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One-Act Play Collections - Book 13, Part 3 Title: One-Act Play Collections - Volume 13 Overview: Here, in our 13th collection, are 10 One-Act Plays for your enjoyment. They range from tales of ancient Greek sailors to a story about early 1900 moonshiners; many short gems to make you laugh, cry, think, or all three. A one-act play is a play that has only one act and is distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. The 20-40 minute play has emerged as a popular subgenre of the one-act play, especially in writing competitions. One-act plays make up the overwhelming majority of Fringe Festival shows including at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The origin of the one-act play may be traced to the very beginning of recorded Western drama: in ancient Greece, Cyclops, a satyr play by Euripides, is an early example. The satyr play was a farcical short work that came after a trilogy of multi-act serious drama plays. A few notable examples of one-act plays emerged before the 19th century including various versions of the Everyman play and works by Moliere and Calderon. One act plays became more common in the 19th century and is now a standard part of repertory theatre and fringe festivals. Published: Various Series: One-Act Play Collections List: One-Act Play Collections, Play #30 Author: Various Genre: Plays, Theater, Drama Episode: One-Act Play Collections - Book 13, Part 3 Book: 13 Volume: 13 Part: 3 of 3 Episodes Part: 3 Length Part: 2:07:19 Episodes Volume: 10 Length Volume: 6:35:53 Episodes Book: 10 Length Book: 6:35:53 Narrator: Collaborative Language: English Rated: Guidance Suggested Edition: Unabridged Audiobook Keywords: plays, theater, drama, comedy, hit, musical, opera, performance, show, entertainment, farce, theatrical, tragedy, one-act, stage show Hashtags: #freeaudiobooks #audiobook #mustread #readingbooks #audiblebooks #favoritebooks #free #booklist #audible #freeaudiobook #plays #theater #drama #comedy #hit #musical #opera #performance #show #entertainment #farce #theatrical #tragedy #one-act #StageShow Credits: All LibriVox Recordings are in the Public Domain. Wikipedia (c) Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. WOMBO Dream. ToddHW.
Full Text of ReadingsMonday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 395The Saint of the day is Saint Lawrence of BrindisiSaint Lawrence of Brindisi’s Story At first glance, perhaps the most remarkable quality of Lawrence of Brindisi is his outstanding gift of languages. In addition to a thorough knowledge of his native Italian, he had complete reading and speaking ability in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish, and French. Lawrence was born on July 22, 1559, and died exactly 60 years later on his birthday in 1619. His parents William and Elizabeth Russo gave him the name of Julius Caesar, Caesare in Italian. After the early death of his parents, he was educated by his uncle at the College of St. Mark in Venice. When he was just 16, he entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order in Venice and received the name of Lawrence. He completed his studies of philosophy and theology at the University of Padua and was ordained a priest at 23. With his facility for languages Lawrence was able to study the Bible in its original texts. At the request of Pope Clement VIII, he spent much time preaching to the Jews in Italy. So excellent was his knowledge of Hebrew, the rabbis felt sure he was a Jew who had become a Christian. Lawrence's sensitivity to the needs of people—a character trait perhaps unexpected in such a talented scholar—began to surface. He was elected major superior of the Capuchin Franciscan province of Tuscany at the age of 31. He had the combination of brilliance, human compassion, and administrative skill needed to carry out his duties. In rapid succession he was promoted by his fellow Capuchins and was elected minister general of the Capuchins in 1602. In this position he was responsible for great growth and geographical expansion of the Order. Lawrence was appointed papal emissary and peacemaker, a job which took him to a number of foreign countries. An effort to achieve peace in his native kingdom of Naples took him on a journey to Lisbon to visit the king of Spain. Serious illness in Lisbon took his life in 1619. In 1956, the Capuchins completed a 15-volume edition of Lawrence’s writings. Eleven of these 15 contain his sermons, each of which relies chiefly on scriptural quotations to illustrate his teaching. Reflection His constant devotion to Scripture, coupled with great sensitivity to the needs of people, present a lifestyle which appeals to Christians today. Lawrence had a balance in his life that blended self-discipline with a keen appreciation for the needs of those whom he was called to serve. A Franciscan Look at the Catholic Sacraments Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
Welcome to a very special episode of All the Feelings, brought to you by REM sleep, tennis elbow, and the visceral horror of trying to put on socks like you're still in your 30s.This week, Pete and Tommy are pulling a two-for-one special: first, they dive into the dreamscape of adult anxiety—why our nighttime brains love to drop us in college final exams we never studied for and why Tommy keeps losing his car in a parking garage that exists only in the astral plane. Then, they shift to the nighttime betrayals of the body: the mysterious transformation from human being to fragile pile of orthopedic complaints, where simply “sleeping” can result in injuries typically reserved for Olympic gymnastics.Along the way, we get hot tips from Tommy's therapist (shout-out to Bonnie!), dream science from the BBC, and Pete's personal musculoskeletal origin story—which involves surprise vertebra fusion, leg-length inequality, and an orthotic insert named Steve. There's also a powerful case made for the humble foam roller, a pony running off with Tommy's Mazda, and a rare Greek myth about moon-gazing lovers that ends, predictably, in a curse.If you've ever woken up more injured than you were when you went to bed, if you've ever texted your group chat just to be out-sympathied by someone who dislocated their shoulder sneezing, or if you've ever been haunted by the ghost of your own plantar fascia, this one's for you.Support the show at allthefeelings.fun and become a Feeling Friend today—for early episodes, bonus content, and a front-row seat to Pete's ever-expanding sneaker collection.
Greece is in the middle of a new heatwave that will see temperatures pass 40 degrees celsius - or 104 Fahrenheit - this week. While the government issues warnings to stay out of the sun and remain cool indoors, this is not an option for many Greeks living in buildings that are not designed to cope with these high temperatures. Today we're bringing on Alexia Kalaitzi, an award-winning journalist and features reporter for Kathimerini, who joins Thanos Davelis as we look into the question: How hot is too hot when you're inside your own home?You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:How hot is too hot when you're inside your home?Greece to create two national marine parks in Ionian and Aegean Seas, PM saysSea parks an assertion of sovereigntyTurkey Nears Preliminary Deal for Eurofighter Combat Jet Order, Sources Say
Looking for travel inspiration that goes way beyond the typical bucket list? In this episode, I'm sharing my favorite sites in Europe.12 unforgettable places that have wowed me, moved me and stuck with me long after the trip was over.From Neolithic stone circles in Ireland to ancient Greek ruins, from jaw-dropping cathedrals to iconic art, this list spans the continent and covers thousands of years of human creativity, culture and mystery.You'll hear about:Newgrange & Loughcrew Cairns – prehistoric magic in IrelandNotre Dame & Strasbourg Cathedral – stunning Gothic beautyMichelangelo's David – a Renaissance icon that lives up to its legendSalisbury Cathedral – medieval grace and the tallest spire in EnglandCulloden Battlefield – a powerful, sobering site in Scottish historyBeltany Stone Circle – ancient, atmospheric and wildly underratedDoune Castle – a must for history buffs and pop culture fansHohenschwangau Castle – Bavaria's fairytale fantasyOlympia & Ephesus – ancient cities where the past comes aliveThese are the places I return to in my mind again and again.And I think you'll want to visit these and create those memories too.So whether you're trip-planning or just dreaming, come wander with me through my favorite sites in Europe and some of Europe's most awe-inspiring cultural treasures.Want to chat more about one or a few of these sites?Send me an email at Lynne@WanderYourWay.comIn this episode:2:30: Intro4:08: Newgrange7:58: Loughcrew Cairns10:52: Notre Dame13:16: Strasbourg Cathedral16:30: Michelangelo's David19:29: Salisbury Cathedral & Magna Carta23:36: Culloden Battlefield27:53: Beltany Stone Circle32:45: Doune Castle36:28: Hohenschwangau38:43: Archaeological Site of Olympia43:01: Ephesus47:31: Recap48:58: Wrapping it upImportant links:County Meath • IrelandHeritage Ireland Brú na BóinneNotre Dame ParisThe Best Things To Do in Paris in 4 Days9 Things You Need To Do on a Day Trip to Beautiful Strasbourg FranceCathédrale Notre Dame StrasbourgSalisbury • EnglandSalisbury CathedralCulloden Battlefield: One of the Most Important Sites in ScotlandThe Ancient Mystery of Beltany Stone CircleStirling and Doune Castles • ScotlandDoune Castle — Historic Environment ScotlandVisiting Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles • GermanyHohenschwangau CastleThe Ancient Site of Olympia • GreeceLynne's Favorite UNESCO Sites in EuropeREIWander Your Way ResourcesWander Your Way AdventuresWander Your Way ★ Support this podcast ★
Welcome to The Weekly Word! In this timely message, we are stepping into PROMOTION TIME—August 1–15 on the Gregorian calendar, aligned with the powerful spiritual season in the Hebrew month of Av.We are currently in the prophetic window called "Between the Straits"—from July 13 (17th of Tammuz) to August 3 (9th of Av). This season recalls both historic tragedy and a call to next-level faith.What You'll Learn in This Word:Why the Hebrew month of Av (Menachem Av) means “God our Comforter”—a season of divine comfort and accelerationThe golden calf incident (Exodus 32) and how fear and impatience cause us to forget our identityHow the 10 spies missed God's promise (Numbers 13–14) because they saw themselves as grasshoppers instead of conquerorsWhy your promotion requires you to see through eyes of faith, not fearHow God has written your destiny for this year—and this is the time to step into it!Prophetic Reflection:The Israelites came out of Egypt with silver and gold, but they carried a slave mindset. Surrounded by false gods in Egypt, they struggled to fully trust the one true God—even after miracles, signs, and wonders. When waiting at Mount Sinai, they questioned their identity and God's goodness.But God is saying: STOP. PAUSE. STEP IN.You're coming into August. You're entering Menachem Av—“I am the Lord your Comforter.” God wants to comfort you from affliction and raise your faith to receive your promotion.Romans 1:17 reminds us that "the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith." In the Greek, the word for faith—pistis—means:Moral convictionReliance on ChristAssurance in God's goodnessSo ask yourself: Do you believe He's merciful, just, loving, and good? Do you believe He has good plans for you? Because God is calling you into the Promised Land, and your faith will determine how far you go.Key Dates to Remember:July 13 – 17th of Tammuz (Start of "Between the Straits")July 25 (at sundown) – Start of the month of AvAugust 1–15 – Promotion TimeAugust 3 – 9th of Av (Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning and reflection)Don't miss this prophetic word—it's your moment to break cycles, rise in faith, and walk into your God-appointed destiny.LIKE • COMMENT • SUBSCRIBE for more weekly prophetic insights!Sign up for the free “ASCEND Class” at 10 am and 6 pm EST – Tuesday August 12 http://bit.ly/4gfRKXmGet your copy of “365 Prophetic Revelations from the Hebrew Calendar”Www.candicesmithyman.comhttps://amzn.to/4aQYoR0Enroll in Soul Transformation and Dream Mentors 101 to become a ministry affiliateWww.dreammentors.org
Microscopic Trojan Warriors and the Secret Army in Your Pants | Thoughts Off The Stem PodcastWhat do Aristotle, ancient Greek philosophy, Russian doll theory, and tiny Trojan sperm warriors all have in common? This episode.Justin Barone dives head-first into one of the strangest (and funniest) rabbit holes you've never thought about — the old-school theory that sperm are preloaded with mini humans, and every time you, ahem… deploy them, it's like unleashing a microscopic army of tiny, helmet-wearing warriors ready to storm the castle. Yeah, it gets weird. Real weird. And also… weirdly educational.This one's a mind-bending mix of cannabis-fueled curiosity, deep philosophy, absurd mental visuals, and high-level laughter — only on Thoughts Off The Stem.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 21, 2025 is: hubris • HYOO-bris • noun Hubris is a formal and literary word that refers to a great or foolish amount of pride or confidence. // The project's failure was predictable, given the inexperience and unbridled hubris of those leading the effort. See the entry > Examples: "The film was billed to me as an attempt to capture the real power and bumbling hubris of a bunch of arrogant and wealthy men ... who try to rewire the world and find themselves in way over their heads." — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025 Did you know? English picked up both the concept of hubris and the term for that particular brand of cockiness from the ancient Greeks, who considered hubris a dangerous character flaw capable of provoking the wrath of the gods. In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the fall of the tragic hero. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status; in response, the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of human mortality. Take, for example, the story of Phaethon, a mortal son of the sun god Helios. In his hubris, Phaethon drives his father's sun chariot into the heavens but loses control of its horses. The chariot begins to scorch the earth, and Zeus strikes Phaethon down with a thunderbolt.
What does it mean to be ready to explain your hope in Christ? In this thought-provoking episode, Dave Wager welcomes Joel Settecase of the Think Institute to unpack the biblical foundation of apologetics. With 1 Peter 3:15 as the anchor, the two dive into how believers of all ages—from kids to college grads—can share and defend their faith with boldness, grace, and simplicity. Whether you're a lifelong Christian who's never questioned God's existence or someone who regularly engages skeptics, this conversation offers practical insights on how to communicate truth with confidence. From explaining the Greek word apologia to navigating the objections of today's culture, Joel outlines a three-step method rooted in Scripture: ask good questions, expose contradictions, and point people to Christ. Dave brings it home with down-to-earth illustrations (yes, even a pen becomes a teaching tool), reminding listeners that God doesn't need us—but He wants us. If you've ever felt unqualified to talk about your faith, this episode will equip and encourage you to stand up for the truth—wherever God has placed you. Stand Up For The Truth Videos: https://rumble.com/user/CTRNOnline & https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgQQSvKiMcglId7oGc5c46A
Did you know a British cavalry captain once held the army rank of lieutenant general… and still just led a squadron? In this episode, we dive deep into the gloriously confusing world of the Napoleonic-era British Army with historian Steve Brown. From "Brevet" ranks, to gentleman volunteers who wielded muskets while hoping someone died so they could get a promotion—this is the army as you've never heard it before. We uncover forgotten garrisons, militia mysteries, and the strange story behind those regimental county titles that mostly meant nothing at all. Expect penal battalions, Greek soldiers in red coats, and dashing hussars who were all moustache and no discipline. It's the military equivalent of Monty Python meets Yes Minister—only it really happened. Steve's books can be purchased here - https://amzn.to/4eRDm85 Sign up for my mailing list here - https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/
When I lived in the New York area, I occasionally spoke for the New York Giants, and the New York Jets, and the Yankees, and the Mets, and some of their visiting teams. Now, when people heard about that, guess what their first question usually was? Well, of course, they said, "Ron, what scripture verse did you speak on?" No! What they asked was, "Who was there? Who did you meet?" And they wanted to hear who attended and who I got to shake hands with. People got excited because I had been with some star they knew about. But much more frequently than those events, I've had the opportunity to be with some real VIPs, some real very important people. But you probably wouldn't recognize their names. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Why the Little People Are the Big People." Ok, here comes our word for today from the Word of God. It's in the 10th chapter of the gospel of Mark. "Some Pharisees came and tested Jesus by asking, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?'" That's in verse 2, and this ongoing conversation continues with these very important people from Jerusalem. In the middle of all of that in verse 13 it says, "People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them." I think in the Greek it says, "Go away, kid!" Well, "When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them." Okay, here's the scene. Jesus is with the power brokers from Jerusalem, and then He's with these little kids crawling all over His lap. The question: when was Jesus with the VIPs? Not the big shots; not the power brokers. Oh, He was with the VIPs, He said, when He was with the children. The disciples got it wrong. Maybe they were running the nursery that day. Listen, have you ever been in the nursery when the pastor preached too long and the kids are going crazy? Well, the disciples are saying, "No, no, He's with important people now." Jesus said, "Uh-uh, these are the important people." You know, we have a tendency to really curry favor with the powerful, to oblige the rich, to try to get close to the stars in whatever our constellation is, whether it's business, or school, or church. But what Jesus models here is what I would call a VIP inversion. He says, "The little people are the big people to Him: children, the homeless, the hurting, the powerless, the misfit, the lonely, the excluded." Jesus gives prime time to those who can give Him nothing. He focuses on those who have no votes, no money, no favors to give. This must be a pretty important account, because it's recorded in three of the gospels. And we are told here that Jesus was indignant when the disciples made this values error. So, who do you think the VIPs are in your world? Well, if you see what Jesus sees, you'll know it's the little people. You'll know that you're becoming like Jesus when you start to lose your fascination with people who are powerful, or those who can do something for you. You're becoming like Jesus when you feel yourself wanting to be with the people He thinks are important, not the ones the world says are important. The ones the world sees as powerless and unimportant. See, when you get close to a little person, just ask Jesus, you are getting close to a real VIP.
