Judgment Episodes

I think, as a rule, we tend to dismiss people who express profound interest in the spiritual, ghostly realm. Worse, we think those who claim to have had actual experiences with ghosts and spirits as “crazy”. It all gets swept under the table. I think as Christians we are missing a profound opportunity if we do that. The Bible is no stranger to the spiritual world. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this w...

This podcast is responding a listener request about reincarnation. During the discussion, we learned a number of things. While addressing the issue of reincarnation, we also found out the following, and I have a feeling this is more common among professed Christians than you might think. These statements are telling. I find it really difficult to read the Bible; it’s just too hard to understand. I’m a good person. I think all people end up in heaven. Bad people come back reincarnated to learn th...

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 everything that is keeping you in chains. Notes for The Second Fire Episode Link: https://www.rabbithol...

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 brought before Jesus to trap him. A quick note about Sam Shamoun: What sets him apart is his remarkab...

As I was reading the account of Pilate's interaction with Jesus, it dawned on me how familiar it was. We often read the account in isolation, and I decided to dig deeper and consider its implications across the span of history. We've said it time and again through our podcasts. God is orchestrating this. Essay - The Evil That Men Do Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/e/the-evil-that-men-do/

We hear Jesus last words to the eleven before the cross, and Jesus answers the question the disciples are too distraught to ask. For many Christians, even today, the Cross is a mystery that it doesn't need to be. Jesus spells it out. It is proven and acted upon. Today, we go deep into John 16:1-11, asking the questions that Jesus knew were on the disciples' minds, even if they could not see clearly through their tears. Notes for Why Jesus Had To Go Episode Link:

After Jesus laments over Jerusalem, the disciples are marveling at the temple. We have two verses of scripture in Matthew 24 (verses 1-2) that somehow still find their way into prophecies yet to be fulfilled. The Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70AD is about as brutal as judgement gets and still this part of the Bible has been misinterpreted by many to be something yet to happen. We don't make that mistake. I don't think there's any question. The source presents the prophecy and the history and the ...

As we are studying the final woes, what is becoming clear is how much modern eschatological teaching has steered our understanding and worse has influenced wrong thinking! We are almost at the cross and Jesus is issuing indictments and verdicts. He is dealing with Israel here! The temple system is about to be gone, done away with! For those of you who think it must be rebuilt, I think you should revisit what is going on here. Israel can rebuild the temple if they want but it will be nothing but ...

As we rolled into the 4th woe to the Pharisees, we started to pick up on a progression. So rather than stay isolated, this podcast recaps the relevant context leading up to this including the message to the audience and the disciples and a summary of the first three woes. Seeing the entire thing laid out helps give a much more wholistic view of the message. Notes For the Love of Money Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/for-the-love-of-money/

Jesus is on the temple courts during Passover week. It's the last day of His public ministry. This is the most direct, scathing rebuke of the Jewish leaders in the entire New Testament. The temple court is filled with people. The Pharisees, the Scribes, the Herodians and the Sadducees have all tested Jesus and failed. Jesus has just warned the disciples and the crowd about the religious leadership and now he has turned his attention directly to the religious leaders. We are slowing down on the W...

We are on the temple courts during Jesus' last week. The Parable of the Evil Vine-Growers is perhaps the most scathing indictment that Jesus has ever given confronting the religious elite head on. No stone is left unturned (pun intended). It should be no secret that we use AI in our Bible study with strict guardrails to only use scripture and not external interpretations or commentary. That is what we have commonly referred to as our Berean Filter. We let the Bible speak for itself and we use AI...

I think we all remember the curse of the fig tree. It's a passage that sticks with you. Often though, we tend to skip right over the meat and jump straight into the dessert. As I reflect back to my own Bible studies with seasoned disciples, even they got this wrong! This is how almost all Christians hear Jesus' explanation: "...whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." Or the short version is "You can move mountains". We want that to be true! That puts the very power of G...

As we continue along on our red-letter journey, we encounter Jews asking Jesus who will be saved. Will it be many or just a few? The beauty of following along chronologically is that we just heard Jesus discussing the narrow door over in John 10. There he was addressing the religious leaders. Well, that doesn't mean that their followers get off the hook and Jesus makes it abundantly clear. Some will suggest that this can be one of the scariest passages to hear Jesus utter. Luke 13:25-27. Once th...

We drop into a conversation between some Galileans and Jesus in Luke 13:1-9. This is a fascinating discussion that is enriched with some historical backdrop. This is the first time we have encountered Pilate in the Red-Letter journey. He's not a good guy! What unfolds are some very pointed questions that Jesus answers and the answers do not make the one who asked the question any more comfortable. In fact, it leaves them with a question (unasked) that Jesus answers with the Parable of the Fig Tr...

As I continue to ponder John 8:21-30, my mind was connecting the meaning of all that we have discovered up to this point in our red-letter journey. Walking chronologically with Jesus through the gospels helps afford you the same maturity of thoughts and ideas that the disciples would have been going through. It's only fitting that each encounter feels more deeply meaningful. I like to consider myself the 15th disciple. Matthias was the 13th replacing Judas. Paul, the 14th and the rest, you, me, ...

I love reading scripture quietly, slowly and intentionally and then following the hyperlinks that appear in my head! I've already told you guys; I can't shut off the spicket. I'm not good at the details but I pick up on the patterns. I can't go directly to scripture passages from memory but in this jumble of wires in my head, I can somehow connect the dots. I thank God for allowing me to make this affliction something useful and not some sort of craziness! I let my apps sort it out into somethin...

Just when you think we were finished with the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus gives us the epilogue! We are back following Jesus on our Red-Letter journey with The Parable of the Shrewd Manager. This parable is often discussed and debated. We'll get into that confusion. Perhaps part of the confusion is the reader often reads this parable in isolation. I think that is a huge mistake. We left the Parable of the Prodigal son with many unresolved questions. We can look at this parable's relations...

We are in Luke 10: 1-16 On its face, Jesus sending out the 70 is a straightforward mission. Or so I thought until I started asking questions! This is one of the deepest rabbit holes I've ever been down. I'm far from digging my way out of this one. However, what we are commanded as believers is obedience. You may not aways understand the why. It's kind of like when you were a kid and your dad told you to do something. Sometimes, you just did it. Sometimes, you wanted to know why. And sometimes th...

Just when all appears lost, Jesus opens the door. Jesus has just sunk the person who leads another to stumble, quite literally with a millstone around his neck. But then he turns to the one who stumbles and that picture doesn't look much better! Sin is pervasive and all have sinned. But Jesus fixes that! To understand how one must respond to another person who has sinned is to understand how Jesus responds to you. We're in Matthew 18:14-20 and Luke 17:3-4. Notes for Restoring the Wanderer Episod...

Every time I get into a small scripture, the larger message pulls me into a direction I didn't expect. Today is no exception. Jesus is explaining the present kingdom using parables. Through these parables I could hear the voice of Noah pleading to those of his day. He remained faithful, building the Ark. That same message is resonating through these parables, and we blow right past them. In the infamous words of the late Voddie Baucham: "If you can't say Amen, you oughta say ouch!". The world wi...

I think we live in a culture of judges... doing so without considering their own inward issues first. Jesus isn't telling you not to judge... which is how Matthew 7:1 is used: Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (ESV) I'll issue a challenging corollary that is often used: Judge the sin, not the sinner” is not biblical. Scripture commands us to judge both—actions and people—yet with mercy, humility, and the aim of restoration. God alone is final Judge, but we must exercise righteous ...