How should a Christian approach imagination?

Imagination isn’t a virtue or a vice, it’s just the standard equipment of all humankind, made in God’s image. We have imagination because God has imagination. But while His imaginations are always good, ours aren’t. Our creativity can do wonderful things and it can also do terrible things.

But the first person filled with the Holy Spirit in the bible was an artist, a craftsman named Bezalel, and the Hebrew makes it clear that his imagination was fired and inspired by the Holy Spirit himself.

I discuss with Kori Frazier Morgan how should we approach something like that?

Kori is an author, disciple, and creative entrepreneur. A graduate of West Virginia University’s Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing, she has been featured in publications such as Shenandoah, SN Review, Blanket Sea, Cantos, and Clayjar Review. She is the author of the novel in short stories The Goodbye-Love Generation and an essay collection, Why I Dyed My Hair Purple & Other Unorthodox Stories, which explores the integral role of the arts in her Christian testimony and is published by Calla Press Publishing. Kori is the founder and Chief Literary Strategist of Inkling Creative Strategies, an author services company that helps writers reach their full creative potential so they can impact and inspire readers. And I can recommend her personally as she’s helped me with a lot of my novels!

This episode digs deeper into “Machashabeth” (מַחֲשָׁבֹ֑ת - meaning ‘artistic work’ or ‘imagination’) in Exodus 31:3-4.

Exodus 31:3-4 - “I have filled him (Bezalel) with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze” (NIV)

Mentioned:

Kori Frazier Morgan’s Site

Why I Dyed My Hair Purple - Kori Frazier Morgan

The Goodbye-Love Generation - Kori Frazier Morgan

Inkling Creative Strategies

Bezalel Media LLC

Wise Blood - Flannery O’Connor

Essay About Books as “Alcohol”

Bandersnatch Books

The Banderpod S5:E6 - S.D. Smith

The Habit S7:E4 - Kori Morgan Dyed Her Hair Purple

Phantastes - George MacDonald

North Wind Manor

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: Bammerhab.

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for podcasting techniques

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew resources

The Greek word Gregoron in Revelation 3:2 means “Watch out!” or “Wake Up!”.

(It’s also where we get the name Gregory.)

This episode is the fifth of seven in a little miniseries about the seven churches that Jesus directly addressed, and Jesus told this church to “Wake up!”

This church is Sardis, but Jesus’ words to them apply to every single Christian in the twenty first century also.

Why did Jesus shout at Sardis to wake up?

To answer that, first we have to know what Sardis was.

Sardis was the ridiculously wealthy and corrupt capital of the Lydian empire. Sardis was the Paris of its day. It had once been the capitol of the legendarily wealthy Lydian empire. Myth told that Midas came to Sardis to be rid of his golden touch and washed in the waters coming from Mount Tmolus and left behind a reside of gold dust. Midas left his golden touch with Sardis, and everything the city touched turned to gold.

Yes, King Midas with the golden touch? Yup, he was Lydian. Remember King Croessus, of the common phrase “Rich as Croessus”? Yup, he was Lydian too.

In fact, Croessus had so much gold lying around that apparently he stamped his face on some of it and invented currency.

Hence, as the birthplace of currency Sardis was the center of finance in the ancient world, so it was not only Paris but the ancient New York Stock Exchange as well.

Yes, Life was good in Sardis and luxuries abounded.

Sardis was wealthy beyond belief and to protect that wealth it was built high up on a ridge with some of the most technologically impressive walls of its era. Every military leader agreed, its walls couldn’t be breached by direct attack.

Or so they thought…

This episode digs deeper into “gregoron” (γρηγορῶν meaning ‘Watch out!’ or ‘Wake up!) in Revelation 3:2.

Revelation 3:2 - “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” (NIV)

‘Vulgarised’ by G.K. Chesterton is public domain from his collection of poetry entitled The Wild Knight and Other Poems published in 1900.

Mentioned:

Battle of Pteria - “A Great Kingdom will fall!”

YouTube video of the Ruins of Sardis’ Walls

The Goddess Cybele

The Man Who Was Thursday - G.K. Chesterton

‘Vulgarised’ by G.K. Chesterton

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality. ”

― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: Bammerhab.

