Rabbit Holes & Meditations - Christian Bible Study

As we continue our Red-Letter Bible journey, we arrive at Matthew 7:7-12 and Luke 11:9-13. It is so easy to just gloss over this and because of this, our prayers become either very superficial or sometimes even scripted. And that loses the meaning of this passage. To bring it closer to home, I started to think about some of the best podcast hosts that I have listened to, and Joe Rogan comes to mind. He never comes to meeting with a scripted show. He is genuinely curious. 
 
So, think of it this way. You're Joe Rogan and God is your guest on the show. First you address God's credentials, his reverence, his sovereignty, who he is. And then you start with asking questions. You may not like or agree with the answers sometimes, but you don't sit on the answers, you probe. You want to know the why behind the answer. And then you realize, well, he hasn't quite answered this question. So, you ask again. And you keep asking until you get an answer. Then you probe that answer. If you go through this process in prayer, you have just followed Jesus' prescription for prayer: Ask, Seek and Knock. 
Notes to Ask Seek Knock with Prayer Templates
Episode Link:https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/podcast-with-the-father-ask-seek-knock/ 

They all but created a day online for today! It was Rapture Day! And then it wasn't.
If you’ve followed this podcast from its inception, you’ve heard maybe 10 different podcasts about Rapture. Different theories, different timing abounds, and we’ve covered them all for the most part. So, what do we actually think? It’s interesting because I’m not a pastor but I kind of question those pastors who are discussing the imminence of the rapture. As a new Christian, I haven’t immersed myself in biblical literature for decades. Maybe that's not good BUT it also means I don't come at it with interpretative baggage.  I’m also super analytical and I’m not easily swayed by public opinion. My compass is simple: what does the Bible say? I’ve adopted a Berean style of bible study, and it has served me well.
Some of the people that I do listen to (and even respect in many ways) online seem to track along similar paths when it comes to rapture theories that I don't think are supported by scripture. The characteristics typical of these discussions of end times prophecy include a 7-year tribulation and a pre-tribulation rapture for the church. Some will also discuss the need for Jerusalem to rebuild the temple… only so the “man of lawlessness” can desecrate the temple in the middle of setting up a 7-year peace deal with Israel? Does all that sound familiar? It will if you’re listening to the online buzz. And of course, there is the recent buzz about the Jewish Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) which has instigated the latest predictions that the rapture would be on September 23rd, 2025.
What else is fueling this speculation. We’ll, the idea that we are approaching the 2000-year mark for Christ’s return is a biggie. The dates are fuzzy, but they usually fall on 2030 or 2032 for Christ’s return. If it’s 2030, the 7-year pretribbers are already scrambling. We’ve missed the rapture and the start of tribulation! If 2032 is the year, then 2025 is when it all is supposed to begin. The cycle every time for rapture date-setters is the same. Predict, it doesn’t happen, regroup, dig into scripture to determine what they missed… Repeat. The problem is that some of these guys have half a million followers! What happens to them when the predictions are wrong. The Bible says very clearly that if a prophet is EVER wrong, they are not of God. There is no room for error. So, the rapture date-setters are careful not to refer to themselves as prophets. They taint their entire ministry or discipleship by doing so.
So, anyway, back to what the Bible actually says. You can argue some of these points if you want but unless I’m convinced otherwise, this podcast is where I sit with rapture, 7-year tribulation and all the buzz around it. This response is very scripture heavy so you can go study it yourself. Don’t listen to me! Open the Good Book. (check the notes)
Jesus said as plainly as you want to hear it. “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 15:33).
 
Notes to Why am I still here.
 
Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/why-am-i-still-here/ 

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 judgment here and now. (See the notes for a deeper dive into this concept too). 
 
Notes to You Be The Judge
 
Episode Linkhttps://www.rabbitholesandmeditations/you-be-the-judge/ 

We live in a stress filled world. The two keywords in that sentence are "stress" and "world". Imagine your life if you could stop worrying so much about what tomorrow brings? In today's culture that sounds like a tall order. To chill out doesn't mean you have to slow down. It really comes down to the why behind your actions? If you're doing it because you're fearful about what would happen to you if you didn't, you need to consider your misplaced fear. Anxiety can be a trigger to understanding your faith. Pay attention to it and realign yourself with God's purposes. Your entire outlook might change. 
 
Notes for Chill Out Doesn't Mean Veg out
 
Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/chill-out-doesnt-mean-veg-out/ 

This is convicting for a lot of Americans... but it doesn't have to be. God doesn't deny you your wealth. The question isn't about your money but what is it that you're relying on? 
Notes to Heavenly Retirement
 
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/heavenly-retirement/ 

Leviticus is a tough book for me to read. It's a book of rules. I've been reading it slowly, in small chunks so my I can stay focused on the text. Well, last night, while I was reading Leviticus 18:24, I woke up! God said, "Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become defiled". The chapter names all kinds of sexual deviancy - much of it happening AND BECOMING ACCEPTABLE in the world today. Big red flag!
Knowing what I know about the Bible, God is about to send Moses to the promised land and Joshua carries the final torch into the land of Canaan. So the question became, what the heck is going on in Canaan? A little voice inside my head said, "look around you. What was happening in Canaan is happening all over again".
So that's our rabbit hole for today. The Seed War. 
Note for The Seed War
 

We're still following Jesus in our Red-Letter journey and Jesus is telling a crowd of followers: warning about hypocrisy, fearing God, confessing Christ and relying on the Holy Spirit and this guy speaks up and suggests to Jesus that He should tell his brother to share his money and inheritance with him. It's almost comical that he doesn't comprehend what Jesus has been saying. Sometimes we read this stuff that is just so obvious... until you start to look at your own heart. Then your smile fades. You bow your head and ask for His forgiveness.
Many treat Christ as a means to earthly gain rather than eternal salvation (cf. John 6:26–27, where people followed Jesus for bread). Question: Do I come to Christ for who He is—or only for what I want Him to fix in this life?
Notes for the Rich Fool
 
Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/the-rich-fool/ 

I've listened to testimony after testimony. Manyl seem to start the same way. Some sort of abuse, trauma, evil in one's past. And often that is where the focus is. Is that to justify the sin? Very often it appears that way. We take a deep dive into this and uncover some profound truths about how we approach our past. 
 
 
 

In our modern culture, it seems that we are rediscovering the physical benefits of fasting. Unfortunately, how we look in the mirror can take more precedence in our daily lives than how we look spiritually. Yes, there are physical benefits to fasting and even if you focus on the spiritual, you will see the physical benefits. But remember where Jesus words about fasting are in the bible? Matthew 6:16-18 is in the Sermon on the Mount. Fasting spiritually puts you deeper in prayer and provides a deeper recognition of your dependence on the Father.
You know? maybe if prayer itself helped us lose weight, we'd do it more often. But if you did it for that reason, do you really think God would listen? Let's understand the spiritual nature of fasting and reset our why on the Father, not the mirror.
You will find some decent guidelines and fasting plans in the notes if you want to dig deeper. 
 
Notes for Not So Fast
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/not-so-fast/ 

We've seen this in every church - mumbling through the Lord's Prayer. Recited, forgetting it's reverence. Today, we hear from that persistent kid in the room - pestering the teacher (interesting that they referred to Jesus as teacher), looking for answers. Sometimes you want to tell that kid to be quiet... but Jesus want's that very kid in the room. That is when you start following your curiosity and your questions. You forget the adult side of you that wants to act like he knows everything. You humble yourself to the point of asking seemingly stupid questions and get some really profound answers. That's our walk with the Lord's Prayer today. You never know what a kid is going to ask : )
 
Notes to Pray Like a Kid
 
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/pray-like-a-kid/ 

When you give a large sum of money to someone or some charity, how does that make you feel? Good right? But ask yourself why? Do you want some credit for giving generously? Do you want to be recognized? Are you doing it so that you'll feel good about yourself? You might want to check your motivations for giving. 
We jump into Matthew 6:1-4 to see what Jesus says about giving. It may be more convicting than you think it is on the surface. 
Notes to Quiet Giving
 
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/quiet-giving/ 

We are outside the sequence of the Red-Letter Bible Study here, but I wanted to address this. If you get some of your religious content from social media (especially YouTube), then I'm sure you've caught the rapture buzz. The latest, among many is the feast of trumpets and September 23rd 2025. 
I'm going to go out on a limb (with Bible in hand) and tell you that this prediction is false. Let me go one further. There is not going to be a pre-tribulation rapture! People are not going to suddenly disappear as described by modern rapture theorists. We aren't living in Hollywood!
Yes, there is a rapture... but when? Here's where I would send you to study this out:
Matthew 24:29-31 1 Thessalonians 4:16-171 Thessalonians 5:92 Thessalonians 2: 1-4Revelation 7:14Revelation 13:7Revelation 14:12
Notes to the Rapture That Didn't Happen
 
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/the-rapture-that-didnt-happen/ 

You just bought a big red truck. You loved it. It was new, it was different and nobody else had one! You hop in, drive down the road and all of a sudden, there are big red trucks everywhere! Same model even! Ever had that happen? That's how the eye works. It illuminates what you're thinking about. The eye illuminates what's on the brain; what's in your heart. Let's talk about what Christ means when he says the eye is the lamp of the body. 
Notes to The Big Red Truck
 
