40 Burst results for "Rome"
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from Would Paul Use the Roman's Road?
"All right, Romans chapter 1 this morning, Romans chapter 1, let's continue our journey through the book of Romans, Romans chapter 1, offer us to actually pick up reading where we, a little bit of where we covered last week, just a few things I want to share here, Romans chapter 1 verse 14 and following as we continue to look at the gospel and the righteousness of God and those are two parallel themes that Paul is emphasizing here, Romans chapter 1, notice verse 14, I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God, notice therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. For notice continued thought here, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made even as eternal power in Godhead so that they are without excuse because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds, four -footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up unto uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. Notice again, verse 14, I am debtor both to the Greeks, to the barbarians, both to the wise and the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. And again, emphasize in verse 16, for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Now, the thought I want to emphasize here today, and I talk about this from time to time, but really I want to look at this again in relation to the Apostle Paul because God the Holy Spirit used the Apostle Paul to write these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So here's the question I want for us to consider today. As you think about soul winning methods, would the Apostle Paul use the Romans road gospel presentation? How many hundreds and thousands of times I've heard somebody emphasize the Romans road gospel presentation? And I want you to consider some of the problems with this type of system. In fact, let's look at the verses in case you're not familiar with it. It's unusual if you're not familiar with the Romans road, but notice Romans 3 10. All right, so chapter one, nothing. Chapter two, nothing. Oh, finally you get to Romans 3 10, as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.
Hearing Jesus: Daily Bible Study
Fresh update on "rome" discussed on Hearing Jesus: Daily Bible Study
"Hey friends, before you go, I want to make sure you know about our Patreon page. The Patreon page is really a place to gain all sorts of resources specifically for the Hearing Jesus podcast and the Hearing Jesus for Kids podcast. There's a specific and dedicated private Facebook group, which is a place for me to interact with you, to pray with you, to answer questions. I'd love it for you to join us there. And there's also another level that gives you the inside scoop on everything else that's going on. The journaling prompts are there. If you've been with us for some time, you know that I usually do journaling prompts that helps us get that information from the head to the heart. We have a downloadable daily prayer prompt that helps you get that information processed in a way that it affects your daily life. There's also a Bible reading tracker on there. There's bonus episodes, lots of things on an ongoing basis, a place where you can get all the resources to help you grow in your faith. And the second thing I want to mention to you is the Dawn app, which if you've never heard of that before, I have good news for you. I just recently recorded a series for the Dawn app and also did some writing for them. And it's a daily Bible study and prayer app that is completely free. The link for that is in the show notes. And then the last thing I'm super excited about, I want to tell you that we're going to start having opportunities for travel. This is going to look a couple of different ways, depending on what you're looking for, but it's going to cover things like mission trips, in-person retreats, and also eventually a Bible study trip to Rome. What I'm doing right now is I'm getting everybody's contact information so we can start communicating about what that might look like. So if you are interested in any of that, you can head to shehears.org for more information.
The Charlie Kirk Show
A highlight from THOUGHTCRIME Ep. 14 Ukraine's Top Tranny Gets Fired. Russell Brand vs. The World. Thinking About Rome?
"Hey, feeling unsure about your finances these days? You're not alone. That's why Noble Gold Investments is here to help. Just hear it straight from the people who they've helped. The Noble crew walked me through everything with no stress. With their help, I could finally sleep easy at night. And now this month, Noble Gold Investments is handing out a free 5 -ounce silver America the Beautiful coin if you qualify for an IRA. Invest in gold and silver with Noble Gold Investments. Go to noblegoldinvestments .com right now. That is noblegoldinvestments .com right now. Hey everybody, happy Saturday. Thought Crimes, how often do you think about the Roman Empire? We ask that question more than you might believe. We also talk about the differences between men and women, micro versus macro. We cover Russell Brand, Ukraine, and more. Email us as always, freedom at charliekirk .com. Get involved with Turning Point USA at tpusa .com. That is tpusa .com. Start a high school or college chapter today at tpusa .com. Become a member to listen to our show advertiser free at charliekirk .com and click on the members tab. And as always, you can email us freedom at charliekirk .com. Buckle up everybody, here we go. What you've done is incredible here. Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus. I want you to know we are lucky to have Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk's running the White House folks. I want to thank Charlie, he's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country, he's done an amazing job. Building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point USA. We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives, and we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country. That's why we are here. The revolution continues, we can still commit thought crimes. For now, joining us tonight is fan favorite, 10 out of 10 rated, Blake Neff. Say hi, Blake. Hello. That's where he goes. Hi, Blake. Andrew. Andrew Colvitt. Yes. Hello, sir. Andrew and Jack Pessobic. I can't wait for the Halloween episode where Blake is like, Okay, let's dive right into it. Jack, true or false? We got a tranny fired. True. 100 % true. Although, if I might add, the tranny has not just been fired. This is in the quote unquote Sarah Ashton Cirillo, actually known as Mike Ashton Cirillo, the spokes tranny for the Ukrainian military. Not just fired, but actually placed under military investigation. So very excited. Not a good thing to be under military. So do we have the tape? We have the tape of her talking about the Russian devils. And then the question is, was there a Russian devil that was taken up by other means, which actually segues to our second topic? We'll see. That is a real thought, crime. But Jack, build this out. You're on some sort of Ukrainian hit list. Ukrainian government wants you dead. So Jack, tell us about it, and then we'll get to it. So yeah, the Ukrainian government, specifically their intelligence service, the SBU, has this roughly to peacemaker, but it's been referred to as a kill list or a hit list where they will place people that they consider to be quote enemies of Ukraine. And now Elon Musk appeared on this list at one point. The pope appeared on this list at one point. Tucker Carlson, Glenn Greenwald are on this list. And while we might think it's funny or silly, there's actually an American hostage right now that's being held by the Ukrainian government, a blogger and YouTuber by the name of Gonzalo Lira, who was living in Ukraine and was posting on his YouTube channel that he disagreed with Zelensky's government. He was then summarily arrested by the special services of Ukraine and has since disappeared. There have also been people that were placed on this list, including an Italian journalist, Andrea Rochelli, and numerous Russian bloggers, as well as one girl who's the daughter of a Russian political figure who were assassinated in Russia using car bombs and other improvised explosive devices after being placed on this list. After their killings, their entries on this dossier list wrote liquidated. So I was placed on this list and I was made aware of that earlier this week, right around the same time that you were really exposing everything, this American, I guess the word is American recruit for Ukrainian forces. Ashton Cirillo was saying in this completely unhinged rant, saying all Russian propagandists will be hunted down wherever you are and your teeth will Nash as we we we show you justice, only he's not the one who was dishing out the justice. It turns out he's actually the one who's facing justice now. And so let's play the tape here. And this is now play cut 22. Russia hates the truth that their obsessive focus on a Ukrainian volunteer is simply allowing the light of the Ukrainian nation's honesty to shine brightly.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Fresh update on "rome" discussed on The Bill Simmons Podcast
"Sal, I wish we had a friend who could have been a strategic date for Taylor at some point. We're probably too old now, because she's in her 20s, but it would have been fun to know somebody who was like, oh, this would actually, like Carson Daly in the early 2000s when he was dating everybody. Carson Daly, John Hamm, second, right? Oh, John Hamm, maybe John Hamm, that could still happen. He's married now, I think he's married. Well, I feel like this is gonna have dramatic ramifications on the chief season one way or the other, right? Because Taylor, when she gets involved, shit goes down, and she always wins. She is the one who wins in the end every time. Usher announces he's playing the halftime show, and four hours later, she's sitting in the box drinking vodka crayons with Travis Kelsey's mom. It's just a spectacular, just a spectacular stealing. The all time, the best year any musician has had since Michael Jackson, what, 84? 83, it's not a debate. It is, I think it probably is. She got US senators and football announcers, the two stiffest motherfuckers on the planet, to just parrot and do her lyric puns incessantly on national television. It's really the sneakiest ninja marketing campaign in the history of music. Nate, who are we betting on the Ryder Cup? We're betting the US only because House has gone so deep on Europe, you know what that means. Anytime House goes deep on anything. Just Short House? Yeah, you zig when he zags, but I really think Bryson DeChambeau's complaining about not getting a call. Today, the women on the Solheim Cup tied, and therefore Europe retained the Cup, so I think the US is ready to kick ass. They were unbelievable two years ago. Don't overthink it. We're gonna kick ass this week in Rome. Simmons, do you find it curious that Nathan was the third judge in House Eats Three, and the third and deciding judge in a contest that I lost, and now he hosts a podcast with a guy that he voted for, but with the guy that beat me, he cast his vote, and now he's, yeah, I mean, whatever. It was many, many years ago, yeah. Sal, it's been so long you forgot that when you started throwing up on everyone, they changed my vote. Oh, you did? Yeah, when you started projectile vomiting. He was your only vote, Sal. Oh, thank you. You still lost three to one, yeah. Well, I lost consciousness, so I forget, really, what actually went down, so correct. That is controversial, that one of the three House Eats Three judges now hosts a plot with House. Yeah, exactly. It'd be like a pro-publica investigation of this. How dare you. All right, so you can hear at the Fairway Rollin' podcast, Nate and House are gonna break down on the Ryder Cup stuff, and then I'm sure there'll be an every single album at some point. Good to see you, Nathan. Thank you. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Do you ever just lay in bed and can't fall asleep because your mind is racing? It's like, you just gotta get the thoughts out of there. Well, therapy can help. I've always noticed when I'm overloaded with work or stress or some other stuff, and also if I'm not exercising, I'll just wake up at like 2.30, 3 o'clock in the morning. I'm like, why am I up? Why can't I fall asleep? And then you're just sittin' there with your thoughts. So one thing that can help get a little more exercise. Another thing that can help, therapy, and that's where BetterHelp comes in. They make therapy easy. It's entirely online, so it's convenient and flexible no matter where you are. You just fill out some quick questions to get matched with a licensed therapist, and then if you don't click, you can switch at any time for no extra charge. Get a break from your thoughts with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com slash Bill Simmons today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P.com slash Bill Simmons. This episode is brought to you by Sonic, home of the bacon, peppercorn, ranch grilled cheeseburger. Savor the 100% pure beef patty, hickory smoked bacon, and peppercorn ranch layered between melty American cheese and buttery Texas toast. Just add a small order of tots and fries and you've got the ultimate Sonic pairing for only $3.99, that's right. Just $3.99, only at Sonic. Tax on included, limited time only at participating Sonic drive-ins.
The Eric Metaxas Show
A highlight from Neil Mammen
"Folks, welcome to the Eric Metaxas show sponsored by Legacy Precious Metals. There's never been a better time to invest in precious metals. Visit Legacy PM investments dot com. That's Legacy PM investments dot com. Ladies and gentlemen, looking for something new and original, something unique and without equal. Look no further. Here comes the one and only Eric Metaxas. Folks, welcome to the program. I am so excited right now I could burst almost literally, but not literally. I have on a friend, Neil Mammon, who is involved in something that I've been talking about for some time. It's really exciting. So I before tell you all about it, why don't I just say welcome, Neil Mammon. Thank you. Good to be here again. OK, we're going to be talking about something. I can't believe it exists. I feel like I dreamt it up, but nobody would ever execute such a thing. But you and Roger Elswick. Have made this a reality, this is a big deal, this is an answer to a real problem we have, I say everywhere I go that folks, if you're going to a church that is not dealing with the issues in our culture, that is unwilling to face this and that is whistling in the wind, that is fiddling while Rome burns, you need to find another church. I say this over and over and I beg people, God will judge you for sitting in a church that is shrinking from its duty before God to speak to these issues. And then the question is, people say, well, where would I go to a church? So, Neil, tell us. Well, the problem is really, really obvious. And I get that all the time. I go around speaking. People go, oh, do you know a good church in this or that area? Well, it turns out that more than that, it turns out one point seven million people look for a new church every month. One point seven people look for a new church billion million. And now if you assume that's a family unit here or there, that's about five million people looking for a new church every month. Most of them turns out it's Sunday morning. So I wanted to do some research on it. So I went on, you know, that the source of all information is Google's barred artificial intelligence. And I said, tell me what sort of churches these people are looking for. And Bard comes back with, oh, they're looking for progressive, more loving, more accepting churches. That's what Google said. And I said, really, is that true? I don't believe that. So I said, give me the information. Give me the evidence of that. By the way, before I start, I should mention this. I have a statistics. I want a statistic. I want your readers. I don't want you to guess because you'll know the answer. Here's a quote. Only 17 percent of Americans go to church. The interest in religion is minimal. And in New York, single women are more likely to be sexually active than attend the church. Worse, 33 percent of all pregnancies in New York are out of wedlock.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
Fresh update on "rome" discussed on Evangelism on SermonAudio
"Now that means in some cases that somebody who has a PhD will not accept the gospel from somebody who's lower them in educational level. That's the reality of it. But they're responsible for God, whether or not they reject it or accept it, accept the gospel presentation. But notice, wise or the unwise, and again, he's talking about this as far as the culture is concerned. So first of all, we see here his obligation as a debtor, verse 15, notice again in Romans one. So as much as in me is I am ready, so he's talking about preparation here, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. Last week I emphasized this question, who is he writing to, believers or unbelievers? He's writing to believers. So again, for the sake of those who may not have been here last week or don't remember what I preached last week, whatever, I remind you, he's writing about the gospel to believers, to the saints that are at Rome. That's why I said last week, the gospel is not just about salvation. The gospel is about how we're to go from a wicked pagan, wicked unbeliever, to somebody who is sanctified in the presence of the Lord Jesus. That's the whole thing. And again, that's why we saw last week in verse 17. We live from faith, from faith for salvation, to faith to living. But again, notice he's preaching the gospel to believers. We have this mindset that the gospel is for unbelievers. No, the gospel is for everyone, believers and unbelievers. He's writing to the saints, and he's going to preach the gospel to them that are at Rome also. Verse 16, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Again, I want for us to look at some cross references. Second Timothy chapter one, second Timothy chapter one. This is the overflow from last week, you should have figured that out. First Timothy, second Timothy I should say, chapter one.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from With All Confidence
"Let's turn together to the triumphal ending of the book of Acts this morning chapter 28 verse number 11 to begin with Not feeling so triumphant so the Lord's wants us to learn today that despite our feelings this this stuff is true. Amen so acts chapter 28 verse number 11 After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the islands remember they were on the island of Malta a ship of Alexandria with the twin gods Castor and Pollux. These are the gods the patron gods of sailors with the twin gods as a figurehead putting in at Syracuse we stayed there for three days and From there. We made a circuits and arrived at Regium and after one day a south wind Sprang up and on the second day. We came to Puteoli there. We found brothers believers and were invited to stay with them for seven days and so we came to Rome and the brothers there when they Heard about us came as far as the forum of Appius and three taverns to meet us on seeing them Paul thanked God and took courage and When we came into Rome? Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews and when they had gathered he said to them brothers Though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers Yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans When they had examined me they wished to set me at liberty Because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case But because the Jews objected I was compelled to appeal to Caesar though. I had no charge to bring against my nation For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with you since it is because of the hope of Israel That I am we're that I'm wearing this chain and They said to him we have received no letters from Judea about you And none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you But we desire to hear from you what your views are For with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against When they had appointed a day for him they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers From morning till evening he expounded to them Testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and from the prophets and some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved and Disagreeing among themselves. They departed after Paul had made one statement The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet Go to this people and say you will indeed hear but never understand and you will indeed see but never perceive for this people's heart has grown dull and with their eyes they can barely With their ears, they can barely hear and their eyes their eye and their eyes they have closed lest they should see with their eyes and hear their ears and Understand with their hearts and turn and I would heal them Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles They will listen He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without Hindrance and to all these words God's people say Well Here at the end of acts we have moved from a huddled mass in Jerusalem back in chapter number one To the masses of Rome the capital city of the Roman Empire the center of the world as they saw it so from a little huddled group of 120 in that upper room in Jerusalem the day of Pentecost all the way to Rome where millions upon millions of people lived Let alone pilgrimage every single year and this is all just as Jesus promised Remember back in chapter 23 if you will when Jesus was Testifying before the Sanhedrin before the Jewish Council sometimes called the Jewish Supreme Court chapter 23 verse 11 The Apostles said the following night the Lord stood by here our looks at the following night The Lord stood by him Paul and said quote take courage for you for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem So you must testify also? where in Rome So Jesus has promised To Paul that he was going to go to Rome to testify of the gospel so he's Moved from the center of the Israelite religion in Jerusalem The temple was and now he's moved to the center of as the Romans described it the center of the world And in fact, this is this is in fulfillment of what we saw the very very beginning Of the book of Acts in chapter number one if you go back there all week the beginning verse number eight Remember Jesus promise and his call and his commission To the earliest church and he told them that they would receive power the power of the Holy Spirit who would come upon them to be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea that's the larger region Samaria.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
Fresh update on "rome" discussed on Evangelism on SermonAudio
"All right, Romans chapter 1 this morning, Romans chapter 1, let's continue our journey through the book of Romans, Romans chapter 1, offer us to actually pick up reading where we, a little bit of where we covered last week, just a few things I want to share here, Romans chapter 1 verse 14 and following as we continue to look at the gospel and the righteousness of God and those are two parallel themes that Paul is emphasizing here, Romans chapter 1, notice verse 14, I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God, notice therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. For notice continued thought here, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made even as eternal power in Godhead so that they are without excuse because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds, four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up unto uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. Notice again, verse 14, I am debtor both to the Greeks, to the barbarians, both to the wise and the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. And again, emphasize in verse 16, for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Now, the thought I want to emphasize here today, and I talk about this from time to time, but really I want to look at this again in relation to the Apostle Paul because God the Holy Spirit used the Apostle Paul to write these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So here's the question I want for us to consider today. As you think about soul winning methods, would the Apostle Paul use the Romans road gospel presentation? How many hundreds and thousands of times I've heard somebody emphasize the Romans road gospel presentation? And I want you to consider some of the problems with this type of system. In fact, let's look at the verses in case you're not familiar with it. It's unusual if you're not familiar with the Romans road, but notice Romans 3 10. All right, so chapter one, nothing. Chapter two, nothing. Oh, finally you get to Romans 3 10, as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from Ministry Amid Spiritual Warfare (Eph. 6:1922)
"I am afraid that we are re -entering a season of doubt. Inflation, as you well know, is continuing to grow. It's pushing prices up in every single sector. You know very well that there was concern a couple years ago due to a virus which threatened how the church would meet. And it's beginning to look like there are similar measures returning on the horizon. And a couple of days ago, we saw that the governor of New Mexico suspended the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution within her state, stating to the press that no right is absolute, and that there are limitations on her oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Such things make us wonder how much longer the country we know will continue to exist, and whether the church, which resides here, will continue to enjoy the freedoms that we've historically held. When we watch the news and we see such things, we're tempted to feel anxious and frustrated, maybe even righteously angry, sometimes unrighteously angry, and in general just beat down with the news. And there's no doubt in my mind that Paul experienced similar emotions through the many trials which he endured throughout his ministry. But he reminds us here of what? That we're engaged in spiritual warfare. We should expect such things as spiritual forces of darkness arise against the church and against God's people. And he tells us of the enemy we face, as well as the armor that we must don if we are to stand in the day of battle. Now we've been looking at this as we've been going through this section, and as we've done so, we've noticed that there is a particular way in which we can stand. In fact, there is, in fact, an ability for us to stand. We can stand. We are able to stand. Sometimes we just need that hope that we can stand against our enemy. And how is it that we can do this? That we find the ability? Well, in verse 10, remember, he says, be strong in the Lord, not in yourself, but in the Lord, in the strength of His might. As to the armor in verses 11 and 13, we read that we must put on or take up the full armor of God. It's God's armor. It's not ours. God doesn't tell us to go out and fashion our own armor for this warfare. He is providing it for us. And since verse 12 informs us that our battle is in the spiritual realm, well, we're already seeing where our focus must be if we are to obtain victory. And consider again why this is called the armor of God. We read in verse 14 that we must gird our loins with truth. But where do we obtain truth in a world full of deception? We get it from God, from His Word. We also read that we need to wear the breastplate of righteousness. But since I have no righteousness of my own, where do I obtain it? From Jesus, that's right. We read in verse 15 that we must have our feet shod with the gospel of peace. But who offers the word of peace? Verse 16, we see that we're to take up the shield of faith. But didn't we not read previously in the book of Ephesians that faith is a gift? Yes, it's a gift from God. And in verse 17, who offers the salvation with which we can protect our heads in battle? It's the Lord. And we've seen that each one of these pieces of armor are pieces that He has in fact worn to battle in the Old Testament and elsewhere. Oh, and by the way, where's that sword that we're wielding in battle? Oh, it's right here. It's God's Word. See, this is 100 % God's armor. As such, we see why we must pray. Verse 18, the word with that starts the verse tells us that we're to take up this armor alongside of or through the action of prayer. And we must utter our petitions and prayers unto the Lord. We are not only letting the Lord know of our requests, but we are actively engaging in spiritual warfare. In fact, we are seeking to be strong in the Lord and in His might and so of course we are on our knees in prayer asking Him for such things. Going to the throne of grace for the grace that we need. As such, we also find that prayer is vital for our spiritual armor to make sure that it is fastened correctly. Now this prayer, as we now get into these verses, is to be offered for all the sakes. And in fact, at the end of verse 18, he says that. But verse 19, he adds, and pray on my behalf. And of course, the apostle Paul is one of the saints and he asks for prayer for himself as well. Why? Because the apostles' life and ministry are also embattled. And so he is praying for, or he's asking them for prayer for his ministry just as he's praying for them for their ministry. He is seeking their prayers as he is seeking to further the proclamation of the gospel message. He's practicing what he's preaching. So as we consider Paul's position, certain truths arise from his ministry that guide us today. Regardless of the state in which we find ourselves, if we are to continue calling this a ministry, let alone a church, there are then two principles which we must consider and must continue to hold. The first of these is that embattled ministry still cares for the furtherance of the gospel. We can't use the fact that we're embattled as an excuse to stop furthering the gospel. The second is this, it still cares