Jesus Watchmen

About Jesus Watchmen

Check out our podcast where we discuss all things, history, scripture, culture, and how the Holy Spirit is at work at home and abroad. Hosted by our founder, Brett Rogers (aka the Paladin Preacher). Prayer, Scripture Reading, Interviews, and more!

Publisher

Brett Rogers

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

26 Sept 2019

Latest episode

19 Dec 2020

Latest episodes

15 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Dec 2020

   15. Martyred Series - Stephen the Preacher

   *Audio issue resolved. If you tried listening to the episode previously, please try again as the audio has been restored. Thank you! Stephen, (died 36 CE, Jerusalem), the first Christian martyr (https://www.britannica.com/topic/martyr), whose apology before the Sanhedrin (https://www.britannica.com/topic/sanhedrin) (Acts of the Apostles (https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Acts-of-the-Apostles-New-Testament) 7) points to a distinct strand of belief in early Christianity (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christianity). His defense of his faith before the rabbinic court enraged his Jewish audience, and he was taken out of the city and stoned to death. His final words, a prayer of forgiveness for his attackers (Acts of the Apostles 7:60), echo those of Jesus (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jesus) on the cross (Luke 23:34). Even though Christian persecution has gone less is our faces and more digital in this new age in most modernized countries, Christian persecution is still spreading widely across the globe as more and more people are converting to Christianity. The West African nation – Africa’s most populous and divided roughly evenly between Christians and Muslims – has been plagued for years by rising sectarian tensions and the Islamist terror group Boko Haram (https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/topics/b/boko-haram-nigeria/), which most recently was blamed for a massacre of scores of farmers in Borno State. Nigeria joins Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan on the US Department of State’s Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list, which names and shames governments which have “engaged in or tolerated ‘systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of religious freedom.’” Those nine nations were also on the 2018 (https://www.state.gov/religious-freedom-designations/) and 2019 (http://www.state.gov/united-states-takes-action-against-violators-of-religious-freedom/) CPC lists. “Today, the United States, a nation founded by those fleeing religious persecution … once again took action to defend those who simply want to exercise this essential freedom,” stated (https://www.state.gov/united-states-takes-action-against-violators-of-religious-freedom-2/) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “… And yet our work is far from complete.” Report by Christianity Today.

2. 

   24 Nov 2020

   14. “The Jesus Breakup”

   In our relationship with the Holy Spirit, how would we rate the strength and presence of the Holy Spirit in our life on a scale 0-7? 7 being you are walking arm in arm with Jesus everyday, you're in the word daily, you are praying and talking to God throughout the day, and there is a total and complete friendship with the Holy Spirit. Now, first let me say, I know Jesus would never do what I'm about to hypothetical propose this but let's say hypothetically, Jesus came to you one day as your friend and said, "You know Sally, you haven't been tithing or giving money to the needy. You are aren't really around much for me anymore, your always busy with work and social media, and it just seems like you don't want to have time for me anymore. I think I'm just ready to move on for now." Could you imagine if Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords actually broke up with you because you were never there for him. Can you even comprehend how devastated you would be? actually, I think the better question should be asked, would we even notice he wasn't there? We often tell ourselves yeah I'm saved but I don't really need to make time for him, for prayer, or reading my bible. As long as i love my neighbor and love God, I'm good to go. When you ranked your relationship with the Holy Spirit how do you think your doing now? Going back to the hypothetical, because again this would never happen, but it makes for an interesting thought...what if your relationship you thought was a 5 is really a 0? Are you really walking with the holy spirit or are you already passed the breakup stage because you didn't even notice he was gone? Now back to reality, no more hypothetical, I promise, today anyway. The Holy Spirit never leaves us after we become "acceptors" of Jesus Christ and the Spirit enters our temple but the feeling of his presence can come and go. We may already be feeling like the Spirit of God has left us. It may feel like that for a time but it is up to us to ask for forgiveness so we can continue the relationship and mend our wounded friend, the Holy Spirit.

3. 

