website. Always seek the advice of a legal or financial professional or other qualified provider with any questions you may have regarding a legal or financial matter. Never disregard professional legal or financial advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on this website.Podcast theme music: ‘March on’ by Silent Partner. Used in agreement with the Youtube Free Music Audio Library.

Aaron is originally from Hobart, but now lives in Penguin. He has been running for 24 years, in that time he posted some impressive personal bests over various distances and was the 2020 Run Devonport 5km winner and has had multiple “second places” in all the big Christmas Carnival miles and 800m events. When Aaron is not running he is a school teacher at Table Cape Primary, over the years he has been heavily involved with school athletics. He took a Latrobe high school girls team to a National Athletics competition ( knockout cup) and was one of the main organisers of a “real” cross country event at the Inter- high last year. I met Aaron on my first ever state team in 2001, I automatically liked him and we have been good mates ever since. Aaron is a go getter and makes things happen and is a great bloke to boot. This interview goes for 41 minutes, sit back, relax and grab a coffee and enjoy some banter and all things running.

4 Easter First Psalm: Psalm 41; Psalm 52 Psalm 41 (Listen) O Lord, Be Gracious to Me To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 41   Blessed is the one who considers the poor!1    In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;2   the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;    he is called blessed in the land;    you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.3   The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;    in his illness you restore him to full health.2 4   As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me;    heal me,3 for I have sinned against you!”5   My enemies say of me in malice,    “When will he die, and his name perish?”6   And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,    while his heart gathers iniquity;    when he goes out, he tells it abroad.7   All who hate me whisper together about me;    they imagine the worst for me.4 8   They say, “A deadly thing is poured out5 on him;    he will not rise again from where he lies.”9   Even my close friend in whom I trusted,    who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.10   But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,    and raise me up, that I may repay them! 11   By this I know that you delight in me:    my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.12   But you have upheld me because of my integrity,    and set me in your presence forever. 13   Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,    from everlasting to everlasting!      Amen and Amen. Footnotes [1] 41:1 Or weak [2] 41:3 Hebrew you turn all his bed [3] 41:4 Hebrew my soul [4] 41:7 Or they devise evil against me [5] 41:8 Or has fastened (ESV) Psalm 52 (Listen) The Steadfast Love of God Endures To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” 52   Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.2   Your tongue plots destruction,    like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.3   You love evil more than good,    and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah4   You love all words that devour,    O deceitful tongue. 5   But God will break you down forever;    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;    he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah6   The righteous shall see and fear,    and shall laugh at him, saying,7   “See the man who would not make    God his refuge,  but trusted in the abundance of his riches    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”2 8   But I am like a green olive tree    in the house of God.  I trust in the steadfast love of God    forever and ever.9   I will thank you forever,    because you have done it.  I will wait for your name, for it is good,    in the presence of the godly. Footnotes [1] 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 52:7 Or in his work of destruction (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 44 Psalm 44 (Listen) Come to Our Help To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of the Sons of Korah. 44   O God, we have heard with our ears,    our fathers have told us,  what deeds you performed in their days,    in the days of old:2   you with your own hand drove out the nations,    but them you planted;  you afflicted the peoples,    but them you set free;3   for not by their own sword did they win the land,    nor did their own arm save them,  but your right hand and your arm,    and the light of your face,    for you delighted in them. 4   You are my King, O God;    ordain salvation for Jacob!5   Through you we push down our foes;    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.6   For not in my bow do I trust,    nor can my sword save me.7   But you have saved us from our foes    and have put to shame those who hate us.8   In God we have boasted continually,    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah 9   But you have rejected us and disgraced us    and have not gone out with our armies.10   You have made us turn back from the foe,    and those who hate us have gotten spoil.11   You have made us like sheep for slaughter    and have scattered us among the nations.12   You have sold your people for a trifle,    demanding no high price for them.13   You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,    the derision and scorn of those around us.14   You have made us a byword among the nations,    a laughingstock2 among the peoples.15   All day long my disgrace is before me,    and shame has covered my face16   at the sound of the taunter and reviler,    at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. 17   All this has come upon us,    though we have not forgotten you,    and we have not been false to your covenant.18   Our heart has not turned back,    nor have our steps departed from your way;19   yet you have broken us in the place of jackals    and covered us with the shadow of death.20   If we had forgotten the name of our God    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,21   would not God discover this?    For he knows the secrets of the heart.22   Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 23   Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?    Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!24   Why do you hide your face?    Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?25   For our soul is bowed down to the dust;    our belly clings to the ground.26   Rise up; come to our help!    Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! Footnotes [1] 44:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 44:14 Hebrew a shaking of the head (ESV) Old Testament: Exodus 32:1–20 Exodus 32:1–20 (Listen) The Golden Calf 32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden1 calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” 11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. 15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. Footnotes [1] 32:4 Hebrew cast metal; also verse 8 (ESV) New Testament: Colossians 3:18–4:18 Colossians 3:18–4:18 (Listen) Rules for Christian Households 18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters,1 not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. 4 Masters, treat your bondservants2 justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Further Instructions 2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Final Greetings 7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant3 in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. 10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers4 at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Footnotes [1] 3:22 Or your masters according to the flesh [2] 4:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; likewise for servant in verse 12 [3] 4:7 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word sundoulos, see Preface [4] 4:15 Or brothers and sisters (ESV) Gospel: Matthew 5:1–10 Matthew 5:1–10 (Listen) The Sermon on the Mount 5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. The Beatitudes 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons1 of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Footnotes [1] 5:9 Greek huioi; see Preface (ESV)

When Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu suddenly die by fire while offering the first sacrifices, we have an odd series of verses that seem to suggest --on the surface-- that God has glorified Godself by killing them and now God demands that Aaron show no grief for his own sons also for the greater glory of God.  What?  Do the verses really say this?  A closer look (helped by the commentator Sforno), shows us what's really going on:  there are times when we glorify God by choosing to do our jobs (when lives are at stake) over allowing ourselves to feel our feelings of grief, of anxiety, or fear.  What seems so unfeeling of God, so self-glorifying and cruel, comes alive to us now:  we are only told to postpone our fears, our emotions, our worry, our wailing, our mourning, when we find ourselves (even unbidden) in the chain of operations meant to save lives.  God even bestows a personal word of loving care to Aaron:  don't turn to the bottle, another message so important at this time.

Aaron Keith is the founder of Buildify Systems, which provides resources to business owners such as growth-enablement software, coaching, and seminars. Aaron Keith is the founder of Buildify Systems (formerly Ascension Programs), and passionately provides key resources such as business coaching & consulting, seminars, business development software, and a tell-all podcast. Buildify offers a full suite of services curated to support entrepreneurs in better owning and operating a successful business. Aaron’s journey as a business owner began at 19 a he ventured out to start his first business. After a few years of struggling he was introduced to his first business coach, and though he didn’t realize it, that was the tipping point that would forever change his life. By age 24, and with support from his coaches & advisors, Aaron built one of the most successful businesses in his vertical. He wasn’t only making great money; he was happy, had balance in his life, and was having the life experience he had dreamed of. All of that came out of the work he did with his first business coach. It was a transformative experience and Aaron knew right then that he wanted to do for others what his coach had done for him! That same year, Aaron founded Ascension Programs as a boutique business education and coaching company. Aaron operated both companies for the following two years, until age 26, when the choice was made to sell the first business. Then devoting all time and attention toward building Ascension Programs, Aaron cultivated it into a world-class business education & coaching company. When Aaron works with a business owner, they are not only tapping his depth of knowledge, top-notch education, and training, but they are absorbing the personal experience that Aaron has gained from being in business for over two decades. I am no master but I am a committed student who is on a journey with the intention and desire to master the unmasterable practices & distinctions of life. In 2013, Aaron diversified by building yet another company in the health & wellness space. Aaron’s entrepreneurial spirit and passion for health manifested as founding a personalized natural medicine clinic called Spark Health. In late 2018 while rock climbing with a good friend and software developer, an idea was born to provide entrepreneurs a tool that would aggregate critical business growth information along with custom business systems that Aaron has been successfully utilizing with his clients for the past 17 years. That is what set Buildify Systems into motion. Aaron set out to develop a new class of software that had never been done before- not just another CRM or anything businesses already had options for. Buildify’s highly unique business development software combines two decades of business building knowledge along with proven business-building systems, structures, and processes, all rolled into one web-based experience. Guiding the idea from inception to implementation, Aaron’s goal has been to provide the entrepreneur community with a full suite of resources geared at taking business to the next level. Natural progression resulted in Ascension Programs and Buildify Systems merging together. Buildify is now the comprehensive company centrally offering business growth software, high-level business coaching & consulting, business development seminars, a podcast, and books for entrepreneurs of all levels. 10,000+ business owners ranging from startups to celebrities to billion-dollar companies have benefitted from direct coaching relationships with Aaron, whose proven approach to building and scaling companies via an uncanny ability to balance business systems with psychology has become known as ‘The Buildify Method.'

“A lot of spiritual awakening is questioning reality.” Hello everybody! I am sending my sincerest wishes that you are all happy and healthy and safe wherever you are in this big beautiful world of ours! I know it is a super stressful time for all of us and so I wanted to share an amazing conversation that I had recently to take your mind off of things for a little bit, so on this week's episode, we catch up with the ever-fabulous Aaron Doughty at his amazing space in sunny Las Vegas, Nevada. Aaron, as you probably already know, is a Youtuber and I have to say absolutely love what he brings to the world through this medium. I suppose that what I love most about his content is that he talks about everything spiritual -- you all know that is my jam! In our chat, we go in deep on topics like our own spiritual awakening, meditation tactics, and synchronicity as a by-product of the way reality works. Listen in as Aaron Doughty and I discuss self-love, the definition of alignment, and how to open up and be comfortable in front of a camera. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “The ego is separation and the more we emphasise our ego the more we emphasise the walls between us.” Some things we learn in this podcast: How Aaron Doughty got started on Youtube [6:10] How to describe a spiritual awakening [16:00] What channeling is [31:00] How to open up and be comfortable in front of a camera [31:10] How Aaron Doughty meditates [40:00] When Aaron meditates [44:40] What kind of meditation Aaron does [46:05] How to describe alignment [53:55] What self-love means [1:04:45] Links Mentioned: Connect with Aaron Doughty on Instagram | Youtube | Facebook | Aaron Doughty Website

In This Episode You Will Learn About: Being honest about moments of resistance The meaning of movement Pulling yourself out of a rut Nature therapy Looking at others with compassion Reassessing your perspective of fitness Being vulnerable and getting help   Resources: Read: The Align Method Learn more: alignpodcast.com/lori Learn more: The Bliss Project Read: A Tribe Called Bliss Becomealigned.com Fastfoundations.com   Show Notes: Aaron Alexander is constantly searching for different ways to make your physical life better. There is still so much we don’t know about our bodies, but we are finding out more every day — and Aaron wants you to take advantage of the latest and greatest. If you want to learn all about how to align your body and your mind, you need to listen to this.   Question Highlights: What does it feel like to get a book out into the world? Can you explain the quote that opens your book? What does it mean to you? What is your favorite conversation coming out of this book? Why is it important for people to understand what you are talking about? If you feel like your life is a shit show, where do you start? What’s blowing your mind right now? How can you let go of your ego quicker?   Guest Bio: Aaron Alexander CR, LMT, CPT is a pioneering manual therapist and movement coach whose clients range from A-list Hollywood celebrities to professional athletes and everyone in between. Since 2014, he has been interviewing the world's preeminent thought leaders on physical and psychological well-being on the top-rated Align Podcast, integrating a diverse variety of perspectives on the art and science of physical inhabitance When Aaron isn't writing or speaking, he can typically be found somewhere in the Pacific Ocean or on Original Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California.