for the people of the kingdom. It still cares for the people of the kingdom. And we're going to look at that specifically and break that down as we get to those verses. But let's first look at that, look at the fact that embattled ministry still cares for the furtherance of the kingdom. And so he says in verses 19 and 20, and pray on my behalf that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in proclaiming it, I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. Paul tells the Ephesians to pray for all the saints. And as I said a moment ago, he includes himself in that. And he could have said a hundred different prayer requests perhaps for what he might need them to pray for. None of them would necessarily be wrong. For instance, he could have asked them to pray that he would be set free. And I'm sure there were Christians praying that on his behalf. He could have asked them to pray that he would be in a more healthy place than in one of those damp, cold cells that he would be residing in. They could have prayed that he would receive the gifts that people had sent to him, including food, because some of those items would sometimes get stolen by the guards or by others. He could have prayed that the Lord would give him tolerance for the smells that were surely there. They could have prayed a lot of different prayers, and he could have asked them to pray for his welfare. But what he prays for here when he prays, I mean, think about this. He says to pray that utterance would be given to him to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, that in proclaiming it, I may speak boldly. I'm sure he considered some of those other things, maybe just in passing, maybe with a little bit more weight, but he decided I'm going to put down the most important prayer request, and it's this, boldness. Boldness. He places a heart for the lost on display with such a request. And we see that he is asking that he would not shrink back in battle as he is sharing the gospel message. Now, of course, it's not that we're, well, not to pray for our needs or ask others for help. Of course, that is exactly what we should do sometimes. And we've studied that last time in verse 18. Sometimes we get to know what the saints need and we pray for those items specifically. The Lord commands us to bring our requests before him. Philippians 4, 6, let your requests be made known. And in the next verse, Paul says that he's sending Tychicus. Why? To give them more information about his circumstances. And so he is going to let them know about his issues. And in a later imprisonment, Paul in 2 Timothy 4, 13 will ask for his cloak and for other items. And so, yes, he does let them know about specific things. And so it's not wrong to ask about certain things when a ministry says, we need this, we need that. That's not necessarily a bad thing. And Paul does not consider himself above the concerns of this life. We shouldn't take away any of that from what he asks for. But Paul in writing this is asking for the most important thing in his mind. If there's one thing to pray for, pray this. The advancement of the kingdom. Pray for the advancement of the kingdom. And so he asks them to pray that he would receive utterance. Sometimes we think of utterances in these kinds of contexts as a supernatural opening of the mouth. But the apostle Paul has already been producing prophetic material in the form of this very letter. He's not asking them to pray for more inspired utterances in that kind of vein. But he is asking a prayer request which should be frequent on our lips. That the gospel would be proclaimed. And that's the kind of utterance he's praying for. Consider this, Paul's currently chained, not to a wall, but to a Roman soldier. He's not just by himself. Remember, this isn't a Christianized American prison where a true Christian detainee may speak with a corrections officer about Jesus without undue fear of persecution. This is a dank, paganized prison in the Roman Empire. Which looked down upon Christians as being backwater, uneducated, atheistic cannibals in some cases. And so Paul, who is already in a bad situation, faced the potential of a Roman soldier making his life all the worse as he is chained there for hours on end to this man. Who probably wouldn't face too many repercussions for the occasional black eye or bruised rib. And here Paul, a criminal, quote unquote, right? A criminal talking to a dutiful soldier about his sin and his need for salvation through Jesus Christ. A man, by the way, who just happened to be crucified like a criminal by the Roman Empire may not go over that well. We think of Paul as someone who's bold, but he was a man just like any of us. In fact, one of the criticisms of Paul is a false criticism. But one of the criticisms was that, oh, he's bold in his letters, but in person he's weak, he's timid. Now, I don't think that he was weak and timid in person, but he was a man. And as a man, he was given to fear and anxiety and concern just like any of the rest of us might be. Paul isn't one that we remember as being cowardly, but that's not because of any bravado or machismo on his part. He rested in the strength of the Lord and now he needs extra strength. Considering that he has zero recourse or escape if the situation sours, it's not like he can just be let out a window somewhere like in previous times. And so he asks for an open mouth here. He also prays for an open door in Colossians 4 -3. If something is to come about with all of this, with this imprisonment, with the conditions that he's in, it must be something that the Lord arranges. And that's exactly the kind of attitude we should also cultivate. We might not be in the same exact situation, but we understand the fear and concern of sharing our faith. And so we ask that the Lord would make something of our situations. And he prays that there would be a boldness to his words. See, the gospel provides us with great hope. So 2 Corinthians 3 -12 says that we should use boldness of speech. We shouldn't be questioning or timid with our proclamation. You know, when Christians speak to unbelievers, there shouldn't be any doubt or uncertainty to the truthfulness of the message that we are proclaiming. If there is, then that communicates misgivings on our part, and unbelievers will just use that as an excuse for continued unbelief. I think Jesus is the way. Oh, you're not sure? Okay, well, let me know when you're sure and then you can talk to me about it, right? Of course, the devil will assail us with concerns and doubts in the most inopportune times, which will be an attempt to try to manipulate our presentation. He'll try to tempt us to react poorly to the responses of the unbelievers to whom we speak. So Paul prays to speak the truth of the gospel in clear, unequivocal terms. And that's something that we should pray for as well. And again, Paul doesn't expect that the strength would come from within him. He rests in the Lord. Since he sees himself as an ambassador for the gospel, according to verse 20, he's also asking to properly represent his king and kingdom. This, by the way, is also a thought we should apply to ourselves, for he says in 2 Corinthians 5 -20, we are ambassadors for Christ. I think when I was in youth group many, many, many years ago, that was actually the verse that was emblazoned on the wall. Ambassadors for Christ. That's something that we should think of ourselves as. So, prayer should include, so the prayer here should include a petition that Paul would have proper, bold representation of his king. And may we also have proper, bold representation of our king. Ambassadors should represent their Lord. Now typically, if we're talking about ambassadors, we want to take that a step further. They were also treated with some respect. Traditionally, their official representations of foreign dignitaries and guests in neighboring countries to detain and incarcerate such a person would be tantamount to imprisoning the king of that land. But in an ironic twist, Paul's an ambassador in chains, incarcerated there in Rome for the sake of the gospel. Paul could have looked at his circumstances and despaired. Whenever things don't go right in life, especially when we are doing the right thing, I don't mean when we're doing the wrong thing, but when we're doing the right thing and things are still going poorly for us, we are tempted to give up on doing the good thing. But that's just part of the battle that we're going through. See, sometimes we go through struggles because we're doing good. And of course, that challenges us to reconsider why we're doing it. But we are sometimes attacked because we are Christians who are doing the right thing. We put targets on our backs. And for those honestly seeking the Lord as Paul does here, they will thankfully find that he helps his children to endure such hardships because without the Lord, we would run out of strength very quickly. And so Paul prays for an opportunity to announce the gospel. And again, he asks them to pray that in proclaiming it, he would speak boldly, which he says is how he ought to speak. Another way to consider this is that Paul prays for his own effectiveness in spiritual warfare. Again, while many of our other prayers are fine and right, we should consider whether this is ever the kind of prayer that we should pray for ourselves and for others in the church. And as we continue to grow or continue to grow in our ability to pray through the grace given to us in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit, may our range of prayers also grow as we pray for the advancement of the kingdom. And I hope that that's something that you pray for as well, the advancement of the kingdom. Because we are going to be embattled and we're going to face many things to pray for. And I'm not saying don't pray for those other things. You can pray for those. But pray foremost for the advancement of the kingdom. Well, as we consider not only our prayers for ourselves, but also for others, we shift now to the next point. We've seen that an embattled ministry is still to care for the advancement of the kingdom. We also see in this passage that an embattled ministry still cares for the people of the kingdom. And we see that in verses 21 and 22. But that you may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. I have sent him to you for this very purpose so that you may know about us and that he may comfort your hearts. And so he instructs Christians, of course, to pray for all Christians here. And he wants them to have a concern then for their fellow believers. That follows logically. He cares for them. He knows that the Ephesians are going to have many questions and he's going to try to answer them. He's going to send someone along who is dear to him, who can go in his stead and to give the Ephesians a detailed report so that they will know. Why does he go through that? Because he cares for them. This isn't like sending an email, guys. This isn't like sending a text message. This is going to cost some money to send someone, to fund the travel of someone back to where they are in Ephesus and to give this report. That's going to be expensive.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
Fresh update on "rome" discussed on Evangelism on SermonAudio
"Now as Christ was expounding the Scriptures to them from the Old Testament, I want you to picture in your mind two mountains. This is what the Jews in the Old Testament saw. They saw two mountains, but they didn't see the valley between the two mountains. What Luke is going to help us understand is the activity of the Holy Spirit in the valley between the two mountains. Because God had an initial plan and purpose for ancient Israel, and He has a future plan for Israel, but between those two is a large valley in which the church of the Lord Jesus Christ appears. And I think it's interesting that God would choose a Gentile to write about that facet of the message of the Great Commission, that repentance and among all nations of the Gentiles, you see, beginning at Jerusalem, and ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, Luke writes, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high. And He led them out as far as Tabbethany, which was close to Jerusalem, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And it came to pass while He blessed them, He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. Here's the ascended Savior. And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. Now that concludes the gospel account of Luke. Well, we're going to pick up on this story in Acts chapter 1. And we note this, it's interesting, at least to my mind, that the gospel of Luke, as well as the book of Acts, the account of Acts, the historical account of Acts, is written to the same person who has a pseudonym, who has a fake name Theophilus, which means lover of God. But he's referred to as most excellent Theophilus, both in Luke chapter 1, verse 4, as well as in Acts chapter 1. And the reason that's significant is that this must have been a Roman ruler, someone high up in the Roman government, because they would be referred to as most excellent. We know that from the way Festus and Agrippa were both addressed later in the same book of Acts. They're addressed as most excellent. They're rulers, they're bigwigs, they're political leaders. And now Luke comes to this part of his history, his historical account. And I want to underscore the fact that his gospel and Acts form a historical account of the founding of Christianity from the birth of Christ to the imprisonment of Paul at Rome. The original manuscript from which this is copied is just simply Acts, or in the Greek language it would be Proxaeus. And Proxaeus literally means great deeds or works achieved by great men. That's what it means. So it's within the nomenclature of the academic society in which Luke was a part, as a physician, to use that terminology to address the great and mighty achievements of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the apostles and the early Christian church. And if you wanted to just make a quick note of this, you could divide the book of Acts into two parts. The first twelve chapters are going to deal primarily with the ministry of Peter and primarily with his ministry among the Jews. And from chapter 13 through 28, it's going to focus on Paul and primarily his ministry among the Gentiles. That's the way we can study the book of Acts together. But let us notice, if you don't mind, the first nine verses of chapter 1. Luke writes, The former treatise, the former writing, have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen. Now that would be the great commission. To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? Why would they ask that question? Because they saw that second mountain. See, they understood the first mountain in the old covenant, but they saw that second mountain, which is a kingdom mountain. And they said, Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power, but ye shall receive power, dunamis, dynamite, ability, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. We need to keep in mind that the book of Acts is a transitional bridge between the Gospel narratives of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the doctrinal epistles of the Apostle Paul. It's a bridge through which we are able to understand how the early church expanded, and how quickly it would be charged with those that turned the world upside down. It's a transitional book in that sense. It's a transition between the ministry of Christ and his apostles. It's a transition between the old covenant and the new, from Israel, as God's witness nation, to the church witness of both Jews and Gentiles alike. And how the church was commanded to fulfill that great commission, to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Now, brothers and sisters, I'm going to take a moment now to go into something that the Apostle Paul taught us about this great mystery, this great valley between the two mountains. Turn quickly with me to Ephesians chapter 2. I want you to see something and rejoice with me as Gentile believers tonight, how that God would orchestrate these events in such a way as you and I tonight can rejoice in the good news of Jesus Christ that began with the Jewish church so long ago. We have been given this, and I want you to see something and underscore something with me. The Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 11 says, Wherefore, remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, he's talking to a Gentile church at Ephesus, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in the flesh made by hands. In other words, they were called the uncircumcised by Jewish people. That at that time, look at their condition, that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Now, brothers and sisters, what he's describing here is a spiritual alienation that Gentiles naturally had from what God had given to the Jew, what God had given to Israel. Remember what we studied in Romans chapter 3 when Paul asked the question, What advantage has the Jew? He says, Much in every way, for unto them were committed the oracles of God. God gave to Israel as a nation and a people a revelation of himself. But there's something that I want you to underscore about that relationship tonight. In the old covenant, they were separated from God. In the old covenant, they were distant from God. Remember, even Moses had to be placed in the cleft of a rock, that he could only witness the hinder parts of God. He could not see the face of God. Remember, in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve transgressed, God placed an angel in the gate with a flaming sword to separate, to put distance between sinful man and a holy God. Remember in the description of the tabernacle and later the temple how there were divisions made that prevented the ordinary worshiper from entering into communion and worship of God. He had to stand on the outside of the gate. He had to stand on the outside of the court. They were distant from God. They were separated from God by a series of veils. There was a veil in the front and a veil over the Holy of Holies. You see, God was manifest among the people of Israel, but they were distant. They were separated from him. But when Jesus Christ came and he died upon that old rugged cross, remember the veil of the temple was rent top to bottom. By the way, that veil was thirty feet tall. It was impossible for a man to get on top of that veil and tear it. And by the way, it was the width of a man's hand. It was about four inches thick. It was something that had to be torn by God himself. But I submit to you tonight that what that defined was a change in the relationship that God's people have with the living God that we did not have under the Old Covenant. Under the Old Covenant we were distant from God. But here the Apostle Paul is going to give you some good news because in verse thirteen of Ephesians chapter two he says, But now, I want you to underscore that, but now in Christ Jesus you who were sometimes, what, afar off, distant, are made nigh, near, how? By the blood of Jesus Christ. I submit to you that that is the ground, the basis, of the New Covenant relationship that we have with God. We have access to God. We can come near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. And that's what Luke is encapsulating in the work of the Acts of the Apostles. He's showing us how that good news message that we are no longer alienated from God but through the blood of Jesus Christ have direct access to him. He's showing us how that message started out at Jerusalem. And then in this concentric circle of divine providence that message that started in Jerusalem would go to all of Judea. And from Judea it would go to all of Samaria. And from Samaria it would go to the very ends of the Roman Empire world. And Luke is rejoicing in that account. And he wants to write it down accurately. He wants to write it down specifically. He wants to write it down so subsequent generations of believers could rest in the knowledge that God's providential purpose in the establishment of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ would never be overthrown. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 16 verse 18, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And Acts is just the living out of that sacred promise. So here, now go back to the book of Acts and let's unpack this for a few minutes here tonight. He says, the former treaties have I made, O Theophilus. Now what is that former treaties? That former treaties is the gospel account. That's the gospel of Luke. He sent it to Theophilus and Theophilus understood what he read. He rejoiced in what he read and he wanted to know what happened after the death of Christ, you see. He wanted to know if the church that Jesus Christ established stopped when Jesus died. Did it cease to exist? How is it going to survive without its head? The only way it can is by virtue of Christ's resurrection. It's his resurrected body that today resides at the right hand of the Father. When somebody asks us, who is the head of your church? Have you ever been asked that? I've been asked that. I love it when they ask that. I just grin inside. I say, he's in heaven and his name is Jesus and he's seated at the right hand of the Father on high tonight. Well, he's writing that treaties to Theophilus and that pseudonym is used to protect the identity of this Roman official. It wasn't a very popular thing for a Roman official to be a believer in Jesus Christ.
Hearing Jesus: Daily Bible Study
A highlight from 383// Resisting Temptation: Unlocking the Meaning of Jesus Wilderness Experience in Matthew 4
"Do you sometimes doubt if you're truly hearing God's voice or if it's really your own? Or have you been in a season where it feels like He's completely silent? Have you been praying for a way to learn how to hear His voice more clearly? Hey friends, I'm Rachel, host of the Hearing Jesus Podcast. If you are ready to grow in your faith and to constantly step into your identity in Christ, then join me as we dig deep into God's Word so you can learn to live out your faith in your everyday life. Hi friends, welcome back to the Hearing Jesus Podcast. I'm your host, Rachel Brohl. Today we're continuing our discussion through the book of Matthew, and we're on Matthew chapter 4. If you're brand new to the show, or if you haven't joined us before, I would encourage you to go back and listen to the last couple of episodes, because what we're doing is an introduction to the Gospels. We're going through one passage at a time and breaking it down to make sure that you don't miss some of the things that are often missed when we read quickly through the Gospels. I'm reading from the New American Standard Version today, and I'm starting at verse 1. It says, 40 days and 40 nights, he then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, If you were the son of God, command that these stones become bread. But he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God. Then the devil took him along into the holy city and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple. And he said to him, if you are the son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, he will give his angels orders concerning you. And on their hands, they will lift you up so that you do not strike your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, on the other hand, it is written, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. Again, the devil took him along to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, all these things I will give you if you fall down to worship me. Then Jesus said to him, go away, Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only. Then the devil left him and behold, angels came and began to serve him. There's a couple of things in this passage, these short 11 verses that I want to make sure you understand as we read this together. The first is it's kind of interesting that the ministry of Jesus is essentially starting in the desert, just like John's did. Yesterday, we read about John the Baptist and how he had baptized Jesus and the beginning of his ministry was in the wilderness. If you want to learn more about why that's significant, you can listen to yesterday's episode. But it's also a way that Matthew is using to contrast Jesus to Israel. Remember, when Israel was in the wilderness, they were disobedient to God. But what we see today is when Jesus is in the wilderness, he's obedient to God. And that leads us to this undercurrent that we see throughout the book of Matthew, where Matthew is contrasting the Messiah, Jesus, to Israel. And he's showing the differences in the way that this Messiah is upholding God's will and plan. Also, it's the first time in Matthew's gospel that we see the devil and later he's called Satan. But this temptation by the devil is something that we're going to see throughout Matthew's gospel and actually throughout all the gospels. It's not the only time that this happens. It's just the first time that it happens. Temptation by the devil. That word, that word temptation can actually mean test or tempt. Either way, it's clearly an attempt by the enemy to get Jesus to go against God. Temptation tries to get someone's behavior to go against God. But don't forget what it said at the beginning of this passage, that Jesus was led by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, into the wilderness. So at least on some levels, this was also a test. A test tries to get someone to prove their faithfulness to God with the intention that the person is going to pass the test. And we see testing throughout the Old Testament where God has tested his servants. The testing of Jesus in the wilderness tells us a couple of things. We learn that the true battle is in the heart, or I guess you could say the mind. For Jesus, the battle is not against Rome, as many of the Jews would have thought, or it's not even against the religious leaders like what we saw yesterday. The battle is with this unseen enemy, the devil. And quite honestly, it's not that much different for you and me. Who was the devil? Well, in the Old Testament, his name was Satan, which means the accuser. In the New Testament, we see him as this evil presence that's always coming against the kingdom of God. And he's called a couple of things. Matthew calls him the devil. In John, he's called the evil one. In Ephesians, he's called the ruler of the kingdom of the air. Acts, he's called Satan. In Revelation, he's even called the dragon or the serpent. And there's a lot of allusion to the serpent throughout the gospels. And in today's context, I would say that the devil is that voice or that presence that is in opposition to God's voice or God's presence, and that can look a lot of different ways. Often people will ask, how can I know the difference between God's voice, the devil's voice and my own voice? Well, the enemy's voice is always going to be in opposition to what God wants or God's voice. And the primary way that God speaks to us is through his word. And so if you are struggling to understand if it's God speaking or the enemy speaking, I would encourage you to hold up that message to the word of God, because God is not going to speak contrary to his word. In fact, it's impossible for him to do that. God never changes. And so if you are struggling to understand something, the primary lens you need to look at that through is through the scriptures.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from Acts 025 - The Spirit's Power