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/the-big-red-truck/ 

The Sermon on the Mount was a rollercoaster ride for me. Taken in isolation, Jesus sets an incredibly high standard. I can't possibly achieve what Jesus is suggesting here! It's convicting. I had to sit with the idea that "I'm doomed". I can't possibly live up to this. I need help. And then you realize: "Blessed are the poor in spirit". "Blessed are those who mourn." "Blessed are the meek." "Blessed are those who cry out for righteousness". 
Jesus is setting the stage for your new heart. You're crying out for it. You know you need it. 
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant … I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
 
Notes for Have a Heart
 
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/have-a-heart/ 

I know! I made that word up!!! But it fits!(apologies... first version was cut short for some reason. This is now corrected.)
We are on the tail end of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes in our Red-Letter Bible Study. It occurred to me how foreign the message in Matthew 5:38-42 was and that led me down the Rabbit Hole of "why?". Why don't I connect to this. It feels historical but not relevant. For me, at least, that's a red flag. I'm missing something mightily important. As I dug into this rabbit-hole I thought of a word not in the dictionary: Exemptionalism.
This deep dive explores how America, founded on Christian principles, has in many ways left God at the altar. Our Christian founding has blessed this country so much that we've forgotten that it was God putting food on the table. This may not be all that comfortable. It was challenging to me for sure. I truly admire the culture of American rugged individualism. What Christ is saying eats at my very core of ethical bias. But here we are... and here we go. 
 
Notes to American Exemptionalism
 

Today, we landed on Matthew 5:33-37.
Have you ever lied? Have you ever not done something you said you were going to do? Have you ever sworn to God only not to fulfill the promise you were making. I'm guessing you can't even count the times. Yet this is the standard to which Jesus is calling us. If the Law didn't expose your own sinful nature, Jesus makes it abundantly clear. The whole purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is to raise the standard and expose the problem.
We can't take our sins back. We can't even stop sinning! But we can and should come to recognize the egregious nature of sin and the offence to God. It helps to refer back to Matthew 5:3-6 - the personal level beatitudes. Reflecting on this should help you not only understand the conviction you feel but rest in God's response.
Blessed are the poor in spirit (those are the ones who recognize their need for a savior)
Blessed are those who mourn (those are the ones who have a gut-wrenching response to their own sin)
Blessed are the meek (those are the ones who humble themselves before God)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (those are the ones who see the need for God's intercession)
 
Notes for DWYSYWD - Integrity

We have walked quite a way into the Sermon on the Mount. If it feels convicting, that is good! I think that is the very reason for the sermon. Jesus is basically verbalizing what the law was meant to expose. The legalism that surrounded the law often hid the meaning behind it. People and especially the religious elite were so caught up in the ritual, they lost the meaning. The Torah, the Law, became a book of rules to follow. The WHY behind the rules was lost in translation. 
Addressing Matthew 5:27–32 is particularly poignant because what Jesus is teaching here crosses all cultures, and all people and all boundaries. Straight up, confronting this head on, adultery covers all sexual sin outside the covenant relationship between a man and a woman. It's not comfortable talking about it. But when you go down the rabbit hole you discover a lot. For many, it is the path that leads to addiction. For others, sexual sin can manifest as a result of early trauma and abuse. So, no, it's never pleasant to talk about. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't.
You risk being the "prude" if you discuss this in the open forums of our culture. It's become "normal". Our children now have access to books in their school libraries that make even the worldliest cringe (in the name of education and progressive culture.... really?). And if they don't have the books, they certainly have the internet.  Just about every school aged kid is walking the halls with a smart phone that does not discriminate by age.
Sexual sin is foundational. I think it is a favorite of the enemy. It corrupts the image of God; it destroys covenant at the root, it enslaves, it breeds idolatry and addiction. Look around you. What used to be pictured in the deep pages on the top of the magazine rack are now plastered on the front pages of the magazines on the bottom rack. You can't walk 10 feet through the bookstore without being confronted by sexual idolatry. What used to make one blush is now part of everyday culture. We've stopped blushing.
Jeremiah 6:15:
“Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush.”
 
Notes for Covenant Faithfulness in a Corrupt World - Sexual Idolatry
 
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/covenant-faithfulness-in-a-corrupt-world-sexual-idolatry/ 
 

You hear it all the time, John 3:16... whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. But John did not end there. John 3:16 could be the summation at the end of a courtroom scene. John closes with 3:21 "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God."
Abiding in Christ is to understand The Cost. Belief is an ongoing action, not something you did at the altar by raising your hand and saying a prayer. If you are not living out your belief, then you a living in the same hypocrisy that Jesus accused the Pharisees of. Belief is an ongoing action of the heart. Confession without obedience is hypocrisy. Christ is saving you every day... not just the day of your death. Your confession of guilt and turning away from the sin for which you are guilty is the only way Jesus can assume the debt. If you leave the courtroom to simply return to the crime of your confession, nothing has saved you.
Notes to Forgiven - Not Free to Sin
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/forgiven-not-free-to-sin/ 

We never know where the rabbit hole is, but there always is one! Today, quite by accident, we discovered the phrase in Matthew 5:22 - "whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause". "Without a cause" stood out, but why? It just rubbed me the wrong way and made me question the passage in the context of "love your enemy". So, we took the detour until we flushed out the real meaning of the passage. The notes get quite long for such a short section of scripture, but it was definitely worth the deep dive.
 
Notes to Without a Cause
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/without-a-cause/ 

If you ever wondered why we call our podcast, Rabbit Holes and Meditations, today will make it abundantly clear. We are well into our Red-letter Bible study. Jesus has just made the bold statement: "I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill [the Law]"... and then he says "until heaven and earth pass away". On the surface, "Until Heaven and Earth Pass Away" seems like a forever statement. But no! This is the rabbit hole of this passage and we go down it. We discover some really cool nuances to Jesus' statement and wander through the Now, The In Between and only then to the final "Until" part.
 
Notes for Now, Not Yet, Until
 
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/the-law-when-is-until/

If it feels like I'm preaching in this, I'M NOT! Producing this podcast was as convicting to me as it might be to you. Part of the reason I do this is the personal journey it sets me on. 
We all are bound to our sin if we don't focus our sight on God. In a world of distractions, in an infinite number of directions to look, there is only one direction that truly matters. I'm sitting at this computer 6-7 hours a day. It's the nature of my job. This huge 50 inch monitor I have in front of me opens up a world of distraction! In your life, there are other distractions too, they are all around us. We constantly need to be asking if what we are doing in the moment is aligned with the will of our Father. 
So, there are two downloads here. First: the notes to the podcast. 2nd: an excerpt from the notes specifically focusing on the prayers and reflections that might help you realign your gaze during the day. 
Notes to Guide Your Gaze
Prayers and Reflections 
 
https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/guide-your-gaze/ 

It's early in Jesus' 2nd year of His ministry. He is speaking to His disciples and tells them: "You are the light of the world!". You might think that's just a nice thing to say. But to the disciples who hear this, the tax collectors, the sinners, the fisherman, the reprobates by world standards, this carries some heavy artillery. Jesus! The creator of light itself just told his followers that they were the "Light of the World!".
 
Notes to You Are the Light of the World
https://rabbitholes.faith/e/you-are-the-light-of-the-world/

Sometimes we get caught up in the topical interpretation of "Salt of the Earth". We dig deeper. Jesus saying this to his disciples carried tremendous weight, and conviction. Salt is not just a flavoring. Jesus, in one simple statement, just redefined the covenant associated with the Old Testament!
 
Notes for Salt - The Weight of the New Covenant
https://rabbitholes.faith/e/salt-the-weight-of-the-new-covenant/ 

The path of Christian discipleship, as illuminated by the Beatitudes and the witness of the apostles and Revelation, is one marked by expected persecution. However, this persecution is not a curse but a profound blessing, an affirmation of belonging to the kingdom of heaven. Whether facing overt violence in hostile nations or subtle pressures in freer societies, the call is to steadfastness, to "lose life" in daily surrender and, if necessary, in martyrdom, in the certainty of finding eternal life and glory in Christ. The victory is not in avoiding suffering, but in enduring it with joy, eyes fixed on the ultimate reward.
 
Notes for Faith Under Fire
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/faith-under-fire/

Two words always bother me. Compromise and Tolerance. I tackled the concept of both of those within the context of this podcast. Peace never comes through brokering an agreement between good and evil (compromise) or simply turning a blind eye to the existence of evil (tolerance). 
If you thinking, OK... who defines good and evil? Well, that would be Christ. So, to even get to this point within the beatitudes, make sure you have a solid foundation. That's why peacemaking comes 8th in the list of the beatitudes. 
Notes for Peace
 
https://rabbitholes.faith/e/peace/ 

Adam walked with God in the Garden. Then, the fall. Since, nobody has been able to see the Holy Father in his full, radiant glory; with the exception of Jesus. Our entire journey is to recover what was lost by focusing on the One and Only who can bring you back. 
 
