Walkin' Jesus: Recent Episodes
Brett Swailes
Where we discuss practical, actionable steps for walking with Jesus Christ in a Christian life...without confusion, hassle or stress.
Frankly, it's hard to know what to make of this text. Let us today, in keeping with the passage, wrestle with this topic. In this strange story, Jacob himself wrestled with a stranger all night long. Eventually the wrestling partner blessed Jacob. But he also gave him a limp. We don't know the identity of this unnamed stranger. At one point the text says Jacob wrestled with a man. However, that's not Jacob’s understanding at all. Jacob believed his wrestling partner was God.
"Count well the cost" Alexander Mack
The biggest threat to the Christian faith in the United States of America is not secularism or the growing number of “nones” and “dones.” Rather, the biggest threat to vibrant faith is token Christianity. Shopping cart Catholics, for instance, are well known for selecting which of the churches teachings they will put in the shopping cart, and which to leave on the shelf. The shallow and noncommittal faith such as this does not breed vital believers in congregations. Who would be attracted to such a faith? As one young man said, if all my religion is going to change is my Sunday schedule then I'm not interested. I want something that is going to change my finances, my sex life, the way I work, the way I treat my family, the way I treat others, and the way I use my time.
Listen in! (7 Minutes)
In defiance of religious tradition and heritage, and at the request of Jesus a woman steps forward to be healed. Jesus honored her faith by touching and healing her.
You see, SHE had faith, and God had the power to heal.
We must not only expect great things from God, but must also attempt great things for God. So often, God is willing, but we are hesitant. Faith requires that we make a bold response to the initiatives of Almighty God. Because, there is no telling what God can do IF and WHEN we believe!
Jesus admonishes the crowd, saying to them that while they surely are able to read the signs of earth, they seem totally incapable of interpreting the present time.
This message is about the opening of our "spiritual eyes" to the coming of the Redeemer, and of all the changes that this will bring. Listen in!
Here, in this podcast, we read Hebrews 11: it is often considered the Heroes of Faith Hall of Fame."
We will then speak briefly of the faith of the ancients, and the faith of modern mankind.
From time to time we all stand in need of divine intervention that will bring hope and healing into our lives. No matter how many accomplishments come our way in life, no one is absolutely free of difficulty. Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with a problem. Naaman suffered from leprosy. He, like all of humanity from time to time, had to contend with this humbling negative in his life, for which he seems to not to even dare to hope for a healing.
In the opening to this reading, Jesus confronts and also restores a demon-filled man.
This poor fellow had been living in the graveyard, gashing himself with stones. Soon enough, however, he was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening with intent. He had wanted to follow Jesus, but was told to return to his village and to glorify God for the good that had been done.
Certainly when you have been restored to good health, you want to move on with your life. Jesus wouldn't have it—there would be no change of scenery for this individual. The same of often happens to us. Find out more in this short podcast.
Have you ever had an injustice done to you? God will pay back every true injustice, Scripture assures us.
In this short podcast, God on high truly can see the lowest depths of human depravity.
Here we see the exploits of Jezebel, wife to King Ahab of Israel, as she plots to bring down an innocent man—and seize his assets for the king. Take a listen, and hear how God operates in the behalf of the oppressed in all societies.
Join us here to celebrate Pentecost—the birthday of the church!
Read Scripture, and discuss how God is the author and finisher of not just our faith, but of many surprises, as well. Discover the biggest surprise of them all—Pentecost Sunday!
One of our shortest episodes, we here at Walking Jesus Podcasts don't forget the importance of this day. Some churches do, you know.
Won't you join us, and see the reason that all Christians should be excited?
All this is consistent with what Jesus himself experienced in his lifetime. When he walked on this earth, the only people who could not receive him were the Pharisees, or the experts on the law. They knew the law inside and out, but not the very author of the law who was standing right before them. Isn't it amazing? It shows us that legalism blinds people—legalistic people, even in the world as it presently is, have eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear! Listen in and realize the impact that the Law of Grace has for Christians today!
