JOEL 2 GENERATION PODCAST

This message is all about the meaning of "the Name of..." in its ancient, Biblical context, understanding. What is it to pray "in the Name of Jesus"? Why do many Christians treat it as some type of formula?Why is His Name so offensive?? Maybe the most critical/important part of this message.

The Divine Council is a central Old Testament teaching. I would argue that much of the Old Testament doesn't even make sense unless one grasps this concept. In a recent message on Zechariah 6, which itself is a Divine Council passage (revealing the outcome of a Divine Council meeting), I reviewed two of the most important Divine Council passages in the Old Testament: 1 Kings 22 and Psalm 82.Due initially to the abandonment of this teaching by the rabbis around the year 100AD, and for Augustine's influence later, the Divine Council concept has been at best ignored and at worst utterly rejected.Thankfully, in recent years, there seems to have been a recovery of this truth. 

In AD 180, Charismatic ministry was very different than today. By God's grace, we need to somehow recover what was lost.Irenaeus (AD 180) - “Those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform miracles, so as to promote the welfare of others, according to the gift which each one has received from Him. For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe [in Christ] and join the Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions and speak the prophecies they have received. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are healed. Moreover, as I have said, even the dead have been raised and remained among us for many years. And what more can I even say? It is not even possible to number all of the gifts which the Church, throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and which Christians demonstrate daily for the benefit of the unbelievers, neither deceiving them nor taking any financial reward from them [on account of such miraculous ministry]. For as Christians have received freely from God, freely also do they minister [to others]” Matt. 10:8  (Against Heresies, Book 2, Chapter 32, Section 4)

We have had this podcast now for nearly 20 years. As I've gone back, I realize that there are ministries and people mentioned, and even endorsed, that we can no longer recommend.Some of the ministries we would reject entirely - i.e., Todd Bentley and Fresh Fire. He marked, and to be avoided as an unrepentant sexual deviant. Other ministries still have good things but they have also had mixture, and/or have tolerated teachers/teachings that are false. Ideally, I will one day go back and either give a disclaimer on each podcast that endorses one of these teachers/ministries or will edit the podcast. But until then, I have put out this disclaimer.#mikebickle #ihop #toddbentley #freshfire #rickjoyner #morningstarministries #physicsofheaven #bethel #toddwhite #lifestylechristianity

There are a tragic number of Christians who have been deceived into believing that they can live their Christian lives WITHOUT attending Church. I meet them all the time. I have friends who have been taken in by this LIE. We were baptized INTO A BODY, and BY DESIGN we need God's people. To fulfill our mandate we must be gathering IN PERSON with God's people. There are things that God only supplies in the gathering.This is short message but an important one. APOLOGIES for the quality of the recording while I was driving

1 Peter 4:17 - For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of GodThere is a growing consensus that God is currently judging His Church and Christian ministries. Of course, He has always done so. It was happening in the 1st Century when the Apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote the Epistle of 1st Peter. And it seems to be happening at an ever-increasing pace today. He's exposing sin and false teachings. He is shedding light onto lifestyles that are hard to imagine belong to followers of the one who said He "has no place to lay his head" (Matt. 8:20).It should be producing the fear of God amongst His people. It should be producing repentance in the ones being exposed. I am not sure it is producing either. I end this podcast by highlighting something else I believe God is judging - the very structure and nature of Church and ministries. I think many who are applauding the exposures and correction God is bringing are not yet discerning that it is celebrity Christianity that God intends to judge and bring down. The platforms, the money, the idolatry, the power/influence - He wants to renovate it all! It hasn't been healthy for the sheep, and it has effectively destroyed so many of the shepherds. I am sure that many will not get the memo and continue to pursue bigger and bigger platforms, will justify that pursuit in the name of "godly influence". The money will continue to flow - honorarium will get larger and larger, etc. etc. But if what I am saying is true, the cloud will have moved elsewhere. God's anointing will no longer be upon those who are sure it is upon them. God's Word says that "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble". That is where we are sure to find God's power as we insist on humility.  

Many Easter messages miss what Christ did between Good Friday and Easter Sunday - NOT THIS MESSAGE. Starting with a line from the Apostle's Creed (2nd Century AD), we first explore arguably the greatest ministry trip Jesus ever took. And then, of course, the victory of it all - Sunday morning. This message will encourage you and inspire you. For such a time as this

A challenge to Christians who are SURE we are near the End of the Age. 

There were 4 waves of Jewish migrations out of Babylon starting in 538BC. This episode focuses on the first 2 waves of that immigration. What were they called to do? What was the mandate they were given? What were the obstacles they faced?Their time has MANY parallel to our own. The call to "Leave Babylon" wasn't just for them, it is for us today. It is for the Church. 

Continuing on in 1 Peter 3, we conclude with some further thoughts about suffering. God is NOT the author of evil and the causes of suffering are often the antithesis of His will. The second part of this message is all about a Biblical narrative and I would argue an interpretive key that many Christians have rejected (at least since the time of Augustine). Rightly understanding Genesis 6:1-4 from the ancient Jewish perspective and from the that of Jesus and His Apostles is critical to understand the evil we face today. Our Gospel mandate is BROADER than many Christians realize. I try to capture some of that in this message.

