The Faith By Reason Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Faith By Reason Podcast
If God is real and Christianity is true, then they should conform to objective logic and reason. That is the premise of the Faith By Reason podcast – systematically examining Christian Philosophy faithbyreason.net
There is a lot of eschatological "noise" on social media and alternative news about the so-called "Little Season" of Satan, and whether or not we are currently in it.The Little Season theory essentially states that we are in a Post-millennial period between the 1000-year Kingdon of Jesus and the Great White Throne of Judgement. Revelation chapter 20 states that after the Armageddon scenario, Satan is imprisoned for the 1000-year Millenial reign of Jesus. After which, he is released for a "little season" to gather the nations to overthrow Jesus in Jerusalem. According to this theory, we are in that season right now!This means that the rapture, the Tribulation, Armageddon, the Second Coming of Jesus, and the 1000-year Kingdom have ALREADY HAPPENED!!The proof point promoted by people who espouse this theory is the advanced "Tartarian" architecture that we see remnants of around the world. This apparently speaks to an advanced civilization with extraordinary technological know-how that vanished no more than a few hundred years ago. According to them, this abandoned technology proves that Jesus ruled over an advanced society in the recent past (and then He apparently just abandoned it...and us).But does the Little Season and Tartaria fit Biblically, historically, and logically? The answer is a resounding NO! A mere cursory examination of this theory shows that it is utterly ludicrous! So why is it being promoted so vigorously? I was puzzled by this until I noticed that the promoters of this theory, tended to also hold to another long-held and equally poor eschatological theology. And the Little Season is their latest attempt to justify their bankrupt beliefs.I break it all down in this special episode of Faith By ReasonRefuting silly escatologyhttps://faithbyreason.net/revelation-unveiled-ep-2-mans-perspective/
https://youtu.be/kQr7nbDuY6Y"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show His servants things which will quickly come to pass". Those words are how we began this incredible journey through the Book of Revelation. And now, 60 episodes later, we are ending our exploration of this amazing and provocative book, with this conclusory episode.Over the next hour, I summarize everything we've learned during this study, and I end it with the final salutation from Chapter 22
https://youtu.be/CdyAkSNcDU0Believers in Jesus will spend eternity in the presence of God. That sounds great, but what will we be DOING for eternity? The Bible (and most Bible teachers) seemingly treat this important subject in a rather vague manner. However, if we look at the big-picture details of God's will, our purpose in eternity is actually pretty easy to seeHere is the link to Flowcess I mentioned in the video - Find your uniqueness!https://www.flowcess.com/
https://youtu.be/f4qjGu547YQ Believers in Jesus will spend eternity on a new Earth, inhabiting a New Jerusalem. But what will this new existence be like? Why is the New Jerusalem constructed the way it is? What are the characteristics of the new Earth?We’ll talk about it in this week’s episode
https://youtu.be/29G0IoPRxkMHeaven is the eternal state that we all long for. Even those who are not Christians, still acknowledge the desire to be rewarded for the good they have done on earth and spend an eternity in perfection.The concept of Heaven is ALMOST as ubiquitous as the concept of Hell. It is a part of our popular culture. And as such, it is the subject of as much (or more) mythology than truth. In this episode, we will explore 10 popular myths about Heaven, and look at the Biblical truths that address or dispel the myths.Here is a link to my recent appearance on the Tin Foil Hat Podcast! https://samtripoli.com/tfh-738-is-the-speed-of-light-decaying-with-ed-mabrie/
https://youtu.be/3zUi_CX0ZCUHell, aka the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone, will certainly be hot. But it will NOT be the hottest place in eternity. There is a place that will logically, scientifically, and Biblically be hotter. That place is HEAVEN!!How can Heaven be hotter than Hell, and what is the true nature of the torment that those in Hell will experience? We'll talk about it on this week's episode.
https://youtu.be/dtKVo5h8C70The concept of Hell is not only a foundational doctrine of Christianity, it is readily accepted by most religions to some degree, and even by those who claim to be atheists. The reason for this is that EVERYONE believes in justice, and that is ultimately what Hell is all about.But whenever a doctrinal concept becomes a part of popular culture, it becomes rife with myths and false narratives. In this episode, we examine what Hell is and just as importantly, what it is NOT.
https://youtu.be/hOJajP0WtBwThe "Millennium" represents the 7th so-called "dispensation" - an era in which God deals with humanity under specified circumstances to show that His plan for our redemption is the only one that will work.During the Millennium, mankind will have everything they CLAIM they have wanted from the beginning to be happy - perfect peace, perfect government, perfect provision, perfect community, and perfect justice. AND PEOPLE WILL ABSOLUTELY HATE IT!!!!!!What is the purpose of the Millennium (and all the dispensations for that matter), and why will the Millennium prove once and for all that humanity will NEVER choose to be like God on their own, no matter what the external circumstances may be? We will explore these questions on this week's episode.
https://youtu.be/1raP_ZcK2nQ
The Millennium will be 1000 years of Jesus physically ruing the world from His throne in Jerusalem. It is the Kingdom that God promised Abraham. The Kingdom that the Jews have been waiting for since the Old Testament times. It will be a time of perfect peace and provision. One of the most significant periods of human history. Yet there are several so-called Christian groups that refuse to take this period literally, despite the Bible making it blatantly clear.
What is the Millennium, and what will it be like? We discuss it on this week's episode
https://youtu.be/TdH2dsukohk
The Gog and Magog conflict in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is one of the most documented events in all of eschatology. It is an end-times event in which a coalition of nations led by an entity called "Gog" invades a peaceful Israel to take plunder but they are thoroughly defeated by Jehovah. Most commentators believe that this battle pits a Russian-led army against Israel, but this point of view focuses mostly on the physical and ignored the more important spiritual aspects. A careful examination of scripture (and logic) disputes the Russian angle.
When does this event take place and how is it positioned in relation to the events of Revelation? We discuss this topic on this week's episode.
Armageddon is the end of the Tribulation and the end of the rule of evil on the earth. It features the climatic and long-awaited return of Jesus as the Conquering King. But how does Armageddon play out? - Why is Jesus' robe spattered with blood? - What is the Antichrist's final ploy? - How are the enemies of God destroyed? - What is the mystery of the 4 TRILLION gallons of blood? All this and more will be answered in this week's episode
https://youtu.be/CQtjJT5KtCA
https://youtu.be/pDL2MFmP56oArmageddon is the climax of the period of time referred to as the Tribulation - the last 7 years of human/demonic rule on earth. Armageddon is so well known that it has become as much a part of pop culture as it has a Biblical event - which means there is a mixture of secular and religious myths, mixed in with the truth.In this episode, we look at 10 myths about Armageddon
https://youtu.be/VmCPn-Gs0KQThe last four Bowl Judgements complete the Wrath of God. We take our usual deep dive into the subject matter and examine some of the most interesting aspects, such as:- Why is the sun referred to as "him" during the heat plague?- Why does the plague of darkness cause pain?- What's significant about the river Euphrates drying up?- How does the plague of giant hail relate to the Levitical law agist idolatry?Next up - Armageddon!
https://youtu.be/ZaPEXocwphwJehovah is a God of justice so His judgment must eventually be poured out on a world that has committed incredible injustices over the millennia. The Bible speaks in vivid terms about the wrath of God throughout the Old and New Testaments, and it finally occurs during the last days of the so-called Tribulation.But what is the "Wrath of God"? How long does it occur? Who is this wrath meant for and how does God feel about releasing it? Would it surprise you to know that issuing judgment is probably God's LEAST favorite thing to do? We'll discuss it in this week's episode
https://youtu.be/iotcq13CB_4
The Mark of the Beast is the most infamous act in the book of Revelation - if not the entire Bible!