We delve into the final days of Joshua, the leader of Israel for many years before his death at 110 years old. Reflecting on 25 years of peace and God's blessings in the Promised Land, Joshua gathers Israel's leaders to remind them of God's faithfulness and the importance of loving Yahweh, obeying His commands, and continuing to take the Land. Echoing Moses, Joshua emphasizes the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. Joshua's death marks the end of an era, leaving Israel at a crossroads. Would they continue to obey God after the death of Joshua?Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...
SummaryIn this Leadership Monday message on the Taking the Land podcast, Pastor Brown delivers a deeply personal and powerful sermon on Romans 12:2 — exploring the GOOD, ACCEPTABLE, and PERFECT will of God.Through his own testimony of battling fear, insecurity, and the lies of the enemy, Pastor Brown reveals how God's will is often misunderstood as dark, foreboding, and hard — but in reality, it is inherently good, pleasing to God, and perfectly complete.If you've ever wrestled with surrendering to God's will, feeling afraid of where obedience might lead, this message is for you. Learn how to overcome the enemy's lies, understand the full picture of God's plan, and step confidently into your calling.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Leadership Monday02:41 Understanding the Will of God15:31 The Goodness of God's Will22:39 The Perfect Will of GodTakeawaysThe will of God is often misunderstood as something dark or foreboding.God's will is described as good, acceptable, and perfect in Romans 12:2.The Greek word for good, 'agathos', signifies something inherently good and useful.Pleasing God is our aim, and it is not hard to do.Acts of service, no matter how small, please God.God cares about the little things we do for others.The will of God is a complete picture, not just a moment.We often see only a small part of God's plan.The will of God can lead to personal revival and fulfillment.Trusting in God's will can transform our fears into faith.Show NotesALL PROCEEDS GO TO WORLD EVANGELISMLocate a CFM Church near you: https://cfmmap.orgWe need five-star reviews! Tell the world what you think about this podcast at: • Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3vy1s5b • Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/taking-the-land-cfm-sermon-pod-43369
We're back, from our sunny Naousa balcony, on the Greek island of Paros, Greece, where we're staying for a month with our two young adult kids for the summer. In this episode, we share everything from mouth breathing to juggling money stresses, ageing bodies, emotional outbursts, and the messy, muddled brain that is (probably) caused by too much Ouzo. Thank you so much for finding us and for staying around. If you enjoy the content and would like to support the show, please subscribe on your favourite platform. And...if you're feeling really, really generous and have a few minutes to spare, it would be wonderful if you'd leave us a review. Your support means the world to us. Thank you. ❤️ Subscribe to this PODCAST on Apple Subscribe to this PODCAST on Android Subscribe to this PODCAST on Spotify Liz and Brian x PS: If you haven't yet joined my inner circle of friends, my life-letter readers, my gorgeous, trusted confidants, please do. You will be the first person I share everything with. You can sign up for my FREE Front Row Newsletter HERE. Get Liz's book, THE TRAVEL BOG DIARIES
Words are not just for communication—they shape civilizations. They define truth, identity, and purpose. They are the load-bearing beams of a society’s moral structure. And when those words are redefined or removed, everything built on them begins to crumble. In this powerful and timely episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World, Catherine Segars welcomes back worldview expert Scott Allen for a riveting conversation about the biblical words that built Western civilization—and why our children’s future depends on preserving them. We’re not just losing vocabulary in today’s culture war—we’re losing the very ideas that gave us human dignity, justice, freedom, and purpose. Concepts like truth, freedom, and even human are being reimagined in ways that disconnect us from reality and rob our kids of the meaning they were created to know. Scott and Catherine take a deep dive into the word “human”—and what it meant when rooted in the biblical worldview. They unpack how the radical declaration in Genesis—that humans are made in the image of God—revolutionized the ancient world. In a culture where women were often viewed as property, and children or the disabled were disposable, Scripture declared that every single person has immeasurable worth. You’ll hear: How the biblical idea of humanity upended Greek, Roman, and pagan views of people as tools or cosmic accidents The chilling story of a modern Kenyan tribe that used the same word for “woman” and “tool” The consequences of raising children in a world that sees them as just evolved animals—or self-defining machines
A small, common, but theologically charged Greek verb in Rev. 20:3 quietly signals the fate of Satan in the triumphant King's victory procession. Dr. Shane Wood is Professor of New Testament & Its Origins at Ozark Christian College. His publications include The Alter-Imperial Paradigm: Empire Studies & the Book of Revelation and Thinning the Veil: Encountering Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation. Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/44PwmnC M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4kRgXt0
One-Act Play Collections - Book 13, Part 2 Title: One-Act Play Collections - Volume 13 Overview: Here, in our 13th collection, are 10 One-Act Plays for your enjoyment. They range from tales of ancient Greek sailors to a story about early 1900 moonshiners; many short gems to make you laugh, cry, think, or all three. A one-act play is a play that has only one act and is distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. The 20-40 minute play has emerged as a popular subgenre of the one-act play, especially in writing competitions. One-act plays make up the overwhelming majority of Fringe Festival shows including at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The origin of the one-act play may be traced to the very beginning of recorded Western drama: in ancient Greece, Cyclops, a satyr play by Euripides, is an early example. The satyr play was a farcical short work that came after a trilogy of multi-act serious drama plays. A few notable examples of one-act plays emerged before the 19th century including various versions of the Everyman play and works by Moliere and Calderon. One act plays became more common in the 19th century and is now a standard part of repertory theatre and fringe festivals. Published: Various Series: One-Act Play Collections List: One-Act Play Collections, Play #29 Author: Various Genre: Plays, Theater, Drama Episode: One-Act Play Collections - Book 13, Part 2 Book: 13 Volume: 13 Part: 2 of 3 Episodes Part: 3 Length Part: 1:49:12 Episodes Volume: 10 Length Volume: 6:35:53 Episodes Book: 10 Length Book: 6:35:53 Narrator: Collaborative Language: English Rated: Guidance Suggested Edition: Unabridged Audiobook Keywords: plays, theater, drama, comedy, hit, musical, opera, performance, show, entertainment, farce, theatrical, tragedy, one-act, stage show Hashtags: #freeaudiobooks #audiobook #mustread #readingbooks #audiblebooks #favoritebooks #free #booklist #audible #freeaudiobook #plays #theater #drama #comedy #hit #musical #opera #performance #show #entertainment #farce #theatrical #tragedy #one-act #StageShow Credits: All LibriVox Recordings are in the Public Domain. Wikipedia (c) Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. WOMBO Dream. ToddHW.
Jesus Delivered Us (6) (audio) David Eells – 7/20/25 We don't want to look too far down the road or worry about the “giants” that are in our Promised Land, because the Bible says, (Mat.6:34) Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Just take the steps that are in front of you to come against the flesh and come against the spirits. Do the spiritual warfare that you can. He says, “Oh that my people would hearken unto me … I would soon subdue their enemies.” If you just walk in the right direction and swing your Sword, you are going to win the battle. (Jos.10:8) And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hands; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. If you repent of what you know is wrong and hold fast to faith, you cannot help but win the battle. (Psa.81:14) I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries. (15) The haters of the Lord should submit themselves unto him: But their time should endure for ever. (16) He would feed them also with the finest of the wheat; And with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee. These are God's promises to us, but in your Promised Land, it is up to you, not the Lord, to give no place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). Nowhere in Scripture are we to pray for the Lord to conquer our Promised Land. He gave us that authority, and He told us to take up our Sword and put the original inhabitants of the land to death. (Exo.23:32) Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. These are the lusts of the flesh and demon spirits. Make no covenant, no treaty, with them, although it's very easy to do because your flesh is always trying to bribe you or buy you out. Your flesh is always trying to get you to justify your position so that you can feel good while you live in the lusts of the flesh, but God says, “Make no covenant with them.” Have no affinity, no accord, with them. Do not humble yourself to them; instead, be merciless. God told them when they went into the Promised Land to have no mercy. (Deu.7:2) And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them up before thee, and thou shalt smite them; then thou shalt utterly destroy them: thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them. He wanted them to kill their enemies who controlled their land. There was one tribe, the Gibeonites, who deceived the Israelites into making a covenant with them (Joshua 9), and God was angry about that. Those Gibeonites ended up being a real thorn in their side (Joshua 10:1-28; 2 Samuel 21:1-14). (Num.33:55) But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those that ye let remain of them be as pricks in your eyes, and as thorns in your sides, and they shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. God said, “Have no mercy; slaughter them.” This is a type of us coming against our old lusts. He warned, (Exo.23:33) They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me; for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee. This is the truth, and so He said, “They shall not dwell in your land.” Remember that God does not order us to do anything that we cannot do through His power. (Php.4:13) I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me. People love to use this verse for material things but think about the spiritual things for which you can use this verse. You can overcome any lust of the flesh. Pray and examine your life and see what lust it is that has been taking advantage of you. Write it down and give some thought to it. Exercise faith against it because you have authority over that lust, and you will win when you swing your sword. That is God's promise. The best defense is a good offense, and when you go against the devil, being on the offense is the thing that brings him confusion. If you do not act to swing your sword, he is going to conquer you. That means we don't have any other choice but to take up our Sword and go into our Promised Land and win this battle. I know there are a lot of groups out there promoting instant sanctification through deliverance. People say, “Make it easy on me! Just cast all the demons out of me!” Well, we're wrestling with principalities, powers and rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12) and there are no shortcuts; there are some things we have to do. You have to obey the Word of God, understand your authority, and exercise your authority over these demons. If you do that, the results can be dramatic; however, there is no way to get around repentance. You cannot cast demons out of people who will not repent; you will just waste your time and the demons will run you in circles. The Bible says, (1Jn.1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Unrighteousness not only includes the demons, but also the lusts of the flesh. Demons come and prey upon the lusts of the flesh. The Lord Jesus said, (Joh.14:30) … for the prince of the world cometh: and he hath nothing in me. There was no “place,” no foothold, no ground in Him. (Eph.4:27) Neither give place (That's the Greek word topon meaning “place” or “region.”) to the devil. If you are “giving ground” to the devil, he will be there, and if you try to cast him out, he is still going to be there. If you are giving ground to him, he has a legal right to be there and he knows it. The devil knows his rights. The devil is a really good lawyer and he knows this Word better than you. There are no shortcuts, Saints. If you want deliverance from a demon that has been giving you trouble, maybe all of your life, you first have to confess your sins. The demon may have been passed on to you through your parents or come through your giving in to sin; if there is no confession, you will not prosper against that demon. (Pro.28:13) He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper (He is not going to conquer his Promised Land, but it goes on to say,): Whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy. There's the condition, and here it is again. (Pro.28:18) Whoso walketh uprightly shall be delivered; But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once There is no shortcut in deliverance. If you don't confess but still somehow manage to get the demon out, he will come right back. He will just laugh at you or feign obedience and hide himself. You will not have accomplished a thing. You'll soon find out that you have the same problem and you'll wonder why it did not work. The reason it didn't work is because you did not obey. Do you want deliverance that gives you power and authority over the devil? Repentance with confession is the only way. It is the Blood that causes the death angel to pass over, and how is the Blood “applied”? (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. It takes repentance to walk in the light, but a lot of people don't want to hear about the repentance part. They say, “Just come and cast these demons out of me.” This is why I say to examine yourself and find out if there is something you need to confess, and not just confess it to the Lord. The Bible says, (Jas.5:16) Confess therefore your sins one to another… Find somebody who is trustworthy and confess your sin to them; you don't need to confess your sin in front of everybody unless you have offended everybody. You see, God wants to humble you; that's why He says to confess your sins one to another. God does not want us to cover up our sin. It's easy to confess your sin to God and then just go on covering it up. There's a great motivation to turn from sin when you know that God expects you to confess your sin to someone. It has to be true repentance when confession is made. Don't be fooled by self-pity, because that can look a lot like repentance, but it might just be self-pity, which is what Esau had, and he lost his inheritance. (Heb.12:17) For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind (That's what “repentance” is, it's a “change of mind.”) [in his father, (Not in the Greek)] though he sought it diligently with tears. He could not change HIS mind. You may have seen people cry, with tears running freely, yet they never change their ways. “Repentance” is not crying; “repentance” is “changing your mind.” There are many people full of self-pity because of the curse upon them. They want the curse off of them, but they're not willing to pay the price to get it. (Heb.12:14) Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord (This doesn't sound as if sanctification is an instantaneous process here, if He said to “follow after” it.): looking carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled (Yes, bitterness can defile a lot of people, and this is why it needs to be dealt with immediately.); (16) lest there be any fornication, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat (He was following after the flesh.) sold his own birthright. (17) For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected (He was “reprobated.”); for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears. You may wonder, “Well, what was wrong with his repentance?” It looks as if it was just self-pity. Godly sorrow brings repentance that does not let you turn and go back. (2Co.7:9) I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance (The Greek word there is metanoia and it means “a change of mind, change in the inner man.”); for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing. (10) For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret (You will not fall back into the sin.): but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Do you know why “the sorrow of the world worketh death”? It's because when people are “sorry” in the way that the world understands “sorry,” they think that's all they need for God to forgive them, but then they fall right back into the sin. Seeing no power of God, they become discouraged and just go back into the world. We are responsible to repent, not just to be sorry. We must have sorrow unto repentance. The Bible says you have to change your mind and changing your mind may not even involve tears. I've seen people who blame all their problems on demons. These people run around looking for somebody to get the demons out of them, and if you try to help such people but fail, they'll blame you. In their eyes, it's your fault. It's always everybody's fault, except theirs. Getting demons out of people who sincerely repent and believe is not a problem, but the shallower a person's depth of commitment and repentance, the harder it is to get the demons out. If commitment to discipleship and repentance is deep, it's very easy to get demons out because God is always on your side. He is always there with discernment and direction. He is always there to force the demons to the surface. It's easy to get demons out of a repentant person. It's very hard to get them out of a person whose “repentance” is very shallow. Now, when we talk about the warfare of our mind, the Bible says we are to be (2Co.10:5) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. This is our spiritual warfare, because the primary way that the devil gets a foothold is when you don't cast down thinking that is not of God. Most demons come because you have given in to sin, and demon spirits are also passed on to us genetically through the blood. You can do something about that, too, but before or even after you came to the Lord, in some way, you gave in to sin. If you ask, “David, do you mean that before I came to the Lord, I had demons, and I still have them now that I've come to the Lord?” Yes, you need to remember that the Lord said He would not drive them all out at one time, and He meant that. Now it's possible that when people come to the Lord, some may receive total deliverance over areas of their lives that you're still wrestling with. You are wrestling with something; they are wrestling with something else. Some parts of their lives have been cleansed, and some parts of your life have been cleansed. God has left you some enemies to fight, and He has left them some enemies to fight. There are things in your former life that were dealt with by the Blood of Jesus, and now they are gone, and their gods are gone, too. They have been conquered. I am not talking about going back and dealing with sins that are covered by and washed in the Blood or things from which you are already delivered, but there are some things that we had in our former life that we carried over into this life. The temptation, the struggle, and the demon are still there. Those things that may still be troubling you were there in your former life. Before you were born again, that demon entered in and that's why you're having to deal with those temptations right now. Maybe it's a temptation that you've had all of your life, and demons are still taking advantage of you because that sin has not been washed in the Blood. Otherwise, you would have been cleansed of all unrighteousness. (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. This is the cleansing, washing away, of the nature of sin. Of course, our whole life is under the Blood by faith, but when God pulls back that Covering, letting you see a particular sin, then it's time for you to take the Sword and come against it. But when you're in a trial of your faith, don't go back and dredge up those things that are gone, because that's just the devil trying to condemn you for things done in your past. The apostle Paul tells us how to deal with that problem. (Php.3:12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing [I do], forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, (14) I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. God led His people through the Promised Land to be faced with enemies one at a time, and that's the way for us every day. Little by little, we are faced with our enemies, our temptations, and that's when the old flesh rises up and gives you the chance to swing your Sword. You might never have seen that particular enemy without a trial that caused the