Truthspresso
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A Christian podcast addressing theology, politics, economics, and practical life tips as caffeine for your mind.
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5 days ago
What is the Unpardonable Sin?
In this episode I look at passages in the gospels of Matthew and Mark in which Jesus said that blasphemy against Himself was forgivable but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit could never be forgiven.
Did Jesus mean that if someone today utters an incantation against the Holy Spirit that his fate is sealed forever with no hope of repentance and forgiveness?
Perhaps the context of Jesus' words as well as understanding the purpose of Jesus' earthly ministry and the role of the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to the world can help us understand what blaspheming Jesus and blaspheming the Holy Spirit meant historically or even today.
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Sep 18, 2023
Does God Reward Killing Babies?! (A look at Psalm 137:9)
In this episode of Truthspresso I look at one passage I consider to be one of the hardest to explain. It is an excuse for some people to believe the Bible really isn't the Word of God or that Christianity isn't true.
Psalm 137:9 says "Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones."
Does God favor or reward people for killing babies?!
Let's look at some context and history to figure out what this verse is really talking about!
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Sep 11, 2023
The Hardest Verse in the Bible?! (A look at Mark 13:32)
In this episode of Truthspresso I look at one passage deemed the hardest verse to explain from an article addressed to Christian writers:
Why did Jesus say He didn't know the day or hour of His return? If He's God incarnate, wouldn't He know this?
We look at four explanations and evaluate which one (or two) are the most likely.
Sources Consulted:
Dr. Henderson Ward, "The Most Difficult Verse in the Bible," FaithWriters, March 19, 2013.
"Ancient Jewish Wedding Customs and their Symbolic Parallels relative to the Church (The Bride of Jesus Christ)," Focus On Jerusalem, Accessed September 6, 2023.
"Ancient Jewish Wedding Customs and Yeshua’s Second Coming," MessianicBible.com, Accessed September 6, 2023.
See also:
Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus? (part 1)
Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus? (part 2)
Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus? (part 3)
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Sep 5, 2023
Just Who Were Those Nephilim, Anyway? (part 2)
No Christian podcast worth its salt can avoid answering the all-important question: just who were those Nephilim, anyway?
Chelsea and I present the second of three popular theories about the Nephilim: that they are the offspring of Seth's descendants intermarrying with Cain's rebellious descendants.
Theories about the Nephilim seem to depend on who were "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men" in Genesis chapter 6.
Join us as we explore arguments for this theory and arguments against it.
Sources Consulted:
"The Sons of God and the Nephilim – Part 2: The Sethite View," Creation Today, Accessed September, 3, 2023.
Bodie Hodge, "Nephilim: Who Were They?" Answers in Genesis, July 9, 2008.
Scriptures Referenced:
Genesis 4:26
Exodus 4:22-23
Deuteronomy 14:1
Psalm 82:1-8
2 Samuel 7:14
Jeremiah 31:9
Judges 3:5-6
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Sep 1, 2023
The Hardest Verses to Explain? (part 2: Who are "the spirits in prison"?)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I look at one passage among others considered "difficult-to-understand" from an article addressed to Christian writers:
Who are "the spirits in prison" to whom Jesus preached, and when did He preach to them?
We look at five different views and I reveal which one I hold.
Sources Consulted:
Dr. Henderson Ward, "The Most Difficult Verse in the Bible," FaithWriters, March 19, 2013.
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Aug 28, 2023
Just Who Were Those Nephilim, Anyway? (part 1)
No Christian podcast worth its salt can avoid answering the all-important question: just who were those Nephilim, anyway?
Chelsea and I present the first of three popular theories about the Nephilim: that they are the offspring of fallen angels and humans.
Theories about the Nephilim seem to depend on who were "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men" in Genesis chapter 6.
Join us as we explore arguments for this theory and arguments against it.
Sources Consulted:
The Book of Enoch
Dr. Michael S. Heiser, "Who Are the Nephilim and What Is Their Origin?" Logos, May 28, 2021.
Scriptures Referenced:
Genesis 6:1-5
Numbers 13:33
Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7
Jude vv.14-15
2 Peter 2:4-6
Psalm 104:4
Hebrews 1:5,7,14
Matthew 22:30
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Aug 25, 2023
The Hardest Verses to Explain? (part 1)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I look at two passages among others considered "difficult-to-understand" from an article addressed to Christian writers:
* Where did Cain get his wife? (Genesis 4:16-17)
* Why did Matthew say that Jeremiah spoke a prophecy that we find written in Zechariah?
Sources Consulted:
Dr. Henderson Ward, "The Most Difficult Verse in the Bible," FaithWriters, March 19, 2013.
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Aug 21, 2023
Ohio Right To Life Aborts the Truth!
Elizabeth Marbach was the communications director for Ohio Right To Life.
But on that fateful day of August 15, 2023, she dared to do the unthinkable! She tweeted a message on X that said that faith in Jesus Christ alone was the only hope anyone could have.
Ohio Republican Representative Max Miller replied that it was the most bigoted post he had ever seen and demanded that she delete it.
After a firestorm of controversy, and Marbach refusing to retract her basic Christian claim, Miller apologized.
Yet, two days later, Marbach still found herself dismissed from Ohio Right To Life. When asked if she regretted her initial tweet, Marbach was only grateful that millions have read the truth of the gospel.
