What Do You Mean God Speaks? podcast

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Send us a text We’re back! Sort of. First, this bonus episode is to announce an update and news. The first season of this series is being re-adapted(?) / rewritten as a book and will be published next year. If everything goes as scheduled. So, what with the title of this episode? “A World where God seems no more believable than UFOs” is the catch-phrase of the book, or rather its starting point. It asks—as this series as asked—what “God” really means, when for many of us, God seems “no more believable than UFOs.” What I mean by that, and what this book and the series has to do with that, as well as my musings about my now hopefully completed search to find a publisher willing to invest in my book—that’s what this episode is about. Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S4E8: Why would a Lamb's blood save you? Plague and the Lamb II 49:11

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Send us a text What do we need to make a better world? In a world filled with the news of wars, injustices, human-made catastrophes, what do we need? In a world where our future seem so uncertain and bleak at times, even with all of the marvels we accomplished and progress we’ve made, what will lead us to tomorrow? And the Christian Bible poses an answer in the form of a symbolic act; long ago, God’s judgment came upon a land, upon every family and every living thing there, to strike down its future. But, that judgment “passed over” the houses marked with the blood of a lamb. Why? What did the lamb’s blood symbolize, and why is that what Jesus understood as what his own suffering and death would bring about? This is part two of the episodes exploring the final plague and Passover lamb in the Exodus account, and its significance to the Christian understanding of Jesus Christ. Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S4E7: Why God strikes every firstborn of Egypt - Plague and the Lamb 1 45:23

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Send us a text We’re back again for another episode! This is a kind of milestone for the series, as we cover a key narrative in Exodus—that of the final tenth plague, which connects to the Gospel account of Jesus Christ. And the question we must first wrestle with is: why does God strike down every firstborn in Egypt? The plague horrifies with us with the image of dead children, though according to Exodus, it’d have struck down both young and old, and even the animals—but that of course only makes it worse. Why is God’s judgment so indiscriminate ? But, what if there’s something more to this plague? What if the story of this plague means something deeper than what’s on the surface? What if it is connected with other stories and ideas that both challenge and expand our idea of what God’s judgment really means ? And what if that is why it connects to the story of Jesus Christ, saving all of humanity? This is actually the first part of a two-part episode, which I had to split because of the length. So, I really want to get the second episode finished and uploaded within this month, though the latest trends suggest that this will be very challenging. So please keep me in your thoughts, and for those who pray, your prayers! Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S4E6: Divine Intervention or Natural Events? What the Plagues Meant 40:06

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Send us a text Were the plagues that struck Egypt in Exodus Divine intervention or natural events? This is a question that is raised by those who present natural explanation for these plagues. But, things that follow laws of nature are God speaking, just as things that do not seem to. The real question is: what distinguishes these events in Exodus from just any other things that happen? Because the difference will not be found in whether they are natural or not. And there is a difference in what it meant for God to speak and unfold these plagues, both in what they communicated , and how God was communicating them. For the first nine plagues were primarily about communication , rather than punishment. How these plagues unfolded would have meant something very clear and specific for the ancient Egyptians who experienced them. And God was speaking not only to human beings, but to things in Nature, to unfold these events. For though everything is God speaking, God also speaks to everything. Join me this episode to explore what I mean. Also, thank you for waiting during this long, unplanned hiatus! Your continued support and encouragement really does keep this series going! [Note Jul 1, 2024 : The first section, discussing the Pharaoh's motivation was removed to shorten the episode, since it was largely review of the previous episode. It seems this change isn't being updated though on most apps though, for some reason--the episode should be just 40 minutes long otherwise. ] ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S4E5: Why God hardened Pharaoh's heart and then punished him for it 45:00

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Send us a text One of the more perplexing and disturbing part of the Exodus account is when God hardens Pharaoh's heart so that he does not listen to Moses and let the people of Israel go. But then, God punishes him it by unfolding disasters--the plagues--upon Egypt. But, this seems profoundly unjust! What is the idea that the Bible is presenting about God? That nothing we do matters? However, it turns out that the message is in fact the exact opposite . There is something far more that is going on in this account. How Pharaoh's heart is hardened describes how we relate to reality , or fail to, what leads to that failure, and then locks us in . 3:12 Channels of truth available to the Pharaoh 14:18 What it means for the heart to be "hard" to truth 23:50 What actively "hardening one's heart" does to you 32:00 When God actually hardened Pharaoh's heart 34:20 What is really happening when God hardens the heart ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S4E4: How Moses learns God is speaking with him step-by-step 40:50

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Send us a text God that spoke to Moses is " Yahweh ," unfolding everything around him. But, the question was: will reality unfold what this voice spoke to him? What if things go wrong? What if Moses was deluded, or mistaken, or deceived? How Moses, and people who hear God speak to them, find out whether what they hear is true--whether God really is speaking with them--is actually a step-by-step process. Rarely do we make some heroic leap of faith, at least at the start. We embark on that journey, one step at a time. And sometimes, the first step can be very, very small. But, the question that reality confronts us with--question that God asks--is "What will it take for you to take that step? And will you when that path opens before you? Whether we do or not separates people like Moses and those who aren't. 3:03 God's name points to reality unfolding around us 11:38 Wavering between following or ignoring God’s voice 17:47 What it means for anger of God to burn against you 24:00 The question is, what it make you take the next step? 31:48 Taking the next step when stakes go up ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S4E3: What does the name "YHWH" mean, and why it matters 45:10

