Greetings, Fellow Saints. Welcome to another two episodes of the Hebrews Series, recorded in Windber, PA, in 2013 at the home of Clyde Pilkington, where I lived for over a year.

Show 16 is about how the Word of God is "living and operative, and keen above any two-edged sword, and penetrating up to the parting of soul and spirit" (Hebrews 4:12).

If there's one thing Christians can't do (there's a hundred-and-fifteen things they can't do, but let's focus on this one thing), it's separate soul from spirit. The soul is the emotions and feelings, the spirit illumines the Word of God. Christians focus on emotions and feelings, and they think this is spiritual. They miss actual spiritual revelations completely. Emotions and feelings were very much in vogue when I was in the Catholic Church. (And of course nothing has changed there.)

The so-called Liturgy was all about sights, sounds, and smells. I talk in this audio about how I thought the scent of Old Spice indicated the presence of God because that's the aftershave used by our freaking priest.

To begin Show 17, I share some of the details of my idyllic childhood. Not sure why I do this, but it's quite entertaining; you'll like it.

Here is some advice to Hebrews, paraphrased, as offered by Paul: “If your faith lives by sings and miracles, your faith dies by the disappearance of signs and miracles." The signs and miracles of Pentecost disappeared. Paul warned them that they couldn't lay down the foundation of signs and miracles again. So they were going to have to dig up some faith.

Interesting that those who call themselves "Pentecostals" today learn nothing from the book of Hebrews. They should learn EVERYTHING from there, and stop relying on miracles. The miracles aren't here anymore. So what do they do? They invent them.

Thank the Lord that our faith begins and ends with NO signs and NO miracles, just the raw Word and the promises of God. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

Thanks to those of you who have contributed financially to this work. It is the reason I can keep going. Plus, you know what a weary soldier I am. I sometimes wonder how long I'll be able to keep it up. But God gives me so much life and encouragement through you. I can't thank you enough for this. And I thank God FOR you.

Yours because of grace,

---Martin