Christian Questions Bible Podcast

Christmas has come - the hustle and the bustle, the lights, the music, the trees, the ornaments and the garland.  Christmas has come – Santa and reindeer and elves and Frosty and movies and presents and gift wrap and cards.  Christmas has come – whether you feel you can say “Merry Christmas” or just “Happy Holidays,” we are wishing well to those around us, for it is the season of good cheer and smiles.  Christmas has come – family and dinner and cakes and pies and cookies and giving and receiving and football and dressing in new clothes.  Yes, Christmas has come.  It has certainly made its indelible mark on us yet again….  You know Christ has come – the prophecies said that he would and God’s plan said it was time.  Christ has come – he was born to live so that he could die and redeem all of humanity.  Christ has come – his gift was simple, yet it was the greatest and most powerful gift that could ever, that would ever be given to this world.  Christ has come – and as a result, all of the human race has the opportunity for eternal life.  Christ has come – has he made his indelible mark on you?
Even though the Bible technically doesn’t tell us to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we enjoy doing it because of the world-changing chain of events his birth brought.  The thing that doesn’t often occur to us is the amazing impact his birth would have on those adults who were on the scene at the time of his birth.  You know – or you may not know – people like Elizabeth and Zacharias who were the parents of John the Baptist.  Remember, John would play a pivotal role in history as he introduced Jesus to the world thirty years after his birth.  We don’t often stop to consider the personal stories  of John’s parents because, well, because we just want to get to the part about there being no room in the inn, the stable, the manger, the star and the baby Jesus.
There were others who played significant roles in setting up the birth of Jesus.  Think about Joseph and Mary and the incredible faith they both would have had to have as Mary became pregnant by miraculous means – and before they were married no less.  Think about the shepherds. These guys were kinda low on the grid of society and yet they were given an angelic announcement of Jesus’ birth and what it would mean.  All of these individuals were given very special gifts as part of their personal experiences and the roles they fulfilled that surrounded Jesus’ birth.
Gifts.  It turns out the gifts these chosen people were given make for a pretty inspirational story about the birth of Jesus, and it’s a story that you probably haven’t heard before.  What makes it even better is their gifts are also available to us and we can pass them on as well.  Check out our December 26, 2016 podcast, “Are You Dreaming of the Right Christmas?” and see what these gifts are for yourself.  And by the way – Merry Christmas!

What a pain in the neck – or my back or my arm or my leg. None of us like physical pain and when we have it we usually try and do all kinds of things to get rid of it.  One really great way to do this is to go to a physical therapist and let them understand the problem and its source, evaluate and act on that understanding and then help us work through the process to regain our strength and health.  What they help us do will probably bring us more pain for a short time so that we can have less or no pain for a long time!  If you ask me, that is a winning formula!  Can the process and treatment we receive from a physical therapist translate into steps we can take to identify, treat and alleviate the pains and malfunctioning of our spiritual lives? The best way to find that answer is to ask a physical therapist, so we did!
We invited Leah, a Licensed Physical Therapist, to be on with us to talk about some details of the process a Physical Therapist typically uses.  What we found was fascinating, asthe steps she laid us for us easily translated into identifiable spiritual steps for managing our spiritual lives.  First of all we want to establish that all spiritual growth doesn’t have to come from emotional pain or injury and doesn’t always come from life’s traumas and tragedies either.  Sometimes we can just grow – and that would be ideal.  Sometimes we face imperfections or defects in our characters that need treatment, and while that does not feel like it is ideal, it is certainly fertile ground for growth.
The first physical therapy step Leah laid out is the recognition of pain, the realization that something is not right.  For our physical bodies, it is the sore knee or elbow or back; it is feeling the pain and acknowledging it hurts.  This almost sounds like a "duh!" moment, but it really isn’t.  Think about how often we ignore an ache or pain, and it festers and grows into something bigger and far more difficult to endure and inevitably far more difficult to treat.  It is the same with our spiritual lives. We often just go along and ignore our angry thoughts or our jealous reactions or our egotistical positioning.  We ignore these things again and again, and they fester and then slowly and sometimes imperceptibly, we become more unlikable to others and less Christ-like overall.  To acknowledge the spiritual pain or malfunction is an all important place to start!