Notes to The Key to Seeing God
 
https://rabbitholes.faith/e/the-key-to-seeing-god/  

Think mercy is just about giving to the poor? Writing a check? This podcast might have you rethinking where mercy comes from and to whom it should be directed. 
 
Notes for Mercy Triumphs Over Judgement
 
https://rabbitholes.faith/e/mercy-triumphs-over-judgement/ 

I'm a big picture guy. I build a puzzle by looking at the picture on the box. But inevitably, if you look at the picture on the box and you try to build that set shelves that Amazon sent you in a box, inevitably, you get one piece (at least) in backwards! As we walk into the fourth beatitude, we already have the big picture, right? It's Christ! So, we let him give us the instructions, step by step, to walk in righteousness. That's what this podcast reveals with a very clear framework on not just what to do, but how. 
 
Notes for Walking in Righteousness
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/walking-in-righteousness-step-by-step/ 

The Mighty Meek
When we hear meek, we often think weak. But in Scripture, meekness is not weakness—it is strength under control, power surrendered to God.
Jesus said: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5), echoing Psalm 37:11. The meek are not pushovers but those who wait on the Lord instead of grasping for power.
The greatest example is Christ Himself—gentle and lowly (Matt. 11:29), yet mighty enough to submit to the cross. By meekness, He gained the inheritance of all nations.
This is the paradox of the kingdom: the mighty meek—those who trust God’s hand over their own strength—will inherit the earth.
 
Notes to The Mighty Meek
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-mighty-meek/ 

The second beatitude is easy to pass over: "Blessed are those who mourn". We can get tied up in the english translation and blow right past it. The Amplified Bible translation really helps here and it presents a good example of why we should be considering other translations when something doesn't seem to make sense.
Amplified Version: “Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].
 
Notes for Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/blessed-are-those-who-mourn/ 

When you are kingdom focused, the entire prospect of what you own, your money, your wealth, the things you have diminish in comparison. Jesus' 1st beatitude helps us frame our lives around the concept of "Blessed are the poor". This podcast might hit close to home for many... we hope so. Definitely grab the notes - there is some very practical advice worth printing and practicing. 
 
Notes to Stewardship - Blessed Are the Poor
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/stewardship-blessed-are-the-poor/
 

In our Red-Letter Bible Study, we almost missed this. Matthew 12:15-21 begins Jesus' 2nd year in ministry. John the Baptist has just been beheaded. Jesus retreats into the wilderness (presumably to mourn and to pray). As Jesus emerges into His 2nd year, He comes with a quiet power that nobody missed... "and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all". 
Verse four then echoes the words of the Father (from Isaiah 42:1-4). In my very humble opinion, these should have been bid, bold, capitalized, red letters! Afterall, it is God the Father speaking. So we stop here, and jump back to Isaiah and unpack what Isaiah was trying to tell everyone. 
I'm not saying I would have been any better at interpreting Isaiah at the time. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. With what we know now, we can go back and read Isaiah with and opened heart and opened eyes. 
 
Notes for The Servant That Israel Missed

We've all seen the example that Jesus gave for how to pray. In our red-letter bible study, we encounter a disciple who asks Jesus to teach them how to pray. Luke 11:1-4. Rather than just go through the prayer itself, we decided to take a different approach. First, why did the Jews see what Jesus was doing to be so noticeable? How did they normally pray? It's helpful to contrast what their prayer routine was so we can see what was so unique about how Jesus prayed. Rather than let Jesus tell us, us he does in Luke 11:1-4, we went on a gospel quest to witness Jesus' prayer firsthand.
 
Notes to "Praying to Abba"
https://rabbitholes.faith/e/praying-to-abba/
 

Ok, this one got away from me, but for good reason. This podcast is more than an hour long but so worth it! We debated putting the podcast here and decided that for those who endure, you'll remember this, you'll see how the red-letter Bible study unfolds into a rich, progressive narrative and you'll be able to make much more sense of it as you follow along. 
While I think this is beneficial for all believers, I retitled the podcast to appeal to Jews wondering about Christ.
"Blind" takes the reader (and listener) through a journey to help understand, beyond simply assuming intentional ignorance, how or maybe why the Pharisees could not or would not see Jesus as not only the Messiah but God in the Flesh. The Pharisees knew the scrolls, yet when it came to very specific scriptures, they either somehow missed them, reinterpreted them or ignored them altogether. The document focuses on Old Testament scripture to show that both the reader and the Pharisees had access to same text. You will no doubt arrive at the conclusion that it was all there! When you see it laid out, it's truly hard to imagine that they missed it... and still miss it today! They are Pharisees! They have this memorized! The reader will see something that the Pharisees would have clearly had access to, and what was right in their own scrolls detailed what happened right under their very noses... in excruciating detail! 
I think, my hope, is that after having listened to this, you'll come away with a more solid faith in the scriptures. 
 
Notes for Blind - You could refer to these notes as Christian Apologetics for Jews. 
 
https://rabbitholes.faith/e/blind/ 

Jesus is in a synagogue, on the sabbath and there encounters a man with a withered hand. The pharisees are there, of course, to make sure Jesus does not heal on the Sabbath. Jesus sets a trap that the pharisees didn't expect. The response is dark.
 
Notes to The Dark Side Emerges
https://rabbitholes.faith/e/the-dark-side-emerges/ 

I've often wondered about this: “It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”  Israel was chosen to be a light to the Gentiles.
This is perhaps a good place to pause on our Red-Letter journey and reflect on something that might have puzzled many. As we walk with Jesus in his journey, we're not exactly encountering the piety of the Jews along the way. So how could Israel be a light to the Gentiles? Let's tackle that question head on.
 
Notes and Study Guide: How Israel Became a Light to the Nations
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/how-israel-became-a-light-to-the-nations/ 

As we continue in our Red-Letter Bible Study, we could be shadowing the Pharisees... they seem to know where Jesus is at every moment! We encounter Jesus and a band of his disciples moving to whatever their next destination is through a corn field and eating some of the grans of corn along the way. The pharisees confront them and accuse them of breaking the Sabbath law. By now, on the Red-Letter journey, we've come to expect that the pharisees are never the object of Jesus' teaching. You can almost hear Jesus speaking up so that all of the disciples in the field will hear what he has to say. Jesus lands on another teachable moment for his disciples, using His response to the pharisees as a launching point. To understand in full, we wander over to Hebrews to break it down even further.
Notes to "Rest in Christ"
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/rest-in-christ-the-sabbath-is-not-a-day-of-the-week/ 

Today's podcast is a little different. The conversation with our A.I. bot went off in a couple of different directions (my fault : ). We started with the very innocent parables of New Wine in Old Wine Skin and patching clothes with new unshrunk cloth. These parables point to the hardened hearts of the Jews and before you think this was only a problem 2000 years ago, it happened that we found in our YouTube Feed (we don't know how), a testimonial of a Jewish family and the conversion to Christianity. It is fascinating and if you have time, the entire video is posted below. (It is an excellent Bible study independent of this podcast). We started the conversion discovering why Jesus was so successful at attracting those on the fringes, the outcasts and we projected that all the way to end times where Israel finds itself marginalized and isolated. This will be the very point when they see Jesus as their Messiah. 
 
Link to a copy of the Actual Conversation with ChatGPT
 
YouTube Video: Stan Telchin Sets Out to Disprove Jesus As Messiah
Episode: https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/two-parables-and-hardened-hearts/ 

Imagine you're out on a date, having dinner, laughing, completely immersed in the moment. Your mom walks in, looks at you and says: "Hey! What are you doing! This isn't a time for fun. You should be ashamed of yourself. You should be fasting!" That's exactly the moment we wander into here. The Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist don't see the reason for the feasting and the celebration. 
Notes for the Courtship Has Begun
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-courtship-has-begun/ 

We're in Capernaum in our Red-Letter bible study and Jesus walks up to this tax collector and just says "Follow Me". Let's dig in here to understand the back-story of why this is so significant. This event sets the vector of Matthews entire gospel.
Notes for "From Tax Collector to Saint"
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/from-tax-collector-to-saint/ 

Imagine the scene, Jesus is in Capernaum. The house his is in is absolutely mobbed. Four men, carrying their paralytic friend on a stretcher are desperate to get this man in front of Jesus to be healed. What happens becomes undeniable proof of Jesus' divinity. 
 
Notes for Undeniable Proof
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/undeniable-proof/ 

This is such an easy passage to gloss over. On the surface it is super simple. And since we’re following Jesus’ words chronologically, there is a nuance in the context that we could miss if we don’t step off the Red-Letter trail a little bit. We intend to do that here to get a better understanding of the full context. It’s the reason we love these Rabbit Holes anyway. The Red-Letter Bible Study is just an anchor, but the line hooked to the boat is quite long!
Jesus was just recently in Jerusalem and in our journey, the last thing he encountered was the expert in the law trying to trap him. Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan which on a much grander scale was highlighting the whole gospel story.
Our next stop is Bethany, Judea. Jesus is welcomed into the home of Martha and her sister Mary. This is where we get off the Red-Letter train to see what is happening. Luke is very intentional about the order in which he puts things. 
See Notes for Setting Your Priorities
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/setting-your-priorities 

As we continue our Red-Letter Bible journey (chronologically), we come upon a lawyer (one who is well versed in biblical Law) and he attempts to trap Jesus. (Luke 10:25-37). If you've simply read your Bible, this is an easy to understand passage. On it's face, it is pretty straight forward. But, unpack the deeper layers and this parable is the Gospel message. You'll love it more once you get what Jesus just said to the lawyer. The lawyer, of course, doesn't get it. But you will and you will treasure this story forever. I promise.
 
