Podcasts about word god

Do you ever feel stuck listening to the “wind” of fear, doubt, and uncertainty instead of standing on the Word God already spoke over your life? This message reminds us that the enemy loves to keep us focused on every possible “what if,” but faith means shifting our attention back to God’s presence and His promises.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey. Today's readings are 2 Kings 10-12, Psalm 13.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.Today's readings are 2 Kings 1-3, Psalm 10.

Biblical Preparation for Troubled Times: How the Remnant Must Prepare for the Days Ahead | KIB 534 Kingdom Intelligence Briefing Description The world is becoming increasingly unstable. Economic uncertainty, spiritual deception, cultural collapse, technological control systems, and growing hostility toward biblical truth are creating unprecedented challenges for believers. In this powerful episode of the Kingdom Intelligence Briefing, Dr. Michael and Mary Lou Lake explore what Scripture teaches about preparing for troubled times. Rather than promoting fear, they reveal the biblical pattern found throughout God's Word: God warns, God prepares, and God preserves a faithful remnant. Drawing from the lives of Noah, Joseph, Elijah, and the early Church, Dr. Lake examines how believers must prepare spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and practically for the days ahead. This episode also addresses discernment, covenant faithfulness, hearing the voice of God, strengthening the inner man, resisting deception, and learning how to walk in kingdom authority during turbulent times. The question is not whether difficult times will come. The question is whether God's people will be prepared when they arrive. If you desire to become part of the remnant that remains faithful, fruitful, and victorious in the last days, this teaching is for you. Topics Covered in This Episode Why God always warns before judgment The biblical pattern of remnant preservation Lessons from Noah's preparation before the Flood Joseph's strategy during years of abundance and famine Why spiritual preparation must come before crisis Hearing the voice of God in an age of deception Building discernment through Scripture and prayer The dangers of modern spiritual confusion Covenant fidelity and kingdom authority The importance of the fear of the Lord Strengthening the inner man for difficult times Biblical principles of practical preparation Why Christian community matters in times of crisis Developing endurance and perseverance Learning contentment outside of Babylon's system Preparing spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically for the future Timeline 00:00 Introduction and opening remarks 03:20 Proverbs 22:3 – The prudent see danger and prepare 07:15 God always warns before judgment 11:08 Noah's preparation and the principle of faithful obedience 19:45 Learning to hear the voice of God 27:20 The dangers of spiritual deception and misinformation 34:10 Faith, obedience, and biblical preparation 42:35 Breaking free from spiritual strongholds and false doctrine 52:10 Covenant faithfulness and kingdom authority 59:30 The importance of spiritual discernment 1:06:40 Strengthening the inner man 1:12:15 Worship, prayer, fasting, and spiritual endurance 1:20:05 The armor of God and preparing before battle 1:25:40 Building healthy remnant communities 1:33:10 Economic wisdom and practical preparation 1:39:25 Perseverance, endurance, and overcoming 1:45:00 Final encouragement and prayer Scriptures Discussed Proverbs 22:3 Genesis 6–9 Genesis 41 Deuteronomy 28 Psalm 91 Matthew 24 Ephesians 3:16 Ephesians 6:10-18 Hebrews 10:23-25 Revelation 2–3 2 Thessalonians 2 James 1 Proverbs 6:6-8 Proverbs 21:20 Partner With Biblical Life Biblical Life TV and Kingdom Intelligence Briefing exist to equip, inform, and empower the remnant for the last days through uncompromising biblical teaching, kingdom discipleship, and prophetic insight grounded in the Word of God. If these teachings are strengthening your walk with Messiah, helping you discern the times, and preparing you and your family for the days ahead, we invite you to prayerfully partner with us. Your faithful support helps us continue producing free content, publishing biblical resources, and reaching believers around the world with the truth of God's Word. To support the ministry: Biblical Life P.O. Box 160 Seymour, MO 65746-0160 Or visit: Biblical Life Online Store & Giving Stay Connected

Preaching The Word - God's Chosen Delivery Method

Kelsi interviews Pastor Brian W. Thomas about his latest book with 1517 Publishing, By Water and the Word: God's Gift of Baptism for You at the latest Northwest Arkansas HWSS conference. The book serves as a visual and written guide to the Lutheran view of baptism which Kelsi and Brian both argue lines up with the Scriptural view of baptism. Brian W. Thomas is the pastor of Grace Lutheran in San Diego, California. He frequently contributes to 1517 and has written several books, including Wittenberg vs. Geneva: A Biblical Bout in Seven Rounds on Doctrines that Divide and Clothed with Christ: A Biblical Style Guide for Sinners.Show Notes:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support 1517 Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 on Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Events Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Academy - Free Theological Education⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Kelsi:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kelsi Klembara⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kelsi on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kelsi on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kelsi's Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the Show:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠More from Brian: Purchase By Water and the Word

Join Us for our Sunday Worship Service @10am Streaming on Facebook and Youtube. Looking forward to you Joining Us!    

The World's Perspective: The pastor notes that many, even within the church, mistake living well for having material wealth, a nice home, or a successful career. A Biblical Perspective: True living well means living in "hope of eternal life" and being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. This is an active, ongoing process rather than a one-time achievement. Core Themes of the Sermon The Importance of Focus: To live well, believers must shift their affection from the things of this world to "things above," keeping their hearts and minds centered on eternity. Intentional Investment: Spiritual growth, especially in children, does not happen by accident. The pastor stresses that parents must be purposeful in teaching the gospel and model spiritual disciplines like prayer and church attendance. The Power of the Word: God's eternal plan for salvation was made manifest through the "proclamation of His word," specifically through preaching. The Necessity of Family and Community: The pastor highlights that no one is meant to live the Christian life alone. "Living well" requires being part of the "family of God," which provides support, encouragement, and edification

Join Us for our Sunday Worship Service @10am Streaming on Facebook and Youtube. Looking forward to you Joining Us!    

Join Us for our Sunday Worship Service @10am Streaming on Facebook and Youtube. Looking forward to you Joining Us!    

Date: Sunday, April 19th 2026Speaker: Pastor Greg HillScripture: Hebrews 4:11-16Additional scripture references: Hebrews 4:11-16, Hebrews 9:27, 1 John 1:9, Isaiah 40:8; John 17:17; Deuteronomy 8:3; John 1:1-14; Psalm 19:7-11Attributes of the Word of God:1. The Word of God is Eternal- Psalm 119:89; Isa 40:8; Matthew 24:35; I Peter 1:25;2. The Word of God is Powerful- Heb 4:12; Jer 23:29; Isa 55:11; II Cor 10:4-5; 3. The Word of God Gives Light-  Psalm 119:105,130; Pro 6:23; II Peter 1:19; 4. The Word of God Brings Life- Deut 8:3; Matthew 4:4; I Peter 2:2;  James 1:185. The Word of God Strengthens-  Eph 6:17; Psalm 119:11; Matthew 4:1-116. The Word of God is Truth- John 17:17; Psalm 119:160; Pro 30:5; Col 3:167. The Word God is to be Preached- II Tim 4:2; Acts 6:7; 12:24; Rom 10:178. The Word is to be Obeyed-  James 1:22; Luke 11:28; John 14:239. Jesus is the Word of God- John 1:1; John 1:14; Rev 19:1310. Scripture God Breathed- II Tim 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21

Join Us for our Sunday Worship Service @10am Streaming on Facebook and Youtube. Looking forward to you Joining Us!    