LEVITICUS 15-16:Yesterday we heard about sacrifices following the healing of skin diseases and after getting rid of house mildew. Chapter 15 is about defiling bodily discharges. Chapter 16 is about the Day of Atonement, and the chapter contains a translation problem in the word or name ‘azazel’. If you are interested in this problem, see the Translate notes in today’s episode notes. PSALM 18:This poem reveals David’s intimacy with God. Even though he frequently refers to himself, we see that God— and not himself, is the center of his spiritual life. LUKE 12a:Jesus definitely gained enemies by his teaching at the end of chapter 11, which was against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and religious experts. GNT Translation notes:15:5 Anyone who touches his bed 6 or sits on anything the man has sat on must wash his clothes and take a bath, and [that person//he] remains unclean until evening.15:7 Anyone who touches the man with the discharge must wash his clothes and take a bath, and [that person//he] remains unclean until evening. [Similarly in v8, 10]16:8 There he shall draw lots, using two stones, one marked “for the Lord” and the other [to be driven away out into the desert and abandoned to its fate.//“for Azazel.”]10 The goat chosen for Azazel shall be presented alive to the Lord and sent off into the desert to Azazel, in order to take away the sins of the people.  17 From the time Aaron enters the Most Holy Place to perform the ritual of purification until he comes out, there must be no one [else] in the Tent. When he has performed the ritual for himself, his family, and the whole community, 20 When Aaron has finished performing the ritual to purify the Most Holy Place, the rest of the Tent of the Lord's presence, and the altar, he shall present to the Lord the live goat chosen for Azazel.  26 The man who drove the goat [bearing sins] into the desert [to be abandoned to its fate//to Azazel] must wash his clothes and take a bath before he comes back into camp.[For those of you interested in this translation problem, see the footnote in the NET at this place. The truth is that we don’t know what ‘azazel’ means. We don’t even know if it was a name. Linguistic clues cannot give certainty. In a case like this, I think it is better to render the term in a generic way, rather than being too specific.]====Ps. 18:41 They cry for help, but no one saves them; they call to [You//the] Lord, but [You don’t//he does not] answer.46 [You, my Lord, live!//The Lord lives!] [I praise//Praise] my defender![I] Proclaim the greatness of the God who saves me.47 [You give//He gives] me victory over my enemies;[You subdue//he subdues] the nations under me48 and saves me from my foes.==== Luk. 12:8 “I assure you that those who declare publicly that they belong to me, [I,] the Son of Man will do the same for them before the angels of God. 9 But those who reject me publicly, [I,] the Son of Man will also reject them before the angels of God.10 “Whoever says a word against [Me,] the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.28 It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? [How little you believe in God!//What little faith you have!]29“So don't be all upset, always concerned about what you will eat and drink. 30(For the [ungodly peoples//pagans] of this world are always concerned about all these things.) Your Father knows that you need these things. [Nowadays, there are people who call themselves ‘pagans’, and the term is a name for a religion (and one of the very worst kind). The Greek here means ‘ethnic groups’. It is often translated as ‘nations’, but has nothing to do with governments, and is a derogatory term. At one time the word ‘pagan’ was such a derogatory word.] NLT Translation notes:Ps. 18:34 He trains my hands for battle;he strengthens my arm [so that I can draw back abronze bow of bronze//to draw a bronze bow.]41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.They even cried to [you, LORD, but you//the LORD, but he] refused to answer.====Luk. 12:6 “What is the price of five sparrows— [maybe/0] two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who [says publicly here on earth 'I am a follower of Jesus', I, the Son of Manc will also acknowledge them as my followers in the presence of God’s angels.//acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.]9 But [those who deny me here on earth, saying they are not my disciple, I will also say that they are not my disciples in the presence of God’s angels.//anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.]10 Anyone who speaks against [me,/0] the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a [very/0] fertile farm that produced fine crops. “[You lucky guy//My friend], you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you have [hoarded up for yourself/worked for]?’[See the footnote in the NET for this verse.]28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you [— you my friends with so little faith!!//Why do you have so little faith?][Here I let the word ‘faith’ stand. Maybe like this, following my normal pattern: “— you my friends who so weakly believe that the Father will help you.” Note that using ‘believe’ kind of requires that the translator add an object. Some readers will feel that this is going too far, but translators routinely do this in languages which don’t have any abstract nouns, or in situations like this for languages like Indonesian and English.40 You also must be ready all the time, for [I—/0] the Son of Man, will come when least expected.”46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut [that evil//the] servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. [As the Scripture says,//0]54 Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a [rain/0]  shower.’ And you are right. 56 You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, [so why can't you figure out how to interpret the signs of the present time?!//but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.]

Building a fulfilling and lasting career in Hollywood definitely isn’t easy, but when you’re starting from the bottom rung of the ladder with zero contacts and just breaking in it can seem downright IMPOSSIBLE. But no matter who you are, where you come from, or who you do or don’t know, anyone can get their foot in the door using the right strategy. As today’s guest says, “It’s all about getting into people’s inboxes to make things happen.” My guest, Aaron Schmidt, is currently the Post Production Assistant on Cobra Kai who managed to land his position on a hit studio television show just months after graduating from college (which by the way is extremely unusual). Glancing at his resume as an Arizona State University cum laude graduate with Dean’s List honors and several credits on high profile studio projects while still in college, you’d probably never guess that Aaron began his education being placed in special ed because he was dyslexic. But Aaron has learned there’s a lot more to being successful and forging a path in Hollywood than just “getting lucky.” In today’s episode Aaron and I break down his experience on Cobra Kai, how he landed the gig in the first place, what his duties are as the post-production assistant (post PA), what he’s learned, and most importantly how he can improve so he lands his next gig (which by the way he already has..sorry, spoiler alert). Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One? » Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode Here’s What You’ll Learn: On breaking into Hollywood: How Aaron found no answers in film school and the intuitive insights that led him to chart his own path. Why Aaron thinks EntertainmentCareers.net is a “blackhole”. How he set himself up for a “lucky break” that led to his Post PA position on Cobra Kai. The 8 magic words that landed Aaron his first Post PA job after multiple failed interviews. Zack’s Interviewing Mindset Tip: “Demonstrate you have a very clear understanding of all of the challenges of the person interviewing you, why you are the best solution to those challenges, and why you are the person who is going to make their life easier.” What a Post PA actually does in studio television. How Aaron earned more responsibility for himself than his position required, making himself a more valuable member of the team and increased his chances of getting hired on the next project. KEY INSIGHT: Know what you want/where you want to be. Make it clear how people can help you. People are more willing to help than you’d expect – they just need clarity on HOW. How Aaron’s dyslexia actually helped him be more resourceful and attentive to detail. The importance of “crawling into the brain” of those you work with to anticipate their needs. Why “Leave your ego at the door” is sage advice, no matter your position. Useful Resources Mentioned: The Insider’s Guide to Writing Great Outreach Emails Ep87: [CASE STUDY] Why People Don’t Respond to Your Cold Outreach (and How to Get a Response) | with Scott Davis Ep69: Cobra Kai…Inside the Edit Suite | with Jon Hurtwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossberg Ep12: The Right Way to Network In Hollywood | with Chris Visser Our Generous Sponsors: This episode is made possible for you by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone who stands at their workstation. The Topo is super comfortable, an awesome conversation starter, and it’s also scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. Click here to learn more and get your Topo Mat. Guest Bio: Aaron Schmidt is a Chicago native who attended Arizona State University where he studied Film and Media Production. He graduated cum laude with Dean’s List honors and a Bachelor of Arts degree. Aaron has worked within many film and TV realms, stretching from his work with HBO’s television show Camping to Sony Pictures’s Cobra Kai and now working in development for TBS’s new show Obliterated. Aaron also has worked with independent film producers at Indy Entertainment on the films The Au Pair and Model Citizen. There he helped online and deliver final cuts of the films. When Aaron is not in the office helping make characters come to life, he is advocating for the Learn Disability community. Aaron has spoken at many Hyde Park Day School conferences, helping parents understand what it is like to be dyslexic. He has also been a sounding board for teachers trying to update their curriculums to better suit their dyslexic students. Aaron will continue to help students set themselves up for success. Aaron on Instagram Show Credits: This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Glen McNiel. Special thanks to Krystle Penhall and Sarah Furie for helping to spread the love! The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

When Aaron and his twin brother were 4, their mom joined Scientology. The boys grew up with the organization as a main focus in their lives. Their formal education ended after Aaron finished the seventh grade. He then worked full time for Scientology as a staff member from age 12 to 26. But soon came a wave of family rifts, including a great tragedy that severed him from someone he loved. Aaron left Scientology in 2014 and appeared on the first season of A&E's "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath." While he has a happy life, job and family, the fall out from their time in Scientology continues to undermine relationships for him, his wife, children and even his dog He's now the vice president of the The Aftermath Foundation, a nonprofit that helps people suffering from "disconnection" and "fair game" as they leave the group. Join us as we talk about his life, The Aftermath Foundation and recent legal action brought against Scientology. **This episode contains language and subject matter that some listeners might find disturbing. Discretion advised. *Image courtesy of Aaron Smith-Levin

This disclaimer was originally posted in our episode, Treating Social Anxiety in Adults with Autism with MDMA and LSD – Voices in the Dark, and it feels important to post it on this episode as well.  Caution/Disclaimer A few important notes. This is an episode of an individual experimenting with powerful drugs to see if he can get any sort of relief from autism. In this case, it appears to have been successful. That said, this came with a substantial amount of risks, and people need to be aware. Please read the below bullets so you understand.  Autism is not what is treated. The thing being treated would be a symptom like social anxiety. "The field of autism science includes a long and shameful history of quack treatments and parents taking desperate and harmful measures to “fix” their children. Autism is a spectrum of congenital and neurocognitive variants, and there are no published research data in support of any compound that can influence its course." Alicia Danforth, PhD Please do not administer these drugs to children with autism. It would be highly unethical to do so.  There are only two researchers investigating where MDMA and autism meet - Alicia Danforth PhD and Dr. Charlie Grob. A scientific paper will likely be available on this in the next few months. Expect to see more here.  These drugs have not been shown to cure or treat autism, but in some cases, just like with neuro-typical individuals, some have seen meaningful changes.  Even if changes are noticed the person is still autistic no matter how many high doses of psychedelics they take. Obtaining pure drugs is very difficult if not impossible in black markets. Verifying purity will require the resources of mass spectrometry from organizations offering these services like Energy Control or Ecstasy Data Providing unsafe, dirty or compromised drugs to people can cause serious harm or death. If you are planning to use MDMA to alleviate some suffering on your own, please wait or don't. Do substantial research and have skilled people available to help.  Thanks to Alicia Danforth for helping us understand the nuance's in this area. ..autism is a genetically determined cognitive variant. It's pervasive, and it affects the whole person, not just the brain. No chemical compound has been shown to treat, cure, or alter the course of autism. However, for some people, substances like MDMA can help them manage symptoms such as anxiety, social anxiety, and trauma effects. - Alicia Danforth, Ph.D In this episode, Joe sits down with Aaron Orsini, Author of Autism on Acid. In this powerful episode, Aaron shares his moving story on how LSD gave him life-saving relief from his struggles with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 3 Key Points: Aaron spent the first 20+ years of his life suffering from the struggles of Autism Spectrum Disorder. He changed his life in an unexpected way through the use of LSD. LSD gave Aaron the emotional installation of perception to see the stimuli in life that he had been blind from because of his disorder. Aaron is the author of the book, Autism on Acid, a self told story on his autistic perceptions before, during and after his LSD experience. He goes into great depth on his experience in the show. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Aaron A large part of his psychedelic journey stems from his Autism His diagnosis didn't affect him in school so much as it affected him in his adult years with socialization His childhood friends were more based on similar shared activities When he was thrusted into more social situations, he had more issues with non-repetitive and non-scheduled socialization He was anxious in the idea that he would go into avoidance, he wasn't very afraid, just more confused Most of his knowledge was based on repetition and memorization, it was harder to navigate new or unique social scenarios Social vertigo is how he described his experience His doctor told him to read some books, and he felt like he was reading a journal on his own life Daniel Tammet - Born on a Blue Day Born On A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant A Transition Point Aaron left his job A relationship he was in ended A friend of his was killed by a drunk driver He was in a dark place, and he wanted to retreat He didn't know what he needed, he just wanted to leave He got a backpack and a bike and headed west toward California He had an opportunity to try LSD He thought it was going to be an escape, and it ended up being the most involved experience of his life He sat on a tree stump in a wooded area, finally noticing everything that had been there his whole life that he hadn't seen before He saw the beauty in literally being alive He sat there and cried for an hour or two, it was a lot Aaron eventually got up, and started walking and saw some people walking and he had an urge to say hello, so he did, and they said “hello, how are you” back He describes it as a sensation of a child riding a bike for the first time Them saying “hello, how are you” to him, was the first time he experienced someone saying hello to him and him feeling it It was like a def person getting a cochlear implant and hearing for the first time It kick started his exploration of the world around him Integration His LSD experience was about 6 years ago, and he didn't know much about LSD at the time He didn't know what to do with his experience In the beginning, he felt as if he would go into it, see everything very clearly, and then back out of it again, and things felt more muted and ‘blurry’ “I was utilizing LSD, not for a sub-perceptive, metabolic effect, I was going for a supra-perceptive effect” - Aaron Aaron was taking at or slightly above the threshold dose amount (20-50micrograms) For someone who already had sensitivity issues, it was very apparent when he would take ‘too much’ In no way is he advocating someone to repeat what he has done, he wants it more to spark interest in researchers to find more data on this in the hopes to find relief for others Emotional Installation “LSD has helped me understand myself and embrace that” - Aaron Aaron said he's willing to take a risk to not be anonymous, because it's not some simple thing, it's so important, it's the most important thing to him He gets emails all the time saying the same thing has happened to them, but they want to stay anonymous Aaron says it has changed his relationships with his loved ones, the fact that he has this new depth of feeling has changed his relationships dramatically The main treatments for kids with autism was to help the caretaker, to help the child not fidget when they sleep Aaron says he needed to fidget, he needed to squirm around “If you can't hear, and someone is telling you over and over again ‘listen, listen, listen’, how are you going to begin to listen? That’s the void that LSD filled.” - Aaron He fell in love with parts of himself that he didn't get a chance to before Every other form of therapy was coming from the outside and telling him what to feel, LSD was the only therapy that came from the inside He mentions a quote from a documentary on someone who used truffles to help them, “Truffles installed emotionality in me” Hope for Research There were studies done with LSD on autistic children in hospital settings before the drug prohibition The results showed the kids changing so fast and so effectively It's a difficult topic, ASD research in general is heavily funded by the government Autism aside, the older you are in life, the more surprised you are when that veil is lifted for a moment The risk that he is taking is nothing compared to the significance of what good this has a chance of bringing It's not a desired risk to come out as an Autistic person, and especially as one who has taken controlled substances to heal from it Links Autism on Acid: How LSD Helped Me Bridge The ASD-Neurotypical Divide   Website  Email: autismonacid@gmail.com About Aaron Orsini Aaron Paul Orsini is a writer, public speaker, and survivor of a decades-long battle with clinical depression resulting from social isolation, mental rumination, and hypo-sensitivity issues common in autistic individuals. When Aaron was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of 23, he took comfort in receiving a diagnosis but remained deeply depressed as a result of seeing himself as broken and blind; someone who just couldn’t and wouldn’t “get it”. But then came his first experience with LSD, during which he became intuitively aware of the very stimuli he’d been incapable of perceiving throughout his life. Thanks to LSD---and a yet-to-be-fully-understood combination of chemically-induced synesthesia and associated fluctuations in intrinsic functional connectivity within the salience and default mode networks, Aaron can now perceive critical social cues embedded in facial expressions, speaking tones, and body language, which in turn means he feels fully connected to the human experience, and fully capable of navigating the social and emotional landscapes of life. Use code PSYTODAY at Onnit for a discount on all products except fitness equipment Get a 30 day free audible trial at audibletrial.com/psychedelicstoday