Israel NEEDS the gospel! Paul's prayer is that Israel may be saved. They are ignorant of God's righteousness, and seek to establish their own version of the same. It should be here pointed out that this is Scripture, and not some transitory political rhetoric aimed at the Israel-Hamas War.
It is about how faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. In this episode we examine a miracle performed by the Holy Spirit upon a lame beggar who believes Pual's message, preached at Lystra. He, who had been lame his whole life heard the gospel, believed, and jumped up and proceeded to walk! Such is the power of the gospel of Christ's to bring direct healing to those who believe. We hope you find today's lesson to be compelling.
Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. His thoughts are mesmerizing in Hebrews, chapter 11.
That is what we present here today. The podcast, "On Faith" is an example of what faith is, and where examples of living faith can be found in the Old Testament. But first we read all of chapter 11, and only then do we attempt to break down the writings as they appear there.
Hebrews 11:1 ESV
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:6 ESV
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Sunday, April 1, 2024 is Easter Sunday. On this day the world is no longer a place of Helplessness and Hopelessness. You should consider the fact that the stone was not rolled aside so Jesus could get out, but so that all of us could get in…to see that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead, just as he had promised.
The Angel who announced the good news of the resurrection to the women gave them four messages 1.) “do not be afraid.” You see, the reality of the resurrection brings joy, not fear. When you are afraid remember the empty tomb. 2.) “he is not here.” Jesus is not dead and is not to be looked for among the dead. He is alive with his people. 3.). “come and see.” Realize that the women could check the evidence themselves: the tomb was empty then and is empty today. The resurrection is a historical fact. 4.) “go quickly and tell.” The angel’s message was that they were to spread the joy of the resurrection, and we too, are anxious to spread this, the greatest news about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Our Gospel lesson for today begins with one of the greatest encounters of all time … John the Baptist, coming face to face with Jesus—the One who will baptize not with just water, but with the Holy Spirit. A preacher once said that in John’s simple announcement, for us to, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, “ we have a perfect summary of the entire Gospel… everything else is merely commentary. A sentence right here that speaks volumes.
But think about it, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’
You see, today that expression does not have the grip on 21st century citizens that it did for the Hebrew people, especially those living over two-thousand years ago. That is because we do not see many lambs today, except for those of us who went to the Pennsylvania Farm Show; we are, today, certainly otherwise pretty far-removed from anything having to do with sheepherding.
Immediately after seeing Jesus resurrected, the Apostles were still not much more than worshipful fishermen, bunched together in a room. Then, without any warning, the Holy Spirit set them all ablaze with the fire to spread the Good News to the entire known world.
Together, they were not even a sect of Judaism at this point, and they lacked a developed liturgy, a method of worship, or even a name. The early followers simply called it “the way.”
Yet, 2000 years later, all over the world, the disciples are still drawing people in.
Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulcher is empty. It resounds with the Apostolic message: Jesus rose from the dead!
Depression
In a national survey, 12.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide.
3.5 million adults made a plan.
1.7 million adults attempted suicide
Almost 50,000 Americans die by suicide every year, year in, and year out. These are the same numbers of fatalities you see in major American wars.
Who has died?
Freddie Prinze, George Reeves, Academy Award winner Richard Farnsworth, Brian Keith, Charles Boyer, Robin Williams, Jerzy Kozinski, Dr. Jack Kevorkian and his clients, Hunter S. Thompson, Ernest Hemingway & son.
Depression is a word that originated in the twentieth century, but as a phenomenon has been with us since antiquity.
For us, in a Biblical sense, and for our purposes, the Bible is rife with stories written in anguish, and it is the psalms themselves that display some examples that are rampant with outright depression. Many psalms are written by King David, who authored many of them during enormously blue periods within his life.
This podcast is filled with Scriptural references to Biblical instances of depression. Listen in to learn more about depression, and what it is that we can do about it.
Matthew 6:33-34
New International Version
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.We all make strategies. We plan for our vacations, we plan to buy our homes, we make goals for our careers, for our kids, and for our retirement. However, life is uncertain.
· We don't really know what is going to happen tomorrow. Trips are abandoned due to bad weather, and holiday festivities are postponed because of illness.
