Welcome to episode 8 of Season 2 of The ARC Logos Podcast! 🎉
🎙On this episode we have a special guest, Andrew Young who is also my other half. He shares his journey as a musician, talks about faith and talks about how he navigated challenges with immigration in the UK. .
Hit that play button, stay tuned, and let’s get talking.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more great episodes!
Featuring our special guest Andrew Christopher Young and hosts Anneta Pinto-Young, Rose Tebere and Cherelle Wilson-Morrison AFHEA MA BSc.
“Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys” (Genesis 30:43).
In Genesis 30, we read about Jacob’s agreement with Laban who was his uncle. He had come to live with Laban, when he ran away from his brother Esau after he stole his birthright. Jacob loved Laban’s daughter Rachel and agreed to work for him for seven years, so you could have her hand in marriage. Laban tricked Jacob by disguising Leah the older sister and giving her into marriage to Jacob as her face was covered with a veil. Jacob ended up working another seven years in order to gain Rachel‘s hand in marriage. Labon was also deceptive and often changed Jacob’s wages several times in order to take advantage of him. After the birth of Joseph, Jacob requested of Laban that he send him away to his own country. Laban begged Jacob to stay with him and admitted that he realised that God had blessed him because of his presence. Laban also promised to pay Jacob whatever wage he requested of him.
Jacob’s response to Laban was that he had served him and caused his livestock to increase significantly. His concern was that he did not have much which he could consider an inheritance for his own family. His request to Laban was to allow him to continue to care for his livestock and to take all those that were speckled and spotted as his wages. Jacob went through the livestock and removed all the animals that were speckled, spotted. Their agreement was that as the livestock produced more offspring, that Jacob would continue to keep those that were speckled and spotted. Jacob separated his livestock from Laban’s as he continued to care for them. He developed a strategy to increase his livestock and to get the animals to produce more speckled and spotted flock. He took rods of green chestnut and almond trees and exposed the white in the rods. He placed the peeled rods in the gutters where the flock came to drink water, so that they conceived when they came to drink. “So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted” (Genesis 30:39).
Jacob continued to put the rods in front of the stronger livestock, in order for them to produce speckled and spotted animals for him. As a result of this, he became very wealthy and increased in livestock and also in male and female servants. Laban’s sons became angry at Jacobs increased wealth and murmured that he had taken all that belonged to their father. Jacob also realised that his father-in-law was no longer happy with him and he no longer had favour with him. God instructed him to return to his own country and promised to be with him. Jacob sent a message to his wives to ask them to prepare to leave with him, because their father was no longer happy with him. He lamented about his years of service to their father and all the times that he had cheated him. He admitted that God had caused him to increase and allowed the cattle to produce, more speckled and spotted animals in order to promote him. Jacob spoke about the vision that he had, where an angel spoke to him about the speckled and spotted animals. He knew that it was the Lord who allowed him to have increase, because Laban would have continued to cheat him.
Jacob left his father-in-law’s house wealthy, as the Lord looked out for him and ensured that he had success. The strategy which he received to request all the speckled and spotted animals from his father-in-law was divine intelligence. His vision where an angel showed him to request all of the speckled and spotted the animals was his strategy for success. The wisdom of man is truly foolishness to God and confounds the wisdom of prudent (1 Corinthians 1:27). There are things that God will reveal to his children, that will not be revealed to the world. Staying connected to God, studying his word, praying and listening to his voice can give us strategies that will help us to outperform the world. We all encounter managers and leaders who can be crafty and deceptive. God always looks out for his children and just like Jacob, he will give us strategies to gain the advantage over them. We must not rely on our own strength nor should we try to match people who are crafty and underhanded. Trust God to cover you, to keep you and to give you what you deserve.
“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant” (Isaiah 61:8).
Welcome to episode 6 of Season 2 of The ARC Logos Podcast! 🎉
🎙On this episode we have a special guest, Grace unpacks her journey into leadership as a black women of faith and explores how she made and maintained authority and balanced this with grace and strength.
Hit that play button, stay tuned, and let’s get talking.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more great episodes!
Featuring our special guest Grace and hosts Anneta Pinto-Young, Rose Tebere and Cherelle Wilson-Morrison AFHEA MA BSc.
“Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them” (Acts 9:39).
In Acts chapter 9, there was a disciple called Tabitha which is translated to mean Dorcas. She did a lot of good for others and was very charitable. One day she died after being unwell and they prepared her body for burial and laid her in an upper room. Peter was staying in a neighbouring city in Lydda and the disciples sent men to beg him to come to them quickly. When Peter arrived they took him to the upper room where Dorcas’s body was lying. All the widows present in the house surrounded Peter weeping and showing him all the clothes that Dorcas had made for them. Peter put them out of the room and knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and called out, ‘Tabitha arise.’ Dorcas opened her eyes and when she saw Peter she sat up and he helped her to get up. Peter then called all the saints and the widows and presented Dorcas to them alive. The news of this situation spread throughout all of the city and many people believed and were converted.
