Today we turn to one of the most influential thinkers and spiritual writers in all of Christian history: Saint Augustine of Hippo. Born in 354 and dying in 430, Augustine’s life spans the late Roman Empire’s turbulent transition. His journey from a brilliant but wayward youth, through years of intellectual wandering and moral struggle, to a profound conversion and eventual bishopric, is captured in his masterpiece, Confessions—often called the first Western autobiography. It’s a raw, honest memoir of sin, grace, and the restless human heart that finds peace only in God.

If you’ve ever felt like the moment you committed your life to Jesus, the battles intensified—temptations grew stronger, trials multiplied, and doubts assailed you—this message is for you. We’ll explore why Satan targets those who pose a threat to his kingdom, how struggles with temptations and passions often ramp up as we draw closer to God, and why these very struggles are a profound blessing in disguise. We’ll draw wisdom from Scripture, particularly the Book of James, and hear from the Christian saints, desert fathers, and monks who’ve illuminated this path for centuries. My prayer is that by the end, you’ll be comforted, encouraged, and equipped to see your battles not as failures, but as signs of your growing victory in Christ. So, settle in, open your Bibles, and let’s journey together from the dawn of understanding to the doctrine that sustains us.

Good day, everyone, and welcome to the sixteenth episode of “Journey Through The Bible.” Today, we continue our educational journey by exploring the Book of Enoch (also known as 1 Enoch), the next book in our progression, keep in mind we are pulling from the oldest known version of the bible, The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Bible. This is the oldest known to man version of scripture untouched by western influence and contains alot of books most denominations consider unbiblical, however the reasoning for taking these books out is more political than anything, and if you want the truth you need to go way back before the time of political influence.