Brethren, [with all] my heart's desire and goodwill for [Israel], I long and pray to God that they may be saved. 2 I bear them witness that they have a [certain] zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to [correct and vital] knowledge. 3 For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes [which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought, and deed] and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him. 5 For Moses writes that the man who [can] practice the righteousness (perfect conformity to God's will) which is based on the Law [with all its intricate demands] shall live by it. 6 But the righteousness based on faith [imputed by God and bringing right relationship with Him] says, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into Heaven? that is, to bring Christ down; 7 Or who will descend into the abyss? that is, to bring Christ up from the dead [as if we could be saved by our own efforts]. 8 But what does it say? The Word (God's message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach, 9 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation. 11 The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed. 12 [No one] for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith]. 13 For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved. 14 But how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed [in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance]? And how are they to believe in Him [adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him] of Whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? 15 And how can men [be expected to] preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings! [How welcome is the coming of those who preach the good news of His good things!] 16 But they have not all heeded the Gospel; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed (had faith in) what he has heard from us? 17 So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself). 18 But I ask, Have they not heard? Indeed they have; [for the Scripture says] Their voice [that of nature bearing God's message] has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the far bounds of the world. 19 Again I ask, Did Israel not understand? [Did the Jews have no warning that the Gospel was to go forth to the Gentiles, to all the earth?] First, there is Moses who says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry. 20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek Me; I have shown (revealed) Myself to those who did not [consciously] ask for Me. 21 But of Israel he says, All day long I have stretched out My hands to a people unyielding and disobedient and self-willed [to a faultfinding, contrary, and contradicting people].

Brethren, [with all] my heart's desire and goodwill for [Israel], I long and pray to God that they may be saved.2 I bear them witness that they have a [certain] zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to [correct and vital] knowledge.3 For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes [which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought, and deed] and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness.4 For Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him.5 For Moses writes that the man who [can] practice the righteousness (perfect conformity to God's will) which is based on the Law [with all its intricate demands] shall live by it.6 But the righteousness based on faith [imputed by God and bringing right relationship with Him] says, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into Heaven? that is, to bring Christ down;7 Or who will descend into the abyss? that is, to bring Christ up from the dead [as if we could be saved by our own efforts].8 But what does it say? The Word (God's message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach,9 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.11 The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.12 [No one] for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith].13 For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.14 But how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed [in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance]? And how are they to believe in Him [adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him] of Whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?15 And how can men [be expected to] preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings! [How welcome is the coming of those who preach the good news of His good things!]16 But they have not all heeded the Gospel; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed (had faith in) what he has heard from us?17 So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself).18 But I ask, Have they not heard? Indeed they have; [for the Scripture says] Their voice [that of nature bearing God's message] has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the far bounds of the world.19 Again I ask, Did Israel not understand? [Did the Jews have no warning that the Gospel was to go forth to the Gentiles, to all the earth?] First, there is Moses who says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek Me; I have shown (revealed) Myself to those who did not [consciously] ask for Me.21 But of Israel he says, All day long I have stretched out My hands to a people unyielding and disobedient and self-willed [to a faultfinding, contrary, and contradicting people].

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.Today's readings are Deuteronomy 25-27, Psalm 86.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17) When the word of Christ dwells richly in you—shaping your mind, guiding your heart, and influencing your actions—it naturally flows into this: whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. This isn't about tacking on “in Jesus' name” to your speech. It's about living in such close union with Him that His character governs both what you say and what you do. Words and deeds go together—speech without action is hypocrisy, and action without truth is empty. When we are mindful of God, His Word influences the smallest details of our lives. And when everything is done in His name, gratitude becomes the constant soundtrack of our days. James reminds us that every good gift comes from the Father of lights. The more we notice those gifts, the more thanksgiving overflows—and the more thanksgiving overflows, the less space anxiety has to live in us. This is a cycle worth engaging in and guarding: Richly indwelling Word → God-shaped actions → thanksgiving → peace → more desire for richly indwelling word. As that cycle continues, living for God isn't a striving effort—it's the natural rhythm of a heart hidden in Christ.

Brethren, [with all] my heart's desire and goodwill for [Israel], I long and pray to God that they may be saved. 2 I bear them witness that they have a [certain] zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to [correct and vital] knowledge. 3 For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes [which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought, and deed] and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him. 5 For Moses writes that the man who [can] practice the righteousness (perfect conformity to God's will) which is based on the Law [with all its intricate demands] shall live by it. 6 But the righteousness based on faith [imputed by God and bringing right relationship with Him] says, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into Heaven? that is, to bring Christ down; 7 Or who will descend into the abyss? that is, to bring Christ up from the dead [as if we could be saved by our own efforts]. 8 But what does it say? The Word (God's message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach, 9 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation. 11 The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed. 12 [No one] for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith]. 13 For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved. 14 But how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed [in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance]? And how are they to believe in Him [adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him] of Whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? 15 And how can men [be expected to] preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings! [How welcome is the coming of those who preach the good news of His good things!] 16 But they have not all heeded the Gospel; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed (had faith in) what he has heard from us? 17 So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself). 18 But I ask, Have they not heard? Indeed they have; [for the Scripture says] Their voice [that of nature bearing God's message] has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the far bounds of the world. 19 Again I ask, Did Israel not understand? [Did the Jews have no warning that the Gospel was to go forth to the Gentiles, to all the earth?] First, there is Moses who says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry. 20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek Me; I have shown (revealed) Myself to those who did not [consciously] ask for Me. 21 But of Israel he says, All day long I have stretched out My hands to a people unyielding and disobedient and self-willed [to a faultfinding, contrary, and contradicting people].

What is God doing in this season? In this Weekly Word, Dr. Candice Smithyman shares a prophetic message for the month of Nisan, the season of Passover, cleansing, consecration, and preparation for increase. This is a time to let God purify your temple, remove old leaven, and bring your spirit, soul, and body into alignment with His will. Dr. Candice teaches on Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the power of Jesus as our Passover Lamb. She shares why this season is connected to promotion, inheritance, healing, and breakthrough, and why purity matters more than perfection right now. Prayer, fasting, and giving are key in this window. This word is for those who know God is doing a deep work and getting them ready for what is next.Watch and share with someone who needs this encouragement today.RESOURCES MENTIONED • Cracking the Time Code https://www.candicesmithyman.com/shop/p/preorder-cracking-the-time-code-step-into-supernatural-acceleration-stop-cycles-of-delay-and-secure-gods-promises-today • New Eternal Kingdom Order Course https://dream-mentors-transformational-life-coaching.teachable.com/p/the-new-eternal-kingdom-order-courseDream Mentors Biblical Life Coaching Certification Learn more: https://dreammentors.org • Hebrew Calendar & Torah Reading ResourcesGet your Wall Calendar and copy of “365 Prophetic Revelations from the Hebrew Calendar”Www.candicesmithyman.com or out of USA go to https://amzn.to4aQYoR0FREE Mentoring Call – April 27 at 10 AM & 6 PM ESTFREE impartation & activation monthlyREGISTER HERE- http://bit.ly/4gfRKXmPodcast: Manifest His Presence on Spotify Events & Itinerary: https://candicesmithyman.com/events Visit: CandiceSmithyman.com for books, courses, & prophetic resourcesJoin Dr. Candice Smithyman's FREE Ascend prophetic calls every month for spiritual teaching and prophetic insight.

Please follow and Like this episode. It helps a lot."Humbled Through Confusion" where Anita discusses God's Omniscience vs. our arrogance. #AnitaSpeaks #BibleStudy #PersonalGrowthShow RunnerIf God is not the author of confusion, why are churches confused?Does God use confusion as a weapon?Are there times when God will throw someone into confusion?What does it mean to be confused in your faith?How can a believer identify a confused person?Anita is a teacher who provides practical discussions around the Word God.