This is the signature move of the Antichrist and the False Prophet. It fully consolidates their stranglehold on the entire world by shutting anyone who doesn't take the Mark out of the economy. But although it is the primary focus of Christian and secular observers, the economic aspect is the LEAST important part of the Mark of the Beast!
The Mark is about WORSHIP, not just buying and selling! So the technology that will enable the enforcement of the Mark (which has existed for many decades, if not longer), should NOT be the focus. The issue to be concerned about is the mandatory worship of the Antichrist that will be required to take the Mark!
If you take the Mark, you are permanently aligning yourself with the Antichrist and Satan. And if you take the Mark, the Bible says you are ineligible for salvation!!!!
How is this possible? What is the Mark of the Beast? What does 666 mean? How does this relate to the COVID injections? And what does this have to do with transhumanism?
We'll discuss this and MUCH more on this week's episode...
https://youtu.be/OYwKRtWJysE
In Revelation 18, God finally judges Babylon the Great. In this passage, Babylon is not just a physical city, but the system of economic and governmental control used by men and spiritual entities to rule the world for thousands of years. This is not the same as the judgment in the last chapter - which was focused on religion and the spiritual. This judgment is on the physical kingdom of wealth, power, and subjugation which has kept men in bondage since the time of babel.
God will end this system once and for all, and all the evil of the world will weep as the wealth men have worshipped over the centuries is rendered worthless. We'll discuss this and more in this week's episode.
Freedom of speech is a cherished American value, but it is apparently NOT valued on Youtube since they have censored and removed one of my Revelation videos! Why? For medical misinformation! (yes, it's as stupid as it sounds). So it looks like I will soon have to make other arrangements to host my videos. Please see the short video for more information.
https://youtu.be/wbxfsT0uM9M
Here is the offending topic:
https://faithbyreason.net/demonic-locusts/
https://youtu.be/fyT_DWidyI8
The man/entity called the False Prophet has horns (authority) like a lamb (the sacrificed Christ), but speaks like a dragon (Satan). In our current world, there is one figure who fits this description - The Pope!
He falsely claims the authority of a "Jesus" who perpetually suffers through the ritual of the Eucharist (even though the Bible says that He was to suffer ONCE) and mingles Christianity with satanic paganism.
He will also give "life" (or rather spirit) to the image of the Beast. This is NOT a talking statue. It is MUCH more than that. The word image means "copy". And there is a word for a copy of a human being. It's called a clone! We'll discuss this and many more strange things on this episode of Revelation Unveiled!
https://youtu.be/sKH8LjwFlDk
Revelation chapter 13 continues John's vision of the culmination of all history. This chapter features the Beast from the Sea who will rule the world and demand to be worshipped during the final 3 1/2 years of human dominance of the world. This Beast is the ultimate incarnation of the Antichrist. During the first 3 1/2 years, he will be the charismatic world leader. But during the final years, he will die and be reincarnated as the Besat - the most vicious and destructive dictator the world has ever known.
But despite tradition to the contrary, he will NOT be incarnated by Satan, but rather as the previous (and most successful) dictator of all time - NIMROD!
In this episode, I give my reasons for why Nimrod fits the profile of this mysterious Beast, and how he will rule the final few years of fallen man's subjugation of the world.
Related Links: Return of the Beast https://faithbyreason.net/antichrist-part-3-return-beast/
https://youtu.be/8y8z2BkiSAA
Since the fall of man, the secular world has been clamoring for a powerful leader to usher them into a utopia. For the first half of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will seem to be that leader! He will have answers and solutions to the world's problems (even the ones he and Satan created). He will be a great speaker, charismatic, "spiritual", and persuasive. But of course, he will have a notable dark side.
He will speak blasphemous words against the true God of the Bible, painting Him as the enemy of man, and blaming Him (and His followers) for the miseries of the Tribulation.
In this episode, we will look at the early career of the Antichrist, including his "divine" origins, and his escalation onto the world stage
https://youtu.be/lAVEzvKRY0c
There are more prophecies about the Antichrist in the Bible than any other person, aside from Jesus. He is the inverse of Jesus in every way. While Jesus is the Son of God, the Antichrist is called the Seed of the Serpent - so he will be the spiritual, and possibly even physical offspring of Satan!
In this episode, we will look at the "who", "what", and "why" of the Antichrist as outlined in the scripture
There is much debate over the identity of the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11. But their identity is FAR less important than their mission and message
https://youtu.be/v6ClxavR2aU
Revelation Chapter 10 represents the conclusion of a legal trial that has been going on since at least Daniel Chapter 7! In that passage, God puts the evil demonic entities that rule the nations on trial for failing to be just and fostering the horrific evils that have plagued the world for centuries.
Revelation 10 is where Jesus declares that the trial is over and He has inherited the kingdoms of the world. It is finally time for spiritual evil to be judged! This episode will take you on a journey through seemingly cryptic passages of the Old Testament to illuminate one of the most exciting (and misunderstood) sections of the entire book of Revelation!
https://youtu.be/3q_GgE1sfjs
The 6th Trumpet of Revelation Chapter 9 results in 4 powerful fallen angels released from the river Euphrates along with an army of 2 million that will kill 1/3 of mankind. Who are these angels? Where does the army come from? What is the significance of the Euphrates river? And why do they kill so many? We'll discuss it in this week's episode.
Related Link
Demonic Horsemen
https://youtu.be/1783cZeqDPA
When the 5th Trumpet of Revelation Chapter 9 sounds, locusts from the bottomless pit come out and are given the power to sting men like scorpions. They are not permitted to kill, only to torment unbelievers for 5 months. During these five months, people will seek to die due to the torment they are experiencing, but they won’t be able to!
What on earth does that mean, and what is the significance of the 5 months? Things just keep getting stranger.
What are the locusts from the Abyss? Death Wish Granted
https://youtu.be/MdENaf5nQEk
The 7 Trumpets of Revelation 8 and 9 are intended to break the strongholds that Satan will have erected over the Tribulation world to clear the path to Jesus’ conquest of the earth.
But while the walls of Jericho were physical, Satan’s strongholds are spiritual. What are Spiritual Strongholds?
Spiritually speaking, strongholds are the false/negative belief systems that allow Satan to have power over our lives. The events of the 7 Trumpets will shatter those strongholds by systematically exposing these false beliefs. We’ll cover the first 4 Trumpet blasts in this episode.
https://faithbyreason.net/satanic-strongholds-destroyed-7-trumpets/
The traditional view of the 7 Trumpets of Revelation 8 and 9 is that they are continuing judgments of God. However, the concluding Trumpet makes it clear that these events are intended to clear the path to "the Kingdoms of the world becoming the Kingdoms of Christ"! The purpose of the 7 trumpets is to "close escrow" on Jesus' property by bringing down the strongholds of satanic evil which currently dominates Jesus's legal earthly property. The model for this is the conquest of the Promised Land in the Book of Joshua!