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Send us a text Consider what it means for things to have names. Names point to things, and at least to some extent, tells us what they are. But, what could possibly be the name of God ? After all, it would need to "point to" all of reality as a whole. According to the Bible, the name of God spoken to Moses is "I am that I am ," which in turn is presented as the meaning of the Hebrew name of God, " Yahweh. " This passage has fascinated theologians and philosophers, because of the concept of "Being" and "existence" that it presents. However, this meaning presents something more immediate to our lives; it points to our experience of reality that unfolds around us, and invites us to a journey to find out what will unfold in our lives. 3:59 What it means for God to speak from the burning bush 9:47 How Moses can know whether God really spoke to him 16:51 Why "miracles" God shows Moses is only the first step 23:07 What does it even mean to name God? 32:16 It / He Just IS, and what that means 37:30 Name of God calls us to see what reality unfolds ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S4E2: Why Moses heard God from a burning bush 40:05

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Send us a text It is an iconic scene in the Bible: God calls Moses from the burning bush. But, why the burning bush? After all, God can speak through an immeasurable number of things. It is because the bush that does not burn up, and the flame that blazes, yet will not burn itself out, means something to Moses-- and to us --which connects us to how God, speaking all of reality, can speak to human individuals in a powerful and personal way. We'll explore what that is in this episode. (edit: Jan 30, added ~1 minute of content from 26:26, and revised sentences that were too long the final 5 minutes ) 2:21 Moses is “born” twice – his birth narrative 8:28 Moses as a failed “Zorro / Batman” 16:51 Moses’s life before the Burning Bush 24:43 What was the fire, and "The Angel of the LORD" 32:33 What did the burning bush mean? --------------------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S4E1: Who were they before they were "Israel"? 40:33

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Send us a text The fourth Season opens to explore the question of the people of Israel described in Exodus. Who were they? What is the significance of their story, regarding their oppression and slavery? What remnants or echoes, if any, remain of their story in the records and memory of ancient history, and what are their significance? And where are we headed from here? 2:21 Biblical stories as "Myth that has become History" 14:43 Opening of Exodus and the oppression of Israel 19:45 Egypt and the Hyksos, the Shasu, and Israel 27:46 Who were the Hebrews, 'Apiru, and why this matters 35:03 The Slave Bible and Exodus story as timeless truth ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S4 Prologue: They were born in the desert 3:15

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Send us a text Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! To celebrate(?), here is the trailer for Season 4 of "What do you mean, God speaks?" God awaits in the desert The prologue, "They were born in the desert" Music : "Exodus" by Tenacious Orchestra - Licensed from PremiumBeat.com ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S3Post4: What I believe, and the stories we didn't cover 39:00

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Send us a text The final 3rd Season’s post-season episode returns to some issues to wrap up before we move on to Season 4. First, part of this Season wrestled with the question that historians today has raised regarding the historicity of the life-stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their family—as they are recounted in the book of Genesis. But, what do I personally believe regarding the position held by most historians today? Here’s why the answer to that is somewhat complicated (and oddly, why it is related to how I deal with the question of the multiverse raised by some scientists today). Second, we will return to explore two of the stories in Genesis we didn't cover in this Season—the stories of two women: Dinah, and Tamar. Listen to why we did not cover their tales in the main season, and why they are nevertheless quite important. And lastly, check out how the word, “sex,” was said more times in this single episode than the entire series so far put together! 0:00 Why would I leave things out of an episode? 3:09 What I believe about “historicity”… and the multiverse 18:28 Story of Dinah 28:54 Story of Tamar ----------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S3Post3: Vote for a person, not a party (some Biblical reasons why) 30:00

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Send us a text There’s this adage that says, “Don’t talk about religion or politics unless you want to get in trouble.” Well, this series is all about religion, so we might as well go the rest of the way this episode, and talk about politics! Now, politics is not what we usually explore in this series. But, it might be good to listen to me thinking aloud on topics outside my area, especially if these ideas are based on some of the insights and ideas this series has examined in the main episodes. In this case, the importance of the person , the character of the people we select as our leaders, over what they supposedly stand for. Here are some reasons--from the Christian perspective--why you might want to vote for a person even if they hold views or position you disagree with! 0:33 To examine who we are is to examine our relation to reality - God 6:53 Why democracies are vulnerable to ourselves 17:28 My proposal : Vote for a person, not a party ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S3Post2: Renounce racism, but overcome prejudice 37:35

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Send us a text It seems, at least from popular conversations in the News, opinion articles, or the constant postings on SNS, we are labeling more or more things or people as racist. Now, racism does remain a significant problem even in countries and societies that have made significant progress against it, and strands of it do seem to have been woven into the societies and institutions we have inherited. But, I also think that we have been too indiscriminate in labeling things or people simply as "racism" or "racist," with neither nuance or reflection--at least, at the popular level. So, as a post-season extra episode, here's my rough and partial reflections on the issue of racism. To be specific, why I've concluded that we should distinguish two closely related things that are often identified together: prejudice, and racism. ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S3Post1: What do I mean, "Thank you for Listening?" My experiences with this series 39:09

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Send us a text Thank you for listening and following this series! But, what does it mean for me to tell you this? These simple words mean much more than you may know. It has to do with what I've experienced, the fears I've faced and the encouragements I received in doing this series. To a very important extent, it has to do with, like the rest of this series, what God seems to speak and how that moves me to write what you hear. So, thank you for listening to what it means for me to say those words. What that means in the larger journey of this series so far. And stay tuned for the upcoming set of post-season episodes, and then the 4th season trailer. ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_Seungoh website: https://whatdoyoumeangodspeaks.buzzsprout.com/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.…

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S3Finale: Frozen between faith and fear - How our Journey continues 41:30

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