How Christians Fight Temptation with the Word of God Show: Anchored in the Word with Dave Jenkins Ministry: Servants of Grace Episode: Weekly Q&A Segment Date: 3/12/2026 Show Summary Question: How can Christians fight temptation with the truth of the Word of God? Every believer faces temptation, especially when tired, discouraged, lonely, or distracted. In this episode, Dave Jenkins explains how Scripture equips Christians to resist temptation by exposing lies, renewing the mind, and strengthening obedience. Drawing from Matthew 4:1–11, James 1:13–15, Ephesians 6:17, and 1 Corinthians 10:13, this episode shows why we fight temptation not with mere willpower, but with the Word of God. Audio Player Video Player Key Scriptures Matthew 4:1–11 James 1:13–15 1 Corinthians 10:13 Ephesians 6:17 Genesis 3 Psalm 1:2–3 Psalm 119:11 1 John 1:9 Episode Highlights Temptation is common to every Christian, but how we respond matters. Jesus answered Satan's temptations with Scripture: “It is written.” Scripture is the sword of the Spirit—meant to be used, not left sheathed. Temptation begins by questioning God's goodness and offering shortcuts. God promises a way of escape and grace for believers who struggle. Episode Notes Temptation whispers lies, but Scripture answers with truth. When believers feel weary, discouraged, or isolated, temptation often presses harder. Yet Scripture teaches that temptation is not defeated by emotion or mere willpower, but by trusting and applying God's Word. In Matthew 4:1–11, Jesus resisted every temptation by responding with the truth of Scripture. The same Word that strengthened Christ in the wilderness is the Word God has given to His people today. The Bible is not merely information—it is a weapon in spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:17). Temptation targets desire, offering shortcuts to what God gives rightly, and often begins by questioning the goodness of God (Genesis 3). But Scripture exposes the lie behind temptation, renews the mind, and strengthens obedience. We fight temptation not with self-reliance, but with the Word of God. Practical Ways to Fight Temptation with the Word Know the Word: Familiarity precedes effectiveness. Spend time daily in Scripture: Even 5–10 minutes builds spiritual strength. Meditate on Scripture: Let God's Word shape your desires (Psalm 1:2–3). Memorize Scripture: Especially in areas of weakness (Psalm 119:11). Pray Scripture: Turn God's promises into prayer. Speak Scripture aloud when tempted: Following Jesus' example in Matthew 4. Takeaways & Reflection Questions Where are you most vulnerable to temptation when you're tired, discouraged, or alone? What specific lie does temptation often use against you, and what Scripture answers it? What passage can you begin memorizing this week to strengthen your fight? How can you build a daily rhythm of Scripture intake and meditation? Next Week Next week we'll continue this theme and answer an important question: What should I do if I'm struggling with lust or pornography? If that's where you are, please know you're not alone—and Scripture speaks clearly with real hope. Call to Action If this episode helped you, please subscribe to the Servants of Grace Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and subscribe on YouTube. For more from Anchored in the Word please visit our page at Servants of Grace or at our YouTube. 

In this episode, Brady from Apokalipsus Historia shares a deep dive into the etymology of "God," exploring its possible Odinic roots, linguistic connections, and cultural implications. This conversation sheds light on how language encodes ancestral and mythological stories that shape our worldview today.Greyhorn Pagans:Support us on PatreonWebsiteSupport FireFaeBrady/Apokalupsis Historia:SubstackYouTube ChannelPodcast recorded with Riverside Studios:Join RiversideMusic from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):Best Free Music in TownKey Topics:The etymology of "God" from Proto-Indo-European roots related to pouring, libation, and sacrificeThe connection between Odin's names (like Gotter) and the Christian deityHow place names like Goth and Gotland reflect ancient associations with rivers, gushing waters, and possibly the divineThe linguistic evolution of Odin's name in Germanic and Latin sourcesThe symbolic significance of sacrifices, libations, and water in pagan and Odinic traditionsThe potential pun and link between "Goth" and Odin, emphasizing the idea of "Father" or "Creator"The cultural importance of horses, trees, and blood offerings in Goth and Norse contextsThe influence of linguistic and mythic connections on modern Gothic architecture, literature, and media imageryBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/greyhorn-pagans-podcast--6047518/support.Make sure to subscribe to our Patreon for more!Greyhorn Pagans Patreon

Please follow and share this episode. Doing so helps a lot!Show runner:Three stories about Nic (Nicodemus) Cai (Caiaphas) and Joe (Joseph) and their involvement with Jesus.Why come in the the dark?Why did Jesus have die?Why was the new tomb needed?This channel is open to all and meant for Christian believers who want to learn about the Bible. Anita L. Helm explains the Scriptures as teacher with simple language. She is not a minister and provides practical discussions around the Word God.

Welcome to Wellspring Church!As we enter the season of Lent, Pastor Kyle Stanton invites us to see the wilderness not as the destination, but as the path. The goal is deeper communion with God. Looking at Jesus' baptism in Luke 3 and His temptations in the wilderness, we're reminded that before Jesus did anything, He was affirmed by the Father and filled with the Spirit.Jesus faced real temptations—to be self-sufficient, to be spectacular, and to seize power—but He resisted them by resting in the Father's voice. In the same way, Lent becomes a season where our false voices are stripped away so we can hear the one true Word God speaks over us.

God is awakening a fresh hunger in His Church—and it's not optional if you want to be part of what's coming.In this prophetic word for 2026, we share what the Lord spoke clearly: “2026 is the Year of the Word.” This isn't just a theme—it's a divine invitation back to the living voice of God.If you've felt spiritually dry, distracted, or hungry for more, this message will stir your faith and call you back to Scripture, intimacy with Jesus, and boldness in the Holy Spirit.

In this week's message from James 1:19–27, we shift from enduring trials to growing through them. James reminds us that adversity is no excuse for immaturity—and that real spiritual growth happens when we allow God's Word to do its work in us.We'll talk about our natural knee-jerk reactions when we feel provoked or hurt, and how maturity looks different: being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. James teaches that unchecked anger doesn't produce the righteousness God desires, and that humility is the posture that helps us receive the Word God has planted in our hearts.But James doesn't stop at hearing—he calls us to action. We'll explore what it means to move from being a listener to becoming a doer, because transformation doesn't come from information alone. Like looking into a mirror, God's Word reveals what needs to change—and blessing comes when we respond with obedience.In this message, we'll explore:✔ Why listening more and speaking less is a mark of maturity✔ How anger can hinder spiritual growth✔ What it means to humbly receive the “implanted Word”✔ The difference between hearing the Word and living it✔ Why obedience is how we “work out” what God is working in✔ How building your life on God's Word creates stability in every stormIf you've felt stuck, reactive, or spiritually stalled, this message will encourage you that growth is possible—because God's Word has the power to change you from the inside out.

A message full of gratitude and thanksgiving as we review all God did in the previous year and look ahead to the WORD God has for us in this new year.When it comes to God and His involvement in our lives, we all have a natural reflex, to worship and be grateful or to be forgetful and take His grace for granted. If we can put ourselves in the story and translate that to our lives, we become grateful and thankful in all things. Let's start 2026 with great gratitude, because there's only one way to start Subscribe to the latest sermons: http://bit.ly/TBCsermons To learn more about The Block Church: http://theblockchurch.org/ Stay Connected Facebook: http://bit.ly/2vOiaLa Instagram: http://bit.ly/2nzZNWB Twitter: http://bit.ly/2KEScPL #theblockchurch #ChurchOnline #Onlinechurch

On today's podcast, we share a short word from Apostle Chuck Pierce where the Lord showed him that He was extending a "rope of hope" to all of us at this time. 