temptation to come to the surface. People like to pray away trials, but you see, God brings us through trials to show us the enemy. You cannot pray away trials because (Act.14:22) … through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. It is tribulation itself that causes you to enter into the Kingdom. You are faced with something that causes the lusts of the flesh to surface, so that you get to see them and fight them and get free of them. This reminds me of Peter speaking to Ananias. (Act.5:3) Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit …? Ananias was responsible for that sin. Peter was not blaming the sin on the demon; he was blaming the sin on the person. (1Co.5:7) Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump… In this chapter, Paul speaks of fornicators, liars, drunkards, and so forth, telling them to (1Co.5:13) … Put away the wicked man from among yourselves. You may protest, “Wait a minute, David! They just have demons! They need deliverance!” No, the Bible says those people are responsible for giving in to that demon, so that means the demon is not responsible. If people are believers, then they have the power to repent and conquer that demon. When we understand that we are responsible for sin, then we understand that we have to repent. There is only one instance in the Scriptures where it teaches that the person to be delivered does not have to repent. (Mar.5:1) And they (the apostles) came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. (2) And when he (Jesus) was come out of the boat, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. You find in Scripture that these spirits are called “unclean spirits.” “Spirits of infirmity” are also called “unclean spirits.” (Mark 1:23,9:25; Luke 9:42; etc.) Well, an “unclean spirit” is just a demon, and all demons are unclean. (2) …, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, (3) who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain; (4) because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: and no man had strength to tame him. Christians have physically wrestled and fought with those who have demons, but you should never do that. Your authority only stands as Jesus' authority. He gave you the authority to cast out demons. If you get out from under your God-given authority and into the flesh, the demons can hurt you. Just exercise your authority and command them to “Sit down and be quiet in the Name of Jesus.” Believe and they will obey you. (Mar.5:5) And always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones. (Every last one of these demons causes one to be self-destructive, and they are out to destroy you, too.) (6) And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him; (7) and crying out with a loud voice, he saith, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? (When they become excited or are faced with authority, many times, they cry out with a loud voice.) I adjure thee by God, torment me not. (8) For he said unto him, Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man. The Bible says, (Mat.8:16) … and he cast out the spirits with a word. With the man in the tombs, He commanded it, upsetting the demon, and the demon began speaking. Sometimes when you command them to come out, they will start speaking. They will sit and talk with you all day long if you encourage dialogue, because they would like to deceive you with all kinds of information. This is not what you want. Our example is (Luk.4:35) And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no hurt. Just tell them, “Shut up and come out.” Do not seek knowledge from a demon by speaking with them. This is an abomination in the sight of the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:10; Exodus 22:18; 1 Chronicles 10:13; etc.) People like to use this next verse to say that we should ask demons questions, but as we can see, this is not the norm. (Mar.5:9) And he asked him, What is thy name? (This is the only example in Scripture where Jesus asked a demon, “What is your name?”) And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many. There is generally a “captain,” a lead spirit in the bunch, who speaks for all, and many people in deliverance ministry have gotten this revelation by talking with demons. Here, it is very clear. (Mar.5:9) … My name is Legion; for we are many. (10) And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. In another account, the demons asked not to be sent to the pit. (Luk.8:31) And they entreated him that he would not command them to depart into the abyss. Commanding demons to go to the pit seems to be common among deliverance ministries. Well, we do not have that example, not one, in Scripture. Jesus did not command that here, and if there had been a reason to put those demons out of commission, don't you think that Jesus would have sent them to the pit? Demons have a good purpose on this earth, and that is to torment those who love sin, as we learned earlier. Remember the example of Paul turning Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan (1Ti.1:20) … that they might be taught not to blaspheme. It was to teach them a lesson. Another example from Paul was the man in fornication with his father's wife in (1Co.5:5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. When a person has repented, Jesus wants them to be delivered, but the job of demons is to make life miserable until you decide to repent. Even if all the demons you ever cast out were sent to the pit, there still would be more than enough left to handle the job. Let me share a testimony with you: Sins of Flesh Fell Off Me by M. G. I was living and working in Japan when I first heard David speaking the real gospel of Jesus. I was always looking into eschatology and prophecy because I reckon the Lord was softening me up to hear the truth. I was a bit afraid of the end, as I was not a very godly person…. I'm not really sure how I found the teachings. I was at “The Edge Radio Show” on the internet and decided to listen to David in the archives. I had never heard of him. To my knowledge, I wasn't looking for anything he had to say, but the Lord led me to listen. I was raised Baptist and heard all that “fire and brimstone” from shouting, gasping old-time Baptist preachers. It never did that much for me. I've heard what the Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, and even some Pentecostals had to say. But I never heard anyone speak with true power, authority and anointing, till I heard him speak that day on the computer. It knocked my socks off! I had never heard anything like it! And it was shot through completely with the glow of TRUTH. It spoke to my heart. I listened to all that he had to say and put it in my heart. It didn't lead me down the road right away to the crucified life and/or even a much closer walk with the Lord, but the seed had been planted. I was covered up with the cares of this wretched world. It probably took me another year before I started going to the UBM website, listening to the audios and coming to the Paltalk meetings. [Paltalk was an interactive chat we had during the live broadcast; we now have online teachings and the Outreach conferences twice weekly.] I started praying and seeking the Lord. I was devouring the teachings online with every free moment, learning a great deal. I received the baptism of water and the Holy Spirit. A lot, but not all, of the sin of my past life just fell away. I sought prayer in faith and agreement from UBM to quit smoking and drinking to excess, and it happened. My deliverance was not overnight, but all that stuff just withered on the vine over a period of weeks. I never even had any withdrawal symptoms. I just never smoked, or wanted to smoke, another cigarette ever again. All these things happened by the power of the risen Christ. I would never have been able to do it on my own. I had been a big smoker and drinker for almost thirty years. Try as I might, I had never been able to give up those bad habits. I praise God for His love and mercy on me. I've never been tempted to smoke another cigarette, ever. I never get the feeling, “Oh, boy, do I need a drink!” It just doesn't happen. Praise His Name! Whenever I feel weak in my faith, I always hang on to the knowledge of the deliverance given to me by my loving Father through His Son, Our Lord Jesus. Now, demons are going to seek a body to live in because that is where they have what they call “rest.” The demon addressing Jesus said in (Mar.5:7) … What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, torment me not. They know that they are supposed to have rest until the “time” (Matthew 8:29). Jesus said (Mat.12:43) But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. He returns to the house out of which he came. They do not find rest in “waterless places.” It would be like you having to go through a desert; it's not where you want to go, is it? You would like to go where things are comfortable and cool, where there is plenty of water. It is torment to a demon to be outside of a body because in the pit, the abyss, there is no flesh for them through which they can fulfill their lusts. That's the problem for them, so on earth, they always want a body to inhabit, even if that body is an animal. (Mar.5:11) Now there was there on the mountain side a great herd of swine feeding. (12) And they besought him (Jesus), saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, [in number] about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea. They really want to fulfill their lusts through people, but if they cannot have people, they will use pigs, etc.. I have talked to demons and there is a chain of command with them, a hierarchy. A lot of lower demons are extremely stupid; the lusts consuming them trip them up. For instance, they may be so prideful and so arrogant, wanting to show themselves, that they'll tip their hand. You will know what they are doing. And you'll find that the further down the line you go, the more stupid they are. Didn't the demons know that pigs cannot swim? How long are demons going to last in a herd of pigs that have been run off into a lake? The Bible tells us that Satan's wisdom was corrupted because of his beauty. (Eze.28:17) Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before kings, that they may behold thee. If he had wisdom, he would have stayed where he was in heaven, but instead, his wisdom became corrupted. Demons cause destruction, as with the demoniac and the pigs. They cause whatever flesh they are in to be self-destructive. (I'm going to share some testimonies showing demons' destructive tendencies.) Notice that at the beginning of the story of the demoniac, it's just the leader, Legion, who is speaking (Luke 8:26), but as soon as Jesus commands them to come out, all of them start speaking (Luke 8:31-32). Many times when you are dealing with demons, more of them will manifest, and after you cast one out, sometimes another one will manifest. The Holy Spirit is causing them to manifest themselves as the Lord is driving them out before you. If you suspect something else is there, you have the authority to command a demon to manifest. You should be aware, also, that demons love to distract people and they'll put on a show for you, but don't get caught up in their theatrics. (Mar.9:25) And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together (He did not want a spectacle.), he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. Some people will help the demons put on a show, but we should avoid that at all costs. Our example is Jesus, and nowhere did Jesus let them put on a show. Actually, it's best to avoid having conversations with them. I have read quite a few books by deliverance ministers who got into trouble because they talked to demons that lied to them. There was one man who had a good understanding of deliverance, but this man was casting “tongue demons” out of everybody. He didn't know that all demons can talk in tongues. The Bible says, (1Co.13:1) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels… There is no “tongues” demon since all demons talk in tongues because they are fallen angels. These demons were obliging to this man's false doctrine by playing along with it to keep him in bondage. They will deceive you any way they can! This deliverance minister needed tongues, more than anything else, in order to cast out demons. Demons hate tongues. People report that demons actually spoke to them, saying, “Don't speak in tongues! That is a perfect prayer! Don't do that! We hate that!” I have had them scream out because they hated the Gospel being preached, and they do not like the Blood of Jesus. If you cannot do anything else, pray in tongues. Well, because this man had let the demons talk, they had deceived him into thinking that tongues were no good. Because he had let the demons talk, they had deceived him into believing that this was a “tongues” demon, a deceiving spirit. Now, remember that speaking in tongues doesn't make you holy. Many people who speak in tongues are in sin. Do you recall the people about whom the apostle Paul was writing that they should be thrown out of the church? (1Co.5:11) But as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat. These people spoke in tongues, but that does not mean you are holy; following and obeying the Holy Spirit makes you holy. The Bible says in (Rom.11:29) For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of. God will give you a gift that will stay with you to the grave, even if you are going to hell. Paul said, (1Co.9:27) but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected. And this man said in 1Co 14:18 I thank God, I speak with tongues more than you all: A lot of deliverance ministries believe in casting demons into the pit, but that's not what Jesus did. Jesus never sent them to the pit. Let's read the rest of this story. (Mar.5:12) And they besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And he gave them leave. Why did Jesus permit the demons their request? Most people, according to reasoning, would have said, “Send them out of the country. That way, they won't be able to bother anybody else.” I personally have had demons ask me whether they could enter into a dog, and I told them, “No, but you can find the nearest cockroach and enter into it!” Usually, I say, “No, you just come out!” You do not have to permit them to enter into anything. Demons are going to search until they find a vessel that they can enter because that's how they fulfill their lusts, and there's a demon for anybody who wants to sin. It makes no difference where you send them. You are not going to get rid of them. (Rev.9:2) And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up a smoke (smoke represents demons.) out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. There are millions of them, enough to darken the sun, so sending them to the pit does not make sense. If God wanted them out of the country or in the pit, that is where they would be, but He does not want that. They are here to torment mankind until men and women repent and come under the Blood of Jesus. Jesus did not send them out of the country because He understood the sovereignty of God. (Mar.5:13) And he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, [in number] about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea. Obviously, Jesus thought that this one man was worth more than two thousand pigs, which Jews were not supposed to have anyway. (Mar.5:14) And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they came to see what it was that had come to pass. (15) And they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed with demons sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the legion: and they were afraid. Unclean spirits like people to take off their clothes. And you know, there's certainly a lot of half-naked people walking around these days, and they all probably have unclean spirits. I want to emphasize one particular point about “the man with the unclean spirits.” Think about what that last verse says, “clothed and in his right mind.” When this man first saw Jesus, he was not in his right mind and so there was no way he could have repented. You cannot demand repentance from a person who is this demon-possessed. Some people say, “Well, a Christian cannot be demon-possessed because they are possessed by the Lord,” but Scriptures use the term “possessed” (Matthew 8:16,9:32,12:22; Mark 1:32,9:17; Luke 8:27; etc.) To be considered “demon-possessed,” a person could have a demon in possession of only one particular part of their Promised Land. It might possess them as an infirmity or in an area of their lusts. A possession of part of your nature has nothing to do with possessing your whole character, and very seldom does it go that far, however, “Legion” was possessing this man's whole mind. This man could not use his mind rationally at all, and since Jesus said, (Mat.15:24) … I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, I suggest to you that this man was a Jew, and as a “child of God,” he had a Covenant right to deliverance. Otherwise, Jesus would not have done it. There are certain conditions under which we can cast demons out of a person without the person's permission. Jesus did not get permission from this man, but Jesus knew that He had a legal right to deliver this person. Just keep in mind that repentance is demanded in almost every place where a person has the mental capacity to repent. We do not generally have a right to go to demon-possessed people who are in the world. An exception would be where we consider that the faith of their family is involved; they are exercising faith for this person. Another exception would be that they are Christian, overcome by lusts of the flesh, and by the devil. Another would be by God's direction. Here's another testimony: Healed of Epilepsy by the Lounsbury Brothers Email #1 (From Guatemalan missionary Wes to his brother Walt): The Lord has put someone in our path that needs HIS healing. She's around seventeen years old with epilepsy. Six years ago she had a seizure and fell into a fire. She must have been there for quite some time because her feet almost got cooked off. She went to a clinic. They carved out some of the burned flesh, leaving her feet resembling stubs. Besides the massive amounts of scar tissue, she has an external ulcer that has not healed from the accident. Yesterday she came to the orphanage with her mother and sister. We prayed over some hot water and had her soak her foot with the ulcer in it. The raw flesh on the ulcer was yellow, like dried pus. After about forty-five minutes of soaking, we took out the foot, cleaned it and wrapped it with a gauze bandage. They came back today for us to change the bandage again. We soaked the foot again to loosen the gauze, which was saturated with some type of dried, oozing substance. Getting that last part off, which was directly in contact with the ulcer was difficult because it had adhered quite strongly. As we pulled it off, we noticed that the once yellow tissue had turned a very healthy pink! The capillaries were so close to the surface that there was a small amount of bleeding. Trevor and I BELIEVE that God is healing this girl. Think of Joshua circling Jericho for seven days before it fell. He would have felt pretty stupid walking around with a trumpet if the Lord hadn't PROMISED him beforehand. The same thing applies here. Please spend time in prayer for her and give David a call, asking him to pray, also. When Trevor blessed her today, he asked the Lord to make her healing a witness for all those who know of her. Truly, this is our hope. I've been wondering if she wasn't demonically possessed with epilepsy—she was thrown into the fire, much like the mad man cutting himself with rocks and the epileptic that Jesus healed by casting out the demon. I never like thinking someone has an evil spirit inside of them. Could you ask David if he knows how to determine such a thing? He said in “Sovereign God” that he has the gift of discernment of spirits. As much as you can help would be greatly appreciated. Email #2 (From Walt to David Eells): Please pray with me and ask the Lord for a miracle to heal this young girl down in Guatemala. Emails #3 & 4 (From David Eells to Walt): We will pray and agree with you. Epilepsy is a demon spirit. (Mat.17:15) Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire, and oft-times into the water. (16) And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. (17) And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me. (18) And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour. (19) Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast it out? (20) And he saith unto them, Because of your little faith: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Is the girl a Christian? If so, she has a Covenant right to deliverance because it is the children's bread. If not, only God can give permission to cast out. Otherwise, the demons will just come back worse. Ask her to confess her sins. My suggestion is to ask those involved to pray for discernment of spirits. Demons rarely act alone. Gather several people with faith, preferably filled with the Holy Spirit, and command the demons to come out in Jesus' Name. Then believe that they have to obey because Jesus gave us total authority over the demons. (Mar.16:17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… Don't believe whatever they say because they often lie. Ask them to believe to heal and restore her body. Jesus paid for that too: (Gal.3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (14) that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (1Pe.2:24) Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. (Psa.103:1) Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. (2) Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: (3) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; (4) Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies. (Mat.8:16) And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: (17) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases. (Act.3:12) And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this man? or why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk? (13) The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. (14) But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you, (15) and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. (16) And by faith in his name hath his name made this man strong, whom ye behold and know: yea, the faith which is through him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. (Act.5:16) And there also came together the multitudes from the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. Emails #5 & 6 (Between Wes and David in a Q & A format) Wes: Hi! Walt forwarded your email about the girl with epilepsy to me. She, her mother and sister are staying with us now. The open ulcer on her foot is getting better every day. David: Praise God! Let's continue to believe for a total restoration of the foot! God is big. We shouldn't underestimate Him. Wes: Two nights ago I couldn't go to sleep, although it was 1:00 a.m. and I was exhausted. I decided to go downstairs and work on a paper I was writing. I was using a computer program to search for texts. I can't remember which words I was searching, but I came upon the story in Matthew about the epileptic. Now this might sound very strange to you, but I'm almost certain that I read the word “epileptic” from the “King James Version.” It wasn't until the next day, when I read it again, I realized they had actually translated the word as “lunatic” in the KJV. Could it be that the Lord actually had me read “epileptic” instead, because of this girl? David: Absolutely, Wes. God has done such things as that to me, also. I have heard people tell me things that I needed to hear. Later, I questioned them as to why they said it. I would then be told by the person and everyone around them that they had actually said something totally unrelated. Wes: What struck me most about the story was when the father said to Jesus, “Have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire.” That's EXACTLY what happened to this girl! Six years ago her mother left the house and went to town to get something from the store. (They live in complete poverty in a village a few miles from here.) The girl usually woke up later in the morning, so her mother felt it was safe to leave early. When she came back, she found her daughter lying in the fire, the flesh completely cooked on one foot and third-degree burns on the other. After I read those verses, I wondered if this girl had an evil spirit. Their stories are so similar. David: She has an epileptic spirit and possibly more. Wes: I don't know exactly what I should be looking for. I feel uneasy about making a judgment as to whether someone DOES have a demon. Anyway, the next morning, my wife went to use the internet. She printed out your email that Walt forwarded to me. She didn't mention it; she just left it folded on the desk. I opened it up and read it. I knew immediately that God had given me a second witness, so that I could be SURE. I still have a lot of questions about what to do. I've never been in a position like this. I prayed last night that God would give me the discernment of spirits, but I don't really know what it means. I know that God has brought this girl to us, not only because of her foot, but because of this spirit afflicting her. I have a good friend down here with me who is strong in the faith; he could stand with me. This is strange territory for me. Is all I need to do is command the spirit of epilepsy to leave in the Name of Jesus? David: You need to know that you have authority to do this. Demons know when you have faith. That is the only condition on your part. (Mar.16:15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. (16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. (17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. (20) Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. It would be good to make sure she is a Christian and get her to confess her sins. (Jas.5:16) Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. Wes: Should I expect the demon to say something before it leaves? David: Not necessarily. But if the Holy Spirit moves you to command them to give their name, do it. Wes: What if she just sits there silently? Does it mean my faith isn't great enough? David: They don't always come out immediately. But you don't have to hang around till you see something. Walk by faith. Just know that they have to obey you. Wes: Should I ask how many spirits are in her? David: If you feel so to ask, yes. Wes: How can I believe them if they did tell me? I wouldn't want to leave one in there. David: They will obey you if you command them to tell their name, unless this is a mute spirit. Email #7 (From Wes to David): The spirit of epilepsy has left the girl! A pastor, his church, and I prayed over her. The spirit never responded. But the girl began to thank the Lord and cry. She finally fell down after about five minutes. She was “as dead” like the scripture speaks about the epileptic boy. In the midst of this “sleep,” she started to praise God very loudly and then went back under. It was very strange to me, nothing like I expected. She went to bed shortly after she woke. The next morning she and her mother were talking about the medicine she takes to fight off the epilepsy. Her mother told her, “The devil is tempting us not to believe!” Then they threw the medicine away. She is perfectly fine now. Her face looks different. Her eyes are more alert. These people are such awesome witnesses of faith to me. They cannot even read the Bible. But they understand the Gospel more than educated Christian Americans. Thank you very much for replying to my other email. All the information was very useful. Email #8 (From David to Wes): Praise the Lord! See how simple it is. That poor girl would have suffered the rest of her life if she had not run into someone like you who was willing to stand in faith. Sometimes the demon will try to come back by temporarily putting a symptom on you. When you accept it, he has permission to re-invade. Tell the girl and her mom to never accept it back. They have authority over the demons. Now, just pray and believe for the restoration of her foot. Jesus paid for a complete healing. Awesome! Praise God!! Christians who know their authority can, and should, cast out demons. I was doing it as a baby Christian, and although I didn't know a lot about it, I got some people delivered. (Mar.16:17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… The only condition was to believe. Let me give you an example. Jesus was casting out an unclean spirit from a deaf and dumb man. (Mar.9:17) And one of the multitude answered him, Teacher, I brought unto thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit; (18) and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down: and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth, and pineth away (This sounds like an epileptic dumb spirit.): and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast it out; and they were not able. Why were they “not able”? (Mar.9:19) And he answereth them and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him unto me. His rebuke was for their lack of faith. The only condition in the scriptures for casting out demons is faith on the part of the person who is doing the casting out. (Mar.9:20) And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. (21) And he asked his father, How long time is it since this hath come unto him? And he said, From a child. (22) And oft-times it hath cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him (There is that destruction again.): but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. (23) And Jesus said unto him, If thou canst! All things are possible to him that believeth. (Again, the condition is belief.) (24) Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Mar.9:25) And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. In the case of a child, Jesus said basically, “Come out of him, and do not go back!” You don't see Him doing this with adults. This is because they have their own choices to make, and if they choose to go back into the world, then the demons are going to return. If they fall back into temptation, the demon will come back, but children are not as responsible. The child's father said that the demon entered “from a child,” and so we see that Jesus gave us an example here, saying, “Enter no more into him.” You do not do that with adults. Also, the father wanted help from his unbelief: I.e. “I believe with the faith I have. Deliver me from my unbelief.” (Mar.9:26) And having cried out, and torn him much, he came out: and [the boy] became as one dead; insomuch that the more part said, He is dead. (27) But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose. Here's another testimony from C.C. Jesus Delivered Me from Familiar Spirits by C. C. In 2003, I was not a Christian. I was just a man living for himself. I had been a banker in Seattle when I began to hear faint voices in my head as I went to sleep. The voices grew stronger as time went by. There were many of them, different each night. I thought they were the voices of the dead speaking from beyond the grave. After several months, one of these “dead spirits” became more vocal with me. He called himself “David,” saying he was the soul of the brother of one of my best friends, who had died in a car wreck three years previous. This spirit's voice became so clear as to seem present in the room with me. [Note: C.C. had unknowingly become a “medium,” which is someone who is possessed with a spirit guide, a familiar spirit who mimics the dead.] He began telling astral and worldly “secrets” that I found fantastical at the time. He explained many things about the “after-life,” including how I had lived many lives myself and had been reincarnated several times. This spirit explained that he was my “guide,” sent by the “White Lodge” to help me achieve my “final potential.” He explained that he had to help guide my “last life” so I could go to heaven through gates guarded by a group of angels called the “Brethren.” He showed me many images and pictures of these gates. Souls would be permitted to pass through them when they had learned enough compassion through their many lives. He also turned me on to many New Age beliefs. In addition to him, I would speak to other spirits at night while in my bed. They would ask me to do things for them. One such example came from a spirit called “Misty” who wanted me to deliver some flowers to her dying grandmother. The spirit gave me the name and address of the hospital where this elderly lady was located. I went and delivered the roses anonymously to her. I thought I had some special gift to talk with the dead, as I experienced incidents of communication, and received “confirmation” and “insight” from the things these spirits revealed. The voice of the “spirit guide” began to become stronger as time went on. It got to where it was all I could hear. He always seemed to be as close as my throat, speaking from behind my head. It was a very unsettling feeling at the time. This went on for some time, with me learning and trusting all that this spirit “David” revealed to me. There came a night when I awoke in my bed to see a specter cloaked in darkness, black as pitch. He even seemed to suck the darkness into himself. I was terrified! Frozen in my bed as I stared at it, I noticed that my breath was visible in front of me, as if it were a winter night. The specter seemed to want to kill me. When I thought it would move to harm me, the presence of my “spirit guide” entered the room and scared it away. I could sense that it was afraid of him. He explained to me that it was a lost soul who sought me because of my gifts. He said that I was like a “light in the darkness” that all such spirits could see and would gravitate towards. The same thing happened the following night and onward for six nights. Each night, one more spirit came until, by the sixth evening, there were six of them at the foot of my bed. I could not have been more terrified, as they would all point at me with horrible, black, lifeless faces, seeming to want my death. By morning I was exhausted from the fear, hyper-vigilance, and lack of sleep for six full days. Upon waking, I heard the spirit “David's” voice, rushed and louder than ever. He said, “Hurry up and get dressed. You have to get downtown toward your work now, as fast as possible. Hurry up! Do it now!” I asked, “Is someone in danger?” He replied, “Yes. Hurry now!” Startled, I got dressed and drove downtown to see what was happening. While I was driving he kept saying, “Hurry, hurry!” When I got there, nothing was happening; it was just a normal day. Surprised to see nothing wrong, I asked him why he told me to rush. He replied, “I just wanted to see if you would obey me. I was testing you.” All day, I ignored him while I worked, as I was very angry. I was continually disturbed by his words, “obey me.” When the day was done, I went home, ignoring “David” the whole way, and wanting very much to understand. A friend once had told me the Bible discussed spirits and the dead; I decided to look it up on my computer. As I sat down to search the internet, I looked out over Puget Sound from my windows and could see nothing but blackness. The clouds had covered everything in such a dark, ominous way. It was unlike anything I had ever seen, especially so early in the evening. As I started to find Bible passages, the spirit's voice said accusingly, “What are you doing?” Agitated, I replied, “Nothing. Don't worry about it.” I came upon (Deu.18:10-13) There shall not be found in you one who passes his son or his daughter through the fire, one that uses divination, an observer of clouds, or one divining, or a whisperer of spells, or a magic charmer, or one consulting mediums [Hebrew for “consulter with a familiar spirit.”], or a spirit-knower, or one inquiring of the dead. For all doing these things are an abomination to the Lord. And because of these filthy acts the Lord your God is dispossessing these nations before you. You shall be perfect with the Lord your God. As I finished reading the words, I heard “David,” with a tone of deep aggression, say, “Don't read that!” Startled, I turned to see that he was now visible on my right. He looked just like one of the dark specters that had previously gathered around my bed. The room instantly grew cold. I was terrified, but replied, “I can read it if I want to!” He lunged for my throat with his dark, outstretched hand, taking a swipe at me. I fell sideways out of my chair and thought I was going to die, right there, in that dark room as he came upon me! I was on my knees. I called, “Lord, please save me!” A hole to the heavens opened up through my roof. I saw a flaming Sword coming down from heaven at me like lightning. It flew straight down and entered through the top of my head and traveled through my body, and pierced into the ground through me. A blast wave that was like a spiritual nuclear bomb went off from the fiery Sword within me, traveling like light through my entire place, destroying the spirit “David” as it flashed out from me. I sat there on my knees as the light went out from within me and the Sword left me. I then immediately saw a large bright light outside on my patio. As I squinted at it, I realized what I was seeing. In my mind, I heard the name “Michael.” He was holding the sword that had just been in my body. I was amazed and afraid! He was huge, bearing armor as bright as the sun, with many colors coming through it, shining brightly. He was looking at me through the large windows. I jumped up to my feet to run outside and see him. But as I opened the door, the light was gone. No one was there. I went to the spot where I had seen him standing, half expecting to see the ground melted away. I dropped to my knees to feel the ground as I thought it would be hot for some reason. When I looked up, the blackness of the clouds had given way to the setting sun. It seemed to not only pierce through the clouds, but to push them out of the way, making what seemed night turn into day! I stood there, utterly emotionally exhausted and physically tired from not sleeping for a week. I awoke the next morning on the seventh day of the ordeal. I had slept as soundly as a baby, without a single interruption or dark visit. I felt so good that morning. I can still remember how good it was—I felt like a million bucks! I got dressed and was thinking about everything that had happened to me and what it all meant. I no longer heard any voices. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was in my “right” mind. I got into my truck and headed to work, feeling wonderful. As I came to the apex of a large bridge, I closed my eyes for a second. When I opened them, I was no longer in my truck! [Note: There was something spiritually that kept his truck humming along during this experience.] To my utter confusion, I was standing on a dirt road. My first reaction was to put my hands on myself to see if I was okay. As I looked down, I had all of my clothes on and was still wearing my boots. Bewildered, I saw a dirt road stretched out for as far as the eye could see. To the right and left, fields of golden wheat, ready for harvest, were moving back and forth as a warm wind blew over them. The sun was setting. It was casting the most beautiful rays of light through the waving grains of wheat. The soft color was unlike anything I had ever seen on earth. It was beautiful. My thoughts went back to myself. Where in the heck was I? I turned around to look behind me. I saw darkness. As I was trying to look into where the road behind me went, I felt a presence… I cannot even begin to explain in words … I turned around to see a man standing in the road before me. He was dressed in white. His clothes were of olden times and spotless. He had long, golden brown hair and a beard. As I looked at him, I realized Who He was. I could tell that He could see all of the things I had ever done wrong in my life—everything… As He looked at me, He put before me images of all of the wrongs I had done. Seeing them, I felt so heavy that I fell to the ground, my face falling into the dirt. I began to beg aloud, “Lord, please do not let me be before you. Please let me go. I am not worthy. Please let me go from before you, Lord.” It was so painful that He could see all of my sins. Feeling crushed onto the ground, my breath and tears mixed with the dirt of the road. As I tried to push away from Him, I looked up through my tears to see His perfect sandal in front of my face. I reached out and placed my hand upon His foot and said, “Lord, please forgive me. I am so sorry for what I have done against you…” Then I felt His hand on my shoulder, lifting me up off the ground and setting me onto my feet. He took His hand and reached before me, touching my chest, seeming to reach inside of me! He pulled out a black shining orb, which was spinning within His hand. I looked up from the orb into His face. He smiled at me and looked back down at the thing spinning in His hand. He then closed his hand around it and crushed it. When He opened His hand again, the orb had become like dirt that was on the road. He turned His hand, and the dirt fell back onto the road. At that moment, I felt SO FREE! All that had crushed me and held me down in life had been taken away forever! I looked into His eyes and saw them clearly for the first time. Amazingly beautiful, they were the same color as the light that I had seen shining through the shafts of wheat. As I looked, I felt (words could never portray): the love of my friends, the love of my brothers, the love of my mother, the love of God! I was so overcome with thanksgiving, I threw my arms around Him. His frame was as powerful as a rock, but gentle as a lamb. Then I held myself apart from Him. Looking into His smiling face, I said the most embarrassing thing that I have ever said in all my life! Looking at the long road, I said, “Lord, do you think we could stay here and play soccer together?” He laughed and, as I looked up from the road, turned and walked a few paces from me; I could see His perfect footprints in the dirt. I felt frozen, not knowing what to do. As if sensing that I felt paralyzed, He looked back, smiled and extended His hand, and motioned for me to follow Him. Even though He did not say the words, I could clearly hear the words “Follow me” in my mind. Looking down, I took my first foot and put it perfectly into His footprint. As I was about to take the next step, I closed my eyes for a second before trying to look back up at Him. And poof! Just like that—I was back in my truck, driving on my way to work. As I sat there, I cried, heaving deeply for the gift that He had just given me. I was so entirely undone. There was no greater happiness that I had ever known in my entire life. Then, the radio played a song called “Dead Man's Rope,” sung by Sting, recorded on the album called “Sacred Love.” I shall never forget listening to this song through my tears, barely being able to drive. The song speaks of how we try to walk away from our trials, not understanding that our trials will lead us to walk toward Jesus and His forgiveness. After this song ended, it began to rain heavily upon my truck just as the song describes… My life has never been the same since. Wow! Praise the Lord!