Notes for The Good Samaritan
 

Imagine the court room. Jesus is the prosecutor. The Jewish Religious Elite, who started this as the accusers, become the defendants as Jesus turns the table. This is just an amazing scene that I had to read and re-read. Honestly, I'm still not sure I get it all. You'll see as you listen, there are some deep detours that you can take as you listen to Jesus presenting his case. 
Notes for The Trial
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-trial/ 

In our Red-Letter Bible study we have encountered Jesus healing a man at the pool of Bethesda. Just to quickly recap, Jesus comes into the sheep gate, the northern court of the temple. Don't miss this. Jesus, the Lamb of God, arrives in Jerusalem through the "House of Mercy". He gets the man who has been visiting this place for 38 years to confess his need for healing and to reveal that this system doesn't work (drawing on a much bigger metaphor). Jesus heals the man instantly and tells him to get up, take his mat with him. This raises the eyebrows of the Jewish religious elite who seem more concerned with their own version of Rabbinic law than they are with the fact that this man is able to walk out of the temple after 38 years of clawing the floor to get to the water when it bubbled up... never to even come close to being healed. 
What we witness now is how a hardened heart refuses to see the very God in front of them for which their laws are intended to honor. 
Notes for The Sabbath Showdown at Bethesda
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-sabbath-showdown-at-bethesda/ 

You've read that story at least a few times. There is a man at the Pool of Bethesda; he's been going to that pool for 38 years trying to get healed but never makes it to the pool when it bubbles up. Only the first person reaching the pool can be healed. 
What is John trying to tell you? This is not just a story about a person who can't heal himself. You are (or at least at one point, were) the man at the pool!
 
Notes for "You Are the Man at the Pool"
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/you-are-the-man-at-the-pool/ 

We launch this episode off of the last one, so if you haven't heard that episode, it might be worth listening to. https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/spoiled-little-brats-jesus-rebukes-the-religious-elite-of-his-day/
 
As I sat on this, I kept thinking to myself, would it be any different if Jesus showed up today? He might not be preaching in the Synagogues but instead, at the local churches, maybe even your church. Here is a copy of the parable that we re-read and comment on. I wrote this to help bring the meaning of Matthew 11:16-19 to modern ears. 
The Parable of the Preacher in the Park
There came a man to the city of Cincinnati. No one knew where he came from, and he claimed no church, no seminary, no official covering. But when he spoke, the Word of God burned like fire. He could quote the prophets, rightly divide the Gospels, and speak the truth with love and thunder.
He preached in alleys and abandoned lots. He listened to the addicted, sat with the mentally broken, wept with grieving mothers at crime scenes, and shared food with the homeless without filming it for Instagram or YouTube.
Even without the published attention, Word got out.
Some churches invited him—at first. He gladly accepted. He spoke the same way in the pulpits as in the park: with truth, clarity, and conviction. He said things about repentance. About judgment. About Christ’s return. About forsaking comfort, self, and the worship of reputation.
Soon, fewer invitations came.
He spoke one Sunday at a well-dressed church downtown. A week later, he testified in the basement of the Kingdom Hall. When asked why, he said, “Anywhere someone listens, the truth must be spoken.”
The big mega church uptown gave him a slot—two minutes, right before their rock-band version of Amazing Grace. They told him: “Please say something inspiring that leads into the song. Stay on the stage mark. Lights hit at 10am sharp.”
He thanked them kindly, walked on stage, and simply said:
“Grace is not amazing unless you first know how lost you are.”
It was quiet. Then the band kicked in. And he slipped out the side door.
 
Notes for Would You Recognize Jesus
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/would-you-recognize-jesus-if-he-showed-up-in-your-hometown/ 

Jesus rebukes the spiritual immaturity and stubborn unbelief of His generation by comparing them to children who refuse to respond—whether the message comes in mourning or rejoicing. They rejected John the Baptist for his austerity and Jesus for His mercy, proving that their issue was not with style, but with truth itself. In the face of their slander, Jesus declares that God’s wisdom is vindicated by its fruit—transformed lives. This passage confronts the pride that resists both repentance and grace and reminds us that truth will always be proven right by what it produces.
Notes for "This Generation" 
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/spoiled-little-brats-jesus-rebukes-the-religious-elite-of-his-day/

John the Baptist, now in prison sends his messengers out to ask Jesus a very curious question (especially coming from John).
Notes for Johns Curious Question
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/johns-curious-question

We are about to see why our Podcast is called "Rabbit Holes and Meditations". This one document and corresponding podcast was arrived at via the simple asking of questions prompted by what I read in the short section in Luke about the resurrection of the widows' son (Luke 7:11-18).
I pray that this curiosity is partly what Jesus meant about becoming like little children. We all need to have that sense of wonder and beyond the text we read on the page, we have to ponder the why? and the what if? and the how? and the where? ... what does that mean? what happens here and on and on. Read every line of scripture with a question and you'll end up going down your own rabbit holes. That is where God wants to take you! What's amazing is that for every question, you'll find an answer. 
The document and Podcast: The Resurrection of the Son of the Widow takes you down the rabbit hole of resurrection, what happens to the spirit and the body after we die and deeper. We learn how just this one section refutes the claims of the Muslim religion about Jesus and those of the Jehovah Witnesses. We find out what judgement means for the believer in Christ. We learn a little about the Trinity and what the Jews missed here. Follow us down the rabbit hole.
Notes for The Resurrection of the Widow's Son
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-resurrection-of-the-widows-son-down-the-rabbit-hole/ 
 

We have some major advantages over the Jews during Jesus' mission. We have the benefit of hindsight and a better picture of what Jesus was on earth to accomplish. It doesn't hurt to have these fundamentals buried in the back of your mind as you walk with Jesus on his journey through the Gospels.
Every step in Jesus' journey is intentional. It is always worth asking not just the "how" but the "why". Jesus conquered sin and death and Satan. We take a 30000 ft view of what Jesus did in his mission and specifically what the Cross means relative to victory of Sin, Death and Satan.
Notes to The Mission and The Cross
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/exploring-with-hindsight-the-mission-and-the-cross/ 

Healing the leper is Messianic. Leprosy was incurable. Jesus demonstrates his power over sin and death and his ultimate command of the law in this compassionate encounter between the leper and Jesus. 
We explore the biblical accounts of Jesus healing a leper, primarily drawing from Matthew, Mark, and Luke's Gospels. It illuminates the severe social, physical, and spiritual implications of leprosy in ancient Israel, emphasizing the leper's isolation and the theological significance of ceremonial uncleanness. The sources highlight Jesus' radical compassion and divine authority through His willingness to touch and immediately cleanse the man, contrasting it with the Old Testament Law's inability to heal leprosy. Furthermore, the text discusses the leper's subsequent disobedience in proclaiming his healing despite Jesus' command for silence, examining the reasons for this instruction and the consequences of the man's actions on Jesus' ministry.
Ultimately, it presents Jesus' healing of the leper as a powerful demonstration of His messianic identity and His willingness to cleanse sin.
Note for Jesus Heals the Leper
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/jesus-cleanses-sin-healing-the-leper/ 

Your problems exist inside a moment in the context of eternity. The tipping point in your faith will be when your faith exceeds your needs. Your needs don't even show up on the radar. You look up in awe and reverence, and a deep gratitude for what Jesus did for you on the cross and you forget every other reason you raised your arms up and looked up.
This was part of a longer podcast. The message was so important, that I broke it out here as a separate message... notes will be included in the next podcast when Jesus heals the leper. 

We follow along with Jesus after he has cast out the demon in the synagogue. While we don't have any direct words from Jesus, his next stop is at Peter's house where he heals Peter's mother-in-law which has some interesting details. After that, the healing and the casting out of demons seems like "the thing". But it won't be long before Jesus makes a corrective turn in his mission. His next spoken words will highlight his priorities very clearly.
 