  Could goats provide solutions to challenges such as: extra income, a new livelihood, chores for the kids, lower carbon foot print, poison ivy, forrest fire risks and even climate remedies, a bite at a time?  In Central Iowa, Aaron Steele has become a believer and then a founder of a new business based on these beliefs. When Aaron and his family moved in to a new home with 3 and half acres, he had no experience with animal agriculture.  Facing noxious weeds on the perimeter of his property, he decided to try a few goats. Besides it would be good for his boys to have outside chores to do. Inspired by the their experience with goats the idea of a targeted goat grazing business took hold and soon Goats On The Go became a reality.  Aaron shares the journey from hobby, to supplemental income, to a new business with affiliates in 10 states. Along the way they have learned that there is hardly anywhere that goats wouldn't help.  www.GoatsOnTheGo.com

Very honored to have Aaron Hale join The Protectors to talk about his business, E.O.D. Fudge, his marathon running, and the incredible story of how he built a life with his wife McKayla.  Listen in… From their story: When Aaron could not see or hear: “McKayla with no other way to communicate, began a method where she would draw words into the palm of his hand, one single letter at a time. "The road to recovery was slow, and I had no idea how serious it was until we realized Aaron lost his hearing," McKayla says.”About Aaron: After six years as an expert EOD Technician in the military, Aaron Hale became blind the moment an unseen IED exploded in his face in Afghanistan in December of 2011. In the years that followed, Aaron rehabilitated himself to an extent most sighted people would envy – running marathons, climbing mountains, and even solo white water kayaking.About E.O.D. Fudge; (the letters standing for Extra Ordinary Delights), the name not only serving as a nod to the years Aaron spent as an EOD Tech in the military but to the perfectionism with which he approached that former position. "I want to be the best at what I do," Aaron states, "and E.O.D. Fudge to be the best fudge in the world." Now with cochlear implants to help him hear, Aaron, along with the help of McKayla's extensive experience in branding and business development, are setting their goals high, with plans in the works for a commercial kitchen and partnerships with big name distributors.Aaron also supports Building Homes for Heroes.  #eodconfections #buildinghomesforheroes #actionsspeaklouder #firstresponders #firstrespondersrock #gratitude #veteran #protectorspodcast #operationgratitude Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theprotectors)

Exodus 32:1-14When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

'Tis the season for exhaustive lists of top- something or others from bloggers and podcasters everywhere. So, we're getting right down to business on this episode as we present to you our completely self-serving end-of-year book lists. Along the way, we also discuss: When Aaron sounds most pretentious How we rank Tim Keller’s books The challenge of enjoying poetry Our happiness about our friend Scarlet being okay after a health scare What we thought about The Last Jedi Aaron's favorites: My Grandmother Told Me to Say She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman The Prodigal Prophet by Timothy Keller Afraid of All the Things by Scarlet Hiltibidal Heroes in Crisis by Tom King & Clay Mann The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson Barnabas' Favorites Us Against You by Fredrik Backman A Sever Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken Two Funerals Then Easter by Rachel Joy Welcher Proverbs: Wisdom that Works by Ray Ortlund  The Son by Philipp Meyer Dave's Favorites: Educated by Tara Westover On Desperate Ground by Hampton Sides Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin While you're at Amazon (or wherever you buy your books), be sure to also pick up copies (and leave a 5-star review) of a few of the books by me (Aaron) and Barnabas, all of which make for great gifts and/or stocking stuffers: Epic: The Story that Changed the World Epic Devotions Awaiting a Savior Contend The Curious Christian Finally, be sure to grab a few bags of the Table of (mal)Contents blend by our friends at Lagares Coffee Roasters. Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.

Exodus 32:1-32When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the covenant in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, written on the front and on the back. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said,“It is not the sound made by victors, or the sound made by losers; it is the sound of revelers that I hear.”As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?” And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are bent on evil. They said to me, ‘Make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off’; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”When Moses saw that the people were running wild (for Aaron had let them run wild, to the derision of their enemies), then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. He said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side, each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.’” The sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand of the people fell on that day. Moses said, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought a blessing on yourselves this day.”On the next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin; they have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, blot me out of the book that you have written.”

Growing up with a family of eleven in a small town in Floral City, Florida, he joined the Army right after high school. After several years of working as a Military Intelligence Analyst, Ryan followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers, Steve and Aaron, by attending Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school. He graduated top of his class in flight school, becoming a Black Hawk Aviator. In April 2003, he deployed to Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Shortly afterward, one of his brothers, Aaron, was deployed just west of him in Fallujah.On January 8, 2004, Aaron was killed in action when the Medivac helicopter he was a passenger in was shot down by enemy fire. Ryan certainly understood mortality and the risks of combat. After all, Aaron survived the bloody 1993 battle in Mogadishu, Somalia that became the basis for the movie, Black Hawk Down. When Aaron died, however, something changed for Ryan.From there Ryan started pursuing his passion for music, starting from humble beginnings in Army talent competitions, karaoke bars and eventually Madison Square Garden! Follow this exciting and compelling episode to learn more about Army Veteran Ryan Weaver. Music:Never ForgottenBurnTime Like This

text :: Exodus 34: 27 – 35 theme verse :: “When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.” (Ex 34:30) // Once we make room and gather, and take time listen to God’s voice, we come to understand that we […]

In this episode, Aaron Klinefelter shares the story of how God called him out of that evangelical tradition into the Episcopal tradition. Aaron loves getting to belong to the Episcopal part of God’s family. But he’s noticed that there are some things he’s beginning to miss from his evangelical background.THIS EPISODE’S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:Aaron Klinefelter is the Associate Rector at Trinity Church in Menlo Park, CA.Out of Solitude by Henri Nouwen is one of the most formative books Aaron has read.It was in college that Aaron was first introduced to the Episcopal church.But Aaron did not yet find a way into the Episcopal church at that time.After some time at Fuller Seminary, Aaron and his family moved to Cincinnati where he got involved in an emerging style church that had strong evangelical roots.Aaron was eventually hired to do youth ministry in an Episcopal church in Cincinnati. A few years later, Aaron began the Episcopal ordination process.When Aaron joined the Episcopal church, he felt like he had come home. But he also saw all the downsides of the denomination.Since being in the Episcopal church, Aaron finds there are aspects of his evangelical background that he misses.Aaron, still loves his Episcopalian home and is just now beginning to be able to express his feelings.In 1985, Robert Webber wrote Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail where he observed a trend in which evangelicals were moving toward Anglicanism.Aaron’s evangelical background and Episcopalian present makes for fertile soil for experimentation. RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKSAaron Klinefelter: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaronklinefelterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronklinefelter/Trinity Church: Website: http://www.trinitymenlopark.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trinitymenlo/Books mentioned: Out of Solitude by Henri NouwenA Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLarenEvangelicals on the Canterbury Trail by Robert WebberTo leave a review of Spiritual Life and Leadership: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-life-and-leadership/id1435252632— Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

When Aaron and I started this Podcast we always wanted to get Mo Egger, and It has finally happened. We ask Mo about how he got into Sports and Broadcasting, and about the state of Cincinnati Sports. Mo was SUPER Generous with his time and we can't thank him enough. ENJOY!! Cause we did!

Episode 67 features Aaron of one of the fellow Osiris Media network podcasts: No Simple Road. I'm so incredibly proud and honored and humbled to be a part of the Osiris Podcast family. I really am. I've met some great people through our other podcasts and I've had some great guests on from the podcasts, as well. Aaron is another in that continually growing list.Yes. I admit that the title of this episode is sort of hokey. Because, yeah... his podcast is called No Simple Road and all. But, come on. It just works so well. And, you'll hear in this episode, his life really hasn't been a simple road. And that doesn't mean it all hasn't been worth it. Or that where he is now isn't fantastic. But, he has lived a life (and then some). So, the path to where he is in his life now just was not a simple, smooth ride. And that's okay!Our conversation started with Aaron talking about the origin story of No Simple Road. Since I first started listening to No Simple Road, I've always loved the purity of their conversations and the very homogenous feeling it always provides. We talked about the journey that we have both taken from Day 1 of our own podcasts. Aaron, like me, is very grateful for the experiences his podcast has provided for him.The No Simple Road podcast is recorded on the porch of their home in Oregon. The "hosts" or maybe stars of the podcast are the communal residents of the home: Aaron, his 16-year-old son, his wife Mel, his nephew and his best friend of over 30 years.Aaron goes back into the history of his life and describes it as: "... if I step outside of myself and I take an honest look at where I came from and the people that I was around and what I did as a kid and my adolescence, nothing about my upbringing was normal." Having a Mom who was a trapeze artist and a Dad who was in "the biz" in Hollywood definitely helps you understand what he means by that.The first bucket of freezing cold ice water thrown in my face (figuratively, of course) type realization of how similar Aaron and I are was when he told me that he was out of his home at age 17 and living with his friend (Apple, who is a part of the No Simple Road podcast and a resident of the Oregon home). I didn't interrupt his story to tell him, but I moved out of my house at the same age and lived with a High School friend of mine and his family for some time.Aaron describes himself as a youth as "I was hell to deal with", but praises his Dad for always having his back and being extremely supportive. He talked about some of the great mix he acquired from his Mom and his Dad. From Mom: the belief that you can do anything you put your mind to. From Dad: he gave him his hustle.Aaron eventually migrated from being a punk rock-scene kid in Las Vegas to become a total Deadhead after he was introduced to the Grateful Dead at a young age. Aaron spoke with extreme honesty about what the drug culture of Las Vegas became for him as an individual. Some of the stories are just remarkable. He said: "If 'Now Me' went back and saw a kid that was like me then, I would've said that kid's gonna be dead by 25." Craziness.When Aaron says he was literally 'on the way out' when his wife Mel saved his life in Vegas, he means it. You can hear it in his voice if the words he uses aren't strong enough to get it across. The story he tells about their "chance meeting" when he was walking the street, feeling like he was standing with his toes off of life's edge, it is a breathtaking story.Eventually, Mel and Aaron took their friendship to a much deeper level and got married some 21 years ago. Yet, Aaron wasn't just instantly healed from his addictions and the things that kept him broken just by marrying Mel. He talks about how the birth of their son was the key to finally unshackling himself from some of the chains that were holding him down for so long; the realization that a new life was coming that would need him to be Dad.We talked for a while about the riches of money and possessions on earth vs. the wealth of... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/daddyunscripted. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When Aaron and.Brett started Intrepid Creative, they both worked another job in order to pay bills and make ends meet as they began to build their Company. However, they always considered their full time jobs their "side hustle." Just something to get by as they built.The way they changed their mindset and look at things differently than others is huge! Todays episode is all about them and the construction of building a building while juggling other responsibilities. 