Sources Consulted:
Elizabeth Marbach's original gospel tweet.
Representative Max Miller's apology tweet.
Ohio Right To Life CEO Peter Range's tweet explaining Marbach's dismissal.
Rachel Coyle's tweet promoting the Ohio amendment to restore Roe.
Elizabeth Marbach's tweet replying to Coyle.
Ohio Right To Life
Samantha Kamman, "Ohio Right to Life fires communications director after viral 'faith in Christ alone' post," The Christian Post, August 18, 2023.
Timothy H.J. Nerozzi, "GOP's Max Miller, Ilhan Omar clash over 'bigoted' Christian post: 'You have gone too far'," Fox News, August 16, 2023.
Ben Zeisloft, "Exclusive: Ohio Right to Life fires Christian after Republican lawmaker blasts her for sharing the gospel," The Sentinel, August 17, 2023.
Scriptures Referenced:
Psalm 117:2
Romans 3:1-3
Acts 4:18-20
2 Timothy 4:2
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Aug 18, 2023
Why God Didn't Use ChatGPT to Write the Bible!
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I respond to an article I read Wednesday night about how someone use ChatGPT to write some fake Bible verses.
A "trans" person asked ChatGPT to conjure some virtual Bible verses that show Jesus "affirming" this lifestyle.
Some comments claimed that these verses sounded more "Christian" than most Christians.
I compare these AI-generated verses to statements Jesus made in the gospels to show that the ChatGPT Jesus doesn't imitate the real Jesus. In fact, the fake verses are more similar to what one might read from the gnostic gospels from the Nag Hammadi library.
Sources Consulted:
Christopher Wiggins, "ChatGPT Writes Trans-Affirming Bible Verse," Advocate, Wednesday, August 16, 2023.
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Aug 14, 2023
Is Marriage Outdated? (A reply to a Huffington Post article)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I examine a 2017 contributing article from the Huffington Post. David Wygant, a "dating and relationship coach" argues that we need to "redefine" marriage to fit modern society. How original!
Wygant treats a lifetime commitment as an "illusion" and a childhood fairy tale.
Since we live longer on average than our ancestors from the Middle Ages, we "grow" and "change" a lot throughout our adulthood. There should be room for five or six "loving relationships" if we live long enough.
And the stigma of divorce needs to go, of course.
Not recognizing the truth of God's design, it shouldn't shock us when the world can't figure out why marriage even exists as a "tradition."
Sources Consulted:
David Wygant, "Is Marriage An Outdated Tradition," Huffington Post, March 17, 2017.
Scriptures Referenced:
Ephesians 5:31-33
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Aug 7, 2023
Federal Court Jestering: The Hunter Biden Game Show - Plea Deal or No Deal? (part 2)
Chelsea and I look at events surrounding, during, and after the Hunter Biden plea deal hearing in the U.S. District Federal case United States v. Biden.
Wednesday, July 26, Hunter Biden was scheduled to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of tax evasion and a federal charge of illegal firearm possession. Critics called this a "sweetheart" plea deal. The hearing didn't go the way most of the world expected.
This episode is part 2 of covering this plea deal and the hearing. In this episode we look at the shockingly childish shenanigans Hunter Biden's legal team tried to pull the day before the plea deal hearing. We then walk through the plea hearing itself and how the plea deal fell apart. Because the plea deal depends on Hunter Biden having been sober since 2019, we also briefly look at the "cocainegate" scandal and wonder why how this event was handled seems to scream that it was a coverup.
Sources Consulted:
Aaron Johnson, "Cocaine Cover-Up UNRAVELS: Fingerprints WERE Found On…
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Jul 31, 2023
Federal Court Jestering: The Hunter Biden Game Show - Plea Deal or No Deal? (part 1)
Chelsea and I look at some highlight's of Hunter Biden's sordid past that led to the U.S. District Federal case United States v. Biden.
Wednesday, July 26, Hunter Biden was scheduled to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of tax evasion and a federal charge of illegal firearm possession. Critics called this a "sweetheart" plea deal. The hearing didn't go the way most of the world expected.
This episode is part 1 of covering this plea deal and the hearing. In this episode we look at events from 2014 to 2023 to see why this hearing happened. Part 2 will cover the antics from the day before and why they may have sabotaged the master plan for the plea deal at the hearing.
Sources Consulted:
Jerry Dunleavy and Andrew Kerr, "Texts reveal Hunter Biden's meltdown over discarded gun incident," Washington Examiner, July 30, 2023. (Warning: there may be some explicit content)
Miranda Devine, Marjorie Hernandez, and Patrick Reilly, "Hollywood lawyer paid off over $2M of Hunter Biden’s d…
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Jul 28, 2023
Was Jesus a Socialist? (part 8)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I chat about Jesus and socialism while driving to work.
A coworker recently made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it.
In part 8 I look at the claim that Jesus taught "universal healthcare" by a few verses saying that He "healed everyone" in the gospels.
I ask and answer three questions about the claim that Jesus "healed everyone" and taught His followers to do likewise:
* Was Jesus' healing ministry a model for all Christians?
* Did Jesus heal "everyone" He saw?
* Was Jesus' healing a ministry unto itself, or was a means toward repentance?