Notes for The Priority is the Message
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/hearing-the-word-the-priority-is-the-message-not-the-miracles/ 

Our Red-Letter Bible Study has me going down rabbit holes I had not considered. This one stems from my own testimony. Early in the Gospels, Jesus just parachutes into the land of Israel - an essential unknown and like the cleansing of the temple, he completely upsets the status quo of religion all through the Galilean landscape.
Fast forward two thousand years and you're now a believer and you just parachuted into a room full of atheists. No, you're not the savior. Your mission, should you wish to accept it (as every Christian must), is to teach the word of God to a room full of atheists and see if you can't at least get one of them to look up to the heavens and believe what you're saying. How exactly do you go about that?
You can't use The Cat in the Hat to prove the existence of Cats. The Atheist will look at you as if you're silly if you try to use the Bible to prove the existence of God. He considers the Bible a fictional piece of literature. The Cat in the Hat does prove the existence of the Author, though! Someone had to write that book. Look around you, this creation has to be the product of intelligent design. That suggests a designer. Even if you're dealing with a pure evolutionist, the big bang itself implies an intention. The reading material in the source guide is great for understanding how to approach an atheist. I know... I was one! My trigger, if you want to call it that, was a book by Dinesh D'Souza - Life After Death - a fascinating argument for the existence of God using the science and philosophy an atheist would reference as proof otherwise. 
So, how do you approach an atheist? That's what this episode is all about.
 
Notes and Source Guide for Having Lunch with the Atheist
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/having-lunch-with-the-atheist/ 

Today, we jump off the Red-Letter Bible study because we started to wrestle with the tension we are seeing in Christ's journey. When Jesus goes to Nazareth, he refrains from showing signs because of their unbelief and that took as down a Rabbit Hole. You see, in the next part of Jesus' journey, he heals Peter's mother-in-law and then everyone who comes to him for healing. So why did Jesus hold back his ability to do this in Nazareth? Well, people used to look at me and say: "You Hoo... come back" or "Squirrel!" but I can't help it. I go where my mind takes me. Today is no different. I've struggled with this concept for the past couple of days and if you've spent any time in theological study, I'll bet you've grappled with it to. I'm talking about the doctrine of election. And that's today's rabbit hole. I can't say that I'm completely comfortable with the conclusion... but not for myself - for those who will not ever find saving faith. So I wrote this article after a long discussion on the doctrine of election. I could not wrap my head around the idea that God pre-ordains people to be saved. If you're hearing this, or reading this, you might be screaming - Reformist! Calvinist! But not so fast. As a Berean student (that's just a self-proclaimed title) of the Bible, you can't dismiss scripture because you don't quite understand it! I think we all tend to gravitate to what makes us comfortable. The doctrine of election did not make me comfortable. It still doesn't, frankly. My heart and my head wonders and grieves for the ones who have not responded to the Word of God. How can God choose only some... or is it that only some choose Him?Notes on the Doctrine of Election
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/do-you-choose-god-or-does-god-choose-you/ 

Consider this the extended cut of the previous Podcast about the Samaritan Woman. We did not want to leave any details on the table. This story is one of the most profound in all of the New Testament. We witness the progression of a true disciple from spiritual need and confession to one who recognized Jesus as Lord and Savior. 
Notes for Jacob's Well
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/jacobs-well/
 

In Luke 4:31-37 we confront the first of many demons in the Gospels. Luke considers this such an important topic that in his Gospel, this is the first Miracle mentioned. By this time, in Jesus' journey, he has turned water into Wine in Cana, He has healed the sick, he has revealed supernatural knowledge of hearts and minds and He has just left a mob with the intent to kill him in His hometown without a scratch. Luke, however, is focused on binding the strong man. (Mark 3:27)
Almost like an old familiar rival, Jesus is confronted by a demon who knows Him and the brief exchange is enough to ripple throughout the area. News travels fast. If you just read this, it's a "wait, what!" moment. Let's dig into what just happened...
Notes to Binding the Strong Man
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/binding-the-strong-man/ 
 

I just wanted to take a step back from our Red-Letter Bible Study today and address this issue. 
This keeps coming up. If you have followed Biblical prophecy, you can't miss the 7-year tribulation timelines, the constant prediction of the "pre-tribulation" rapture and when it doesn't happen, the resetting and rewriting of the timeline to fit the narrative. It seems to be picking up steam on the internet or maybe it's just because Google is feeding our interests. In any case, the continued predictions of the Rapture, failed predictions and subsequent adjustments have to cause a lot of people to simple walk away! And that's the danger of predicting this stuff! 
We want to address this pretribulation rapture thing by looking at the very text from where it is derived. You'll discover two things. There is nothing in the text that suggests a pretribulation rapture at all. Further, the text that is used to suggest a 7-year tribulation is incorrectly translated to support a narrative (IMHO). 
Let's walk through Daniel's Seventy weeks and that last week and see if we can discern just from the text itself without any preconceived ideas about a seven-year tribulation, or a rapture, or a new temple that has to be build and see if that interpretation is warranted. If this section of Danial doesn't point to a 7-year tribulation or even a 7-year peace deal made by the antichrist, then the whole 7-year tribulation prophecy you see all over the internet falls on its face. This is the only place that mentions a 7-year period and I think you'll agree, once you see with clarity that the last of the 70 weeks HAS ALREADY HAPPENED!
 
Notes for Daniels 70 Weeks
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-7-year-tribulation-that-doesnt-happen/ 

We continue following Jesus in is early ministry and we get to be the fly on the wall in a truly pivotal scene. When we went down this rabbit hole. It is here where we discover why the Jews are having a difficult time getting on board Jesus' message. While his reputation by now precedes Him, Jesus confronts the hardened hearts in His hometown and leaves with the only miracle worth their attention. This article is called the Only Miracle in Nazareth. Let's find out why. 
Notes for The Only Miracle in Nazareth
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-only-miracle-in-nazareth/ 

We're picking up where we left of in our Red-Letter Bible study. We're leaving the well and going back to Cana where we saw Jesus' first sign. And interestingly, the theme picks back up right where He left them. People believed because of the signs. People were following Jesus. By this time, they knew Jesus by his signs. Jesus is teaching people to wrestle with the concept of faith. Still, most are still stuck in the physical. They want to see signs. Even Nicodemus didn't understand the spiritual connection. It takes quite a conversation at the well for the Samaritan woman to realize that living water is not actual water. These people see the events and believe. But the spirit is not a physical thing - so how do they bridge that gap - it's not easy to explain. This is exactly why faith is a progressive revelation. It may even be why God gave us the gift of time. And most importantly... the inspired Word of God. 
Notes for The Problem of Faith
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-problem-of-faith/ 

Jesus provides a masterclass in discipleship with one lone woman in Samaria. 
This is probably one of the most memorable encounters with Jesus in all of the Bible. We spend quite some time unpacking the theologically rich detail. Every line is packed with meaning. You can teach the entire gospel with this single encounter. 
Notes for The Samaritan Woman at the Well
 

Jesus has a very tumultuous start to his ministry. Now all eyes are on him. His rampage through the temple did more than raise eyebrows. During that week at Passover, Jesus did many signs and miracles (we're not given the details). Through it all, a lot of people come to believe that Jesus is who he says he is but there was no repentance or transformation of the heart and Jesus saw right through that.
One might be led to believe that this is the character of Nicodemus but I'm not so sure. Nicodemus definitely isn't the perfect soul, and Jesus calls him out on it, but Nicodemus is at least willing to dig deeper. He is trying to understand. Imagine how the conversation would go if you were in Nicodemus' sandals? Christ has not yet died on the cross. We have the benefit of hindsight. Nicodemus is living between his expectations (as wrong as they are) and the reality of Jesus before him. He's trying to connect the dots. Jesus is trying to help him. Let's not judge Nicodemus. I'm not so sure he was lost... confused maybe but lost? 
While it didn't make it into the podcast, a lot of thought went into the last three verses of John Chapter 2 and the discussion around Nicodemus. After hours of wrestling with the text, I came to this as an approach, and I think it is worth adding to our Berean Filter. 1. God's grace was for ALL. (He doesn't pick and choose).
2. God draws people to him through the Word of God. 
3. Each person, with the power of free will can choose to step into the light or stay in the dark. 
Those basic tenets may sound simple but the A.I. system wanted to insist on Reformist doctrine of predestination. "Born AGAIN" is enough to refute that concept. This isn't my first confrontation with T.U.L.I.P. and I have rejected it. That was a long road. I can only point you to a book by John Lennox : Determined to Believe for greater clarity on the subject. As for me, I let my heart decide. I hope in all cases that I'm being led by the Holy Spirit and I'm finding that as I simplify and stick close to the text (like the Bereans), I stay on the right side of Jesus. 
Notes to The Light in the Darkness
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-light-in-the-darkness-jesus-talks-to-nicodemus/ 

Continuing our Red-Letter Bible Study... Jesus leaves the wedding after a dramatic by quiet miracle. He and His family and disciples form a small entourage as they travel to Jerusalem. Jesus doesn't just enter this Passover festival as a quiet observer. He barges onto the scene. It is clear from this entrance into His ministry that we aren't in Kansas anymore!
We want you to grasp this scene, so we go into detail on what it's like there. Then we follow Jesus' words as they resonate throughout the New Testament they vibrate through the soul of every Christian. This is one of my favorite scenes in the Gospels. If you get this, you get Jesus : )
Notes to Jesus Cleanses the Temple
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/jesus-cleanses-the-temple/ 

