Rabbit Holes & Meditations - Christian Bible Study

Today marks the first day of Season 4 - The Parables. We are closing the chapter on the Red Letter Journey however if you want to go back to that you can navigate to: www. TheRedLettersJourney.com     Podcast Summary: Imagine waking up one morning to find your bank account is empty — but the screen still shows yesterday's balance. You walk through the day spending freely, confident, secure, comple...

There is a lot of rhetoric online about Israel and Iran. The US is clearly approaching a war with Iran if not already in one. So, things against that automatically get one marginalized by those who support the effort in Iran. And of course, relative to the Middle East, you're going to get people calling out "Zionists," people who support Israel, people who take a more discerning approach toward su...

The first time I read the DaVinci Code by Dan Brown I was fascinated by it. It was a work of fiction, but it felt absolutely true. At the beginning of the book, it even says this: “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” I happened to be on a flight to Paris when I was reading that book, years ago. One stop among many was the Louvre’, w...

Take the hardest, smartest, most devout Jewish theologian who has taken it upon himself to end the Christian movement before it even starts, and confront him with the Lord, and things change in an instant. Saul has some things going for him if only we could get him on our team! He’s passionate, persistent, smart and convincing. There’s just one thing getting in the way. He hates you with every fib...

You might have thought we were done with the red-letters! Au contraire! The disciples of Jesus have witnessed Jesus’ ascension. They’ve gone back to Jerusalem as instructed. There, they are filled with the Holy Spirit - the Pentecost. That happens in Acts Chapter 2 and from there the Christians are now actively spreading the word of Jesus. Peter’s first sermon is delivered in this same chapter. Th...

So, I’m in the midst of writing a book and the first part takes place in Israel and I’m trying, as a Christian, to understand the Bible from a Jewish perspective. IT IS REALLY HARD! I don’t know if it’s just because I have not engaged the scripture so much from that side of the fence or not. In a game of Christian vs. Jew, the Christian ideology seems to make more sense of the text. The Jews have...

Jesus doesn't hop on a plane, he leaves in style! This is the first scene in Acts. The disciples are still stuck on "when you coming back to take out the Romans?  Instead, He hands them an incredible amount of work to accomplish and plans to send a helper.  Notes for Hey Gotta Run Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/hey-gotta-run-but-ill-be-back/  

The Bible doesn't say much about the bema seat, but when we think of Christ's judgment, it often provokes negative thoughts. But every Christian will read John Chapter 21 and come away seeing Jesus' compassion and Peter's restoration. Let that image sink in.  Look, you're a sinner. We all are. Picture the bema seat as Jesus meeting You on the shore as you walk through your past and finally drop ev...

We come to the end of John's gospel and find one of the most intimate moments in all of the Gospels. We see Peter at his most vulnerable and Jesus at his most compassionate. Notes for Peters Restoration Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/peters-restoration/  

Now that we have walked through most of the Red Letters in the gospels, we can go back to some of the highlights. The Bible never ceases to amaze me with its depths and revelations. This is why you can read the Bible for your entire life and always find new nuggets hidden in plain sight. Today, we lean on Sam Shamoun to help us with the passage about the woman who was caught in adultery. She was b...

If you've ever noticed a plane land, it can skip on the landing. John lands the plane in Chapter 20. Christ has risen and appear to the disciples in a very dramatic fashion. And then, at the end of the movie, just when you're ready to get up and leave the theatre, we are taken to another scene. That's the plane skipping. before it comes to a halt. Chapter 21 is such a cool chapter. We often skip t...

With yesterday being Tax Day in the US we thought it would be appropriate to dig deeper into the tax trap presented to Jesus. I just did my taxes yesterday. I always wait because I always owe money. After putting in a solid 10 hours just trying to complete the forms and forage through my financial maze, it got me to thinking about how much money really does rule our lives! Often the first thing th...