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Aaron Walker. Aaron is an almost 40-year entrepreneur veteran. He started his first business at 18 and sold it by his mid-20’s to a Fortune 500. He went on to start over a dozen other businesses and started Masterminding 20 years ago with people like Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller and others. This led him to start the Iron Sharpens Iron Mastermind group – one of the most renowned and successful groups of its kind. Aaron is also the author or the best-seller “View from the Top – Living a Life of Significance.” Aaron has seen it all, done it all, and has succeeded through grit and determination. But what also has made him so successful and one of the biggest reasons I wanted him to come on the show and to share his wisdom with you, is his straight forward authenticity. Aaron teaches in way to easy to understand, learn, and implement. And it’s the lessons he’s learned in building businesses and Masterminds that I've asked him to give you in this episode. www.ViewFromtheTop.com Aaron has lived in Nashville his whole life and has built all his businesses from there. He grew up poor in an 800 sq. ft. house with 4 kids. His dad was a general contractor, but not a great business man. Aaron started working at 13 and fell in love with business and decided that he was going to be an entrepreneur. He put in extra studies and night school and graduated at the beginning of his junior year. He met some people with money to invest and opened his first store. He got married 2 weeks out of High School and he and his wife went on to build several success companies – selling the first one at 27 years old to a F500 company. That gave him the ability to do some other things and set him up financially. He then went back and bought the company he worked for at 13 and grew it by better managing it and better selling the services. He was 40 years old, working 3 days a week. He had it made. One morning he was driving to the office and a pedestrian stepped out in front of Aaron’s truck and was killed. His life came to a halt. Aaron wasn’t at fault, but when you are responsible for the death of someone, it changed everything. It devastated Aaron. He couldn’t handle the stress and the knowledge that, even though it wasn’t his fault and he was not arrested or anything, a man died by his truck. It ate him. Over the next few years, he sold the business, took 5 years off, moved to a different area, sought counseling, and really changed most of his life. One day, his wife came in and told him he had to get going and do something. Aaron had gained almost 50 pounds. So, he did. He started a construction company, built it to great success and sold it at 50, retiring. At that point, Dave Ramsey and Dan Miller suggested that he coach. He started helping other entrepreneurs and doing Mastermind groups and is now launching his 15th Mastermind in 8 different countries. What do you think is the reason God/the universe, etc. put you in the situation with killing the pedestrian? What was your biggest takeaway after years of thinking about it? At the time of it happening, you don’t see anything that can come up. You just think your life it over. It was a total blindside that disrupted his entire life for years. The truth is that we are all just one second away from being blindsided in some way. Our life can change in a Nano-second. Here’s what he learned. His legacy would have been – Poor kid form Nashville, makes enough money to retire by the time he is 27 and nobody really cares. Aaron realized that he had no significance. His life was not impacting the lives of others. He asked God for another chance and promised the act outward instead of inward. To that point, it had been mostly inward. Now, he hopes to be remembered by people as “my life was different after having known Aaron.” He thought about it and said that to himself you can do both – you can both success and significance. Define what significance means to you and for others… Each person must identify what success means. For Aaron, it the ability choose his schedule and how he runs his life and being financially independent. Money is a great thing if it is not your master. Having a clear conscious is critical. We can be content, but not complacent. Don’t ever be complacent but seek contentment in what you do. You also must have meaning and purpose. Lastly, Aaron wants to leave a legacy of wisdom. Significance is a different thing. To Aaron, significance is meeting the needs of others. Focusing on them and being present with them, truly listening. It means taking the time, even when you are busy, to sacrifice and help others. At the 25 min mark, Aaron talks about “Gratitude Day…” What are your best principles and thoughts on how to succeed in business? People must get over their sense of fear. The 18/30/60 rule. When you’re 18, you think everybody’s talking about you. When you’re 30, you find out it’s not true. When you’re 60, you don’t care. Read the book The Big Leap and learn how to push through those “upper limit challenges.” You also must have a written plan for how you are going to reach your goal and what you are going to do. Then all you have to do is execute. Focus on the task and not the goal. Establish 3 goals every 4 weeks. Be consistent. It takes a certain length of time to reach critical mass in anything you are doing. Delay gratification. There is real truth in the statement that you are the sum of the 5 people you spend time with. The wrong people are an anchor around your success – get rid of them. Get people around you that encourage you, hold you accountable, point out your blind spots, give you the truth, and support you and help you. Great minds talk about ideas, small minds talk about people! What are some of the key components of a successful Mastermind Group? You must have a genuine group You must have a set of shared core values It must be consistent (weekly, monthly, etc.) It needs to be all encompassing. 60% professional, 30% personal, 10% spiritual is how Aaron’s groups breakdown. How does someone start a Mastermind group and find the right candidates? You must first decide on your core values and make sure you group is built on them. Nowadays, virtual groups are easier and allow for more transparency. You must determine what it is you want to accomplish with the group and be clear on it. One word of caution for “in person” groups. Go slow and give info over time to see if they can be trusted. Don’t give everything out right away. Decide on the type of group you want to have. Men or Women focused, gender neutral, etc. You can buy the Mastermind Blueprint book from Aaron. At the 49 min mark, Aaron shares some final pieces of wisdom… When Aaron was growing up, his mom would tell them not to use the word “can’t.” She would say “Can’t couldn’t do it and could did it all.” Build a mindset of “you can.” Find ways to do things. Fear missing an opportunity more than you do failure. Failure is in NOT trying – NOT in being unsuccessful because you tried.   Best Quote: “Can’t couldn’t do it and could did it all...”   Aaron's Misfit 3: Show empathy and be empathetic to those around you. Be transparent to a fault – with a few. Authenticity is the thing people are starving for the most – be authentic.

Today’s guest is Aaron Chapman, owner of a large mortgage brokerage based out of Phoenix, AZ. In today’s episode, Aaron and Brian are talking about inflation and the true value of the dollar. Aaron shares where the true value of real estate is, and how investors are benefitting from the pace of inflation compared to their spending on fixed loans.   Key Takeaways:   [2:00] Today’s guest is the owner of a large mortgage brokerage in Phoenix, AZ. Aaron’s company does loans for several large turnkey companies and is the unconventional conventional mortgage guy. [5:40] Aaron is getting ready to launch a YouTube show where the outdoor channel meets the business channel. He hopes to launch it in the next couple of months. [8:20] The content will be the same type of content he’s giving his clients every day. Where is the property really valuable? It’s not all in the buy, the interest rate, or the cash flow — Aaron says that the real value is in the leverage. His show will allow him to distribute this information to a wider audience more efficiently. [9:45] Right now Aaron is promoting his business, which is financing loans, houses, and investors. The nugget he wants people to walk away with is to take the time to really think through and understand what you’re getting into. Look into what the real value is, not just what you see in the media. [10:55] When you step into the world of buying real estate, specifically as an investor, you’re the CEO of your business. If you’re not getting the outcome you want out of your business, you’re responsible. If you can take ownership, it’s amazing how things fall into place. [14:45] Aaron is an unconventional conventional loan guy. He does conventional loans, but he tries to get his clients out of the box. Conventional loans typically come from someone’s investment capital, and banks take the money out and lend it to investors. The people who contribute their money get a portion of the interest charge as their return on investment. There are rules that govern these loans. [17:10] Banks often put some of these rules in place to reduce their risk on the investment. What they don’t realize is that having the longest-term, fixed loan you can get has the greatest value of any deal. The investors pay their loans because it’s something other people are paying for. [20:20] The people who were hit hardest by the market crash in 2008 were the people who were over-leveraging. As an example, Aaron talks about the movie The Big Short. In the movie, over-leveraging happened when people were using cash to pay on empty houses with money they pulled from other properties. [23:50] These days, people are paying/charging significant rent for small spaces because there’s not enough housing. Building hasn’t expanded at the same rate as the population and the demand for housing is much higher than it was before the market crash. [25:45] Inflation is one of the most important things to consider as a real estate investor. The core inflation rate is 2%, but this doesn’t consider energy costs, food costs, or taxes. When those things are added back in, the actual rate of inflation is about 5.5%. This benefits the real estate investor because they can raise the rates for rent. [29:00] If the average rates for rent go up 3%, this will deliver a big increase in your cash flow, which will compound each year. While investors can raise rents to pace inflation, with a fixed loan, you’ll be paying the same dollar amount while you raise your income and keep the spread. [32:35] Aaron shares some statistics about the value of the dollar today compared to the value of the dollar in 1932. Considering the pace of the dollar and increased income to a renter, it doesn’t necessarily make sense to accelerate your loan payments. It makes the most sense to put the least amount down you can and stretch it as far as you can. [35:00] Many people are predicting that we are at the height of the market right now. Many real estate investors are making smarter investments now than they were pre-2008; if you have assets that will reasonably remain rented, you will likely be able to adapt during the next market shift. [37:00] Another way to be prepared for when and if the market crashes is to put the money you don’t need into a reserve each month. If you don’t need it, don’t use it. [38:45] Many investors get into real estate for retirement, but Aaron is using his real estate career to fuel his life day-to-day. He enjoys sharing his content and knowledge with others; he speaks on podcasts and has started writing books. [45:45] Aaron knew he was the unconventional loan guy back in 2014. Once his friends offered to help him boost his business, but he would’ve had to conform to their standards. Aaron realized that he was unwilling to compromise himself, and as he went through he was able to discover how he wanted to do things. [49:10] Authenticity works both ways. We have to be authentic in our business with our clients, but we also have to be authentic to ourselves. When Aaron decided to be authentic to himself, that’s when he noticed his business really started thriving. [52:15] To reach Aaron, visit the website linked below. If you’re interested in doing business, you can do it all through the website.   Mentioned in This Episode:   Meetings Daily REIA Show REI Facebook Page Brian’s Book Aaron’s Website Aaron Chapman Keynote Shadow Stats

Exodus 32:1-6 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)The Golden Calf32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” 6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.

This is part 5 of a 5 part series about Moses by the Rev. Peter Moore given at Greenfield Presbyterian Church, Berkley, MI. Based on the scripture lesson found in the book of Exodus in the New Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible. Exodus 32:1-14 The Golden Calf 32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold,[a] and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” 6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel. 7 The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.” 11 But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people. Footnotes: [a] Exodus 32:4 Or fashioned it with a graving tool; Meaning of Heb uncertain

This week on the pod.... I don't even know.... this was a weird one. Boobs and stuff. Notes How to fix a Nissan. Accessory Breast. High Five. Umiaq. When Aaron was literally famous. Icelandic Naming Committee. Jim's Room Review. Contact stillgotnothin@gmail.com. Facebook Page. https://twitter.com/StillGotNothin https://www.reddit.com/r/stillgotnothin/​

Aaron Amuchastegui and his wife Kaleena decided to pull their kids out of school and created what they call The 5-Hour School Week -- an innovative approach to education that has revolutionized their family's life. When Aaron and Kaleena took their kids out of school to travel the globe and educate them through experiences, their children became more engaged, self-aware, curious, and passionate about learning. Now, they share their inspiring successes and practical advice to give you the tools you need to create your own unconventional education plan, no matter what your budget.   Join The Brotherhood Join the Front Row Dads private Facebook community so you can ask questions, share ideas, and be part of a supportive group of incredible brothers who help one another navigate the role of marriage and fatherhood. Visit FrontRowDads.com/facebook For more information, visit FrontRowDads.com