We discuss all this and more in this week's episode!
Related Links:
The 7 Trumpets - Great Escrow Closing (blog post)
Next Episode - Trumpets 1 - 4
https://youtu.be/KjYXDVPbFmw
Revelation Chapter 7 is the interlude before the devastating events of the 7 Trumpets. During this time the famed 144,000 "witnesses" from the 12 Tribes of Israel are given a seal by God to protect them. Who are the 144,00? Are they ethnic Jews? Are they other types of believers? Are they the Jehovah's Witnesses (no!).
Furthermore, what is their purpose? Are they evangelists? Do they have some other mission? We'll discuss it all in those week's episode.
Related links
7 Trumpets – Part 1: The Great Escrow Closing
The Battle of Jericho: The 7 Trumpets – Part 2
Next Episode - Introduction to the 7 Trumpets
https://youtu.be/arTzij8qHIs
We know that the Bible is God's story, but what about the story of the enemies of God? What is their perspective on the world and creation? what are their motivations for opposing the plan of God? Here is the history of the world through the perspective of spiritual evil - the story of evil!
Related posts:
Satan's motivations
Why Satan hates us
Next episode - The 144,000
https://youtu.be/ty-azvnzH7I
The 6th seal of Revelation chapter 6 is the culmination of Satan's False Apocolypse! This is where the forces of evil present themselves as mankind's supernatural (Alien???) saviors! Yes, I'm serious when I say "alien". Have you noticed that in the accounts of so-called alien encounters and abductions that the main message from these creatures is always some derivative that the Bible and Christianity are wrong, and man can evolve into a "god"!
Does it really make sense to believe that an immensely technologically advanced biological species would travel billions of light-years to earth - not to conquer or aid us, but just to give us the EXACT SAME lie as the serpent in the Garden of Eden???
These entities are not "aliens". They are demonic and they will bring about the greatest deception in history. They will convince the world that Satan's False Apocalypse is the fault of Jesus!! We'll talk about it in this week's episode.
Related links:
Apocalypse NOT! The "wrath" of the lamb.
Next episode: the Story of Evil
https://youtu.be/Lqj8nM1uH5k
The Rider on the Pale Horse is named appropriately named "Death", and he will kill a 4th of humanity (2 BILLION people!!). This is all a part of Satans plan to usher in his long-planned one-world government, by vastly reducing the population to a more manageable size. This will be done through military action, mass starvation, wide disease outbreaks, and...the beasts of the earth. But these are now cows, chickens, raccoons, and goats going crazy and attacking people. No, the "Beasts of the Earth" is a reference to the return of the demonic hybrids known as the Nephalim, who terrorized the planet during the days of Noah. We'll discuss this idea and much more in this week's episode
Related Links:
Beasts of Death Blog post https://faithbyreason.net/1381-2/
Steve Qualye's site https://www.gen6giants.com/
Next Episode: Beware of the Lamb!
https://youtu.be/v0zGGXxUbL0
The Red and Black Horsemen of Revelation chapter 6 are traditionally (and culturally) called "War" and "Famine" respectively. But when you look at the actual language, those descriptive names do not seem entirely accurate.
The Red Rider’s power is to cause men to kill one another, and while there may be an aspect of war, the word “kill” is “sphazo” in Greek, which means to slaughter or butcher – primarily for an animal sacrifice ritual. This may point to blood sacrifice which is often used to manifest demons and demonic energy.
And while I agree that the Black Rider represents famine, it will NOT be due to scarcity. The fact that the rider carries a balance in his hand (the then-contemporary symbol of commercial weights and measures) clearly indicates that this will be an economic crisis. Furthermore, with our entire world financial systems completely interdependent, controlled, and virtual (electronically based), currency manipulation would be stunningly easy to enact.
Why is this happening and how is it tied to Satan's False Apocalypse? We'll talk about it in this week's episode.
Related Links:
Apocalypse NOT! Part 1: Bread and Slaughter (blog post)
Next Episode - The Pale Rider and the Return of the Nephalim
https://youtu.be/GvKAL4KNKnY
In this episode, we begin a deep dive into Revelation chapter 6, from the perspective I've established - namely that the 6 seals and Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are not judgements from God, but are actually a deception from Satan. The deception is that of a false apocalypse to usher in his false messiah and one-world government.
We start with an examination of the concept of the Four Hoursemen and a look at the first rider on the White Horse who most (including me) see at the Antichrist. Who is this intriguing figure? How will he begin his career? How does he fit into Satan's plan? We talk about it all this week!
Related links:
Apocalypse NOT! Part 1 (blog post)
Next Episode: The Red and Black Horsemen
https://youtu.be/biebRJ6tpnM
I believe that Revelation Chapter 6 is not the beginning of God's judgment, but actually documents a deception by Satan. Deception of a False Apocalypse that will usher in the Antichrist. One of my main proof points are the words of Jesus in the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24, where He clearly states that the end times will begin with a MASSIVE deception! We'll discuss it on this weeks episode
Related links A Hose(man) of a Different Color https://faithbyreason.net/a-horseman-of-a-different-color/
The traditional view of Revelation chapter 6 is that the opening of the first six seals represents either the beginning of God’s Tribulational judgment on man or a big picture overview of the entire Tribulation period. Most commentators see the Four Horsemen and the seals as God releasing retribution on the world for millennia of sin.
And while Faith By Reason has a fairly significant divergent view of these events, the traditional view has merit and is widely accepted. So I will spend this episode giving this traditional view before I give my divergent view in the next episode
Related links
A Horse(man) of a Different Color
Next Episode – The Olivet Discourse and Satanic deception
https://youtu.be/N2UQRE1Phh8
When does the Tribulation begin? Many Bible teachers and commentators put forth the idea that the Tribulation begins immediately after the end of the Church age or the first end-times Rapture (of the Church). But there are good reasons to believe that there will be a significant gap of time between these two events. The 7-year period we call the Tribulation is defined by a convent that the Antichrist confirms with Israel. That means, in order for the Tribulation to begin, the Antichrist has to be on the scene and empowered. And the world needs to be in a state where it is ready for this treaty and the construction of the Jewish temple. This could require quite a bit of time.
I believe that during this gap of time, Satan will be VERY busy implementing the greatest deception the world has ever seen…we’ll talk about it in this week’s episode
The Dispensation of the Serpent (blog post) https://faithbyreason.net/the-dispensation-of-the-serpent/
Next Episode - Revelation Chapter 6
https://youtu.be/iNeY7UGSsRQ
What is the purpose of the Tribulation? Is this cataclysmic period a time where God throws a big tantrum on the world and lets all His pent up frustration out on mankind? Is this His divine judgment for all the evil men have done over the generations? If so, then why is His wrath ONLY reserved for people who happen to be alive when the Tribulation occurs? Why do THEY receive God’s end-time wrath and not the evil people who lived and died generations ago? How does this all relate to the Kingdom Age and the Second Coming of Jesus?