Returning To The Word God Gave Us.. | The Oil Was On THIS | The Basement #1

In the beginning, God... but what does that actually mean for us today?In this first sermon of our new series at Central Baptist Church in Maysville, KY, Pastor Adam Burton dives into the very first sentences of the Bible (Genesis 1:1-2). We explore the profound implications of "The First Word" and what it tells us about the nature of God, the origin of the universe, and how order is brought out of chaos.If you have ever wondered about the origins of faith or why the creation story matters in the modern world, this message is the starting point.Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2In This Video:0:00 - Opening0:41 - Introduction: The Starbucks Mistake3:04 - The Myth of "Customizing" Your Truth5:02 - Point 1: God Owns Everything (Genesis 1:1)8:44 - Why We Need Boundaries (The Football Analogy)11:18 - Point 2: We Are Empty Without God (Genesis 1:2)14:08 - God Works Best in the Mess (Demo Day)16:54 - Point 3: The Spirit is Hovering Over Your Chaos24:50 - Conclusion: Trusting the Architect27:14 - Closing— STAY CONNECTED — Subscribe for more weekly sermons:  @cbcmaysville  Support this Ministry: https://cbcmaysville.com/giveVisit Website: https://cbcmaysville.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/cbcmaysvilleInstagram: https://instagram.com/centralbaptistmaysvilleX: https://x.com/cbcmaysville— ABOUT THIS SERIES — "Foundations" is a journey through Genesis 1-11, exploring the DNA of Creation. In these ancient texts, we find the blueprint for humanity, sin, redemption, and God's plan for the world.— ABOUT CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH — Central Baptist Church is a community of faith located in Maysville, KY, dedicated to sharing the gospel and building foundations on the Word of God.#Genesis #Creation #BibleStudy #Christianity #FoundationsSeries #MaysvilleKY #AdamBurton

December 28, 2025 | A Good Word: God's Blessing For Us | Part 3 | Rev. Tyler Wilson by

What if one of the most dangerous spiritual forces operating in our culture is about to be confronted, shaken, and brought down? In this urgent prophetic word, Ryan Johnson reveals what the Lord showed him about exposing and overcoming a taunting spirit — a mocking, intimidating force that has pushed believers into discouragement, retreat, or silence. But God is declaring that its influence ends NOW. This is a moment of divine exposure… a moment when the spirit will lose its grip, and the people of God will rise with renewed boldness and clarity.Across culture, media, government, and digital platforms, this mocking spirit has attempted to challenge God's purposes. Yet 2026 will function as a prophetic “David's Roar” season — a time when the Lord commissions His people to confront Goliaths with supernatural confidence. This message unpacks Ryan's prophetic word for 2026, exploring insights and parallels from scripture, and the deeper Hebrew significance behind the number 26 – all revealing and reinforcing what God is saying for the coming year.You'll discover how the taunting Goliath spirit has targeted identity, authority, and endurance. You'll also learn why the Throne Room teaching (identity, empowerment, formation) must be paired with the Battlefield revelation (activation, confrontation, victory) in this next season. When these realms come into alignment, believers step into prophetic activation, prophetic alignment, and a fresh mantle to confront Goliaths, break intimidation, and advance with Kingdom authority.

Step into the wonder of John 1:1–14. Before there were shepherds, angels, or a manger… there was the Word – God the Son stepping into our world. In this message, we explore the cosmic side of Christmas: why the Creator entered his creation, and what it means that “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” If you've ever wanted to see the Christmas story with fresh eyes, or understand why this ancient story still changes lives today, you won't want to miss this message. Subscribe for More: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdBjWoX3iFFfi7rhni6iUxQ?sub_confirmation=1 Learn More on Our Website: https://www.calvary-church.com Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calvarychurchpennsylvania and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calvarychurchpennsylvania #calvary #church #christian #sermon #message #souderton #quakertown #pennsylvania

November 23, 2025 | A Good Word: God's Blessing On Us | Rev. Tyler Wilson by

The dependability of a promise is tied to the integrity and the resources of the one who makes the promise. Did he mean it, can he do it? Did God mean it, can He do it? The Bible says all the promises of God are “yea and amen.” And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie shows us how God’s promises extend to God’s people, including His chosen people. We’ll focus on his promises to the nation Israel, and how those promises can be trusted. Looking for hope or know someone who is? Join Greg Laurie at the Harvest Crusade: Hope for America on November 16! Get event information here. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The dependability of a promise is tied to the integrity and the resources of the one who makes the promise. Did he mean it, can he do it? Did God mean it, can He do it? The Bible says all the promises of God are “yea and amen.” And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie shows us how God’s promises extend to God’s people, including His chosen people. We’ll focus on his promises to the nation Israel, and how those promises can be trusted. Looking for hope or know someone who is? Join Greg Laurie at the Harvest Crusade: Hope for America on November 16! Get event information here. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a world of mistrust, God can be trusted. He can be counted upon. He keeps his promises, he fulfills his word, and he does what he says he will do. God is worthy of your trust, your faith, and your confidence.Main Points:1. The Bible teaches us that God is faithful. This means God is always reliable, all of the time.  He does not fail or forget.  He always keeps his word.  His character is consistent and He never changes.2. Think about the implications of this wonderful truth. If God never changes, his love never changes. His grace never changes. His forgiveness never changes. His power and his presence never change. His ability never changes.3. If you are struggling to trust God, be assured of his character. There is no one like God. He does not change. He will be faithful in your life. Today's Scripture Verses:Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”Psalm 119:89-90 - “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations.”Malachi 3:6, "I the Lord do not change." James 1:17 - “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

This week at Echo Church, Pastor Jason Polk launched a new series through the Gospel of John. He shared how John's gospel is unique—it's not a timeline of events, but an intimate portrait from Jesus' closest friend. In John 1:1–18, we meet Jesus as the Word, the Light, and the Life. Jason explained: The Word – God's final revelation of His heart. The Light – shining in darkness, guiding us forward. The Life – offering freedom, healing, and new creation. The series will unpack Jesus as Son of God, Man of God, and Lamb of God. Today, the focus was on His divinity—Jesus is God Himself, present at creation, now inviting us to believe and become children of God. Want to dive deeper? Join us this Sunday at Echo Church. Don't miss it!

Xavier Worthy was a pure game changer yesterday... The whole team looked different. We talk to former linebacker and all time Chiefs leading tackler Derrick Johnson about the dominant performance.

