Rise Up! with John Kowalski

John Kowalski
  • 5.0 (3)
  • RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY

"Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) Are you living these Biblical instructions or are you modifying the Bible to fit your life?

  1. The Kingdom in the Midst of You!

    11/28/2022

    The Kingdom in the Midst of You!

    We spend so much time and effort (and rage) defending the nation. Do we ever expend such energy and passion in defending or promoting the Kingdom of God? What does that say about our faith? I know I am consistently disappointed with the balance between nation and kingdom in my life. I thought, maybe we just don't understand the Kingdom. So, in this episode I look to the Bible to answer some big questions. What is the Kingdom of God? How do we gain citizenship to this Kingdom? Once we are citizens, what is expected of us? When will all of this happen? After dealing with all of that I debunk some secular claims about citizens of the Kingdom, or maybe I agree with them...to a point. I take their shallow accusations that we are intolerant, judgmental and exclusive and I go deeper to find the truth in them.  References     The Bible (Various versions)

    40 min
  2. What is Holding You Back?

    10/28/2022

    What is Holding You Back?

    We all have things in common and things that make us different. One thing we all share, despite our denial, is a sin nature. We don't have to be taught to be mean, selfish, manipulative, or prideful. We do however need to be taught, and re-taught to be kind, generous, giving and selfless. It is not our natural state. Humanity hasn't changed in the entirety of history. From creation to grave we remain lost but aimless, curious but never satisfied. The world however, changes constantly, bending to the wills of loudest, the most prideful, rarely the kindest. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Christianity has changed too. The Reformation, the Enlightenment, Fundamentalism, the Social Gospel, Revival, Purity Culture, the Prosperity Gospel, Progressive Christianity, Christian Nationalism and so many more beliefs have had their say and taken their toll on Christians and non-Christians alike. This episode I ask, how can Christianity continue to be relevant in a world and culture that keeps changing? The answer I come up with may surprise you. References Craig, William Lane; “YouTube Apologists React!”; Reasonable Faith Podcast Reasonable Faith Podcast - YouTube Apologists React! (google.com) Reasonable Faith Podcast - Jordan Peterson's Message to the Christian Church (google.com) Donnelly, Marisa; “9 Things That Are Holding You Back From A Deeper Relationship With God” Thought Catalog; https://thoughtcatalog.com/marisa-donnelly/2017/11/9-things-that-are-holding-you-back-from-a-deeper-relationship-with-god/ Sproul, RC; “God’s Law is a Mirror” Ultimately Podcast Ultimately with R.C. Sproul - God’s Law as a Mirror (google.com)

    37 min
  3. Are You on the Right Road?

    10/07/2022

    Are You on the Right Road?

    The day-to-day life of a follower of Christ is not easy in today's world. We are mocked for our belief in one true God and His word, the Bible. We are persecuted for choosing to live by his standards in defiance of the world's religion of self. We are vilified for the sins of our brethren of the past but given no credit for the great societal accomplishments of other Christians. Jesus said that to find the Father we would have to take the narrow gate which few would choose. Did we really think there would be no opposition? As the world chooses the wide gate to destruction it demands that we abandon our faith and follow them promising us peace and tolerance and success along the way. The truth is that everything this world has to offer is temporal, ending when we shuffle off this mortal coil. What Jesus offers us, through his sacrifice on the cross, is eternal. All we have to do is repent and accept him. Once we do that, we have chosen the narrow gate but that is not the end of the story. Once through the narrow gate there is a fork in the road. This 2nd Anniversary, 50th Episode of Rise Up! discusses getting through the narrow gate and the difference between the two paths to the judgment seat.    References Stoppe, Rhonda, “The Meaning and Purpose of the Romans Road to Salvation;” Crosswalk.com;   https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/what-is-the-romans-road-to-salvation-bible-verses-and-meaning.html "Eight Reasons Why Rome Fell" A&E Entertainment. 8 Reasons Why Rome Fell (exploros.com)