"If the only voice you trust is your own—you're being discipled by a liar and a fool." Oof. That one left a mark. We all want to believe we're following truth… but how do you know who to trust anymore? Politicians? Influencers? Yourself? Your spiritual Spotify playlist? This week at NewChurch, we talked about competing voices, the lies we buy into, and what happens when God's truth disrupts the noise.
Genesis 9:8-17Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.' God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.' God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.' I was worried I'd mess up and say, “The Gospel of the Lord,” when I got done reading that bit from Genesis. I was worried, because that's just what I'm used to saying after reading whatever text it is I'll be preaching on – which is more often than not, something from one of the actual Gospels in scripture. And, even though this bit from Genesis, in the Hebrew scriptures, can't technically be called “the Gospel,” it – as much as anything else in the Hebrew scriptures – reads, sounds, and feels like Gospel good news to me.I mean, it has all the things, right? There's the declaration of a covenant, for all of creation. There's the promise of mercy, love, hope, and redemption. And there's a visible, almost tangible, sign of all of that – not a cross, or an empty tomb, but that bow in the clouds. It seems so very much like the Gospel, if you ask me.It also seems/feels/sounds like “the Gospel” because it's so BIG, so cosmic in scope, which is the way the “primeval mythology” we've been talking about is supposed to work. It addresses the big things … the big picture … in a big way. And you know it's big when the idea of something like a great flood shows up in several other world religions, just like it does in our own.- The most familiar flood narrative – and the one very close to ours in terms of culture and content – is from the Epic of Gilgamesh, where a hero is warned by a god to build a boat in order to survive the coming rains.- Hindus have a flood story, too, where the fishy incarnation of Vishnu warns the first human about a coming flood and instructs him to build a boat.- The Greeks have Zeus send a flood where Deucalion and Pyrrha build a boat, survive, and repopulate the earth by throwing stones behind them.- And there are other flood narratives, too, from the Incas, the Aztecs, the Chinese, Aboriginals, and more.Smarter people than me use the seemingly universal nature of and affinity for such stories as evidence that there really was some sort of global deluge and flood that people of all stripes were trying to make sense of and ascribe meaning to. Other smarter people than me wonder if these stories are evidence of peoples and cultures simply trying to make sense of more localized natural disasters, torrential rains, and terrible floods when they hit – maybe like the tragedy we all watched play out in Texas a couple weeks ago; or the ones that have also threatened and taken lives in New York, Virginia, Washington, and South Korea, lately, too.Whatever the case – cosmic or close to home – it's helpful for me to remind myself that our flood story isn't necessarily about the water, the rain, or the flood. That it's not so much about the length of days, the size of the boat, or the number of which kinds of beasts were on board with Noah and his family. (The guys at the Cross of Grace Brew Club yesterday wanted to be sure I explained how dinosaurs fit onto the ark, why God bothered to save the mosquitos, and something about pigs and bacon, too.) Someone at the “Ark Encounter”– that Noah's Ark museum in northern Kentucky? – will pretend to give you an answer to those questions, but I'm suspicious of their certainty and I'm certainly not willing to pay them for it.Which is to say – again and again and again – the capital-T-TRUTH in these origin stories of our faith isn't found by way of a literal reading of scripture. That is simply not their intention. And again, today's story is not about the details of the flood, the length of days, the size of the boat, or the number of birds, beasts, or brothers on Noah's boat. The Truth we're meant to find in all of that is about the nature of the God we're invited to wonder about – and to encounter – thanks to the telling of this ancient tale.This is a God who calls righteous people to do hard things; impossible things; unreasonably faithful, fearless things for the greater good.This is a God who calls people to respect, care for, and tend to the natural, created world and to humbly revere nature's capacity for beauty and brutality.This is a God who never promises that life will be easy – or without its suffering and struggle and sacrifice. This is true for the sinful and for the righteous. (Just because Noah was chosen and survived, he lost plenty along the way, for sure.)And this is a God who promises that the world's destruction – if or when or should it ever happen again – won't be God's doing; which is our call to faith, hope, and love, in action, if you ask me.To me, that means, if there's to be another flood … or a fire … or a famine – on a cosmic scale or somewhere close to home – where so many lives are lost, it won't be God's fault. So maybe that's a very practical, timely warning to pay attention to global warming. Maybe that's our invitation to wonder about who's at risk or in harm's way – from floods or fires or famines or whatever. And maybe that's our call to look out for and protect our neighbor – and the world around us – rather than to build a boat with only enough room to save ourselves. But I digress…There's a recent trend on social media where parents of my generation ask their children or grandchildren to complete what have been identified as “toxic parenting phrases” that many of us heard often when we were growing up. “Toxic parenting phrases” that, in theory, parents have learned not to use as frequently – if at all – anymore, like they used to.Phrases like “Do as I say, not as I do.”Or, “Children should be seen and not heard.”Or, “If you don't stop crying I'll give you something to cry about.”The point of the exercise is to show how raising kids WITHOUT such negative, “toxic” phrases has changed and is, presumably better, more kind, loving, encouraging, emotionally intelligent, and psychologically healthy.And this seems obvious – and evident – once you hear children from more recent generations who've never heard those “toxic phrases” try to guess at filling in the blanks like many of you all just did so capably.For example, instead of “Children should be seen and not heard,” one young toddler said, “Children should be seen … at school.”Instead of “If you don't stop crying, I'll give you something to cry about,” other kids said, “If you don't stop crying, I'll give you … a hug … or I'll give you something to eat.” Again, a much more emotionally healthy, loving, hopeful way to live as a young child in the world, don't you think?And my favorite one of these – and perhaps the most toxic of them all – is that oldie but goody, “I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it.”How terrible is that if a kid hears if often enough and starts to believe it?!? And we can pretend it's a joke … that it's funny, perhaps … that we or our parents never really meant to follow through on that threat. But that just isn't the case with the popular theology of the God so many have been raised to learn about and to believe in from Genesis.See, too much of the time, that's all and only what we've done with the story of Noah, the Ark, and the Flood.Because as an origin story of our faith … as part of this “primeval mythology” we've been talking about … the other thing this story has in common with other world religions is that their flood stories are often very deliberately connected with the creation stories, too. Just like ours, they first tell of a God who has the power of creation and the power of judgment, punishment, and destruction, too.In other words, the story they tell is nothing more and nothing less than: “God brought us into this world and God can take us out of it.”So what makes Noah's story – our story – so different for us, is that God promises that that won't happen ever again. There's a reminder and a rainbow, remember … there is a covenant and a promise … there is Gospel good news here for all people; for every living creature; for all flesh.And this good news should call us to live differently because of it.Because, on the other side of the flood – on the other side of the cross and the empty tomb of Jesus, too – the waters of the flood become waters of baptism; they become waters of forgiveness, redemption, love, hope, and new life.So, as we share the blessing of that water with Scout Ehle today (and every time we have the chance to share, celebrate, and remember the sacrament) – as we celebrate with his dads and his family – as we promise to pray for, support, and live together with him in this covenant that belongs to us all – I hope that it's a God of grace and good news we're living for, responding to, and sharing – with Scout, with each other, and with the whole wide world – every chance we get.Amen
Knowing and doing the will of God starts with God. Biblically, there is only one God (Deut 32:39; Isa 45:5-7; 46:9), and He created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them (Gen 1:1; Ex 20:11; Neh 9:6; Acts 17:24). Furthermore, God is not silent. He has provided general revelation about Himself through nature (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:20) and special revelation through His Word (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:20-21),[1] and through His Son, Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1-3; cf. John 1:1, 14, 18). Today, we have the written Word of God which provides the clearest revelation of His will. Apart from His Word, we have no clear understanding of who God is, what He is doing, or what He expects of us. God's will is mentioned several times in the Old Testament (Deut 10:10; 23:5; 2 Ch 21:7) which uses the Hebrew word אָבָה abah, which means “to will, [or] be willing.”[2] Also, in other passages (Psa 40:8; 143:10), the Hebrew word רָצוֹן ratson is used, which refers to “what pleases the Lord.”[3] Some passages in the New Testament specifically mention God's will, where the Greek term θέλημα thelema is employed (i.e., Rom 12:2; Eph 6:5-6, Col 4:12; 1 Th 4:3; 5:16-18; Heb 10:36; 1 Pet 2:15; 4:19). God's will in each of these passages refers to “what one wishes to happen.”[4] This speaks of what God desires from people. Other passages employ the Greek word βούλομαι boulomai (Matt 11:27; Jam 1:18; 2 Pet 3:9), which denotes a “desire to have or experience something, with implication of planning accordingly.”[5] The latter term sometimes refers to what God brings to pass, such as when James writes, “In the exercise of His will [βούλομαι boulomai] He brought us forth by the word of truth” (Jam 1:18a). But sometimes it refers to what God wants, but makes contingent upon a human response of faith, such as when Peter writes that the Lord “is patient toward you, not wishing [βούλομαι boulomai] for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). Context always determines the meaning of a word. Those who are positive to God desire to know Him, His Word, and to pursue His will.[6] Jesus said to fellow Jews, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17). Jesus explained that knowing God's Word is predicated on a desire to do (ποιέω poieo) His will. But some hearts are negative to God. And when the heart is negative, no amount of divine revelation will prove persuasive. For example, Noah preached to his generation for one hundred and twenty years, but they refused to listen (Gen 6:3; 2 Pet 2:5). Jeremiah spoke to the leaders of Israel, saying, “these twenty-three years the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened” (Jer 25:3). Preachers are responsible for the accurate output of the message, not the outcome of response. Jesus spoke to the hard-hearted Pharisees and said, “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word” (John 8:43). Jesus then gave the answer, saying, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father” (John 8:44). They could not hear His words because they were unsaved and negative to God. These were men who “loved the darkness rather than the Light” (John 3:19). Paul described them as ones “who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18). Paul also spoke about the unsaved person, saying, “But an unbeliever does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor 2:14). Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div. [1] God, on several occasions, commanded His prophets to record what He had revealed to them. He told Moses, “Write this in a book” (Ex 17:14), and “Write down these words” (Ex 34:27). To Isaiah He said, “Now go, write it on a tablet before them and inscribe it on a scroll” (Isa 30:8), and to Jeremiah He commanded, “Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book” (Jer 30:2). [2] William D. Mounce, Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 788. [3] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 1282. [4] William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 447. [5] Ibid., 182. [6] For the Christian, this does not mean our sin nature is removed, nor that we are free from the sinful pressures of living in a fallen world. Paul said, “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members” (Rom 7:21-23). This struggle with sin continues until we leave this world and enter into heaven. Until then, it is God's will that we remain in this world (John 17:15) as His ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20).
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dina Esfandiary, Middle East Geo-economics Lead at Bloomberg.We start in 2015 with insider accounts of the Iran nuclear deal and the Greek debt crisis.Then, the 1995 'Turbot War' between Canada and Spain.We hear how international broadcaster Voice of America was born during World War 2. Finally, the rise of Italo disco in the early 1980s.Contributors:Baroness Catherine Ashton - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Dina Esfandiary - Middle East Geo-economics Lead at Bloomberg. Euclid Tsakalotos - Greece's Finance Minister. Brian Tobin - Canada's Minister for Fisheries and Oceans. Ryan Paris - singer of Dolce Vita.(Photo: Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry in 2015. Credit: Thomas Imo/Photothek via Getty Images)
We have an absolutely loaded betting slate with MLB, WNBA, UFC318 & College Football future bets on tap for today. We discuss what the market moves have been and where can we take advantage to win.Join Ariel Epstein, Gianni the Greek, Tokyo Brandon & Jesse Schule as they give their best picks and critical steam moves! Drop your questions in the chat to have them answered during the live stream!