In this solo episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal tackles the concerning theological trend of "Divine Council Theology" and its recent resurgence within Reformed circles. He offers a critical analysis of Michael Heiser's influential work and its problematic popularization by Reformed figures like Doug Van Dorn and John Moffitt. Tony demonstrates how redefining the biblical term "Elohim" to include both God and created spiritual beings in the same ontological category fundamentally undermines the creator-creature distinction essential to Christian orthodoxy. Through careful examination of systematic theological categories, communicable and incommunicable attributes, and implications for Christology, he reveals why this seemingly academic redefinition poses serious threats to biblical monotheism and classical Reformed theology. Key Takeaways Divine Council Theology, popularized by Michael Heiser and now being promoted within Reformed circles, attempts to redefine "Elohim" as a functional category that includes both God and created spiritual beings. This theological trend commits an etymological fallacy by redefining the predominant usage of "Elohim" (which refers to the God of Israel in ~2,300 of 2,600 occurrences) based on minority usages. The approach dangerously blurs the fundamental creator-creature distinction that is essential to Christian monotheism and orthodox theology. Proponents incorrectly classify divine power as a communicable attribute rather than recognizing omnipotence as an incommunicable attribute that cannot be shared with creatures. The theological system makes problematic analogies to the incarnation, showing a confused understanding of the hypostatic union and potentially opening the door to Arian implications. This theology represents a concerning return to concepts the early church fathers fought against when confronting pagan Greek thought, rather than a retrieval of biblical teaching. Departing from the "pattern of sound words" handed down through church history in favor of novel interpretations should raise significant warning flags. Key Concepts The Creator-Creature Distinction The most fundamental division in Christian theology is not between spiritual and material beings, but between the uncreated Creator and everything else that exists. Divine Council Theology dangerously undermines this distinction by placing God and created spiritual beings in the same category of "Elohim." While proponents acknowledge God as the uncreated Creator, they nevertheless insist on categorizing Him alongside angels, demons, and other spiritual entities based on shared attributes of power or function. This categorization system parallels pagan worldviews more than biblical theology, where God exists in a class of one. By defining "Elohim" as a functional category related to spiritual power rather than an ontological one, this approach inadvertently returns to a hierarchical view of spiritual beings with God merely at the "top of the totem pole" rather than in an entirely separate and unique category of existence. This framework subtly but significantly undermines biblical monotheism by suggesting God shares a fundamental nature with His creatures. Communicable vs. Incommunicable Attributes Divine Council Theology mishandles the traditional theological distinction between God's communicable and incommunicable attributes. In classical Reformed theology, communicable attributes (like love or wisdom) can be shared with creatures in a limited, analogical way, while incommunicable attributes (like omnipotence, eternality, or divine simplicity) belong exclusively to God and cannot be shared without making the creature into God. Proponents of Divine Council Theology erroneously suggest that the power denoted by "Elohim" is a communicable attribute that God shares with spiritual beings, rather than recognizing omnipotence as properly incommunicable. This misclassification creates theological incoherence: if God could truly share His omnipotence with creatures, those creatures would effectively become equal to God in power, creating the logical impossibility of multiple omnipotent beings. This confusion of categories demonstrates how this theological system fails to maintain proper distinctions that are essential for preserving the uniqueness and transcendence of God in Christian theology. Memorable Quotes "Christianity and biblical Judaism—the primary distinction is not between spiritual and matter... The primary distinction when we're talking about the most absolute line is the distinction between the uncreated creator and his creation." "Rather than rely on the safe time-tested words and concepts that have been proven and validated, and attacked and defended and have been victorious for hundreds and thousands of years... Moffitt and Van Dorn think it is smarter and safer to depart from the pattern of sound words rather than to keep the pattern of sound words because they think that they are able to look at the Bible the way basically no one ever has in the 2000 years of the church and find something they haven't." "These teachings are pagan. This is talking about returning to a world populated by spiritual beings, and God is kind of just on the highest part of the totem pole... We're just returning to something that the early church fought hard to get rid of when they came out of their pagan culture." Resources Mentioned Reformed Arsenal article series on Divine Council Theology Full Transcript [00:00:24] Introduction and Episode Setup Tony Arsenal: Welcome to episode 461 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I am Tony, and today it's just me. Hey, brothers and sisters. We had a little bit of a scheduling conflict this week, so Jesse is taking the week off and uh, it gives me an opportunity to talk about something that I've been doing a little bit of research on. [00:00:47] Affirmations and Denials Tony Arsenal: Hopefully the listener has noticed that Jesse and I have been trying to keep our affirmations and denials a little bit tighter so we can get into the meat of the episode a little bit quicker. But occasionally we do run into a denial, usually a denial, but we run into a denial that, uh, we often say this could be an episode of its own. And so today is one of those episodes. So I'm not gonna give you my normal affirmation or denial. I'm just gonna jump into it. Now this is gonna be a little bit off the cuff. I've been doing some research, so I may not have as much of the receipts as the kids say, um, as I normally would. But I am writing a series of articles on this issue over@reformedarsenal.com. I'll make sure to put the link to the first article in the show notes. All of the receipts are there, all of the timestamps for the podcast episodes that I'll be. Discussing your critiquing. Are there citations for research work that I'm doing? All that stuff is there. So if you're interested in digging into the meet and you're the kind of guy who, or girl who likes to nerd out in the footnotes, then head over to uh reformed arsenal.com. You'll find the series pretty quick. [00:01:56] Introduction to Divine Counsel Theology Tony Arsenal: What I wanted to talk about today, and I'm glad we have kind of a whole episode, uh, to talk about it, is a movement, uh, that has some foothold in reformed theology. Uh, it's not new, uh, it didn't start in reformed theology, but for some reason, uh, those who are within our orbits tend to be a little bit enamored by this kind of theology. I'm not exactly sure why. [00:02:19] Michael Heiser's Influence Tony Arsenal: This theology is often called Divine Counsel Theology, and it was really, um, you know, it's not entirely new even with, with this figure, but it was really made popular and sort of, um, spread about and made accessible by the late Michael Heiser. Um, part of this is because he was just a very winsome, uh, guy. He took. Sort of highfalutin academic concepts and was able to bring them down to, uh, to an understandable level, including things like ancient near Eastern context, biblical, you know, ex of Jesus Hebrew language, other ancient near Eastern languages, which of course, that's that kind of stuff is what this podcast is all about, taking difficult, sometimes technical concepts. Talking about them, translating them into kind of the language that everybody else speaks. So that project was fine. The issue is the direction that he goes with a lot of the theology. So Michael Heiser writes a book called Unseen Realms, which is seen as kind of a retrieval of the supernatural mindset and worldview of the Bible. Uh, there's a lot to be commended about that, uh, enterprise, about that intention. I do agree with part of what he has to say when he says that we've lost a lot of the supernatural context of the Bible. Um, but I think where he goes with it is a direction that we really ought not go and we'll dig into it. [00:03:43] Critique of Reformed Fringe Podcast Tony Arsenal: The reason this is coming up now is because recently there's been a series of articles and podcasts put out by a show called The Reformed Fringe. Uh, some if you're in the Telegram chat, which you can join at, uh, t Me slash Reformed Brotherhood. You've already seen some of this stuff. We've already talked about it a little bit. But the Reformed Fringe is a podcast that sort of tries to fill a space that's something like Haunted Cosmos, which we've talked about before. Um, fills sort of looking at the weird fringe kind of things in the world. Ghosts, paranormal activity, trying to explain it through a biblical, uh, lens or worldview. Again, that's a commendable. Effort. There are strange things that happen in our world that are not easily explainable or at all explainable by natural, uh, naturalistic means. And so coming to those things with the Bible as our, uh, rubric to instruct us on how the world works is a commendable thing. But again, this project, which is by and large, um, and we'll get into maybe, but by and large is just an extension of, um, Heiser's project really goes in directions that cause all sorts of problems down the road. So