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for podcasting techniques

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew resources

Yatsar is what a potter does to clay. Yatsar is also what God did to us. Yatsar is a cognate for another Hebrew which means to squeeze, to push, to pressure and to be distressed.

This is because the image of formation that yatsar evokes is shaping something like a potter shapes a pot. The potter squishes, squeezes, pushes and pressures the clay. I will bet that the clay if it could talk would say it was feeling a bit distressed!

I discuss this with Sandra Lewis, the missionary who created Grace & Peace Community Ministries in Richmond, Virginia to serve families in Richmond’s inner city, with a special focus on those on Raven Street, a division of Mosby Court. This has always been the most violent, dangerous and poor place in all of Richmond. But Sandra went into the neighborhood to show Christ’s love through service. She currently serves 80-100 households surrounding Raven St. in Mosby Court, a public housing community, helping single mothers, kids and others with education, health services, work training, spiritual training and basic needs. Antsy kids love to create stuff with their hands, so Sandra is continually creating art projects and opportunities for them. Yatsar was on her mind because she’s just recently started up a new pottery opportunity for the kids, which came from her study of Diana Glyer’s recent book all about pottery, entitled Clay in the Potter’s Hands.

So Sandra’s mind is on pottery and yatsar And that’s where we will start our conversation with her!

This episode digs deeper into “yatsar” (יָצָֽר - meaning ‘formed’) in Genesis 2:8.

Genesis 2:8 - “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.” (NIV)

Mentioned:

Grace & Peace Community Ministries

Grace & Peace Community Ministries Facebook

Clay in the Potter’s Hands - Diana Glyer

The Problem of Pain - C.S. Lewis

The Circle Maker - Mark Batterson

Area 10 Church - Richmond, VA

National Community Church - Washington, DC

Tyler Staton

Can Can Brasserie

Psalm 63

The Market at 25th

A Call to Mercy - Mother Teresa

Banff & Lake Louise

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: Bammerhab.

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for podcasting techniques

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew resources

This episode is the midpoint of the miniseries about the seven churches that Jesus directly addressed. And this one gets heavy, and it is longest letter, the heaviest letter to a tiny little church that wasn’t in a major city at all. It was in the middle of the seven, in the middle of a path to two greater cities, and perhaps even in the… Middle Ages? But that’s a bit cryptic so we’ll get to that in a bit…

First, did you know that in addition to being a king, a priest, a healer, a preacher and a warrior, Jesus was a prophet? It’s true. Jesus gave many specific prophecies during his three years of ministry, and he didn’t stop there. When he visited John, he arrived with a burden of prophecy for each of the churches. In fact, he even called it a burden, a translation of the same term that most of the Old Testament prophets used for their heavier prophecies of judgment. In Isaiah 13:1, Nahum 1:1, Habakkuk 1:1, Malachi 1:1, Ezekiel 12:10, among other places, these prophets started out their heavier prophecies by explicitly calling them a burden of the word of the Lord. The Hebrew term for burden was מַשָּׂא and it meant a heavy thing you carry, you know a burden — but the metaphor of judgment was clear. The prophet is carrying a heavy thing that is an event in the future that is rolling your way as surely as a boulder rolling down a hill.

This episode digs deeper into “baros” (βάρος meaning ‘burden’) in Revelation 2:24.

Revelation 2:24 - “Now I [Jesus] say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you.” (NIV)

A big thank you to Rebecca J Gomez for the use of her poem entitled “Coming Spring” at the end of this episode!

Check out her substack entitled: Snippets and Sketches

Also check out her Middle Grade novel in verse: Mari in the Margins

Mentioned:

Rebecca J. Gomez’ Substack “Snippets & Sketches”

Ancient Purple Dye

Elijah vs. the Prophets of Ba’al

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: Bammerhab.

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for podcasting techniques

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew resources

Henry Smith wrote the song “Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart” in 1978. But he only sang it at his local church in Williamsburg, Virginia with his wife Cindy.

So, understandably, they were both utterly stunned when they later heard their song years later as a chart topping hit. The hymn had gone viral without them knowing how. Still to this day, it’s not quite clear how the song travelled and who carried it where. But what’s indisputable is that the song resonated with the entire church around the world and it has been translated into many languages and encouraged Christians around the globe. The song had been credited to “Author Unknown” until Henry contacted the recording studio, Integrity Music, and let them know he wrote it. They were thrilled, as they’d been searching for the song’s origin for a while.

