So no doubt you have some questions about how the Podcast PreacherTM came about in this ministry. In fact, if you don't have any questions then it's possible that you are not paying attention to the evolution of this ministry. Applied Strengths Ministry™ is not a new concept. The name Applied Strengths has been around for twenty or more years and has been used in two previous businesses that my family and I started. But it wasn't God's plan that I use that name for those types of businesses. It wasn't until my wife and I moved to Paradise, California during a season of lethargic shock that the seeds of this ministry started to sprout.
One of the many shocks in our life during this season was God moving us to a town that just 6 months prior had burned down. A storied journey for another time.
Several prophetic words and a whole bunch of evidences later Applied Strengths Ministry™ was born. Now my question to God was how do I move forward after so many, many failures in my life and ministries. Boom out of the clear blue sky I had the appetite to start writing. So I took 25-years of notes, and the reading of more than 940 books, and my cover-to-cover reading of the bible nearly 50-times and went to work. In 6-months I had over 90 messages, some of which were over 80-pages. Strangely enough the ministry did not take off after that humongous effort because there was no ministry yet. Ha and my sudden ability to get up as early as 12:30am to start typing until I started my next job at 7:30am did not net nothing but net. I had content while remaining discontented. But God who sees both the beginning and the end at the same time has installed Christian peeps in my life who kept dropping nuggets of progression which led me from one step to another, one step at a time.
The next step? The question? Hey Ken, why don't you start a Podcast? I said that is for kids who know what a Podcast is. But I know enough about the voice of God to know when He is speaking and so, on too YouTube I went to learn of the world of Podcasting. I did millions of hours of research and, well now there I go lying to you. I watched maybe three or four videos and bought a Mic and a bunch of other stuff which mostly remains unused with the exception of the Mic. One of my great faults is running ahead of God. Had I had the money I would have bought a studio. Thank God I didn't have the money. There is lots more to explain, no doubt, storied details that I will leave out, lest I bog down the web with too much of me, but suffice to say this has not been an easy ministry-in-a-box experience by a long shot.
Eventually, I was clicking along at breakneck speed posting over 360 Podcasts in just over six to seven months. As I am moving through the content other platforms are coming into play, maybe 15 or more of them including my YouTube channel which I was able to apply for and get the YouTube handle name, "Podcast PreacherTM." Too cool right? Trademarks and all of the other legalities were and are in play. I am now working to complete this website that you are now visiting. A product line will eventually come into play to create multiple streams of revenue so that I can eventually get in a studio and begin to plaster my face all over TV. Why? Follow the ministry, listen to the Podcasts, watch the video's as they get posted. You will have your answer, perhaps even before I do.
So now the following are images and explanations of the Podcast PreachersTM walking stick. Its creation popped into my mind as I was thinking about branding the ministry in a cool sort of hippy way. No I am not a hippy dude, I am a nothing dude who is just enjoying how God is using me, someone in whom few, oh dare I say, very few ever cared about in the larger scheme of things long term, and I believe this is as it should be. I mean this with all of my heart, look to God and Jesus in operation and relationship with the Holy Spirit. You will then understand why I am good with God, and because of that I am good with everyone. I love peeps in spite of bad peep behavior, and I am still daily working on loving myself although I make it hard on myself to do so regularly.
So this is what it looks like when you see something out of time and mostly all at once. it's a working prop full of symbolism and reminders. Until recently, it was just a stick that followed my family and I from Lake Arrowhead to Chico over a 25-year period. It's still just a stick, but now it serves as a reminder that there is more going on than what we see with our natural eyes, and that well even sticks can be cool.