As we were studying the burial of Jesus, this surfaced. We decided to do an entire podcast on it because it was such a cool revelation. Jesus has his footprints all over the Old Testament. But until you connect with it, sometimes, you just kind of read right over it. If you're like me, you read the information about the construction of the Mercy Seat in Exodus with maybe some mild interest. God in...

We take a break from the Red-Letter journey today to just discuss the elephant in the room. And to be sure, your elephant might look different. You could be looking at the tail or a foot. Or at the trunk. You're just a speck on this huge planet, and your perspective will drive your agenda... or perhaps your agenda will drive your perspective. I'm not sure in which direction we travel. As I was loo...

One might be inclined to indict Judas for his premeditated betrayal. I think we come at Judas and pre-judge. But I've often considered the idea that Judas's intentions might have been good. I think this because I can't see how a person can walk with Jesus for that long and not think otherwise. Whatever Judas is doing, in his own head, he thinks he's doing the right thing... until he realizes he wa...

After Mark's stark, abrupt end, we turn to the remaining Gospels and harmonize the events that filled out the rest of Sunday.  Notes for He's Not Here Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/hes-not-here/  

We were having some fun in our Bible study today, getting AI to break free of its stodgy, formal character. Honestly, it wasn't working. So, we had to write a script for this reading and get 11Labs to read it back. It's not great, but not bad for the little bit of time we spent with it.  For those of you who want to take this personally, don't. The message is still there. God gave us a sense of hu...

We are on the other side of the crucifixion. Easter has passed, and on our Red-Letter journey, we come up to what I can only describe as jarring! When you have invested as much time as we have and focused on the harmony of all four gospels, there is something in Mark's last chapter that I've simply highlighted and marked as OPTIONAL. Let's explain. We have added Mike Winger's research and transcri...

Yesterday was Easter. After the excitement of seeing the risen Jesus, I can imagine at least Thomas asking: "Lord, what happened down there? Inquiring minds want to know!" We often jump past the three days. Today, we want to take a second and see if we can piece together what actually happened to Jesus during those three days.   Notes for Something Happened on the Way to Heaven Episode Link: https...

Our report is back. The dust had settled somewhat in Jerusalem. The Passover week has ended, and today is a new day. Just when you think the movie has ended, a new scene fades in, and the ending changes completely. On 31 AD, (following John's timeline), Friday was a high day (a high Sabbath). Thursday was the crucifixion. Don't buy the "Good Friday" hype. That becomes a tradition much later. Cruci...

This podcast follows the character in a Short Story - The Sure Mercies by Greg Newell. That story is a modern dramatic version of the same argument Paul gave in the synagogue in Athens. These are the scriptural basis for that short story. Additional notes are also provided for this Podcast. The argument Paul Adler makes in this story is not invented. It is derived entirely from the Hebrew scriptur...

Our fictitious reporter has no back-room access. He is reporting from the streets. The Headlines could say so many things, but for someone simply watching from the crowd, he can only report the one thing that resonates across the landscape: "Jesus Crucified". We imagined how the crowd, many of whom on Sunday ushered their Messiah into Jerusalem, riding in on a donkey, peacefully, humbly, are now s...

We continue to follow our fictitious if not anachronistic reporting of the events as they are playing out during Passover, AD 31. Imagine a news paper special report has been distributed all throughout Jerusalem. This boots-on-the-ground report covers the events following the dinner meeting with Jesus and his apostles the night before and what transpired during the night.  Podcasts and Insider Com...

We continue to follow our fictitious Jerusalem Chronicle News reporter. It's Wednesday, Nisan 13, AD 31. Jesus has left the religious elite seething, plotting, and utterly embarrassed the day before. He and His disciples distance themselves from the temple courts. While they are preparing for a passover meal together, the religious elite are preparing for something entirely different. Supporting P...

We follow our fictitious reporter as he continues to chronicle the events of Tuesday of this week of Passover. So, if you think things were supposed to quiet down after Monday, think again. Jesus and His disciples come back into Jerusalem on Tuesday morning. It it's any indication, the Fig Tree that Jesus cursed the day before has withered and is dead - in less than a day! And that is just a precu...