"Okay, well come on in. The water's fine. Good to see you all this evening. And welcome back to our Wednesday night Bible study. We took a summer break. And in the last quarter, we started a study on the book of Acts. Made it all the way through chapter 3. And this morning, not this morning, this evening, if you could locate Acts chapter 4 and verse 1. Sort of to get the cobwebs out. The book of Acts is about the birth and the growth of the church. So in Acts chapter 1, Jesus ascended. In Acts chapter 2, the church is born. Day of Pentecost. In Acts chapter 3, Peter and John heal a lame man. I think he was born lame. He was about 38 years old. And his legs were miraculously restored in Acts 3. Which gave Peter a chance to preach to a crowd. And Peter there condemns 1st century Israel for their rejection of the Messiah. And chapter 3, as you surely could imagine, flows right into chapter 4. Where Peter and John get arrested. So here's an outline of Acts 4. Even going into Acts 5, the Ananias and Sapphira incident. But you have the apostles arrested, verses 1 through 4. The apostles examined by the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin is the existing Jewish legal authority, religious authority in 1st century Israel. That's in verses 5 through 12. Then the Sanhedrin makes a decision, verses 13 through 22. And then the apostles go to prayer. And this is a very powerful prayer that they pray in verses 23 through 31. And then the chapter kind of ends with them, the church that is living in their communal arrangement. Which we saw develop in Acts at the end of Acts 2. And that sets the stage very nicely for the first 11 chapters in chapter 5. Because in that communal arrangement, it involved selling your property and giving the proceeds to the church. And there was a couple there, Ananias and Sapphira, who publicly misrepresented their generosity. And they were slain in the Holy Spirit. And when I say slain in the Holy Spirit, that's not a good thing. Okay. And God brought upon them maximum divine discipline. And that had, as we're going to see, a purifying effect on the early church. So anyway, that's kind of the lay of the land that we're moving into this evening. I don't think we'll be able to cover all of this this evening, but we can make a healthy start. First of all, the apostles are arrested. We have an interruption. The reasons for the arrest. The arrest and the results of the arrest. So notice, if you will, Acts chapter 4, verse 1. It says, as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them. So when it says they were speaking to the people, this is in reference to the sermon that Peter primarily was giving in Acts 3. Where they healed a man who was lame, born lame. He knew nothing but the lack of use of his legs for, I think it says, 38 years. And he's miraculously healed, not by Peter and John, but by Jesus through Peter and John. It's just Jesus is exercising his ministry now from the Father's right hand. Through the church, through the apostles. And a big crowd gathers and Peter uses the opportunity to condemn first century Israel. Their decision nationally to reject their own Messiah. So that's what it means there when it says as they were speaking to the people. So as they were speaking to the people, they're now interrupted by the religious authorities. Who are the religious authorities? It says it right there in verse 1 of chapter 4. The priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees. So these are religious officials or workers. We have priests, the captain of the temple guard, and another group here called the Sadducees. And easy to remember the Sadducees is the Sadducees were always sad, you see. Sadducees. Basically, the Sadducees were people that if we were to try to parallel them today with somebody, we would call them theological liberals. A theological liberal denies what the Bible says. You know, it denies prophecy, denies miracles, and that kind of thing. And that's who these Sadducees were. The Sadducees only believed in the first five books of Moses. That's all they believed in. They didn't accept the rest of the Old Testament. So that's why when Jesus is talking to them about resurrection, the Sadducees, and the Gospels, he does not quote from Daniel chapter 12, verse 2 to prove resurrection to them. I mean, why didn't he quote Daniel 12, verse 2? Daniel 12, verse 2 is a great verse on future resurrection. It says, many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but others to everlasting disgrace, to disgrace and everlasting contempt. So why didn't Jesus, when he is arguing with the Sadducees and the Gospels about resurrection, why doesn't he quote that passage? That's a beautiful passage to quote from. Well, the answer is the Sadducees did not accept Daniel as authoritatively coming from God. They only accepted the first five books of the Bible. So it wouldn't do any good to prove resurrection from the Book of Daniel to the Sadducees. So instead, Jesus quotes the Book of Exodus. And I'm getting this from Matthew 22, 32 and 31. Here he's speaking to the Sadducees and it says, but regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God? And now he's quoting Exodus. the I am God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but the living. In other words, he points out that based on the Book of Exodus, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are alive right now. And he uses that to prove future resurrection. So why would he quote that passage? Because that's one of the books they would accept. He doesn't quote the more obvious passage because the Sadducees did not accept anything other than the Pentateuch, the Torah, the first five books of Hebrew Bible. The Sadducees were also sad, you see, not only because they denied all other scripture outside of Moses, but they denied resurrection. That's why Jesus is debating them about resurrection. They did not believe in angels. Acts 23 and verse 8 says, for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor an angel. Matthew 22 and verse 30 indicates that the Sadducees didn't believe in resurrection. So you're dealing with people that only believed in the first five books of Moses. They didn't believe in angels. They didn't believe in resurrection. So Sadducee is a pretty good name for these people, right? I mean, I would be sad too if I had a limited acceptance of the authority of the totality of what God has revealed. The Sadducees are a little bit different than the Pharisees. In fact, they're a lot different. In the Sadducees, we can analogize them to modern day theological liberals. Pharisees were conservatives, but they were hyper legalists. They brought in, and this goes back to the Babylonian captivity, the Jewish rejection of the Sabbath sent the nation of Israel into the Babylonian captivity for 70 years. And when the nation of Israel came out of that captivity and came back into their homeland, they said to themselves, we're never going to let that happen again. And so they built what we call a fence around the law. Meaning we're going to pass so many laws against breaking the Sabbath that no one will ever think about breaking the Sabbath. So they had all these rules about how you couldn't eat on the Sabbath. You know, you couldn't rescue a man on the Sabbath. All of these things come into the life of Israel through something called Mishnah, and then Talmud, and there were two Talmuds. There was one in the land of Israel. There was a later one developed in what's called the Babylonian Talmud. And this is why Jesus said of the Pharisees, you make null the word of God through your traditions. Because what happened is the tale started to wag the dog. They started to read the law superimposed over the law were a bunch of man -made regulations and restrictions. So when Jesus is dealing with the Pharisees, he's always dealing with this issue. You know, he's feeding his disciples on the Sabbath. Pharisees are upset about that. He's healing people on the Sabbath. Pharisees are upset about that. And what are they upset about? They're upset about the fact that he's not respecting their rules. Where Jesus' point is the tale's wagging the dog. Your rules are being superimposed over God's actual law to the point where you're burying the original intent of the law under layer after layer after layer of man -made regulation. So Jesus, as the Lord of the Sabbath, was always trying to get back to what the Sabbath meant. It was supposed to be a blessing for man. Pharisees are saying, nope, you can't do anything on the Sabbath. You can't heal someone on the Sabbath, even though that's a blessing for man. You can't feed your disciples on the Sabbath, you know, pick crops and that kind of thing on the Sabbath. Even though that's a blessing for man, you're ruining our rules. So that's a little bit of who the Pharisees were. Pharisees are conservative, but they're beyond conservative. They're hyper legalists. Sadducees are just deniers of what the totality of God's word says. The Pharisees are going to be dominant in the synagogue. They had a higher sphere of influence in the synagogue. What was the synagogue? The synagogue were these places that Jews would gather, you know, all over the Greco -Roman world. And they gathered there during a time when there was no temple to go to. Remember the temple, the first temple that Solomon built was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and wasn't rebuilt until the days of Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah. So what did the Jews do? They would gather in the Greco -Roman world in these places called the synagogue. And the Pharisees were dominant in the synagogue. The Sadducees, as I'm trying to describe it, were dominant in the temple area. So that's why the people that are harassing the apostles in early Acts, really all the way up through Acts chapter 12, are the Sadducees and not the Pharisees. Because the Sadducees had ascendancy in the temple area. In Acts 1 through 12, the early church hadn't spread out yet. And it had a very strong sphere of influence in Jerusalem. So that's why the early church is dealing with the Sadducees, the Sadducees, the Sadducees, the Sadducees, until the Apostle Paul in Acts 13 and 14 goes out on missionary journey number one into southern Galatia. And then you'll start seeing him going to the various synagogues outside the land of Israel. And now the people coming against Paul are not the Sadducees, but now they're the Pharisees. So Sadducees, liberals, Pharisees, legalists. Sadducees dominant in the temple area, Pharisees dominant in the synagogue. Sadducees will be dominant as long as the church has a place of influence in Jerusalem. But the Pharisees as opponents of the church will become dominant as the church spreads out and moves outside the land of Israel. So verse one says, as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them. That's a little bit about who the Sadducees are and why they are the primary detractors of the church at this particular point. So Peter and John, Peter's conversation that he was having in Acts three, a very effective conversation is interrupted. The reasons for the interruption are given in verse two. It says being, now notice this, not just disturbed, but greatly disturbed. Being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and in proclaiming Jesus the resurrection from the dead. So here are these apostles and if you drop over to verse 13 for a minute, you see the way that the religious authorities looked at the apostles. It says, now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. So what is upsetting to the Sadducees is number one, these apostles are teaching the people and they never went to our Sadducee school. I mean, they don't have a Sadducee degree. In other words, they don't think like we do. I mean, if these apostles thought the way we thought, then they would only accept Moses. They would reject angels. They would reject resurrection. And here are these men who are untrained fishermen teaching the masses there in Acts chapter three. In other words, they don't have the authority to be teaching anybody is how the Sadducees were thinking about the apostles. And what really upset them is they kept talking about Christ's, but starts it with an R, resurrection, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. Now that was really upsetting to the Sadducees because the Sadducees didn't believe in resurrection. And here they're claiming that the man that the nation of Israel just turned over to Rome for execution has risen from the dead and his tomb is empty. That doesn't fit our doctrine. The Sadducees would say to themselves. And this puts the apostles on a collision course with the Sadducees. The moment Peter in Acts 2 24, which is a wonderful sermon, said these words, he became, I think at that point, a marked man by the Sadducees. Peter said, but God, speaking of Jesus, raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of defeat, since it was impossible for him to be held by its power. Peter continues the subject matter in Acts chapter three and that sermon there in verse 15. And it says, but put to death, speaking of Israel, the prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead. And he says a fact to which we are witnesses. Remember what Paul would say to the Corinthians. Now there's 500 eyewitnesses, 1 Corinthians 15. Check it out for yourself. They've all seen the resurrected Christ. So what they were saying is Israel rejected her own Messiah. That made the Sadducees angry enough. So then they said this Messiah rose from the dead and the Sadducees were upset even more because they didn't believe in future resurrection or any kind of resurrection. That's why when you look at verse two, it says they were being greatly disturbed, not just disturbed, but greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people. Here are these unqualified fishermen teaching doctrines that we, the religious authorities, oppose. Now you put all of this in motion and you can see why they're arrested. And their arrest is described in verse three. So they laid hands on them, that would be Peter and John, put them in jail until the next day for it was already evening. Now, why didn't they put them on trial right then and there? It's part of Jewish law. Jewish law says no trial in the evening hours. The only one that they violated that rule for was who? Jesus, because they couldn't wait to rush him through the judicial system to get him dead as quickly as they could. So they violated everything in their rule book. But here at least they're respecting the rule book and they're not having a trial in the evening hours because that is forbidden by the Mosaic law. And what is the results of all of this thing, all of this? Because we're kind of in the mindset that, oh no, if the mandates come back, which they could, they're talking about it, you know. And Sugar Land Bible Church stays open, which is at least my intention. I mean, I would like to stay open. I don't think a pastor or an elder board has a right to shut down a church because whose church is it? It's God's church. If God wants to shut down a church, it's his church, he's more than capable of doing it. A pastor doesn't have an authority to close down a church. So if all these mandates come back and hypothetically, let's say we stay open, my goodness, what if they come in here and they fine us? What if they come in here and they arrest us? What if they do like they did to that pastor of that Baptist church in Northern California where they actually chained the doors and keep assessing fine after fine after fine against him with an attempt to completely drive the church that he was pastoring, you know, under? You know, what do we do then? Well, this is where Acts chapter four is so instructive.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from Episode 10 The Drama of Atheist Humanism Fr. Joseph Fessio S.J., Vivian Dudro, and Joseph Pearce FBC Podcast
"Ignatius Press and the Augustine Institute present the Formed Book Club. Catholic book lovers unpacking good books, chapter by chapter. If you like us, please help us by subscribing, and by reviewing us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you might listen. And don't forget to sign up for weekly updates and study questions at formedbookclub .ignatius .com. Welcome again to the Formed Book Club. We continue to discuss Ari de Dubac's extraordinary book here, The Drama of Atheist Humanism. We've done enough now that we can maybe situate where we are as we go forward. You know, the first part, called Atheist Humanism, focused on Feuerbach, Marx, and Nietzsche, with a side note on Kierkegaard, but now part two is Auguste Comte and Christianity. And covered we the first chapter here, the meeting of Comte and Atheism. We're on the second chapter, Christianity and Catholicism. There's four sections, we took antisocial Christianity, where he claims that Christianity is antisocial, because it's basically the soul and God and eternity. Part two is section two is Jesus and St. Paul, where he says St. Paul corrected Jesus and set things straight. Now we're on two interesting parts here, the work of the Catholic priesthood and the Holy Alliance. So we begin again on page 192, section three of chapter two, chapter one of part two. The work of the Catholic priesthood. Joseph, take it away. Well, again, right at the beginning of the first paragraph of this section, towards the top of page 193, it's his weird understanding of history. He seems to believe that Catholicism, strictly speaking, did not come into being until the 11th century, and which by the 13th had already passed into the phase of decadence. So basically the Catholicism didn't even come into being until a thousand years after Christ and only lasted for a couple of hundred years before it basically decayed. So if you're going to begin your understanding of the church with such a warped understanding of history, it's no surprise that all sorts of odd conclusions are going to be the consequence. And the reason why he dates it that way has something to do with what Father said in his introduction. He thought Christianity, in its essence, was something that just had to do with the individual and God. And so if what he wants to worship is the collective, well, that reaches its apex, if you will, in terms of social organization in Christendom, right? So what he thinks is the essence of Christianity are these exterior forms holding together a cohesive society. And that just comes and goes, right? It came and it went, in his view. But if you're looking at worshipping the collective, it makes sense that that's why you would look at it that way. He's mistaking the tree for the fruit, isn't he? I mean, this good thing was a consequence of a thousand years of of inheritance, and it took that long for it to actually mature into the fullness of what you might call the High Middle Ages. But it's obviously a fruit of the thing, which is Catholicism. The thing didn't come into being as some sort of spontaneous combustion, evidently. Yes. I mean, the first quote in that paragraph at the beginning on page 192, where Cope says, since the year 1825, our writings have shown an increasing respect for Catholicism, as he understands it, the immediate and necessary precursor of the religion that has, above all, to consolidate and develop the structure that first took shape in the 12th century. And again, you have this theory of Catholic history that it was just a kind of amorphous movement of Jesus, you know, love and be kind and compassionate. And then after it became a state religion or approved by the state under Constantine in the fourth century, it became hardened in its structure. Oh, but then we have what secular theologians call the Dark Ages. And after the fall of the Roman Empire, there was a lot of confusion, but the church was still present in her God -given form during that period. But he sees, as you said, Vivian, at the end of the Dark Ages, he'll call your Middle Ages, 12th or 15th century, here's where there's a consolidation, and you see the social character of the church in Christendom. By the way, you know, de Lubac writes this during the 40s, his first major work was in the 30s called Catholicism, the social aspects of dogma, in which he made very clear that from the beginning, the Catholic faith has had an intrinsic social connection, which makes sense as a church, after all, we're not an aggregate of individuals who have no relation to each other, except for the fact that we happen to hold the same attitude towards Jesus. Sorry, I'm wandering on there. As Chesterton said in, I think, The Everlasting Man, it could have been orthodoxy, that the church was the only thing that was the bridge that connected the civilization of Rome with the civilization of the High Middle Ages. The church was the connector between the two, the bridge, so it's not as if it just arises out of, as if by magic. And that's what he, he's an everlasting man, where he calls Christ the Pontifex Maximus, the greatest builder of bridges. This Pontifex, pontiff, we have in English, means pawns, bridge, fatre, to make, to build. So it's basically the bridge builder. But he reduces the papacy to being the centralized authority of the church. And, and so he actually wants to replace the pope with himself. But he's actually going to require such total obedience and control, unlike anything the church ever did or ever desired to do. But yes, he talks about on the top of 196, it was by this means, meaning the papacy, that the bonds of society were strengthened. He sees that you can't have the strong bonds of society that he aspires to, you know, a humankind in love with itself without a total authority at the top. Yes, and as we're progressing into the heart of Auguste Pont, you know, Burubak has all these citations that really back up what he's saying about him. I just wonder, he's a brilliant madman. And it kind of like Nietzsche was a brilliant madman, you know. And as we said before, hardly anyone knows that name now. Whereas Nietzsche, Marx, even Feuerbach, those are somewhat household words among the intelligentsia. And we have to ask ourselves a question, we could finish them off. Was he really influential or was it just that he had the thoughts he had ended up being part of the signs of the times and because he, I mean, his life and his writings and his philosophy kind of foreshadow the whole great reset, globalization. Yeah, and some of it sounds very Orwellian in the sense of it also seems to prefigure totalitarianism of the 20th century, you know, where the system, so politics and sociology united in a tyranny. And that seems to be what he's calling for. Obviously, he wanted to be the Fuhrer and that didn't happen. But basically other people became Fuhrers in his wake, so to speak. Well, the reason why his thought is a big part of the air that we breathe is because he wanted to turn all knowledge of everything into a concrete science, including the knowledge of man himself, the knowledge of the universe, everything he wanted to reduce down to a science. We wouldn't have the expression political science if it had not been for Comte. So the whole, in fact, social science, you know, every university has a social science department, as if these things are sciences in the same way that physics and chemistry. Yeah, you hit the nail on the head there, because as we see later on, he actually, he criticizes empirical science. So in other words, he criticizes the hard sciences because the hard sciences should subject themselves to sociology, to society, to an understanding of anthropology. So, you know, so he's actually becomes, he begins by being someone who uses the empirical sciences as a method of beating God. And then when he seeks to establish his own sociological religion, he then attacks the sciences because they are a threat, because they've got to question some of his presumptions and he's not into being questioned. We'll return to the Forum Book Club with Father Joseph Fessio, Vivian Doudreaux, and Joseph Pierce in just a moment. on the Discerning Hearts free app. Did you also know that you can stream Discerning Hearts programming on numerous streaming platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Pandora, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and so many more. And did you know that Discerning Hearts also has the YouTube page? Be sure to check out all these different places where you can find Discerning Hearts. Everything is yours. Do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace. That is enough for me. Amen. Amen. We now return to the Forum Book Club with Father Joseph Fessio, Vivian Doudreaux, and Joseph Pierce. He's not so much attacking the sciences for the inability to get the truth, but rather, he has what I think is a legitimate criticism. That is to say, the hard sciences progress by specializing more and more and losing often the larger picture. And so he's in need for something synthetic because science takes things apart and makes small and smaller areas where people, I mean, I live with a Jesuit in Germany. They call him Blitzlach because he was so slow. I mean, in his thinking and walking and everything. But he did his doctorate on the heat -sensitive organs in cockroach antennae, but a specific species or variety of cockroach. And in Germany, you have to do a second doctoral thesis called a meditation to be a professor. So he did his second thesis on the moisture -sensitive organs in cockroach antennae. Well, I mean, there's no question about it. This was the world expert on the antennae of these cockroaches. But where does that fit? Big picture thing. And so, you know, Kant would say, look, we have to unify this some way. And therefore, he sees sociology and he's the father of sociology. That's right. As the master of science.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from Session 21 Evangelism
"Back to John chapter 8, there can be no real discipleship if there is not knowledge of the Word of God. And I quote 2 Peter 3 .18, the verse that is the key to this book, growing in grace, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen. The knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ comes from a knowledge of the Word of God. And the Bible is the truth written revealing Him, the living truth. Jesus said in John 8 .31, if you continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed. The secret to the whole matter of discipleship is knowing His Word. His Word produces faith, Romans 10 .17, therefore we must continue in His Word. The importance of the Word of God cannot be overemphasized. Bible study and Bible knowledge are a must for a believer to become a real disciple of the Lord. I remember just before we had the break, I was going to give you an illustration of memorization. Navigators, I learned from them, and I believe it's true, that if you just run something through your brain 49 times, it's yours for life. I did that. I've done review, of course, some. But those verses have stayed with me. That first section of verses navigators used was 106. There were six spokes in a wheel, and six verses per spoke, and three times. That was 36 times three, 108 verses. I learned that the year I was a freshman, and I want to tell you those verses I still draw on constantly. And they've stuck with me, and I did it exactly the way navigators said, review every day for seven days. The way I memorize now, I do memorize passages while I'm shaving or something. I try to memorize while I'm driving the car. Sometimes that becomes a little dangerous. Because you can't remember the verse, and then you have to get the card out and look it up, and there could be a wreck. I haven't had one yet. I don't know when it's going to happen. But I go walking. I go walking in the morning, and take my memory verses with me, walking, and memorize while I'm walking. That is difficult. My wife likes to walk too, but I walk ahead of her so I can memorize, and she walks too slow. And I walk ahead of her, and then walk back past her, and walk back ahead of her and back past her. She's also. memorizing She carries a testament and memorizes out of the testament, and we don't talk to each other while we're walking. That isn't very romantic, I know, but we are memorizing scripture and hiding it in our hearts. So you can memorize scripture, and you can do two things at once. I need to walk. It wouldn't work jogging. That doesn't work, but you can memorize while you're walking, and so I do. Now, the illustration I was going to give you was, I was 13 years old when I got a bicycle. That's kind of late for kids now. They get them when they're 4 or 5. I can't believe what kids are getting now. They've got to have... I see around campus these kids in camp with their cellular phones. It just blows my mind. How many kids have cellular phones nowadays, and I've heard of parents buying them 700 minutes a month. For heaven's sake, what's going on? I think we're stupid around here. I got a bike when I was 13, and it was a bicycle. Those were the old timers. Those were when you needed to stop, you pushed the pedal backward. Some of you say, Young, you don't know what I'm talking about. You think I'm talking in tongues, but it literally happened. You step backward on it, and it stops the bike. And the coaster brake, thank you. And I got used to that, rode that, and I rode that probably until I was 18, and I guess I quit riding bikes and didn't ride. And I didn't ride a bike again until I was 64. And I decided, now 64 minus 13 is 51 years. I hadn't ridden a bike for... minus 18 is what? 46 years. I hadn't ridden a bike for 46 years. And I said, Honey, I think we ought to get us each a bike and do some bike riding. And so we went down and bought each a Raleigh bike, and the knuckleheads had changed bicycles in the meantime. They no longer had coaster brakes, they had hand brakes up here, where you'd stop them up here. And I tell you, I like to kill myself. Now I hadn't ridden a bike in 46 years. And all of a sudden, here I am, riding a bike, and I come to stop and I step back and the crazy thing won't stop. And before I would do this, I wrecked the bike, hit a telephone pole or something. Now, it had gone through my brain, Zig, you see, they say a thought goes through your brain, and it makes a track. You've got electronic switches in your brain, it makes a track through them. And the next time you think the same thought, it makes the same track. And the next time, the same track. And finally, it makes a rut up there. And if you'll run it through it often, brainwashing, that's what it is. Memorization is brainwashing. I wish I'd have done memorizing scripture instead of telling dirty jokes when I was a teenager. You know, some of those dirty jokes still come back to me. I'm 76 years old and I was a teenager, that'd be 60 -some years ago. And I don't tell them, but every once in a while, one of them will flashback in. A lot of the good things I thought never come back, but some of the bad things, because I ran them through there and got a rut. Well, what a blessing it is to run through there and get ruts all through your brain with scripture that cleans your mind up. And so the secret is to review, review, review, run it through your brain, be brainwashed with the Word of God. And I believe we need to develop our people. Everybody in our adult Sunday school class memorizes a verse a week for the class. However, we don't have a system of review for that. We have a memory verse every week and every week. And I hope some of them work at retaining them, but we ought to work at scripture memory. There's nothing more valuable than that. And so the person knows the truth, capital letter B, he realizes victory over sin. If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed, John 8 .36. Though the Jews were in bondage to Rome, they tried to deny the fact to the Lord Jesus. He did not argue with them about their political bondage. Instead, he stated clearly that all men are in bondage to sin. And Jesus said that to commit sin is to become a bond slave to sin. A disciple must realize victory over sin. No one can become sinless in this life, but the believer who really wants victory can know deliverance from the bondage of sin. And so a disciple is one who seriously takes the Word of God and applies it to his life so that he'll see victory in his life. Cases as examples of discipleship. II Timothy 2 .2. This was the early church's method, Paul's method. And it's exactly what we should do today. The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Now that ought to be a motto of our ministry. That ought to be a goal, the motive of our ministry. Scripture says the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men. So what did Paul say to Timothy here? Timothy, you've learned from me. Timothy, you're my son in the faith.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from Who Will Go?