In the next chapter of Acts 10, we learnt about Cornelius who was a Centurion who was called to the Italian regimen. He was described as a devout man who feared the Lord with all of his household. He gave generously to others and he was very prayerful. At the ninth hour of the day he had a vision of an angel of the Lord calling out to him. “And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, Lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4). He was told to send men to Joppa to call Simon Peter who would tell him what he needed to do. After the angel left, Cornelius called two of his servants, explained to them what happened and sent them to call Peter. In the meantime God revealed to Peter through a divine revelation, that he wanted him to go to Cornelius to minister to his household. He was on a rooftop and decided to pray as he was hungry and waited for them to prepare a meal for him.
While Peter waited, he fell into a trance and had a vision where God lowered a sheet with animals. These animals included creeping things and other animals that the Jews considered unclean. Peter heard a voice commanding him to arise, kill and eat the animals. He protested and said that the animals were unclean. “And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common”” (Acts 10:15). This scenario was played out in the vision to Peter three times and then the object was taken up into heaven again. When he awoke, he considered what the vision meant and the men from Cornelius were sent to call him. The Holy Spirit told him that the men were there to see him and he was instructed to go with them and not to doubt because God had sent them. Peter went with the men after they told him about Cornelius’s vision and instructions. He ministered to Cornelius’s household and they all received Christ, were filled with the Holy Spirit and were baptised.
The importance of Peter’s dream was that the Jews didn’t generally associate with the Gentiles and didn’t see them as God’s people. God used this revelation to show Peter that he does not show partiality to anyone based on class or race. What stood out for me about Cornelius was that he was devout and he gave generously to others. It was his prayer and generosity which the bible said drew God’s attention. In fact, they had come up as a memorial before God and so he became the person who God chose to reveal Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit among the Gentiles. In fact God instructed Peter to travel to his house to preach to his household and they also received the gift Holy Spirit. Similarly, Dorcas’s giving to the widows and others meant that they were not content with her untimely death. Many people would have died on a regular basis in that city, but Dorcas had been such a blessing that they refused to allow her to die. God was willing to orchestrate the events surrounding Dorcas, so that Peter was in the next city and able to pray and raise her from the dead.
It is not always easy to give from what we work hard to earn and our fear of being in lack can cause us to hold on to what we have. God pays attention to our giving when done generously and in order to bless others. We have to be led by the spirit and give willingly and not because we feel forced. When we do obey and give willingly, God will meet all of our needs. We cannot lose when we give to the things of God and our giving will go up as a memorial before God. We will reap a harvest when we give as we sow seeds which will reap a harvest of righteousness. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
Welcome to episode 5 of Season 2 of The ARC Logos Podcast! 🎉
🎙On this episode we have a special guest, Wayne Reid who is the Professional Office at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). In this episode, he has a candid conversation about his career journey and his work in empowering social workers.
Hit that play button, stay tuned, and let’s get talking.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more great episodes!
~ This is a two part episode ~
Featuring our special guest Wayne and hosts Anneta Pinto-Young, Rose Tebere and Cherelle Wilson-Morrison AFHEA MA BSc.
“But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel” (Joshua 7:1).
In Joshua chapter 6, Isreal defeated Jericho, destroyed their city and took possession of the territory. God was with Joshua and his fame spread throughout all the country. The very next chapter 7, starts out by saying that the children of Isreal committed sin regarding the accursed things. This was because Achan from the tribe of Judah took the accursed things so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel. On the back of a successful expedition in Jericho, Joshua sent men to Ai to spy on the land. The men went up to spy and came back and told Joshua, that he did not need to send the entire army. They suggested that he send a few thousand men to take possession of the land as the people were small number. To Joshua’s surprise and the surprise of the people, the men who went to Ai were struck down and chased out of the city. Joshua was distressed and tore his clothes, put ashes on his head and laid before the Ark of the Lord.
“And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan” (Joshua 7:7)! He asked God what would happen now that Israel had to turn their back on their enemies. He lamented that the Canaanites and the other surrounding cities would hear about their defeat and surround them and cut them off. God told Joshua to get up from where he was lying and told him that Isreal had sinned and went against his covenant. They had stolen what was accursed and hidden it among their things. This was why Isreal was defeated by their enemies, therefore they needed to get rid of what was accursed among them. Joshua was told to get up and sanctify himself and to also sanctify the people the next day and remove what was accursed from among them.
Joshua was instructed to call all of the people together and God would separate the tribe where the sin was committed. From the tribe he would separate them by families and then by households and then single out the man who had stolen the cursed item. “Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel ” (Joshua 7:15). Joshua gathered all of the people together the next day and the tribe of Judah was selected. He singled out the family of the Zarhites and then selected Zabdi and then his son Achan was selected. Joshua pleaded with Achan to confess what he had done and asked him not to hide anything from him. Achan confessed that he had sinned against the Lord and against Isreal. He had stolen a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels. He admitted that he had coveted them so he took them and hid them in his tent.