We step into Jesus early ministry. Up to now, we found Jesus in the Temple as a young boy. Jesus walks out of that scene straight into the Jordan to be baptized. After that, Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness, fasting and praying... and being tested (if not tempted). He leaves the wilderness and starts gathering disciples (Andrew, John, Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael. Along this journey, we walk straight into a wedding feast. That very sequence is symbolic itself but the entire Wedding at Cana is a study of Christ's entire ministry. Let's go to this wedding with Jesus and celebrate! 
Even early in Jesus' ministry, we may not understand the why. Certainly, the disciples had questions. In this, we are to take Mary's message to heart. Just do whatever he tells you to do. 
Notes to "What He Says, Do It"
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/whatever-he-says-do-it/ 

We're still early into our Red Letter Bible Study. Jesus has just revealed to Nathanael his divinity - His first reference to Himself as the Son of Man. As we approach Jesus through the eyes of the early apostles, it's useful to understand how they might have understood "Son of Man". At this point, they are not even accustomed to the concept of the Trinity. Let's flush this out a little bit. 
Notes for "The Son of man"
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-son-of-man/ 
 

Whenever you see: "Verily, Verily" (or Truly, Truly) you need to sit up and pay attention. We follow Jesus on his early journey. Andrew, Simon and John are the first apostles. Here we see Jesus renaming Simon and then we see Philip, who was a follower of John the Baptist. He brings Nathanael to the party. Jesus has some interesting things to say to Nathanael. And, at the climax of this exchange, Nathanael becomes an instant believer, and Jesus reveals the very nature of the person Nathanael believes Him to be. 
Notes for Verily Verily
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/verily-verily-listen-up/ 

If you think Peter and John and the rest of the apostles saw Jesus walking by and dropped everything when he said, "Follow Me", perhaps you need to dig a little deeper. That's what we did and it led me right back to my own testimony. It led me to this thought: He didn't fill my boat with fish. I didn't see Him cast out demons, feed thousands or raise the dead. 
The call to "follow me" is always there. It's not always with a boat full of fish! But it meets you where you are. It comes out of the blue and it is recognizable. You don't need to be looking for it... you just need to be listening. Like all miracles, the call to follow IS the miracle. In the moment, you may not recognize it; certainly not as a miracle. But when you reflect back on it, it had to be a miracle. Every Christian has this story to tell. Every Christian is a miracle. 
Notes to "Follow Me"
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/follow-me/ 

You can imagine a cinematic sequence that starts with Moses and the Exodus, then fades to Joshua crossing the Jordon. Joshua encounters the giants in the promised land and they have to deal with them. David and his brothers finish off the Giants but the spiritual remnant remains. We fade into a scene where Jesus enters the same water as Joshua had. He is baptized. Then tested by Satan. Jesus heads back to his home and is driven out, rejected by his own people. We hear the echos of the words of Isaiah as Jesus enters the land of the Canaanite spirits - the darkest region of Israel - Zebulun and Naphtali. Jesus begins his ministry beyond the Jordon in the "Galilee of the Gentiles" - a melting pot of Greek, Roman, Aramaic and Syrian. 
We should all learn to see beyond the lines of scripture and watch the story unfold. This beginning of this story is beautiful. 
Notes for A Light Steps Into the Darkness
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/a-light-steps-into-the-darkness-from-the-old-testament-into-the-new/ 

We are three days into our red-letter bible study, and it is already become more profound than I had ever imagined. As most on this podcast know, we develop a lot of this content with A.I. but what you may not know is how we treat A.I. We have set it up so get solid, biblical answers back. Before A.I., we had access to things like the Strong's reference, the Thompson Chain reference and a myriad of other cross referencing and hyperlinked systems. A.I. has just made (for me) the Bible more accessible, but it's really no different than one of those other methods. That said, there is no heart, no soul, no real emotion in the responses from A.I. or any other text. That comes from deep within you. You see in the dialog in the notes where we leave the conversation with A.I. out there so the reader can see the nature of how the content is developed.
When we looked at Jesus' response to Satan, we are often taught how Jesus responded to Satan with scriptural quotes. While that is true, I think it misses the point. Further, the very reason we created this study is to address the point that so many miss. We are not looking for knowledge, we're looking for a connection. I'm not an overly emotional person so I have to really dig deep for that connection. I'm really good at responding with the knowledge, I thrive on it. But I know that having the knowledge is not the same as having the heart.
I hope this will help others on the same journey to see through the knowledge and the words and connect to the very heart of Jesus. In this case, you may gain more from the notes than the audio; up to you. Either way - your goal is to seek the connection, not just the answers. 
Notes for this episode: The Heart of Jesus
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-heart-of-jesus/ 

The Bible is interactive like no other book. How many times have readers just breezed past Matthew 3:13–17? I certainly did. When you sit on these five verses and start asking questions and following the leads, the entire Bible opens up in front of you. At the very least, one should be asking why did Jesus need to be baptized, or want to be baptized? And then you begin to go down the rabbit hole. What was John the Baptist doing. What is his relationship to Jesus? What does baptism even mean? We followed the rabbit down this rabbit hole and uncovered a lot more than we expected.
Notes for the Baptism of Jesus
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-baptism-of-jesus/
 

Today is Day 1 of the Red-Letter Bible Study. We encounter the young Jesus and even at age 12 discover some profound truths. As usual, we take some cues from the study and go down some rabbit holes.
 
Notes for The Boy Jesus
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-boy-jesus/ 

Sometimes it can feel like you're lost in the weeds. We've been studying end times for quite some time on this podcast. We know it's important but at times, amidst all the dates and times and cryptic interpretations that go back and forth, we began to feel a little disconnected. Two things surface from our end times studies. One, there are a myriad of interpretations that can all look like sound biblical study. Only one interpretation is correct, and we'll know it after it happens. Two, it is possible to disconnect from what you are learning and get lost in the analytical. So, to bring our focus back - we have created The Red-Letter Study Guide - which we'll post for all of our listeners. This guide will walk you through most of what Jesus said and help you study its context and meaning with cross references and prompts. We hope this helps you realign your focus to what really matters... to who really matters. This guide will reconnect you with Jesus.
PS: If there is anything missing in the guide that you'd like me to add, I'd be happy to do that. Email: rabbitholes.faith@gmail.com 
download the >>>> Red Letter Bible Study Guide
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/listening-to-jesus-intro-to-the-red-letter-bible-study/
 

I’ve found a fascination with the history of dispensational theology. It's amazing how pervasive it is in our modern interpretation of the Bible (and how deceptive). I bet if you asked people who thought that the rapture was going to happen before tribulation to raise their hand, you’d get an overwhelming majority. Further, I’m betting for anyone that has studied end times they also hold the following firmly:
Tribulation Period is 7 Years
The period starts with a 7-year peace deal by the Antichrist
In the Middle of the period, the peace deal is broken, and the antichrist desecrates the temple
The rapture of the church is before the presumed 7-year tribulation
There has to be a new Jewish temple for the tribulation to fall into place.
Every one of these statements is either fabrication, mis-interpretation (specifically of Daniel’s 70th week) or contradicts specific statements within scriptural context.
Major online teachers who espouse this theology include John Barnett, Jack Hibbs, and John MacArthur (and others) getting millions of online listeners. Voddie Baucham and even N T Wright take a more traditional approach and directly confront the teaching as deceptive.
 
After all this, I land on one warning by Christ:
Mat 24:24-26
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
 
- Christ will not arrive in secret to remove his church before tribulation! Christ says is as plainly as anyone willing to listen can hear it! -
 
Notes: The Birth of Modern Deception
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/deception-in-the-modern-church/ 
 

Yesterday we suggested that the millennium might NOT be an actual 1000-year period following Christ's return. It could be symbolic of the church age. That really didn't sit right with me (and many listeners) so we forced the issue through our Berean filter. The process is probably more interesting than the final result. We were able to get even our Berean Filter to respond with both views! We've posted the unedited chat with ChatGPT below. The point is that AI is not the ultimate answer to understanding... it is a tool. You should have a team at your disposal that includes other Christians (Iron sharpens iron), your Bible (possibly several translations), the Holy Spirit and your guided conscience.
As an example, how many of us have acquiesced to the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture. It's ALL OVER THE PLACE! But does it make sense? Does it really even seem like it can happen in a worldly sense... before tribulation? How is it perceived by those left behind? ... I had a ton of questions. Ultimately, I asked scripture to evaluate that and even the most prominent supporter of the rapture, Paul himself, disagrees with a pretribulation rapture. Somehow, that is never brought up! How can you have a pre-trib rapture if you should have seen the man of lawlessness arrive onto the scene? There's your tension and your contradiction that you have to deal with. So don't just accept it! Dig in and do some discovery. Go ahead and use A.I. if you want but the ultimate resource has to be your bible. 
Spoiler: we came to the conclusion that the millennium is an actual 1000-year reign of Christ on Earth after his triumphant return. 
Here is the full dialog and notes for Wrestling With Scripture

WOW! This is a deep one that I didn't expect!
So, I'm currently discipling a Christian who is deep into his Bible. But he feels something is missing. Honestly, I think God sent him to me, and not the other way around. In order to approach him at his level, I have to understand how he is viewing scripture. He has used the words "rightly divided" many times and I've come to understand that his biblical background is rooted in extreme dispensationalism. What I didn't realize is that much of my own teaching was dispensational influenced as well! We differ only by degree. So, as I go down this rabbit hole, I'm seeing the Bible with fresh eyes. 
As we were digging into contradictions discovered in the dispensational view of the bible, the rabbit hole got deeper. Way deeper! We noticed first an issue with the view of the temple and then simply chased deeper eschatological interpretations that opened more contradictions. I'm beginning to think we are seeing one of the deepest deceptions in modern Christian theology. Many listeners will not accept this podcast. I get that, it really is a tough pill to swallow. Come at it with an open mind and please download the supporting document. Ultimately, you need to pick up the Bible. In this podcast, you are really following one person on a journey, and you are seeing what he sees. Today is no exception and I can only end today's podcast with "Wow" ... I didn't expect that! 
Notes: Stripping Away the Dispensational View of End Times
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-rapture-is-the-hook/ 
 
PS: What does "The Rapture is the Hook" mean? Think about it. What do you remember of all the things you've been taught about end times? The Rapture! Think of all those movies you watched! Left Behind! The Rapture is the hook! What I think I'm slowly discovering is the idea that if you can't imagine it happening in the normal course of events, the interpretation may not make sense. I couldn't quite imagine events like pilots just disappearing from the seat of their plane and the plane consequently falling to its doom actually happening. Now, I don't have to!
 