the podcast is, uh, run by a guy named Doug Van Dorn, who most of the audience probably hasn't heard of. I have had run-ins with Doug over the years. Um, the last time I ran into him actually was revolving around similar kinds of issues that I'm gonna be calling out today. Um, and it, it ended up with him kind of having to depart from the reform pub, uh, maybe to put it a little bit politely and, um. You know, he has, he has taken, he's theology, which was not explicitly reformed. Heiser was not a reformed guy. He had no claims to be a Calvinist in many ways. Uh, he was sort of anticon confessional in, in that he opposed not the idea of a faith statement, but he sort of purported to come to the Bible with no biases, with no tradition. He wanted to approach what he called the Naked Bible. That was actually the name of his podcast before he died a few years ago. And so what Doug Van Dorn is, has done who, uh, Doug is a claims to be a 1689 Reformed Baptist. He's a pastor in Colorado, I believe. Um, he has tried to take this divine counsel theology and bring it into the reformed world. So he comes at it with a, a slightly different angle, but for the most part, his conclusions are the same. And in many cases he just straight up steals ER's work and doesn't cite it, doesn't do much to, uh, articulate that this is not his original research. Um, so he's taken that and he's trying to bring it into the reformed world. And Heiser himself was actually quite influential when I was a, an admin in the reform pub. We would run into lots of, lots of young reformed guys. Who were really enamored with this and they really saw, he's project as sort of a return to a pure form of exo Jesus that really got at what the Hebrew was saying. And it tickled, I think, kind of an intellectual, uh, an intellectual itch that a lot of those guys had combined with sort of this desire for the new and novel, um, which is in itself can be pretty dangerous. To sort of make things a little bit more pressing, Heiser has teamed up with John Moffitt, who many of our listeners may know. Uh, he's one of the co-hosts and founders of the podcast, Theo Cast, uh, which otherwise is a perfectly fine podcast. Um, he's also a 1680 or claims to be a 1689 Reform Baptist. He's a pastor. Um, their podcast is sort of what you would get if you had, uh, and I don't mean this to be pejorative, although maybe it is a little pejorative. Theo cast is what you would get if you took r Scott Clark. Uh, you made it much less intellectual and careful, and then made it Baptist. And what I mean by that is Scott's whole project. In large part is to recover and to emphasize the law gospel distinction. Theo cast has taken that and sort of cranked it up to 11. Uh, and they have um, they have sort of moved away from a lot of the classical reform distinctions of the law itself, so they don't full on deny the third use of the law. But in practice they would say that, um, good works is no kind of evidence whatsoever for your, um, for your faith. It's no kind of evidence of your, your salvation, which of course are confessions themselves. Um, say that there is a kind of evidential value to assessing our good works within certain reason and con. So the show is otherwise orthodox. You know, I I, I recall hearing episodes where they were refuting things like EFS, um, but because of that, Moffitt brings with him sort of an air of credibility and an error in orthodoxy that, um, the show itself probably hasn't merited. If Doug just recorded, pushed, play and put it on the. I don't think there would've been too much, uh, too much of a following. He would've probably, you know, grabbed a couple people who heard it and thought it was interesting. But because Moffitt has such a following on Theo cast, he brings with him a large audience, and that makes it particularly dangerous because his name attached to it makes it more widespread. It makes it feel like it's safer. And so I think a lot of people, uh, assume that what he's saying is orthodox and good. And I think what we'll find out is, is that it's not. So I think that's enough ProGo. [00:09:10] Elohim and Its Implications Tony Arsenal: I'm gonna go ahead and, and jump into explaining kind of what the theology that we're talking about is and, and what the problems are. So this all started kicked off, uh, with a series of podcast episodes and the first episode, and again, I don't have the specific titles here. I'll put a bibliography in the show notes on this one just so you have links to all the relevant episodes. Um, this all kind of kicked off with a podcast episode called something like The History of the Word God, or something like that. And, um, basically what Moffitt and Van Dorn want to do is they wanna look at the word Elohim in the Bible, which of course is a plural noun. Uh, in Hebrew, the, the suffix, just like in English, we might add an S or an ES, um, to a word to make it plural. Or in Greek, it's usually, if it's a masculine, uh, noun, it's, it's an oi or an omicron iota that sort of always sound at the end. Um, or when we, we talk about Latin, you have, you have like, um, you add the I at the end, so we say octopi instead of octopuses or something like that. Cacti instead of cactus. Although both of those are kind of pig Latins, um, in, in Hebrew for, uh, for masculine nouns. The suffix that you add to make it plural, is that eam sound. It's a, it's an Im if you transliterate in English. So the word Elohim is a plural of the original noun El which is a proper name for a eury deity. But it came to just be the singular word for, for God. Um, and, and in non-biblical language, we would say in a God. Um, and we do see in English, there are in, in Hebrew, in the Bible, there are places where we see the singular of this. It's kind of an older form, so it doesn't show up as much. Um, but by and large when we see the word Elohim in the Bible. Something like, uh, outta 2,600 references or more than 2,600 references in the Bible. Um, the word Elohim is associated with a single, a singular noun, and it only refers to the God of Israel. What Moffitt and Van Dorn want to do is they want to take this word and they wanna define it based on the abnormal. Uh, use of it. So the vast minority, minority of cases in the Old Testament, the word Elohim refers to the gods or to a non, like what we might say is lower G God, either like the God, Baal, or some sort of collective reference to the gods, the gods of the nation, or something like that. They wanna take the fact that there is this variation in the way the word is used and sort of radically redefine how the Bible uses it. And this, this is what I call and what a lot of people would call an etymological fallacy. So what they're doing is, instead of, uh, looking at the word and defining it based on how it's used in an, in an overwhelming fashion, they're looking at sort of the etymology of the word. And then they're using the fact that there are, uh, some pretty Dr. Dramatically minority cases where the word is used in a different way and they wanna redefine it and say, in, in all or most cases in the Bible actually. This is what the word means. So they look at the word L, which from its root has something to do probably with the, with the word for power or something like that. Um, they wanna look at it. And, you know, if you read someone like Vos in Reformed dogmatics in his volume one, he talks about how when we see the name Elohim for God, it denotes or, or refers to his sort of power, his omnipotence, which is all good and fine, just like we would say Yahweh. Uh, as a proper name refers to God sort of in his covenant role. It's his covenant name, his, his intimate, familial name that he shares, uh, with his people or he reveals to his people. Elohim is a more abstract name and it refers to God's power. Usually we see it in relation to his cre creation. So in Genesis one, um, when it's God created, it's Elohim created, which is also important and relevant for, for later. So what they wanna do is they want to say that Elohim actually. What Act Elohim actually means is it's a reference to a class of beings, spiritual beings, and that that it means sort of any spiritual being that has some type of supernatural power or enhanced power, some sort of spiritual power. They do this by saying that the noun is not an ontological noun, it's actually like a noun of function. Um, so like we would say a, a good example in English would be a painter that's a noun of function. It's a title of function. It any person could be called a painter if they engage in the verbal action of painting. And so what they're saying is that any being that engages in the action of having power. Is, uh, is an Elohim. And so that would include, in narrating at least, it would include angels, demons. Uh, I, you know, I don't know that they've said this explicitly, but I, I think Heiser would've included things like ghosts, disembodied spirits, um, humans in sort of the intermediary state might be considered Elohim humans in the, in the, um, this. Life are called Elohim, uh, in some instances. So, so this is where the Divine Council theology comes from, and that comes from Psalm 82, I think, where there's this council of Elohim that, that Yahweh seems to be speaking to and deliberating with. Or you look at Joe, where the sons of God come and they sort of pulled court in God's heavenly presence. So he would say those are examples where the, the collected Elohim. God being one of the Elohim are somehow gathered in this heavenly divine counsel. Now what this does is just devastating to Christian theology is it takes God who exists in a class of one. The, the, the God of the universe is, is the only uncreated entity in all of of the world. And so when we start to talk, and this is ironic, when we start to talk about the ways to divide up the world, the ancient world, the, the pagan world tended to divide the world between, um. Between spiritual and material. So think of g Gnostics where matter was bad and spirit was good. Or even think of something like, um, the Greek pantheons, the Greek, um, Greek religion, like ancient