    29 min

  4. 09/26/2022

    Detachment: The Difference Between Victory and Temptation

    Life is full of temptations. The ones we give in to become strongholds that grow and separate us from our relationship with God. Detachment form the things that cause those temptations to grow can be healthy and necessary in our lives. We can install guard rails in our lives that protect us when we are weak, tied, or distracted, but it takes effort and discipline. In this episode I discuss the cost of such an effort as well as the benefit to our daily lives. REFERENCES Ahlberg Calhoun, Adele; Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised and expanded. (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2015), 105–108. Boyd, Jordan, “Joe Scarborough: Jesus Never Said Anything About Killing Children.” The Federalist; https://thefederalist.com/2022/09/09/joe-scarborough-jesus-never-said-anything-about-killing-children/ Landen, Xander, “Podcast Group Slammed Over Apology for Ben Shapiro’s Appearance” Newsweek.com; https://www.newsweek.com/podcast-group-slammed-over-apology-ben-shapiro-presence-1737134 Valloton, Kris, “8 Things to do When Spiritual Warfare Gets Real” krisvalloton.com https://www.krisvallotton.com/8-things-spiritual-warfare-gets-real

    57 min

  5. 08/29/2022

    No Justice, No Peace!

    It is one of the many fun and happy sounding slogans that the world uses to demand that we consider horrific acts acceptable. To them "No Justice, No Peace" means that they won't stop screaming, burning, rioting, and threatening until they get their way. For followers of Christ "No Justice, No Peace" means that we will never find peace and rest in our lives until we accept God's objective justice. In this episode I delve into what justice is, what it is not, and what it should be according to the Bible. I also premier a new segment called "Awake, But Not Woke" in which I will expose the unscientific, unbalanced, senseless claims and policies of elites, leaders, and politicians. Their "rules for thee, but not for me" attitudes show their true goal, control without recourse.  REFERENCES Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised and expanded. (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2015), 218–220. Bonchie, “Monkeypox Declared a Global Emergency in the Most Corrupt Way Imaginable” Red State. https://redstate.com/bonchie/2022/07/23/monkeypox-declared-a-global-emergency-in-the-most-corrupt-way-imaginable-n600360 Hannity Staff, “Jill Came Tumbling After: FLOTUS Hits Lowest Approval Since Biden Took Office” https://hannity.com/media-room/jill-came-tumbling-after-flotus-hits-lowest-approval-since-biden-took-office/ International Justice Mission https://www.ijm.org/ Jose, Andrew; “Big Democrat and Republican Names Join Together, Form Third Political Party” The Western Journal; https://www.westernjournal.com/big-democrat-republican-names-join-together-form-third-political-party/ Noyes, Penny, “10 Roles of the Holy Spirit in the Life of Christians,” Christianity.com https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holy-spirit/10-roles-of-the-holy-spirit-in-christian-life.html Unnamed Author, “World Report 2022” Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/united-states Walensky, Rochelle P. “Racism is a Serious Threat to the Public’s Health” https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/racism-disparities/index.html