"We have been on the topic of missions for about a month now. We started this topic on missions, building a solid foundation because if you don't have a right foundation you cannot build upon anything. The foundation for missions, that solid foundation, it's got to be God -centered. In the day and time which we live in, there is much concerning the gospel, concerning missions and many churches that are very man -centered. Their focus is upon man, their focus is upon the problem of man, and their focus is upon what man can do and what man can carry to another man to help another man and social work and all these things. Let me tell you something, the gospel must be Christ -centered. The gospel must be Christ -centered and missions must be Christ -centered. Our focus is ultimately on the glory of God and our life must be lived glorifying God in whatsoever we do. Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. Therefore, if we are taking the gospel to a area where people have not heard the gospel, do it to the glory of God. We should have a passion for the lost. We should have a concern for people who are dying and going to hell. But let me tell you something, we should have a greater passion to live our lives for the glory of God. They do not contradict each other, what I just said. What I'm simply saying is our lives must be God -centered. This series is a call to refocus on God -centeredness and Christ -honoring and biblically -based witnessing and missions. Our church, New Life Baptist Church, must always seek to honor the Lord our God. Our church must always lift up the name of Jesus Christ. must Our church be missions -oriented but it's got to be ultimately for the glory of God. When you think about it, what was the Apostle Paul's driving force when he endured shipwrecks? You remember he was beaten with rods. I don't know how that feels. I don't want to find out how that feels. I believe it was very painstaking simply because the Apostle Paul mentioned that. He was whipped with lashings and had stripes on his back from the whips. He was stoned what seemed like to death. He laid there lifeless. When God gave him the strength, he got up and went right back into the city that had stoned him. What would cause a man to do that? You might think he was plum loco. If I got beat up, I don't think I'd be going right back to the place I got beat up. That don't make much sense, does it? It's not logical in our thinking. What drove the Apostle Paul was his hope like in going back into the city of Lystra. Hoping man might have changed his mind. That man might have made a decision. I want you to look in the book of Acts, chapter 18. I was telling Sister Janna earlier this week. I'm usually expository as far as in preaching, but when it comes to topical preaching, which is what we've been on with missions, it's a lot more in -depth and a lot more struggle for me. A lot more time -consuming. The Scripture is laid out when you're going expositionally. But when you're going topically, you're going a lot of different directions. Same direction, but a lot of different passages of Scripture. I want you to notice what the Word of God says in Acts, chapter 18 and verse 1. And after these things, Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them and wrought, for by their occupation they were tent makers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in his spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. When they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook his raiment and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads, I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. And he departed thence and entered into a certain man's house named Justice, one that worshiped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak and hold not your peace, for I am with you, and no man shall set on you to hurt you, for I have much people in this city. The word of God says, he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Now why did Paul stay there at Corinth? We see here because he was obedient unto the Lord's command. The greatest way you can glorify God is simply being obedient unto the Lord your God. Living a life in obedience unto him brings glory unto his name. Ultimately your life needs to be lived to the glory of God. How do we do that? By simply being obedient to the word of God. You want to know the will of God? Get in the word of God. Very basic. If you don't know God's will for your life, get in the word of God. You want to hear God speak? Get in his word. As they say, if you want to hear him speak audibly, read his word out loud. Here's how God speaks. It's through his word. God makes his will known through his word. I want you to notice over in the book of Acts chapter 14. In Acts chapter 14, down in verse 19, here's a situation which we had just mentioned the Apostle Paul encountered. In Acts chapter 14 and down in verse 19, we read there, "...and there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium who persuaded the people. And having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead, albeit as the disciples stood round about and rose up and came into the city, and the next day departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed." I want you to notice here the Apostle Paul, as he is going from city to city, preaching the gospel. His purpose in preaching the gospel is that people might be saved, but the ultimate purpose, as people are saved, that churches might be established. And as churches are started in particular areas, then they partake in taking the gospel to areas round about them. The Apostle Paul did not saturate that area. He started church works and then he moved on and started other church works. It is through the Lord's churches that God is glorified. It's through the churches that God's word is proclaimed. It's through the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Great Commission, that he has given us that we are given to go and make disciples of all nations. That's what he's commanded us to do. Now listen to what the Word of God says back in Isaiah chapter 11. You don't need to turn there. Down in verse 9, it says, "...they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Here I want you to listen also over in the book of Habakkuk. In Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 14, the Word of God says, "...for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." How do the waters cover the sea? They fully cover the sea, the waters do. Therefore, the earth is going to be fully covered with the knowledge of the glory of God one day. What is our purpose in life is to share the glory of God, the knowledge of him, in the person of Jesus Christ by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from The Straight Paths of the Lord
"Here in Acts chapter 13, we're going to read verses four through 12 as we continue our series and the acts of the risen Lord Jesus as he has revealed them to us by his spirit. So I invite you to stand out of respect for the reading of God's Word. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they had John to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar -Jesus. He was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the Word of but Alemus, the magician, for that is the meaning of his name, opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, You son of the devil, you enemy of all of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time. Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of God abides forever. Amen. You may be seated. There's a poem by John Henry Newman, which I have come to love. I'm going to read it as we start to dive into the Word of the Lord here in Acts chapter 13. Newman writes, runs not the Paul had stayed in cot or learned shade with the priest white attire and the saints tuneful choir. Men had not gnashed their teeth nor risen to slay, but thou hadst been a heathen in thy day. What is Newman saying? Newman is saying that there was a comfortable life before the apostle Paul, and that comfortable life looked like, what, staying in Antioch, taking it easy with the saints there, seeing the church in Antioch continue to grow as he would enjoy singing hymns with them, as he would enjoy learning of the scriptures in the shade of Antioch. But Paul went forth. Paul went on several missionary journeys, and when he did that, it guaranteed two things. First of all, that he would encounter great opposition, that men would gnash their teeth at him and rise to slay him. But also, it ensured that you, you who have been called by the Lord, would come to know the gospel and believe. You see, we're about to study these missionary journeys of Paul, and there are several of them, and it's going to take us to the rest of the book of Acts. But as we lean in and look at these missionary journeys, I don't want it to just be about learning the facts. I certainly, you'll see probably next week, I'm going to put a map in front of you so you get a sense of the geography and scope of this thing. But what I want you to see is not that you just do a checklist of understanding what these missionary journeys are all about and where they go, but rather that you see that this is about God's mission toward you, towards sinners who desperately needed his gospel, who needed to hear his word. And as we study this history of Saul's travels, what I want you to see is this is really about the great missionary heart of God. And every time that Saul goes to a new city and encounters opposition there, God is saying, it's worth it because my gospel goes forth and sinners believe. That's the golden thread that runs through the rest of the book of Acts, the missionary heart of God. Every map speaks of his intent to save. Every new city that the gospel goes to shows that he's not just about maintaining the faith in some quiet little place, but he's about spreading the faith. This is your history because if Paul had not gone forth, how does the poem end? You would be a heathen in this day. You would not have heard the gospel. If he had not taken the gospel at risk of his own life to foreign lands, you probably wouldn't be here. This is the Lord's appointed means of saving sinners like you. And so I want to look at this first narrative. I want to look at the travel to the island of Cyprus because here we see a snapshot of the missionary heart of God as the gospel goes forth. You'll see that Paul and Barnabas and John Mark, the kind of pastoral interns with them, they go to the island of Cyprus. Now I would ask you if you were undergoing the first stage of a advance outside of Antioch and you could go anywhere, where would you go? I mean, you look at the map and you think there's a whole ancient world ahead of me. I could go to Rome. I could go really anywhere, but they choose to go to Cyprus. Why? Well, Cyprus is located 100 miles to the west and it could be that they just went to the first place they hit land, but Barnabas is from Cyprus. Barnabas knows a lot about Cyprus and Cyprus is also a vacation island. It's a place with tropical trees and where people would enjoy the sun. Now I don't think any of these reasons are why they sail to Cyprus. I believe they sail to Cyprus because it is a major crossroads of the ancient world. It is a major crossroads in the Mediterranean sea where people would stop and they'd refuel and Paul and Barnabas and John Mark know that if the gospel takes root in Cyprus, it goes out everywhere.
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
A highlight from Special Encore The Canonization of St. Teresa of Calcutta Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff
"Discerninghearts .com presents Building a Kingdom of Love, Reflections with Monsignor John Essif. Monsignor Essif is a priest of the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He has served as a retreat director and confessor to Saint Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. Monsignor Essif encountered Saint Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical Missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope Saint John Paul II, to bring the good news to the world, especially to the poor. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters, seminarians and other religious leaders. Building a Kingdom of Love, Reflections with Monsignor John Essif. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. What was this glorious pilgrimage like? I would say what brought us there, there were 16 of us who left to go there, and the ones who you would meet along the way, that each of them were loved by Mother Teresa. That's the way I would describe, each one of them had a personal experience of the enduring love that touched them. I certainly had to be there. It was like something that, as a pilgrim, I felt called to be at this celebration. And I felt God wanted me to be there, therefore he would provide. And he provided for me to get there to the vehicle of these 16 people that I went with. And it was just a very caring young priest who, Father Mike was our leader of the group, and I was kind of the senior citizen, I was the oldest member of the group. The streets of Rome, as you know, are really architectural hazards. Someone who doesn't see, I could easily fall anyplace and break a hip or whatever, but I was really cared for. And there was a young girl, a woman that I met, and she was in a wheelchair, and she kind of summed it up for me when she said, Mother Teresa touched me when I was 16. And she said she just came in the crowd and touched me, and she touched me on my head. And it was like an unforgettable touch from this woman who was such an instrument, just reminded me of Jesus going through the world, and everyone that he touched remembered that touch. And so it was with me. I experienced the love and being loved by her so that she was this instrument of love in the world. There were millions and millions who saw that by television or heard it by radio in so many parts of the world. So really, wouldn't you say that maybe a billion people were touched through this instrument of God's love, because she followed what God asked her to do, and in some way experienced being loved by God as the poorest of the poor, because that's what she considered herself, that he loved her and touched her with that love. And then she began to touch one by one by one. That was her way of looking at it. We arrived together as a group on September the 1st, and we went by van to Newark, New Jersey, where we all got on a plane, and we got to know each other's names, because not everybody, there were married people, there were priests, there were single people who were on that, just getting to know each other. And then we all had different parts on the plane going over, arrived and gathered together in a group, and there was a van to meet us, to take us to our hotel. We still stayed in a little hotel called Hotel De Petrus, which was about a 20 -minute subway ride from the Vatican. That evening, I went by subway to St. John Lateran, where I heard confessions, and it was so beautiful. I heard, because of my languages, I heard confessions in English, Spanish, Italian. And who comes along but walking right in front of me is Marty McDermott that I had met in Beirut. And he and I just kind of hooked together. He was there. And again, the love, it was there in Beirut that I met the sisters, it was there that I met Mother Teresa, so we just kind of laughed as two old men. He was an aging Jesuit that they kind of wanted to get out of Beirut to bring him home to their northeastern province in New York, but he stayed there, he remained there. I think he's from Hartford, Connecticut. And we just chatted while all of the sisters that we had known through the years come pouring out at the end of the celebration there, and I just saw Sister Joy and all the sisters that I had known through the years, Missionaries of Charity. And then we hopped on a subway and came home, and I got home maybe around midnight. That was our first day. And so it was a beautiful time. On the third day, we were there September the 3rd, and more confessions, and St. Mary Major was again a beautiful church, and confessions. And then the fourth day was a canonization. And Mother has always just loved Our Lady. On the cover of the celebrated Mass was Our Blessed Mother. And if you notice her hand always pointing, Mary is such a direct link to Jesus. Her whole life pointing, you say Mary, she says Jesus. And Mother then is on September the 5th. She was beatified by John Paul II, 2002. And I was there, and when her picture went up as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and John Paul, that's the day I consecrated myself to Our Lady. All her life Mother Teresa had said, you should consecrate yourself to Mary. Oh, Mother, I have the Sacred Heart. That's where she was pointing. She wanted me to be with the Sacred Heart. No, but the best way to do it is through her. Oh, no, thank you very much. But the Pope, he told us to us, no, no. So I resisted. But when I saw those two up there, the aging, elder John Paul II, such a powerful, powerful instrument of God. And this little less than five foot woman, such a powerful instrument. I thought, what do you need to follow that? So that's the day I consecrated myself to Mary. And here she is. They really captured her look. And it was on the second missalette that we had on the following day on September the 5th, which is her feast day. So on the 4th, we had the canonization mass. The incident that was most, I sat with a couple of sisters on the way home in the airport. And one of them said it was such a powerful experience, but I have to say I couldn't get by the heat. I just couldn't get by the heat. It was 98 degrees. It was hot and a beating, beating heat down on the whole place. All I could recall during the mass with that intense heat was the time when I was at the chapter meeting in Calcutta, where it was 100 degrees heat and 100 percent humidity. And it was so stifling. And Mother would not allow a fan. They were begging her, let us get a fan. No, we have to live like the poor. What is the authenticity of our sacrifice? If we could have a fan? No. And we need a microphone. We can't hear. No. But get one for Monseigneur. So I had a microphone for the presentations and I had a fan when I was giving my presentations. She turned it off for the whole community. And I'll never forget this nun who was at that celebration. With this intense heat, every time there was the slightest breeze, she just thanked God for the breeze. She was an American nun and she was communicating to me how we are not used to that Indian heat nor the humidity. And I noticed that at the mass, her massive canonization. But everyone had to wait for that slight breeze. And that I was so aware of that every once in a while, when you thought you were going to pass out, there was a breeze. Everyone was reminded, though, of just how poor we are and how lacking in control of the events of life. And that total dependence. So she gave us all a marvelous lesson. And anyone who had been there, if they were there, including the Pope, that intense heat was down on a million people who were there. And everyone came through that and endured it. So Mother Teresa was very active during that canonization. It streamlined it, so it made it very simple, which is really what I think she wanted. Don't have the focus on me. But as the mass itself, the focus was all on God. It was the glory and the praise and the honor of God. Thank you, Lord, for the slightest breeze. Thank you, Lord, for just being here. And I found myself thanking God. And I was there. The other thing I noticed in her gathering us, there was a multiracial, the whites were far outnumbered at this mass. Not only because of the Indian priests, the African priests, the Asian priests, the Koreans, the Chinese, the Vietnamese, South Africa, and all of the world was really... ...that we are just one family. And the main, I think, lesson that I learned is dependence on God and that we are all very, very poor and the poorest of the poor. The opening day, the day before we got there, the Missionaries of Charity had in the Olympic Stadium, which they were able to get, a thousand of the poorest of the poor from their houses in Rome that they served the poor. They invited them all to come and have a feast. And they actually had this huge feast and banquet for the poorest of the poor because this was what it was all about. If Mother was going to have the celebration, the first ones to have the feast was the poorest of the poor, and she invited them to the table. And all of them were invited to come to the celebration, so they all had tickets to the event. You could see different ones as they were coming were obviously the poorest of the poor, meeting all of us, the poorest of the poor who were coming. So the universality and multiracial was what I felt was very outstanding for me on the day. Sounds a lot like Pentecost. Yeah, and the language just didn't seem to, it was like both hearing confessions and the celebration itself. And of course we had the Latin and all of us joined in were able to participate with the Latin and the singing. And again that language, that unity of our worshipping and glorifying God in that mass. Some lady was wheeling us onto the plane when we were at the Newark Airport, and she was a young girl, a young black girl, and I said we were going to be going to Mother Teresa's canonization. Well she had never heard of Mother Teresa, she was 20 years old. Oh, she said, what are you going to have, a party? I said yeah, and what is the mass but a party that God wanted? So he gets this heavenly banquet together, and that's why I was so happy when you see all these priests going out and bringing the Eucharist to every single one that was there. That was the day celebration, and I think there was a big difference then with the celebration on the 5th. And again, we can't celebrate it, but it was much more intimate. Maybe there must have been, maybe 300 ,000 there. How do you get just intimate? So there was this smaller crowd, and the priests and the participation was still so joyous and so beautiful. The day there was a cloud coverage, so that the heat wasn't as intense, so it was cooler, it was more refreshing, it was more relaxed. And at the end, one of the priests stood up, the sisters came in. The greatest gift I always felt that Mother has given us is her community. And these sisters coming in from all over the world were certainly well represented there, and lines and lines of missionaries of charity coming in. There were also the brothers, and there were also the missionaries of charity fathers. And one of the fathers got up at the end and he said, Today is a day of thanksgiving, and we are just so filled with thankfulness that God has recognized our foundress as a saint, and that we are able to participate in this canonization. And we rejoice, and you can just see St. Teresa of Calcutta in heaven with all the poorest of the poor, and us, poorest of the poor, having experienced being touched by her. And we are now celebrating, because she has touched our lives. And she always said, Unless you have experienced the thirst God has for you as the poorest of the poor, you'll never be able to know the thirst he has for the poorest of the poor. So that having had that experience of that love that God has for me through her, that that tasting of that is an enduring bond that you experience, and it just endures in it, it lasts. The love of God is enduring. The love that Mother Teresa gave, that touch that tapped that girl on the head when she was 16, that love lasts. It's an everlasting love. It's tasting the divine love. And it's the thirst that God has for us as people, so that when we pass that on, and if we were a million there, and the millions and millions that saw it on television are able to receive it and to pass it on, it was a great joy in heaven, and a great celebration on earth, and it was time for a party. The possibility of someone coming into a crowd like that and throwing some bombs, it was like the furthest thought, I believe, that peace and love is contagious. It has a power that's overcoming hatred and violence, and the way to bring this about is through that divine love. This is the force and the power that I believe is really necessary in the world today. So it was a great experience. You know, it's really striking, Monsignor, that the endurance of those who came, those who had to endure suffering during the celebration, because I watched it all cozy on my couch at 3 in the morning, back here in Omaha with my puppy and my coffee, and that was really nice, but you could see how hot it was. You could just see how people were just baking under the sun, and yet that enduring that suffering is essentially a message of her life. For all weekend, the build -up was not just on EWTN and other Catholic outlets, but it was on secular news broadcasts, CNN, Fox, all of these different news outlets were covering this great gathering. And so as you're watching these people, literally suffering with joy through the mass, it was almost like a major witness. And there's something really unique when that happens, isn't there, Monsignor, that if you can endure it, if you can enter into it like she did, there's grace somehow, even for the participants. I know you're just a couple days out of this, but for you, I mean, can you describe that now? It intensifies your interior self. You become very aware that I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able, and that's the word, endure this, whatever that be, this stress, this heat, this cross, however you want to call it. Each one has to go in there because that's where you're drawn to, and that is the center of the inner self. And that's where your dependency comes, and that's where you experience the God on whom you have to depend. So what gives you the endurance is the dependence. It stays, and it remains, and it burns, and whatever it is, you cannot last through it, and it just keeps coming on in a way, just when you think, it's going to let up. No. And then it comes just at the right time, a kind of a breeze, where it comes from, and the refreshment. And then you're drawing something in from this power, and I would call it the spirit. The spirit is now bringing you into the inner rest that's going on, is only had by those who are willing to endure. I don't know how others would describe that, but that's how I was experiencing it. As you were speaking about that, that endurance, I think that's the suffering of love, isn't it? I mean, at its very, very heart. And I know that's one of the, you had spoken so poignantly that for many who heard your reflection prior to leaving, and you were seeking a particular grace, that entering into the Immaculate Heart of Mary, even more deeply into the Sacred Heart, and I don't want to put more words on it than what you were hoping for, because sometimes even the grace we think we're going for is smaller than the one that God wants to give us. So how would you describe your experience for those who have been eagerly waiting? Well, did it happen for them? Did you receive what you were hoping for? More, more than I ever had anticipated. That which I wanted, I received, but much more abundantly. There was more. It's so difficult to describe, because you have to use the same words. But the words don't carry the meaning that the inner self has that you want to convey. That life in the inner self, that enduring bond of love. Like, excuse me, you're supposed to look ragged and tired and beleaguered for an 88 -year -old man who, you know, has traveled around the world, and I have not seen you look so buoyant and glowing and energized. I mean, this is just, it's a joy to behold you. Yeah, yeah. And I feel that way. I feel my cup runneth over. You know, they use that expression, but it's just like brimming over, full and I. I just don't know how else to express it. So if you see it, that's wonderful. And if you hear it, that's wonderful. But I'm experiencing it. And so whatever I wanted out of this, I received with a hundredfold. You're like a beautiful monstrance right now that's sitting on top of an altar with a whole bunch of light shining. And I know you're just a vessel. You're just a monstrance. But what's making everybody, it's just breathtaking is how Christ is radiating out of you right now. What I was experiencing was that inner heart of Mary. And what's the inner heart of Mary? Completely empty. Completely empty. So that every single moment you can receive whatever that is that's coming. I think that's really what I'm experiencing. The emptiness of Mary's heart. So that she has none of her own cares, but those of everyone around her. You know, everyone was caring. I felt being cared for. But it was like the kind of being cared for so that I too could experience how to care for others. Well now you got me crying. Oh my gosh. Now I'm a big weepy mess. Well Monsignor, you know, I usually ask you if you have a final thought, but I just can't even believe that there could be a finality to this experience. What are you feeling right now in this moment? The thing that I'm really kind of filled with is Mary's spirit. It's always crying out. Magnificat. Magnificat. Have a beautiful, beautiful day. Along with hundreds of other spiritual formation programs, visit discerning hearts .com. Or you can find it within the free discerning hearts app. This has been a production of discerning hearts. I'm your host, Chris McGregor. We hope that if this has been helpful for you that you will first pray for our mission, which is to offer rock solid and authentic spiritual formation freely to souls around the world. And if you feel us worthy, consider a charitable donation, which is fully tax deductible to help support our efforts. But most of all, we hope that you will tell a friend about discerning hearts .com and join us next time for building a kingdom of love reflections with Monsignor John.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from The Necessity of God's Word (Part 2)