· We can only plan so much for our children; then they go out and make their own choices, oh well.
· We try to cushion ourselves against life's uncertainties. We buy insurance for our health, and policies for our cars, and houses, too.
· We plan and we save for retirement. Jesus told a story about a farmer who made plans. He sought to build barns to store his grain and planned to enjoy life of ease. But the farmer did not live to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Jesus concluded the parable: "so it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21).
Luke 12: 1-3
Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be[a] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
- Here, we have the very words of Jesus himself...speaking to His disciples. It will do us well to consider carefully those words. Rest assured, however, that divine Providence is really present in our lives. Listen in, and find out how!
“Your old life is gone,” says Paul.
The period between sixty-one to sixty-three AD is generally thought of as of time that Paul was imprisoned in Rome. He wrote this letter to the Colossians from jail in response to a popular heresy that had members of the church worshipping angels as intermediaries, and following rigid Jewish laws and requirements.
In Chapter 1 of Colossians, Paul speaks of the deity of Christ. In the second chapter, he talks of Christ being all sufficient, rather than as some of the Colossian’s philosophy had Christ painted: as more of a philosophical abstraction.
Finally, in Chapter three, he speaks about life in Christ. That is where we started today’s reading.
Listen in!
Recently, I read a story about an old lady who was driving home one night. The weather was severe, and for her too, with the rain coming down in gray sheets it was very difficult to see. Seeing red taillights ahead of her, she decided to follow what was a truck. Not being able to see past that vehicle in front, she knew that it seemed to be going in the right direction, just the same. So she stuck in behind it, and the truck absorbed most of the heavy winds and driving rain.
Then the driver in front of her came to a stop. She began to wonder what had happened, perhaps the driver in front had hit a deer, or encountered a fallen tree or something else in the middle of the road. She began to feel uncomfortable, knowing that being stopped there in the middle of the road, in a storm in such limited visibility, often leads to multiple car accidents...Get more of this podcast online!
Proverbs 3:5–6.: 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
That is also the promise God makes to you and to me. God never turns an honest doubter away. Never. Come to him with your doubts, your skepticism, your unbelief, your hard questions, your uncertainties. He welcomes your hardest questions. Doubt is not a sin. It’s what you do with your doubt that makes all the difference. Don’t let your doubts keep you from Jesus. Come to him just as you are—and bring your doubts with you. He will not turn you away.
I can finish by saying, soak yourself in the Gospel according to:
John 20-31: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
Matthew 25:25-27 Good News Translation (GNT)
25 I was afraid, so I went off and hid your money in the ground. Look! Here is what belongs to you.
Thomas Edison said it like this,
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize
how close they were to success when they gave up.”
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The fear of failure is not new. It’s been around for ages. In fact, Jesus told us a story about it in Matthew 25.
Jesus wants us to know that when we refuse to take risks, we’re refusing to live by faith. How do we conquer our fear of failure anyway? With drugs? With hypnosis, or in buying more products? No.
You’ve got to understand that God gave certain people in each congregation… special gifts. These are not so much miraculous gifts as they are motivational gifts.
Each gift is not only to motivate the giver but ALSO to motivate the rest of us in the church. When you have a giver in your midst they motivate YOU to give as well.
I want to ask you to consider this title: Law or Grace. Think about the world you would like to inhabit. Would you prefer to live in a world of Law? Now, let me ask you, how about living in a world shaped by Grace?
I have contemplated this since my childhood, and there was a stark reason for that circumstance. You see, I felt the law AND grace of God as a child. I was educated Catholic from kindergarten to the ninth grade. We believed the Ten Commandments as the Law, our law. Same for Catechism. Salvation was only by faith AND good works. Deviation was mortal sin and damnation, and that from these deviations came discipline—always meted out here on earth by the good sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at St. Matthew’s School in East Stroudsburg, PA.