   2 Sept 2020

   13. Preparation - Part 2 - David

   [OPENING PRAYER] Sovereign Lord, you created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. Have mercy on us for you are perfect and we are sinners. Your grace and mercy is unending. Holy Spirit we beg your presence in this place. Allow us the gift of clarity; that we may hear your words today and not our own. Continue to guide us along the path you have laid out before us. Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. The King of Glory, The Lord of Heavens’ Armies, Yahweh. Amen. [INTRO] God strategically chose David born not of favor nor status but a place of low stature and insignificance. Manual labor instead of paid labor. Somebody toughened from their personal experience in the early years of life instead of a one who might have had their commencement into life slightly less challenging, with the slightly more favorable jobs, and a lesser amount of physical labor. Not a silver spoon but a modest wooden cup... A couple of items specifically worth touching on here in verse 11 and verse 12: Verse 11 having to do with being a shepherd and verse 12 has to do with his youth. I think we have some misconceptions about what shepherding is like, especially back at this time. Given our current American culture has gravitated towards automation and industrialization, below is an excerpt about a modern-day shepherd in a third-world country so we have a little glimpse into what a shepherd does in a day. As you read be mindful of a young boy doing all these things by himself thousands of years ago... ...I do want to emphasize, David was not first, second, third, or fourth in line. Coming in dead last in an ancient culture which looked only at the first and second-born a primary indicator through which we see evidence that God will use a “nobody” and make him or her a “somebody” for His divine purpose. Emphasizing this point further we go back to scripture, 1 Timothy 4:12 (KJV), “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

4. 

   18 Mar 2020

   12. Preparation - Part 1

   “Don’t you see? . . . The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’—that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open.” This is an excerpt from John Steinbeck’s, East of Eden published in 1952. “Lee says these words during his discussion of the Cain and Abel story with Samuel and Adam in Chapter 24. He has just revealed to the other men the outcome of the research he did on the meaning of timshel, the word that God utters to Cain when exiling him to the lands east of Eden. According to one translation of the Bible, God orders Cain to triumph over sin, while according to another, God promises Cain that he will defeat sin. Lee’s research, however, has revealed that timshel means “thou mayest,” implying that God tells Cain that he has a choice whether or not to overcome sin. Lee sees this idea of free choice over evil a token of optimism that is central to the human condition. He attempts to convince Adam and Cal of the validity of timshel and ultimately succeeds, as Adam gives Cal his blessing and Cal realizes he himself has the power to overcome his family’s legacy of evil.” - Sparknotes Why don’t more of we, Christians, annotate our Bibles like we would read works by Steinbeck, Dickinson, Hemingway, or Shakespeare? Sitting in high school and university English class was clearly about engaging literary text in a way involving research, creative thinking, and striving to understand deeper meanings of the words in the context of the time period and culture, providing color, tone, and texture to the reading. We’ve been taught how to do it and why we should do it but, when it comes to reading our bibles, many of us leave blank margins within our pages. Yes, we tend to highlight and memorize verses but how often do we pause to analyze specific passages within scripture? We often gloss over the words written emphatically which cry out for deeper thinking. I liken this to viewing art, more specifically oil on canvas works of art from the greats. For example, the Dutch Golden Age painter, Rembrandt van Rijn’s oil on canvas painting in 1633 called “Storm on the Sea of Galilee” is a depiction of Jesus calming the sea on the Sea of Galilee out of the verses found Matthew 8:23-27 and Mark 4:35-41. 35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? - Mark 4:35-41 (KJV) A layman or amateur who views this painting in a study book may say, “It’s a beautiful painting;” “It’s an incredibly difficult work;” “Only a master painter could bring such an event to life;” or say, “This is a masterpiece!” All responses are agreeable and undoubtedly accurate yet, seeing the painting simply at face value diminishes its depth and does a disservice to the painter. When we grow in our appreciation for art, we begin to study the painter, their country of origin, historical context from their country, events in their life impacting their emotions or perspective, the political climate at the time of their work, etc. We may also identify their sch

5. 

