Brian Zahnd is a full time pastor, author, and would be mountaineer. He is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, a non-denominational Christian congregation in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Brian is also the author of several books, including, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Water to Wine, A Farewell To Mars, Beauty Will Save the World, and Unconditional?: The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness and most recently, Postcards From Babylon.
Jesus is what God has to Say
God is like Jesus. Of course to many of you this seems obvious, but this isn’t something I grew up with. In my mind, Jesus was different and separate from the Father.
God seemed like an impossible to please Monster that Jesus came to broker a deal with on behalf of humanity. The idea is that Jesus came to change God’s mind about us – that Jesus came to pay off this angry God with the blood sacrifice that this God of wrath demanded. This was the profound lie I absorbed by osmosis growing up in the Western Christian church. In fact this heresy has a name: Penal Substitution Atonement Theory.
This will be the primary subject of the next installment of this conversation so subscribe and stay tuned!
Brian Zahnd Interview Show Notes:
3:00 Brian Zahnd discussing his latest book postcards from Babylon.
4:30 Discussing Farewell to Mars and Obama
8:14 Open Table Conference & Water to Wine Conference.
10:30 Brian Zahnd and I discuss Brad Jersak’s book “A More Christlike God” which Brian wrote the forward to. For my Interview with Brad Jersak check out: Brad Jersak, A More Christlike God.
11:55 “Jesus is what God has to say. God is Like Jesus, God has always been like Jesus. God has never not been like Jesus.”
13:20 Hell (actually Gehena) and what Jesus meant by it.
19:20 Restorative Judgement and Justice and properly understanding the Wrath of God.
28:00 God is Love in whom we live and move and have our being.
30:52 The Narrow Way that leads to life – love your enemy.
Please subscribe to the Sozo Talk Radio Youtube Channel to make sure you don’t miss these exciting groundbreaking interviews and future installments of this conversation with Brian Zahnd.
Lisa Perna possesses that kind of childlike spirit and deep relationship with Jesus that I am growing toward so help me God. She has that infectious wonder and joy in the person of Jesus. In this interview Lisa shares how she encountered Jesus face to face and even danced with him!
Dancing With Jesus
After hearing about her dancing with Jesus and what Jesus told her I began to pray, “Jesus I want to dance with you.” This became a metaphor for finding that flow in partnering with Jesus and enjoying abundant life in His Presence. But we must let him take the lead in this Divine dance!
“Now repent (change your mind) of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.” – Acts 3:19-21 NLT
We were created to enjoy an intimate relationship with our Loving heavenly Papa and our Creator Jesus Christ. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, Holy Spirit informs us that we were created by Jesus and for Jesus. Like the prodigal son of Jesus story we too need to return home and when we do, we will find the Everlasting Father (Jesus himself according to Isaiah 9) running out to meet us and scooping us into his arms and twirling us about.
Growing More Childlike
Isn’t it interesting that growing as a follower of Christ means getting more childlike? I remember hearing Wm Paul Young share this quote by G. K. Chesterson:
“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. Could it be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” ― G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
Enjoy the interview! Be looking for my upcoming book, The Christian Mystic – Encounters With Jesus and His Love. This book will feature many stories of people I have interviewed (including Lisa Perna) who have had amazing life altering encounters with Jesus and His Love!
Lisa conducts Daddy’s Girl conferences near Seaside New Jersey! If you live in the area, connect with her to stay informed: https://www.facebook.com/tbptalkshow
Lisa has many interviews worth watching including one with Wm Paul Young. She is the reason I pursued an interview with him myself. See next Episode!
Enjoy this interview/convo I have with Aaron Peterson about prophecy and the current Awakening that is exploding in this world. People are waking up to who Jesus really is and our brilliant new identity in him!
Aaron is the author of The Seer Anointing and one of the pastors at Elevation Church in Green Bay, WI. The Seer Anointing is an amazing book and Aaron and I plan to do another interview just about this book in the near future. (Which you can now listen to here!)
As Aaron says, “Prophecy isn’t all the hooky spooky, heebie jeebie stuff you might be thinking. It’s a relationship with God that’s more than a monologue.” Prophecy is first about realizing that you already hear God better than you think. How do we then honor His voice better? How do we tune into his voice and enjoy this relationship with God like never before? Prophecy is about hearing the loving heartbeat and thoughts that God has for you and for others. It’s all about encountering and truly knowing God as a dear friend.