Luke 24:25–27 NIV
“How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
Today, I bring you a brief story of a people who are extremely thankful and joyous, especially this present holiday season. They are called Messianic Jews. They are the Jews for Jesus. To get to where they are at in a faith journey, many of these have denied the traditional beliefs of all of their friends, their parents, and everything their brothers and sisters hold dear. They scoured the Old Testament for the Messiah, for each and every sign of a Messiah. In their long history they, as Jewish people, have encountered several false Messiahs, and they can name them alphabetically. Jews for Jesus have and continue to pay a heavy price to worship Jesus. They KNOW Jesus is Lord! They also know the OT almost by memory. ..
Backsliding Away
Catholics don’t need to worry about backsliding. That is because they are always careening from one confession to the next, in immediate danger of hellfire—at any and all times—at least so I thought when I was a practicing Catholic.
Thomas Aquinas, or Saint Thomas Aquinas, (1225–1274), defined mortal and venial sins in his work. It is known as: Summa Thelogica. I studied it at college. The reason I again bring it up, is that it is vitally important to Catholics, and yet, I have found little Scriptural basis for it whatsoever.
Anyhow, if you die with a mortal sin on your soul, and it is unconfessed to a priest, you are going to hell. That’s about the long and short of what Aquinas had to say.
Most Catholics, I must here note, have a heavy burden to bear. They do not entertain the concept of backsliding. For them, it’s either heaven or hell. Maybe Purgatory is in there someplace. I’m not making fun; it is a real dilemma for the Catholic follower. There is so much guilt in Catholicism!
Listen in for more...
The great philosophical question for the unsaved…what is the meaning of life? In other words, what are we here for, after all?
Freud said it was all about sexual gratification, while the Epicurians, the Stoics, and the Greek philosophers all disagreed and searched for their own answer to the question of why we are here. The great Viennese writer Viktor Frankl said that what man searches for is whatever puts meaning in his life. I had to agree with him. My own search for meaning has taken me a long, long way, and far too many years.
Listen in to hear my story, and the answer to my own version of the question: "Why Am I Here?"
You know, all of us have faith in something. The question is, will your anchor of faith hold in the storm that is coming? Is your personal anchor truly an anchor? Is it built on the truth of Scripture? Is your faith tested?
Realize how valuable, revealing and full of love that a faith in Jesus Christ really is. It is not a question of if you have some sort of faith in something. It is, likewise, not a question of if the storm is coming. Rather, it truly is the question that that asks: will your anchor of faith hold fast through that coming storm?
Because, the time to anchor your faith to Christ is now, before the storm is upon us.
As the 150-year old hymn says:
"When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ the solid rock I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand...
all other ground is sinking sand."
For some, anger may remain pent up. Under a calm exterior, it ferments where no one can see it. Where some may erupt when angry, others turn red in the face and tremble. Others may become sullen and silent. Many become caustic and cutting with their tongues. However, everybody is going to deal with it somehow—anger is universal, and most of it is not good.
Listen in, and think about it.
Matthew 7: 13-14 (Jesus is speaking): "Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the path that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the path that leads to life, and only a few find it."
It sounds really bad, doesn't it? It sounds like only a very few souls have the chance to go to heaven. This passage, admittedly, causes some to question the very goodness of God. After all, if He really wants to save mankind, why didn't He make salvation more doable? Why doesn't He let everybody into heaven?
We enter into this dialog quite directly in this podcast.
Simple phrases that sound as though they are Christian—like a Scriptural passage. They present part of the truth, still, something is not quite right. Contrast some rather popular sayings with the wisdom from the Bible itself.
Jesus slept outside the Temple, and in the morning when He was hungry he saw a fig tree, and he went to it, but it had no fruit, only leaves. Then Jesus cursed the fig tree saying: "may you never bear fruit again." Immediately, the tree withered. I often wondered why Jesus did this to a little fig tree. There is a good answer, and it is pertinent to today's Christians and their churches.
Listen to our 6-minute message. It could change your life!
Is this, of all places, really God's World? Well, sort of. Listen in, think about it. Then decide for yourself.
Here, we discuss war and peace. We speak about what is Satan's, and what is not.
We talk about how the present situation came to pass. All from scripture—The Holy Bible. A short discussion of less than 10 minutes, and you'll have God's point of view.