Joshua sent men to Achan’s tent to retrieve the stolen items and they brought the items back to Joshua. Achan and all of his belongings and his entire family were taken to the valley of Achor and stoned and then burnt. Once this was done, the anger of the Lord was turned away from Isreal and the favour of God was restored. This is a difficult story and the end result for Achan was harsh and severe. We’re unlikely to see anyone stoned and their family and possessions burnt in any modern law abiding society. The essence of the story is appreciating the consequences of an association, with someone who was out of alignment or living in direct disobedience to God. Ideas, values, beliefs and attitudes are contagious and our close affiliations or alliances with people often determines our values and beliefs. Spirits are also easily transferred from one person to another. Our relationships and associations can affect our spiritual maturity and our relationship with God. We have to assess if our relationships draw us closer to God or pull us away from God.
“As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend (Proverbs 27:17).
“However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction” (Mark 1:45).
In Mark chapter 1, Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. This was after he declared that he was sent, as a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. He also declared that Jesus was mightier than he and he was not even worthy to tie his sandals. The irony was that after that statement, Jesus went to John to be baptised. After his baptism, as he came out of the water, the heavens opened and the spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove. “Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”” (Mark 1:11). After this Jesus was led of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for 40 days. After his fast and temptation, he was strengthened by angels. He returned from the wilderness having been strengthened and started his ministry in Galilee. Shortly after Jesus returned, John was put in prison and he went about preaching the kingdom of God and calling people to repentance.
Jesus called his first disciples Andrew and his brother Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John. He then went into Capernium and taught in the synagogue. The people were surprised that he taught with authority and not like the Scribes. While Jesus was teaching there was a man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit who cried out after him. “saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God”” (Mark 1:24)! Jesus rebuked the spirit and commanded it to come out of the man. The spirit convulsed the man and then cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. The people were amazed and asked among themselves what type new doctrine this was. They were amazed that he had authority over the unclean spirits and they obeyed him. After this incident, Jesus’s fame spread throughout all of the region around Galilee.
After leaving the synagogue, Jesus and the disciples went to visit Peter’s home. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever and Jesus took her by the hand, raised her up and she was healed immediately and got up and served them. By the evening, the people in the city brought many to him who were sick and demon possessed. “Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him” (Mark 1:34). The morning after, Jesus went to a quiet place alone to pray. Peter and the disciples went in search of him and when they found him, told him that everyone was looking for him. Jesus told them that they should travel to the other towns so that he could preach there also as part of his assignment. As he travelled, a man with leprosy came to him and begged that he would heal him. Jesus was moved with compassion and laid his hands on the man and healed him. He told the man not to tell anyone about what had happened. The man did not listen, but told everyone wherever he went about how Jesus healed him.
As a result of this, Jesus could no longer go to the towns openly but spent a lot of time in deserted places. People were brought to him from every direction so that he would heal them. Jesus also found quiet places to be alone with God, in order to pray. His response to fame was not as typical, as some of our modern day ministers who thrive off of clout and followers. His focus wasn’t as much about fame, as it was about reaching the lost and bringing healing and deliverance to those who were hurting. Despite his fame, he did not neglect his quiet time with the father, to remain filled and to stay in alignment. Fame is not bad nor is a large following on social media or on television. We have to constantly examine our desire for fame and assess whether it is for our own self gratification or to reach people for God. We have to remember that only what’s done for God will have eternal value and significance. God will bless the work of our hands and our gifts will bring us before great men. We have to maintain relationships with people who will hold us accountable and keep us grounded so that we don’t lose our way.
“So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16).
Welcome to episode 4 of Season 2 of The ARC Logos Podcast! 🎉
🎙On this episode we have a special guest, Wayne Reid who is the Professional Office at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). In this episode, he has a candid conversation about his career journey and his work in empowering social workers.
Hit that play button, stay tuned, and let’s get talking.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more great episodes!
~ This is a two part episode ~
Featuring our special guest Wayne and hosts Anneta Pinto-Young, Rose Tebere and Cherelle Wilson-Morrison AFHEA MA BSc.
🎙We’re back and ready to dive into all the highs, lows, and lessons learned from launching and recording Season 1. Expect fun, banter, and thought-provoking conversations, as we reflect on the journey so far.
Hopefully, you haven’t missed us too much- but if you have, don’t worry, we’re making up for it!
Hit that play button, stay tuned, and let’s get talking.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more great episodes!
~ This is a three part episode ~
Featuring Anneta Pinto-Young, Rose Tebere and Cherelle Wilson-Morrison AFHEA MA BSc
🎙We’re back and ready to dive into all the highs, lows, and lessons learned from launching and recording Season 1. Expect fun, banter, and thought-provoking conversations, as we reflect on the journey so far.
Hopefully, you haven’t missed us too much- but if you have, don’t worry, we’re making up for it!
Hit that play button, stay tuned, and let’s get talking.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more great episodes!
~ This is a three part episode ~
Featuring Anneta Pinto-Young, Rose Tebere and Cherelle Wilson-Morrison AFHEA MA BSc
Devotional Inspirations 