"Do you understand the magnitude and significance of the effort that we are part of when we engage in taking the Gospel to unbelievers? Find out much more on today's edition of Encounter God's Truth. We go back to Appalachian Bible College in Mount Hope, West Virginia to hear the closing portion of a lesson on The Necessity of God's Word and our series on biblical apologetics. I'm Wayne Shepard and our Bible teacher is Dr. John Whitcomb. We've been learning together from this classic series on apologetics and today's program brings us to the finish. As fall approaches and so many head back to school, how appropriate it is that we focus on the energy that scripture has to impact our hearts and minds with God's eternal truth. As Dr. Whitcomb demonstrates, it's more formidable than the greatest human intellect and even more powerful than seeing a miracle. Let's go back to Appalachian Bible College now and hear the conclusion of this message, The Necessity of God's Word. We begin by reviewing 2 Corinthians chapter 2. Who is sufficient for these things? My friends, we're in an infinite operation here that determines the eternal destiny of human beings in heaven or hell. Who's sufficient for these things? For we are not as many which corrupt the Word of God of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. Now friends, we can just begin to realize the magnitude of God's plan here in form of a little chart. I hope this will be of some help to you as it has to me from time to time. Over here we have symbolized the unbeliever with a darkened heart that doesn't have cleansing and purifying and forgiveness and regeneration by the Holy Spirit, the unbeliever. And notice that he is surrounded by an impenetrable barrier to any outside finite pressure. It's called his sinful nature. And over here we've tried to depict the believer whose heart has been cleansed by the Holy Spirit based on the merits of Jesus Christ. And the believer may fall into the serious temptation of trying to win the unbeliever on a horizontal basis, namely just provide Christian evidences to penetrate that heart through logic and philosophy and history and science. And by the way, all these arguments that we've talked about through archaeology and history and logic, I mean there are hundreds and hundreds of evidences that show that the Bible has got to be supernatural in origin. But the amazing thing we discover is that no matter how powerful the arguments are in the realm of creation and prophecy and so forth, they cannot penetrate that heart. They cannot get through to that heart. Well then what's the answer? What's the approach? God says you have... Now this is very illogical from a human standpoint. God says you have to approach the unbeliever through the third heaven. You have to go this way, through prayer, faith and obedience in relation to God on the basis of Hebrews 4 -12, the word of God, not my word or your word. The word of God is living, powerful, sharper than a two -edged sword, piercing even to the dividing center of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and neither is any creature that is not naked and open before the eyes of him with whom he have to... God knows that person infinitely. He knows what can reach that person, namely his precious word alone. That's one of the hardest lessons I've ever had to learn. Well all the things, Lord, that I've learned about how we know the Bible is true, why can't I use those arguments, those evidences? Well friends, let's stop and think for a moment. As the word of God penetrates into that unbeliever, something of infinite power has reached his heart. Now just think of the evidences Jesus If provided. you think our evidences can be effective, and they can be, and that's a whole subject of its own, think of the evidences Jesus himself gave. Stupendous sign miracles, hundreds of them. In fact, someone has suggested that every sick, crippled, leprous person in Israel, by the time Jesus' ministry was finished, was healed. Thousands of people, it says that over and over, year after year, thousands of people can heal them all, heal them all. And I say, well Lord, I should think that the whole nation then would have turned to him. Why, on one occasion, friends with a boy's lunch, he fed 5 ,000 men plus their families with food left over. And they said, they all agreed, this is John 6, let's make him king. I mean, anyone who can feed everybody for nothing supernaturally is our candidate for king. Then he began telling them about himself and who he was and that they had to believe in him on the basis of his substitutionary atoning death. And guess what happened at the end of chapter 6? They all left him. You say, that's absurd. Haven't they seen sign miracles? Yes. Miracles like the like of which had never been seen before in the history of the world? Yes. And Jesus turned to the twelve and said, are you going to believe me too? And one of them finally spoke up, of course, Peter, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. Right. That's the difference. But even one of them was a doubter, Thomas, and another one was demon possessed, namely Judas. That helps me to understand what the miracles were for. Why Jesus, friends, said, an evil, adulterous nation demands signs and no sign will be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah, namely, as he was three days and nights in the belly of the great fish, so the son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. In other words, his bodily resurrection is his final proof to the whole human race of who he is. The sign miracles, may I say it this way, were almost totally ineffective and worthless to convert anybody ever in Israel. That wasn't their function. It was simply to do what? To attract attention to himself as the God appointed Messiah and King of Israel so that they could then hear his message and then their response to the message would determine their eternal destiny. This is an awesome thing to think about. Now, I almost hate to read this chapter. With fear and trembling, I ask you to turn to Luke 16. This is absolutely awesome. The rich man in Hades. Luke 16, beginning with verse 19. There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. Would you kindly agree with me he was in desperate condition. He had nothing of this world's goods. And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. That means the place of blessing, the place of the faithful in what at that time was called paradise, the upper Sheol Hades where believers went when they died. And the rich man also died and was buried and in hell or Hades, the lower Sheol Hades, he lifted up his eyes being in torment and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom in close fellowship with him. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame. That is the situation now of every unbeliever who's ever died. I just, I'm staggered by this. And Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receiveth thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented and besides all this between us and you there's a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, Lazarus can't get to you, sorry, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence and other you can't come here either. And then he said, I pray thee therefore, Father, that rich man in Hades and torment said to Abraham, Father, that thou would ascend into my brother's house. I have a plan. I want you to reach my living brothers by sign miracles. Now this would impress some people today because we are harassed in every direction by people who are committed to sign miracle ministries to change the hearts of people by spectacular things that they can see. Now watch the response of God through Abraham. I have five brethren that he may testify to them lest they also come into this place of torment. In other words, would you please send Lazarus, the beggar, back to the realm of the living because my five brothers often came to my mansion and saw this beggar by the door and they'd recognize him when they see him. Please send him back to the realm of the living. And I mean, think of this as an evangelistic program. He could go from house to house, knock on the doors of my brothers and say, I am back from the dead. I saw your dead brother in Hades in torment. Do you think that would get their attention? How do you like that for a sign miracle Look ministry? at God's response through Abraham. Abraham saith unto him, they have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. They have the Bible. They have the Old Testament scripture. They have the infallible and errant self -authenticating word of God. In other words, that's what they need is Now, this is why he was where he was. Listen to how he despises God's word. Do you catch this? He said, nay, Father Abraham. In other words, who cares about the Bible? Old wives fabled stories for children maybe, but not for my brothers. You don't understand, sir, they're intellectuals. They're scientists. They don't accept stories supposedly from God. They want to see something that's empirical, tangible, self -evident and thus convincing. Nay, Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. That's what they need, a sign miracle. Hmm. And here's how it ends, folks. And he said unto him, Abraham said to the rich man, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. Really? Well, that's what happened when Jesus arose from the dead. The whole story of the book of Acts is that in spite of the fact that Jesus Christ fulfilled his promise, he said, you destroy this temple and in three days I'll raise it again. And he did and rose from the dead. And the apostles preached the resurrection of Jesus and the scribes and the Pharisees hated the message and threatened and tormented God's servants for mentioning resurrection, even of Jesus. Oh yes, friends, even if one rises from the dead, they will not repent. You know what Jesus did for his friend Lazarus one day in Bethany? He raised him from the dead. Lazarus, come forth. I'm very impressed by what happened, aren't you? Immediately, the corpse stood at the entrance of the tomb and he said, loose him and let him go. He's fine. He's alive. Probably felt better than he had in his previous life. He didn't have to be dragged out half dead for recuperation. Don't you think all the scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees would have just swamped the whole, I mean, that settles it. We believe. Read what happened next. The enemies of Jesus got together and made a decision. Just for that, we're going to kill Lazarus and Jesus. Hmm, that doesn't sound intelligent. Well, that's the problem because the mind of man, which is an aspect of the soul, heart, spirit of man in his sinfulness, his darkness cannot function intelligently. Only the spirit of God can bring us reason to see God's realities as they really are. And I say, well, Lord, I just didn't know it was this bad. I just desperately need your help then to accomplish what is otherwise impossible. Help me to preach the word faithfully, clearly, completely, without compromise, graciously, patiently, in season, out of season, love people, whether they receive me, accept me, appreciate me or not, because the word of God has infinite power. I don't. He has it. He alone has it. Now, friends, there is a way in which Christian evidences can be used. I just want to be very careful here not to disparage the things that God has given us in the way of evidences. Let's take a look. The low value of Christian evidences, among other methods, shall by this all men, unsaved men who lack spiritual discernment to understand scripture, by this, Jesus said, shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another, John 13, 35. So the ultimate models for mutual Christian love in a godless world must be the Christian home and the local church. Now, think carefully of that statement, Jesus, that's the greatest of Christian evidences. When you go forth to a mission field, whether it's New Zealand or wherever, something you can do under God is undeniable and irresistible. And here it is. Demonstrate to the people to whom God sends you that you know what Christian love is in your relationship, husband and wife and parents and children and children to parents and hopefully other Christians and a little tiny microcosm of the Holy Spirit called a local church that God will plant there and the godless surrounding population sooner or later will have to see something they have never seen before and can't explain and can't duplicate. Christian love. Why, there are all kinds of evidences, friends, that are helpful, like maybe, you know, medical missions, helping people physically, that'll get their attention. Maybe hospitality, maybe English language courses in China or wherever, people almost do anything to learn English and you get them there and you demonstrate, you know, the things that they're interested in and show friendship. But you see, Jesus said, the greatest evidence we have that will really get people's attention is Christian love, one for another in the home and in a local church that God will plant here and there around the world. You see, friends, Jesus never said miracles will do the trick. He said to the apostles, you remember in John 14, the miracles that I've done you'll do also. And they did, they raised the dead, I mean Peter and Paul, I mean amazing sign miracles they did in the early church, book of Acts. But do you know what else he said, friends? Greater works than these shall you do because I go to my Father. And what are the greater works? Preaching the gospel, which when believed brings eternal life instantly. But the sign miracles Jesus performed never saved anybody. Did you know that? They were spectacular, they were undeniable. But every person Jesus healed got sick again anyway and died, every one of them. He didn't permanently solve anybody's problem physically. He fed 5 ,000 the next day they were all hungry again. Didn't solve their hunger problem. But Jesus said, because I'm going to my Father in heaven and send the Holy Spirit and create the church and grant unto you the scriptures, you will have the capacity under God to mastermind this book and make it known to people and you'll see greater works. I mean Peter the apostle, folks, preached one sermon and 3 ,000 men were saved in one day and saved forever. Vastly greater miracle than healing the sick and walking on water, which Peter also did. Don't try that, by the way, unless Jesus does to you what he did to him, namely says come. Don't try that. I have been fascinated, obsessed I guess is the word, with the mentality today that you have to have intellectual brilliance and you have to have spectacular miracles to attract anybody and to have any credibility as a member, as a representative of God. I've done a little booklet in fact that's out there and maybe have helped you. Does God want Christians to perform miracles today? No. In fact, you know what would happen? It'd be a regression. It'd be a step, giant step backwards because we'd be going back to the lower foundation of the church in the apostolic era before the superstructure was built on a completed scripture. In those days it was a unique way for God to give the apostles opportunity to attract attention, but now friends we have something they didn't have, the completed Bible. God says you master this book and sooner or later one way or another you follow my guidelines and instruction and you mastermind the basics of evangelism and church planning and missions and witness and you will have infinite power from above through this book that pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. And I say Lord, I desperately need your help. This book friend is so powerful that even when you preach it without love it'll change people forever. Did you know that? Paul tells us in Philippians 1 there are other people here in Rome that are offended by my being here and they don't like me and they don't appreciate me but they are preaching the truth and I will rejoice in it and I will continue to rejoice because even without love which is often the way we preach like on a radio station you never even see the people or hand out a tract and you see the people disappear you never see them again. Even under those situations the word of God has infinite power. Let me tell you a man who preached the word without love, Jonah. He hated every minute of his ministry. He said God why didn't you destroy these people? That wasn't a loving approach to missions. But you know what he did? He preached the word and the whole city repented and Jesus said it wasn't fakie either. He said Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah and will rise up in the last generation and condemn this generation. I mean he must have preached more than just judgment. He must have said something about God. It's my opinion. The whole city repented even though he hated every one of them in Nineveh. But that's why God says preach the truth as we were reminded this morning. Preach the truth in love and you'll have even more effect. Yes, but whatever you do folks, hold on, preach the truth. That's the point. That's the power, the truth and hopefully it's done in love and graciously and prayerfully and patiently but whatever you do and whatever your motive and whatever the circumstances, preach the word. And I say thank you Lord, that settles it. I think I'll be a Bible believing Christian and a Bible believing teacher and I want to honor Jesus Christ and the blessed Holy Spirit who presented this book to us because that's an irresistible force. Even in a world dominated by what? Satan, millions of demons, billions of depraved people and even mice in nature. God says watch me. I have a special weapon, an instrument I'm putting into your hand and your mind and heart. Watch what I can do almost in spite of you for my glory through my word. Father in heaven, I just stand amazed at how you operate. Everything sooner or later will be for your glory or it will disappear. Help me to examine there for my own ministry. The church could be raptured to heaven and I and all of us will be confronted by the Lord Jesus with eyes like a flame of fire searching us, examining us to see whether we really have done the work of God in a godly way, in obedience, in faithfulness for his glory. Help me to be ready at any moment to give an account to you dear Father because that's why you sent me not to gain glory for myself or any of us as teachers and proclaimers of the truth but to glorify the Savior apart from whom we're lost forever and the blessed Holy Spirit who gave us this precious book. May ABC father stand brightly in a darkening world as a true reflector of the light of Jesus Christ until he comes I pray in his glorious name for his sake. Amen. If God's word has made an impact on you today we'd love to hear about it. Just leave us a comment at facebook .com slash Whitcomb Ministries where there's always something to encourage you. You can also find lots more on the subject of apologetics at sermonaudio .com slash Whitcomb. Find that page from our website WhitcombMinistries .org. You're listening to Encounter God's Truth from Whitcomb Ministries and we're grateful for the opportunity to emphasize week after week that God's word is true from the beginning to the end offering timeless truths for changing times. I'd like to close with a reading from Psalm 103. Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your iniquity who heals all your diseases who redeems your life from the pit who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. For everyone here at Encounter God's Truth I'm Wayne Shepherd praying for the Lord to fill this week ahead with much meaning and many blessings. Thanks for listening.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from Matthew: Emmanuel (Which Means God With Us)
"You know, there is a world of difference between saying to someone that I am for you and telling them that I am with you. These two things do not mean the same thing. There's a world of difference between telling someone, I'm for you, I'm in your corner, I'm rooting you on, you've got this. There's a world of difference between telling someone that and telling them, I'm with you. In World War I, there was a lieutenant. His troops were getting ready to go over the edge. They were ready to take on the enemy. They were ready to cross the trenches. And this lieutenant, he's anxious. He's nervous about what might happen, and he sees a commander coming down through the trenches. The commander looks at this man, and he can see the anxiety. He can see the nerves there, and so he comes alongside him, puts his arm on him, and he points out. He points out to where they're going. He points out to no man's land. And he tells them, when we go out there, I'm going to be with you. We're going to do this together. And that gave the younger man a sense of confidence. It wasn't the old grizzled veteran just saying, you got this, from a distance, and go do it. Rather, he was saying, I'm going to be with you as you do it. I'm with you in the trenches, and I'm going to be with you in the battle yet to come. As we said, it's one thing to tell someone I'm for you. That's easy. You can do that to anyone. It's another thing to say, I'm going to invest myself in the outcome of what you're going through. I'm going to enter into the crucible of your pain with you, at your side. There's a comfort when a commander or a general does it, but how much more so when a god does that. When god not only gives us a word and says, hey, you got this. I'm for you. I'm in your corner. But rather when he says, I am with you as you face this. There's something encouraging about that. In today's text, it's exactly what we see. In today's reading, the birth of this child, the one who had come from a throne down to a manger. In this text, we see that this one was to be named Immanuel. That this one was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. And that his name literally means God with us. God with us. Not just God for us, but God with us. Verse 23 of our text will say, behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son. They shall call his name Immanuel, which means God with us. This is one of the primary attributes, one of the primary things that makes our god cool, that makes our god awesome. One of the primary things is because he didn't just create the cosmos, spin it like a top, and then go off and watch us from a distance to see how things would turn out. Rather, from the get -go, from Jump Street, from the garden, that which he created, he dwells with. He creates Adam, he creates Eve, and then he walks and talks with them in the cool of the afternoon. The pagan gods didn't do this sort of thing. They didn't pay attention necessarily to everything that was going on. The god of the deists, the people who think that God is just this aloof god out in the cosmos somewhere that has nothing to do with us, who wants that kind of god? Thank God that's not the god we have. Rather, we have a god who is with us in the midst of everything we're going through. This was true in the garden. It was true at Sinai. It was true in the tabernacle. It was true in the temple. That's true for even us as New Testament believers because where does God reside now? God is with us. Do you know how the book of Matthew closes? Do you know what the very last verse is? Here we see as Jesus is introduced, his name means, I'm with you, God with us, the very last verse in the book of Matthew, the very last block of text in the book of Matthew says the same thing. In the Great Commission, we see this. Go therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, teaching them to serve all the things I've commanded you, and lo, I am with you even to the end of the age. You see that? There's a bookend. The moment Jesus is introduced in chapter 1, the message is that God has come down from the throne to be with his people. And then prior to his ultimate ascension, he says the same thing because I'm going to leave my helper. Oh, and by the way, I am with you even to the end of the age. That's a God we can love. That's a God we can worship. A God who is not just for us but a God who is with us. All right, if you would, let's look at verses 18 and 19. We're going to talk about the God who is with us as we see of his birth. In verses 18 and 19, we're going to see what was going on with Mary Joseph, and then we're going to work our way through the text as time will allow. Okay, verses 18 and 19. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. All right, at the start of this passage, we see something just very ordinary, something as natural as natural can be. There's a woman, an individual who's pregnant, a pregnancy that will lead to childbirth. Very natural, happens all the time. However, in these verses, we see that there's something unnatural or at least unusual that's going to take place. Verse 18 adds an unordinary qualifier. It says that there's going to be a pregnancy, normal, but in this case it will occur without physical union. Now I'm not a physician, but I have studied anatomy and the like, and I know that's just not the way that this works. Well, verse 18, we're seeing the seeds for something that we call the virgin birth, and this is one of the most important things to understand with regards to Christ's birth, with regards to the incarnation, because this is not an average everyday event. Rather, this is a miracle, and it's not just a miracle, but it's a fulfillment of prophecy, because Isaiah said this is the way it was going to go down. Behold, there be a virgin who would give birth to a child. Now verse 18 clarifies it. It's not Joseph's child, and for these verses, we know this much. They're betrothed, but there's been no physical union then. Now if you've seen Fiddler on the Roof, you remember the matchmaker? Remember the matchmaker? Well, they had similar things throughout Jewish history. They would have a season in which people were brought together. This was tradition. They were brought together by matchmakers and parents and others. They were put into a union, and yet there was a year. I know you want to sing it. There was a year of time after they were brought together in which they were sort of betrothed. We might consider it engaged. It's not really a point -for -point analogy, but they were betrothed. They spent a year in this estate prior to physical union. That's what's going on here. It's actually much stronger than an engagement. This is a strong relationship that they have, and yet it has not been consummated physically at this point. And so, all of a sudden, out of the blue, Mary is with child. Uh -oh. Now, we have lost touch with the word scandal. We really have. I mean, dear heavens, everything is a scandal. It doesn't matter what news. Whatever you pick up, there's a scandal on every page from every direction. It seems like every aspect of celebrity or politics or athletics or what have you, scandal, scandal, scandal. We've lost touch with it. In fairness, it didn't always used to be this way. If you're watching a TV show, if Barney Fife stole part of Andy Griffith's sandwich, they can make a whole scandalous episode out of that. There was things in the past that seemed scandalous at the time that now it's absolutely nothing. We've lost touch with scandal to the point we look at this text, and we don't understand what Joseph's going through. And his culture and his time, what he and Mary were just experiencing. She's pregnant, and there's no father. There's been no physical union. He is betrothed to someone who's pregnant, doesn't know what's going on. This was a scandal of scandals. And in his day, based on an understanding of Deuteronomy, this could even have led to her death. This was not a small thing. This is a huge, huge event that's taking place. And so, in verses 18 and 19, we see Joseph in the middle of a conundrum. He's betrothed to this individual who has this situation going on. He doesn't know how it happened. He doesn't know exactly what's going on, but he has concern. Now, he cares for Mary enough that he doesn't want to see this become the public spectacle that it otherwise very well could be. And so he attempts to find some way to accommodate her well -being, but apart from being able to marry her, because he's a just man, and there's obviously been in his mind an infidelity that's taken place that would disqualify that union. Now, before he could act on that impulse, an angel intervenes. Let's look at verses 20 and 21 to see what happens in this intervention. Verse 20, but while he thought about these things, while Joseph thought about all this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she'll bring forth a son, you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All right. As we said in verses 18 and 19, Joseph and Mary, Mary is now pregnant. Joseph is trying to figure out what to do. And in verse 20, we see that while he's contemplating, which I'm sure this took some time for him to work this through, but while he's thinking about these things, he goes to sleep. He's worried, he's anxious, he falls asleep, and in the midst of his sleep, an angel of the Lord comes to him in a vision, in a dream. And this happens at other intervals as scripture as well. And when the angel comes to Joseph, it's a simple message. It says, Joseph, what you think has happened is not accurate. But let me tell you, you're worried you should take Mary as your wife. You shouldn't be. Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. Now, I don't know what kind of theologian Joseph was at this point. We believe him to be older than Mary, but we don't know what kind of theologian he was. But whatever his theology was, he probably didn't fully understand that last statement. That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. Joseph didn't have John Calvin around to explain all the Trinitarian implications of this. And I imagine Joseph had more questions than answers, even when he hears this news. And yet he knew this much, even if he didn't have all the Trinity figured out at this time, even if he doesn't know what it means for the Spirit to overshadow her, even if he's still going, what does that mean? He at least knew this much, that Mary's pregnancy was not a function of her sin. He knew that there was not some other father in some tent down the street. He knew that the child that she was pregnant with was from God. And some way that he probably couldn't fully articulate, but he knew it was from God. And then God, through the angel, tells Joseph what to name him. Now naming rites in Jewish culture or any culture come from seats of authority. If you think about it in the garden, in the garden, Adam and Eve, you know, they're given the garden and all the animals are frolicking about as animals do. And Adam and Eve had a job, they actually had a couple of jobs. One was to take dominion over that which God had given them, and another thing was to do what for the animals? To name them, right? The greater names, the lesser, right? That's why parents named children are not children naming parents. Kind of glad it doesn't work that way. In this case, we see that God himself, through the angel, takes ownership over the name of his own son. It's not up to Joseph to name. He says his name will be Jesus. His name will be Jesus. We'll see that a little bit more in the verses yet to come. Whatever the case here is, the idea is that as this child is born of the Holy Spirit, this child comes with a purpose. His name will be Jesus because Jesus means what? It means the Lord is salvation. His person is yoked to his work. The angel identifies his person and his origins from God, the Holy Spirit, but he also identifies here's what he's come to do, and we're going to see that a little bit more in the verses yet to come. What we're also going to notice here, just a minute, is that when the angel talks about who will come to save his people from their sins, remember last week we talked about this. The people didn't necessarily have a problem with their sins. You know what the great irony is? You give someone a cure for a disease they don't think they have. If you come running up to someone on the streets of Gulfport with a vial of some cure, some medicine, or what have you, for a disease they don't understand they got, they'll just say, you crossed the other side of the street. They won't care because they don't recognize what you're holding is the cure for a problem that they have. The same is true with sin. The culture around us doesn't really think they have a problem with sin, and if they do think sin is a problem, they do this thing that's convenient. They redefine sin to be something that is external to them, a problem other people have. Whatever the case, when people had no understanding that they need to be saved from sin, if anything that they need to be saved from, it was going to be from Rome, which is what we talked about last week. Their fear, their concern, Joseph's concern, Mary's concern, the people down the street's concern was not so much that, oh, my sin is going to get me. And yet, that was the spiritual guillotine that was over their necks and ours apart from this child that was born. Every man, woman, and child has stood condemned under sin. You read the Book of Romans, the first five, six chapters, as Paul is condemning the human race and saying, well, this is our problem. Then, of course, he introduces the solution. Well, the angel introduced the solution too and says, this one has come not just to make your life better, not just to pour a little Jesus seasoning on things to give you your best life now. This one came to this end, to this object, to save you from your sins, to save you from a problem that you might not even understand that you have and that our culture certainly doesn't understand it has. That's why he came, and here's the thing. That's what the whole Old Testament said he would do. The Old Testament said when he shows up, when the Messiah we've been waiting from since Genesis 3 .15, when the seed shows up, he will come to save people from their sins, not what they were looking for in the first century, not what they were looking for in the 21st century. And yet the Old Testament prophecy said that's the guy to look out for, one who is not what you expect, one who will come to save you from your sins, one who is not going to come down on a red carpet from God, but will be born in a place like a manger. Isaiah 53, one of the most famous chapters that speaks to these issues, says this. This one would be wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace would be upon him. By his stripes we'll be healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to our own way, and the Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all. The angel got it, and he says in the manger, Joseph, and in the womb of Mary right now is the one that has come to do just that. And the cruel irony is the people won't be looking for that. As he gets older, they'll reject him. They'll reject what he came to do, and yet this is the one. This is the child. All right, let's take a look now at verses 22 through 25 and just kind of build on this case. Okay, verse 22. So all this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophets, saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son. They shall call his name Immanuel, which is translated God with us. Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took to him his wife, and did not know her until she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. All right, as we just said a moment ago, Christ's person is yoked to his work. The great problem in our age is that our culture doesn't do the same thing. At Christmastime in December, you just watch, people don't have a real problem with the person of Jesus so much. They like cute Jesus, even divine Jesus. That's not really the problem. The problem is his work. He came to convict us of our sins, to turn our hearts to God, to cause us to repent, and to rescue us from sins that most of us don't acknowledge that we have. But in this text, the angel spells it all out. He says this is the reason he's coming. This is the reason he's coming, in order to save them from their sins. And as he saves them from their sins, he will be the fulfillment of prophecies that said he would do just that, which is why even the angel quotes the Old Testament here. End of verse 23. Behold, the virgin shall be with child, shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, which is translated God with us. There's a continuity you're supposed to see with that which is written down recorded in the Old Testament and that which comes on the scene here in Matthew chapter 1. God wants us to see that, and Matthew was desperate that his contemporaries saw it. Remember, their problem when they killed Jesus was they didn't recognize him for who he was. I mean, they had other issues too, but that was chief among them. They just didn't know what they were doing. Isn't that what Jesus said? Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. Same idea. They had a Messiah on their radar that they wanted, and it wasn't this one, this guy. So at Matthew, when he's writing chapter 1, when he's writing to the Jews, he started with the genealogies we talked about last week, and he said, all right, this Jesus is going to be a son of Abraham, which makes him a Jew, and it's going to be a son of David, which makes him a king, or in the line of kings. His objective was to tell the Jewish audience who this Jesus was. Well, here, as chapter 1 continues, he gives the biography even more so, and he says that this one, this Jesus, which means God is salvation, is also named Immanuel, which is an Old Testament prophecy that means God with us. Matthew's making the case, even here in chapter 1, clearly in chapter 1, to a Jewish audience, that this is the Jewish Messiah. Now, would that be compelling? Well, to some, yes. To others, not so much. Now, the past 15 minutes or so, we've quoted Isaiah a few times. I think I referenced Malachi as well, but there in verses 22 through 25, we see the reference again to Isaiah more acutely, more specifically, and this is a reference that to the Jewish audience should have resonated with him, but again, as we just said a moment ago, the irony is that it didn't. The reason that's ironic is this. Matthew knew that many of his fellow Jews had rejected Jesus while simultaneously longing for a Messiah, and his objective here in chapter 1 is to say, hey, guys, they're the one and the saint. The one you rejected is the one you were looking for, and that's what Peter does in Acts 2. He tells the Pharisees, you know the one you killed, the one you nailed to a tree, the one you hung on the cross? That was him, and when they finally get it in the book of Acts, when they finally get that, what happens to them? Scripture says they're just broken to the heart because then they understand what they did. They understand that the light of life had come to them. They didn't recognize it, and then they killed them. As we look to wrap up, we're going to build on all these things as we head towards baptism, as we go towards the temptation, and the things that are going to follow in the book of Matthew, but as we wrap up, I want to return briefly to the word Emmanuel, which we've already established means God with us. Now, earlier I used the term, the term deus. Let me explain briefly. I know many of us know it, but let me explain briefly for those who don't. Every culture, when it comes to religion, there's two camps that they fall in. One, assuming that they believe in God at all, one is the camp of the deist. That camp believes God exists, but we can't know him. He formed the world around us, but then he went off and he does his thing and we do ours. That's deism. As Christians, we're not deists. The alternate is what we call theism. Theism posits that God exists, but you can know him, and what's more, he wants you to know him. You and I are theists, and if you drill into that term even more, we're monotheists. We believe in one God. We're not polytheists that believe in a lot of them. We believe that there is a God. You can have a relationship with him. There is a God and there is just one. Now, that's highly desirable because the alternative is you have a God you can't know that doesn't care about you, and that's what a lot of agnostics in our day do. They go, I think there might be a God somewhere, but they really don't think you can have a relationship with him. Who wants that? Who desires that? Well, the picture in Matthew 1 and throughout the book of Matthew, the picture that's painted here is completely different. It's not about a God who formed the cosmos and went away. Rather, it's a God who is ever -present with creation and undergoes the life experiences, the human experiences that we do up to and including birth. You have a God that can relate to you. You know, one of the greatest hardships or plagues on our age is the plague of loneliness. It's this idea that no one can relate to what I'm going through. The life circumstances have conspired in such a way that I'm going through something that no one can really understand, no one can really relate to, and then there's an isolation that comes with that, even a withdrawal. Maybe some people withdraw from us, and then we're left in this estate. Some of us, maybe many of us, are left in a state of loneliness, maybe for a season, maybe for a lifetime, and it's the hardest thing if you've experienced it. If that's you or someone you know, this message of God with us, and this word of manual should hold a special meaning. Others leave might us, others might forsake us, others might let us down, and yet the God who walked with Adam and Eve, when there was just two of them in the cool of the afternoon, walks with us still. Even we're just one of us. God is with us no matter what we're going through. He's not just munching popcorn, watching what you're going through this week. Some of us have a picture of God that He's up there in the clouds somewhere with a long beard, a long robe, and He's just kind of doing this to see what we do, and He's ready to punish us and the like, and He's there and we're here, and there's this distance. That's not the God of Scripture. The God of Scripture is a God who is intimate and close and wants to be close to you and wants your hand to fit in His. He doesn't call you a peon in the kingdom of heaven. He calls you a son or daughter, and that has meaning. What father or mother among us has not held the hand of our child and felt that proximity, felt that closeness, felt that bond, felt that unity that comes with holding your own? Well, that's what God wants with you. And even now, even if we've been fleeing from Him, His arms are open to this. He came as a babe and a manger, the most defenseless thing that you can possibly come. He came from a state of great glory into a state of great hardship, great difficulty. It would ultimately lead to His death, and yet He did it because He loves His people. He's not indifferent to us. He's not indifferent to us. The other problem that we can sometimes verge into is we can think that He's indifferent to me, but He's cool with other Christians, but I've done something that is so egregious or He knows my past or He knows the things I did yesterday because of that there's this gap. If there's any gap in your walk with God, it's not because He's drifted away from you. It's because you're pushing Him away. The God of this book does not withdraw from children, from sons and daughters, but He's like the parable of the prodigal son. His arms are open wide. Matthew 1, God with us. Matthew 28, God with us. Behold, I am with you even to the end of the age. Whatever you face this week, this book is not an abstract thing that just applies to other religious people or you on occasion. It applies to you today. God's with you as you face whatever you're facing, whatever hardship you're walking down, whatever valley you're traversing, God is with you, and that's a great encouragement of Scripture, and no other faith can present it except this alone. God is with us. We see it in Matthew 1. We're going to see it in Matthew 2 and the balance of the book. Let's pray. Join Dr. Toby Holt and Dr. Dominic Aquila for a tour of Israel in February of 2024. For more information, visit fpcgulfport .org.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from Matthew: Introduction And Intertestamental Age
"In between the writing of the Old and New Testaments, roughly 400 years went by. What happened during this intertestamental age? In today's study, we'll answer that question and we'll introduce the first part of our new series in the book of Matthew. Alright, as I said just a moment ago, we are beginning a new study in the book of Matthew which is the very first book in the New Testament. Now I asked you a trivia question a few moments ago, let me ask you a slightly different one. Does anyone remember what the very last book in the Old Testament is? Malachi. The last book in the Old Testament is Malachi. Now, when do you think Malachi was written? You don't have to shout it out loud, but think about it. When was Malachi written? Well, we believe Malachi was written about 400 to 450 years before this, before the time of Jesus Christ. Now for those doing the math, this means that for about 400 to about 450 years or so, God was silent. God was silent for about 400 to 450 years, presuming that your Bible only has 66 books in it. That's a different story for a different day. Now, did that mean that God was doing nothing during that time? Did that mean God said, you know, I've been a busy God, I think I'm going to go and take a break for a little while. It didn't mean he went on hiatus or went on vacation or something like that. Well, of course not. Of course not. In fact, if you were to study just the secular history of this area, you'd see it was an incredibly busy time, very eventful. This time, and we're going to call it the intertestamental time because that's what theologians call it. The intertestamental time between the Old Testament and the New Testament ran about 400 to 450 years, and it was chock full of all sorts of political intrigue and battles and rulers and emperors that would rise and empires that would fall. You had the Persians which fell, you had the Greeks which would rise, and then you had the Romans who took care of everything that was left. During the intertestamental time, there were many heroes and many villains. Alexander the Great lived during this time, Judas, Maccabees, Antiochus, Epiphanes, who if this was a silent movie, we would all hiss and boo because he was one of the great villains of this age. From Jerusalem to Rome and all points in between and beyond, the intertestamental age, this block of time, 400 to 450 years or so, was incredibly filled, filled to the brim with significant people and events. And yet, and yet, even as all this stuff happened on the world stage, even as all these people's lives and events unfolded, the God who would decree how they unfolded was uncharacteristically silent, silent. For our 400 years, God had not sent the nations a prophet or a word. Now was that unusual? Yes. God looked just through the major prophets and the minor prophets, and as you can see, he regularly consistently spoke, but now, now, he was silent.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from The Joy of a Gospel Driven Life
"All right. Well, good morning. It's wonderful to be with you this morning. Pastor Mike is with all of the youth group at the summer camp. So we hope that they're having a good time there. I think there was over 50 kids that went to the summer camp. And with that, I think probably 20 or so from maybe more leaders. So we're missing them this morning, but they're having a good time, I'm sure. Well, I'm excited to preach the word this morning. But before we get there, let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father God, we thank you for your kindness to us. We thank you that we get to gather here this morning out in the open air, Lord, that we get to proclaim your excellencies and your goodness, that we get to dive into your word and let it impact our hearts, God, that we be transformed and conformed into your image, that we would glorify you with our lives. And so I pray to that end, Lord, that you help us, that as we get into your word, that you help us to glean the things that we need to glean from it, Lord, that your Holy Spirit will speak to our hearts and convict us, encourage us, inspire us to live lives that are truly gospel -driven and living for your honor and glory. We thank you and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, we're in Philippians chapter one this morning, so you can turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter one. Let's see. Philippians chapter one. So several weeks ago, I began or I taught on Philippians chapter one, verses one through 11. And I introduced this book as perhaps the most encouraging, joyous book out of all of Paul's letters. It's a letter of great thankfulness and joy and encouragement rather than a letter of lengthy teaching or correction. Paul didn't have to rebuke this church, this church at Philippi, or correct their understanding of the gospel. It seems that they had great regard for the gospel and that they were producing godly fruit. And so throughout the letter, Paul commends them and he encourages them and he warns them of the things that could possibly threaten their unity. So now in chapter one, Paul begins by expressing his gratitude for the church and their support in their partnership in the gospel. And he says some wonderful things about them to encourage them. But as we move into verse 12, he's going to address the thing they most want to hear, the thing that they want to know the most. How is Paul doing? How are you doing Paul? Now you need to understand the context here. Paul is writing from Rome. Okay. Now understand this. Paul's dream as an apostle was to go to Rome. Rome was the center of Western civilization. You've probably heard the phrase, all roads lead to Rome. And this is because Rome was once considered the center of the world. It was the hub of politics and power and culture and commerce. What happened in Rome didn't stay in Rome. Rome's influence spread and it spread far and wide. Of course, Paul wanted to go to Rome. Paul expresses this longing when he writes to the church in Rome in Romans chapter one. I want to read this little section of Romans one, and I want you to listen and listen to hear just how much he's longing to go to Rome. He says this, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his son. And without ceasing, I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you. That is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware brothers that I have often intended to come to you, but thus far have been prevented in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both in the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. There's no doubt about it that Paul really wanted to go to Rome. He long to go there. His heart's desire was to be there and to share the gospel with them. And throughout Paul's missionary journeys, Paul would make, it would be his goal to reach the major cities, to get into those major cities, to preach the gospel. But there was a burning desire for Paul to eventually get to Rome. His eye was on Rome. He was hopeful that he would eventually get there. And so Paul's goal was to reach these major population centers of the world, to spread the gospel as quickly and strategically as possible. And with that strategy, he knew he had to get to Rome to proclaim the gospel there. And after three missionary journeys, Paul is finally able to go to Rome, but he doesn't want to go to Rome. Paul had been falsely accused and he had been arrested in Jerusalem and he was forced to appeal to Caesar as a Roman citizen. And then he was taken to Rome. And while in Rome, he was put under house arrest with a Roman guard keeping watch over him 24 seven. Paul is in prison. Of course, news about Paul's imprisonment probably spread to all the churches, but when Philippi, when the Philippians heard of this, they spring into action and they send a man named Epaphroditus on a mission to take Paul support, supplies, and to find out about his welfare. And upon arrival, Epaphroditus finds out that Paul's needs are greater than they expected.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
A highlight from To the End of the Earth
"Acts 28 verse 11 through 31 let us hear in a way of offering hearing as worship for these are the words of God. After three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the twin brothers which had wintered at the island and landing at Syracuse we stayed there three days. From there we the south wind blew and the next day we came to Puteoli where we found brethren and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome and from there when the brethren heard about us they came to meet us as far as Appi forum and three inns. When Paul saw them he thanked God and took courage. Now when we came to Rome the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him. Then it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together so when they had come together he said to them men and brethren though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans who when they had examined me wanted to let me go because there was no cause for putting me to that but when the Jews spoke against it I was compelled to appeal to Caesar not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation for this reason therefore I have called for you to see you and speak with you because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. Then they said to him we neither received letters from Judea concerning you nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you but we desire to hear from you what you think for concerning this sect we know that it is spoken against everywhere.
Bloomberg Radio New York - Recording Feed
Monitor Show 18:00 08-11-2023 18:00
"Just checking. She's from Texas. That's when there's anything wrong with it. She's a beef kind of gal. What's really fun is in the weekend show we deal with Beyond Meat, Once a Wall Street Darling, Not So More. Also we work Once a Darling and we also talk a little bit about Disney. A lot of news on that company, remember that, earlier in the week. That is our weekend show. Catch that tomorrow at 8 a .m. on Bloomberg Radio and of course on our podcast feed. Have a great weekend Jess. Everybody have a good weekend. Wall Street Week starts right now. Broadcasting 24 hours a day at Bloomberg .com and the Bloomberg Business Act. This is Bloomberg Radio. This is a Bloomberg Money Minute. Mixed news on inflation left investors still uncertain about the interest rate outlook. Inflation expectations unexpectedly fell this month. A University of Michigan survey finds consumers see prices rising 3 .3 % over the next year. The government's report on July wholesale prices was a disappointment. Producer price index rose three tenths of one percent. A bit more than analysts expected. It was a mostly lower day on Wall Street closing out a slightly down week. The major index has posted one of their smallest weekly moves all year. Dow Industrials rose 105. The S &P 500 lost five. The NASDAQ fell 93. Meta platform CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he's not holding his breath for a cage match with Elon Musk. He says Musk has not agreed on a date despite Musk's claims that the two billionaires are working out plans for a cage match in Rome. Larry Kofsky, Bloomberg Radio. The Big Tape, a daily podcast from Bloomberg and iHeart Radio. Highlighting the best reporting by Bloomberg News from around the globe. This is a really fast moving story. ...caused a lot of outrage among investors. It will really set the economy on a road...
Based On a True Story
"rome" Discussed on Based On a True Story
"This episode of based on a true story this week was written and produced by me, Dan lefevre. Before I let you go, while not historical events, there are some birthdays this week for people who have been mentioned in movies or TV shows. So after hearing those events that actually happened this week, if you're still looking for some recommendations of things to watch this week, here are a few more historical options for you. On March 14th, 1879, Albert Einstein was born in ulm Germany. Of course, he is the famous Nobel Prize winning physicist, and he's been portrayed in a number of movies and TV shows, such as being played by Jeffrey rush in the TV series simply called genius, as well as being played by Tom Conti and Christopher Nolan's newest movie called Oppenheimer. It's scheduled to come out this summer. So you can't really watch that this week, but this week you can set a reminder to watch it this summer. On March 15th, 270 AD, Nicholas of bari was born, or at least that traditionally when his birthday is considered to be, he was a bishop in the early Christian church, and while I'm not aware of any movies that depict the story of Nicholas Barry, he is better known as saint Nicholas, and was the basis of the traditional stories of Santa Claus or saint Nick. So in a way, he's in almost every Christmas movie, so I thought it was relevant and if you want to watch some Christmas movies this week there's a great excuse for you. On March 19th, 1848, Wyatt Earp was born in Monmouth, Illinois. He's best known as being part of the famous gunfight at the okay corral. He's played by Kurt Russell in the 1993 movie tombstone, and if you learn want to learn more about the true story, for example, learning things like calling it the gunfight at the okay corral is a misnomer because it didn't actually take place at the okay corral. We covered the true story behind tombstone on episode number 142 of based on a true story. If you get value out of base on a true story, you can give back whatever you feel it's worth, whether it's a dollar, $10, a $100, whatever value you get out of the show, you can give back and learn how to get ad free versions of the show over at based on a true story podcast dot com slash support. Once again, that's based on a true story podcast dot com slash support. Until next time, thanks so much for listening. And I'll chat with you again, really soon.
Based On a True Story
"rome" Discussed on Based On a True Story
"Hello and welcome to based on a true story this week, where we'll look at how movies depicted historical events that happened between March 13th and march 19th. Let's get into it.