Part 2 of Unlocking the Melchizedekian Priesthood - Hebrews 6 and 7

Looking at the background of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Essenes, we explore WHY Jesus warned His followers to BEWARE of the "teaching" of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt. 16:6). What "teaching" was He warning them about? What did the Essenes believe and what did/do the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) reveal about the coming Messiah? We look at a couple of fragments from the DSS, in particular, the Melchizedek Document that reveal what they believed the Messiah was coming to do and WHO the Messiah would be. We can then better understand the purpose of the Book of Hebrews. This is part 1 in a series.

A re-recorded Part 2 where I cast the vision for this Advent Season - to prepare ourselves. To ask the Lord HOW we can be more holy, something we are commanded to be. This Advent challenge includes a call to fast - from food for some, but from social media. 

This is the beginning of a message where I consider the idea of being a 'Remnant' in this hour. Defining the word/concept; what it means and also at least one of the dangers inherent in the term.The 2nd part of the message, I have decided to leave off as I presented the irrefutable evidence that Christmas is NOT a pagan holiday.  I will share 2 blog links where I have presented the evidence.Title #1: Is Christmas a 'Pagan' Holiday/ (2023)Link #1 - https://joel2generation.blogspot.com/2023/11/is-christmas-pagan-holiday.html Title #1 - Is celebrating Christmas on December 25th something that came from paganism? NO.Link #2 - https://joel2generation.blogspot.com/2022/11/is-celebrating-christmas-on-december.htmlAdditionally, I shared an 8 minute video by Mike Winger (YouTube) where he completely dismantles the arguments that Christmas Trees are pagan. Title:  "People are still making stuff up about Christmas Trees" Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BionQkX2i7w I will follow this message with Part 2 which is the challenge of entering Advent (which begins today) with the mentality of what God would require of us to prepare for what lies ahead. 

Natalie shares a powerful message about the hour we are in and our mandate to both BUILD and BATTLE

What hour do we find ourselves in? What are God's purposes for His Church in this hour? Are we being set free from a modern-day "Babylonian Captivity"? Is God about to judge the "Babylonian System"? Is Donald Trump a type of Cyrus? Do Isaiah 45 and Isaiah 47 have something to teach us today? 

Over 20% of the Gospel of Matthew deals with the Pharisees. Is this so that we can use them as our 'whipping posts' to illustrate all the bad things religious people can do? Or, did God have those verses included because we are more like the Pharisees than we realize? I believe the latter is the case.In this message, I share my own "pharisaical tendencies".I begin with a play off of Tim Hawkin's, "You might be a Redneck if..."My version - I might be a Pharisee if...…IF I AM THE SELF-APPOINTED CORRECTOR OF EVERYONE ELSE'S DOCTRINEIF I THINK THAT THE "SPEAK THE TRUTH" PART OF "SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE" IS THE "KEY" TO THAT VERSE… …IF ONE OF MY FAVORITE VERSES IS "THE SPIRITUAL MAN JUDGES ALL THINGS" (1 Cor. 2:15)IF PRAYING THE IMPRECATORY PSALMS MAKES ME OUTRAGEOUSLY HAPPY……IF I THINK THE “GIFT OF DISCERNMENT” MEANS KNOWING WHAT IS WRONG IN EVERYBODY ELSE'S LIFE IF I AM SITTING HERE THINKING ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE WHO REALLY NEEDS TO HEAR THIS MESSAGE…

I continue in 1 Peter 3 - basically, there are 3 sections to this passage. One of them deals with suffering in the Christian's life being God's will. Not an easy topic. Thus the title. But there are some other key things in this passage - Christ's "descent to the dead" from the Apostle's Creed (2nd Century) is referenced. Part of Christ's descent was His proclamation to the "spirits in prison" which is discussed in this message. I end with the importance of baptism which is often de-emphasized in modern Christianity. That was not the case in the Apostolic age and the early church.

The word submission is not a popular word. I would say it is a despised word. But it is also a Biblical one. The Apostle Peter writes some of the most challenging words in the New Testament when he instructs us to submit to human institutions, unjust employers (in the 1st century it was actual "masters") and within marriage. How do we reconcile the commandment to submit to these things while obeying God in other areas? Peter broke laws and didn't submit at times. What about abusive situations? We get into all of these things in this message.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who predicted the grace that would come to you searched and investigated carefully. 11 They probed into what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ and his subsequent glory. 12 They were shown that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things now announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things angels long to catch a glimpse of.13 Therefore, get your minds ready for action by being fully sober, and set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, 15 but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, 16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” 17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence. 18 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.22 You have purified your souls by obeying the truth in order to show sincere mutual love. So love one another earnestly from a pure heart. 23 You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 Forall flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of the grass; the grass withers and the flower falls off,25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.