In this two-part series, we begin by challenging the modern assumptions that shape how we think about spirituality, God, and the universe. In Part One, we explore the Greek word kosmos—a word that, to the ancient mind, signified an ordered, vibrant, and meaningful creation, infused with divine presence. But something changed. Following the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution, our view of the universe shifted. The kosmos became “the cosmos”—a cold, vast, mechanistic expanse governed by impersonal laws. This deeply affects not just how we think about the stars, but how we think about God. Enter the rise of Systematic Theology, which seeks to organize and categorize our understanding of God. While helpful in many ways, this method can unintentionally reduce the mystery and intimacy of the divine to a set of tidy doctrines. When we confine God to our systems, we risk shaping a God who is distant, detached, and out there rather than near, present, and within. But the biblical witness tells another story. Jesus declares that the Kingdom of God is within you. Elijah hears God not in the fire or earthquake but in a still, small voice. The Scriptures reveal a God who permeates creation, not one who abandons it. Join us as we rethink what it means to live in a sacred kosmos—a world alive with the presence of God, even when we aren't aware of it. -------------------------------------------------------------- www.figtreeteaching.com Join the Fig Tree Coffee Club: https://www.figtreeteaching.com/store/p3/Fig_Tree_Coffee_Club.html Support Fig Tree Ministries: https://donorbox.org/support-figtree-ministries Fig Tree Amazon Portal: https://amzn.to/3USMelI YouTube: https://youtu.be/T-jRSIzt-7g Lesson Handout: https://www.figtreeteaching.com/blog/the-kingdom-within Article - Rethinking Spirituality (PDF) https://www.figtreeteaching.com/fig-tree-articles.html Awakening From the Meaning Crisis - John Vervaeke and Christopher Mastropietro https://amzn.to/4lyY27h
Lingthusiasm - A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics
We asked you if a burrito was a sandwich, and you said 'no'. We asked you if ravioli was a sandwich and you said 'heck no'. We asked you if an ice cream sandwich was a sandwich and things...started to get a little murky. This isn't just a sandwich problem: you can also have similar arguments about what counts as a cup, a bird, a fish, furniture, art, and more! So wait...does any word mean anything anymore? Have we just broken language?? It's okay, linguistics has a solution! In this episode, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne get enthusiastic about why deciding what's in and what's out of the definition of a word is so dang tricky, why people love to argue about it, and how prototype theory solves all the "is X a Y" arguments once and for all. Note that this episode originally aired as Bonus 9: Is X a sandwich? Solving the word-meaning argument once and for all. We've added an updated announcements section to the top and a few new things about prototypes and meaning to the end. We're excited to share one of our favourite bonus episodes from Patreon with a broader audience, while at the same time giving everyone who works on the show a bit of a break. Click here for a link to this episode in your podcast player of choice: https://episodes.fm/1186056137/episode/dGFnOnNvdW5kY2xvdWQsMjAxMDp0cmFja3MvMjEzMjEwMjkwNw Read the transcript here: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/789370350172602368/transcript-episode-106-is-x-a-sandwich-bonus Announcements: In this month's bonus episode we get enthusiastic about fictional gestures with Eric Molinsky, host of Imaginary Worlds, a podcast about sci-fi, fantasy and other genres of speculative fiction! We talk about the Vulcan salute from Star Trek, the Wakanda Forever salute from Black Panther, and the three-finger Hunger Games salute, and how all three have crossed over with additional symbolism into the real world. We also talk about gestures that have crossed over in the other direction, from the real-world origins of the Vulcan salute in a Jewish blessing, the two-finger blessing in the Foundation tv series from classical Latin and Greek oratory via Christian traditions, as well as religious gesture in the Penric and Desdemona series, smiles and shrugs in A Memory Called Empire, and more. Join us on Patreon now to get access to this and 100+ other bonus episodes. You'll also get access to the Lingthusiasm Discord server where you can chat with other language nerds: https://www.patreon.com/posts/133185606 For links to things mentioned in this episode: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/789369946731937792/episode-106-is-a-hotdog-a-sandwich-the-problem
Have you stumbled in your faith? Jonah did, too. But today, uncover the power of God’s grace and mercy in your life with an encouraging message from Pastor Greg Laurie. Notes: Focus verses: Jonah 3–4 The real story is about how God used a flawed man to bring a revival. Jonah was called to preach to Ninevah, which God described as a great city (Jonah1:2).Jonah refused, and the Lord sent a great wind on the sea. (Jonah 1:4).Jonah was thrown overboard and was swallowed by a great fish (Jonah 1:17). The ultimate story of Jonah is of the great God who showed great love. #1 Jonah had a great message. Jonah’s preaching brought revival. Jonah 3:1–2 (NKJV)Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." Nothing happens through you until it has happened to you. Read Jonah 3:2–4 Jonah’s message was very simple, yet these eight words were important to God. Romans 1:16 (NKJV)For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvationfor everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. The bible says, “Christ died for our sin” (1 Corinthians 15:3).He did this to bridge the gap between us and a holy God. Jonah delivered his simple message as we must deliver ours. Our message must be delivered with urgency.(Jonah 3:4) Jonah 2:1–2 NKJVThen Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish's belly.And he said: "I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction,and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice.”God had delivered Jonah from a hopeless situation. There was an urgency and a passion to what Jonah was doing, Romans 9:3 (NLT)For my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them. Remember how Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem and wept.Luke 19:41–42 “Winners of Souls must first be weepers of souls.”—D. L. Moody Our message must be clear and definite. Mark 12:37 (NKJV)And the common people heard Him gladly. Our message is not simplistic, but it must be simple. Our message should be authoritative. Jonah’s message was an unapologetic biblical directive from God Almighty. #2 There was a great response. Jonah 3:5 (NKJV)So the people of Nineveh believed God. The greatest revival in the history of the world came to Nineveh becauseJonah preached God’s message and not what the people wanted to hear. There was hope in Jonah’s message. John 3:16 If God could bring a mighty revival in Nineveh,He surely can do the same thing for America. Read Jonah 3:4–10 (NLT) This is a stunning spiritual awakening! An entire city turning to God. It was a great message.It was a great response.Now, we come to a great contrast. Read Jonah 4:1–4 (NLT) Jonah 4:4 (NLT)The LORD replied, "Is it right for you to be angry about this?" Sometimes people worry about new believers not changing quickly enough. Some believers have just stalled and stagnated. Sometimes people will wonder why a good God would allow bad things.Jonah wonders why a good God would allow good things—especially for bad people. Read Jonah 4:5–7 (NLT) Jonah missed the miracle because he was too worried about his own comfort. #4 The great commission today is“Go into all the world and preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15 NKJV). There is nothing like seeing thousands of people coming to Christ.It truly is a taste of Heaven. Luke 15:7 (NKJV)"I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. If God would open the window to Heaven for a brief glimpse, how we would change.If he opened the window for a glimpse of Hell, we would change even more! Jonah 4:10–11Then the LORD said, "You feel sorry about the plant,though you did nothing to put it there. And a plant is only, at best, short lived.But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness,not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a Great City?"--- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners. Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the Ancient Warfare Podcast, Murray tackles a listener question from @tadejtomic1943: When did the classical Greek hoplite cease to exist? Drawing on historical sources and archaeological evidence, Murray explores how and when the iconic heavily armed infantryman faded from use—and what replaced him in the evolving landscape of ancient warfare. Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
Today Razib talks to David Gress, a Danish historian. The son of an American literary scholar and a Danish writer, he grew up in Denmark, read Classics at Cambridge, and then earned a Ph.D. in medieval history from Bryn Mawr College in the US in 1981. During a fellowship form 1982-1992 at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, he published on Cold‑War strategy, German political culture, and Nordic security. He has been a visiting fellow and lecturer at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, fellow at the Danish Institute of International Affairs, an assistant professor of Classics at Aarhus University, and professor of the history of civilization at Boston University. He co‑directed the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia and remains a senior fellow of the Danish free‑market think tank CEPOS while writing a regular column for Jyllands‑Posten. His breakthrough book, From Plato to NATO: The Idea of the West and Its Opponents (1998), argues that Western success sprang from a hard‑edged fusion of Roman order, Germanic liberty, Christian morality, and Smithian economics, rather than being a single disgraceful arc from Greco‑Roman‐paganism to secular Enlightenment that bypassed the Middle Ages. Razib asks Gress how he would have written Plato to NATO today, more than 25 years later, and he says he would have emphasized Christianity's role in creating a unified Western culture out of Greco-Roman and Germanic diversity more. Gress also reiterates that he does not deny the Greek foundation of Western Civilization, but rather, his work was a corrective to a very thin and excessively motivated and partisan narrative that stripped out vast periods of European history. They also discuss Gress' own own peculiar identity, the son of an American, born to a Danish mother, raised in Denmark who converted to Catholicism as an adult, and how that all fits into a broader European identity. They also discuss the impact of mass immigration on the national identities of Europe in the last generation, and Gress' opinions as to the European future. Razib also asks Gress about the role that evolutionary ideas may have in shaping human history, and how his own views may have changed since From Plato to NATO. They also discuss when it is plausible to say that the West was a coherent idea, and whether the Protestant Reformation was the beginning of the end for the unitary civilization that was Latin Christendom.
On Friday's edition of WagerTalk Today, WagerTalk Co-founder, Marco D'Angelo stops by to talk MLB action in the Detroit Tigers vs Texas Rangers series opener. Andrew Babakitis sheds light on the biggest needs and sharp action for this week's massive UFC 318 fight card. Andy Lang provides props and free picks, and Gianni The Greek gives daily betting advice – don't miss out!Introduction 00:00Gianni the Greek 01:10Friday Steam Report 02:00UFC Preview 08:00MLB Bet On/Bet Against Teams 13:40Andy Lang All Around the World Free Plays ( MLB, PFL & Premier Lacrosse League) 17:20Bankroll Management Tips 21:50Marco D'Angelo 23:20MLB: Detroit Tigers vs Texas Rangers Breakdown & Free Pick 27:50Andrew Babakitis from the WestGate SuperBook 33:00UFC 318 Sharp Action 33:00Andy's UFC Parlay 35:49WNBA All-Star Game Sharp Action 38:13San Francisco 49ers 2025 Season Preview & Over/Under Season WIn Total Bets 40:49
We delve into a critical moment in Israel's history as described in Joshua 22. After seven years of conquest, Israel finally experiences rest, but a new conflict arises when the eastern tribes build an altar near the Jordan River. Misunderstandings escalate to the brink of civil war as the western tribes prepare for battle, believing the altar breaches God's commands. A delegation led by Phinehas confronts the eastern tribes, only to learn that the altar is meant as a witness to future generations, not for sacrifices. Through dialogue and reason, the conflict is resolved, and unity is restored.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...