WFAN Sports Radio_FM
"rome" Discussed on WFAN Sports Radio_FM
"Rome. I'm live. I'm in Southern California, where you want to talk about a statement. About Arkansas, beating number 15, Texas on Saturday. 42 21, There is a statement. We're joined by the head football coach at Arkansas second season with the Razorbacks led them to that big win. They are two and Oh, there number 28 people You're hosting Georgia's Southern on Saturday evening. Sam Pittman is my guest, Sam. It's great to have you on. How are you? I am too. So great. Thank you a lot for as many come on your show, Sam. Thank you very much for coming on this show. I'll say there's a lot that I want to talk to you about. But why don't we start with the fact that you have the ninth largest crowd in program history you're placed on Saturday night with Texas coming to town? What was the atmosphere like in that stadium before the game? And then how did you go about making sure that your guys Did not get too hyped. Well, I was incredible. It really was. It started with the hog walk, and they were. I don't know how many 15 rows deep. It was. It was incredible the atmosphere and simply because the old rivalry between us and Texas and And you know the passion that our guys have for the for the hogs, but It wasn't hard, really Jim to keep them focus because we've had such a good week of practice, and we talked about very simple ways of winning, and it's physicality and not making mistakes and holding on the ball. Those things you can do each and every week and So the kids they were ready to play, though they were swarming to the football. Sam Pittman joining us. I'm glad you mentioned Sam physicality because I wanted to ask you about that You're facing number 15, Texas and you dominate that game. You get out to a 33 7 lead in the third quarter, rushing for 333 yards on the ground for the game as a coach who has his roots on the offensive line. How proud were you of the line and the way they control the game? It was incredible. You know, we have a new offensive line is Cody Kennedy and he was a grad assistant of mine when when we were both at Georgia, and he's done a phenomenal job with this group, and we had five starters coming back. So that certainly Helped us But you know, as an offensive line coach and the head coach and your Russia for seven plus yards a carry. It's an incredible feeling. It's very hard, hard to match the feeling that you have and And that is just Hey, we're going to run it and there's not a whole lot you can do about it type feeling, and it was so proud for him and the offensive line in the running backs. It's one thing to win that thing in the trenches that battle in the trenches. But that was the program's first win over Texas and Fayetteville in 40 years, and they stormed the field after the game. You had a great speech. I thought In the locker room after the win. One of the things you told your team was that Arkansas fans can wake up on Sunday. Quote. You've given them an opportunity to be proud of the damn Arkansas Razorbacks and quote. I mean, what's it mean to you and your players to have that support and then to repay it by giving the fans something they can be proud of? Because I know how proud how fierce that fan bases. Yeah. You know, Jim, I Uh, I'm so Proud to be the head coach at Arkansas. And I really, really am. Grew up 75 miles here from here. I wanted to hogs to recruit me. They did, which coach Holtz was? He was right. I wouldn't recruited me either, but I wanted to come here and I know the passion because I have it and our coaches have has it and we wanted to. We wanted our Fans to wake up on the Sunday morning and have something to talk about the shades. Oh, man, hugs didn't play well this at another and our kids gave that to them. We gave back to him for helping us win because I really believe that they helped us in the wind. With 76,000 people there. You see, the thing is I mean, when you say I love being a head coach here, I wanted this gig. A lot of coaches might have looked at the program and said, Man, this is a brutal conference. That's an opportunity that's going to require a lot of work. I don't want that. I don't want that job. I don't want that challenge yet. As you just pointed out, you did want that. A lot of your former players wanted it for you as well. Why was that a job that appealed to you so much? And then what's it mean to have the support of so many former players? Well, I love the state of Arkansas always have a matter of fact, Jim, my wife and I were going to retire in hot springs, Arkansas way by the lot down there getting ready to build before I got the head coaching job here, so I just love the water. The people. It's just a really, really need state for people that haven't been in the state of Arkansas. They are to, you know, look at it, because there's a lot of nice places here and Really good people and that you know, the passion for the Hogs has been gone for a while. And I know that ain't any school that's won a national championship. They can get back to power. They can get back and a lot of people go down and then come back up and You know, I know A lot of people didn't take the job for me to get it. I understand that I didn't care if I was one or 100. I just wanted to come back here because I knew if you had passion for this program That you could eventually turn it around. And this is why everywhere you've been players love you. And by the way, they don't like you. They love you. I can read one quote after another from players parents over the years who love you. I know this relationship. I mean everything to you. I want to ask you, though, In some cases when you get a gig like that. You've got players who played for a couple of coaching staffs, and they had not seen a lot of success. It might be easy to say that the number one problem or priority is we've got to get better players. You never said that. You never did that. You believe that these guys could have success quickly. Why was that? Well, I just think that if you get a group of collective people together, and you're you're rolling towards one vision, you can get better now. I didn't. I didn't know we go into national championship. Anything like that. But I know we could get better with the players that we had. The first thing I told him is Is. I know that they didn't choose me as their head coach by sure as hell chose him as you know, And so I think that resonated with him a little bit. And then we never tried to run one person off. Nor did we tried to keep anybody if they wanted to get out. I said, good luck to you, but we didn't try to run anybody off. We never talked about the previous head coach. We never talked about his came in my team. Because the day that I got the head coaching job. It was our team and we wanted everyone of them. And I love that. I love that. You You sure as hell didn't choose me, But we chose you. And we didn't run anybody off. Norma Gate made anybody stay. There's one more interesting parallel. Sam. Sam Pittman, my guest in the story that goes that you started roofing houses when you were young. Then he started doing things like building fences and mixing mud. And as you said, quote, my dad would buy an old house and all these kids would help fix it up. Some type of construction has been a big part of my whole life and quote really interesting to me. Like what were those days like? And what did you learn from those experiences that help you now? How those days were awesome, Jim, but the bad part about every now and then they'll baseball game to get rained out. And when it did you had to go work, right?.
Historically Thinking
"rome" Discussed on Historically Thinking
"I'm but it's also important to acknowledge that would give was doing was shifting the paradigm shifting the chronology of roman declined out of the republican into the empire. I mean he had reasons for doing this. You know he unlike months excuse. He is very enamored west the system of what he perceived to be stable balanced european monarchy's of the late eighteenth century and he starts writing this. In seventeen seventy six. The first volume is published. Like right win the american revolution against and by the time he finishes the french revolution is about to happen and so his hair dime doesn't really work at all. Even when the books are published the world he's trying to justify and explain through roman terms doesn't exist any as opposed to ask you. Who is the single most important thinker for the american founders Yeah monte skewing census charting future given explaining. I sit montesquieu's charting a systemic future. I that will actually come into being and given his talking about a present reality. That's about to die so given explanation for the present reality that's about to die in a sense becomes irrelevant almost immediately and so the work becomes the story about row not a story about his time and the lessons it provides become disembodied from any historical context so gibbons decline in fall of round becomes a kind of tool that drake says. You use it any time. You're upset about something you take the client in fall of rome and you associated with whatever bothers you and you have an argument and i think this is part of i given story as resonated for so long and this is why this his story then has resonate for so long. But there's a way in which the dangerous idea has also resonated for it's a. It's an explanatory tool. It's an epistemological tool. It's also a tool for action. There aren't many of those it can do. Both a blueprint fraction. And i think what is particularly interesting in american context is this is a tool that we use frequently sure You know the founders were terrified of the decline of the republican montezuma's out. I mean one of the worst things you could do you know. The writings of atoms are the writings of jefferson or the writings of madison's. Call someone catalan. Because that was a sign that you'd entered not just a phase where people are having better stay were society is creating negative feedback loop that will undo the representative democracy when they call ehrenberg cadillac in. They're thinking roman history are as much as they're thinking eighteen hundred. There's a very they're very few people. I think interestingly enough. It's patrick henry. And sam adams who like sola. Yeah i don't i. i'm pretty sure i remember. That of adams also likes sam also sparta. Which i never quite figured out But there's yes sella's a weird taste amongst them. I'm usually it's sala in the rocky onto popular either And that that's of those. Any sort of those types of people are not good. Yeah and i think this shows is for us. Roman history represents a story that hasn't ending and it's an ending that we can find lots of ways to explain. But in american history or in american culture the understanding of what leads to the end of the roman empire is not very deep We know it ended. We know it. Declined fell we know gibbons title But it becomes a kind of catchall caution in weaken us as a way to criticize any kind of development in our society that makes us uncomfortable so the same way that this started in republican rome as a tool to make people who feel some sort of dislocation in the world around them.
Historically Thinking
"rome" Discussed on Historically Thinking
"So i think what we see across the the subsequent eight hundred years of byzantine asturias these stories that we've seen already starting in the republic. They come back again and again. And there are people on the other sides of us and so there will be embers will push theological ideas that monks or other people in the congregations or in the communities oppose and in some cases those monks or others will be punt will be punished Executed or mutilated And it's again in the name of restoring what was in the view of the emperor that person pushing this idea a primeval virtuous christian approach that may roam straw. And these were in. Many cases. tied to military defeats are Economic dislocation or other problems in the roman society but now christianity formed the language. That you use to articulate decline. It would form the way that you would address the solutions to these problems And so what you see across byzantine history across those next eight hundred. Years is the same rhetoric of decline the same story of a society that was once good but has fallen away from it. But now the way that you return to it is is frame to kind of christian lines And then as you get out of the byzantine period after the empire falls fourteen fifty. Three what happens is you do have moves in western europe to try to recover this into us the idea of roman restoration as a tool to attack from the west to try to recover constantinople. But by the time you get into the period of monta skew roma's become kind of an idea that you play with intellectually to try to explain concepts and montesquieu becomes very interested in both the success of the republican what he perceives to be the decadence of the empire in monty follows on a tradition that we see in people like flavio biondo and others machiavelli hitting where he sees the beginning of the decline of of rome as connected to the fall of the republic. Montgesty writes about the history of rome with nazis. Doing is looking at The success of new republic trying to understand what made the republic successful what attributes of the republic lent itself to the kind of power that rome was able to accumulate in then a discussion about what happens in the empire and how it happens that something that was so successful as a representative democracy falls into this prolonged decline but nevertheless continues to last fifteen hundred years afterwards and i think a months askew he acknowledges he started playing with this idea as something intended to be. Maybe a small pamphlet but it became a medium sized book because it was so fascinating to him and it it helped influence some of his largely radical works as well but then there's gibbon for whom it did not become a medium sized book. It became scribble scribble other scribbles crippled scribble. A mr give another damned great.
Historically Thinking
"rome" Discussed on Historically Thinking
"Eight hundred years after their belts and really To destroy those wells. You needed the canons. That the ottomans broad And then it's also surrounded on three sides by water but it's very fast moving current and so two besieged the city successfully. You need to be seated by land and sea and in six twenty six. It's the first time that you have a persian force that can mobilize a c- Siege and a land attack. that's coming from the balkans. I answer the city and six twenty. Six is in real danger of falling i and the emperor has not the army anywhere near cousin to relieve it instead. He has invaded persia to to get persia to withdraw from all of the territory in syria israel and egypt that had seized in the tall off what we call turkey. I mean basically the and also by this time. They've conquered egypt also as christians. They've taken jerusalem and they re remove the true cross from the holy sepulcher. I mean this is like apocalyptic crap this is. This is second king's this is you know this is revelation stuff going on and so herat left the defensive constantinople to Basically the patriarch of constantinople and he leads processions around the walls and asks the virgin mary. Come in defend the city and end. Constantinople is more or less left to defend itself while iraq campaigns five hundred miles away concerts and survives the siege louis. Making a sort of a hail. Mary pass exactly. That's exactly what it is it's You know the last force. The romans possessed capable of fighting in the field. He does not use it to reconquer. The territory roma's lost because it can't instead. He goes through the mountains of armenia and he tries to go down into the heartland of the persian empire from the north where the defenses are not as good and attack persia. You know from the inside without worrying about retaking territory. He lost because he doesn't have the capacity ticket back and the persian responses to knock out the capital constantinople. Felons six twenty six. That would be the story would be over. You know that army would do whatever it could to march. It's way back to so brighter. Preserve something of the state but the state would be gone. A six twenty six is this moment this apocalyptic moment in harasses allies in constantinople. Don't hesitate to say this. You know this is the apocalypse. This is the christians versus the anti christ. If we saw christianity will fall it is up to us to preserve you know god and jesus and all of the things that we hold to be central to this world that we've created. It's a win. They win at the siege of constantinople. This validate some of that approach but ultimately harasses hail. Mary works and he win. Yeah all places niniveh. I mean these are places out of the old testament. These battles are being fought. It would be better for box. Office was armageddon..
Historically Thinking
"rome" Discussed on Historically Thinking
"Clearly borne out by the fact roma sacked. Guston's says i don't really have an answer for you. Just cut the conversation short leave at. It's a rare moment. All the things we've talked about to hear. Augustine without words is whatever the most remarkable circle mind to me to me to be honest. How many professors would say that. I just don't know what to say. it doesn't happen all that often. Believe me no. It's a very good preschool. Teacher reaction may professors. No not so much What gusting tries to do is come up with a response and this starts in the fort. Tad's he patronizes named rosiest to write. A history of rome in rich associates is supposed to glorify all the horrible things that have ever happened in rome's try to make the sack of rome outlook so bad and that's explicitly what he says it's active rome wasn't so bad because look at this and this and this and this and this and this and while is doing this you know it provides you something to say if you're that christian talking to the pagan but augusta starts working in the city of god and the city of god begins in the aftermath of the sack of rome but he keeps working on it. As conditions in the west get worse and worse insults Gusts in arrives at the end of the city of god. Is this idea that christie progress is very real. But it's not about the roman empire. It's about you as a christian and it's about a christian community and he's using the word we translate as city is actually toss which means kind of cadmium city but it can also be kind of citizen body or apology into what augustine is saying. Is you might be focusing on the possibility that is the roman empire. But that's not really what this is about. Jesus is not promising. Better roman empire. He's promising as membership a divine community. That doesn't mean the roman empire to exist and so the roman empire can be there and if it helps you make it helps make you a better christian. Great you know good. Support the roman empire but if it falls in it's not there anymore you can still be a good christian and you can still be member of this christian community and that christian community is what matters and this is an idea that allows christians to innocent salvage the idea of christian progress. You are moving. It's just you're not living as a society. You're not moving as a country. You're not moving as a nation or an empire you're moving as an individual and the community you belong to. It's not a national community. It's a religious community. And so you can have christian progress wild the political elements robin world collapse. And then we get to pauline. Is's eucharistic on his paulhamus thanksgiving retire. I love because both kittitas. I mean the both kidney toss Eucharistic han have double meaning of horse. It's it is eucharistic..
Historically Thinking
"rome" Discussed on Historically Thinking
"Power is changed the story i so we have a lot of texts that are speeches performed when emperors come to town that date from the period between basically the mid eighties and the mid three tenths until a lot of these center around the cured when diocletian is restoring things. And what we see there is. There's kind of two phases to diocletian. There's about fifteen year period. Where diocletian is genuinely restoring things on. He's speaking about administrative problems. Military problems these speaking about problems with the tax system and the financial elements of the roman state. Any is really fixing things and it really is a period where you can say. There were sustained. Systemic problems in the third century. In diocletian is restoring room said that those problems are no longer there but then as you get into the fourth century you reach that that fifteen year point where diocletian is getting a little antsy people are getting a little antsy about diocletian and what you see is a shift that i think if we were to think about it in modern terms this might actually be the kind of shift with putin right during putin takes over russia at a time of pretty significant problems and putin does a great deal to do things like solve the chechnyan problem in the military weakness that reflects but then putin fixes those problems. In what do you do. How do you justify still being there and with diocletian the justification for still being there is now. I did all these things. Statistics that now i need to defend my solutions. And it's the last phase diocletian career where we start seeing him behaving really horribly. You know the great persecution of christians is something that's launched in this context and the maximum pricey dick where he sets prices for every good and service that he can think of across the empire is also something that comes from his period always works and these are things that diocletian very clearly describes as we fixed a problem. Now we have to secure the solution and that's a phase in diocletian 's career That doesn't work as well. Here's a transformative emperor. He makes the empire completely remixed the empire and sets it up to function effectively for the better part of an extra hundred years In constantine is the next great number after him build on those reforms to sort of completed administrative structure that will make the empire successful but diocletian sticks around for too long and the interesting thing is diocletian. Seems to notice because diocletian retires. Which is the only roman emperor who voluntarily retires and is invited back and refuses to comeback because he realized that was it. That was what i had to offer. And instead i'm gonna go to split live by the sea in farm cucumbers and it will be awesome. That must been a very. I've often thought he must have been a very unusual man. I mean there. Aren't that many people you know in human history done something like that. And i think he was incredibly self-aware about it too. I you know. I i think that he i think he understood that. There's just a limit to how much of this you can take. And how much of this people will take from you and if you hang on things will not go as well. So here's where we get a real change People are going to keep on until the present moment discussing decline of rome decline of x..
Historically Thinking
"rome" Discussed on Historically Thinking
"They're not talking about it right. Yeah i think when we look at the golden age of the an tonight what we see is first of all This is the the age of the five good emperors in. It's really an age when it's good to be emperor and burs live out their natural. I spent five in a row. Leave out their naturalized fan in die in their beds morelos but the conditions in the empire especially as you start getting towards the end of the age are not great. I don't think anybody would use the live under. Marcus aurelius despite. What advocate says. It's time where cities are being completely depopulated. The economy is really under strain of the population is collapsing because of the plague. To the point where. Marcus has to invite in germans to come and settle even in italy because there just aren't enough people for the place to run anymore It's not a great time. But it's described as a great time because first of all the leadership is exceptional. Especially marcus aurelius. But then the second of all it's described as a great time because there is no in pushing back there is no tacitus after domitian or plenty after domitian. Who's going to step up and say well. Marcus was terrible you know. In retrospect it just didn't work out because what happens. Even after the tonight dynasty falls is the next dynasty that setup embraces the answer nine dynasty satyagraha. Severity who is the founder of the next roman dynasty actually claims that he was adopted by. Marcus aurelius There's there's no way that was true. But he makes that claim because it first of all grounds his dynasty in a sort of continuity with the answer nine past but then second of all. This has the effect of closing the door on anyone's attempt to look back on the internet and say this time if declined because the next dynasty doesn't even try to do that and so you don't have contemporary saying at walmart or at least in literature that we possess You don't have further further generations doing it because the political imperative is to not say the lines were bad..
Historically Thinking
"rome" Discussed on Historically Thinking
"There is a kind of guess. You would say like a fifteen year itch. There's a lot of empress who don't make it for very long because they're not capable or they don't ever secure power then there's a group that make it but only naked into like their fifteen year or thereabouts. And then there's another burst of kind of assassinations right around that period where people basically got tired of the person and they get antsy and they realize maybe they're never going to the emperor this first sticks around and so there's a whole nother batch of people who get killed right around the fifteen year period and then once you get past that window. You're there for people are they're just willing to be stuck with you. Have a few emperors who go thirty four sierras but domitian dies in the beginning of the sixteenth year. That he's in power. It's three days after he celebrates the beginning of that year. And when you look at his career what you see this is a figure who was basically playing the long game who was young when you took power and was rebuilding rome in a way that was sustainable but making decisions that in the short term didn't look particularly good but had long term benefits and this greatly frustrated certain people some examples of kea giving example. Because my my vague center domitian was like proto secret police creep elements of that too. I mean he also as you get to your fiftieth year. You're sick of some of the behavior people. But i mean as frontier policy in its financial policy to go examples of this so his frontier policy along the northern frontier was not to conquer more territory beyond the ryan danube river instead what he did was he. He diminished the power anybody along those frontiers to threaten rome and then he built a sequence of alliances and got permission to traverse other people's territory so that he could defend rome against these people if these people got rowdy but he had no interest in taking that territory because he didn't feel it was in the best interest of rome to expand so instead what he did was he created a frontier system to opponents in the senate into later historians writing about this. This is seen as cowardice. Rome had the power to conquer these people. Why didn't they do it But we're domitian understood. Was it was better to build a system that had all in these parts that checked one another than to take responsibility for managing all this craziness on the other side of the frontier pay for the infrastructure would take the conquer it in his financial policy. Something similar where you had from the reign of nero on a curative of gradual depreciation of the silver currency and decreasing the size of the gold currency..
Historically Thinking
"rome" Discussed on Historically Thinking
"The first you know texts that we have from a large corpus of production by an author is like three hundred years after the republic is that we should say so say it's in latin latin because there are so the irony is is that we have earlier sources increase about romans. Well we have some but we don't have so we have a lot of things from We don't have a lot of greek authors talking about the romans in contemporary way so the first time the romans actually show up in greek sources is the sack of rome by the gauls in three ninety slash. Three eighty sixty seat. Unless the first greeks even talk about it in a contemporary way but the first roman historian is in fabius kick door and he writes his history of rome in greek even though he is a native latin speaker because greek is the language literature. it's the language use if you're trying to communicate complicated ideas and you're trying to write histories and so it ploughed us represents israeli kind of new phase were. Romans are preserving works written in latin in a substantial way. We're we're going to tread briefly on ground you covered in your previous book mortal republic which is about how how to kill off. A republic are So let's talk about decline Declined declined decline. This is a theme that that's so old by the time that plows his writing he can make fun of it Apparently so bubba talk about sola. I wanna go through the book trying to figure out how to approach this relatively short book about this very long enrich topic about which basically now. I see everything can be explained by this. This is like having everything in what we call. Western sip can now be explained by this concentrated. Because it's such a powerful concept in our heads. I mean yeah. It occupies a lot of rent. Free space But let's talk about sala and cicero system. People have heard of solemn not so much but he is a kind of an interesting almost demonic figure in the late republic He's fascinating yes..
Historically Thinking
"rome" Discussed on Historically Thinking
"Hello edward gibbon tells us that it was in the ruins of the temple of jupiter while listening to sing the barefooted friars they first began to meditate on a history of of the decline and fall of the city of rome. He was far from the first english visit to rome to be deeply profoundly moved by the ruins of the ancient empire an early medieval english visitor and the eight or nine th century wrote a poem describing works of giants decaying nor was given. The first speak of the decline of wrong is edward. Watts makes abundantly clear in his new book. The eternal decline and fall of rome the history of a dangerous idea. No one was ever more preoccupied by the decline of rome. Then the romans themselves edward j watts is professor. And caveat of vesey they the is endowed share and byzantine greek history the university of california san diego the author of numerous books. He was last on the podcast in episode ninety three three years ago discussing his book. Mortal republic ed watts. Welcome back to historically thinking. Thanks for having me. I'm really excited to be and to talk about this ranging topic so it is a ranging topic. I told you we emailed you last night. How a friend of mine who does first century languages syriac. Whatever he does he was like. So how long has this book. I was like he was kind of he says. Wow it's really hard to write a book that short about such a big topic because you go across fifteen hundred years of history. I more or less and you do it ends with great economy. I appreciate that. No we start a second at the beginning of the second century bc and we end now so the story of i'm thinking for ten fifty three but you went you. It's twenty two hundred years. Yeah yeah is the story is is so compelling because at the very beginning of roman literature with a very first text we have that's written by romanov that we have intact in entirety is a play in which a comic playwright is making fun of the idea of roman decline and by any objective measure in the second century bc. Rome is not declining its territories increasing. Its population is increasing. Economy's growing and yet that story is there from the very beginning so let me with us. Let me summarize your argument. You can correct me. It is that the a preoccupation with the decline of rome is it is e central preoccupation of roman intellectual life. End a weapon that is used in its politics. think that's perfectly. That's perfect summation of what we see. The decline of rome is that this is a concept that can exist in relation to a reality but most of the time it doesn't or a lot of the time doesn't There are real decline in rome. I mean of course the empire is not there anymore. So the empire did fall did decline There was a point..