We examine those questions on this week’s episode
Related links
Tribulation – Unfriendly Persuasion
https://faithbyreason.net/the-tribulation-unfriendly-persuasion/
Next Episode: When Does the Tribulation Begin?
https://youtu.be/XSvjpGiqqp0
Revelation chapter 5 focuses on a seven-sealed scroll, and the person qualified to open. The scroll is a title deed – the title deed to the earth (if not ALL creation). No one on earth, under the earth, or in Heaven is worthy to open it and take possession of the title…except for the One who paid the price for it!
Jesus not only redeemed us, but he redeemed the entire physical world! And now that He is FINALLY ready to take possession of it, the entire universe erupts into the most spectacular praise ever experienced! In this week’s episode, we examine Revelation chapter 5.
Related links
Jesus Physical Appearance after the Resurrection
Next episode - Tribulation Introduction
https://youtu.be/j6YDjYIbKnU
When does the Rapture occur? The biggest controversy BY FAR among Christians who study the end-times is the timing of the Rapture as it relates to the 7-year apocalyptic period known as the Tribulation.
Some believe the Rapture will happen before the Tribulation, others think it will happen at the mid-point, and still, others see it happening after the Tribulation. Who's right, and who's wrong?
ALL OF THEM!! Each side is correct in what they affirm, but they are all incorrect in what they deny. How is this possible? Because Rapture adherents are all making the same mistake as the Pharisees did about Jesus’ first advent! A mistake that led them to kill Him! And that mistake is rooted in Pride!
The resolution to the Rapture presented in this episode is the ONLY one that errs on the side of proving the BIBLE right over man-made doctrine. And if you are a strict believer in either a pre, mid, or post Tribulation rapture, I promise you that my resolution will make you angry. But you need to ask yourself if you're angry because of what I said, or because of your religious pride...
Related Links:
The Rapture - the timing is right
Next Episode - Chapter 5: The 7-Sealed Scroll
believers away and instantly transport them to Heaven sounds pretty preposterous. This idea has led many to question its scriptural veracity.
However, the concept of the Rapture is clearly presented in the Bible multiple times – including four previous raptures which NO ONE disputes! And despite arguments to the contrary, the end-times Rapture is not a recent church invention. It was taught by the Apostle Paul, and prominent early Church Fathers.
The only people who dispute the idea of the Rapture are those who have specific doctrinal agendas, which would be invalidated if the Rapture were true. These are folks who want the Bible to conform to their theology, instead of making their theology conform to the Bible.
In this week’s episode, we will look and the Biblical concept and evidence for the Rapture
https://youtu.be/a76wY0zpLlc
The throne room of God is the key feature of Revelation Chapter 4. It is a truly magnificent spectacle. And while we have seen depictions of the Throne Room elsewhere in the Bible, this passage is unique in a few ways.
Of significance are the clear references to the presence of the Church in Heaven after the Church Age. There are reasons to believe that the 24 Elders and the 7 lampstands represent the physical presence of the Church in God’s royal court.
We’ll detail all this and more in this week’s episode
https://youtu.be/UqIvY6z50PI
Eventually, the Church Age will end. The Book of Revelation makes it clear that there will be a definitive end to this Dispensation. After Chapter 4, the term “church” is no longer mentioned.
But the pertinent questions are WHEN and HOW does the church age end? Since we are currently in the Church Age, we don’t have the luxury of hindsight, so we have to speculate. (but that’s what we do best on Faith By Reason).
In this episode, we look at how this Age might end by examining the pattern that God has demonstrated in the past when dealing with previous ages and see how this age fits into that pattern. Including the provocative idea that the Church Age has ALREADY ended!
Related Links
The End of the Church (blog post)
The Knowledge of the Holy
The Godless Christianity Movement
Next Episode: The Headquarters of Heaven
https://youtu.be/fRD_vqu2nE4
Laodicea is the Lukewarm Church. These cowardly Christians were so afraid of long their status, prosperity, and comfort, that they refused to take a stand on anything! They would neither passionately embrace Jesus, or definitively reject Him. They refused to make any choice at all!
They figured that as long as they didn’t move in one direction or the other, they could remain safe from both the condemnation of the World and the judgment of God. But they were wrong!
In His letter to this Church, Jesus blatantly said that He would rather they be evil than Lukewarm! Why? Because when you choose a moral direction, God can interact with you! If you choose righteousness, He can encourage and bless you. If you choose evil, He can admonish and correct you. But if you don’t choose ANYTHING, then there is no way for Him to interact with you. You are worthless to Him!
In fact, Jesus says that these Christians make him want to vomit!
Worst of all is that prophetically speaking, this Laodicean Church represents the age in which we are currently living! Out Postmodern Church is the Laodicean Church. Our dominant “theology” is the idea of being a “loving” (not true Biblical love, but emotional, subjective, human love), inoffensive, non-confrontational, non-judgmental, saccharine sweet, universally tolerant, superficially Biblical, Christian Country Club.
Is it any wonder that we make Jesus sick?
In this week’s episode, we look at the worst Church of all. Our Church.
Related Links
Laodicea, Disgusting Cowards (bog post)
https://faithbyreason.net/church-history-part-6-disgusting-cowards/
Lukewarm Postmodern Preacher 1
https://youtu.be/Vg-qgmJ7nzA
Lukewarm Postmodern Preacher 2
https://youtu.be/pKF_QgNezBY
Next Episode – How Does the Church Age End?
https://youtu.be/6X7cFXjFY8w
Kazarian Jews, or Ashkenazi Jews are among the most controversial topics in culture and geopolitics. The idea is that the paganistic medieval Khazarian empire converted to Judaism under duress. And these Slavic/Turkic people immigrated to eastern Europe after the fall of their empire and became the people called “European Jews” to this day. The primary controversy is that a subsection of these Ashkenazi’s gained tremendous wealth and influence through international banking while remaining pagan. Some believe that they literally run the world from behind the scenes, composing the Satanic elite that control finances and corporations in hostility to Christianity.
If these conspiracy theories are true, these people would fit the criteria of the “Synagogue of Satan” that Jesus refers to in His letters to Smyrna and Philadelphia. But that’s a BIG “if”. The evidence for the Khazar/Ashkenazi theory is highly controversial and greatly disputed. In my research, I have found compelling evidence that gives reason to believe it and equally compelling evidence that it is a hoax that should be dismissed.
As such, I can only offer the information and allow you the viewer to make the decision as to its validity one way or the other. In this week’s episode, we look at the Khazar Conspiracy
Related Links
Letter to Smyrna
Letter to Philadelphia
The Thirteenth Tribe (book)
Next Episode – The Letter to Laodicea
https://youtu.be/eNLnX5_UPBk
The Synagogue of Satan is a title Jesus gives to a group of people who say they are Jews, but are not and are harassing His Church. Jesus mentions this Synagogue of Satan twice in His Seven Letters to Seven Churches, so its obviously something that He wants us to take note of. We postulated in the study on the Letter to Smryna, that from a contemporary perspective, these folks were likely Edomites. But who might the Synagogue of Satan be historically and prophetically?
These “non-Jews” have four aspects.
They claim to be Jews They are not Jews They practice satanism in the guise of Judaism They persecute the Church
In this two-part study, we look at groups who meet the criteria that Jesus set to some degree. In this first part, we examine:
Replacement Theologists – Those who believe the Church has replaced Israel as God’s Chosen People, The 10 Lost Tribes – The idea that the northern tribes of Israel became “lost” after the Assyrian captivity, migrated to northern Europe and sailed across the ocean to establish America (seriously) Black Hebrews – Those who believe that the true Jews had African physical features, migrated to Africa during the Jewish diaspora, and were abducted as slaves to the Americas (seriously).