This brings us to the all important second step - to seek help.  There is a clearly defined path, for this step that can bring you to a Physical Therapist but it is a bit more of a challenge when it comes to spiritual matters.  Find out why and find out how this step - along with all eight steps - can really have an impact on not just dealing with our spiritual pains but actually helping to remedy them as well.  Check out our December 19, 2016 podcast, “Can Physical Therapy Teach Us Spiritual Wellbeing?”  It won’t hurt, I promise!

What would you think of a powerful leader who sanctions rape, pillaging, the destruction of thousands of lives for the wrong doings of one, racism and genocide? No matter who we are, if we have a conscience in any way tuned to the sanctity of human life, we would have to label them a monster – a maniacal psychopathic egotist. Sadly, there are many who read certain parts of the Bible and handily conclude that the God of the Bible – the Creator of all things - is such a being. They call Him out for the horrible and harsh things written in the Old Testament and boldly claim that a God who presides over those things is no god at all – He is instead a monster. Now look – there are terrible things written in the Old Testament, but do they point to a heartless dictator or is there another explanation?
To set things in order right from the start I need to tell you I am unequivocally convinced that God is not only NOT a monster, but on the contrary, He is a just, benevolent, wise, loving and thoughtful Creator.  Further, I get personally frustrated by those who make these monstrous claims because I truly believe their claims are based on cherry picking Scriptures from very specific contexts and parading those verses around as fact and proof of God’s character – or lack thereof.  I see this treatment of the Bible and of God as rash, incomplete and foolish, and therefore it becomes the basis for an entirely unfair assessment of the character of God.  We don’t want to be unfair, do we?
Think about it – the Bible covers thousands of years of history from the dawn of mankind all the way through the few generations that followed the time of Jesus.  Have any of those who would call God a monster ever questioned why this lengthy history was covered and why such a diverse set of experiences, both extremely positive and negative, were written down?  You see, the answer to that question of “why” actually holds the answer to the accusations that God is a monster.
The bottom line is this:  God from the start had (and still has) a plan.  It is a plan founded in justice and includes the fully fair treatment of every man woman and child who ever lived.  Did you get that?  It includes the fully fair treatment of every man woman and child who ever lived.  To understand this plan in the context of some of the horrible things written in the Bible people complain about is doable but certainly not easy.  You cannot simply explain 4,000 years of history in five minutes and without asking the key questions – what does God want from all of this evil and why would He oversee things like one nation conquering another or strict laws that forbid religious freedom?
This is why you really need to listen to our December 12, 2016 podcast, “Why Do Some Think God is a Monster?”  This broadcast step-by-step explains the “why” of things…Why did God let evil in?  Why did God let Satan rule?  Why does God use evil as a tool?  Even better, it explains the “where…“ Where is God leading us through all of this evil?  What will be the end result?  Check it out – it may help to shed important light in a world filled with the darkness of misunderstanding.

Stress is all around us and unfortunately, within us.  We know stress is not good for us.  Physically it wrecks havoc with our bodies.  Mentally it causes us to make poor, rash decisions and not work up to our full capacity. It causes us to lash out at those around us and causes damage to relationships we once cherished.  Having the peace of God does not mean all is quiet in our lives.  It means that even though everything is falling down around us, we are still able to hold onto our anchor in the storm and remain balanced and content.  Easier said than done!  What are some practical ways we can accomplish this so we can have a strong, steady walk with the Lord instead of being distracted and always giving our second best?  Stay with as we explore true peace to combat all of the anxiety this world has to offer.