Randy Stone played a big role in his community. He owned an insurance business, was a former marine, and was an active member of New Hope Baptist church. But seemingly out of nowhere, after years of loyal church attendance, Randy cut ties with the church. A short time later, he was murdered. But who would want Randy dead, and why? Then Kristin tells us about a kidnapping that sounds fishy as hell. A man dressed in a wetsuit woke Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn. He blindfolded them with blacked out swim goggles, forced them to drink sedatives, put headphones on them, and eventually left with Denise. When Aaron came to, there were motion detecting cameras everywhere. There was red tape on the first floor of the home. The rules were clear: if he stepped outside the lines, Dense would be hurt. When Aaron called police to report the horrific crime, they didn’t believe him. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases. In this episode, Kristin pulled from: 20/20 episode, “Stranger than fiction” “‘I’m not guilty’: Matthew Muller gives jailhouse interview about bizarre kidnapping, assault on Vallejo couple,” NBC Los Angeles “Primary suspect in Gone Girl kidnapping: ‘We fancied ourselves a sort of Ocean’s Eleven,’” People.com “Harvard-educated lawyer charged in Gone Girl kidnapping that cops initially called a hoax,” People.com “Vallejo kidnapping suspect Matthew Muller faces more criminal charges,” KRON4.com “Man convicted in 2015 Vallejo kidnapping case returning to court, representing himself,” Fox40.com In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Killer Love” by Mark Morris and Brian Burnes, The Kansas City Star “Former Marine’s Murder Exposes Wife’s Affair with Pastor” by Brooke Stangeland and Alexa Valiente  

Ryan Weaver is a high-energy, All-American, rockin’ country music artist who proudly served as an active duty Black Hawk Aviator, Chief Warrant Officer 3, United States Army. Weaver began his music career in 2005 while still on active duty, playing the club and festival circuit throughout the Southeast. His performances are known for their unique blend of high-octane original songs and rockin’ cover material combined with a heartfelt message and genuine humor. Ryan’s personal story is like no other artist in country music today. Growing up with a family of eleven in a small town in Floral City, Florida, he joined the Army right after high school. After several years of working as a Military Intelligence Analyst, Ryan followed in the footsteps of both of his two older brothers, Steve and Aaron, by attending Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school. He graduated top of his class in flight school, becoming a Black Hawk Aviator. In April 2003, he deployed to Baghdad International Airport in Iraq, and shortly afterward, one of his brothers, Aaron, was deployed just west of him in Fallujah. On January 8, 2004, Aaron was killed in action when the Medivac helicopter he was a passenger in was shot down by enemy fire. Ryan certainly understood mortality and the risks of combat. After all, Aaron survived the bloody 1993 battle in Mogadishu, Somalia that became the basis for the movie, Black Hawk Down. When Aaron died, however, something changed for Ryan. He returned from combat, taking a new position training the next generation of Army aviators and officers at Fort Rucker, Alabama and has not piloted a Black Hawk since that fateful day. Exactly ten years later, Ryan’s brother-in-law, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy Billings, was laid to rest just one row away from Aaron Weaver. Randy was killed in action in Afghanistan on December 17, 2013 when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting was shot down by an enemy ground-detonated explosive device. This second heartbreaking loss made the Weaver family a two-time Gold Star family. Ryan used his heartache as determination to succeed. Both of his brothers’ ultimate sacrifices continue to fuel his fire to accomplish his dreams in music. Ryan debuted on a world stage in November 2017 as the Patriotic Voice of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) for their Celebrate America campaign. The World Finals is the biggest global stage in professional bull riding - a booming sport now seen in more than 400 million homes worldwide. Weaver made his debut in the primetime performance slot, held in 2016 by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, at PBR’s World Finals in Las Vegas, NV. Ryan’s new EP also titled Celebrate America was released at that time. Ryan worked closely with hit songwriter and producer, Wynn Varble, on the Celebrate America EP as well as co-writing three of the four songs on the EP. This January, Ryan kicked off the PBR’s 2018 25th Anniversary Tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Celebrate America campaign is a season-long initiative that honors heroes, inspires youth and brings communities together.

Visit GHToverland.com/podcasts for all our Overland Podcast episodes with comprehensive notes for each episode.Emily and Aaron discussing ethical travel and Overland Adventure.A nurse and a teacher by profession, insatiable travelers the rest of the time! Emily and Aaron write the “Two Dusty Travelers”. A blog about responsible and off the beaten path travel.First discovered overlanding while living in East Africa, they ran into a couple with a Land Rover with a rooftop tent and immediately fell in love with the idea. They love getting away from the crowds to experience remote place for themselves, so overlanding has been a perfect getaway to have those unique experiences as overlanders.Since their passion for overlanding was sparked, they’ve converted their Subaru Forester into an overland vehicle, recently spending three weeks traveling around National Parks in the western US (on top of getting out almost every weekend in their home base in the Pacific Northwest!). When Aaron and Emily travel internationally, they almost always rent a vehicle, overland camping to see the country. They’ve done this in Kenya, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Aruba. They write their blog and maintain their social media accounts as a way to encourage people to bypass the resorts and immerse themselves in the country they've traveled to.Big believers that you don't need all the time and money in the world in order to get out there and enjoy overlanding! Overland Travel can be a force for good, passionate about empowering you to explore in ways that help, not harm, the incredible world that we share!Website: www.twodustytravelers.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/twodustytravelersFacebook: www.facebook.com/twodustytravelersTwitter: twitter.com/@2dustytravelersPinterest: www.pinterest.com/twodustytravelersVehicle: 2009 Subaru Forester called “Forrest”Fuel Capacity: 16 gallons (60.5 liters) tank + 5 gallons (19 liters) Jerry canWater Capacity: 7.5 gallons (28.4 liters)Shower: NoneSolar: 100 watts Refrigerator: a thermo-electric cooler * recently upgraded to an ARB 37QTTop Pieces of Gear: FreeSpirit Recreation Rooftop TentBest Recovery Gear: MaxtraxFavorite Places: Utah USA, Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania & Aruba Favorite Recipes: Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Triscuits and Tuna fish

Visit GHToverland.com/podcasts for all our Overland Podcast episodes with comprehensive notes for each episode.Emily and Aaron discussing ethical travel and Overland Adventure.A nurse and a teacher by profession, insatiable travelers the rest of the time! Emily and Aaron write the “Two Dusty Travelers”. A blog about responsible and off the beaten path travel.First discovered overlanding while living in East Africa, they ran into a couple with a Land Rover with a rooftop tent and immediately fell in love with the idea. They love getting away from the crowds to experience remote place for themselves, so overlanding has been a perfect getaway to have those unique experiences as overlanders.Since their passion for overlanding was sparked, they’ve converted their Subaru Forester into an overland vehicle, recently spending three weeks traveling around National Parks in the western US (on top of getting out almost every weekend in their home base in the Pacific Northwest!). When Aaron and Emily travel internationally, they almost always rent a vehicle, overland camping to see the country. They’ve done this in Kenya, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Aruba. They write their blog and maintain their social media accounts as a way to encourage people to bypass the resorts and immerse themselves in the country they've traveled to.Big believers that you don't need all the time and money in the world in order to get out there and enjoy overlanding! Overland Travel can be a force for good, passionate about empowering you to explore in ways that help, not harm, the incredible world that we share!Website: www.twodustytravelers.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/twodustytravelersFacebook: www.facebook.com/twodustytravelersTwitter: twitter.com/@2dustytravelersPinterest: www.pinterest.com/twodustytravelersVehicle: 2009 Subaru Forester called “Forrest”Fuel Capacity: 16 gallons (60.5 liters) tank + 5 gallons (19 liters) Jerry canWater Capacity: 7.5 gallons (28.4 liters)Shower: NoneSolar: 100 watts Refrigerator: a thermo-electric cooler * recently upgraded to an ARB 37QTTop Pieces of Gear: FreeSpirit Recreation Rooftop TentBest Recovery Gear: MaxtraxFavorite Places: Utah USA, Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania & Aruba Favorite Recipes: Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Triscuits and Tuna fish

Visit GHToverland.com/podcasts for all our Overland Podcast episodes with comprehensive notes for each episode.Emily and Aaron discussing ethical travel and Overland Adventure.A nurse and a teacher by profession, insatiable travelers the rest of the time! Emily and Aaron write the “Two Dusty Travelers”. A blog about responsible and off the beaten path travel.First discovered overlanding while living in East Africa, they ran into a couple with a Land Rover with a rooftop tent and immediately fell in love with the idea. They love getting away from the crowds to experience remote place for themselves, so overlanding has been a perfect getaway to have those unique experiences as overlanders.Since their passion for overlanding was sparked, they’ve converted their Subaru Forester into an overland vehicle, recently spending three weeks traveling around National Parks in the western US (on top of getting out almost every weekend in their home base in the Pacific Northwest!). When Aaron and Emily travel internationally, they almost always rent a vehicle, overland camping to see the country. They’ve done this in Kenya, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Aruba. They write their blog and maintain their social media accounts as a way to encourage people to bypass the resorts and immerse themselves in the country they've traveled to.Big believers that you don't need all the time and money in the world in order to get out there and enjoy overlanding! Overland Travel can be a force for good, passionate about empowering you to explore in ways that help, not harm, the incredible world that we share!Website: www.twodustytravelers.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/twodustytravelersFacebook: www.facebook.com/twodustytravelersTwitter: twitter.com/@2dustytravelersPinterest: www.pinterest.com/twodustytravelersVehicle: 2009 Subaru Forester called “Forrest”Fuel Capacity: 16 gallons (60.5 liters) tank + 5 gallons (19 liters) Jerry canWater Capacity: 7.5 gallons (28.4 liters)Shower: NoneSolar: 100 watts Refrigerator: a thermo-electric cooler * recently upgraded to an ARB 37QTTop Pieces of Gear: FreeSpirit Recreation Rooftop TentBest Recovery Gear: MaxtraxFavorite Places: Utah USA, Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania & Aruba Favorite Recipes: Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Triscuits and Tuna fish

Visit GHToverland.com/podcasts for all our Overland Podcast episodes with comprehensive notes for each episode.Emily and Aaron discussing ethical travel and Overland Adventure.A nurse and a teacher by profession, insatiable travelers the rest of the time! Emily and Aaron write the “Two Dusty Travelers”. A blog about responsible and off the beaten path travel.First discovered overlanding while living in East Africa, they ran into a couple with a Land Rover with a rooftop tent and immediately fell in love with the idea. They love getting away from the crowds to experience remote place for themselves, so overlanding has been a perfect getaway to have those unique experiences as overlanders.Since their passion for overlanding was sparked, they’ve converted their Subaru Forester into an overland vehicle, recently spending three weeks traveling around National Parks in the western US (on top of getting out almost every weekend in their home base in the Pacific Northwest!). When Aaron and Emily travel internationally, they almost always rent a vehicle, overland camping to see the country. They’ve done this in Kenya, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Aruba. They write their blog and maintain their social media accounts as a way to encourage people to bypass the resorts and immerse themselves in the country they've traveled to.Big believers that you don't need all the time and money in the world in order to get out there and enjoy overlanding! Overland Travel can be a force for good, passionate about empowering you to explore in ways that help, not harm, the incredible world that we share!Website: www.twodustytravelers.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/twodustytravelersFacebook: www.facebook.com/twodustytravelersTwitter: twitter.com/@2dustytravelersPinterest: www.pinterest.com/twodustytravelersVehicle: 2009 Subaru Forester called “Forrest”Fuel Capacity: 16 gallons (60.5 liters) tank + 5 gallons (19 liters) Jerry canWater Capacity: 7.5 gallons (28.4 liters)Shower: NoneSolar: 100 watts Refrigerator: a thermo-electric cooler * recently upgraded to an ARB 37QTTop Pieces of Gear: FreeSpirit Recreation Rooftop TentBest Recovery Gear: MaxtraxFavorite Places: Utah USA, Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania & Aruba Favorite Recipes: Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Triscuits and Tuna fish