On-Air Mic
The top of the staff has been adorned with an old school Mic to represent how God is using a bible Teacher in his gift. The On-Air represents preaching the gospel. It also symbolizes the Holy Spirit and how He moves like the wind:
John 3:8 - 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The Tree of Life is self-explanatory (Gen 2:9). The ring of trinkets represents keys, crowns, smaller trees of life, and leaves, all of which have biblical meanings:
Rev 22:2 - 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Shoe Crowns
So we migrate past everything in the middle of the staff and work ourselves down to the shoe. I know right, no doubt you will see this ministry popularise the creative walking stick market. The shoe came to me as I was thinking about such scriptures as faith without works is dead (James 2:14, 20) , and go out into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature:
Mark 16:15-16 - 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Bonus: Matt 24:14 - And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
You see how the shoe is the end of a thing and the crown the beginning?
And it also says to be hearers and doers (James 1:22-24). And so it was obvious a great addition to a "walking stick" was to add a cool shoe. And it wasn't just any shoe as you will observe but a working man's shoe. Yes it is a symbol of an active ministry whereby the shoe is made for the out-of-doors ministry as much as for the carpet ministry that takes place in the Church building.
So Ken, what of the sparkly things around the shoe? Well I am glad you asked as those are shiny crowns and you know that we receive them by the work we do on earth and one day we will get to cast them down at the feet of Jesus. Ha of course this is an awesome future event and I cannot wait for the day to do so. Now, and I have mentioned this before, and that is that I haven't been the most stately of Christians so maybe I only get a tin crown, but that is ok because it will make the most noise as I toss it across the floor and it goes bouncing along towards the feet of Jesus:
Rev 4:10-11 - 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Podcast PreacherTM Early 1900s Typewriter Keys
Ok so an afterthought is that I could have used bigger typewriter keys but in truth they are these days difficult to find as they have become popularized by the slow moving powered by steam, Steam-Punk movement. I love it and its creative elements. But back to the typewriter keys which spell out the word Podcast PreacherTM; how cool is that? It's fun to get ideas at the kitchen table in God's house. So I thought wow how cool it would be to use an old writing tool to communicate, in a new and fresh way, Podcasting? And don't miss the symbolism of the fact that it is on a walking stick as it is intended to communicate that we are to learn about God, get to know Him, and walk out our ministry with Him. Jesus did pray to the Father in John that we would be where He is at:
John 17:24 - 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Spike
So we have here a symbol of the most blessed of all events as well as one of the ugliest. He was crucified as an innocent man, being declared innocent of any sin even by those who watched in entertainment. I found this spike in Paradise California so I thought how cool to embed something which reminds all of us, had this event not happened, we would surely be living in the great lies embedded in evolution. But know this, it is because we were created in His image and likeness, and had the purpose of God embedded in our hearts before we were born, that fools like me have been delivered from a life that without God has no promise or hope of ending well for the majority. (Acts 2:36-38, 3:13-17)
Is 9:6-7 - 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Acts 2:22 - 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
But it didn't end with death but for a hope that for humanity we have a choice to live life as He did and in so choosing to live with Him forever as our Lord and King:
Acts 2:36-38 - 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Lower Jar & Clock
2 Cor 2:14-17 - 14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.
So what? Yes, that is a key holding one of the 1890 period scent or perfume jars that I have reconstituted into symbols by changing them not. It is encased in sterling silver and although empty, it still has whatever the scent was in it more than 100-years ago which is not bad considering it is more than 100-years old.
So I heard this story about Jesus whereby someone named Mary Magdalene who anointed His feet with fragrant oil and in doing so the guards nailing His feet to the cross might wonder where that beautiful scent was coming from (Luke 7:36-38). And then there was Ester who went through the regulations of her days to be presented as a potential queen to King Ahasuerus (Ester 2:12). Are these scriptures not the same in revelatory form as the following story:
So this jar represents the fragrance of Christ that emanates from our Gospel efforts. And so what of the clock Ken? Well, time is something that is tied to limits. It has a beginning and an end just like this walking stick and our lives on this planet. Everyone is guided by its limits and will be held accountable for how we spent it regardless of how much of it we were given.