While these groups meet some of the criteria, they don’t meet them all. In the next episode, we will look at a group that MAY fit all the criteria to be the Synagogue of Satan.
Related Links
Israel or the Church
https://faithbyreason.net/is-the-church-under-the-law-fbr-podcast-56/
Next Episode: The Ashkenazi Khazar Controversy
https://youtu.be/XM7-JRv8Q1s
Philadelphia is the faithful Church. Jesus’ letter to Philadelphia is full of effusive praise and incredible promises. He tells them that they have an open door to Him. And because they have remained faithful to Him, Jesus will PHYSICALLY REMOVE them from the cataclysmic time of The tribulation that will come upon the earth!
Jesus also tells the Philadelphian Church that He will give them His name and will make them a part of His royal family. Essentially, Jesus proposes marriage to this Church! Philadelphia is the Bride of Christ! Obviously, we should all strive to live up to the works and faith of this church.
Prophetically, Philadelphia lines up with the time of the Great Awakenings and the Missionary period of the 18th and 19th centuries. The time when fiery and passionate church leaders brought life into the dead Reformation church and inspired social and political liberty that persists (to varying degrees) to this very day!
In this weeks’ episode, we will examine the exemplary Church of Philadelphia
Related links
The True Bride (blog post)
The Real Jesus
Mission and message of Jesus
Next Post: The “Jews” who are not Jews
https://youtu.be/9_alOqazH0I
The Protestant Reformation was one of the most pivotal movements in western history. Great work was done to return Christians to the true definition of salvation, which had been corrupted for 1000 years by the Catholic hierarchy. Prophetically, the period of the Reformation maps to the letter to the Church at Sardis. However, Sardis is one of two churches about which Jesus has nothing positive to say.
If the Reformation did so many great things for the Church, why was Jesus’ message to this Church so negative?
Jesus said their works were not complete. While the reformers got Salvation doctrine right, they did not go far enough. Many of the traditions of Catholicism remain in the reformed church. Furthermore, doctrines were introduced into the Church which greatly hampered repentance and growth.
In this week’s episode, we look at the Church at Sardis from the prophetic perspective by examining the victories and failures of the Protestant Reformation.
Related Links:
The Walking Dead (blog post)
https://faithbyreason.net/church-history-part-4-the-walking-dead/
Next Episode - Letter to Philadelphia
https://youtu.be/lpQFD3A-jXY
Sardis is the Dead Church. How could a Church of the Living God be dead? In His letter to the Church at Sardis, Jesus told them that they had a “name” (or reputation) that indicated life, but that was a facade covering up the fact that they were actually dead!
In order to understand what this means, we need to understand the Biblical definitions of “life” and “death”. Life is the ability to repair and grow. Death is the inability (or unwillingness) to repair and grow. This is true physically AND spiritually.
Sardis had a tenuous hold on Salvation theology, which gave it the appearance of a living church, but it did not do the things needed to repair and grow. They did not repent, they were not watchful, and they were stagnant.
This week’s episode is part 1 of our study of Sardis, where we examine that church from a historical, congregational, and personal perspective.
Related links:
Sardis - The Walking Dead (blog post)
Biblical Life (blog post)
Biblical Death (blog post)
Next Episode: Sardis Part 2 – The Failures of the Reformation
https://youtu.be/GGITtY7sL5Y
The Spirit of Jezebel is greatly impacting our culture. In general, a “Jezebel Spirit” is a perversion of feminine wiles and energy used to seduce people into destructive behavior. One prominent aspect of Jezebel in our culture is the severe corruption of “Feminism”.
True feminism is the idea that men and women are equally valuable physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. This type of feminism is righteous, just, and Biblical. However radical feminism, also known as “3rd Wave Feminism” goes beyond the call for equality by purporting that women are superior to men! It universally ascribes aberrant or “toxic” behavior (selfishness, irresponsibility, promiscuity, violence, rudeness, narcissism, etc.) to everyone of the male gender, while simultaneously telling women that in order to be “strong”, they should embody many of the same traits that they are told to despise in men!
While this radical feminism has been harmful to men, it has been absolutely DEVASTATING to women because it demeans and destroys the true femininity that women aspire to. However, this isn’t solely the fault of the 3rd Wave Feminists or even the educational and corporate institutions that sponsor them. Behind this movement are our spiritual enemies. While Satan clearly hates all humanity, he has a special hatred for women that goes all the way back to Eden. And he delights in finding ways to rob women of their true feminine beauty. We’ll explore all these ideas in this week’s episode
Related links
The Fall of Satan
Biblical Jezebel
Next Episode: The Dead Church of Sardis
https://youtu.be/VaWQ5JXfHmM
Thyatira is the pagan church. In His letter to Thyatira, Jesus commends their good works but chastises them for letting a “Jezebel” lead them into idolatry.
Prophetically, Thyatira coincides with the Roman Church of the middle ages. The Mystic paganism that began to seep into the Church during the era of Pergamos became official dogma. The Mystics became the leaders of the church and completely reshaped Christian doctrine into a warped and corrupt theocratic monstrosity that ruled the world for almost a thousand years. This theocracy was and is Roman Catholicism.
Keep in mind, that when I speak of Catholicism, I am SPECIFICALLY referring to the hierarchy that creates and enforces the heretical teachings, rites, symbols, ceremonies, and blatant Idolatry that encompasses the Catholic religion. The individual Catholic people are most often the victims of this religious abuse. The admonition from Jesus is for true believers to leave this institution before they suffer her long-overdue judgment.
In this week’s episode, we will look at how Jesus’ letter to Thyatira affects the Church historically, personally, and prophetically
Related Links
Blog post on Catholicism - MUST READ!!
The series on Religion
Some Catholic Heresies
Next Episode – The Modern Spirit of Jezebel in our Culture
https://youtu.be/6KpkKYadzno
Pergamos was the compromised church. When the Church compromises with the world, the world will always win. The Bible NEVER tells us to make terms with evil, or compromise with it in any way. We are called to be separate from the world – not a part of it.
Yet this was the problem with the Church at Pergamos. In His epistle to that Church, Jesus tells them that they are following the path of Balaam, the Old Testament prophet who put his desire for wealth and comfort ahead of the mission of God. Pergamos joined themselves to the world in order to gain and maintain wealth, influence, and comfort. When we follow the lead of Pergamos in our personal lives, we become indistinguishable from the world.
Worst of all, with the Medieval Church became like Pergamos, the pagan world took over the Church and completely altered theology so significantly, that we still experience the repercussions to this day!
In this week’s episode, we examine the Epistle of Jesus to the Compromising Church at Pergamos from a historical, personal, and prophetic perspective.
Related Links Jesus’ letter to Pergamos
Nimrod and Semiramis (podcast and blog)
The Mystic Behind the Curtain (podcast and blog)
How Mystics Stole Christmas (blog post)
The Supernatural World View
How Mystics Control Human Government (podcast part 1 - podcast part 2 and blog part 1 - blog part 2)
Gospel in the Stars (blog and podcast)
Next Episode: The Church at Thyatira - Catholic Dominance
https://youtu.be/wB5hXJ9WBls
Smyrna represents the persecuted church. Although they suffered greatly for the sake of Christ and lived in extreme poverty, Jesus told the Christians in Smyrna that they were spiritually rich! Why? Because when you suffer injustice for the sake of Jesus, His righteous and just nature demand that you receive rewards in proportion to your suffering. And if you don’t receive that justice on earth, then you have to get it in Heaven.