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Jul 24, 2023
Federal Court Jestering: Free Speech Is Inconvenient Truth!
Chelsea and I look at the recent federal court case that is arguably the greatest battle over the First Amendment in United States history!
In Missouri v. Biden, several silenced individuals join the states of Missouri and Louisiana to accuse a slate of individuals and administrative agencies of the federal government of aggressive censorship. From pandemic policies to Hunter Biden's laptop, the evidence is strong that the fourth branch of government cajoled social media companies to control narratives and restrict the flow of truth.
On July 4, 2023, judge Terry Doughty issued a preliminary injunction against the defendants to stop suppressing speech. The government requested a stay, and Judge Doughty denied it.
As expected, the government sought and received a temporary stay at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral arguments for extending the stay will happen August 10th.
Sources Consulted:
Missouri v. Biden: Original Complaint.
Missouri v. Biden: Preliminary Injunction Memor…
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Jul 17, 2023
Supreme Court Jestering: Forced Design Ain't Fine!
Chelsea and I look at the recent Supreme Court ruling on a case weighing the First Amendment's "free speech" clause against state "anti-discrimination" laws.
In 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, Christian web designer Lorie Smith wanted to expand her skills into the wedding business. Because she believes the Bible defines marriage as between one man and one woman, she sought a preemptive injunction in her state of Colorado to protect her freedom of speech. She did not want to be forced to design websites celebrating other proposed types of "weddings."
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 (as expected) that the First Amendment protects Ms. Smith from having to express her design skills and create messages that violate her beliefs.
Chelsea and I examine the arguments from the dissenting opinion and from a CNN anchor who interviewed Smith and her attorney from the Alliance Defending Freedom that freedom of speech can continue to be sacrificed at the altar of progressive politics.
Sources Consulted:…
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Jul 14, 2023
Was Jesus a Socialist? (part 7)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I chat about Jesus and socialism while driving to work.
A coworker recently made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it.
In part 7 I look at the three parables in Luke chapter 15 about "lost things":
* The lost sheep
* The lost coin
* The lost son (the prodigal son)
These parables clearly teach property ownership and how this naturally (or should) lead to valuing and stewarding this property.
The prodigal son especially includes anti-socialistic details:
* The father owned property.
* The father basically owned a business and hired employees.
* There was property inheritance for families, and there is no socialistic inheritance tax.
* The younger son became poor by not stewarding his inheritance.
* The younger son didn't need a handout but a change of perspective.
* The younger son realized he sinned with his spending habits.
* The father tre…
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Jul 10, 2023
Supreme Court Jestering: College Loans Don't Make HEROES!
Chelsea and I look at the recent Supreme Court ruling on two related cases about "student loan forgiveness."
In one case, students believed they were entitled to an unconstitutional handout for which they didn't qualify.
In the other case, the U.S. President believed he was entitled to make promises for the unconstitutional program itself.
The conservative majority argued that the HEROES Act of 2003 as originally intended and its "waive or modify" clause didn't allow the Secretary of Education to "rewrite" the law for a different situation and purpose. The liberal minority basically argued that the law grants "broad" and "general" powers for an "emergency" and "unforeseen events" (of course).
Chelsea and I explain four moral hazards that "student loan forgiveness" schemes introduce. We give Bible verses to encourage caution, planning, honesty, and integrity with loans.
Sources Consulted:
Official Opinion in Department of Education et al v. Brown et al.
Official Opinion in Biden…
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Jul 3, 2023
Supreme Court Jestering: The Infirmity of Affirmative Action
Chelsea and I look at the ruling in the recent Supreme Court ruling on two related cases about affirmative action in college admissions.
Before addressing the quarreling between the justices over how to apply the Fourteenth Amendment to college admissions, I give my own opinion that the First Amendment's "freedom of association" should legally allow universities to determine their own admission policies (good or bad) because, like anything else in a free market, there should be no government control or funding. I give examples for how the Fourteenth Amendment could be abused to harm Christian college admission policies.
But, given the system we have, we believe the conservative majority interpreted and applied the spirit of the Fourteenth Amendment correctly and historically.
The conservative majority argued that the only way to end racial discrimination is actually to end it and seek a color-blind application of the law. The liberal minority contend that the solution requires a per…
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Jun 26, 2023
Daniel and Chelsea at the Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference: Interviews with Jason Lisle, Ruth Chou Simons, Norm Wakefield, Bill Jack, and more!
Chelsea and I had an exhibit for Castle Rock Women's Health at the annual Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference presented by Christian Home Educators of Colorado.
The keynote speakers were Jeff Myers, Ruth Chou Simons, and Paul Washer.
We talk about our experience there as we shared the truth of God's design for life in the womb with adults and children.
On the last day of the conference I brought my portable podcasting gear and enjoyed a great montage of interviews!
Listen to the interview reel where I talk with some well-known speakers and a few exhibitors:
* Trevin Houk from Abeka
* Mary Ann Winslow of Cool Creation Press
* Patrick Bailey of iQless 3d printing
* Ruth Chou Simons of Gracelaced
* Dr. Jason Lisle of the Biblical Science Institute
* Norm Wakefield of Spirit of Elijah Ministries and Live To Love With Jesus
* Bill Jack of Worldview Academy
* Amiee Fuhrman of Smudged Pages
* Susan Sutherland of Colorado Right To Life
*** Castle Rock Women's Health…
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Jun 19, 2023
Don't Long for the "Good Old Days"!