   20 Feb 2020

   11. Health Discussion Part 4 - What can the Church Learn from the Medical Community?

   The medical industry’s eureka moment was when they realized the very food, they were serving patients and physicians in hospitals was the very same food placing patients in the hospital in the first place. “U.S. health organizations are calling for hospitals to offer plant-based food options. Two major medical groups in the U.S. are calling on hospitals to end the irony and support patient health with healthy food. The American Medical Association House of Delegates — a group which represents more than 200,000 physicians — issued a policy statement on June 14th at its annual meeting calling on U.S. hospitals to make some changes to hospital food for patients, staff, and visitors: Increase healthful, plant-based meal options, eliminate processed meat from menus, and provide and promote healthful beverages, including getting rid of sugary drinks and sodas. The American College of Cardiology also recently released new guidelines urging hospitals to improve patient menus by adding healthy plant-based options and removing processed meats. The guidelines recommend that “at least one plant-based main dish” should be offered and promoted at every meal. And that processed meats — bacon, sausage, ham, hot dogs, and deli meats — shouldn’t be offered at hospitals at all. They also call for a variety of vegetables and fruits to be served in all hospital cafeterias and on-site restaurants” (Oberst, 2017). We are seeing new healthy food movements sprout out of hospitals around the country. For instance, Dr. Michael Klaper, M.D of Midland Health in Midland, Texas has begun spearheading a new program with the philosophy, “Food Is Medicine.” They have implemented a “new, lifestyle medicine program for their employees incorporating the CHIP model (Complete Health Improvement Program) … The philosophy, "Food Is Medicine" is one Midland Memorial Hospital strongly believes in. As you can tell from the videos…, adopting a plant-based diet has had such a powerful impact on our employees and we believe our community should also have the tools to be successful (Midland Health, 2016).” This medical group has believed so heavily in this program that 2018 will be the third annual Food Is Medicine seminar. They also provide the visitor with all the resources they need to adopt a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle. Additional medical groups of note are adopting a similar strategy include UCLA Medical Center is using organic food. At its cafe, St. Louis Children’s Hospital is offering low-fat, plant-based meals made with no animal products or oils and crafted in small batches by a local company. The University of Vermont Medical Center says it aims to have the most sustainable health care food service in the country. Patients and visitors can enjoy nutritionally dense, minimally processed foods, including a variety of locally produced ingredients. They allow patients to order food when they want it, rather than delivering trays with the same meals at the same time. And the cafeteria serves fresh, organic ingredients and multiple vegetarian options. Another positive development at hospitals are either gardens or farmers’ markets. For example, Stony Brook University Hospital, in Stony Brook, N.Y., has a 2,242-square-foot organic rooftop garden that supplies vegetables and herbs for patient meals. Several Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers in California are teaching their staff about plant-powered eating to pass along information to their patients (Oberst, 2017). According to a 2015 study published in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports, hospital gardens created for staff, patients, and the community could lower rates of obesity in communities they serve and reduce public health disparities by providing members of the community’s greater access to fresh, healthy, plant-based foods. “Regional distribution of gardens was relatively even, with the greatest number located in the Midwest. The South, a region with favorable growing seasons and the highest l

6. 

   6 Feb 2020

   10. Health Discussion Part 3 - What We "Should" Do vs. What Is "Acceptable" to Do

   How do we justify the way we eat today based on biblical references? I’d like to take a moment and address a few of those verses and dive deeper into the original text and determine what the original texts were referring to and how the new translations of the bible have caused some confusion; as well as, has become the basis as to why most people say we should allow people to eat what they want as long as they are following God’s word. First of all, I think it is important to know when the bible is saying we “should do” something, as opposed to when it says it is “acceptable” to do something. Christians take this as a scapegoat to say God says to do something when in fact it had to do with the old testament laws for cleanliness. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. - Romans 14:20 (KJV) 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. - Romans 14:20 (NIV) The original Hebrew text of Romans 14:20, arguably all of Chapter 14, refers to the Jewish tradition of not being able to eat animals declared unclean by God through the Laws of Moses. Now God is saying through the Apostle Paul, not to divide his church on this teaching; to unify the church because God has made everything “clean,” (New International Version) from the Greek, “Kathara [καθαρά],” translated to “acceptable” (New Living Translation). Romans 14 is not referring to it as being healthy or good for our body to consume these things. Therefore, with modern science and technology, we can deduce what healthy is for our bodies, even though, it is permissive or clean to eat all things under the law during the time of Paul and the Romans, written in late 55 - early 56 A.D. or late 56 - early 57 A.D. Furthermore, we see another reference to this same scenario in Acts when Peter has a vision and it is initially unclear what it means but as the story unfolds it is made clear; which is counter to the initial assumption the reader has at the onset of the vision: 11 He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. 12 In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. 13 Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” 14 “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.[a]” 15 But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” 16 The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven. (Acts 10:11-16 NLT) The meaning of the vision explained by the Holy Spirit: 17 Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. Standing outside the gate, 18 they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there. 19 Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you. 20 Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.” 21 So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?” 22 They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.” (Acts 10:17-22 NLT) There is a high likelihood Peter knew and remembered the story of the Rechabites who refused to drink the wine Jeremiah offered them according to the instructions of the Lord and how the Lord used this as a testimony against the men of Judah in Jeremiah 35:1-19. The Rechabites didn’t give in to temptation and neither does Peter. In the same way, Peter’s vision isn’t meant to be taken literally. God wasn’t cleansing unclean animals and making them clean but referring to the Gentiles as the “reptiles” on the

7. 