We often think about the “good ol’ days” when life moved slower so stress seemed lower.  Sometimes we look back fondly to those earlier times with thoughts of living with more simplicity and clarity.  The thing that escapes our little dream is that stress, no matter when and where life is lived, is always an ever present threat to upend our equilibrium.  Take the early church, for example.  They had the Apostles there, they had the miraculous gifts of the Spirit working and Christianity was growing by leaps and bounds.  You would think that Christian life in that era was not only good but easier than it is now.  While that is a nice thought it certainly is not grounded in any reality.  The truth is the early church not only had to deal with continual persecutions all around them, they also had to deal with internal stress and strife – serious internal issues that could have crumbled the very foundations of Christian belief.  By God’s grace, the Christian leaders of the day addressed these issues (Acts the 15th chapter) and headed off a catastrophe.
What about us today – how does stress manifest itself here and now?  Julie, our “CQ Rewind Chief Editor” joined us for this conversation and shared some of her own difficulties in dealing with stress.  Turns out that she has an autoimmune disorder (these are far more common than you realize) and while it has proven to be a long term and challenging experience, it has also proven to be fertile ground for Christian growth and development.  Julie laid out MANY insights and suggestions regarding the stresses of our day.
The following is one key point from our conversation:  Stress is cumulative.  Most of us go through our everyday experiences managing the everyday stresses of life with at least some small measure of success.  The trap is sprung when other things pile on – additional family issues, sickness, tragedy, work issues, etc. and we continue to try and manage it all in the same way that we were previously treading water.  Now we sink.  Now we open our eyes one day and feel that overwhelming sense of hopelessness that makes us think that we are done.  Over.  Defeated.
WAIT!  DO NOT PANIC!  There can be a happy ending to all of this.  While I will not promise you it will be easy, I will promise you it is attainable.  Please check out our December 5, 2016 podcast, “Why are We SO STRESSED?” and open the door to ideas, solutions and peace as you confront the stresses of your own life.

How would you like access to power?  This power can change your life, give you things, protect you and even heal diseases!  This power is from a source that is unlimited, a source that is generous and a source that truly has your best interest in mind.  Sound intriguing?  For many Christians, this power is the Holy Spirit and these enticing claims come across as very real.  But are they real?  Is this what the Holy Spirit is really about or does the truth of the matter look entirely different?  Who “gets” the Holy Spirit?  When you get it, what does that mean?  What does it change?  Can we, should we be trying to have the Holy Spirit working in our lives?
If you consider yourself a real and dedicated Christian, the obvious answer to that last question is "yes."  Yes, you should be trying to have the Holy Spirit working in your life.  The follow up to this question is where we begin to find trouble, because that is where we as Christians diverge in our understanding of the matter.  Defining what the Holy Spirit is, what functions it performs and how the Holy Spirit actually changes one’s life is daunting.
To begin to deal with this, we decided to look at when the Holy Spirit was first introduced in the Bible.  The result of this search is instantaneous because the second verse of the very first book of the Bible reveals that “God’s Spirit moved upon the face of the waters.”  There it is, right at the beginning of all earthly beginnings - God’s Spirit exerting the power of change and creation.  The most strict and literal sense the word for “Spirit” in Genesis is the Hebrew word for "wind" or "breath," which gives us a picture of an unseen force or power.  This thought is actually born out in the New Testament as well.  The two Greek words that make up the phrase “Holy Spirit” can be literally translated “sacred” and “current of air or breath” so we might take this as a description of “God’s sacred and unseen power” used to work with us in our lives.
When you think about that, it is pretty astounding.  God’s power at work in my life!  The same power that drove creation wrote prophecy and worked miracles.  How does this even happen?  The answer to that question is equally as astounding, for when we look at the way God’s Spirit - His sacred and unseen power - worked in the Old Testament with humanity, we can see a clear and distinct mode of operation.  When we look at God’s sacred and unseen power in the New Testament there is an obvious change in not only method but the operation as well.