Rachel Christopher brings a poet's heart and a scholar's mind to the stage eight times a week as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. In this conversation, she opens up about her lifelong love of language, her background in translating ancient Greek poetry, and the deeply personal connection she feels to storytelling—both on stage and off. Whether she's talking about her time at Epcot or reflecting on how imagination shaped her childhood, Rachel reveals just how much joy and intention she pours into her work. From cooking lamb meatballs and tending to her city garden to revisiting classic Greek texts, Rachel's passions outside of theater are just as vibrant as the characters she portrays. She shares what it means to step into the legacy of Hermione, how theater expands what we imagine is possible, and why making space for community and curiosity is at the heart of her artistry. Rachel Christopher is an actor and poet currently playing Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. Her stage credits include For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf and Jaja's African Hair Braiding. Her screen credits include The Girl on the Train and The Upside. A graduate of Vassar College, she double-majored in drama and classics, and has collaborated on stage adaptations of The Aeneid and The Iliad. This episode is powered by WelcomeToTimesSquare.com, the billboard where you can be a star for a day. Connect with Rachel: Instagram: @rachel_e_christopher Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support the podcast on Patreon and watch video versions of the episodes: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Almost every Christian denomination accepts that God is sovereign--which is interpreted to mean that He always does precisely what He pleases, and everything that happens on earth has either His explicit or implicit stamp of approval. So when we find ourselves in a crisis--we or someone we love gets a terminal diagnosis, or we don't have enough money to make the mortgage and may lose the house, or we're in the direct path of a natural disaster, etc--we pray for a miracle, because we all know that God can do anything He wants. And who knows? Maybe He'll say yes. But if He says no, the common theology goes, it's because He sees the bigger picture. He knows more than we do, and we have to just trust that He knows best. That sounds so spiritual, doesn't it? Some believers manage to weather these trials of faith, pointing to Job as their example, when he said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21) and "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15). (One side note. When you hear of a great saint who loses everything and yet clings to their trust in God anyway, certain that He has a greater purpose for their loss, does that inspire you to praise God--or to praise that great saint? Who actually receives the glory for that?) This theology has its roots in Calvinism, which espouses an extreme form of predestination (meaning that God chooses whether each of us will ultimately be saved, or damned, before we're ever born. He has to do this, they argue, because it is God who gives us the faith even to be saved, Eph 2:8-9, and if He withholds that faith, salvation for that individual is impossible.) So God, in this theological persuasion, decides a priori who will be saved and who will not, and then punishes those to whom He has not given the faith to be saved for their sins. They do have scriptures to back up their argument--if you take them out of context. One of the big ones is Romans 9:18-21, which says: "Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?' But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?'" In this passage, Paul was comparing Israel's hardness of heart in rejecting the Messiah to Pharaoh from the time of the Exodus (Romans 9:15-17). The reason it took ten plagues and the decimation of Egypt for Pharaoh to finally release the Israelites was because Pharaoh's heart was hardened, far beyond reason. Paul's point in this passage was that God did this so that He could display His power to the Israelites, delivering them with great signs and wonders (Romans 9:17). If Pharaoh hadn't resisted, it would not have taken great miracles to do it. (In the same way, Paul argues, the fact that Israel had rejected Jesus gave the Lord the opportunity to bring the Gentiles in to the New Covenant, too.) But if God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, is Pharaoh still responsible for his own actions? If we go back to the original source text, we can see that this isn't quite the whole story. God did tell Moses in advance that He would harden Pharaoh's heart before the plagues ever began (Ex 4:21, 7:3). But for the first five plagues, Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex 7:22, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32, 9:7). It was only by the sixth plague that the scripture says God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Ex 9:12). Pharaoh still made his own choice first; God just enforced it and used it for His own purposes. I love the analogy Charles Capps uses to explain this. If one sets clay and wax out in the hot sun, the sun will harden the clay, but melt the wax. The sun adds the same heat to both, but the substance (wax or clay) determines its effect. A potter chooses whether to make “noble or ignoble” vessels from clay not arbitrarily, but on the basis of the quality of the clay. If the clay is supple and pliable, it can be made into something beautiful; if it is brittle, it might not be fit to shape into something worthy of display. God works with what we give him. In the same way, in Jesus’ Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), the sower sows the Word indiscriminately, but it is the condition of the soil that determines the harvest. Luke later writes that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), and Peter writes that He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9, more on this later). Likewise, any reasonable person would have been terrified into obedience by the plagues, long before they progressed to the death of the firstborn. And some of the Egyptians did believe and take refuge in Goshen, and the final exodus included “a mixed multitude” (Exodus 12:38), meaning some of the Egyptians were convinced, converted, and left with them. God gave the Egyptians the opportunity to escape the plagues that might otherwise have caused death, telling them to pull their livestock and their servants inside before the hail (Exodus 9:19), and to paint their doorposts with the blood of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:22-23), which was symbolic of and foreshadowing the blood of Christ. Again, the Lord is “not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He didn't want to harm the Egyptians, but neither did he want them to keep His people in bondage. So, did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Yes, but perhaps only in the sense that God performed the miracles, and Pharaoh’s heart was such that those miracles caused him to dig in his heels. We’ve all met stubborn people like this, with whom any direct attempt at persuasion will cause them to double down on their original position. God does not override our free will, so in this case, He worked with it, using it to His advantage. Our choices do matter. But He's so amazing that He takes those choices and still manages to work “all things together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). As a result of Pharaoh’s stubbornness, God’s people had a legacy of spectacular stories to remind their children and their children’s children of His might on their behalf. My point in saying all that is just that the argument that God sovereignly controls everything that happens is inconsistent with the overall teachings of scripture; even the individual verses that seem to suggest that don't stand up to scrutiny. But a larger problem is that, taken to its logical conclusion, the theological position that God's will is absolute, and will come to pass no matter what we do, leads to a sense of futility. Why pray--why even evangelize--if God is going to do what He's going to do, regardless? To their credit (though against logic), most Calvinist denominations recognize that the scriptures are very clear that we should still both evangelize and pray, and they therefore preach that we should do both, just because God said we should. (Sort of the equivalent of a parent saying, "Because I said so, that's why!") But historically, many Protestant denominations stemmed from or were heavily influenced by Calvinist doctrine. As a result, until about the late 18th and early 19th century, almost all missionary activity around the world came from the Catholic church, which I suspect was precisely because it held no doctrine of predestination, so they thought their efforts could make an eternal difference. Motivation matters. (Protestant missions largely date back to William Carey's work in India in 1793. The London Missionary Society was founded two years later, in 1795, and in 1810, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was founded.) Even if we're not ultimately each predestined for heaven or hell, God is still sovereign, though, right? He knows way more than we do. So doesn't that mean sometimes He'll say no to our prayer requests, and when we all get to heaven, we'll understand why? Yes, God is sovereign in the sense that He is all-powerful, all-loving, and all-knowing, but He is not all-controlling (and I covered this extensively in this podcast https://www.drlaurendeville.com/podcasts/why-bad-things-happen-from-a-biblical-perspective on why bad things happen, from a biblical perspective). God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; they did anyway. Was that God's will? Certainly not! He did everything He could to keep them from doing it, short of making them automatons, when He told them, don't do it. Likewise, any sovereign can set laws that his citizens may not necessarily obey. The US is a sovereign nation and in 1974 the administration set the "National Maximum Speed Law" of 55mph. But many drivers exceeded that speed limit daily. The New English Translation has the word “sovereign” appear more than any other biblical translation (368 times). Not one of the original Hebrew or Greek words connotes the idea that He controls everything that happens. Most of the time, "sovereign" is just the way they render God’s names. The word sovereign is often translated from Shaddai (meaning Almighty) when it’s part of God’s name (48 times in the OT). Other times it’s translated from ‘elohiym: supreme God, as a superlative, or ‘elyown, meaning High or Most High. Sometimes it's thrown in as part of the transition of ‘Adonay: an emphatic form of the Lord. Sometimes it's translated from tsaba’, also translated the Lord of Hosts, meaning one who commands an army. In some cases the word sovereign is used to describe God's characteristics, but in context, it doesn't mean what we typically mean by the word (that His will always happens). The NET version of 1 Chronicles 29:11 says, "O LORD, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all." Only this translation uses the word sovereign; the others , translate it Head. This word connotes the idea of a supreme ruler, but not of one who always gets His way. Psalm 84:11 says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield (magen: shield, buckler, protector).” The same verse is translated in NET: "For the LORD God is our sovereign protector." Clearly the word magen does not indicate that He always gets His way, either. Sovereign power is also translated as holiness from qadash: "to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate." This word is used in Ezekiel 28:25: "'This is what the sovereign LORD says: When I regather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are dispersed, I will reveal my sovereign power (or holiness) over them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob." It doesn't mean supreme dictator there either. Micah 5:4 says, "He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the LORD's strength, by the sovereign authority of the LORD his God. They will live securely, for at that time he will be honored even in the distant regions of the earth.” Sovereign authority here is the words ga'own (exaltation, majesty, pride) shem (name, reputation, fame, glory): thus, it's better translated “in the majesty of the name” of the Lord. Not a supreme dictator there either. Habakkuk 2:14 says, "For recognition of the LORD's sovereign majesty will fill the earth just as the waters fill up the sea." Sovereign majesty here is yada (to know, to perceive, to make known) kabowd (glory, honour, glorious, abundance), also translated “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.” Still not indicating ultimate control over everything that happens. Of course God's will does not always come to pass. As I mentioned earlier, the classic example of this is 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance,” and 1 Timothy 2:4: “[He] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Matthew 18:14 also says, “Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world, not just those who are saved. 1 John 2:2 says, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world”, and 1 Tim 4:10 says, "That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” This doesn't sound like a God who created anyone for the expressed purpose of eternal damnation to me. On the contrary, He did everything He could possibly do to save us all, short of making us automatons. But not everybody will be saved, because He doesn't force us to choose Him--nor does He make any of our other decisions for us, either. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." God wills it; He paid an enormous price for it; but He won't get all of us, because we get a choice. There are other verses that imply the concept of sovereignty as we typically define it (in the sense that when God decides to do something, He does it, and no one can stop Him). Here are a few of those verses: Job 42:2: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Isaiah 46:10: “I declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” Romans 8:28: “All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” (i.e. He can use bad and work it for good.) But these verses refers to God’s right and His power -- they say nothing about voluntary restrictions that God has placed upon His own power. Those limitations are defined by the covenants God had in place with mankind at various points in history. Once He gives His word that He will do this and not that, He cannot violate it--He exalts His word even above His name (Psalm 138:2). It's the integrity of His word that literally holds the universe together (Hebrews 1:3). Again, more on this in this podcast: https://www.drlaurendeville.com/podcasts/why-bad-things-happen-from-a-biblical-perspective and extensively more in "Blood Covenant Origins" and "Blood Covenant Fulfilled" from this book series: https://www.drlaurendeville.com/books/biblical-retellings). A quick overview, though: since God gave the earth to man in the garden, and man decided to obey Satan, God had to find a legal entry to get back in. That was the purpose of the covenants—first the Adamic, then the Noahic, then the Abrahamic, then the Mosaic, and now finally, the New Covenant. In the middle three there were stipulations of what we had to do, and therefore what God would do for us, if we kept up our end. But there were provisions for blessings even in those. For instance, a common Old Testament example I've heard preached to back up the idea that we never know what God's going to do, but we should have faith in Him anyway, is Daniel 3:18. Here's how that verse is preached: "If you throw us into the fiery furnace, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not save us, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Except that's not what that verse actually says. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego, the Hebrew kids in Babylonian exile in that story, were under the Mosaic covenant, and they were on the right side of it--so they had a right to the blessings (Deut 28:7), and they knew it. They knew God’s promises. That’s why they were able to stand up to the king—just like David could call Goliath that “uncircumcised Philistine,” absolutely convinced of the outcome, because he had a covenant, and Goliath didn’t. In the story in Daniel, what the verse actually says is, “If you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” The Jewish captives respond saying, “If that is the case” (implying, if you will throw us in to the furnace, the subject of the previous verse). Then they say, “But if not”—and the Hebrew never qualifies if not what. People tend to assume they are saying “but if God doesn’t deliver us” (the end of the previous thought). But it could just as easily have meant, “If it is not the case that you will throw us into the fiery furnace,” just like it did in previous verse. This would change the entire meaning of the verse, and would be far more consistent with the rest of scripture. I can think of no instances anywhere in scripture where someone put faith in God’s covenant promises, and God did not come through. He can’t not come through—because again, He exalts His word above His very name (Ps 138:2)! In the New Covenant, Jesus paid to make sure we are always on the blessing side, having fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf, and become the curse for us (Gal 3:13). Because of that, every single promise is now Yes and Amen in Him (2 Cor 1:20). When Christ saved us, the word in Greek is sozo—that word appears 110 times in the New Testament. It includes spiritual salvation, but it also means physical healing, to rescue from physical danger, and to deliver from the penalties of judgment. All of these things are accessed by faith. Scripture doesn’t say that sometimes God says no to physical healing; on the contrary, every time someone came to Jesus for healing, they got it—and He was the exact image of the Father (Col 1:15), doing nothing but what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19). He turned no one away, saying, “Nope, this one is God’s will for you, to bring glory to Himself.” What brings God glory is healing, not sickness (John 9:1-4), and the “fruit” of answered prayers (John 15:7-8). It’s the blessings of God on our lives that are supposed to get the attention of the world around us. So back to the issue of praying for miracles. The theological position of most Christian denominations is that God can do anything, but there’s no guarantees that He will. Because of course, we can look around and see so many good Christians (some of the best!) who pray, and don’t seem to receive. What are we to do with that? Shouldn’t we adjust our theology to account for all of these practical examples… no matter what the Bible actually says? My dad died of cancer when he was 48 years old. We had lots of people praying. I had several well-meaning believers after the fact try to console me with the idea that God “allowed” this to happen for some inscrutable reason of His own… maybe someone might come to the Lord as a result of our loss, someone suggested. (What actually happened was that I became a religious Pharisee for about 10 years, going through the motions, but I didn’t trust God at all. I figured, based on that theology, that God was like an army general who made sacrifices for the greater good, and sometimes—sorry!