Greek mythology. You have sort of the spirits and the spiritual world and the gods inhabit a spiritual, have a spiritual existence for the most part. And then you have the physical world where kind of people live, uh, at least while they're alive. Christianity and, and Judaism, at least Biblical Judaism. On the other hand, the, the primary distinction is not between spiritual and matter. There is of course that distinction. There are humans, which are spiritual and material. There are animals which are entirely material, and then there are angels which are entirely spiritual. And so we would say that God is spiritual. So that is a distinction in the world. But the primary distinction when we're talking about the most absolute line is the distinction between the, the uncreated creator and his creation. So what Moffitt, Moffitt and Van Dorn do is instead of observing that biblical distinction, which really all of Christian theology and Christian monotheism rests on, they wanna say that instead, the distinction is between the. Um, is between the Elohim as the sort of spiritual beings and then sort of everything else of the created world, and so they wouldn't deny that God, that Yahweh is. The uncreated creator of all things, but they would say he's an uncreated Elohim and that there is a class of created Elohim. So I don't, I don't think you have to go too far down this road to see what this does. It puts God on the same level as his creatures in at least one way. Um, and I think we'll find out later, uh, as we talk through this, actually it does it in a couple ways that are really, uh, really can be problematic as we go. And so, uh, just let me be clear if all that, if all that Moffitt and Van Dorn were saying, if, if all they said was, um, we can use the word Elohim to describe any creature. Or God that doesn't have a body. Elohim is a synonym for the word spirit. Um, that wouldn't be the wisest way to speak, I don't think. It wouldn't be the, the most, um, felicitous or safe way to talk about the distinction. But it wouldn't be controversial. There'd be nothing wrong with that. It'd just be using a different word. It'd be like if I said, well, instead of the word spirit, I'm gonna use the word bibly bop, you know? So we have. We have God who is bibly bop, and we have the angels who is bibly bop, and humans are biblio bop. And also material, again, not the safest way to talk. There's no reason to use that alternative language when the Bible gives us perfectly legitimate language. Um, but it wouldn't be a problem. But Moffit and Van Dorn go. Way past this and maybe they don't realize it. I've asked them on Twitter, I asked them to clarify. I didn't get a response. So if they are hearing this, which maybe they will, maybe they won't. If they're hearing this, I would really love to get some clarification on some of these questions because I would love nothing more than to be able to say that this was all a big misunderstanding and that actually all they're saying is that there is this spiritual existence. That, um, we can put all things that are spirit without a body or spirit with a body. We can put all those in the same category and call that category Elohim. Again, I don't think that's safe, but if that's all they were doing, that would be fine. But we see in their episodes, and I'm gonna try to grab some quotes, um, from, from some of the articles I've written. But again, go read the articles because this goes way more in depth. It's got timestamps of it. It's got links to their episodes. Don't take my word for it. Go listen to their. Words and, and check, you know, check my math on this. But what they do is they actually start to, in, in an attempt to justify why it's okay to put God in the same category as his creatures. Um, and in at least one way, they start to make some weird statements that have a lot of systematic theology, um, implications that are, are just really, really risky. So, for example, one of the ways that they try to kind of explain this, I'm gonna pull, pull the article that I wrote up here. So, great podcasting. [00:19:34] Communicable vs. Incommunicable Attributes Tony Arsenal: Um, one of the ways they start to try to do this is again, they, they wanna say they use this distinction between incommunicable and communicable attributes, right? So in, in Christian theology, classically speaking, a communicable attribute of God is an attribute that he shares or could share with. A creature and primarily we're talking, you know, we're talking about attributes that he shares with his image bearers. So something like, um, love. Love is a communicable attribute. Our love is different than God's love, but when we say love, we're talking about the same basic category of things God loves differently than we do. But love and in a human sense, and love in a, in a divine sense, are still talking about the same thing. There's a point of contact there. Um, an incommunicable attribute would be something like, um, something like eternity. Right. Eternity is not just an extended infinite sequence of time. If it was, he could share that with us. Um, but eternity or infinity is an entirely different way of existing than a creature could ever, could ever exist in divine Simplicity is another example. Um, God could not make humans simple because simplicity entails all sorts of things like infinity. Um, eternality. Um, you know, omnipresence, omni, potent, all of these things are entailed by simplicity. So God could not make a creature infinite because in order for it to be infinite, it would have to be God. Uh, God could not make a creature simple, uh, in the, in the sense of no composition of parts. Uh, because that would mean that that creature is actually God and has no composer. So, so those would be the classic, uh, incommunicable attributes and omnipotence. Is considered, although it's a little bit weird, it sort of crosses the line in some ways. But omnipotence is considered. An incommunicable attribute. God cannot share his omnipotence with a creature because you can't have two omnipotence. Um, if you have two omnipotence, then those two omnipotence cancel each other out in some sense. If God, and, and, and he has a will, God wills one thing, and then I as a creature, if he shared his omnipotence with me, somehow willed a different thing, then we would no longer be, neither of us would be omnipotent. Where this goes sideways with Moffitt and Vandorn is rather than respect omnipotence as a an incommunicable attribute, they say that the attribute or the word Elohim denotes power or might, and that is a communicable attribute. So God does give us a certain level of power. He allows us a certain level of agency. He grants that to us. Again, I'm not even sure that we would call that an an. A communicable attribute. Um, but in a sense, I guess it is. And so they say here, um, Elohim does not mean omnipotent. It means power. It's not an incommunicable attribute. It's a communicable attribute that all kinds of entities could possess. So they're saying that the word, um, the word Elohim, uh, in the Bible denotes that a. A, an entity possesses a certain kind of power or acts in a certain role of executing a certain kind of power. And that doesn't mean omnipotence. It means it means potence. It means some sort of power. And so that that wielding power attribute that. Uh, being a, being that wields power, that attribute, whatever we want to call it, however we want to phrase it, that is a communicable attribute that God shares. He communicates that attribute to all other beings in the class of Elohim. Now, let's just back that up for a second. Um, this still would mean that God has to be the creator and they don't deny that, but it would still mean that God, prior to creation. Was an Elohim in a category of one, and then somehow he created a class and because he's extended. This attribute of wielding power, say power wielder, to try to make it actually more of an attribute. He's extended this attribute of power wielder to uncreate or to created angels, demons, human spirits, whatever other spiritual entities there might be. They would bring in things like principalities, powers, they have a whole, in other, other contexts, they'll talk about this whole different bifurcation of types of spiritual beings that I think is a little speculative, but not a big deal. He extends this power wielder attribute to these created categories. And instead of this now creating a separate category of power wields who are not God, it now is uh, he expands this category of one to now include all sorts of other things, which again, as you can, you can imagine, just runs into problems. And so the, again, this, this word Elohim appears over 2,600 times, and of these instances, 230 of them refer to the God of Israel. So the idea that that. This word is not used specifically as a reference to the God of Israel, or should not be thought of as uniquely titling or almost exclusively titling God. The God of Israel just doesn't really match the data, but it's also just really poor Exogenic method. So rather than take the predominant usage and look at the context. Understanding that the predominant usage is the predominant usage. Instead, we're gonna go back and say, well, these, these minority, these 300 or so cases outside, and not even all 300 of them are used the same way, but these 300 or so cases of them not referring to the God of Israel, we're gonna use that to redefine the word. Its entirety. It's just poor. It's just poor scholarship. It's overly speculative. Um, I haven't read much of. He's work on this in the primary sources. Um, I, I would venture a guess that Heiser makes a much more robust argument than this. And this is part of the problem. When you take an already speculative, already dangerous theology and you try to pop popularize it when you just don't have the same chops that he did, uh, you end up really making some crass, simplistic arguments that just make you look a little silly. To think we can take 200 or 2,600 instances and redefine 2 20, 300 of them. By the way, it's used 300 of the times Just doesn't