Tune into this episode for a fascinating conversation with Aaron Faucher, a product designer focused on design ethics and augmented reality. You’ll hear about lessons from his path into design for augmented reality and virtual reality with clients such as High Fidelity, Alpha Computing, and Designation Labs. We’ll also dig into how being a Master’s student at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University builds on that experience, and where he sees his design practice going as he explores the intersection of UX design and emerging technologies. As Aaron shares, he’s early in his design career, and has been working professionally in the field for a bit over two years. His first exposure to design thinking was when he was an undergrad, when his focus was on social impact. He became obsessed with the question of where the logical end point of emerging technologies is, and started looking at technology as a social issue. Since then, Aaron has been trying to situate himself in the design world around augmented reality. At one point, Aaron learned about the concept of affordance, and the idea that we live in a state of action-potential in a digital world. This felt groundbreaking to him and helped him to rationalize the hyper-connected state that many people feel themselves in. He also explores the power of getting outside of the box of his own ideas. Aaron moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in August 2016 to try to find a job there, since that’s where a lot of AR and VR developments are happening. He worked on hustling and networking there, and describes the experience as a “trial by fire” that put him in his place as a designer. The process led to a couple of freelance opportunities. One thing led to another, and he has been able to work on some VR creation tools. Tune in to learn more about all these topics, as well as where Aaron sees his design career going in the future, questions that he wrestles with, the advice he would give to an undergraduate who is interested in his field, what resources he recommends to people who want to learn more, and much more!   Learn More About Today’s Guest Aaron Faucher Aaron Faucher on Medium aaron.faucher@gmail.com Aaron Faucher on LinkedIn   In This Episode [02:01] — We hear a bit about Aaron’s background and what brought him to where he is now. [05:16] — When Aaron made a connection between his design thinking experience and UI/UX, what in particular helped him recognize the connection? [06:39] — Aaron talks about how he has built the skills and connections to make the leap into his design career. [08:52] — Was there a moment or experience when Aaron’s thinking about design changed? [11:12] — We learn more about Aaron’s road into designing for AR and VR. [15:10] — Aaron talks about some opportunities and projects that came from his networking in the San Francisco Bay Area. [17:03] — What are some of the challenges and workarounds that Aaron faced in the projects he has been talking about? [20:14] — We hear more about Aaron’s thoughts on healthy versus unhealthy interactions. [23:43] — Where does Aaron think that things will go from here for him as a designer? What are some of the questions he’s wrestling with on his design journey? [27:03] — Aaron shares the recommendations he would give to an undergraduate who wants to enter into design in the AR/VR space. [29:59] — Are there any online references or books that have been exceptionally helpful in Aaron’s journey so far?   Links and Resources yes@designthinking101.com (Dawan Stanford) Aaron Faucher Aaron Faucher on Medium aaron.faucher@gmail.com Aaron Faucher on LinkedIn Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University HYPER-REALITY on Vimeo Unity Tutorials Kadenze Calm Technology by Amber Case Modern Medicine by Jonathan Harris

When Aaron suffers an asthma attack while evading the Ranger's search party, Ian is separated from them by a surprise Yowie ambush. Outmatched by their supernatural abilities and ultimately left for dead, Ian loses his family forever and Mueller's true identity is finally revealed.For more chapters and further info, please visit our website at https://YowiePodcast.comStarring: Peter D. Flaherty, Christina Walls, Benji Groenewegen, Kevin Powe and Lauren BaileyAdditional Voices: Nicole Maher, Holly Dodd, Justin P BechtoldSeries Announcer: Kristin HollandWritten, Produced and Directed by Justin P BechtoldBased on a story by Justin P Bechtold, Catharine Boothroyd, Amber Fresle, Kate Hanlon and Rachel WallerMusic by Leon RossAudio Production by James Shaw and Mitchell WatersSound Design by Josh WalkerSound Production Facility: Music and EffectsRecorded at RMIT Studios Melbourne, Australia 2017©Justintertainment 2018

When Aaron and I were at the MobWorld Summit 2018, we had the opportunity to interview Ron Fino. I met him at the previous Las Vegas Mob Con when we were co-presenters in 2104. Ron... The post Ron Fino – Mr. Undercover appeared first on Gangland Wire.

Aaron Chapman is a Real Estate Finance Equal Housing Lender for SecurityNational Mortgage Company and he regularly donates his time to the community in Mountain/Desert Rescue. With over 20+ years of experience in the finance industry, Aaron shares the steps he took that ended up tripling his income and explains why practicing gratitude will constantly enrich your life.   Key Takeaways: This masterclass is actually take two! The last one failed to record. Ouch! Who is Aaron and what does he do today? How has Aaron's experience as a emergency rescuer impacted his business? How does Aaron help his clients? What does Aaron attribute his success to? How does he define his success? When Aaron started being himself, started being real, started dressing like HIM, he tripled his income. You gotta work with someone you trust. If you don't trust them, do not work with them!! “It's nothing personal, it's just business.” That phrase is a cop out. You have to have an extreme interest in the other person's benefit. Aaron shares an example of why it's so important to be grateful. Tell people you appreciate them. Do not leave your gratitude at the door. There is no success without adversity. Get yourself up and keep going! Who is Aaron's perfect client and how can you work with him? If you enjoyed this podcast with Aaron, please share it to your friends and family! Mentioned in This Episode: Connect with Aaron: www.AaronBChapman.com Nominate Aaron to Speak at TED TALKS: https://speaker-nominations.ted.com. Click here to download more information about Aaron and his TED Talk nomination.     Tweetables: “You don't raise to the occasion, you fall to the lowest level of your training.” “Good judgement comes from experience. Experiences comes from bad judgment.” “Don't hope for things to get better, hope for you to get better.”   Ask Alex A Question: Have a question you want featured on an upcoming Flip Empire Show? Head over to the Ask Alex page, and record your question. We've made it super easy for you, so let us know what challenges you are having, and Alex will answer it personally! Did you get your FREE Online Course? Text the word EMPIRE to 67076, and we'll send you a link to get instant access to the “5 Ways To Scale Your Real Estate Wholesaling Business To Six Figures (In 6 Months Or Less)” video module training course. Subscribe To The Flip Empire Show, and Leave a Rating & Review!

Good News: Exodus 32:1-34  When the people saw that Moses did not come down from the mountain quickly, they gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Look, make gods for us, who shall lead us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Take the gold earrings of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to celebrate. The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ I have seen this people, how stubborn they are. Now leave me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you alone I will make a great nation.” But Moses implored the Lord, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that God brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” And God reconsidered, and did not bring about the disaster that had been planned. Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the covenant in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, written on the front and on the back. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said, “It is not the sound made by victors,or the sound made by losers;it is the sound of partiers hat I hear.” As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it. Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought so great a sin upon them?” And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are bent on evil. They said to me, ‘Make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off’; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

Aaron Akin is the singer/guitarist of Black Fast, a four-piece thrash metal band from St. Louis, Missouri, that has been around since 2010. When Aaron was 19, the members met in a college town in Illinois near St. Louis and have been friends as well as proficient musicians before founding the band. The Aquarian Weekly recently caught up with Akin to discuss the band’s new album, Terms Of Surrender, various songs from the recording sessions, the filming of their music video for “I Conspire” and more.

Why You Should Listen: In this episode, you will learn about the delivery of frequency and vibration in support of optimizing health with the use of the AmpCoil. About My Guests: My guests for this episode are Aaron and Geneva Bigelow. When Aaron and Geneva Bigelow started their healing journey 12 years ago, they believed Lyme disease was going to be part of their lives forever. Having both worked for many years in the biotech industry, they’d tried biofeedback, PEMF and bioresonance technology, but weren’t getting sustainable results. They eventually found a solution that eliminated forever the devastating effects of Lyme disease. That is when the AmpCoil was born. They used an early prototype to help their family get their lives back, but knew deeply that the mission was much greater than their own family’s wellness because so many people were suffering. They tried everything to get their lives back. There were moments when Aaron couldn't get out of bed. Then he’d hear of the next great thing - feel better for a short time, but soon relapse again. One of those things was high-grade ozone therapy. Traveling to Tijuana, Mexico every day for months, he witnessed people in the waiting room close to death and hundreds of people crossing the border seeking hope on their journey to wellness. In that moment, Aaron began to feel gratitude for his journey, knowing it must lead to a greater story. He kept his hope alive this way. During Aaron’s health crisis, Geneva developed left-sided paralysis and migraines, also due to Lyme and co-infections, and was pregnant with their second daughter. Neither of them could work. The turning point came when they hit bottom. Geneva was nine months pregnant and standing in the welfare line waiting for food stamps, then they were to spend the night at a homeless shelter. At this point, they’d spent over $200,000 on treatments and accrued $100,000 in unpaid medical bills. They were also watching their eldest daughter have regular seizures as she too battled with Lyme. Aaron remembers thinking, “you may be able to take one of us, but you won’t take our daughter.” They needed a miracle. Today they’re symptom free. As founders of AmpCoil, life is eventful. The Bigelows, along with the entire AmpCoil team, credit their success so far to their own journey to wellness using the technology. Many members of the team used the AmpCoil device to get on the other side of Lyme, severe autoimmune conditions, and other illnesses, and today they are passionate about sharing their stories. Aaron says, “It’s always the deep transformations that we needed to go through that propel us forward in life and often something profound is born out of those experiences.” In this case, it was the AmpCoil. Key Takeaways: - How does frequency impact our biology and support shifting of the terrain to a more balanced state? - When might frequency have an edge over taking things orally? - How is the AmpCoil different from Rife therapy? - How is health like a fish tank? - What are the technologies that were combined to create the AmpCoil? - What is "cleanse, shift, and transform"? - What is an AmpCoil journey? - What is the experience of having a session in the AmpCoil? - How frequently and for what duration is the device used? - What is the Herx Help journey? - How long does it generally take for people to start to feel a shift? - What is the role of parasites in chronic Lyme disease? - What were some of the recent statistics in terms of symptom improvement with the use of the AmpCoil? - What are the contraindications? Can the system be used by those that are EMF-sensitive? - Do we need to become ready for a new story in order to optimize our health? Connect With My Guests: http://www.AmpCoil.com Related Resources: Wellness for Humanity Foundation Interview Date: May 1, 2018 Disclosure: BetterHealthGuy.com is an affiliate of AmpCoil. Disclaimer: The content of this show is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness or medical condition. Nothing in today's discussion is meant to serve as medical advice or as information to facilitate self-treatment. As always, please discuss any potential health-related decisions with your own personal medical authority.

Pastor Evan Curry | Exodus 32:1-34:35 "When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” The Lord said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.” So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. “Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods. “You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal. “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt. All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed. “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year. “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning. The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him."

22 April 2018 | Evan Curry Exodus 32:1-34:25 "When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” The Lord said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.” So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. “Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods. “You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal. “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt. All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed. “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year. “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning. The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him."

Leviticus 16 - The Day of Atonement The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover. 3 “This is how Aaron is to enter the Most Holy Place: He must first bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. 5 From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 6 “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. 7 Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 8 He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. 9 Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. 10 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat. 11 “Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. 12 He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain. 13 He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the tablets of the covenant law, so that he will not die. 14 He is to take some of the bull’s blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover. 15 “He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. 16 In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel. 18 “Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. 19 He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites. 20 “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. 21 He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. 22 The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness. 23 “Then Aaron is to go into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. 24 He shall bathe himself with water in the sanctuary area and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. 25 He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. 26 “The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. 27 The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and intestines are to be burned up. 28 The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. 29 “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves[c] and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— 30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. 31 It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.32 The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments 33 and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the members of the community. 34 “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Leviticus 16 - The Day of Atonement The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover. 3 “This is how Aaron is to enter the Most Holy Place: He must first bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. 5 From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 6 “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. 7 Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 8 He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. 9 Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. 10 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat. 11 “Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. 12 He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain. 13 He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the tablets of the covenant law, so that he will not die. 14 He is to take some of the bull’s blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover. 15 “He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. 16 In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel. 18 “Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. 19 He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites. 20 “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. 21 He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. 22 The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness. 23 “Then Aaron is to go into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. 24 He shall bathe himself with water in the sanctuary area and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. 25 He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. 26 “The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. 27 The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and intestines are to be burned up. 28 The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. 29 “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves[c] and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— 30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. 31 It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.32 The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments 33 and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the members of the community. 34 “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.

I’m pumped to share this conversation with Aaron Spivak, a hockey player turned serial entrepreneur. When Aaron was 18, he founded Revitzsize Cold Pressed Juice Kitchen, which has grown from an in-house family operation to a business with seven locations throughout the greater Toronto area in just three-and-a-half years (with more locations opening up soon). Aaron also co-founded Hush, a recently launched anxiety blanket company aiming to help people with sleep anxiety, insomnia, ADHD, and more. The Spivak family didn’t start making juices because they wanted to build a business – they just wanted to address some of their own health problems, and get a little more energy as athletes. However, other people started seeing the positive benefits and asking about the juices. “They just wanted the product, and we were just so happy to give it to them.” Juice bars and blankets may not seem like they have anything in common, but Aaron has “a crazy passion for providing people with a product that’s going to benefit their life.” These businesses aren’t succeeding through great marketing, exceptional salespeople, or big billboards – they just sell a product so good that early customers want to tell someone else about it. Resources: Learn more at (https://www.revitasize.ca/) Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn

Aaron Walker is a successful businessman and life coach. He has inspired many through his leadership, mentorship, and consistent pursuit of excellence. He enjoys helping others and believes experience is a great teacher. Aaron started his first business at 18 and sold it to a Fortune 500 company just nine short years later. Aaron has started, bought, and sold eight successful companies over the past 37 years. Having a strong desire for personal development has kept Aaron in a weekly mastermind group for more than a decade with Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller, Ken Abraham and many other notable Nashville people. Aaron has enjoyed a 36-year marriage with his beautiful wife Robin. Today, Aaron spends the majority of his time helping men grow in success and significance as the President and Founder of VIEW FROM THE TOP, a premier life and business coaching resource. Aaron's new book is entitled "View From The Top: Living a Life of Significance" and in it, he shares insights from the lessons he has learned along the way to help others find hope and inspiration. Aaron's interview on John Lee Dumas' Entrepreneur on Fire is in the Top-10 most popular EOF episodes! He is one of only 20 guests who were invited back for a second appearance.   In today’s episode, we discuss: Accidentally killing a person and how this shaped Aaron's life How to live a life of significance When Aaron first met Dave Ramsey Why you should be in a mastermind group   Website: www.viewfromthetop.com Twitter: @VFTCoach Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/aaronwalkerviewfromthetop Facebook: www.facebook.com/AaronWalkerVFTT Email: Aaron@ViewFromTheTop.com YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/aaronwalkervftt View From The Top: Living a Life of Significance by Aaron Walker The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks The 12-Week Year: Get More Done In 12 Weeks Than Others Do In 12 Months by Brian Moran Aaron appearing on John Lee Dumas' Entrepreneur On Fire podcast the first time and the second time.   Today's podcast is brought to you by audible - get a FREE audiobook download and 30-day free trial (new subscribers only) at www.audibletrial.com/SuccessIsAChoice. Over 180,000 titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player.  Download an audio book from one of our past guests such as Pat Williams, Lolly Daskal, Kevin Harrington, Micheal Burt, Jeremie Kubicek, Kelly Roach, Bob Burg, or Larry Winget.

