『The Bible Unplugged Podcast』のカバーアート

The Bible Unplugged Podcast

The Bible Unplugged Podcast

著者： J. Brent Eaton
無料で聴く

このコンテンツについて

 The deepest and most profound insights in The Bible are hidden under centuries of dogma, doctrine, glitz, and glamor that hide what scripture actually says. We take a deep dive into language and culture of The Bible to find what God wants us to know and how we should live.

www.powerloveandmiracles.comJ. Brent Eaton キリスト教 スピリチュアリティ 聖職・福音主義
エピソード
  • From Bitter to Blessed: Naomi

    From Bitter to Blessed: Naomi
    2025/07/08
    Introduction• Have you ever experienced a loss to painful that you feel you have lost your direction and future? If you have, God has a message of hope for you. The pain of grief and loss can slowly transform into a sense of hope and the confidence that God is on your side.• I’m Brent, and this is episode 44 of The Bible Unplugged. We begin a 4-part series on people in the Bible who experienced grief and how God showed His grace and love in the middle of the pain. If you know someone who needs this message, please feel free to share these episodes with them.• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com under the Podcast tab.Naomi’s Story• In this episode we look at Naomi, one of the central figures in the Book of Ruth. These events took place in the time of the judges of Israel. It was an era of moral confusion and instability that threatened the existence of the nation.• The Book of Ruth opens with a famine in that caused Naomi and her husband Elimelech and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to move from Bethlehem to Moab. It’s ironic that “Bethlehem” means “house of bread” in Hebrew.• Within a short time, Elimelech died leaving Naomi a widow. The two sons married women from Moab, Orpah and Ruth. About 10 years later, Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was now without family and without any means of support. Widows at that time had no inheritance and depended on charity from others to survive.• Naomi planned to go back to Bethlehem and send her daughters-in-law back to their families. While Orpah and Ruth offered to stay with Naomi only Ruth went with her.• Naomi had encouraged Ruth to go back home, but Ruth’s reply is something we often hear in a wedding ceremony. The Book of Ruth chapter 1:16-17 Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.”• When Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, the people there were excited to see them. Naomi, though, told them, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and Yahweh has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since Yahweh has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”• The word “mara” in Hebrew means “bitter” and we can understand why Naomi felt that way.• She was so immersed in her grief that she believed her life would not get better.• Naomi wasn’t aware that God had already started a process to help her. Ruth, who stayed by Naomi’s side, committed to finding a means of support for both of them.• The rest of the story unfolds quietly.• Ruth follows after the farmers to pick up leftover grain in the fields to provide for them. It was a common practice in that time to allow the poor to gather up grain leftover from the harvest.• In doing so, she caught the attention of Boaz, a relative of Elimelech.• Boaz shows kindness and protection. He instructed his helpers to leave a little extra in the fields for her and to be sure she was safe.• Eventually, Boaz married Ruth through a complicated process called levirate marriage. This restored Naomi’s family line and provided support for her and for Ruth.• I encourage you to read at least chapters 3 and 4 to see the sophisticated process involved in arranging Ruth’s marriage to Boaz. There’s a lot of conniving and planning on both sides of the relationship.• Ruth gives birth to Obed, who was the grandfather of King David.• In a beautiful twist in the story, the women of Bethlehem tell Naomi, that Ruth is more valuable than seven sons would have been.What Do We Learn from This?• We find the grief experience of Naomi to be like our own today. In the middle of pain and loss we may feel that God has abandoned us, and we have no hope. What we learn is that God is already at work for our good even when we may not see it. God was already moving:• In Ruth’s loyalty in spite of her own grief• In Boaz’s kindness and love toward Ruth• In the reward of continuing ordinary work. Ruth’s gleaning to find food led to her marriage to Boaz.• More importantly, God was at work in the birth of Ruth’s child who would be part of the Messianic line of Jesus.• We also learn that God works beyond our expectation and understanding. Naomi’s grief was cancelled, erased, and more than equally compensated. God’s movement led to Naomi’s redemption. God doesn’t always remove the pain, but He does transform the meaning.What Do We Do with This?• When you experiences grief and loss, trust that God is already at work for your good. Watch for subtle signs that God is moving. It may be the words someone says, a surprisingly beautiful sunset, or a passage of Scripture you read with a whole new meaning.• Ask yourself: ...
    続きを読む 一部表示
    6 分
  • The God Who Sees Me