   6 Jan 2020

   09. Anti-warrior & Warrior, Palaiós, What is a Paladin?

   A Prayer for Cleansing Psalm 51 (KJV) 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive [1] me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right [2] spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, [3] O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. The Warrior and Anti-warrior Being a man is power under control We have the capacity for destruction, but the discipline to produce grace. It’s easy to get angry at someone; it’s far more difficult to have grace Psalm 2:1 KJV - 2 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? Ephesians 4:30-32 ESV - “30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” James 1:19-21 ESV - “19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” We can’t act like everybody else because we aren’t like everybody else. We hold ourselves to a higher standard. Questions: What is the cause of anger in men? What do you learn about anger in these passages? What are the consequences of a man quick to anger? What steps can we take to prevent our anger and practice discipline? What is Palaeus Ministry What’s in a Name? Paladin The word paladin is derived from the original Latin word palatinus, meaning “servant,” “government official.” They were often referred to in literary cycles as “The Twelve Peers,” the foremost knights within Charlemagne’s court. We see this written in the literary works such as the Matter of France and the Chansons De Geste. From a further historical perspective, it was a term used to recognize a high-level official of royal courts in Europe; as well as, dating back to ancient Rome or having local authority that elsewhere belongs to a sovereign We, as Christ-followers, have local authority on earth, given to us by our Father in heaven, because of His namesake. In medieval European legend, the paladins were twelve knights and loyal followers of

8. 

   7 Nov 2019

   08. What They Never Taught You in Sunday School

   The Harsh Reality of Becoming a Christian They Didn’t teach In Sunday School When we became a Christian we were misled to believe everything was going to be easy because God‘s in control. He’s got it covered. You’re going to be fine. Now don’t misquote me, God is ultimately in control of everything but until the second coming and God takes us all up to heaven where our lives are renewed, guess who else has power here? Satan became the prince of this world when he was cast out of heaven and he plummeted to earth with his demonic army of followers and will be the ruler of this domain for a time. There are many benefits of going to church and witnessing the Holy Spirit working in incredible ways, meeting people at the perfect time to bring them to Christ by confess their brokenness and longing for Jesus to enter their hearts as their personal savior. All of this is a victory for God’s Kingdom What upsets me is the lack of equipping that comes afterwards you say, “I believe.” Churches will typically have a connection service that you opt into to learn more information. It’s a lot like most of us who graduated college and didn’t have a clear direction or job offer right out of school. You’ve received your “I Believe Diploma” but now what do you do? We waste time whether or not to get involved with something we may not feel called to or nothing really equates powerfully enough to the fire that has been lit in your heart when you decide to seek out God. The other option is to spend money on bible study programs being ran through the church but then you feel like your being sold on something that takes advantage of your situation to profit someone else. For those of you who have kids and had a birth in the hospital, remember when you had your baby(s) and they’ve clean them up, nurses came in to do the foot prints and give them their shots… you finally get your child placed back in your arms and what seems like only minutes after you receive your child for the first time… then they walk in. The “Newborn Photography” package salespeople. Lord, bless them. You can barely think straight and now you have to decide whether you want (2) 8x10 Portraits, (4) 4x6s and (8) wallet photos or do I want (1) 9x12 Landscape, (3) 8x10s… Becoming a Christian at Church feels a lot like this sometimes. I think it’s time we start moving away from getting butts in seats for our programs and spend more time equipping people for the reality of what lies ahead. People need to know the truth and not told that if they want to learn more they have to continue jumping over hurdles. I don’t believe Jesus talks laid out this type of introductory structure in the Bible so I don’t understand why contemporary churches have adopted this model over the years. Reality of a Believers Whether you consider yourself more mature in your faith or a new believer, before you became a Christian who’s team are you on? Satan’s team. Do you understand what happens when you change sides in the midst of the battle? Does he sit around and say, “Well shoot, sorry fellas, looks like we lost another one to the good guys. I guess there is plenty more where that came from.” NO! You know what he says?! You’re a f***ing traitor! You sellout! I could’ve given you everything and anything you could’ve imagined in this world! Matthew 4:8-11 “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” You chose your God over all these incredible things so I am going to make it my life‘s mission to ruin you and I’m not going to stop I just you; I’m going to find everything that you love and everything that you care about and everyone that you hold close and I’m going to

9. 