PRAYER THAT CONNECTS-8 “THE PLACE OF SEPARATION” (series) Nov 12, 2017  PREPARATION TO PRAY GOD laid out 10 Requirements with which Aaron was to Prepare himself to enter His Presence in prayer and receive His blessing of Atonement. Since GOD’s standard of Holiness has not ended, these 10 Requirements remain in place today. Only, we no longer perform these symbolic rituals, as Aaron did, but we practice their actual fulfillment through our relationship with Jesus. APPROPRIATE GOD’S GRACE PUT ON RIGHTEOUSNESS PUT ON TRUTH & HONESTY BE CLEANSED WITH THE WORD WORSHIP GOD   #6 - SEPARATE YOURSELF Lev. 16:17 Nobody is to be in the Tent of Meeting when Aaron enters to make atonement in the holy place until he goes out, and he has made atonement on his behalf, on behalf of his household, and on behalf of the whole assembly of Israel. The 6th Requirement in preparation for entering GOD's Presence, is to SEPARATE YOURSELF. When Aaron entered the Most Holy Place to pray he had to be alone, and no one was allowed to conduct activity or be in the Holy Place until he came out. When we come to commune with Him, GOD must not have to share our attention with anything else. You need to get away from distractions that pull your attention from the Lord. That includes... • people talking • the TV • your cell phone • even listening to music (if you’re getting into it) Jer. 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with ALL your heart. Seeking AND Finding GOD when praying requires ALL your heart... ALL = Mental Attention, not emotional intensity Lack of Attention is the #1 reason for failing to FIND the answers GOD has set before us. The greatest threat to prayer for the modern Christian is the inability to give GOD your Undivided Attention...with ALL your heart. In the modern Culture of Connectivity people are addicted to information. We can barely break away from the digital stream to think independently. Satan doesn’t have to attack our faith or theology. He simply uses our addiction to the digital stream of the world to enslave our attention, so that we can’t seek and find when we pray. THE TENT OF MEETING Nobody is to be in the Tent of Meeting when Aaron enters... Even when we gather for corporate worship, the term, Tent of Meeting promotes the concept that Prayer is turning aside from your regular activities in order to MEET with GOD. Sometimes we mistake our faith in GOD’s omnipresence for fellowship. Prayer isn’t based on GOD being with us, but rather us being with Him. The reason that GOD taught Prayer through the MODEL of The Tent of Meeting, was not to promote the idea that Prayer only works in special holy places. But rather to a safeguard against human spiritualism. The MODEL of The Tent of Meeting, was meant to instill the reality that Prayer brings US into a Meeting with GOD. Matt. 11:28 COME to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. COME = Come apart and follow John 7:37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him COME to me and drink. John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever COMES to me shall not hunger, The PLACE where GOD meets us isn’t in a special building. It isn’t even a place in you. But prayer is a Place in GOD. John 16:33 I have told you these things so that IN ME you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage–I have conquered the world.”

Get with the people who are a couple steps ahead of where you want to be, and learn from them. In this episode, I’m joined by Aaron Watson. Aaron and I were introduced via Zak Slayback, who came on for episode 25. Like Zak, Aaron is also passionate about the education, self-education, and self-improvement scene. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and went straight into an insurance sales job. Pretty soon into it, he realized that it wasn’t for him and left to start a podcast called “Going Deep with Aaron,” where he’s done over 250 episodes. If you’ve ever thought that your job just wasn’t for you and that you wanted to go do something else that’s more exciting and rewarding, Aaron is a perfect model of how you can do that. We cover a wide range of topics, including: Starting struggles with entrepreneurial endeavors Aaron’s lessons from over 250 podcast guests Finding the drive to work harder than your peers Advice for growing your content and growing a podcast Self-educating yourself outside of college Aaron’s pivotal book recommendations And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Aaron on Twitter! If you enjoyed our discussion on straying from the traditional path to pursue your passions and self-educating yourself, you’ll enjoy my episode with Zak Slayback, my episode with Connor Grooms, and my episode with Taylor Pearson. Find Aaron Online: Website Twitter YouTube Mentioned in the show: Aaron’s podcast, Going Deep [1:22] Aaron’s Going Deep conference event in Pittsburgh on January 27th [1:27] (event code “Nat Chat” for discount, automatically applied in the above link) Aaron’s podcast episodes on cryptocurrency and the blockchain [2:29] University of Pittsburgh’s ultimate frisbee team [5:34] Pittsburgh Thunderbirds [5:44] NPR [17:00] Econ Talk [20:42] George Mason [20:48] Libsyn [21:19] AUDL [22:25] TopScore [27:33] Weebly [28:38] Squarespace [28:38] Wix [28:38] Conversations with Tyler Cohen podcast [39:18] Invest Like the Best [39:20] Nathan Latka’s The Top Entrepreneurs [39:28] Aaron’s Newsletter [44:30] The Waiter’s Pad [44:43] Made You Think podcast [45:58] 412 Food Rescue [48:05] Books mentioned: Aaron’s book recommendation page (new books every month)      The Fish That Ate the Whale [39:49] The Power of Myth [40:54] (Nat’s Notes) (Made You Think episode) The Gospel According to Larry [42:25] Antifragile [42:45] (Antifragile Nat Chat episode) Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live [43:34] Uncensored History of ESPN [43:34] Uncensored History of the CAA [43:34] Casino Healthcare [45:38] The Internet of Money [47:03] Blockchain Revolution [47:04] People mentioned: Zak Slayback [0:07] (Zak’s Nat Chat episode) Nathan Latka [6:57] Barry Ritholtz [8:44] (Aaron’s podcast episode with him) Seth Godin [19:55] Russ Roberts [20:42] Taylor Pearson [29:18] (Taylor’s Nat Chat episode) Justin Mares [31:33]  (Justin’s Nat Chat episode) Samuel Zemurray [39:49] Joseph Campbell [40:54] Nassim Nicholas Taleb [42:45] James Andrew Miller [43:30] Mike Deriano [44:43] Patrick O’Shaugnessy [44:48] Dan Morris Monroe [45:38] Neil Soni [45:57] Leah Lizarondo [47:29] Ed Latimore [47:29] (Twitter) Dan Bull [47:29] Adam Haritan [47:29] 1:43 - Introduction to Aaron and how he chooses topics to talk about on his podcast. 3:26 - When Aaron started his podcast and how he found the drive to work harder than other people out there. Also, how this hard work has paid off for him. 6:49 - How Aaron balances his schedule between the sports, his podcast, and his branding job. 7:43 - Some of the biggest lessons Aaron’s learned from his podcast and from over 250 people. 11:20 - What Aaron was doing when he started his podcast and what his journey after graduation looked like. 14:22 - What Aaron was doing for money at the time that he was starting his podcast. 15:47 - How Aaron figured out how to effectively manage his podcast and interview people. 18:32 - Advice from Aaron on getting your content out there and how he managed to get his first few podcast guests. 22:25 - The power of circles of influence. Aaron’s example with professional ultimate frisbee leagues (AUDL) and speaking to entrepreneurs in that field. 24:36 - Aaron’s future plans for the podcast and where he plans to take it. Also, the usefulness of having an audience following for testing business ideas before you market them. 27:31 - How Aaron landed his job being the VP of sales for TopScore and what made him move on from that job. Also, how he landed a job with Nick Latka. 32:35 - Aaron’s journey through college and what he studied. Also, some of his entrepreneurial experiences with ultimate frisbee. 35:48 - How Aaron’s parents reacted to him leaving the insurance company to start his podcast. 38:04 - Aaron’s advice for others looking to get into entrepreneurial type work, and to get out of the consumption mindset and into the creation mindset. 42:09 - Some pivotal books that Aaron’s read and recommends to others. 44:29 - How Aarons decides which books to read and invest in. 46:19 - Some last thoughts from Aaron on learning Blockchain technology and some information regarding his event in Pittsburgh on January 29th. 50:11 - Wrap-up and where to find Aaron online. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast You see somebody from the outside and they’re super impressive, super built-up, and then you get to know them and it’s like “Oh, okay, they just worked really hard at this and they’ve earned that prestige, but they’re not that different from any of us.”

Align Therapy in Your LifeA practice not thought about enough is how we move. If we took the time to analyze how we move we would probably uncover the root causes to most of our joint pain and inflammation. Helping people align their everyday movements is Aaron Alexander a movement coach from Podcast (http://aligntherapy.com/podcast/) . On This Episode You Will Hear:[spp-timestamp time="01:36"] Dr. Jack Kruse and transitioning from Oregon to California [spp-timestamp time="04:56"] The brand Align Therapy and how it came about [spp-timestamp time="06:41"] The Power of Podcasting. Aaron has had his podcast for 2 years. He is now approaching 100k downloads per month. When he started his show his numbers were pretty low but after being a guest on other shows his numbers began to pick up. [spp-timestamp time="11:04"] Aaron has created courses around literally getting out of a car properly. He is creating a series of videos about the most effective ways to inhabit their bodies. The course should be about in April'17 [spp-timestamp time="12:24"] It's the consistency that makes the difference [spp-timestamp time="14:41"] It takes time to reprogram. It is a long game. Pulling the best practices from various different worlds, whether it's CrossFit, Yoga or Martial Arts they all have something valuable to offer. If we can pull from all that and instilling those practices into our daily movement, it will eventually become who we are. Too often we get wrapped up in the quick fix. The way to get past that quick fix is to make it fun and the way to do that is to create activities around it. [spp-timestamp time="18:40"] Foam Rolling for mobility and recovery. Making sure your metabolic fire is always running. [spp-timestamp time="21:55"] We all have to be open until we have tried it. Give your body that space to step away from your habits. [spp-timestamp time="25:04"] Your environment and sleep is key. We always take from the cup but never take the time to ask how to fill it back up. [spp-timestamp time="28:38"] Look to the successful. When Aaron is looking at someone's health, he is looking at the structure organisation around their joints, their skin quality, the elasticity of their tissue, how much they smile, their eye contact and how they relate to people in a social environment, all that is health and it is all things successful people are doing. What are they doing that could be applied to normal life? [spp-timestamp time="31:09"] Cycling and paying attention to you posture. [spp-timestamp time="36:33"] The effect of dance, art and the curse of handwriting on your creativity. [spp-timestamp time="40:04"] Who are you, where are you. The use of standing desks. It's not about sitting or standing it is about the quality of the way you are sitting or standing. [spp-timestamp time="45:21"] Focusing on your mobility. Create a ceremony and an anchor around your sleep or the other things you want to get good at. [spp-timestamp time="50:37"] Final Words [spp-tweet tweet="Aligning your life with @alignpodcast on LIVETHEFUEL Episode 056"] [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tye_KCMKJ9g] Links and Resources AlignTherapy.com (http://AlignTherapy.com) The Align Therapy Podcast  (http://aligntherapy.com/podcast) Align Therapy on Twitter  (https://twitter.com/alignpodcast) Align Therapy on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/alignpodcast/) Align Therapy on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/alignpodcast) Mobility WOD (https://www.mobilitywod.com) People Mentioned Dr. Jack Kruse (https://livethefuel.com/051-mitochondria-biohacking-jack-kruse/) Kevin Cottrell (https://livethefuel.com/044-cancer-paleo-sleep-kevin-cottrell/) Robb Wolf (http://robbwolf.com) Joe Rogan (http://podcasts.joerogan.net) Laura Hamilton (http://faculty2.ucmerced.edu/lhamilton2/) Ben Greenfield...