Upper Jar & Pocket Watch
What's up with the pocket watch, Ken? Is that a real pocket watch? Why yes, it is, and it works, but I do not think I will be winding it up and using it to keep me in step. As in the definition or symbolism already discussed in the lower jar and clock section, it is the same; however, with one clear difference, and that is that it is live-time. Yup, it is time that is alive like you and me, whereby the other time or clock symbols are dead time. Interesting that time was dead or non-existent before time started and will be dead at some point in time. Ha, I should move on before I run out of time.
Jar of Anointing Oil
Ex 27:20 - 20 “And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually.
Oil for the sake of this ministry and discussion is symbolic for anointing someone for the work of ministry. It is also used when praying for the sick not that the oil has magic in it but again it is symbolic of the act or activity. Look at 1 John 2:20, 27 and see some other applications of anointing.
But back to the oil in this jar. I went to Israel in 2000 and brought back some interesting stuff of which some is on this staff such as the cross above the spike, the wooden cross on the back of the Mic, and this oil. The Olive Oil was picked up from where the pigs fly (Luke 8:26-33). Yup they flew right into the Ocean and perished with their uncleanness. Oh but I am not saying I don't eat bacon or anything pork, I am just saying in a random sort of way that our sins also ought to be carried into the Ocean, just the same as those pigs were by the ones who tempt us daily to fall into the pig pen. Rather than us feeding them little piglets why not let us feed them to the sharks along with the demons who suffer us daily (Luke 15:11-32)? So I looked for a scripture that really says it all when it comes to oil and found the following gem:
So yes you can burn continually even if in time, so be it and so do it.
Key
Since my salvation I have always liked keys and what they represent which is authority and access. This key was found by my sister Debbie and I when we were in 5th or 6th grade living in Auburn California. As kids we used to go dumpster diving for cans and bottles so that we could recycle them, thereby helping the family out as we were very short on resources and needed the money for everything ha! In our treasure hunts we would often find interesting things to kids and it was in one of those dumpsters that we found an old key ring with old keys on them. This is the last remaining key that I am aware of, but what makes this a unique find and story is that I now see that it was prophetic. Yup Jesus was letting us know in His mysterious way that one day we would have authority over the devil and the kingdom of darkness and that we would be operating in authority as we grew and matured. Yes, all of this and before we were born again.
Now my favorite scripture on authority is Rev 1:18 whereby it states:
18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Whoa yes he did more than just die for your sins, He took the authority of death and hell away from satan thus erasing the map of our original destiny of dying and going to hell, adding a heavenly option, and that if we exchange our old sin life for His Holy life, that is the very essence of Him, we can live with Kingdom authority on earth, and when the old man dies permanently we get a new body and get to move to our new address in heaven which will really be on a new earth. Now that's a powerful set of keys!
Oh but you thought I was done yeh. Nope, I have another favorite scripture and this one explains what I just said in the above paragraph. No it wasn't a setup, it was a get ready to come up:
Matt 16:18-19 - 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Mites
Now, these coins carry several symbols, one of which is the famous - widow's mites story in the Bible:
Mark 12:41-44 - 41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”
Go ahead and get ready to show Jesus just how much of your wealth you gave to help Him in His purpose on earth. Now what makes this more interesting, and it is no doubt what moved Jesus to include this story in His Bible, is that widows in those days typically did not have a means of income unless they had contributing kids, and I say contributing because well not all kids are contributing. Sacrifice, it's the secret story that she never shared with anyone; but little did she know He was watching and all-knowing of her plight.
Ok, so Ken why do you have so many coins embedded in this stick if she just gave two mites. Well, this is where I get to be me. My vision included 12-coins running down opposite ends of the stick. The first twelve represent the 12 tribes of Israel, and the second twelve represent the 12 Apostles. But wait there's more as twelve also means "Government" and if this doesn't give you hope that one day all will be made right and elections will be done away with then perhaps you are still too hopeful in what currently exists:
Is 9:6-7 - 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
And with this we see the value of the coin symbolism, right?
So, this is a little insight into the ministry and how we got here. As we grow and develop into this role you will hopefully see less and less of us and desire every last bit of Him that is right now available to you.