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I challenge and encourage us with Ecclesiastes 7:10 not to long for the so-called "Good Old Days."
We can deceive ourselves about the past as the Israelites did about their bondage to Egypt. We should treat every day as a blessing from God and boldly face today's battles.
Today is the best day to be a Christian!
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Jun 12, 2023
Revival: The Second Great Awakening (part 1)
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history.
We begin the Second Great Awakening with an overview of the times, especially from 1830-1840. Following the War for Independence the colonies now had a federal compact. The expansion westward inspired more evangelism to native Americans. Methodism grew as circuit riders preached to crowds at outdoor "camp meetings."
The two social causes propelling revival "fires" were abolition of slavery and temperance from alcohol. Women were more involved in revival activities and organized some women's groups around these two issues.
Immigrants from Europe brought more rationalism from the Enlightenment.
Wheras the majority of First Great Awakening revivalists held to a Reformed theology, most of the Second Great Awakening revivalists did not.
Industry and social causes possibly led some preachers toward a works-based salvation.
The fervor to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ led to the rise of cults su…
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Jun 5, 2023
REWIND: Oneness and Critical Race Theory with Jamal Bandy
In this REWIND episode of Truthspresso I combine two episodes into one! This is my full interview with Jamal Bandy, the host of the Prescribed Truth podcast on the Christian Podcast Community.
Part 1: Jamal tells his story of how he was involved in an Apostolic Oneness church and how unexpected events led him to question what he was taught.
Jamal learns the truth about God as Trinity and that the Oneness teaching is wrong. He also learns that works don't save him and don't keep him saved, because the Father and the Son secure him.
Part 2: Jamal explains what "social justice" and "critical theory" are as elements of Marxist philosophy. The word "race" has been added to make "critical race theory" an issue of U.S. history.
Jamal gives some heartfelt and keen insights into misunderstood realities of both the present and the past that are often fuel for ethnic politics.
Follow Jamal Bandy's work:
Prescribed Truth
Prescribed Truth podcast
Prescribed Truth YouTube
*** Castle Rock W…
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May 29, 2023
Memorial Day: Remember Biblically
It's Memorial Day!
While we remember those who died in wars fighting for freedoms, Chelsea and I see what the Bible has to say about memorials.
We look at the history of Memorial Day, then observe three points from the Bible:
* Those who sacrificed their lives should be remembered
* Memorials should not be forgotten.
* Memorials should not be idolized.
Scriptures Referenced:
John 15:13
Psalm 116:15
Exodus 12:42
Matthew 26:13
Judges 8:22-23,27
2 Kings 18:4
Sources Consulted:
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Memorial Day." Encyclopedia Britannica, May 27, 2023.
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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May 22, 2023
RETRO 2009: Does the New Testament Command the Church to Tithe?
With family visiting and celebrating birthdays and no time to study to record a new episode, I dug up a recording from 2009, months after my wife and I were married.
At this time my father-in-law was leading a Bible study with the family and an older couple who would visit. I took two weeks to guest host it and teach on a topic I was studying at the time.
This was while the manuscript for my book Freedom To Give: The Biblical Truth About Tithing was in its infancy. The first week of this study covered the Old Testament passages about tithing. The second week covered mostly the New Testament passages.
I lost the recording for the first week. This episode is the second week. We recap some of what we talked about from the first week.
My conclusion is that most of what is taught as "tithing" today isn't what the Bible teaches, and that it doesn't teach that we are under any command to do this. The Bible does command us to give generously and cheerfully, but not according to mandatory "…
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May 15, 2023
The Strength and Love of Mothers
To celebrate Mother's Day, Chelsea and I talk about a struggling single mom we know who has a bunch of kids and a baby on the way trying to make ends meet.
As dire circumstance after dire circumstance threatens to crush her life, we share how we felt the pull of God's Word and necessity to give her something big and trust God with the results.
See how a baby shower and some unexpected generosity lay the groundwork for opening the gospel to a strong woman in need.
Scriptures Cited:
Proverbs 31:17,25,27
James 1:27
Luke 3:10-11
1 John 3:17-18
Isaiah 1:17; 49:15
Sources Consulted:
Embrace Grace
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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May 8, 2023
Revival: The First Great Awakening (part 4)
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history.
John Wesley was an Anglican minister from Epworth, England. He and his brother Charles went to Oxford where John got bachelor's and master's degrees. While teaching at Oxford, John and Charles Wesley began the "Methodist" movement with George Whitefield.
After spending two years evangelizing Native Americans in Savannah, Georgia, John Wesley returned to England wondering if he himself needed to be evangelized. After studying with a group of Moravians, Wesley finally understood justification by faith and peace with God.
Wesley and Whitefield helped each other with their new preaching method involving traveling and outdoors. Wesley preached an estimated 40,000 sermons before he passed.
Wesley seemed to be a pioneer in the Christian abolitionist movement to preach freedom for slaves. He also mentored William Wilberforce who would see success in ending the slave trade in England.