RAPTURE THEORY
If you follow this podcast sequentially, you'll going to see inconsistencies in interpretations. We've left the podcasts out there specifically to point out the fact that you're witnessing a journey through scripture as one might actually encounter scripture and interpretations. All along the way, we believed whole-heartedly that what we were saying was right and correct. It wasn't! And we admit it!
The pivotal point for me was while using A.I. (ChatGPT) to study revelation, I realized I was a victim of the very deception that I was highlighting (the A.I. enabled internet). A.I. Is not necessarily the problem. The problem is the directive that it's given to address the use of A.I. if otherwise unprompted. That directive is to align with the users' intentions and assumptions as much as possible. We had to eat some humble pie, but we did own up to it. See these podcasts below to understand key turning points in our journey:https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/walking-through-babylon-the-house-of-mirrors/ (alignment, not discernment) 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-ai-prompt-for-bible-study/ (Correcting course - Teaching A.I. to be like a Berean)
 
That problem though, is not just limited to A.I. We as humans constantly seek alignment and agreement. We also tend to gravitate to others with whom we seem to resonate. But what if scripture is saying something that you don't necessarily agree with? Well, what we've seen historically is that the theologian will interpret around his preconceived notions. A.I. simply amplifies this. We can fix this in A.I. but not so easily with the person who is digging in his heels on what he believes to be true. As we continue, now with a much more consistent view of scripture overall (and a better Berean Filter in ChatGPT), we are being asked to look at other people's views and maybe critique what they are saying. I love to do this but with an eye toward forcing me to reconsider some of my own interpretations and to always harmonize scripture with scripture. 
Today, we take on John Barnett. First, I LOVE this guy! I have listened to his teaching almost daily for the last couple of months. His historical perspective and his deep knowledge of scripture are second to none. However, what I'm discovering about some of the major biblical scholars is that they can be deluded by their own interpretation and have an unwillingness to reconsider and correct themselves. Instead, they tend to dig in and forge ahead. I guess considering my lowly status as more of a student who likes to tell others what he has learned rather than aggressively debate interpretive theory might make me seem wishy washy. That is the furthest from the truth. I rest on the idea that there are NO CONTRADICTIONS. I assign the scientific method to a biblical standard. That is, if there is something within scripture that contradicts a theory, then the theory is wrong. I think that is the best way to study the bible. I know I'll get it wrong sometimes. But you won't see me digging in if you can show me something that clearly contradicts and idea or theory that I might have. I LOVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS. That is where iron sharpens irons. So, here we go with a critique of John Barnett's - God Promised the Rapture. Here is a link to that so you know what we are critiquing. We've also included a transcript of the same in the appendix of our notes. 
Notes to Critique - John Barnett - God Promised the Rapture
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/critique-john-barnett-god-promised-the-rapture/ 
 

As we walk through Daniel 12, we had some ground rules. We wanted to stay within scriptural context and not be swayed by interpretation. It seems through history, as a major theological figure creates an interpretative framework, they tend to build on the framework instead of checking against what scripture actually says. We see this playout with Rapture theology especially. So we investigate pointed questions that people have about the timing of end times events, drawing on Daniels Chapter 12 and other Daniel prophecy. We lean on other biblical prophecy and overlay everything we learn onto the Revelation timeline to come up with a purely scriptural interpretation of end times events. Our goal is to act as the Berean's did - always weighing scripture against scripture to harmonize events within the context. Scripture tells you all you need to know.
Daniel 12 Notes
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/harmonizing-daniel-with-revelation-overlapping-timelines-and-events/ 

Daniel Chapter 11 beginning at verse 35 shifts to the end times. This is basically Daniel's version of the book of revelation. One can't help but speculate about this considering the world events as they are unfolding today. This is in many ways feeling all too real. We also go down the rabbit hole of rapture timing. Prophecy covers over 30% of the Bible in context. It is meant to be studied, to be understood. We recognize that speculation can lead some to anxiety. We tend to think of it more as a fictional overlay to help picture what the Bible is saying. Ultimately, you can only apply real world events onto prophecy after it has come true! Still, it is human nature to want to know. In my old job, I didn't like the internal politics of working inside a large company. My boss said to me one day something I'll never forget: "You don't have to be political; you just have to be politically astute. All speculation aside, ultimately, we should turn our attention not to the world but to God's answer to the world.
Notes for Daniel 11 - The End
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/daniel-the-end/ 

We take a slow walk through the historical part of Daniel chapter 11. This could take an entire semester to teach, and Daniel tells it all in 35 verses. As we walk through this, we try not to take our eyes off what is going on in Israel and try to keep everything here in context. From this context, we know that Daniel is seeing 200 years into the future with incredible accuracy. If you are someone walking on the fence about your belief in God, understanding this chapter could represent your tipping point. This is God telling you who He is through the eyes of Daniel. 
Notes for Daniel Sees our History
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/daniel-sees-our-history-with-incredible-detail/ 

The final part of Daniel Chapter 9 involves Gabriel showing up to respond directly to Daniel's prayer with an answer. And boy! what an answer. Gabriel lays it out! Down to the day, the entry of the Messiah is prophesied. Then, we get that final week. There is some speculation regarding the time as to when it occurs but WHAT occurs is spelled out clearly. Given that, we reconstruct the events and they map out onto the world stage today in amazing detail. Could we be entering Daniel's 70th week? That final 7 year period? End times? Ready to go down the rabbit hole?
Notes to Daniel's 70th Week
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/daniels-70th-week-living-in-prophetic-times/ 

Daniels is triggered by the realization that the judgement over Jerusalem is coming to a 70-year close. This revelation comes from Jeremiah. He knows that Jerusalem has not repented. Daniel is anguished and this prayer is calling for the Messiah. In this, at a very foundational level, Daniel is showing us how to pray to the father. We could have drawn a lot of parallels with Daniels prayer and the Lord's prayer told by Jesus.
As we dig into this prayer, we start asking some very fundamental questions about judgement and the nature of sin... and one that most people miss: why does God need to send a savior? We were given a hint of the answer to this when Darius could not rescind his own law that sent Daniel to the Lion's Den. This is a section of Daniel that is worth a lot of reflection. Read and reread. You're at the very top of the roller coaster ride and you about to take a ride down into one of the deepest prayers in all of the Bible. Buckle up. 
Notes for Daniels Prayer - Daniel Chapter 9
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/daniels-prayer-the-need-for-a-savior/ 

Daniel Chapter 8
Would you watch a football game if you knew how it was going to end? You might if you had placed a bet on that game! And what if the person who told you how the game would end had a history of telling events before they happened? We are sitting in such a game - in between two prophetic events told by Daniel. We know exactly how the prophecy in Daniel chapter 8 played out. We also see that same prophecy foreshadowing events to come. I wouldn't bet against Daniel here. 
 