    The God Who Sees Me
    2025/07/01
    Introduction• Have you ever felt invisible? Do you ever feel that you don’t matter to anyone and that nobody sees your struggles or your pain? That was the experience of Hagar, the slave to Sarai and Abram in Genesis. What she learned the hard way gives us hope for our difficulties today.• I’m Brent, and this is episode 43 of The Bible Unplugged. We take a look at the name Hagar gave to God found in Genesis chapter 16 and what that name means to us.• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com under the Podcast tab.Hagar’s Story• The story of Hagar can be confusing to modern readers, but everything that happened in this story is rooted in Near Eastern culture and the Covenant God created with Abram.• Sarai, Abram’s wife, could not conceive a child. They both knew that God promised to make a great nation of their descendants. Not being able to have a child at that point, Sarai took matters out of God’s hands and tried to solve the problem herself.• That culture accepted a barren wife giving her maidservant to her husband to have a child. That’s what Sarai did with her slave Hagar. When Hagar got pregnant, trouble started.• Hagar developed an attitude and felt better than her mistress. Tension flared to the point that Abram told Sarai to do whatever she wanted to do about the conflict.• Sarai was harsh with Hagar. Hagar ran away to the wilderness to get away from the mistreatment.• Scripture tells us that Yahweh’s angel, which we find to be a physical manifestation of God himself in this story, appeared to Hagar and told her to go back home. God promised that he would take care of her and her offspring.A New Name of God• Hagar was so overwhelmed with God’s grace that she created a new name for God. Genesis 16:13 says, “She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”• The name Hagar created, “The God Who Sees Me,” is the English version. The Hebrew named is “El Roi.” “El” is the shortened version of “Elohim,” the most common word translated “God” in the Hebrew Bible. “Roi” comes from the Hebrew word “ra’ah.” We find that word elsewhere in the Bible. In Exodus 3:7, God sees the affliction of His people in Egypt. The word translated “see” is “ra’ah.”Hagar’s Unique Experience• Hagar is the first person in the Bible to create a new name of God.• Hagar was a foreigner, a woman, and a slave. In Hebrew society, she was at the very bottom of the social ladder. And yet, she becomes the first person in Scripture to name God.• Hagar is also the first person to be visited by the angel of the Lord. And she’s not even part of the covenant family, but she is important to God.What Do We Learn from This?• This tells us a lot about God’s character and His love for His creation.• God doesn’t only care about the chosen patriarchs. The righteous are not the only ones God pays attention to.• God sees the oppressed, the abused, and the forgotten. He met Hagar in the wilderness—a place that symbolizes chaos, isolation, and often, desperation. The wilderness, though, is also a place where God reveals himself in new and compassionate ways.• Several prominent Bible characters encounter God and receive divine inspiration to continue God’s will for them.• Moses saw God in a burning bush while tending sheep.• Elijah fled into the wilderness to escape Jezebel’s wrath and found a gentle and compassionate God.• Jesus overcame temptation after many weeks in the wilderness alone.• John the Baptist grew up and lived in the wilderness before he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah.• A complete list with Scripture references is at the end of the show notes if your are interested.• What we learn from this something profound about God’s nature. He is not a passive observer. God is intimately present with those who suffer and are alone. The name Hagar gave to God reminds us that:• God sees you in your own personal wilderness.• God sees the part of your story that others overlook.• God sees your pain even when you can’t articulate those feelings yourself.• Most of all, we see that you matter to God.What Do We Do with This?• Take some time when you can focus without distractions. Think of the times in your life you have felt alone, unsure, or afraid. How did God intervene and what was the result? God has a plan for your good, but sometimes we have to feel the discomfort before we see the goal.• When you have some idle time during your day—whether driving, in line at a store, or waiting for an appointment—try to imagine God watching over you then. Let El Roi, the God Who Sees You, become part of that experience.• When you experience difficult times—when you feel you are invisible or don’t matter—allow God’s presence to overcome the discomfort and reassure you.•...
    続きを読む 一部表示
    6 分
  • The Beatitudes as a Spiritual Map