Tim talks about the Exodus story where the Israelites, freshly freed from the bondages of slavery, create an idol to worship, which makes God upset. Somewhere in this is something to be said about waiting and distraction and technology.  Exodus 32:1-14 1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord." 6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel. 7 The Lord said to Moses, "Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!' " 9 The Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation." 11 But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, "O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, "It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, "I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.' " 14 And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

Ryan is a high energy, all-American, rockin' country music artist who proudly served as an active duty soldier, Chief Warrant Officer 3, in the United States Army. To understand Ryan Weaver and his passion for music, you need to hear his unique story: Ryan Weaver's life is an example of how an individual's dedication, discipline, focus and perseverance can help them to achieve greatness in the face of adversity.Ryan was adopted at 10 months of age, along with his older brother Aaron, by the Weaver family. Ryan grew up living all over the state of Florida, one of eight siblings, and the youngest of three Weaver boys. Older brothers Steve and Aaron joined the military and attended flight school. When his time came, Ryan followed in their shoes. Three Weaver boys. Three Army Warrant Officers. Three helicopter pilots.Ryan's brother Aaron died in 2004 when the Medivac Black Hawk helicopter he was a passenger in was shot down by enemy fire in Iraq. At that time Ryan was also deployed in Iraq as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. Ryan certainly understood mortality and the risks of combat, after all, Aaron had survived the bloody 1993 battle in Mogadishu, Somalia that became the basis for the movie, Black Hawk Down. When Aaron died, however, something changed for Ryan Weaver. He returned from combat and took a position training the next generation of Army aviators and officers at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and has not piloted a Black Hawk since that fateful day. Ten years after the last day Ryan saw Aaron alive in Iraq on January 4th, Ryan's brother-in-law Randy Billings was laid to rest one row back from Aaron. He was KIA in Afghanistan on December 17th 2013 when the Blackhawk helicopter he was piloting was shot down by an enemy ground detonated explosive device.Currently working with Charlie Daniels longtime manager David Corlew, Ryan has been steadily making his way on to the Nashville music scene with recent performances at the The Ryman Auditorium with Charlie Daniels, CMA Fest on the Samsung Galaxy Stage, the annual Tootsie's Birthday Bash, Operation Troop Aid's Rock the Block Concert on Broadway, as well as multiple local venue performances. Most notably, he performed at the Charlie Daniels 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam at Bridgestone Arena and made his Grand Ole Opry debut on September 11th this year.Just out of the Army, Ryan spends his time writing and recording music, as well as performing all over the nation. With a long list of headlining national acts with which he has shared the stage as an opener, most notably George Jones, Charlie Daniels, Blake Shelton, Craig Morgan, Phil Vassar, Trace Adkins and Montgomery Gentry, Ryan's concerts are the truest indicator of his talent. Ryan has a unique ability to connect with the crowd in high-energy performances combined with close to heart musicality and charm with a story to tell that makes him as real as it gets. He attributes his discipline, passion and undaunted motivation to soar to higher heights to his military career and two brothers who sacrificed their lives so he may chase his dreams.Ryan's first single, “Crank It,” was the first song Ryan co-wrote in Nashville along with Kevin Ray (Hot Apple Pie) and Brian Eckert. The music video for “Crank It” spent eight weeks in the Rising Star slot on TNN/The Heartland Network, a network record for an independent artist. The video is also playing on ZUUS Country where Ryan hosted an hour-long episode as a VJ for “On The Rise.”Ryan's recently released second single, “New Set of Tires,” was co-written by Hall of Fame songwriters Jeffrey Steele and Bob Dipiero and is now available at all major digital distribution outlets. Ryan is currently writing and recording songs for his new EP scheduled for release in the spring of 2016.

To learn more about Butterflies of Wisdom visit http://butterfliesofwisdom.weebly.com/ Be sure to FOLLOW this program https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wins-women-of-wisdom/id1060801905. To find out how Win walk and about Ekso go to http://www.bridgingbionics.org/, or email Amanda Boxtel atamanda@bridgingbionics.org.   On Butterflies of Wisdom today, Best-Selling Author, Win Kelly Charles and Juan Carlos Gill welcomes Aaron Watson. Aaron is an ultimate frisbee player and a podcast host. Aaron also coaches and occasionally blog. He was on the two-time national champion ultimate frisbee team at the University of Pittsburgh and currently captain the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds. Aaron’s podcast is a forum for having meaningful, deep conversations about the passions, fears, and problems of people from all walks of life. Guests talk about entrepreneurship, sports, finance, writing and lifestyle design. Aaron is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and still reside there, though he travels a lot. Aaron never knew what he wanted to be when he was growing up and still don’t know for sure. Studying political science and economics might have helped, who knows. When Aaron is not producing podcasts, getting coffee, or diving down internet rabbit holes, he is reading books and training. Aaron also occasionally make videos that he post to YouTube. Aaron is blessed with a wonderful family and date a lovely lady named Ashley. Aaron’s parents are the two hardest working people that he know. To learn more about Aaron visithttp://goingdeepwithaaron.com/. To find out more about Win Kelly Charles visithttps://wincharles.wix.com/win-charles. Please send feedback to Win by email her atwinwwow@gmail.com, or go to http://survey.libsyn.com/winwisdom andhttp://survey.libsyn.com/thebutterfly. To be on the show, please fill out the intake athttp://bit.ly/1MLJSLG. To look at our sponsorships go tohttp://www.educents.com/daily-deals#wwow. To learn about the magic of Siri go tohttps://www.udemy.com/writing-a-book-using-siri/?utm_campaign=email&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email. If you want to donate Butterflies of Wisdom, please send a PayPal donation toaspenrosearts@gmail.com. Please send a check in the mail, so 100% goes to Bridging Bionics Foundation.    In the Memo section have people write: In honor of Win Charles.    Send to:  Bridging Bionics Foundation  PO Box 3767 Basalt, CO 81621   Thank you, Win  

Sun, Aug 14, 2016 When Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moses the children of Israel prevailed in battle. Learn the meaning behind the name of God that was revealed through this experience.

When Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moses the children of Israel prevailed in battle. Learn the meaning behind the name of God that was revealed through this experience.

Join LOVE Cafe on Facebook Here New LOVE Cafe Website Here LIVE on LOVE Cafe Radio, Nora McInerny Purmort shares Insights, Stories and How she and her late husband Aaron Overcame Grief even as Casncer closed in like a poisonious spider bite in their short 3 year marriage. Scott CLuthe, Host and Producer, invites you to call in at: 347-308-8478. Joining the ranks of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and Carry On, Warrior, a fierce, hysterically funny memoir that reminds us that comedy equals tragedy plus time. Twentysomething Nora McInerny Purmort bounced from boyfriend to boyfriend and job to job. Then she met Aaron, a charismatic art director and her kindred spirit. They made mix tapes (and pancakes) into the wee hours of the morning. They finished each other's sentences. They just knew. When Aaron was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer, they refused to let it limit their love. They got engaged on Aaron's hospital bed and married after his first surgery. They had a baby when he was on chemo. They shared an amazing summer filled with happiness and laughter. A few months later, Aaron died in Nora's arms in another hospital bed. His wildly creative obituary, which they wrote together, touched the world.

Aaron Walker - Business Man and Life Coach Aaron Walker is a native Nashvillian in Tennesse and has been there for 55 years. He started out at 13 years old working for a local pawn shop. At the ripe age of 18, he convinced a couple guys that had plenty of money to partner with him to start their own store. At 21 they bought their second store, 25 their third store and at age 26 they purchased their fourth store. Cash America in Ft. Worth, Texas was a fortune 500 company was going through acquisitions and made an offer to Aaron that he just couldn't refuse. Just 27 years old, Aaron retired from the Pawn Shop business. At first he thought this was going to be great; however, after 18 months and 50 lbs heavier, Aaron got bored and depressed. His wife told him that he needed to do something so he went back into the pawn shop he started with. During the next ten years, Aaron quadrupled business at the pawn shop. Aaron's life changed forever on August 1, 2001. He was on his way to work early in the morning. A pedestrian was crossing the street and didn't look where he was going. Unfortuneatley, Aaron hit the pedestrian and he didn't make it. He lived for three days in the hospital, but the extent of his injuries was just too much. This really rocked Aaron's world. He went back to the office and told his partner he was done. He told his partner that he had been chasing money all his life, had done very well finanically, but he needed to take a break. How Did Aaron Walker Get into His Life Coaching Career? Aaron took the next five years off. He built a new home and traveled extensively. His wife Robin was very supportive through this process because the life-altering incident that occured wasn't something Aaron was going to get over in a couple months. For the third time, Robin woke him up from a nap and said "Your getting fat again. It's time to get back to work". Growing from Success to Significance is a big theme of mine. It's important for everyone in all areas of life: Business, Personal and Spiritual. - Aaron T. Walker Aaron went into the construction industry. The guy that built Aaron's house was a great guy and so Aaron decided to partner with him. Using his expertise in sales and marketing, Aaron grew the business to the #1 builder three consecutive years in a row in middle Tennessee. When Aaron turned 50, he retired from the construction business. He thought he was finally done with work, finally. His good friends Dave Ramsey and Dan Miller that he has been in a mastermind with for over two decades told him that he needed to start coaching. Aaron had so much experience in business and he was married for 30+ years. He was in a great position to help other guys become successful. Now he has national and international clients where he gets to help ordinary men become extraordinary each and every day. Share on Twitter Aaron goes into so much more during our interview so I can't recommend enough listening to the show. It's a little north of 45 minutes, but if you are looking for ways to improve your business, you will definitely want to strap in and enjoy. This is a perfect show to listen to while you are walking on the treadmill or driving to work. I really can't recommend this episode enough. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did getting to interview this amazing man! If you want to learn more about or connect with Aaron Walker, check out his links below and remember he welcomes all questions, comments and inquiries! Don't forget to mention you heard about Aaron on Stop Riding the Pine:-) Aaron Walker Website The Community at View From the Top Aaron Walker on YouTube Connect with Aaron Walker on LinkedIn Aaron Walker on Facebook Follow Aaron Walker on Twitter @vftcoach (iTunes Shout Out) Dbrownldi Here are the highlights of my conversation with Aaron Walker if you are in a hurry: Who is Aaron Walker? (3:35 Mark) Aaron breaks down the meaning of the word "Serve". (10:01 Mark)

Exodus 32:1-14New International Version (NIV) The Golden Calf 32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” 2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,[b] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. 7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ 9 “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” 11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” 14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

When Aaron drinks in the morning he stumbles across empty Boston overworlds until he finds mystery dungeons. Jordan misplaced an FBI agent’s clothes during a WWII battle over soap materials. Justin pays for glitchy HBO so don’t spoil any of it for him. Super Gaming Best Friends: the podcast where Horrible Night writers and friends get caught up on their latest video game adventures and then get to know each other better by discussing off-topic interests. Show Notes Cast: Justin, Aaron, Jordan Topic Summary Off-Topic – Boston Duck Freedom Tours / HBO Now / X-Files Video Games Titan Souls Axiom Verge Valkyria Chronicles Game Pitches – CivTank Armageddon (Game Generator) More Video Games Bloodborne The Spatials Etrian Mystery Dungeon Game Industry Shout-Outs Okhlos Quiet 200cc Nintendo Guitar Hero Live Subscribe to The Horrible Shows – New Episodes Weekly RSS iTunes Stitcher Related posts: Super Gaming Best Friends #404 – Valuable Accidents Super Gaming Best Friends #403 – No Ending Necessary Super Gaming Best Friends #401 – Five Dollar Subtext

We're not professional movie review guys or anything, but we thought that discussing our top movies of 2014 would be a great way to close out the year. And I can pretty much guarantee that our lists are going to be way different from other Top Movies of 2014 lists that you might see elsewhere. Likely, that's because we're not professional movie review guys. Or maybe I have that backwards. Thanks to all of you who've listened to Techdown over the past few months. When Aaron and I first started recording our nerdy conversations and putting them on the internet, neither of us had any idea what we were doing, or where this crazy endeavor would take us. And, I mean, we still have no idea what we're doing, but we're learning more and more with every episode we record. So at this point I'm really excited to see what 2015 has in store for Techdown.

Ever have anyone tell you about "Using" God's name?  Using it with Authority?  You hear a lot about that, but have you ever heard someone talk about "Wearing" God's name with Honor?  When Aaron was told to how to bless Israel, it was so that God would put His Name on the people.  You have His Name on you via your baptism.  How do you wear His name?   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/garyheld Visit our Website www.RadicalGraceRadio.com