   31 Oct 2019

   07. Why Now, Walking With the Holy Spirit, Equipping Men

   Ultimately, we’ve come to a point when we have lived at the limit of a good enough life in a broken society. We feel like I have reached the edge of the “minimum” life. People are searching for something more in every possible idea, belief, self-help book, television show, and celebrity spokespersons but we know only God can take us to the next stage in our lives. Jesus Triumphal Entry – Matthew 21 When Jesus entered the city on Sunday, Palm Sunday, he was greeted by cheering crowds proclaiming Him king much to the dismay of the religious leaders, Pontius Pilot, and the 10th Roman Legion, who had taken up residence in the Antonia Fortress to control the enormous crowds that swelled the city during Passover. A time where the normal population of Jerusalem grew from 100,000 to over a million people in a matter of days. Jewish unrest was rampant during the time of Jesus with numerous radical rebellions and uprising occurring all throughout Palestine. The northern territory of Galilee, Jesus’s home, was a fountain of radical thought and revolutionary movements during this time, around 32 A.D. Jesus entering the city, on Passover, with a million frustrated Jews, and the crowds loudly proclaiming him King was more than volatile The Jewish leaders would have been shocked and outraged at Jesus’s behavior at the temple, chasing out the money changers and the Romans were on high alert because of the events surrounding Jesus in the city. The Delegation Confronts Jesus – Matthew 21 and 22 The Parable of the Wedding Feast – Matthew 22:1-14 “And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” The warning in these two parables is if we do not continue to cultivate Christians in the correct way based on biblical truths, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from us and given to someone else. This is regardless of how big our church may be, how many members we have, how famous we are on tv, how many books we sell, or speaking engagements we book. We are all equal in the eyes of God and the Holy Spirit and we can just as easily grieve the Holy Spirit in ways potentially detrimental to our relationship with Christ, which we will go into more detail in later discussions. Just because we stand and say, “I believe” during a church service doesn’t insure we will inherit the Kingdom of God. It is so much more in the relationship, the way we live out our lives for Christ and being present in the Holy Spirit than it is just to say a couple words and join a bible study. Why is this important as we come to the next stage in life in partnership with the Holy Spirit? We

10. 

    24 Oct 2019

    06. Health Discussion Part 2 - Worldly Health vs. Biblical Health

    Consumption and dependence on meat referenced in the bible are often made in reference to death and disconnection from God. “6 You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead. 7 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it.” - Ezekiel 11:6-7. ~ “3 Tell this rebellious people a parable and say to them: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Put on the cooking pot; put it on and pour water into it. 4 Put into it the pieces of meat, all the choice pieces — the leg and the shoulder. Fill it with the best of these bones; 5 take the pick of the flock. Pile wood beneath it for the bones; bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it. For this is what the Sovereign Lord says… 10 Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred. 11 Then set the empty pot on the coals till it becomes hot and its copper glows, so that its impurities may be melted, and its deposit burned away. 12 It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy deposit has not been removed, not even by fire. 13 Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided. 14 I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions declares the Sovereign Lord.” - Ezekiel 24:3-14 ~ 4 “You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. 5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. 6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. 7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.”- Amos 6:4-7 If we take a look at this from a different perspective; what we still don’t see in scripture are God’s people or followers referred to as glistening meat that I crave or a cluster of new eggs to eat. However, in Micah 7 listen to what is being said about Israel’s misery. “1 What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. 2 The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains.” The upright people of Israel are referred to as a gleaning cluster of fresh grapes or early ripe figs. Why do we consistently see references to fruits, vegetables, and grains in the bible but no references to God’s chosen people as being meat, eggs or fish? Was God intentional when He instructed the vernacular of the bible? Was Jesus intentional about his word usage when using parables to answer questions of the Pharisees? I hope something inside of you is starting to wrestle with the idea of diet and health as it relates to scripture. My goal today isn’t to change your mind completely. My goal is to help open our eyes to the possible fallacy, there is only one way and it’s the only way because it’s how we’ve been told to do it. If you think what I’m asking you to do is extreme, then let’s take a closer look at an even more extreme case of full reliance upon our Heavenly Father for our complete needs through John the Baptist. In Mark 1:4, Jon the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching about baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins in the wilderness. John was eating whatever God provided him in the wilderness, but it doesn’t say he killed animals for food. Is it probable, John ate plants, insects, and possibly manna as we have seen God provide elsewhere in scripture, especially if John the Baptist was supposedly sent “to prepare the way for Jesus” (Isaiah 40:3; Mal. 3:1; Matt. 3:3)? Exodus 16:31(KJV) - And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made