Find out what the differences are between the Old and New Testament applications of God’s sacred and unseen power as well as finding out the specifics of what the Holy Spirit does and does NOT do for us here and now.  Listen in to our November 28, 2016 podcast, “How Can I Get the Holy Spirit?” and begin to put the pieces of God’s power applied in their proper places.  If God’s power is going to work in your life, don’t you think you should know what to expect?

Here’s a question...what do the 4th of July and Thanksgiving have in common? The most obvious answer is these two celebrations are uniquely American in that their very founding was undeniably linked to the founding of the United States. The less obvious answer is that these two holidays were also founded in humble recognition of God Almighty. Just read the first and last parts of the Declaration of Independence and the first declarations for Thanksgiving and you will see that God was first and foremost. Here we are about 240 years later and God is no longer first and he certainly is no longer "for most." So, as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday this Thursday what can we do to relight our own fire of gratitude towards God and towards one another? Let’s start by talking about it!
Think about back when you were a kid.  If you were fortunate to have parents (as I did) who believed in manners and gratitude you probably recall the humbling lessons of constantly being reminded to say thank you.  Remember?  Someone would do something for you and your mom or dad would say, “What do you say?” and you would dutifully (and sometimes with a twinge of embarrassment) say thank you.  Gratitude really is a simple lesson but is often a hard to implement response.
As with anything that is hard to do, it is always a good idea to know why you should do it.  If you just take a small peek at the science of gratitude, what you will find is that people who make gratitude an intentional part of their lives are happier, they are healthier, they have better relationships and they even tend to live longer.  Thank you, Mom and Dad, for getting me started on the road to gratitude!
Okay, so we now know why we should have gratitude.  Knowing why is a great motivator and brings us to the next logical question – how.  How do we not just have gratitude, but how can we learn to live a gratitude-based life?  We can start by looking at some practical examples of gratitude in action.  We can find these examples in the world around us (granted that is probably not as easy as it once was) and we can find these examples written for us in the Bible.  The difference between these two sources may not be obvious until stated.  Current day gratitude stories are primarily focused on being thankful to and for each other, whereas biblical gratitude lessons are primarily focused on being thankful to God.
Both types of gratitude focus are necessary, and both sadly are in critically short supply today.  Consider this; our deepest gratitude would naturally be towards those whom we most trust.  If we don’t display an attitude of gratitude to even these individuals then we have actually crossed over into living an attitude of entitlement.  This is not merely worrisome, it is tragic!
Please look into our November 21, 2016 podcast, “Is Gratitude Your Attitude?” and follow the many examples of gratitude we talk about, gather up our many observations regarding how to make gratitude work every day and open the door to a fuller, happier and more contented life.  There is so much to be thankful for!

A goose that lays golden eggs. King Midas and the ability to turn things to gold through “the Midas Touch.” A winning Powerball Lottery ticket. Confessing Jesus as your Savior and inheriting an irrevocable one-way ticket to heaven. What do all of these things have in common? First of all, they all sound really good at the outset as they all provide a way to find some kind of wealth without work. It sounds like fun, though if you know the stories of the goose and King Midas, things didn’t work out so well. Secondly, they are all not based in reality, even Powerball. With odds of winning placed at over one in 175,000,000, this translates to “not gonna happen, so don’t hold your breath.” Wait a minute; did I just imply that a one-way ticket to heaven is not based in reality? Yes and no! Let’s look!
The concept of being “saved” is a tricky subject because the perception of what being “saved” means for the Christian varies widely depending on what denomination you are ascribing to.  For me, the best way to get to the bottom line on the matter is to ask what seems to be some of the most basic questions – what are we being saved from and who is in line for saving?
To be saved means to be delivered.  I think every Christian would agree that we need to be delivered from sin, so let’s go back to the time when sin introduced itself to humanity.  What we find there is that there are actually three things that we need deliverance from.  First, there is Satan.  His usurpation of authority from the expressed will of God created an alternative path for mankind to follow.  This alternative requires a shift in loyalty from God as the God of the world to accepting Satan as the god of the world.  How do you make this shift?  You listen to and obey Satan’s word over the word of God.  Adam did this and we need deliverance from its results.