make any sense. So it again, if, if all we are saying is that God is spiritual and angels are spiritual and so there is some point of affinity between the two, then that would be okay. That wouldn't be a problem. Again, there's some risk in using the word Elohim in that. Sort of placeholder, but, um, that would be a semantic discussion. What they're doing is far, far deeper and far more problematic than that. [00:26:30] Systematic Theology Concerns Tony Arsenal: And so the, the other thing they do, um, that I think is really dangerous, and I don't have all of the, I haven't finished this article yet, so I don't have all of the timestamps in front of me to, to, to get there, is in attempting to justify this Moffitt, uh, in, in one of the other episodes, he turns to the incarnation as a sort of model. And so he'll say that, you know, the son of God is divine, but he's also human. And the fact that he's human, uh, doesn't therefore mean he's not also uniquely the uncreated creator. I would assume everyone hearing this who listens to this show, uh, which has done many, many episodes on Christology, it's one of our pet projects, is just throwing their listening device across the room because what Moffitt seems to miss entirely is that Christ is not, the sun is not in the category of human. Uh, sort of in a simple sense, Christ is in the category of human because he assumes to himself a second created nature. So what, what the, the analogy he's trying to draw is if the sun can be human without ceasing to be the unique one, uncreated God, then so also can, the whole trinity, I guess, can also be Elohim without ceasing to be the one uncreated God. He even goes so far as to say that there is Uncreated Elohim, and then there is created Elohim, and they're all in the category of Elohim, but because there's this commonality, we should still consider that class. And he draws that distinction or he draws the implication that. Um, there's somehow uncreated humanity in Christ, which is a whole different ball of worms that we won't get into. But in, in drawing this analogy, he sort of shows that he really doesn't understand the hypostatic union. He doesn't understand the incarnation, or if he does, he's really making a poor comparison because in the hypostatic union it's not as though the son, uh, as divinity, the son, as the one uncreated. God simply adds to himself in a raw sense and merges. Uh, he doesn't become part of the category of human without taking on a second nature. And then now we are even getting into some inconsistencies. Is human an ontological category or is that a category of function? Are there other categories of function, uh, other creatures in existence that the category of function human might fit? So I think you can see that this just is not a self consistent. Um, a self-consistent system and it leads to all these weird implications. Um, you know, and then they'll even go on to talk about how the Son is the angel of the Lord. I'm not gonna get into a lot of it here, and I agree with that thesis that the, when we see the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament, in the vast majority of cases, we're probably seeing a pre-incarnate appearance of, um, of the second person of the Trinity. They go so far as to say that this is actually a sort of. Incarnation or a sort of hypostatic union of the Elohim nature. So they, they, they draw this distinction, or they draw this parallel between created Elohim and Uncreated Elohim, and they, they argue again, I think implicitly, but in some instances it's almost, it's almost explicit that the son in, in being the angel of the Lord, takes on the uncreated or takes on the created Elohim nature. It's, it's really, um, it's really problematic. So now we have the son who is, uh, sort of hypostatic united to the unc, to the created Elohim nature, and then also is hypostatic united to the human nature. Um, it, it really just gets messy and it confuses categories in a way that is not helpful. And if I'm just being frank, a lot of the younger reformed guys. And when I say younger, I'm talking, maybe I'm projecting back to when I was a younger reform guy, um, I'm talking about people in their mid twenties to maybe early thirties, right? The, the people who were maybe the second or third generation of the young restless reform guys, they didn't necessarily learn, uh, ref young restless reform theology directly from RC Sproul. You know, they weren't the first generation. Um, and, and maybe their pastors weren't the first generation, but, but maybe their pastors were the second generation and now they're learning it from their pastors. So you might think of 'em as like the third generation, to be frank, they don't usually have a great grasp on some of these systematic theology categories as part of why. Jesse and I do this podcast, and part of why we cover the same topic over and over again, part of why we're gonna go through this parable series. But when we're done, we're probably gonna go back and start over with systematic theology. We're gonna go back, we're gonna go through another confession. That's why we spent, we spent like six years going through systematic theology. And almost immediately went back to the Scott's confession and did most of it all over again because these truths need to be taught again and again and again. This is part of what Jude is talking about when he says, we have to contend for the faith. It's not just fighting with people online. It's not just polemics or apologetics. It is reteaching and handing down the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Again, and this is perhaps, and this is the last point I'll make. This is perhaps the most. Telling a reason we should be weary and suspicious of this theology. Paul, in, uh, one of the letters to Timothy, second Timothy, maybe he says, follow the pattern of the sound words that you heard from me. He's not talking about the scriptures. He doesn't say follow the sound words that I'm writing to you. He's referring to a body of doctrine sometimes. The Bible calls it the faith, right? Jude says to contend for the faith. There's this body of doctrine that is the teaching of the apostles, and it is encapsulated in this sort of set pattern of words. Erin A is called it the rule of faith or the regular fide, right? This is where we get things like the Nicean Creed or the Hanian Creed. Why we have creeds and confessions is because we don't need to reinvent the wheel and rather than rely on the safe time-tested words and concepts that have been proven and validated, and attacked and defended and, and um, have been victorious for hundreds and thousands of years, rather than rely on those. Moffitt and Van Doran think it is smarter and safer to depart from the pattern of sound words rather than to keep the pattern of sound words because they think that they are able to look at the Bible the way basically no one ever has in the 2000 years of the church and find something they haven't. I don't wanna be too bombastic. Um, I don't, I don't know either of them. Well, um, from what I can tell, what I've heard of their professions of faith, uh, they're, they're Christian believers. They love the Lord and are very confused. But these teachings are pagan. This is, we're talking about returning to a world of, of populated by spiritual beings. And God is kind of just on the highest part of the totem pole, and maybe there's a firm line between his place on the totem pole and the, the next level down. Maybe there is, um, gets a little bit less firm of a line when we're talking about Jesus, right? So there's some potential Arian implications there that the son, uh, is not the highest deity he is. He's like the father in some ways, but he, you know, in his sort of original form is like creatures in other ways. Um, we're just returning to something that the early church fought hard to get rid of when they came out of their pagan culture. When we started to see Greeks convert to Christianity, they had to figure out how do we come out of our polytheistic culture, and this is where we get the best defenses of monotheism. Jewish Christians didn't have to argue for monotheism because all the Jewish Christians already were monotheists in a biblical sense. The Greek Christians had to fight this stuff. Justin Martyr had to fight this stuff. Athanasius and the Cappadocian fathers had to fight this stuff constantly pushing back against the background Greek culture. And Moffitt and Van Dorn wanna point to that and say, see, really, they're just Greeks in disguise and in the reality is Athanasius and the cap oceans, were fighting against the theology that is making a resurgence in this divine council theory. [00:34:55] Conclusion and Call to Action Tony Arsenal: So I think that's enough for now. Please. Again, I'm writing a long series on this. I don't know how long it's gonna take. I think it's gonna be probably 10 or 13, 10 to 13 articles. It's, it's gonna be a pretty extensive project. But go read them. Go look at them, listen to their episodes, read their articles, and then you compare that to the word of God, has what I said made more sense or does what they make more sense. So I'll leave you with that. The dog is losing her mind. And uh, with that honor, everyone love the brotherhood.

Sermon Series: Decalogue Preacher: Josh White 9..14.25

Ezra 5-6 | God's word... God's power... God's worship... In the grand scheme of life, you know what we need? More of God's word, and a deeper understanding of how it gives us all things for life and godliness.  We need more awe of the power of God and how supreme He truly is.  And we need to never lose sight that the end of all things is his glory and worship.  Ezra 5 and 6 will give us the reminders we need on each of these. 

Can we trust Jesus, pray, and do nothing? We all know that action out of the flesh causes problems, but does a Word from God provoke action in us? A group discussion on the theology of Rebekah and Jacob and the "ethics" of what they did to Isaac and Esau to yank the wheel of history toward the Word God had spoken at Esau and Jacob's birth.