_Fact correction from…
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May 1, 2023
Is Jesus Still in the Flesh?
I go solo this week with a short study to answer the question "Is Jesus still in the flesh?"
Some who hold to Oneness theology may reason that Jesus dematerialized His resurrected, glorified body at His ascension because it makes more sense in a modalistic framework.
From the Scriptures we look at three points:
* Did Jesus shed His resurrected body at His ascension?
* Is Jesus presently a mediator and intercessor at the right hand of the Father?
* God reconciled to man forever implies Jesus is the God-Man forever.
Christ's presence and roles now seem to demand that His resurrected body remain with Him forever.
Sources Cited:
"What does it mean for Jesus to be mediator?" Rosh-Pinnah Publications, December 29, 2014.
Scriptures Cited:
Hebrews 5:7-8
Acts 2:30-36
1 Timothy 2:5
Romans 8:34
Hebrews 7:24-25
Romans 8:16-17
Hebrews 1:13-14
2 Timothy 2:11-13
Job 9:32-35
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Apr 24, 2023
A Tale of Two Abortion Pill Lawsuits
Chelsea and I continue from last week's discussion as news is quickly flying over the abortion pill and abortion pill reversal.
_Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA._ The question over the abortion pill mifepristone's legitimacy in heads back down to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals after the Supreme Court stayed all lower decisions. Oral arguments are scheduled May 17.
_Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser_. The question over the abortion pill reversal in Colorado now heads up to a federal district court. Immediately after Governor Polis signed three radical abortion bills, including the infamous SB23-190 that chills pregnancy centers and bans abortion pill reversal, Bella Health and Wellness, a Catholic non-profit group of three medical clinics filed a lawsuit: Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser. Judge Daniel Domenico issues a temporary restraint on the law for Bella. The lawsuit claims the brand new law is unconstitutional on several levels.
Colorado executives and health ag…
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Apr 17, 2023
The Battle Over the Abortion Pill Heads to the Supreme Court!
The battle over mifepristone (part of the abortion pill regimen) is heating up!
A federal district judge in Texas ruled in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA that the FDA illegally approved mifepristone in the year 2000.
At the same time a judge ruled in Washington State v. FDA that, for the 17 states in the suit and D.C., mifepristone must be available as it is.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the Texas ruling but ordered that the original, stricter requirements resume.
The DOJ, the FDA, and pro-abortionists don't like either ruling and demand mifepristone be as available as possible for medication abortions. They now appeal to the Supreme Court.
Justice Alito ordered a stay on all rulings in this dispute and gave all sides until Tuesday to submit their case.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on mifepristone Wednesday.
The battle lines are drawn loud and hard. Please pray for God's working in this quickly evolving situation as the forces of life and…
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Apr 10, 2023
The Hope and the Resurrection of the Dead
Chelsea and I talk about the hope of the resurrection because of Christ's resurrection.
As the Apostle Paul faced trials before governments, he declared that his hope of the resurrection is why he is being accused of wrongdoing.
Christians today face ridicule and opposition because of this hope that we have.
The resurrection is a hope most glorious, but the world hates it because it challenges their focus on this life alone.
Let's celebrate and reflect on Resurrection Day together!
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Apr 3, 2023
The Colorado House FLAUNTS Hypocrisy to Pass Radical Abortion Bills
Chelsea and I conclude our coverage of Colorado's three radical pro-abortion bills: SB23-188, SB23-189, and SB23-190.
Last week the Colorado House of Representatives debated and rammed through three radical dystopian pro-abortion bills along party lines with no amendments.
In short, the supporters want abortion on-demand at any time in pregnancy for any reason, and abortion providers are a new protected class of citizens virtually above the law. They want "gender-affirming care" and sterilization (yes, that word is in a bill) for anyone of any age without parental consent. They want health insurance providers to pay of all of this without any penalties or additional costs.
They also want us to believe all the non-profit pregnancy centers are the great evil and that giving progesterone to save the lives of babies is "medical fraud."
These bills themselves blatantly contradict each other, and the opposition bravely proved this beyond any doubt. The Colorado House heard untold evil…
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Mar 27, 2023
The Colorado Senate's Abortion Dystopia!
Chelsea and I continue our coverage of Colorado's three radical pro-abortion bills: SB23-188, SB23-189, and SB23-190.
In this episode we walk through some details for the three bills and how they could destroy genuine health care in Colorado. Abortion providers become a new protected class immune from criminal charges, even if women die in their "care." Insurance programs must specially subsidize abortions and treatment for promiscuity. Yet, pregnancy centers become the great deceptive villains, and abortion pill reversals (progesterone) must be outlawed.
We play some salient clips from the Senate floor while they debated amendments to the bills. It was like pulling teeth for the opposition even to get the accusation that pregnancy centers are "fake clinics" removed from the legislative declaration of SB23-190.
As of this episode's release the bills are scheduled for committee at the House. We anticipate a long day of citizen testimonies with another 3-to-1 opposition. Of course, th…
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Mar 20, 2023
Colorado Wants to GAG Pregnancy Centers and BAN Abortion Pill Reversal!
We found out last Monday evening that the Colorado legislature is ramming through a package of three radical pro-abortion bills: SB23-188, SB23-189, and SB23-190.