The Church has suffered physical, social, and cultural persecution throughout its entire history, and even in modern times. Christians in totalitarian and theocratic regimes risk brutality and death just for worshipping Jesus. Here in the west, Christianity has gone from being a pillar of society to a reviled, mocked, and culturally disparaged institution. We are going down a path where Christians in America will one day be treated the same as the Church in China and Muslim countries.
But why does Jesus never offer or promise relief to the persecuted church? Because if He stopped their suffering, He would be limiting their reward! Jesus knows that any suffering we endure during our relatively short time on earth, is insignificant compared to our eternal glory. Therefore it would be unjust to take away our earthy suffering at the cost of limiting our eternal reward!
In this week’s episode, we examine the Epistle of Jesus to the persecuted Church at Smyrna from a historical, personal, and prophetic perspective
Related links
Don't Persecute the Messengers (blog post)
Evolution, the Impossible Fairy Tale
Darwinism - The World's Deadliest Religion
Letter to Smyrna
Next Episode - The Compromising Church
https://youtu.be/M7v2ZNLpx6I
Ephesus is known as the "Loveless Church". While that title is not inaccurate, it doesn't tell the whole story. Jesus actually begins this "epistle" by commending Ephesus on their strong adherence to sound doctrine. He also expressed how pleased He was that they didn't allow false teachers and false doctrine into the Church.
Unfortunately, in their zeal to keep their doctrine pure, the Church as Ephesus neglected to show each other the love of Christ, and to spend devotional time with Him. Particularly the charity and self-sacrifice Christianity requires.
There are many congregations today, and throughout history that have been so focused on "being right" about the Bible, that they have failed to show love and compassion towards others. These churches tend to destroy themselves through in-fighting.
Prophetically speaking, Ephesus aligns with the "Apostolic Age"; the first two centuries of the Church. The time from the ascension of Jesus, up until around the time of the great Roman persecutions. It's easy to understand why this Church had their doctrine right - they were around during the lifetime of all the Apostles! But again, they pursued God's word at the expense of God's love. Or put another way, they were so busy doing the work of the King, they had no TIME for the King!
In This week's episode, we will examine the Letter to Ephesus
Related Links
Letter to Ephesus (blog post)
Revelation Chapter 2:1-7
Next Episode: The Letter to the Persecuted Church
The Epistles of Jesus! We all know that the Apostles Paul, Peter, John, and others wrote epistles to churches and people in the New Testament, but most Christians fail to take note of the fact that there are seven New Testament epistles authored by Jesus Himself! These short but profound messages are known as The Seven Letters to Seven Churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
These letters are actually the most relevant part of the Book of Revelation to Christians! Each one of these densely layered passages not only addresses the first-century churches to whom they were sent, but ALL churches and individual Christians throughout the ages – even to this very day!
Every congregation and person who professes Christ deals with one or more of the same challenges, problems, opportunities, successes, and failures outlines in the epistles of Jesus. Most provocatively, I believe that these seven letters, in the order in which they were written, prophetically outline ALL of Church history in advance!
In this week’s episode, I give an introduction to these fascinating and profound letters.
Related Links
The Church (blog post)
Revelation 2 and 3
Next Episode: The Letter to Ephesus
https://youtu.be/U_GvozBovSQ
Revelation Chapter 1 sets the stage for the entire book. It lets you know who is the subject (Jesus), who the intended audience is (the Churches), and what the message will be (the end times).
Revelation chapter 1 also gives the outline of the Book. John was told to write the things he HAS seen (the visions of Revelation chapter 1), the things which ARE (the 7 letters to 7 Churches), and the things which shall be “metatauta” or “after these things” (the future)
So the outline is:
The things you have seen (Chapter 1) The things which ARE (Chapters 2 -3) The things which will happen in the future (Chapters 4 – 22)
In this weeks episode, we will do a deep dive into the first chapter of Revelation, including interpretation of these first set of vision about Jesus and the Lampstands (Hint: the description of Jesus in this vision has NOTHING to do with his physical appearance (or His “race” when He was on earth!)
Related links
Revelation 1
Word of God is like a two-edged sword
Tribulation (blog post)
Next Episode - Seven Letters to Seven Churches Introduction
https://youtu.be/_iYTQ-vDI9Y
What do you think about the Millennium? When does it happen? Where is Jesus during this time? Your FULL answer to those questions will greatly affect your view of the Book of Revelation! Biblically speaking, the Millennium is a period of time (often seen as being 1000 years long), where the promised Kingdom of God is on earth.
Some people believe that Jesus will return to earth BEFORE the Millennium and establish the Kingdom Himself.
Others believe that the Church is the earthly Kingdom, and Jesus will return AFTER the Church has full dominion on earth.
Still others believe that there will be no ACTUALLY Millennium, but that the concept is a Biblical allegory for Jesus ruling in our hearts.
In this week’s episode, we’ll conclude our introduction to the Book of Revelation by looking at these three Millennial views. And I’ll end the episode by letting you know how I plan to teach this book, so you can decide if you want to go on this journey with me!
Related Links:
Mustard Seed Parable
About me
Next Episode - Revelation Chapter 1
https://youtu.be/CdmtspT6QOI
Human beings have been trying to figure out the deep complexities of the Book of Revelation since the day it was written. If you talk to 100 Bible scholars, you'll probably get 100 different interpretations of the events in Revelation.
There are, however, three broad categories that most interpreters fall into
While last week's episode keyed in on the Divine Perspective, this week, we will continue our introduction to the Book of Revelation by examining Man's perspective. And we'll let you know the position that Faith By Reason takes
Related links:
The Primary verse used by Historists/Preterists Matt 16:28
The fulfillment of Matt 16:28
The Jewish focus of the Tribulation
Next Episode: Millennial perspectives
https://youtu.be/_Hld5rMzVeM The Book of Revelation is one of the most amazing books in the Bible. It is NOT the book of "revelations". It is NOT the "Revelation of St John". It is the Revelation (singular) of Jesus Christ, which God GAVE to Him! It is God revealing Jesus...to Jesus! It is our opportunity to "eavesdrop" on a conversation between the eternal Father and Son!
But how (and why) does God the Father reveal Jesus to Himself? What does that mean? Understanding the Divine Perspective of Revelation is THE key to understanding this incredibly complex and profound book. We begin our verse by verse study of the Book of Revelation by exploring this Supernatural perspective on this first episode of Revelation Unveiled on Faith By Reason.
NOTE: If you are new to Faith By Reason, stay tuned after the introduction to learn more about Faith By Reason; who we are, what we stand for, and if Faith By Reason is right for you!
Related Links:
Revelation 1:1
About Me
About Faith By Reason
What's the Point?
Next Episode: Man's Perspective on Revelation
Starting next week, Faith By Reason will begin using video as the primary media for our teachings. The videos will appear in weekly posts as well as our new YouTube channel (link below).