    The Beatitudes as a Spiritual Map
    2025/06/24
    Introduction• In the Beatitudes found in The Gospel of Matthew chapter 5, Jesus teaches us some of the qualities of life in the Kingdom of God. But what if those qualities aren’t just a list? What if they are a roadmap for spiritual growth? When we see the progression, purpose, and path of the Beatitudes we find a journey that begins with emptiness and brokenness and ends with and eternal purpose.• I’m Brent, and this is episode 42 of The Bible Unplugged. We conclude our series on The Beatitudes of Jesus where we find a path for our spiritual growth.• Please take a minute to visit the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com under the Podcast tab.The Beatitudes aren’t Random• When we read the Beatitudes individually, they may seem disconnected and random. When you step back and look at them as a whole you see a progression.• Jesus describes the progressive transformation of the human soul. They aren’t rules to follow, they present the character God develops in citizens of His kingdom.• Here’s a summary of the meaning of the Beatitudes:• Progress starts when we recognize our need for God.• We grieve the brokenness we see in ourselves and in our world.• We surrender control and power to God.• God instills in us an intense craving for God’s justice in the world.• We show compassion to those who have met injustice and cruelty.• Our inner lives become clean and undivided.• We help bring others to God and away from spiritual conflict.• As a result of all this, we may endure rejection for living out this life, but God has blessings in store for us when we do.• We see that this is not a list of random virtues. It’s a spiritual staircase.The Beatitudes as a Map• Let me give you three of my observations about the Beatitudes as a pathway to spiritual growth.• Spiritual Formation:• The Beatitudes are sequential. You don’t become a peacemaker before you have shown and received mercy. You don’t feel a deep craving for righteousness until you’ve grieved your own spiritual emptiness.• The qualities of kingdom citizenship are both descriptive and prescriptive. They show us what God blesses and they show us the way to grow closer to God.• A New Mount Sinai• Just as Moses received the Law from God on Mount Sinai, Jesus is on a mountain giving the disciples and his other followers a new understanding of how we should live.• Moses received laws carved in stone. Jesus gives us blessings engraved on our hearts.• In Exodus, the Ten Commandments shaped the behavior of God’s people. In Matthew chapter 5, the Beatitudes shape the character of His people.• This is a new covenant lifestyle. A revolution of love, humility, and holiness.• Echoes of Isaiah 61• Isaiah chapter 61 includes a passage that will be familiar to those who have read the Gospel of Luke. That chapter reads in part, “The Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor... to bind up the brokenhearted... to comfort all who mourn… to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”• Jesus quotes this passage in Luke chapter 4 to announce His mission to the world. What Jesus presents in the Beatitudes is the unfolding and progression of His mission and ours as well.What Do We Learn from This?• The Beatitudes are not a list of “nice ideas.” They are a spiritual blueprint for a blessed life. These qualities go against common culture and may cause some backlash against use.• They begin and end with the mission to proclaim freedom and grace to those who need to know God.• We find that the blessings of God are not about worldly success, but spiritual depth.• And, Jesus is forming a new kind of people who are meek warriors, merciful prophets, and joyful sufferers.What Do We Do with This?• Reflect on where you are on the journey of the Beatitudes. What qualities do you see in your life and how can you demonstrate Kingdom citizenship to those who are hurting?• Pick one Beatitude you need to live out more intentionally this week. Maybe it’s mercy, or perhaps it’s peacemaking. You might even experience the need to rejoice in rejection. Ask God to develop the characteristics in you that Jesus laid out for us.• I challenge you to live in the pathway Jesus gave us. Let the Beatitudes guide your prayers, shape your relationships, and fuel your purpose.The conclusion• And yes, the music means my time’s up for this episode. But I’ll be back with more next time.• I hope this has been helpful. If so, take a second to give this podcast a high rating and share it with someone who feels the weight of the world as they strive to live for God.• In the next episode, we will conclude this series by examining the Beatitudes as a spiritual map. God has blessings in store for us as we follow the path of spiritual transformation and live out that transformation for our world to see.• I’m going to ...
    続きを読む 一部表示
    6 分

The Bible Unplugged Podcastに寄せられたリスナーの声

カスタマーレビュー：以下のタブを選択することで、他のサイトのレビューをご覧になれます。

Audible.co.jp

Amazon.co.jp
レビューはまだありません。