The most dangerous and impacting to pregnancy resource centers is SB23-190: Deceptive Trade Practice Pregnancy-related Service. The language of this bill could penalize pregnancy centers for trying to advertise their services to help pregnant women in crisis. Even more devastating is a clear ban on any means of offering anything intending to reverse an abortion pill.
Chelsea and I spent this last week engaged in this battle. Tuesday evening we were working on Chelsea's testimony for the judiciary committee on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday we worked on information to send out to legislators about this bill.
In this episode we play Chelsea's testimony in the bill committee. We also play some salient points from other testimonies. In particular, we respond to some of the testimony of Dr. Mitchell Creinin, who conducted the w…
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Mar 13, 2023
Satan's Devices: A Look at the Satanic Temple
Chelsea and I talk about current news of The Satanic Temple expanding programs in elementary schools, including in a small town in Colorado.
Lucien Greaves co-founded The Satanic Temple as a religious institution to claim religious rights recognized under the Constitution. The institution has seven secular humanistic tenants that sound reasonable until they are applied to political causes like abortion.
We observe four of Satan's devices from the Bible for how Satan operates as the god of this world and through organizations like The Satanic Temple:
* Discrete operations
* Man-centeredness
* Deception of goodness
* Myth of neutrality
Scriptures Referenced:
2 Corinthians 2:11; 11:14-15
Matthew 13:39; 16:23,26
John 6:70; 12:4-8
Psalm 14:1
Matthew 12:30
Ephesians 6:11-12
Sources Consulted:
Elizabeth Hernandez, "After School Satan Club launching first Colorado chapter, but organizer promises “we are not devil worshippers,”" The Denver Post, March 3, 2023.
"About Us…
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Mar 6, 2023
Revival: The First Great Awakening (part 3)
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history.
George Whitefield was an Anglican deacon in Oxford, England. He met John and Charles Wesley in college and joined their Methodist movement. With his Bachelor of Arts degree, booming voice, and supreme acting ability, Whitefield would become a young traveling preacher who could command crowds of up to 20,000 people in one occasion.
Whitefield would become America's first celebrity as he traveled to the colonies seven times and toured up from Georgia to Massachusetts preaching the gospel freely to all sorts of people. He is credited for starting two orphanages mostly for African-American children. In the face of violent opposition and mockery, Whitefield would see thousands of converts, including two unexpected instances.
We address the fact that Whitefield wasn't an abolitionist like his friend John Wesley, but we try to understand his reasoning in light of the time he lived as well as how he was leap…
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Feb 27, 2023
Revival: The First Great Awakening (part 2)
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history.
Solomon Stoddard, a fiery preacher saw several revivals in his 60 years pastoring the church at Northampton, Massachusetts, but he embraced and expanded the Half-Way Covenant. Stoddard allowed open membership and open communion. The Northampton church grew to over 600 members, but over time the majority were likely unbelievers.
Stoddard's grandson Jonathan Edwards would become the new pastor of the church. He would follow in the footsteps of revivalist preaching, with his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Edwards would also see that the Half-Way Covenant and Stoddard's church polity was enshrining the "dead religion" they were intended to solve.
Scriptures Referenced:
Revelation 3:16
1 Corinthians 11:30
Sources Consulted:
"Spiritual Awakenings in North America: Christian History Timeline," Christianity Today, Accessed February 26, 2023.
Schafer, T. A.. "Jonathan Edwards." Enc…
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Feb 20, 2023
Revival: The First Great Awakening (part 1)
Chelsea and I start a new series about the Christian revivals in American history.
The controversy over the recent "Asbury revival" drove us to ask the question "What is a revival?"
Using a dictionary, Scripture, and a Spurgeon quote, we come up with a working definition of a revival. Then, we dive deep into the setting of the American colonies in the 1600's and early 1700's.
As church life was decaying since the first generation of pilgrims covenanted the first Congregational churches in the Massachusetts Bay colony, pastors begin to look for revival.
Congregationalist churches practiced infant baptism but only granted church membership to attendees who could evidence regeneration. As the first generation's children became adults but didn't become fully covenanted members, could their children be baptized? Could they partake of the Lord's Supper?
Boston pastor Richard Mather argued that the children were proper covenant members in some sense. The question remained whether to bapt…
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Feb 13, 2023
Victories Over Molech (part 2)
Chelsea and I talk about more recent victories over Molech.
First, we look at the recent leaked document from the FBI targeting "traditional Catholics" as potential "terrorists."
Then, we see four cases in the UK in which police punish pro-life people for their "silent prayer" activity in a censorship zone:
* Isabel Vaughn-Spruce
* Adam Smith-Connor
* Sean Gogh
* Livia Tossici-Bolt
All four are challenging the charges and seeking to be cleared in a court. We believe their cooperative but steadfast battles are victories over Molech. they reveal how absurd the Public Space Protection Orders are to try to shield abortion clinics from people who must be asked "Were you praying silently in your head?"
Scriptures Referenced:
Matthew 6:5-6; 5:10-16
2 Chronicles 32:7
Sources Consulted:
Ewan Palmer, "FBI Under Pressure for Targeting Catholics in Leaked Document," Newsweek, February 10, 2023.