—it’s you. The effect on the rest of my family's faith and outlook on the world was similar to mine, or worse.) All of that is predictable in hindsight, because cancer and death are the fingerprints of the Enemy, not of God. The Enemy comes to “steal, kill, and destroy”—Jesus came that we might “have life, and have it more abundantly.” It’s very clear who does what. But the vast majority of the body of Christ today preaches this confused theology, attributing horrific things to God under the strange explanation that because God’s ways are higher than our ways, somehow from His perspective, bad is good, and wrong is right, and once we all get to heaven, we’ll understand. (No wonder I didn’t trust God anymore when I believed this. How could I trust a God like that?) I get why the Church at large preaches this—they’re trying to make the Bible fit our experience. God's supreme sovereignty is a nice, spiritual-sounding explanation which borrows from the long Calvinistic tradition, even if we don't take it quite to that extreme (though some denominations still do even that). But what finally set me free was when I realized that God’s definition of good and mine are actually the same. That my dad’s death at such a young age was never His will. That how God dealt with mankind at various times in history was dependent upon the covenants in place at the time--and today, we're under the best covenant of all, the one where all the curses for disobedience are paid for in full, and all that's left is the blessing, which we can receive by faith. Here's what that doesn't mean: it doesn't mean that faith is a new form of works, that God now watches to see if we reach the critical threshold of faith before He doles out our miracle... and if we don't quite get there, ah, too bad, try harder next time. No! He's not responding in real time to our faith at all, deciding which requests to grant and which to refuse. God already provided every blessing in spiritual form in Christ’s atonement, 2000 years ago (Gal 1:3, Isaiah 53:4-5, 1 Peter 2:24). We receive all of those blessings now the same way we receive salvation: by faith. It's "in your account" already, as it were, just waiting for you to make a withdrawal--just like salvation is freely available, waiting for you to accept it. But God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). He doesn’t sovereignly say yes to one person and no to another for things that we know are in His will—if we know that we’re asking for something already in His explicit will, He hears us, and if we know that He hears us, we know we already have the requests made of Him (1 John 5:14-15). (That is the key, though--we can only have faith that we'll receive things that were already paid for in the atonement of Jesus. We can ask God for other things outside of that, but in those cases, God might say yes, or He might say no, for our own good--James 4:3. So it's quite useful to know scripture, so you can know for sure what you can stand on!) Back to my dad, and so many others besides. At that time, my family didn’t know any of this. We thought, we should pray, we should ask, and maybe God will say yes and maybe He will say no. But that’s not faith—that’s hope. And God didn’t say no—He said yes, 2000 years ago! Jesus paid an incredibly high price for God to say yes. Jesus also gave us the formula of how to receive in Mark 11:23-24: believe, and don’t doubt. If you do that, it’s as good as done. Unopposed faith (without doubt, James 1:6-8) is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1). It’s cruel to tell people that they didn’t receive their miracle because they didn’t believe hard enough, or pray long enough, though. But the solution to that isn’t to blame God’s “sovereignty” instead! (That’s how people lose their faith—who wants to serve a God whom they believe “allowed” the Holocaust, or 9-11, or child trafficking, or etc to happen?) Rather, the solution is to understand that we’re in a war, and that Satan is seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). While he’s a defeated foe ever since the cross (Col 2:15), and we now have authority over him through Jesus (Matt 28:18, Eph 1:17-19), most of us don’t know it. We don’t know that, with the authority we now have, Satan’s only weapon against believers now is deception and fear (2 Cor 10:3-5)—and of course anything he can indirectly control against us that is part of the fallen world. But Jesus has already overcome the world on our behalf (John 16:33). And understanding God’s perfect love for us casts out fear (James 4:18). Because if He loves us enough to send Jesus, how will He not also freely give us all things (Romans 8:32)? But most of us are so focused on what we see, on the things this world says, that a cancer diagnosis, for example (or any other terminal doctor’s report, or insurmountable financial problem, etc), strikes fear into our hearts. Whatever we focus on, we magnify—and if we’re in a church that tells us maybe God will come through and maybe He won’t (for things that He’s explicitly promised in His word), then we’re standing on shifting sand. It’s hard enough to deal with our own doubt and unbelief, without being surrounded by the doubt and unbelief of others. But absolute trust God’s word—even if it means isolating ourselves from well-meaning believers who might cause us to doubt—is the only way. Jesus on numerous occasions got away from the crowds or put everyone out of the house except for his few top disciples before he performed a miracle. Abraham received because he did not consider anything except God’s promises (Romans 4:19). He didn’t have a contingency plan (or at least he didn’t anymore after the whole Ishmael thing was out of the way). Because he didn’t consider any of the natural circumstances, he didn’t waver in his faith. In the same way, today, our lack of fear of Satan’s schemes is proof to him that we’re going to win (Phil 1:28)—and if we stand firm (Eph 6:13-14) and resist the devil, sooner or later, he has to flee (James 4:7). We’ll win, if we don’t quit. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Founder Stavros Kois shares how he grew a small optical shop in Syros into a globally recognised brand offering distinctive eyewear and silk scarves inspired by the style and story of the Greek island.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The boys return for another week to discuss the latest in Greek football, the gift that keeps on giving.UEFA CompetitionPAO play Rangers in the UCLAEK & Aris both ready to face opponents in the UECL3rd round draw is next week where PAOK will enterTransfer NewsLafont to PAONascimento to OlympiakosPAOK sign Luka Ivanušec Aris are the big spendersOther newsEthniki players honour George BaldockSlight improvement in the FIFA RankingsClubs release their new kitsTzolis extends his deal with Club BruggePlus your questions!Give us a follow on:X: https://twitter.com/HellasfootyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellasfooty/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@HellasFootyRead our blogs on: https://hellasfooty.blogspot.com/Intro music credit to George Prokopiou (Ermou Street)
I popped on today to plan, prep, and cook for my gal pal's dinner party. Of course, I wasn't prepared, and my mini chopper would not work, but… We prepped some great dishes for my ladies' dinner party.The Menu* Bootleggers - the Minnesota Cocktail* Miso Glazed Salmon (exclusive Substack recipe here)* Roasted Potatoes with a garlic scape, basil pesto drizzle on a bed of yogurt cream (1/3 cup cottage cheese - 1/3 cup whole fat Greek yogurt- 1/4 cup chopped pickles - 1/4 cup feta cheese, 3 Tbsp Feta brine, one teaspoon kosher salt, blended until smooth) * Roasted Pepper and white bean salad with basil and balsamic (exclusive Substack recipe here)* Green salad with hard-boiled eggs and lemon vinaigrette* Zukes and Squash gratin (Recipe from True North Cabin Cookbook Vol. 1)* Plum Fruit BuckleMiso Glazed SalmonIngredients:* 8 (4-6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, about 1-inch thick* 2 teaspoons Kosher salt* Freshly ground black pepper* 3 Tbsp honey* 1/4 cup Hikari minute miso* 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar* 3 teaspoons soy sauce* 1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane* 1 teaspoon ground gingerInstructions:Preheat oven to BroilIn a small bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, honey, miso, vinegar, soy, garlic, and ginger.Arrange the salmon skin side down on a sheet pan.Brush the mixture over the salmon. Let marinate for 20 minutes while the oven comes to temperature.Broil until the salmon is opaque and cooked through and the glaze is toasted, about 6 minutes. Internal temperature should be about 135-140Roasted Pepper and White Bean Salad with Basil and BalsamicIngredients:4 peppers2 cans of cannellini beans, drained1/3 cup Basil leaves torn into pieces1/3 cup olive oil3 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar2 Tbsp lemon juice2 teaspoons lemon zest2 teaspoons salt1 teaspoon cracked black pepperInstructions:Roast 4 peppers -Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place 4 whole bell peppers (any color) on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the peppers are blackened and collapsed. Remove the peppers from the oven and let them cool. Carefully peel away the skins and discard the core and seeds. Pull into 1/4 inch stripsDrain beans and add to peppers in a large bowlTear Basil and add to bowlMix the vinaigrette and add to the beansLet sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, marinating before servingVariations to consider:* Adding feta or small mozzarella balls* Subbing oregano for Basil leavesHere is how the dishes came outThese were the flowers I added from my Home Garden.Thank you to everyone who tuned in to my live video! I will plan for more live videos if you enjoyed it.Stephanie's Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe
I popped on today to plan, prep, and cook for my gal pal's dinner party. Of course, I wasn't prepared, and my mini chopper would not work, but… We prepped some great dishes for my ladies' dinner party.The Menu* Bootleggers - the Minnesota Cocktail* Miso Glazed Salmon (exclusive Substack recipe here)* Roasted Potatoes with a garlic scape, basil pesto drizzle on a bed of yogurt cream (1/3 cup cottage cheese - 1/3 cup whole fat Greek yogurt- 1/4 cup chopped pickles - 1/4 cup feta cheese, 3 Tbsp Feta brine, one teaspoon kosher salt, blended until smooth) * Roasted Pepper and white bean salad with basil and balsamic (exclusive Substack recipe here)* Green salad with hard-boiled eggs and lemon vinaigrette* Zukes and Squash gratin (Recipe from True North Cabin Cookbook Vol. 1)* Plum Fruit BuckleMiso Glazed SalmonIngredients:* 8 (4-6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, about 1-inch thick* 2 teaspoons Kosher salt* Freshly ground black pepper* 3 Tbsp honey* 1/4 cup Hikari minute miso* 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar* 3 teaspoons soy sauce* 1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane* 1 teaspoon ground gingerInstructions:Preheat oven to BroilIn a small bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, honey, miso, vinegar, soy, garlic, and ginger.Arrange the salmon skin side down on a sheet pan.Brush the mixture over the salmon. Let marinate for 20 minutes while the oven comes to temperature.Broil until the salmon is opaque and cooked through and the glaze is toasted, about 6 minutes. Internal temperature should be about 135-140Roasted Pepper and White Bean Salad with Basil and BalsamicIngredients:4 peppers2 cans of cannellini beans, drained1/3 cup Basil leaves torn into pieces1/3 cup olive oil3 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar2 Tbsp lemon juice2 teaspoons lemon zest2 teaspoons salt1 teaspoon cracked black pepperInstructions:Roast 4 peppers -Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place 4 whole bell peppers (any color) on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the peppers are blackened and collapsed. Remove the peppers from the oven and let them cool. Carefully peel away the skins and discard the core and seeds. Pull into 1/4 inch stripsDrain beans and add to peppers in a large bowlTear Basil and add to bowlMix the vinaigrette and add to the beansLet sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, marinating before servingVariations to consider:* Adding feta or small mozzarella balls* Subbing oregano for Basil leavesHere is how the dishes came outThese were the flowers I added from my Home Garden.Thank you to everyone who tuned in to my live video! I will plan for more live videos if you enjoyed it.Stephanie's Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe
How are we to live in today's secular culture? In the book of Acts, what was Paul's approach to the pagan people of Greece?Most of the people of Athens were well educated, but they were also pagan, and worshipped many Greek gods.Paul's approach to his sermon to the people of Athens was very consistent with what he taught about going out into the world and dealing with a secular pagan culture—how to deal with those outside of the faith.Paul did not argue or try to convince people. He reasoned with them, starting with what they already knew. Acts 17:16-20 "While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.”They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.”
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learn 10 high-frequency expressions, including medical-related words
Patreon preview. Unlock full episode at https://www.patreon.com/stavvysworld JP McDade, ringleader of all that is out-of-pocket, is back to showcase Alex Dragicevich, the latest nutcase in the wildly popular podcast subseries McDade's Maniacs. Alex discusses his maniacal first time, his days playing college basketball, his short-lived tryst with a married woman, how Serbians are like Greeks but with slightly less back hair, how much to tip food delivery drivers, and much more. Alex, JP and Stav help callers including a guy whose wife keeps moving his stuff without telling him, and a man who's considering reaching out to his ex-girlfriend after she added him on Snapchat. See Alex Dragicevich live and follow him on social media: https://www.instagram.com/alexdrags/ https://linktr.ee/alexdrag https://x.com/alexdrag_ https://www.tiktok.com/@alexdrags Follow JP McDade on social media: https://twitter.com/jp_mcdade https://www.instagram.com/mcdadebaby
On Thursday's edition of WagerTalk Today, UFC expert, Kyle Anthony breaks down the UFC 318 Main Event & shares insights on the MASSIVE card. Dave Mason from BetOnline sheds light on the biggest needs and sharp action for this week's betting card and Nick Parsons give a best bet in CFL week 7 action. Andy Lang provides props and free picks, and Gianni The Greek gives daily betting advice – don't miss out!Introduction 00:00Gianni the Greek 01:16Steam Report & MLB Season Win Totals 01:22Los Angeles Dodgers Win Total - Free 4% Client Play 09:14Pittsburgh Pirates Win Total - Free Client Play 11:20Baltimore Orioles Season Win Total 13:50College Football Season Win Totals Free Plays 17:00Andy Lang All Around the World Free Picks (Cricket & MLB) 18:30Nick Parsons 20:40CFL: Toronto Argonauts vs Montreal Alouettes Breakdown & Pick 23:10Dave Mason 26:26Sharp Action on BetOnline 26:37Kyle Anthony 33:45Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier Fight Breakdown & Best Bet 35:00Brendan Allen vs Marvin Vettori Fight Prediction & Free Pick 39:00UFC 318 SELL ME: Roman Kopylov vs Paulo Costa 45:002025 Korean Snail Race Championships 48:00Jacksonville Jaguars 2024 Season Preview & Over/Under Season Win Total 49:45
We delve into the initial conquest of Canaan led by Joshua and the Israelites. We explore the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, the swift fall of Jericho, and the strategic victories at Ai and in southern Canaan. With Yahweh's divine intervention, including hailstones and an extended day, the Israelites vanquish their enemies, establishing control over the southern territories. The army then shifts to the northern campaign, where Israel faces a massive alliance of Canaanite forces. Despite the overwhelming odds, Joshua leads the Israelites to victory, fulfilling God's commands and demonstrating unwavering faith by destroying captured tools of war. By the end of the campaign, Israel largely controls the Promised Land, marking the beginning of the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham and providing a period of rest from war. Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...
The comfort foods we grew up with don't deserve their bad reputation. From cereal and hamburgers to mac and cheese and fried chicken, America's favorite dishes can actually be part of a balanced diet with some thoughtful modifications.Breakfast becomes a nutritional powerhouse when you add fresh fruit to cereal, use high-protein milk, or mix in fiber-rich options. Even the humble peanut butter and jelly sandwich – which University of Michigan researchers found adds more years to your life than almost any other food – proves that comfort and nutrition can coexist.Those classic hamburgers? They're already a balanced combination of protein, carbs, and fats – the problems come from preparation methods and proportions. By choosing leaner beef, whole grain buns, and generous vegetables, you transform fast food into real nutrition. The same goes for pizza, chili, and spaghetti with meatballs. These aren't inherently "bad" foods; they just need some rebalancing.The air fryer revolution has breathed new life into fried favorites. Chicken coated in cornflakes and air-fried delivers that satisfying crunch without excessive oil. Homemade french fries get crispy exteriors and soft interiors without deep-frying. Even simple swaps like mixing Greek yogurt with mayonnaise in potato salad maintain the creamy texture while improving the nutritional profile.American cuisine doesn't need to be abandoned for health – it just needs thoughtful modifications. Try our tuna mac and peas recipe with protein-enhanced pasta for a quick meal that satisfies comfort food cravings while delivering balanced nutrition. What American classic will you reimagine tonight? Support the showYou can find us on social media here:Rob TiktokRob InstagramLiam TiktokLiam Instagram
Send us a textKathy, Mark and Burk share their thoughts on the mysterious teaser for The Odyssey, only available in theaters! The Odyssey is an upcoming epic action fantasy film written, directed, and co-produced by Christopher Nolan. An adaptation of the ancient Greek epic poem the Odyssey attributed to Homer, the film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, and chronicles his long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War ,The ensemble cast also features Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal, among others. The film is produced by Nolan's production company Syncopy and distributed by Universal Pictures.Support the show
By Popular Demand, we are bringing our new "Thrylos Pantou" series to podcast audio! Every Wednesday, you can now listen to our special series which is done in Greek! English and other language translations are available in Youtube! Ο νταμπολούχος Ελλάδας ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ αναχώρησε σήμερα για την Ολλανδία και το πρώτο στάδιο της προετοιμασίας. Αναλύουμε το ρόστερ και τις μεταγραφές που έρχονται μετά από τους Ντιόγκο, Σιπιόνι και Καμπελα. Στο μπάσκετ έλαβε τέλος το σήριαλ Μίσιτς. Ο Ολυμπιακός κινείται για σέντερ και συνεχίζει το σαφαρί για γκάρντ.Όλα τα νεα εδω στην ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ εκπομπή τους Thrylos 7 International.The Greek Double-Winner OLYMPIACOS departed today for the Netherlands and the first stage of preseason training. We break down the current squad and discuss the transfer moves expected to follow the signings of Diogo, Scipioni, and Cabella.In basketball, the Micić saga has finally come to an end, with Olympiacos now shifting focus toward signing a center, while continuing the hunt for a guard.
Explore a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of Jesus' identity: his kingship. Duncan Palmer and Matt Mouzakis dive into the literal meaning of "Christ" (from the Greek Christos) as "King," revealing how modern translations have obscured this powerful concept. Key points: "Christ" literally means "King" in its original context Modern translations often fail to convey this crucial meaning Understanding Jesus as King reshapes our view of his role and authority This perspective challenges our relationship with earthly governments Practical implications for living under Jesus' reign in daily life The discussion highlights how referring to Jesus as "King" more frequently, rather than "Christ," could transform believers' understanding of his role and their allegiance to him. This shift in language and perspective has far-reaching implications for Christian faith and practice. Gain fresh insights into familiar Bible passages and be challenged to reconsider their relationship with Jesus as their true sovereign. This episode promises to be an eye-opening exploration of a foundational, yet frequently misunderstood, aspect of Christian faith.
It’s time for another round of You vs. Victoria, where listeners take on Victoria Ramirez in America's favorite trivia showdown! Today’s contestant Kyla brings the good vibes, while Victoria… brings confusion about fruit. Can you name the King of Fruits? (Hint: it smells terrible.) Plus, what Greek hero killed the Minotaur? Which Broadway show has run the longest? Find out if Victoria can redeem herself or if Kyla takes the W. This is just a tiny piece of The Jubal Show. You can find every podcast we have, including the full show every weekday right here…➡︎ https://thejubalshow.com/podcasts The Jubal Show is everywhere, and also these places: Website ➡︎ https://thejubalshow.com Instagram ➡︎ https://instagram.com/thejubalshow X/Twitter ➡︎ https://twitter.com/thejubalshow Tiktok ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@the.jubal.show Facebook ➡︎ https://facebook.com/thejubalshow YouTube ➡︎ https://www.youtube.com/@JubalFresh Support the show: https://the-jubal-show.beehiiv.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It was a week that brought the future of Greece and the Eurozone to the brink. Ten years ago, on 6 July the Greek people voted against the terms of a financial bailout which included raising taxes and slashing welfare spending. Greece owed €323bn to various countries and banks within Europe. Its banks were closed. A quarter of the population and half of Greece's young people were unemployed.The morning after the vote, Euclid Tsakalotos was brought in to replace Yanis Varoufakis as finance minister. His predecessor had accused European leaders of “terrorism” in their handling of the crisis. Parachuted in to last-ditch talks with angry European leaders, Euclid Tsakalotos describes to Josephine McDermott the make-or-break 17-hour summit in Brussels. He reveals that when Angela Merkel, the leader of Greece's biggest lender Germany, said she was leaving the room because she could not accept what was on the table, Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, actually locked the door to stop her leaving and force an agreement to be reached. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: A queue outside a bank in Greece in 2015. Credit: Getty Images)
As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin turns of building a yogurt business from the ground up. In 2005, Hamdi was running a small feta cheese business in upstate New York when he happened upon a piece of junk mail that would change his life: an ad for an abandoned yogurt factory...$700K, as is. He knew if he could get his hands on it, he could bring a new kind of dairy product to the U.S.—the thick, creamy yogurt he'd grown up eating in the mountains of Turkey. With the help of a local bank, Hamdi bought the factory, and sales grew so quickly that he could barely keep up. A few years later, some bad business decisions nearly pushed the company into bankruptcy, but today, Chobani is one of the most popular yogurt brands in the U.S; and Greek-style yogurt has become a staple of the dairy aisle.This episode was produced by Josh Lash with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Claire Murashima.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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