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    17 Oct 2019

    05. Biblical Health Part 1 - Worldly Health vs. Biblical Health

    Preface There are a number of topics which I hope to share regarding the current climate of health among Christians. These are my own observations and interpretations of scripture regarding these topics of health. My goal in writing is to offer a different perspective for Christians furthering their walk in Christ. I offer my argument for why we should be approaching health in a new way based on my interpretations of scripture, new discoveries in health sciences, and a mutual understanding that Satan’s goal is to destroy God’s creation and sever our relationship with our creator. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV). You’re probably wondering how and why somebody would write a paper on such a controversial topic within our culture. It started with a simple question, “Does scripture say anything about diet and health?” I honestly had no clue. This paper began as the accumulation of notes and annotations of bible verses while listening to the bible cover to cover throughout the course of a year and ten months; listening specifically for versus regarding health, diet, meat, food, and nutrition. When I finally finished my read-through, I went back through my notes and something began to percolate from the information gathered. I can’t say exactly how or why this was put on my heart to write this paper other than I felt commissioned by the Holy Spirit. In the same way this seed was planted in me to share, I hope this small seed can be a continual presence which grows to glorify God’s kingdom and ultimately makes a larger impact on the Body of Christ, if it be in His will. Worldly Health vs. Biblical Health As Watchmen in Christ, it is our duty to hold one another accountable in all things including diet and exercise; yet it seems the world focuses more on health and fitness than Christian men. Men’s morning bible studies begin with donuts. Men’s afternoon bible studies consist of pizza and soda. Men’s retreats have seemingly endless supplies of comfort food. Men’s monthly breakfast is near all we can eat buffet of mostly unhealthy options. After God said all is acceptable and safe to eat, have we misused God’s gift to us? In the beginning, when God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden there was no sin in the world; therefore, the diet God originally intended for us did not include the consumption of animals because death did not exist. I wonder, if we can describe the perfect body, the perfect health, and the perfect food in the Garden of Eden, shouldn’t we strive to model our health and diet off of a perfect model; in the same way we strive to make who we are more like Jesus who was perfect? 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and hers; he will crush[b] your head, and you will strike his heel.” 16 To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” 17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” 20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made g

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    11 Oct 2019

    04. Cheyenne Indians, Chivington Massacre, Fear, Fake News

    Chivington Massacre (Sand Creek Massacre) Setting the Stage * 1849 at the discovery of gold in California * Drove mass settlers across the great plains in search for riches and a better life. * When the US government realized the mass of settlers moving through the great plains and traveling through territory occupied by native American tribes, the government decided it would be in their best interest and the interests of the settlers to cut a deal with the native tribes to ensure that they would limit or prevent harassment of new settlers traveling through and allow safe passage for settlers through high risk lands. * The government held a gathering and Fort Laramie, Wyoming 1. To this day, you can visit the historic Fort Laramie. It was an important stop on the Oregon, California and Mormon trails, as well as a staging point for various military excursions and treaty signings. * In 1851 many of the great plains tribal chiefs were convinced by the government to sign a treaty to protect the settlers and allow for safe passage through tribal lands. * The agreement allowed safe passage through the lands with the conditions that the settlers would not stop and attempt to seize tribal lands. * The Problems Begin: 1. Although the intention of the treaty signing was good, a vast number or tribes did not sign the treaty and therefore did not agree to such terms and conditions. 2. The settlers were driving away migratory animals and buffalo which was a staple for many of the great plains tribes. 3. The settlers were disturbing the lands and using up natural resources and contaminating water sources 4. They brought new diseases from the East which ended up killing large swaths of native population through contact with settlers 5. Gold was discovered in the winter of 1858-1859 in Colorado which lay upon a portion of the tribal lands acknowledged as a no go area for settlers due to the treaty agreement; however, settlers began flooding the area in search for gold, all the while unregulated and therefore breaking the treaty conditions set forth by not settling on tribal lands. 6. The lands given to them expanse between modern day most of Eastern Colorado, to Western Kansas, South Eastern Wyoming, and South Western Nebraska * These lands were designated as Cheyenne and Arapaho lands 7. Modern cities like Boulder and Denver, Colorado began as mining camps because of the gold that was found in the surrounding area * The root of the problem began as the taking of tribal lands by the increasing amount of settlers in the area, breaching the original treaty the US government insisted upon. 1. Thus began a systematic problem of retaliation between settlers and tribal people. They began as small isolated incidents but over time the frequency and aggressive nature of the retaliation started the slow boil which would eventually reach a critical point. 2. The US government was aware of this settling of the tribal lands and yet there was no plan prepared to alleviate problems and equip the people on both sides to coexist with one another * In 1861 this new influx of settlers in Colorado put pressure on the government to find a way to extract more tribal lands thus providing more safety for the settlers; as well as, increase their likelihood of finding more natural resources through the settlers who were essentially on the front lines of excavating what the government was not able to do. 1. In a sense, there was a unspoken agreement between the settlers and the government for the settlers to act as contracted prospectors. Once the natural resources were discovered it provided incentive for the government to increase the lands acquisitions in those areas. * In 1861, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs which was the government office overseeing the relationship with the Indian tribes 1. Was sent to negotiate a revised treaty 2. The treaty was signed at Fort Wise in 1861 wa