    1h 26m

  6. 07/25/2022

    Roe is dead, Let the TBRI Begin

    The 50 year walk through the valley of the shadow of death is over, but not before it cost us over 63 million lives. Lives that could have resulted in political change, scientific innovation, or spiritual leadership gone because they were inconvenient to the people who created them. Despite political rhetoric and angry vitriol, abortion was never a right outlined or even intended by the Constitution. The 1973 Supreme Court created legislation through activist jurisprudence. The 2022 Supreme Court corrected the gross overreach of their predecessors putting the decision back into the hands of the states. That battle will continue on the battleground of the voting booths in each state. This podcast is focused on what we Pro-Life Christians and Non-Christians should be doing now. Our mandate since the first century has been to care for the "least of these." Whether ours or someone else's, we have a responsibility to help where we can. Learning how to parent through trauma is a good start.  REFERENCES Alia E. Dastagir, “Rape and incest account for hardly any abortions. So why are they now a focus?” USA Today. May 24, 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/24/rape-and-incest-account-few-abortions-so-why-all-attention/1211175001/ Fleming, Jenna, “TBRI Empowering Principles”, Child & Family Counseling http://www.jennaflemingcounseling.com/blog-post/tbri-empowering-principles/#:~:text=Empowering%20principles%20is%20a%20term,important%20skills%20like%20self%2Dregulation. Fleming, Jenna, “TBRI Connecting Principles”, Child & Family Counseling http://www.jennaflemingcounseling.com/blog-post/tbri-connecting-principles/ NCTSN Parents and Caregivers Website https://www.nctsn.org/audiences/families-and-caregivers Purvis, K. B., Cross, D. R., & Sunshine, W. L. The Connected Child: Bringing hope and healing to your adoptive family. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 2007. Purvis, Dr. Karyn, Trust Based Relational Intervention, TCU College of Science and Engineering, https://child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/#sthash.aGLhe8oS.dpbs Secretariat of Pro Life Activities “Abortion is not Health Care” https://www.usccb.org/resources/Abortion%20is%20Not%20Healthcare%20final.pdf

    59 min

  7. 07/08/2022

    EXAMENing Your Consciousness?

    After all of the turmoil of my last podcast "What is a Woman (in the Eyes of God)?" I needed a mental and spiritual reset. I didn't expect a method for doing just that to come from a 16th century Spanish Catholic. Ignatius of Loyola outlined a simple prayer process to connect with God throughout the day. If you are struggling to find sense in the modern world the Examen can help you to connect with God and seek intervention through prayer. If your goal is to grow spiritually, seek truth, and spread the Gospel you will need this type of connection with God to keep you mentally, physically, and spiritually strong.  John 10:10 exposes Satan's plan, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy."  Psalm 56:2 warns of the many who will serve the enemy, "My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me." Psalm 119:157 encourages us to be steadfast, "Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, Yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies." Deuteronomy 20:1 reminds us why we have nothing to fear, “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you." Join me as I delve into Ignatius's Examen. RESOURCES ON EXAMEN The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily Life by Kevin O’Brien Journey with Jesus: Discovering the Exercises of Saint Ignatius by Larry Warner Sleeping with Bread by Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn and Matthew Linn REFERENCES ON EXAMEN Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised and expanded. (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2015), 58–61.

    38 min

  8. 06/24/2022

    What is a Woman (in the eyes of God)?

    Today's society, culture itself, claims that they can't define what it means to be a woman. Yet, they encourage kids to deny their gender, identify as the other gender (or some infinite number of "gender identities"), or transition to the opposite gender entirely. This is not tolerant, inclusive or selfless. It is horrifying that society would encourage you to do permanent damage to your bodies just because your interests and desires don't align with their long-held gender roles. The same people who claim God is a misogynist, and Christians are bigots can't accept that a boy may play with dolls, or a girl might not. True followers of Christ should accept the sinner and reject the sin, even while the world attacks everyone with values other than their own. Sisters in Christ, Who does God say you are? In this podcast the Bible answers that question! REFERENCES Feminism, Encyclopedia Brittanica feminism - The suffrage movement | Britannica Arcade; “The Fourth and Fifth Waves” The Fourth and Fifth Waves | Literature, the Humanities, & the World (stanford.edu) Congress.gov “Equality Act (H.R. 5)” Text - H.R.5 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Equality Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress Florida CS/CS/HB 1557: Parental Rights in Education https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1557 Mary, “12 Characteristics of a Godly Woman (how to become a TRUE woman of God!)”  Health Christian Home 12 Characteristics of a Godly Woman (how to be a TRUE woman of God!) (healthychristianhome.com) Meads, Tim, “Congrats Man! Five Biological Men Who Won Women-Only Contests,” The Daily Wire, Congrats, Man! Five Biological Dudes Who Won Women-Only Contests | The Daily Wire Walsh, Matt; “What is a Woman?” The Daily Wire. Watch | The Daily Wire, or Subscribe Today Two | The Daily Wire

    1h 2m
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"Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) Are you living these Biblical instructions or are you modifying the Bible to fit your life?

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