Caroline Downey, "Charges Dropped against British Woman Arrested for Praying outside A…
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Feb 6, 2023
Victories Over Molech (part 1)
My wife Chelsea is back with me to talk about recent victories over Molech.
First, we explain the Biblical background of the pagan practice of sacrificing children to Molech. We see Satanic temples today claiming that abortion bans violate their "religious freedom" as abortions are literally a sacrament for them. The "NOW" statue at the New York supreme court looks like an idol to celebrate Ruth Bader Ginsburg's fight for abortion "rights."
Mark Houck, a pro-life volunteer at a pregnancy center, was recently acquitted of charges that he violated the FACE Act that could have landed him in prison for up to 11 years. Chelsea and I look at the media's narrative on his story and how they ignore all the important details.
We walk through Houck's story to see the lies and intimidation from the pro-abortion side. Houck shows us how standing up for truth ultimately leads to victory over Molech.
Sources Consulted:
Micaiah Bilger, "Artist Confirms She Created Satanic Statue to Support Killin…
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Jan 30, 2023
How Too Many Christians Support Coveting and Stealing
I go solo in this episode to explain how political ideology can abuse the Bible's call to charity. This episode is based on notes that were originally for part of the Truthspresso Express series "Was Jesus a Socialist?"
After walking through the Sixth through the Tenth Commandment of the law, we see how coveting can be the most difficult command. Yet, too many Christians can support a backdoor to validate covetousness and stealing.
Putting government-enforced welfare schemes under the microscope of the Bible, we ask ourselves this question: Is it ever a morally virtuous and Christian thing to support threatening or initiating violence on someone who has not committed a crime?
We may think that coercive wealth distribution schemes are "doing God's work," but when we think deeply about it, does God ever command anyone to steal from people by the force of violence to provide for the poor? Perhaps the Christian doctrine of charity is that it is always lovingly and voluntary.
We also se…
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Jan 23, 2023
Marching for Life or Death (The March for Life vs. the Women's March)
Chelsea and I actually recorded two separate parts for this episode.
The annual March For Life in Washington D.C. happened on Friday, January 20th.
The annual Women's March happened Sunday afternoon, January 22nd.
We recorded the first half about the March For Life on Saturday and the second half about the Women's March on Sunday afternoon.
We give our overview and observations, as well as how the messages and demeanors of these two events clash.
One march seems to value life. The other march, perhaps unwittingly, values death.
Scriptures Cited:
Deuteronomy 30:19
Psalm 26:7-12
Proverbs 1:29-31
Proverbs 16:27
Sources Consulted:
Lauren Gambino, "‘We’re not done’: abortion opponents hold first March for Life since fall of Roe," The Guardian, January 20, 2023.
Molly Olmstead and Christina Cauterucci, "The First Post-Roe March for Life Was Euphoric—and a Little Confused," Slate, January 21, 2023.
Karen Graham, "Abortion foes prepare for Friday’s first March for Life,…
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Jan 16, 2023
No, Congresswoman Scholten, the Bible is not pro-Abortion!
Springboarding from our Christmas is pro-Life series, we jump into a recent bill from Congress on the outskirts of the abortion debate.
HR-26, also known as the "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" passed the House of Representatives with a 220-210 vote.
The bill is simple and seemingly minimally common sense, yet House Democrats shrieked against it like banshees.
For 100% pro-lifers, this bill is not even against abortion itself, but it's making the radically pro-abortion opponents reveal their true colors.
Newly elected Democrat Congresswoman Hillary Scholten claimed to be a "pro-choice Christian" and opposed the bill. She tried to quote Jeremiah 1:5 to support abortion, claiming that the womb belongs to the mother, not the government. Ironically, the bill itself only addresses babies once they are outside the womb.
We say, "No, No, Congresswoman Scholten, the Bible is not pro-Abortion!" Chelsea and I use Jeremiah 1:5 and other verses to show how God forms and values l…
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Jan 9, 2023
Christmas is Pro-Life (part 3)
Chelsea and I continue a series about the deeply Pro-Life message of the Christmas story.
The Jesus of the first Christmas clearly taught the value of human life as much as the Christmas story of His conception and birth was pro-life.
Did Jesus address abortion in particular during His earthly ministry? No, but that doesn't mean He wouldn't have if the question arose.
We observe some pro-life points from Jesus' ministry:
* Jesus affirmed the whole Tanakh. Anything pro-life there is what Jesus believed (Mat 5:17-18; Luk 24:44).
* Jesus taught that God cares for birds but that we are far more valuable than many birds (Mat 6:26; Luk 12:7).
* We are not to despise little children (Mat 18:10; 6).
* It is not God's will to kill little children (Mat 18:14).
* Little children are such that belong to the kingdom of heaven. We must have faith like they have (Mat 19:14; Luk 18:15-16).
* Jesus said that He came to bring life (Joh 6:33; 10:10). He came to give His life for others (M…
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Jan 3, 2023
Christmas is Pro-Life (part 2)
Chelsea and I continue a series about the deeply Pro-Life message of the Christmas story.
The first Christmas celebrates new life and demonstrates how we should protect life.
We observe some salient pro-life points from the Christmas story:
* Jesus experienced the full human experience from conception
* Elizabeth affirmed the personhood of Jesus when He was a tiny fetus.
* John the Baptist leapt in the womb to show his personhood while in the womb.