Henry and Cindy discuss all this on the episode and we also chat about how Henry attended seminary where he studied Greek and Hebrew. Therefore, he was excited to discuss Romans 8:17 with me and we focused in on the Greek word klēronomoi (κληρονόμοι) which means “heirs.”

And stay tuned to the end where Henry has kindly allowed Bammerhab to premiere a portion of one of his newest songs!

This episode digs deeper into that word “klēronomoi (κληρονόμοι - meaning ‘heirs’) in Romans 8:17.

Romans 8:17 - “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (NIV)

Mentioned:

History of Henry Smith’s “Give Thanks”

Wikipedia Entry for “Give Thanks”

Dave Dravecky’s Site

Wikipedia Entry for Dave Dravecky

Fathered by God - John Eldredge

Experiencing God - Henry Blackaby

Global Media Outreach

Union Presbyterian Seminary - Richmond, VA

Hurricane Helene

Francis Asbury

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: bammerhab.

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for podcasting techniques

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew resources

Jesus told the ancient church at Pergamum that they were living right next to Satan’s throne. Then Jesus said he had a sword ready for battle… but maybe not quite in the way you’d expect!

This episode continues the miniseries about the seven churches that Jesus directly addressed. Remember, these words to the seven churches are important because this is the biggest chunk of direct speech that Jesus directs to his church anywhere in the scripture.

To the third church at Pergamum, Jesus saw things that they didn’t. They knew they were in a dark city, but they didn’t realize how dark. Jesus says somehow Satan was partially headquarted in Pergamum for a time. That’s pretty dark!

And yet Jesus praises this church for their brave stand against all the forces of darkness in their city.

However, the greatest threat to the church is within. A group of fifth-columnists who are intentionally infiltrating the church. Jesus speaks directly to these fakers, and he gives them one last chance to repent.

And it’s no more Mr. Nice Guy. Jesus is literally wielding a sword here, and it’s not a little sword either. It’s a barbarian broadsword called a rhomphaia.

This episode digs deeper into “thronos” and “rhomphaia” (θρόνος meaning ‘throne’ and ῥομφαίᾳ meaning ‘sword’) in Revelation 2:13 & 2:16.

Revelation 2:13 - “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name.” (NIV)

Revelation 2:16 - “Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” (NIV)

A big thank you to Rebecca J Gomez for the use of her poem entitled “Cairns” at the end of this episode!

Check out her substack entitled: Snippets and Sketches

Also check out her Middle Grade novel in verse: Mari in the Margins

Mentioned:

Rebecca J. Gomez’ Substack “Snippets & Sketches”

Etymology of Parchment

Pergamum Altar to Zeus in Berlin

“Fifth Columnist” meaning

Bammerhab Episode 10 - Judas’ Heel

Princess’ Bride - “You fell victim to one of the classic blunders!”

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: Bammerhab.

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for podcasting techniques

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew resources

Jared Luttjeboer, is the creator of The Church History Project which is a deep dive into church history but with a unique “epic cinematic” feel where Jared explains to us all about the past through making it into the epic story that it really was. So as a church history nerd and past filmmaker, of course Jared and I talk all about that!

In addition, Jared chose Malachi 3:6, and we begin our chat focused in on the Hebrew phrase lo saniti (לֹ֣א שָׁנִ֑יתִי) which means “I do not change.” And in that root word there’s the concept of doubling as the connotation of the verb to change. So basically, God is saying about himself that he doesn’t double-deal, or double talk.

So why is this so important?

This episode digs deeper into “lo saniti” (לֹ֣א שָׁנִ֑יתִי - meaning ‘I do not change’) in Malachi 3:6.

Malachi 3:6 - “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” (NIV)

Mentioned:

Jared Luttjeboer’s “The Church History Project” Podcast

Jared Luttjeboer’s “The Church History Project” Substack

Bammerhab Episode 25 - Double-Minded - Dipsychos (δίψυχος)

2000 Years of Christ’s Power - Dr. Nick Needham

The Epistle to Diognetus

Mid-America Reformed Seminary

Athanasius

John Chrysostom

A Great Awakening Trailer

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: bammerhab.