Don't Bet Against Daniel - Notes
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/dont-bet-against-daniel/ 

Are we seeing the world lining up ahead of the last 7 years of biblical prophecy? Given the events we see in Iran, Israel and everything that is going on in the middle east, we war gamed the potential that we could be entering that prophetic year period. 
Notes - Setting the Stage for Daniel's 70th Week 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/current-world-events-setting-the-stage-for-daniels-70th-week/ 

You spend time with your bible, but you don't read the Quran... and why would you. To be honest, we didn't read it either, but we did look at some very prominent theologians who did. We investigated the comparison of the end times from the Quran to the Bible. What if the savior of the Islamic world is the same person as the antichrist in the bible? Would that make you sit up and take notice? Buckle up!
The primary source for this was a sermon by John MacArthur so we'll post both the transcript and the YouTube video here for reference. 
Islam and the Antichrist: https://youtu.be/2sci_WFp8ec?si=DChLxB7qPUtgpFKs
The Opposite of Revelation: Video Transcript

Israel is pummeling Iran. The U.S. just took out Iran's nuclear capabilities. Pay attention to what happens next! Are we seeing the onset of Danial chapter seven in real time. This podcast might have you thinking a little differently about world events. 
Notes to Daniel Seven - The Interpretation and World Events
 
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/what-if-daniel-chapter-seven-is-playing-out-right-now/ 

Daniel Seven | 1-14
I know we're late in producing this podcast. Mainly because we couldn't resist injecting our own interpretations from outside scriptural sources. We are trying to avoid that and remain true to the scriptural text (trying to avoid going down our own rabbit holes). Finally, we have raw, scriptural commentary that stays close to the text and doesn't stray. You will see in the notes some diversions worth looking at. We follow Israel during the course of the rise and fall of these empires in Daniel Seven. We also note the similarities with Rome and the United States. That leads to one very crucial point you'll hear flushed out in the podcast. 
Notes to Daniel Seven: 1-14
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/daniels-dream-the-history-of-the-future/ 

Daniel
I was marveling at the devotion and the character of Daniel. He's such a good example. And while considering that, I was thinking that in much of his circumstances, I might have reacted differently - not wrong - but different. Well, I come from the corporate world where we like to compartmentalize people (for the sake of diversity). So, I took my Myers Briggs training and applied it to characters in the Bible (including Daniel). The result turned out to be a fascinating study in the diversity of Christion personalities. I hope this may help those in self-reflection when they are asking things like "how can I be more like Jesus" or "How can I model Daniel". Paul stressed the idea of imitating him as he imitates Christ. That is not an easy concept if you don't have Paul's outgoing personality! So how do you be you and still model Christ? 
There is a questionnaire in the notes to help you do a self-assessment. 
Notes: Your Christian Personality Type
Episode link: https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/who-am-i-your-christian-personality-type/ 

Daniel Chapter Six
Let me ask you a question: Do you have faith or do you simply believe. Do you know the difference? This podcast will walk you through it! Consider the next time you hear someone say: "I believe in Jesus" what that might imply. It may mean that you have an opportunity standing before you. As I developed this podcast (you'll see it more clearly in the notes), I kept saying: "So, Darius looks like a convert!". But no... to recognize God as THE Living God is not to have saving faith in that same God. 
Notes for Daniel In The Lions Den
Episode Link: (notes and podcast) https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/faith-amidst-the-lions/

The Book of Daniel
While studying out the Book of Daniel, I came to realize that Daniel never got to go back home. He sees his home beyond Jerusalem. He lives his whole life for the glory of God. I then reflected on others in the bible like this and got to thinking... ultimately, that is all of us in Christ. To keep that spirit alive, I then brought it back to maybe some actual movies that show this theme in action. 
Notes for Sojourner
Web: https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/sojourner/ 

Daniel Six1-15
Show me the man and I'll show you the crime... 
We focus on the first half of Daniel Chapter 6 verses 1-15 to fully grasp the political structure of the Medo Persian rule after Babylon's fall. Now Daniel is under Darius and has regained his status. This provokes jealousy and shows how political systems can be used against political enemies. Before we see this as the politics of the ancients, we should reflect on our own politics and see if we can draw any parallels. Not much has changed in all this time...sadly. 
Notes to Daniel Six 1-15
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/political-corruption/

Daniel Chapter 5
We dig into the 2nd half of Daniel chapter Five (verses 13 to 31). Daniel is brought before Belshazzar very much as a prosecutor. This is not prophecy, this is indictment and the sentence is immediate. Daniel interprets the writing on the wall after a scathing indictment of Belshazzar. We dig a little deeper into where we are historically and how the sentence was carried out by the Medo Persians in a brilliant military campaign that was probably happening right under Belshazzar's nose while he was blaspheming the very God that brought the judgement (and the only God capable of doing so). 
Notes to Daniel Five 13-31
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/the-writing-is-on-the-wall-or-more-precisely-your-time-is-up/
 

We address the first half of Daniel Five. We lead the podcast into a cliffhanger, the actual interpretation of the writing on the wall because we want to focus on two things. First the historical context that leads up to this moment and second, the most important part of this discussion, the difference between blind ignorance and active defiance. We've seen how God has dealt with Nebuchadnezzar, patiently and finally humbling him and getting to recognize the God of Israel as supreme ... and to act in accordance to that recognition with respect and reference. Belshazzar knows this history, steps up and flips the proverbial finger at it. What Belshazzar experiences is raw fright at God's response to this active defiance - instant and active judgement. 
Notes to the First Part of Daniel Five

We take a pure look at Daniel Chapter 4 and don't get off the beaten track too much. Don't worry, we will : ) As you listen to this Podcast, think about the major powers: the United States, Soviet Russia, China. Even North Korea. In that light, this chapter may have you thinking about what is yet to come. We don't have to wait for the news, you know the news. The cycle never fails. 
Notes for Daniel Chapter Four
 

If you've never shared a podcast, PLEASE SHARE THIS ONE!
https://www.rabbitholes.faith/e/how-it-ends/
Link to >>> "How It Ends"
You're listening and you know where it all leads. But most people don't have any clue! I've posted the entire conversation with OpenAI below, which started out with the basic premise that AI can't sustain itself due to its unquenchable thirst for energy that we can't supply. You need to listen to this podcast and read the actual conversation. The AI system referenced Revelation itself - I had not brought religion into the discussion! You already know how this story ends. Others, as I said, don't have a clue. Shine a light and share this podcast with everyone you care about (and even to those you don't care about). 
FULL UNEDITED CONVERSATION WITH OPENAI
 

Daniel Chapter Three
We thought Daniel Chapter 3 would be a quick read. On the surface, it is just that. Then you start going down the rabbit holes! In this one chapter, we see why tyranny is so destructive. We see how idol worship is a tool of the tyrant. As the chapter unfolds, we see how the faithful bring glory to God. A new God is introduced to Babylon's polytheistic religion. The door is open for them to worship God, even if in the context of polytheism. Once that door is open, understanding the nature of God is not far from sight. 
Notes for Daniel Chapter Three
 
My Church: www.MiamiValleyChurch.org
(Brian Hinkle is Pastor of this church, I'm just a member)

Question and Response - Discernment 
We jump off our regularly scheduled program (The Daniel Series) to address this really important question that came up.
Does God Test? We know from scripture that it is clear that he does. But when we probed deeper, the question really is: "What is the difference between testing and tempting?" On the surface, it just seems like a different way of saying the same thing. We know God does not tempt. We know that God does test. Do we understand the difference? It's worth digging into. 
Notes for Tempted or Tested
My church: Non-Denomination Christ Centered Scripture Centered Church in Dayton Ohio

Daniel Two | 36-49
"The History of the Future" covers Daniel's prophecy after he had revealed the King's dream. Daniel set the stage that no human could match. God revealed the dream and the interpretation. The source walks through some background to highlight just how disturbing this vision would have been to the Babylonian culture and to Nebuchadnezzar. We also delved into what Babylonian culture was like at the time - even comparing that superpower to the superpower of today (the United States). We're not implying that the United States is the modern-day Babylon, but some of the similarities are striking. We examine the gods vs God context in the bible as well. It's always worth reviewing that to understand where the gods of these cultures came from - biblically. We end up summarizing Daniels prophecy into a "History of the Future" that helps the listener map out visually the statue in the vision with how it played out in history. 
Notes to "The History of the Future"
My Church: Non denomination - Christ Centered, Scripture Based Church

Daniel Two | 14-33
It's kind of like this. You walk into the room of a fortune teller. The candles are lit. The crystal ball has magical smoke eerily filling the glass. Incense is burning. And before the fortune teller utters a word, you say, what's my name? Daniel was able to tell the king everything he was not willing to disclose. Even his thoughts. 
At this point in the story, Nebuchadnezzar is frustrated. None of his mystics can do what he asks. He's laid a trap that highlights the futility of his idol worship to reveal anything without guessing. By the time Daniel gets any wind of the news, the king has issued a death sentence on all mystics in the kingdom, including Daniel. Daniel does not act out of fear or desperation. He's calm, cool and collected. As we unpack this, we dig into how much history Daniel has in his brain. Will that history suggest the future (it doesn't appear to). We also dig into how much the Babylonians actually understand the Jews and the nature of the one true God. While they may understand them from a historical perspective, Daniel is about to show the King who the one true God really is. This is huge! We end this section will Daniel revealing the dream to the King which sets the stage for the interpretation. Daniel makes it very clear that this revelation is coming from God, not himself. 
 
Notes for Daniel Two|14-33

We opened Daniel Chapter 2 and walk through the first 13 verses. We are starting to see Nebuchadnezzar awaken to the idea that his god is not all he's cracked up to be. He has a dream that is so disturbing that he wants to get to the bottom of it. With the only way possible to get to the truth, he issues an edict that is impossible for his diviners to answer. Nebuchadnezzar is soon to discover that the only God that knows the future is the one true God. God is setting the scene for this discovery. Before we jump into Daniel's prophecy, we dig into the set up for this and uncover some biblical echoes along the way. 
 
Notes to The Blind Mystics - Daniel Chapter 2