BSP: Believer Skeptic Podcast
"rome" Discussed on BSP: Believer Skeptic Podcast
"Be as people lever skeptic podcast the podcast retu- idiots debate weird phenomenon. I'm chris. I'm the believer i'm cody. I'm the skeptic and if this is your first time listen to us where in lgbtq paranormal comedy. Podcast and members of the pod dot network. This is so intro. It's get longer and it's going to be like two years from now. It's going to be the whole mini-summit we'll just be the intro. And then we'll be like can never i can't remember all of that and i don't write it down the that's good though it's good so we are bringing you a mini sewed so in your new. Who are you know because we have four listeners. Every month we will bring you a paranormal topic every other week. And we have a full episode with great stories. And then we'll get into our believer skeptic portion and the interim week we want to give birth is bigger because i just watched my running shoes and my onions yum yum. It's actually funny. That i didn't have any of that context for setup and all. I was looking chris. And he's just sitting there sniffing so are meeting in the interim week and we wanted to do something so we have one story each teases the upcoming topic. So it's kind of a game since you can guess our topic chris gagging i just hang the only time he gags. You would never know sir. So we're okay. this one is going to be. Your story is going to be real hard. From what i understand together talk. You ever heard it okay. Well that'll be. The hint is my story is is is way easier is more related to the topic for related to the top. It is it is. And i know that you said something so. I'm curious to hear okay. You have to go. I now because i've got to hear what's going on with your story because if if i have to apologize and be like. Oh yeah chris's actually a really good hint and it was. It will do so. It's a great story so well. I haven't used by trustee website in a few minnesota so here is a story from your story. Your ghost stories dot com. Of course the story comes from twenty eighteen from a poster in italy. He's a person who post not a Back to the future poster. That's i. I thought i was like wait. A poster told the story post and posted got from italy. Okay he says. I had taken my first trip to europe in the summer of twenty seventeen. It was fun. But i always felt on edge. There's so much history to the places i went. I was a little dizzy with all the first place. We went to his rome italy. It's a trip that still haunts me. We had arrived the night before and my mother and her friend wished to go see the vatican that day. My brother cousin were as equally as excited as mothers. But i was not a new. There's a lot of death and violence and relics in a place. Like that. and i didn't want something to follow me back likely normally do. Oh gosh. the vatican was grand and wonderful. I wasn't bothered too much with the ghosts and spirits walking around so it was fairly busy day and most were distracted by other visitors. Okay so this person is has claims to be exploited. okay now. is this supposed to be a true story. It is a true story. Okay and make myself known to them and i had a rather pleasant day. It was right when we finally got back to our area. Be right outside the vatican wall and we will hit the hey early. My cousin and aunt slept in one room while my mother little brother is slept in another room. Since this was a new country my mom had closed and locked our bedroom door before we bunkered bunkered down for the night that should be hung on. Bunker is it makes sense to says. I don't remember falling asleep. But i had woken in the dead of night to go. Use the bathroom right outside the bedroom door. I sat up. Brewing is than look to the bedroom door was slightly ajar. Find strange until he saw what was crawling on the wall. Next to close shit. An oily inky black male figure with deformed arms and legs like a spider christ slowly on the wall towards my mother. Okay you said male figure another mouth. No mail was likely this hot. Mom's kind of reminds me of the The guy on conjuring to go. That's exactly what. Last night i do believe. It wanted my mother at first and she likes to brag about how she can see spirits and she. She's always opening herself to these kinds of things. It had another set of extra arms and its own was down facing the wall shit. I knew i wasn't dreaming and it wasn't sleep paralysis since i was sitting up anyway. It kept moving towards my mother. Until i let out a squeak of fear. That's when it looked at me. Oh it had no face but it did have is. They still scare me to this day. I don't know how to describe. The is but once it looked at me. It felt like i was burning shed. I immediately laid back down with a blanket over my face having a panic attack wait. That's how they responded. I would to have upon a panic attack. Ivan scream and try to get rid of it or wake someone up to help you but just to hide. Oh but that's what you would do. Okay what would you do. I would scream and white people live so it wasn't suffering alone having a panic attack. It's of hard to do both at the status. That is true that is true. All was quiet in the room except for my erratic breathing. It felt like an hour went by. So he's just hiding. Anything could be right there. Yeah east but then the mattress dip lex marketing at the foot of my bed. Oh god i felt the thing crawl up towards until i could make out the black figure from beyond my blanket in the moonlight. I couldn't take it anymore and let out a scream from my mother to wake up lights pushing myself to sit up. The lights went on and the finger was nowhere to be seen crying. I told my mom about it. Who noticed the bedroom door was wide open this time. Oh shit. I stated my aunt's room for the rest of the trip sandwiched between my aunt and cousin in one bed. Since i was too scared to sleep in that room again sometimes at night. I'll think about it. I didn't know what it wanted for my family or why it was there but i'm still very sure that it had it. If i hadn't screamed out that something bad would have happened. Has ebony uncounted entity like this before. I tried researching. But i haven't found anything. Oh that's a good question. Then if anyone has a has ever heard of something like this it's kind of like a not a shadow man but a shadow biter straddles by. That's the worst thing ever shadow spider. I guess i give it your sleep paralysis. This person would also be kind of paralyzed in fear. I just wanna cook at home crooked man. There you go from conjuring to which that's right fucking scary who So i mean not to totally derailed. But i watched the new watch that's boring. It was my favorite one of all. I fell asleep i loved. It is my savior. Why because honestly it's so funny. I watched the second one. I and part to as much better walk crooked. The crooked part two was so cheesy to me. That's my least favorite was to well. We have differing contrary because part through boring boring it was so boring but you know it wasn't boring in the heights because i've seen it a retirement and i will watch it another twenty times while i'm will but also not boring. Was your story that you just know shit told you that was great. I mean not related to our topic at all. It is your favorite part of it was is that he had to clarify. What country roma's in goes. and then. We went to rome italy while he's not from while he is from. Italy apparently bought some other. People not know her rome is they. May there's also from texas so yeah he could have been in. There's a lot of rooms. I was like paris texas. I mean young probably rome multiple countries. I thought it was. We went to italy. And then we went to rome italy while he could not gone to is actually gonna check. If there is a row marazion. I would doubt it. Ariza era rome up all right so chris is looking up. I am going to be talking about saint catherine.
Yeah, But Still
"rome" Discussed on Yeah, But Still
"And she's jealous. Because i'm starting to get work and this is her dream. You just fell into my lap. I wanna fuck and be a model. That's lame like Just i don't know did you. Did you feel like there's really not a book on this shit. I'm gonna write a book. One day the stories on your life. You should book on book on modeling like how do you. How are you navigating that like is being like oh you just picked you out of a line out of a mall. That's classic story. It's like exactly well. That's the thing it's like anyone who's like i wanna be a model. You're probably not going to be a model. It's like one of those things. Where like i don't know the more you want it the less you get it the asking you to do it. It's like i got it fell into my lap. And i was like oh. I don't have to work as a busboy on sunset boulevard which i was doing to fucking i can make a eight hundred bucks a day to stand there. Fuck yeah anything to avoid the grind. So anyway i start doing real modeling. Mind you sh- she at the time was so struggling and we both work. Because i was working as a busboy that she would do. Nudie magazines hustler. High society penthouse these back in the nineties. We're like the risk gay magazines. There was no internet yet. Okay so you know high like she would do those magazines to hook up with chicks. And i would be like at the shoots and i'm eighteen years old. I'm like this is dope my girls. I getting naked and fucking hooking up chicks and i got caught with my pants down i ended up doing a fucking couple jumps. She's like we gotta pay the rent you. We got a kid. It's not my kid. And i got caught out there with my dick in my hand years later came to me when i was working at mtv fast. Forward it surfaced. There's pictures of you with your dick in your hand from when i dated the girl that was you know what i'm saying. So that's that's a whole 'nother pat so anyway. how about. how old was she during. This was eighteen. Like twenty three. Okay so i was just like rock and roll baby. Let's get naked. Let's party let me like eighteen. Like is so young. I don't know. I still like being thrown into that world. It's like you don't know anything already but then like how do you model. How do you just show up and just stand there. I guess like. I don't know i just got thrown into it and then is this where you started meeting like bent attention and ronson and this whole era exactly. It's funny because like doing what you did. Were you just like eighteen graduate high school this fucking go for it and like follow your nose. It seems like oh. That's like a genius adventure plan. But i think the reality is like most people just end up dead if they do that. You know or like in jail or something completely. Winging it eighteen like get. I shouldn't be here right now. Yeah well million and the keyword says plan like they're what they're still. I'm very my whole life. Philosophy is like no plan is the best plan. Because i've just never planned and everything just kind of happened and maybe that's sort of you know a very fortunate to be. We could go down that road of like a white american man with a lot more opportunities than most people. So it's like. I'm very lucky right right out the gate but there was just a lot of i the only thing. I'll pat my back myself on the dick for. Is that like if i see an opportunity was the dictator a so basically like i was like oh i could do this. Let's do it. And i was fearlessly. Did everything that presented itself which is a good in a bad thing. But anyway i digest so send yep digger enhance. Shutdown is good well well. We'll get there. Yeah lately i have been powerful to say no. That's a big one now. I say no to a lot of shit but anyway so now. I'm on this trajectory of like modeling and i move. We got me in the girl. And i moved to milan. Get a job in milan. Italy so now. I'm like nineteen living in milan by show up in milan. And i get signed to some agency and you're just again pre internet pre cell phone. You get a map of the city and they're like you need to go here with a pen on a map foldout map and going to these appointments and and i'm just like well this is better than going to college or sitting in a fucking office and there's all these beautiful models i'm around the women and men and i'm just fucking living in an apartment building filled with models everyone's fuck and everyone's partying i'm like is this real like i'm nine years old living in milan. Then we go to paris. I got an apartment in paris and new york and do milan. Paris new york for like a few years. That's how i met mark ronson. That's how i met my boy. Ben that you know who the first day i did. A photo shoot with them. We were downtown. La and he's like see that building right there and he points in the twin towers. Which is the county jail. I'll be in there tomorrow. He had done an armed robbery. Coincidentally mickey avalon's dad gave him a gun that he used in a robbery. What yes see. This is where the spiderweb start like connecting right lights so many people like in the orbit that like hanging back to the plane flying over. So i outside. We're still doing the kovic pods technically. It's all part of the ambiance. Do this helicopter and a crime ridden neighborhood and you're covering up for you know because you're talking about a police your friend. Your friend told you. I'm going to go to jail tomorrow morning. Yeah just an armed robbery disguise. The most fascinating guy shadow to johnson but like benetton. He's always in jail. And it's the martorana who's now one of the most famous producers in the world. Yeah big producer. And so i was like one of the little sidetrack one of the like. We need to take ben with us. Because i need this time for me and him to just. I need to ask my jail questions story. Oh my god he's he. He knows so much that it's like so anyway we would go on like five hour trip. Sounds like please take ben with me. I need to ask asking ask. But he's the fucking coolest guy ever but he's lived a thousand lives to. He's gnarly one but back to the modeling thing. Yes there was a point where we can edit this out if you want but there was a part where you went to like a gucci party. I think it was gucci. And you said that back then. They had the tray of just cocaine in a mound on mirror and walked around the parties with cut straw gold straw. And you would just. Everybody would hit a bump. So as we're sake and i was living in milan and this was in Florence which is the most beautiful part of italy. I remember we all got bus down to florence forever. Saatchi show at this villa and madonna was there. She was sitting in the front row. And i remember everyone's nervous. Don't fall down madonna's year. It was like the you know. This is one thousand nine hundred four or whatever and madonna was in the front row and she just loved fashion in mail miles and she dated my boy. Tony ward. Who was a big male model. And she just liked rascal. Model dudes and ev- everyone actually thought that a chance at fucking her because she was like. Would you know fuck twenty year old models and anyway so we go after afterwards. We go over saatchi mansion in florence and out of a fucking scarface movie. There's like servants. Walking around with glass trays with mounds of pure cocaine with little gold straws. As if it was or d'oeuvres or champagne. And i was like. Oh i made it. I'm here. I'm in italy in the mentioned with the coq on the tray and i'm not even a coke boy but i had to coke it it up the beak is getting wet you literally you know when in rome went in rows actually near room so anyway you'll have to remind me like i forget like there's so many no i'm just gonna interrupt so you just keep cooking and i'll feel free to interrupt because i forget my amazing weird life so that happened and then all the whole crazy shit so i feel like obviously this is an interview so i guess i could just talk about myself but it feels so funny but it's it's an interesting story. So then i'm doing the modeling circuit. And i'm like is so fucking lame like i just stand here. There's other dudes out pretty. And i never felt like one of them was never like one of these people but i was just say do. This is the time of my life right. And then i ended up in new york and i do a fashion show for calvin klein with mark ronson. That's mark and me and my boy bring them back to our place and we have a freestyle record player. Beat machine freeze down. We've tried to free south mark. But he wouldn't wrap. He was on nervous and we became friends with them. And to this day. One of my best friends. And so i just meet a lotta interesting characters along the path of this and one day. I'm in new york.
Everything Everywhere Daily
"rome" Discussed on Everything Everywhere Daily
"If it <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> happened to be peace under <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> one person. While <Silence> <Advertisement> soviet <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> the <Speech_Male> term impure tor <Speech_Male> was a title given to <Speech_Male> military commanders <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> and there are thirty <Silence> <Advertisement> was called imperium. <Speech_Male> This <Speech_Male> is where i word. Emperor <Speech_Male> comes from <Speech_Male> by the end of his reign. <Speech_Male> The full name <Speech_Male> that he went by <Speech_Male> was impure. <Speech_Male> Tor caesar <Speech_Male> divvy phileas. <Silence> Augustus <Speech_Male> impure <Speech_Male> came from <Speech_Male> the title given to military <Speech_Male> commanders. Caesar <Speech_Male> came from his adoption <Speech_Male> by julius. <Speech_Male> Caesar divvy <Speech_Male> philias meant <Speech_Male> son of a god. <Speech_Male> Because julius <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> caesar was deified <Speech_Male> and augusta's <Speech_Male> was the honorific <Silence> given to him by the senate. <Speech_Male> <Speech_Male> All of those terms <Speech_Male> would be used by <Speech_Male> successors as <Silence> titles. Later on. <Speech_Male> <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> augusta's wasn't just <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> the first emperor <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> he was also the <Silence> <Advertisement> longest serving emperor <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> by <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> the tiny died at the age <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> of seventy five. <Speech_Male> Almost no one <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> was around to even <Silence> <Advertisement> remembered the republic. <Speech_Male> He was <Speech_Male> eighteen years old <Speech_Male> when he began to start <Speech_Male> taking power. <Speech_Male> They just <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> assume that one man <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> in charge was the normal <Silence> <Advertisement> order of business <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> when he <Speech_Male> died. The powers past <Speech_Male> was adopted son <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> tiberius. Who was called <Speech_Male> tiberius. <Speech_Male> Julius caesar augustus. <Speech_Male> <Speech_Male> There wasn't actually <Speech_Male> an office or position <Speech_Male> called <Speech_Male> emperor. <Speech_Male> Tiberius was given <Speech_Male> a package of powers <Speech_Male> that augustus <Speech_Male> had <Speech_Male> in these powers <Speech_Male> were passed along the future. <Silence> Emperor's by the senate <Speech_Male> <Speech_Male> for all practical <Speech_Male> purposes they had <Speech_Male> absolute control. <Speech_Male> They can do whatever <Speech_Male> they wanted with. <Speech_Male> No checks on their power <Speech_Male> whatsoever <Speech_Male> and this led to some <Speech_Male> absolutely monstrous <Speech_Male> enters. <Speech_Male> The imperial <Speech_Male> period can be <Speech_Male> divided into two <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> different parts <Speech_Male> the principal <Speech_Male> and then the dominant. <Speech_Male> The prince of it <Speech_Male> was the first period <Speech_Male> where they at least kept up. <Silence> The appearances of the republic <Speech_Male> the <Speech_Male> dominant comes <Speech_Male> from the latin word <Speech_Male> dominance which means <Speech_Male> lord or master <Speech_Male> the <Speech_Male> dominant began with the <Speech_Male> emperor does <Speech_Male> and it was more despotic <Speech_Male> in there. Were usually <Speech_Male> two or four co <Speech_Male> emperors. <Speech_Male> Most <Speech_Male> orients will mark <Speech_Male> the start of the roman <Speech_Male> empire at the. <Speech_Male> You're twenty seven. Bc <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> when octavian <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> was granted the title <Silence> of gustis. <Speech_Male> The <Speech_Male> republican probably <Speech_Male> be considered to be dead <Speech_Male> at the year forty eight <Speech_Male> bc with the battle <Silence> of ourselves <Speech_Male> the <Speech_Male> in between <Speech_Male> is sort of a transition <Speech_Male> period. <Speech_Male> So you can think <Speech_Male> of the roman republic <Speech_Male> as the period <Speech_Male> early. When <Speech_Male> roma's quasi-democratic <Speech_Male> <Speech_Male> multiple people <Speech_Male> ruled based on laws <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> and traditions <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> and there was a robust <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> system of checks and <Silence> <Advertisement> balances. <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> the roman empire <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> was the later <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> period. Where one <Speech_Male> person ruled. <Speech_Male> But they still had <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> some of the trappings <Silence> <Advertisement> of republic. <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> They're very different. <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> Things and <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> very distinct <SpeakerChange> <Silence> <Advertisement> eras of history <Music> <Advertisement> <Speech_Music_Male> <Advertisement> <SpeakerChange> <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> associate <Speech_Male> producer of everything <Speech_Male> everywhere. Daily is <Speech_Male> thompson <Speech_Male> if you'd like to <Speech_Male> support the show. Please <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> donate over at patriot <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> dot com. <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> There's content <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> only available to <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> supporters merchandise <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> and even <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> opportunities for <Silence> <Advertisement> a show producer credit. <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> If <Speech_Male> <Advertisement> you know someone <SpeakerChange> you think <Speech_Male> would enjoy the show. <Speech_Male> Please share with them. <Speech_Male> Also <Speech_Male> remember if you leave <Speech_Male> a five star review. I'll read a review on the show.
Everything Everywhere Daily
"rome" Discussed on Everything Everywhere Daily
"On the link in the show notes to understand the roman republic versus the roman empire. We have to take a step back even further to the roman kingdom. The kingdom of rome doesn't get as much attention as the other phases of roman history because it was a kingdom it was little more than a city. It was just one of many such kingdoms. Dotting the map on the italian peninsula. According to legend the first king of rome was romulus he and his twin brother remus were again. According to legend raised by a she wolf they later fought each other on where to found a city. Romulus wanted to build it on the palatine hill whereas remus wanted to build it on the evanston hill. Remiss was then killed by romulus and romulus founded the city which bore his name rome. This took place in seven fifty three bc romulus ranges king for many years and then passed on the throne king numa pump ilias. After his death there were seven kings of rome over a period of about two hundred and fifty years. The last king of rome was lucius Super bus he was accused of raping a noblewoman. Named krisha in the revolt which ensued a rebellion was led against the king. By one lucius junius. Brutus the king was exiled in five. Nine rome became a republic. Many people are confused as to exactly what a republic is what i often hear. Is that people think republic a representative democracy while the republican very well might be representative. Democracy republic is really just a country without a monarchy for example the united states germany and ireland are all republics. Canada australia japan. Spain and sweden are not republics their monarchy's the rejection of a king and the creation of republic was probably the single most defining thing in the history of rome. The revulsion against having a king was burned deep into the roman psyche. Trying to become a king was probably the biggest crime that someone could be guilty of in rome. The system created in the republic ensured that no one person would ever be able to control rome. Rome did not have a single leader. The highest position in rome was the position of consul. And there are always two consuls. Who could veto each other. The consuls also only held power for a single year and then couldn't run for consul again for ten years over the next several centuries rome with its conquer territory expanded and grew during that time the norms and rules surrounding the republic were upheld by pretty much everyone in rome. This began to break in the first century bc. Societal problems began to develop in rome and two civil wars broke out leaving the general lucius cornelius scylla as the dictator of rome dictator was an actual legal office in rome. It was something given to someone during a time of emergency was only extended for six months. Sola was.
Sports Talk 1050 WTKA
"rome" Discussed on Sports Talk 1050 WTKA
"War trapper being the Rome of beef jerky. Regulates down. He's right. That's so true. Why would any store carry any other brand of beef jerky? That's good beef. Rome. What's my beef? When people tell me to quote, fly safe when I head to the airport? If that bird goes down with me in it, my family and friends won't say we told him to be safe. I mean, what am I supposed to do to make it a safer flight? You have from PD X also a solid beef. Tell me what you have is flying the plane, right? We're servicing the plane. We're maintaining the plane. We're even a flight attendant on the plane. Rome. My beef is with early January birthdays. My birthday was Sunday. I want to grab beers with my buddies. Instead, I'm stuck with weight loss resolution guy. And Hawkes. Stupid dry, you ery guys. I didn't care. I wouldn't have a state dinner, drank some bourbon and crushed a brownie sundae. Crystal Longer in ST Pete. War outside sales, war door Dash gal being likes to fight Gal. Try and get her. Good for you, man. Who needs dry wearing. I mean good for you. If you partake and dry, you worry like hawk, But your birthday is in January, Man, get some Send it. Get it. Get your bourbon. Get your steak. Get your brownie sundae. And Mark Mota tweets My beef are the clones to tweet the show at Jim Rome like you asked, but then add at Adam Hawk. Hey, losers. Hawk is Rome's tweet slap, He'll see it. Good point Mark. Room. I got a beef with the inefficient grocery bagger. I lined up the groceries how they should have been bagged. I don't need six bags when everything can fit into Matt in Dallas. Over the top TP tweets. If there had been anybody but this guy, I would call him out. But knowing this guy and his brand, this makes sense over the top TP tweets. My beef is with knobs. Did rave about their new but a And how awesome it is to use. This is America Pony up some cash for good quality teepee. It's that guy's brand good quality teepee. At 5 41 Brown tweets. My beef is with the white window decals on minivans that depict the multiple numbers off Spawn. Mom and dad squirted out after they went toe. Downtown. Great. You're fertile. No one cares. Obvious talking about you. Put that thing back.