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    10 Oct 2019

    03. What is Safety, A Boy from Northern Nigeria, Realty Check

    Warning: This episode includes sensitive content not safe for children. It’s just after supper in your hut. Your mother and father are tending the fire and tidying up as they ask that you go to bed. Tomorrow, father is going to take you out into the fields for the first time as a young boy. It’ll be your first time learning about the tills the ground using hand-tools. He’s going to show you all of the corn crop that was planted from the prior season and it will be your turn to help him plant seeds in preparation for next season harvest. You tell your mother you’re still hungry so she hands you a fresh mango from the basket of fresh fruit she picked from the massive mango tree growing just outside your hut from early today. You sink your teeth deep into the mango. The sweet juice seeps out of your mouth as you pull your mouth back from your bite still lipping the bits of mango fiber stuck between your teeth. “Mango is my favorite,” you say to yourself as you finish eating down to the pit. “Now off to bed,” says mother, “tomorrow is a big day for you.” You hope into bed, place your head down on the pillow still half licking your fingers or the mango juice and picking the strands from between your teeth. As you fall asleep you think about the exciting time you are going to have with Father tomorrow, and you can’t wait to wake up. You awake to the sounds of footsteps in the hut. It sounds like father and mother talking in the next room. You rub the sleep out of your eyes and look out the window – it’s still dark outside. It can’t be morning yet; father usually wakes up early for work, but this seems too early. You begin to hear muffled, distant shouting coming from outside the hut. Father and mother are talking more loudly now and it’s beginning to sound like the whole village is has awoken. You hear more voices outside, and the voices are sounding louder and with more excitement in their voices about something. Your father and mother run into your room and pull you up out of bed. “We have to run,” they say to you. Their here.” There’s not enough time to grab anything from your room as you’re hurried out of the hut by the arms, fathers firm grip around your around your forearm and mother’s in his other hand. As the door to your hut opens, your mind is flooded watching the other huts in your village as people begin to poor out of them and begin running in different directions. The screams and yelling of the people outside are now far surpassing the volume level you are used to hearing even when hearing mother and father most excited. And then unfamiliar sounds begin to happen that you’ve never heard before like snaps, pops, hissing, and thuds all around you. People are beginning to fall over as they run and struggling to keep their step. You realize in your paralyzed stupor that you’ve stopped moving because of the things you are seeing, and nothing is making sense. I grew up with these faces and I have friends lying about the ground still frozen with their gazes fixed on nothing. Your father is pulling on your arms really hard, and yells, COME ON, WE HAVE TO GO NOW! As you, father, and mother make for the tree line, three dark figures step into your path and suddenly something else grabs you by the back of the neck and hard crack to the back of your head makes your eyes cease to see and suddenly you feel nothing. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, “At the end of 2018, some 41.3 million people were internally displaced due to armed conflict, generalized violence or human rights violations, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).” During my recent trip to Nigeria with Integrita’s Men’s Ministry we visited one of these IDP camps for displaced boys due to conflict in and around Jo’s due to cult activity, secret society activity, and in most cases, terrorist activity. This was our opportunity to meet with these boys who had lost everything and there was still no one th