Second there is the choice of sin.  Adam made a distinct choice to follow what Satan had said to Eve, and in so doing, he shifted the destiny of humanity from loyalty to God to follower of Satan.  I know it sounds kinda rash, but that’s what sin is, that’s what we are born into – disloyalty to God.  Adam’s choice to sin created the need for deliverance.
Third, there is the result of following Satan’s lead through the choice of sin - and that is death.  Death comes to all of humanity and rightfully so, for God had plainly declared it to Adam.  To be a part of God’s original design of life, we need to be delivered from death.
Enter Jesus who comes and fulfills the required justice by giving his life for the life of Adam.  Saving – deliverance - is now possible, but for who?  Some Bible texts say that there are a few who will be saved and other Bible texts say that EVERYONE will be saved.  The cool thing is that both are correct.  By the way, being saved/delivered is not an end result.  It is actually the beginning of a growth process for those who are saved.  Check out our November 14, 2016 podcast, “Once Saved are You Set for Life?” and see for yourself!

Let me give you a quick example of the difference between happiness and joy.  My grandson, Domenic, just turned nine the day of this podcast so Trish and I went to our daughter’s house for dinner to celebrate.  Once we finished the formality of eating dinner, Domenic became ever more excited as the time for cake, candles and gifts approached.  He was genuinely happy and the emotion poured out of him.  His eleven-month old sister, Autumn, joined in with his happiness in a way that only an infant can.  As I watched his unbridled actions and expressions I looked over at our daughter Amy as she watched her two children interact with their dad.  What I saw in her face was bigger than happiness.  I saw joy.  I saw that deep and satisfying state of mind that absorbs appreciates and is transformed by an open-hearted embracing of a significant experience - in this case it was the experience of raising two precious children.  Her joy was much more than the joy of that particular moment; it was the joy of the precarious journey of parenthood.
Finding such joy is difficult, for it cannot be summoned simply because we want it, and this is why we talked about Zacchaeus in our podcast.  You remember Zacchaeus.  He was the short guy in Jericho who climbed a tree so he could get a glimpse of Jesus as he walked by.  Jesus unexpectedly saw him and opened up a life of joy for him that he could have never anticipated.  So, what did Zacchaeus do to be in position to receive such joy?  He allowed himself to be vulnerable.  He allowed himself to be the recipient of ridicule and gossip and he even allowed his own weaknesses to be put on display.  Like I said, he allowed himself to be vulnerable.
It turns out that we cannot find life-changing joy unless we are willing to navigate the unsettling waters of vulnerability.  Now, I understand that even thinking about "navigating through vulnerability" is uncomfortable.  This is why you need to check out our November 7, 2016 podcast, “Is Your Heart Looking for Jesus?” It walks you through identifying and taking some steps to joy and it also gives you tools to use along the way.  Check it out!  What you find might prove to be priceless!

So, what is Halloween about anyway? Is it all about the costumes, the candy and the parties? Is it all about the social connections of people actually seeing and talking to other people or the excited grade school kid who gets to dress up like a video game hero? Or is Halloween all about the dead? Is it all about communication with the spirit world, fire festivals and the dark arts? Can dead souls really “cross-over” the boundary of our physical world on this unique night? What is real and what is not? Where did this all start and what has it become? There is a lot more to this than you might think!Okay, to begin with, souls cannot “cross over” on Halloween night (or any other night!).  The Bible is emphatic that death is the absence of life and this obviously does not mesh with any kind of crossing over.  This is a fabricated tradition of pagan origin dating back to ancient Celtic traditions.  In those pagan traditions, the changing of seasons always sparked religious reaction, for paganism is an earth-based belief system and a seasonal change was a major earth event that needed attention.  The Autumn solstice was the night when it was believed the veil between our physical world and the spirit world was thinnest and that the souls of the dead could come back to the physical earth.  This is where the traditions of bonfires, costumes and lighted pumpkins (though in their culture they were candlelit turnips) came from.
