REVERENT AND REBELLIOUS

You say you want a revolution, well you know. We all want to change the world! That's the tone of Zecharia's prophetic song! After 9 months of being unable to speak, he names his child John, his mouth is opened, his tongue is loosed, and this incredible song erupts from the depths of his soul! It is a song of revolution, of overthrow, of a coming Messiah who will free them from the oppress...

This is a well-worn passage in the Christmas story found in the Gospel of Luke. Mary is visited by an angel who tells her some amazing and disturbing news. She is going to conceive a child by God and from God who will be the Savior of the world! She is unsettled at first, but her tone changes when she realizes what she's been chosen to do! She breaks out in song! We often see this as a sweet l...

Here we go again! This is another conversation that arose out of an intersection between faith and culture. We've talked about the antichrist before. We had a whole episode on it in our Revelation series. But just a few weeks ago, multi-billionaire Peter Thiel gave a series of lectures in an exclusive setting in San Francisco. He fancies himself to be a sort of modern-day futurist. I guess if...

This world has gone crazy! It's understandable. We are constantly bombarded with information, events, trends, and disruption. Things move so fast and furiously that we get overwhelmed by conflict and chaos. In the midst of all this, the temptation is to retreat - to go back in time to when life was simpler, slower, easier to navigate. We are seeing trends among younger people. trad-wives, home...

You may have heard of this phenomenon by the terms euthanasia, assisted suicide, or physician-assisted suicide. Perhaps you're familiar with the original Dr. Death - Jack Kevorkian. What you may not know is that this is now an established and growing practice in many countries, including ten states in the U.S.! Traditionally, the guidelines and policies surrounding what is now called medical a...

One of the most talked-about and controversial episodes in the Bible is found in Ezekiel 1. In this passage, the prophet Ezekiel describes an otherworldly vision he receives unexpectedly. It is wild! He sees fire, lightning, and clouds of smoke. He hears thunder and a cacophony of noise! Winged creatures appear, each with four faces and eyes all over them! Then a wild-looking throne, with wheels i...

In keeping with the Halloween-ish vibe this time of year, today we're talking about two of the most bizarre episodes in the New Testament. Both are a part of the passion narrative, and they are related in a strange sort of way. In Matthew 27, just as Jesus gave up His Spirit on the cross, three things occur. The veil in the temple is torn in 2, there is an earthquake, and the rocks split. Then...

What is the Day of the Dead? Perhaps you've noticed the decorations and all the paraphernalia. Skulls, colorful figures, and creepy candles. What's that all about? Some call it Mexican Halloween. As we found out, that's not accurate. As it turns out, it is a celebration with roots in the ancient Aztec tradition. It's a time to remember the ancestors and all that have gone on before...

This is the first in what we hope will be a bunch of these kinds of episodes. As a follow-up to our iconic 100th episode, we collected all of the questions we didn't have time to get to, and we answer them in exhaustive detail! We had a blast doing this! It sparked so much conversation between the three of us, and we learned a thing or two along the way!

Here it is! It finally happened! We reached our first milestone. 100 episodes in the books! We had a great and grand celebration with a bunch of our biggest fans live and in person! We had nachos prepared by our incredible youth pastor and her crew, some of the best cookies on the planet from Mt. Zion bakery, plenty of merchandise including mugs, coasters, stickers, and our signature REV-REB t-shi...

Psalm 91 is one of the most quoted Psalms among the 150. We read it as a Psalm of comfort and protection. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High! You will not be afraid of the terror by night! No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come against you! That verse was everywhere during the great lockdown! Is there more to it? Have we just been skimming the surface? And why did Satan quote...

We read this iconic passage. A vision experienced by the prophet Ezekiel. a valley of dry bones. Can these bones live, God asks? Ezekiel has no idea. Only You know, he says. God tells him to prophesy to the bones! They come together! Now prophesy to the breath! They come alive! It's a great army! What is this communicating to us in our day? Does it mean we can prophesy to whatever is sick, wea...