We will begin with a verse by verse study of the Book of Revelation.
The Church is called The Bride of Christ. But what does that mean? And for that matter, what IS the Church? We’re all sophisticated enough to know that the Church is not simply the building in which Christians gather. And despite what certain religious groups say, the Church is not an exclusive organization “built upon” the Apostle Peter. Nor is it any formal group, organization, or movement.
The word translated “Church” is the Greek word “Ecclesia”, which means “the called-out ones”. The Church of Jesus Christ consists of individuals who accept Christ’s gift of salvation, and are thus “called out” of the world, and into citizenship in Heaven.
The Apostle Paul also calls the Church a “Mystery”, and he reveals that mystery I the book of Ephesians when he equates marriage to the relationship between Christ and the Church. The Church is the Bride of Christ! The process of Christ choosing, winning, and claiming His Bride follows the pattern of the Jewish wedding.
We will talk about this extraordinary doctrine on this week’s podcast.
Related links
The Church, Mysteries and Prizes
The Jewish Wedding Model
Next Podcast: Revelation Video Series Preview
God gives us a new heart when we become Christians. The reason He gives us that new heart is so that He can live in it! That’s right when we accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation, the God of the universe lives inside of us!
This is an idea that we pretty much take for granted during the present Church age, but it was a revolutionary idea in the early days of Christianity.
Before Salvation, people only viewed divine beings as existing externally and interacting infrequently with mankind. The idea that God would internally inhabit us and communicate directly was mindboggling.
But why would God want to live in us, and how COULD a holy God inhabit a sinful host? Furthermore, why does He want to live in our hearts? If He wants to communicate with us, why not the brain? What’s so special about the heart?
We’ll discuss these questions and more as we begin to explore the Dispensation of the Church in this week’s podcast.
Related links:
Dispensation 6 - A Change of Heart
The Spirit of God in our Hearts
Next podcast: The Bride of Christ
When the Jews rejected Jesus as their King and Messiah in the first century, they effectively ended the Dispensation of the Law.
The 5th Dispensation failed because the Jewish leadership failed to recognize and accept Jesus as their Messiah, despite the enormous evidence that that proved Jesus was the ONLY person who could be the Redeemer. The Pharisees wanted a Jewish superhero, but instead, they got a suffering servant.
This failure led to the devastation of the land, the scattering of the Jews, and the (temporary) blindness of Israel to her Messiah.
But what if the Jews HAD'NT rejected Jesus? What if they accepted Him as their Messiah? This question is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, the aftermath of a successful 5th Dispensation would have been unique due to the promises God made to Israel. And secondly, the period we call the “Tribulation” would have begun a LOT sooner.
We’ll discuss this provocative idea, and the implications it would have had on the Church in this week’s podcast.
Related Links
Kingdom Come Later (blog post)
The verse Jesus used to begin His ministry
Daniel's prophecy of the 70 Weeks of Years
Next Podcast: The Church Age
The Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an unprecedented global crisis. Millions are sick, thousands are dying, and it's only going to get worse. The world financial markets have collapsed, threatening a worldwide depression. People are being forced to quarantine themselves as our society grinds to a halt.
Many people are justifiably wondering if we have entered the climactic period in the Bible commonly referred to as the Tribulation. It looks like the end of the world. But is it?
The answer is a resounding NO! There are distinct events that mark the advent of the Tribulation and NONE of them are happening now. And while devastating in many ways, Corona Virus is nothing compared to the horrors described in Revelation and other apocalyptic books. In this podcast, we will look at what the Corona Virus IS and is NOT, based on the Bible.
Related links
Satan's False Apocalypse
Jesus' description of the Tribulation
Jesus is a warrior! Although the common image we have of Jesus is the compassionate rabbi we see in the Gospels, the most prevalent depiction of the second member of the Godhead is that of a warrior. Whether it’s the “Captain of the Lord’s Host”, the “Angel of the Lord”, or the “Word of God”, The Son is regularly presented as a military commander.
Even during the incarnation, we see strong hints of the mighty warrior who fights on behalf of Jehovah. In this week’s podcast we will wrap up our series on the Great Invasion by examining the fearsome Warrior King called Jesus
Related links
The Real Jesus
The “war” at the mountain of Transfiguration
Next Podcast: What if the Jews Had Accepted Jesus?
The mission and message of Jesus is often misunderstood, if not completely fabricated. Many people, secular and Christian, will tell that Jesus came to heal the sick, raise the dead, feed the hungry, and even things as obscure and unbiblical as relieving poverty, bring about “social justice” or outright communism. Many also believe that His message was one of was love, peace, tolerance, and harmony. While Jesus did do SOME of these things, they were more the effects, rather than the cause.
When He was on earth, Jesus only had ONE goal – bring about the Kingdom of Heaven! In this week’s podcast, we will examine the true mission and message of Jesus.
Related links:
The Real Jesus Mission and message (blog post)
Description of the Kingdom
Next post: Jesus the Holy Warrior
The real Jesus of the Bible bears little resemblance to the one portrayed in society, and even in most churches. The common depiction of Jesus is that of a sweet, kind, tepid, non-confrontational, magic human teddy bear. He is gentle, harmless, and kind. He is cajoling, forgiving, and accepting. He is mild-mannered, passionless, and bland. He is weak, abused, and impotent. Isn’t this what we are told He is – “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild”?
But the real Jesus was fierce and passionate. He healed the sick, but He rebuked the proud. He cared for children, but He threatened to drown anyone who’d harm a child. He taught truth to many, but intentionally hid truth to others. He raised the dead, but He let a good friend suffer and die just to prove a point. He was the Prince of Peace, but He violently assaulted the thieved in the temple.
Jesus is complex. He is hard to deal with. He sometimes makes us uncomfortable. He’s a little scary. He’s rarely seen in modern churches, and most Christians scarcely know who He is. He did NOT come to give us a life of comfort. His desire is that we grow, and growth requires a life of tension and challenges. THAT’S the life Jesus promised us. And if you expect anything else, you are deceived.
In this podcast, we will take a look at the real Jesus
Related links
The Real Jesus (blog post)
Jesus, Mean and Wild (book)
Next Podcast: The True Mission and Message of Jesus
Most Christians worship an idol. They call this idol “Jesus”, but the idol they worship bears little resemblance to the actual Jesus who walked the earth 2000 years ago. Their idol doesn’t look, act, or sound like the Jesus in the Bible. How did this “Jesus” come about? Because most Christians want a Jesus that makes them comfortable. They want a handsome, gentle, inoffensive, magic teddy bear who wants nothing more than for us to feel
DOES THIS DISTURB YOU? WHY?
good about ourselves.
We want to make a God in OUR image, instead of letting ourselves be conformed to the image of God. This podcast begins a series called “The Real Jesus”. It begins by looking at what is seemingly the most inconsequential aspect of Jesus – His physical appearance. The problem is, that if we allow ourselves to be willingly deceived about ANY aspect of truth, it opens the door to greater deception.