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    4 Oct 2019

    02. Warriors Join David, Heavenly Reward, Extremist Groups in Scripture

    Warriors Join David, Heavenly Reward, Extremist Groups in Scripture We are the specifically selected men defecting from the enemy, to join the ranks of Heaven’s Armies 1 Chronicles 12 – The Warriors join David” “12 These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; 2 they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin): 3 Ahiezer their chief and Joash the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berakah, Jehu the Anathothite, 4 and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty warrior among the Thirty, who was a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,[a] 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Ishiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam the Korahites; 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham from Gedor. 8 Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains. 9 Ezer was the chief, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third, 10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13 Jeremiah the tenth and Makbannai the eleventh. 14 These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. 15 It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west. 16 Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.” 18 Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.” So, David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands. 19 Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”) 20 When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. 22 Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God.” God’s Preparation in Our Lives Romans 5:2-4: 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. We will study key individuals in the Bible and how God’s preparation in their lives provided them with the necessary knowledge to be activated at their appointed time for God’s Kingdom. How if we step out of our calling for God and try to go at things on our own, we often fall or lose our anointing in the spirit, as we will discuss in depth in a future session when we talk about Saul and Samuel; as well as, David and bringing the Ark of The Covenant into Jerusalem. We accept that we are stewards of this ministry and carrying out God’s calling i

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    26 Sept 2019

    01. WWII, The Blitz, Blackout Church Culture

    Sovereign Lord, you created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. Have mercy on us for you are perfect and we are sinners. Your grace and mercy is unending. Holy Spirit we beg your presence in this place. Allow us the gift of clarity; that we may hear your words today and not our own. Continue to guide us along the path you have laid out before us. Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. The King of Glory, The Lord of Heavens’ Armies, Yahweh. Amen. World War II (1939 – 1945) The Blitz (September 1940 – May 1941) Nighttime bombing raids against London and other British cities by Nazi Germany during World War II. The raids followed the failure of the German Luftwaffe to defeat Britain’s Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain The daylight attack against London on September 7, 1940, marked the opening phase of the German bomber offensive against Britain, which came to be called the Blitz after the German word “blitzkrieg,” meaning “lightning war.” Daylight attacks soon gave way to night raids, which the British found difficult to counter. The British lacked effective antiaircraft artillery and searchlights, as well as night fighters that could find and shoot down an aircraft in darkness. The scale of the attacks rapidly escalated. In that month alone, the German Air Force dropped 5,300 tons of high explosives on the capital in just 24 nights. In their efforts to ‘soften up’ the British population and to destroy morale before the planned invasion, German planes extended their targets to include the major coastal ports and centers of production and supply. The infamous raid of November 14, 1940 on Coventry brought a still worse twist to the campaign. 500 German bombers dropped 500 tons of explosives and nearly 900 incendiary bombs on the city in ten hours of unrelenting bombardment… “I stood on the footway of Hungerford bridge across the Thames watching the lights of London go out. The whole great town was lit up like a fairyland, in a dazzle that reached into the sky, and then one by one, as a switch was pulled, each area went dark, the dazzle becoming a patchwork of lights being snuffed out here and there until a last one remained, and it too went out. What was left us was more than just wartime blackout, it was a fearful portent of what war was to be. We had not thought that we would have to fight in darkness, or that light would be our enemy.” Daily Herald journalist Mea Allan wrote those words in 1939 as she witnessed the introduction of universal blackout. From Thurso to Truro, from Hastings to Holyhead, Britain was plunged into darkness at sunset on 1 September, two days before war was declared. Street lights were switched off at the mains, vehicle headlights were masked to show only a crack of light, and stations were lit by candles. In the months leading up to the declaration of war, women made and hung blackout curtains and blinds, and sealed any gaps round the edges with brown paper. Did the blackout have any beneficial effects? Burglary and mugging increased, and looters took advantage of deep blackout and bombed-out houses. By the end of the first month of war there had been 1,130 road deaths attributed to the blackout, and coroners urged pedestrians to carry a newspaper or a white handkerchief to make them more visible. A coroner in Birmingham told old people to keep off the streets after dark, suggesting routine visits to the pub in the evening had to be relinquished for the war effort, as so many were killed when they stepped from pub into darkened street. Thousands struggled to work Consumer Goods and Public Rail travel, too, was made more difficult by the blackout. In darkened railway goods yards, porters struggled to read labels on freight travelling by train at night, which led to increasing delays for passengers. After the blackout was lifted in 1941, doctors had diagnosed a new condition among factory workers on the home front: blackout anemia. Just as seasonal aff

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