“But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.” – 1 Corinthians 14:2
“For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” NASB
“For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.” NLT – Revelation 19:10
I am really excited about what God is doing in his family in this Great Awakening we are in! Elevation Church Green Bay seems to be a hotspot for this Awakening.
Other Questions I ask Aaron:
Why are you a Christ follower?
What does Jesus mean to you?
What is one of your most wonderful encounters with Jesus you have had? (Aaron shares a really deep encounter he had with Jesus and his grandfather.)
Dealing with harassment from the enemy and SPIRITUAL WARFARE!
Is what we often call stress or anxiety actually an attack from the enemy?
How would you define sin and how does this interfere in our relationship or fellowship with God?
What is our identity in Christ.
Remaining Humble
What about confessing our faults to each other as a way of being humble? The Bible even says that Elijah was a man just like us. How do we stay small in our own eyes instead of getting an entitled mentality? How do we remain a humble servant like Jesus modeled?
Do you believe that no one is more special or important than another?
But instead of taking anyone else down a notch, doesn’t this mean that we honor one another?
Creating a culture of honor.
THE GREAT AWAKENING!
Are we in one now? Or at the beginnings of one?
From glory to ever-increasing glory in this relationship with God!
Let’s talk about the heresy of Cessationism.
“Jesus died on the cross to give us a great inheritance as the children of God.” – Aaron
What is that inheritance? How do we partner with and align ourselves with Holy Spirit to make sure people are getting the full inheritance that he died to give us?
Encountering God
How important is it to encounter God for ourselves?
Many have linked these real encounters with God with the word mystic… do you think that is a fair assessment or use of the word?
mys·tic
ˈmistik/
noun
1. 1. a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.
The Greek word mysterion was used by Paul a great deal about our understanding of Christ. It seems it was one of his favorite words.
Our Mystic Journey with Christ
“If the things going on in the church aren’t going to freak people out, what are we doing? What are we gathering for? To encounter God? Are you willing to accept the risks with that? Are you Okay with the consequences of a real encounter with God?” – Aaron
SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS 2018
When and Where is this happening?
Why do you call it this?
Who is this conference for?
Do you have to be a prophet to come?
What does prophecy mean?
I think there are many who fear that people might be using “prophecy” in a way that is harmful, to perhaps manipulate others, as an ego trip of the prophet himself, or giving words that conflict with the revealed word of God.
What do you say to those who say that the role of prophet is not for today? That we have the complete finished Word of God so there is no need for prophets?
Finally, we talk about experiencing the Joy of the Lord – one of the three pillars of the essence Kingdom of God – “…Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
This podcast contains the Near Death Experience testimony of Howard Storm and answers to some very deep questions!
Youtube video of this interview:
When I heard Howard Storm’s Near Death Experience for the first time, it changed the course of my life forever and God used it to bring healing to my heart. I remember telling my wife Catherine his story and just weeping. Why my reaction? Because his story is fairly similar to my own. We both experienced hell and Jesus came to our rescue. Please take the time to listen to this interview. You won’t be sorry that you did.
Howard’s Story:
At the age of 38 Howard died of a ruptured stomach complications and was escorted by familiar spirits into darkness. By his own admission, he had failed at life and was “flushed down the toilet bowl of the universe” as he puts it. Basically, he went to hell and was tortured by evil spirits – who he says were human souls just like him.
In his despair and desperation, and after a great deal of abuse, Howard called out, “Jesus, Save Me!” I was so moved when Howard describes how a pin prick of light appeared in the sky. The light grew more and more glorious as Jesus Himself rushed down to save him.
Jesus picked him up in his arms and healed him and then they flew out of that place at great speed.
He was then given an audience with Jesus and the angels. He was encouraged to ask whatever he wanted and Jesus and the angels taught him for some time before he was sent back with the message and plan to save the world from Jesus:
“Love the Person that you are with”
My Own Story:
I could relate to Howard’s story on so many levels.
I remember well that glorious moment late in 2006 when the spark of hope lit in my heart. The glorious Light of Jesus has been growing ever since!
Here is a video of me talking about Howard Storms testimony and how it related to my own story:
Jesus saved me from a very dark and utterly hopeless place. The stark terror, the despair, and deep depression I had experienced I would not wish upon anyone! This is why Howard and I want to help those going through hell right now.
There was even times along this journey that I thought exactly what Howard thought, that Jesus made a mistake and that I don’t belong.
Jesus has personally assured me, “You’re going to be with me forever!”