1 Corinthians 13. You've heard it. Probably at every wedding you've ever been to. What is love? Love is patient - kind - does not boast - yaddah yaddah. It's a beautiful passage of Scripture! Paul outdoes himself! It's elegant and well-crafted. But is there something else going on beneath the surface? After all, this letter is a stern rebuke to a wayward church! It's full of re...

The evangelical church world has made an entire theology around the idea of being BORN AGAIN. It has become the litmus test for salvation in today's church culture. I know you claim to be a Christian, but are you a born-again Christian? It all comes from Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. You must be born again! What is Jesus actually communicating, and what is Nicodemus actuall...

How did people in the Old Testament "get saved?" Is Abraham in heaven? How about Noah - Job - Solomon? They knew nothing about Jesus, and we are told in the New Testament that Jesus is the only way to forgiveness of sin, salvation, and eternal life! So, we go right to Leviticus. It was the sacrifice - the shedding of an innocent animal's blood - the atonement - temporary forgiveness....

When most people pick up the Bible and read it, they usually have questions. After all, the Bible can be a pretty intimidating book! Where do I start? How do I make sense of it? Many times, we end up landing on a verse or two, take it at face value, and make some sort of attempt to apply it to our lives or our current situation. But does that verse really mean what we think it means? Is that &quot...

We've spent quite a bit of time talking about TABOOS in the world of church, and Christianity in general. We've dug into yoga, meditation, foul language, smoking, and what kind of music should or shouldn't be off limits for people of faith. But did you know there are TABOOS in other cultures - other nations - around the world? Some have nothing to do with religion at all! Some are not...

Several years ago, a phenomenon swept through the church world, and it has been gathering momentum and exploding in popularity ever since! It's a personality type assessment, they say, an insightful tool designed to promote self-reflection and help you gain a deeper understanding of your inner self. It's the Enneagram, and we're talking about it! Where did it come from? Why are so many...

The world is abuzz with this new play toy. It's a financial platform - a new currency - a revolutionary system for creating wealth and exchanging funds without any government oversight, regulation, or control. It seems intangible - mysterious - but it is very real. Bitcoin is the granddaddy, with all sorts of smaller currencies called altcoins making their own splash. Some say this is the way...

Today, we continue our series on TABOOS. There's no doubt about it. The genie is out of the bottle - the toothpaste is out of the tube. AI is here, and it's not going anywhere. We interact with AI every single day, whether it's GPS technology or Alexa. Many of us have found AI to be extremely helpful and time-saving! This machine is our research buddy, our vacation planner, and in many ways our pr...

Today, we revisit a series we did some time ago - TABOO! Are there things in this world that Christians should not engage in? How holy - different - set apart should we be from secular life? Is it okay for Christians to smoke - drink - swear? Where do we draw the lines? There are things the Bible tells us are clearly off limits, clearly sinful. But what about things the Bible is silent about? We d...

Today, we conclude our series on how the Bible we know and read today came together - why these 66 books are included, which ones were left out, and why. We have the idea that the canon of Scripture - especially the New Testament - was decided upon by a group of old bishops with bad motives and a sinister agenda, huddled around a smoldering fire with their robes drawn tight. Actually, these sacred...

Between the Old Testament and the New Testament writings in our Bibles, there were 400 years. They call it the Silent Period. It was anything but silent! Jewish writers, rabbis, and scholars were feverishly writing. They produced volumes of works interpreting, commenting, and expanding on the wisdom contained in the Hebrew Bible. Some were historical fiction, some proverbs and oracles, and others...

Not every Bible is alike. If you look at a Protestant Bible, you'll find 66 books. That's what most of us are familiar with. But if you pick up a Catholic Bible, you'll discover 9 extra books! If you open an Orthodox Bible, you'll see 14 extra books! And if you happen to come across an Ethiopian Orthodox Bible, you might see up to 23 extra books! What are these books? Who wrote the...

Sometimes we view the Old Testament in our Bibles like Grandma's attic. We don't think about it. Sometimes we even forget that it's there! But when we go up there, we find some really cool stuff! In today's episode, we want to dispel that notion. The Bible is one story that points to Jesus. Let's stop calling it the Old Testament. Let's call it what it is - the Hebrew Bible...