Related links
Holy Idolatry (blog post)
Biblical proof that Jesus was not “pretty”
Next podcast : The REAL Jesus
Resurrection Myths about Jesus abound, not only in the secular world but even in Christianity. One of the primary secular resurrection myths is the “Swoon Theory”, which states that Jesus did not actually die on the cross, but merely fainted from the pain. The Romans thought He was dead so they put Him in the tomb. But the “cool air” of the tomb revived Him, so He escaped and went off to marry Mary Magdalene and have a bunch of children whose progeny became the so-called Merovingian bloodline – which sired the royal houses of France, England, and other northern European nobility. And yes, that theory is as stupid as it sounds.
Despite its idiocy, the Swoon Theory is still taught in academic circles and was the basis for such books a Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and The Da Vinci Code.
The second resurrection myth we will cover is one that is embraced by most Christians. It is the idea that after His resurrection, Jesus was this gloriously beautiful being who only retained the scars in His hands, feet, and side as evidence of the brutality He endured. But if you hold to this idea, you are tacitly admitting that Jesus is vain and primarily concerned with external appearance. This myth of a “pristine corpse” opens us up to deception.
In this week’s podcast, we will look at both of these resurrection myths
Related Links
Tomb Raiders Part 2 (blog post)
Jesus' Physical appearance after the Resurrection
Next podcast - The REAL Jesus
There are many myths about Jesus floating around. From the secular point of view, the primary myths about Jesus and Christianity center on the existence, and Identity of Jesus. There are some who claim that there was never a historical person named Jesus of Nazareth who ever really walked the earth (in spite of the pervasive historical evidence of His existence). Others claim that Jesus was not really the Son of God or any kind of divine being, but just an itinerant first century Rabbi who was executed for sedition. And it was actually His Disciples for fabricated the supernatural aspects of His story, and faked His resurrection in order to start a new religion and reap the rewards?
In this week’s podcast, we will look at some secular myths about Jesus and see if they have any validity
Related Links:
Tomb Raiders 1 (blog post)
Josephus Account of Jesus
Next Podcast: Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?
Salvation is the central concept of Christianity. The idea that Jesus died for our sins, and rose again to offer us eternal life constitutes the very definition of the faith. But how could the death of one Man (even the God-Man) provide eternal salvation, not only for everyone who lives before Him, but for the billions of people who would live long after the Resurrection? How does a death 2000 years ago pay for the sins you’re going to commit tomorrow or next month?
In this week’s podcast, we will look at the mechanics of salvation, and how Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection provided enough value to make salvation available to all of humanity
Related links
Victorious defeat (blog post)
Jesus overcomes the World
Jesus overcomes the Flesh and the Devil
Next Podcast: Are You Worshipping Jesus, or an Idol?
The death of Jesus and His subsequent resurrection constitutes the most significant event in human history to this point. The death of Jesus by crucifixion was the most tortuous execution imaginable. The mental and physical agony He endured was staggering. Jesus was
Betrayed by one of his closest followers, Abandoned by nearly all the remaining disciple, Severely beaten with fists, Forced to endure three illegal trials while not defending himself, Rejected by His beloved people in favor of a known murderer Brutalized by sadistic Roman soldiers to the point of near death Forced to drag a heavy cross through the streets of Jerusalem Executed by the most brutally painful method ever designed
But was the death of Jesus a tragedy or a triumph? Was Jesus the victim or the orchestrator of these events? We’ll examine those ideas in this week’s podcast
Related links
Victorious defeat (blog post)
Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver
No bones in His body broken
Next Podcast - How Did One Death Pay for All Sin?
Biblical arguments abound when Christians (and non-Christians) see passages and doctrines that conflict with, or seem to contradict one another. These conflicts lead to destructive and divisive arguments that split up churches and even families. Like all conflicts of this kind, Biblical arguments are rooted in comparative thinking (pride) - you try to prove yourselves right, and/or prove the other person wrong. But Jesus commanded Christians to love one another and walk in fellowship. How can we do that, when Biblical conflicts threaten to tear us apart? By using the one sure remedy for pride - contrastive thinking!
In this case, the form of contrastive thinking I recommend is called "Multiple Resolution". It's a simple interpretive philosophy that goes like this: If the Bible has multiple conflicting or contradicting descriptions of the same event or doctrine, then there MUST be MORE THAN ONE occurrence of the event or doctrine! It seems obvious, yet we often go to war with each other because we usually reject this idea. Instead of seeing multiple resolutions to the conflict, we pridefully chose the SINGLE resolution we like best. Then we ignore or disparage any other possibility. We try to prove our pet theory right INSTEAD of trying to prove the Bible right! If that isn't blatant pride, I don't know what is!
In this podcast, I will show several examples of how common Biblical arguments can be easily resolved if we embrace Multiple Resolutions.
Related links:
How to Think Like God and Always be Right (blog post)
Next Podcast: The Crucifixion - Death that Brings Life
The Pharisees were experts on the books of the Law and the Prophets (Old Testament). They knew all of the hundreds of prophecies of the Messiah. As such, they should have been Jesus’’ greatest advocates and His most loyal disciples. Instead, they were His greatest earthly enemies. They opposed Him as every turn, and conspired to have Jesus killed. Why? Because the Pharisees were religious Mystics and comparative thinkers. Comparative thinking leads to brain damage. Over the years, they became so brain damaged and blinded by their own religious pride, that they didn’t even recognized the Redeemer they had been longing for. In this week’s podcast, we will examine why the Jews rejected their Messiah.
Related links
Blind in One Eye (blog post)
Jesus vs. the Pharisees
Next Podcast: Resolving Biblical Conflicts
The temptations of Jesus are well known. After a 40 day fast in the wilderness, Jesus was at the point of severe starvation. Satan chose to confront Him when He was at His weakest point (because Satan is a jerk). Of course, Jesus did not succumb to the temptations, but there is more to the story. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness INTENTIONALLY so that Satan could tempt Him! Why was that necessary? The Bible also says Jesus was tempted at all points, just like us. But how is that possible and what does it mean? We’ll discuss it on this week’s podcast.
Related links
Game of Thrones (blog post)
Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of being called out of Egypt
Jesus’ first claim of being the Messiah
Jesus was tempted like us
Next Podcast: Jesus vs. the Pharisees
Myths about the birth of Jesus are almost as common as the facts. Secularists and followers of false religions spread myths about the advent of Jesus in an attempt to disprove or disparage Christianity. Such myths include comparing pagan myths that are superficially similar to the birth of Jesus narrative in order to perpetuate the idea that Christianity “stole” the Nativity story from earlier religions. But there are also myths about the Nativity that are commonly taught or accepted in church, which seem innocuous on the surface harmless, but they hold the danger of opening the door to wider deception. On this week’s podcast, we will separate myth from reality.
Related links
Great Invasion 2 - Game of Thrones blog post
The Wise Men Confront Herod
Next Post - Satan vs. Jesus: One on One!!
Satan's failures are implicit throughout the Bible, but perhaps his biggest failure was preventing the advent of the Redeemer – Jesus of Nazareth. From the moment God declared war on Satan in Genesis chapter 3, his attempts to thwart the coming on the redeemer are numerous, as he loses EVERY battle against God every time. In this week’s podcast, we begin looking at the advent of Jesus from Satan’s perspective and document his many failures along the way.
Related links
War Games (blog post)
Blood Curse on the Royal Davidic line
Matthew Geneology
Luke Geneology (note: Heli was the father of Mary)
Women’s right to inherit under the Law
Next Podcast: The Myths of Jesus’ Birth