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for podcasting techniques

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew resources

Jesus promised the ancient church at Smyrna both persecution and peace. He promised the same thing to all believers, actually… But how does that work?

This episode continues the miniseries about the seven churches that Jesus directly addressed. Remember, these words to the seven churches are important because this is the biggest chunk of direct speech that Jesus directs to his church anywhere in the scripture.

A big thank you to Sarah Dixon Young for the use of her poem entitled “Contours” at the end of this episode!

Check out her substack entitled: Love Much

To the second church at Smyrna, Jesus promised thlipsis. Thlipsis comes from a root word meaning narrow, crowded, pressured or squished. Remember that part in the gospels where there was a giant crowd threatening to push, shove and crush Jesus as they clambered around him? The same root word is used there.

Thlipsis is the precise opposite meaning of the Hebrew word Bammerhab, for which this podcast is named. Remember, Bammerhab means a going into broad, wide open place.

On the contrary, Jesus warns the second church of Revelation, a small faithful church in Smyrna, that they’re about to go into a narrow, squished pressure-cooker of persecution.

So what did they do?

This episode digs deeper into “thlipsin” (θλῖψιν - meaning ‘persecution’) in Revelation 2:9.

Revelation 2:9 - “I know your persecutions and your poverty—yet you are rich!” (NIV)

Mentioned:

Sarah Dixon Young’s Substack “Love Much”

Bammerhab - Episode 34 about the “Feast of Trumpets”

Bammerhab - Episode 36 about the “Yom Kippur”

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for advanced audio techniques: sound.allamhouse.com

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew hypertext links

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: bammerhab.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:18 describes the church as a body with lots of different parts. These parts are not supposed to be the same, as Paul makes clear using an extended joke. Can a foot see? Can a hand hear? Can an eye smell? Well, duh, obviously not.

The same thing goes for the body of Christ. We’re a part of the body if we’re connected vitally to the head, and the head is Christ. That’s what makes us a part of the body, not us looking the same.

No one makes this point better than Keith Foskey, with his amazing viral videos gently teasing stereotypes of all the denominations doing their thing.

This episode digs deeper into “melos” (μέλος - meaning ‘parts’) in 1 Corinthians 12:18.

1 Corinthians 12:18 - “But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” (NIV)

Mentioned:

PREORDER: A Biblically Functioning Church by Keith Foskey

Keith Foskey’s Site: www.keithfoskey.com

Keith Foskey’s Substack: yourcalvinist.substack.com

Conversations with Calvinist - YouTube

Church Soup - Keith Foskey

(My Personal Favorite Denominations video)

Also Mentioned:

Assyrian Christian “Church of the East”

Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

One Crazy Summer (1986) - Demi Moore, John Cusack

“The Monster God Debate” - Michael Brown v. Brian Zahnd

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for advanced audio techniques: sound.allamhouse.com

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew hypertext links

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: bammerhab.

Season five has finally arrived!

This episode also kickstarts a miniseries within season five about the seven churches of Revelation. Jesus said a lot to his disciples during his ministry, and they recorded some of it in the gospels.

But, technically speaking, Jesus was very clear that he was first sent to the lost sheep of Israel, and so his ministry was primarily focused on that mission. Yes, Jesus’ first mission was to Israel, and only afterward did he form the church. Ever since, Jesus has spoken indirectly to his church through prophets, pastors, evangelists and others, but Revelation 2 and 3 are the biggest chunk of Jesus’ direct speech to the church in all of the New Testament.

That makes those two chapters pretty important! So I’m going to dedicate seven episodes over this season to focus on each of those seven churches that Jesus dedicated so much of his focus on. That way, we can all better understand what Jesus said directly to those churches, and by extension to all of us in his church today!

The first church is Ephesus.

This episode digs deeper into “Epheso” (Ἐφέσῳ meaning ‘Ephesus’) in Revelation 2:1.

Revelation 2:1-7 - “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (NIV)

Mentioned:

Bammerhab - Episode 24 about the “lampstands”

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for advanced audio techniques: sound.allamhouse.com

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew hypertext links

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: bammerhab.