All of that is fascinating, but what really caught my attention about this Halloween thing is that it is described as a “liminal” event.  Now, I admit that before preparing for this podcast, I was not aware of what “liminal” even meant, so here is what I learned:  Liminal has to do with being "in between," with crossing a threshold from one place, state of being or condition to another.  Being engaged to be married is a liminal experience – so is pregnancy, going to college, applying for a new job, etc.  With all of these things we are in the process of crossing a threshold – no longer fully in the security of our previous experience but not yet fully integrated into our new one.  In the world of horror fiction (And I am stressing fiction here), zombies, ghosts and spirits are liminal in that they are all in-between worlds.  The old 1950’s TV series “The Twilight Zone” always pictured a door (symbolizing a threshold) in its program opening and it always focused on being in between man’s conscious and subconscious mind.
So, here is the catch.  Whenever we are in a liminal state we are more vulnerable to outside influence, be it for good or evil.  Satan knows this and as we look at biblical history we can see how he always seems to be hanging around the thresholds of our lives, just waiting to influence and snare anyone who is not watchful.  If you think about this, it can be very unnerving, because most of us are just trying to get through whatever transition we are facing, nevermind fighting against evil spiritual influences.  The good news is that God is the author of liminal experiences and has given us many ways to be safeguarded as we experience them.
Check out our October 31, 2016 podcast, “Can Souls 'Cross Over' on Halloween?” and fill in the gaps to better understand this important and really fascinating subject.  Knowledge is power and that power is available to you – you just need to go get it!

Sometimes we forget that life is precious and it is worth fighting for. When someone dies as a result of suicide, that fight has been lost. When we lose a loved one to suicide we might ask ourselves; have we become so entangled in the web of social standing and status that we somehow stepped over and ignore our loved one who was struggling with being able to hold onto the sacredness of life? Were we so absorbed in our own stress and schedule that we were blind to our loved one’s battle or did they do such a convincing job of hiding their pain that the whole thing was just a shocking tragedy? What happened to our loved one that they found themselves drawn downward into a vortex of torment and suffering so dark that they despaired of life itself? How do we better understand and cope with suicide? How does God treat those who take their own lives?It goes without saying that suicide is difficult to talk about for several reasons.  First, it hits way too close to home - you probably know someone who has taken their own life or attempted to do so unsuccessfully.  Second, it is a grief filled issue - no one wants to look at or think about death by suicide and its ripple effects.  Third, it is really hard to understand - what triggers such a dire and final choice?  For me, these three reasons made this a trying podcast to research and deliver and yet, ultimately researching and delivering it was the best thing that I could have done.  I learned a lot!
The necessary research of suicide put understanding right in front me.  I tend to have an analytical mind and listening to the several individuals who attempted suicide (whose experiences are featured on our podcast) was incredibly enlightening.  Absorbing the thinking, the circumstances and the psychological imbalances they all spoke of satisfied the analytical part of me.  I now better understand the illness and imbalance that are attached to such a drastic choice and have a clearer sense of the need for the right kind of help and medication for those who are in need.  I now understand that suicide is a social issue and not a crime.  These people are not attention seekers or cowards or selfish; they are simply hurting human beings who can no longer cope and who cannot see any other way out of their pain.
The delivery of the suicide research overwhelmed me with compassion.  To read, hear and learn about something is valuable, but to digest and talk about it is life-changing.  Those of us who are in the lives of people who suffer from the debilitating issues that can lead to suicide CAN make a difference – we can make a dramatic and perhaps even a life-saving difference by being aware, being educated but most importantly by being a friend.  We need to look up from our electronic devices, notice the people who surround us, and with heart and compassion be willing to reach out and be available to them.
Please check out our October 24, 2016 podcast, “Is Suicide an Unforgivable Sin?” It is a little tough to listen to due to the intense content but the benefits we hope you walk away with can help to save a life!