Why don't you give us a listen?
Jesus was not just a carpenter—left alone with only his thoughts for thirty years. Evidence suggests He was an esteemed rabbi; well educated, and very well known.
This episode covers His childhood, and what He used for His education leading up to His magnificent discussion with the great Doctors in the Temple when He became lost at twelve years of age.
Join us to hear of His Disciples, His death and resurrection, and finally in the Book of Matthew we are led to "The Great Commission," as His last words on earth before The Ascension..
A modern-day prophet speaks to the church about restoring the vitality and sense of mission in today's church body. Oh brother, he doesn't call himself a prophet. But I do.
He himself may use terms like: an ordained minister and entrepreneurial leader who has served in different churches as a pastor, a missionary, author, teacher and mentor. Currently he provides training and coaching for pastors and congregations around issues of church vitality. A lot of people know of him. Some don't.
**But, listen...then see if he doesn't make sense as he encourages us to embrace a whole new perspective on the Holy Spirit in what we call the church today.
What he witnessed as a missionary to Nigeria—well, it changed his life. Let it give you encouragement and hope; after all, the church is not an organization.**
Are today's churches really producing anything? Jesus said in the Great Commission,
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations...Matt 28:19
Is that what we are doing? Or are we really participating in "ABC" churches?
You know, where "A" is our attendance, and "B" is our building, and "C" is for cash on hand? You know, a church where all that is produced is consumed right onsite. Because it doesn't have to be this way. Some churches are producing disciples, and sending them out. What kind of church do we want to be?
Do you hate the sin, but love the sinner? Be careful...it's easy to fall into judgement, here. Many do.
An episode less than 10 minutes, it goes from the grace displayed in a Pennsylvania nursing facility, to a big-box church where mercy overflows. From a high flyer who touched the sun, and then fell to earth, but who today...a quadriplegic, is weekly born aloft again by the grace of God.
A message of fallenness to one redeemed by just mercy and grace, the story is here for you today!
Politics are everywhere. Especially in churches. Christians are considered "super patriots."
Recent polling indicates that 51% of pastors responding say political debates in the church itself, are a big concern. Well, we are certainly divided. You remember Abraham Lincoln?
Lincoln, paraphrasing the Bible, said: "A house divided against itself, cannot stand." Listen in on this short podcast episode as we look at politics and its strangle-hold on our churches. It's practically a blood sport! Listen in!
The news media and its 24/7 messages and attack ads are reframing our church discussions! Fear prevails...should it? Our message to today's church! At Buzzsprout
AND now at Apple Podcast
Wow!
A serious development rages in North America, Latin and South America over the meaning of the New Testament words of Jesus. Where is the truth? A candid, mind boggling discussion of great importance—in our 10-minute podcast, now.
Today, Church life is very different than in the first century. Today, while the Christians of America use their churches to discuss prayerful things on Sunday, at other times the church is often used to discuss politics. Churches are today splitting up at a record pace due to these many otherwise political issues.
In Genesis 3:9, God calls out to Adam; "Where are you?"
God calls out to us all. Yet, God knows all. He certainly knew where Adam was, and he certainly knows where we are. What did He mean when He asked Adam? Moreover, what does He mean when asks us?
Find the answer to this question, and more, in this podcast!
Why did Jesus mention the poor in spirit as the first thing? Perhaps it was because they were the people who needed the love of God most of all...
I promise you, if you listen to today’s message AND YOU REPENT, it could help you to create a whole new relationship, with someone new, or save a relationship, a marriage, or you might stay out of jail. Really.
Who am I speaking to? Maybe you're a millennial. If so, congratulations! On the other hand, you should know that many regular congregations in the nation's churches are today, getting older. We’re not kids at my particular church. But I know a church right down the road that is thriving with a younger group of people! Regardless your age, wisdom is wisdom. So, I guess we can talk about all of this together, as friends. Come and see...
You DO have choices! It's easy. Make a choice about how to live and who to serve. Or, don't make a choice...either way, you have made a choice. Want to live a life on your own terms? Do as you will. But, you might want to listen to this before you make your decision.