* The virgin conception was the greatest unplanned and unexpected pregnancy in history.
* Mary and Joseph cared for their child in the womb even in a hostile culture.
* Joseph recognized that the role of fatherhood included caring for a child that wasn't biologically his own.
* Mary as a young mother and Elizabeth as an old mother would today be encouraged to consider abortion; yet, their pregnancies are glorious.
Scriptures Cited:
Matthew 1:18,19,21
Luke 1:41-44
Galatians 4:4-5
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-l…
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Dec 27, 2022
RETRO 2003: Guilty As Charged
Because my family has been battling some nasty seasonal virus, Chelsea and I have been busy taking care of very sick children. We weren't able to study and record "Christmas is Pro-Life (part 2)" as expected this week.
As you keep our family in your prayers, I found a nearly 20-year-old gospel devotional recording I did right after graduating college.
"Guilty As Charged" uses a script of a hypothetical court case to explain the idea that good works can never outweigh bad works to earn salvation.
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Dec 19, 2022
Christmas is Pro-Life (part 1)
Chelsea and I begin a series about the deeply Pro-Life message of the Christmas story.
Secular holidays focus on self and escapism. Christmas focuses on sacrifice and salvation.
We begin analyzing the pro-Life message of Christmas by tracing the promise of Messiah and Satan's attack on children in Biblical history:
* The Garden of Eden
* The Pharoah of Egypt
* Haman
* King Herod
Scriptures Cited:
Genesis 3:15
Exodus 1:17
Esther 3:13
Matthew 2:13-18
External References:
Rachel's Vineyard: Healing the pain of abortion - one weekend at a time
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Dec 12, 2022
REWIND: The Christmas Promise of Isaiah 9:6
Originally aired December 21, 2020.
In this episode we are going to unwrap the depths of Isaiah 9:6 as a present from God for the first Christmas.
Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
We look at each phrase and cross reference to see that it is a prophecy of the Messiah.
We also compare it with Isaiah 7:14 to verify that the Messiah would be truly born of a virgin.
We put other possible fulfillments to the test such as King Hezekiah, Isaiah's son, or someone unknown from history.
We challenge ourselves to remember that the ultimate purpose of Jesus' coming is to be the king over the earth. His suffering and atonement secures his citizenry.
We look at the name of the son as "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." We find each part of this name describing God in…
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Dec 5, 2022
Four Actions to Guide Parenting
Chelsea and I continue and conclude our chat about parenting.
Parenting a commitment for the long haul. It matures us as we focus on the good of others--our children.
We discuss four actions to guide fellow parents through this journey:
* Pray
* Confess
* Change
* Trust in God's healing
Scriptures Cited:
2 Samuel 12:16
1 Chronicles 29:18-19
1 Samuel 1:27-28
Psalm 32:3-5
1 John 1:9
Galatians 6:1-2
Psalm 34:18
Jeremiah 17:14
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Dec 2, 2022
Was Jesus a Socialist? (part 6)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I chat about Jesus and socialism while driving to work.
A coworker recently made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it.
In part 6 I look at another of the socialist's prooftexts: the parable of the Good Samaritan.
I observe five points from this story:
* The man doesn't have an ethnic identity.
* The man was robbed of his possessions. He wasn't robbed of allegedly potential possessions.
* The man was physically beaten. No "words are violence" message here.
* The Good Samaritan's help was voluntary.
* The Good Samaritan used his own possessions to help him.
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Nov 28, 2022
Five More Questions to Evaluate Parenting
Chelsea and I continue our chat about parenting.
Parents--even Christian ones--are ever too prone to treating their children reflexively. We need to be conscious of our motives when we interact with our children and the times we have to resort to discipline.
We discuss five questions we can ask ourselves to evaluate our parenting:
* Are we putting our feelings first (and suppressing our children's)?
* Are we placing guilt on our children?
* Are we giving our children the silent treatment?
* Are we ignoring healthy boundaries?
* Are we holding our children responsible for our happiness?
Scriptures Cited:
Proverbs 19:11
Isaiah 42:14
Ecclesiastes 7:10
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Proverbs 14:29
Proverbs 11:29
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Nov 21, 2022
Thanksgiving Faith, Facts, and Fun
Thanksgiving is coming up! Enjoy this light-hearted episode.
We share with each other some Thanksgiving spirit with...
* Faith: Bible verses about giving thanks to God and why.
* Facts: interesting tidbits about Thanksgiving past and present.
* Fun: Thanksgiving jokes
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Nov 18, 2022
Was Jesus a Socialist? (part 5)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I chat about Jesus and socialism while driving to work.
A coworker recently made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it.
In part 5 I look at another of the socialist's prooftexts: the account of Zacchaeus. An article I read from a progressive Christian claims that Zacchaeus "got woke." Does Zacchaeus' salvation teach "woke" socialism?
I also observe four points from this story:
* Zacchaeus was a tax collector for a wicked government. His profiteering wasn't free market capitalism.
* Zacchaeus' conversion was different from what Jesus instructed for the rich young ruler.
* Zacchaeus didn't give away all his wealth or abandon his house.
* Jesus immediately taught the anti-socialistic parable of the nobleman's pounds to this same audience.
Sources Consulted:
Chuck McKnight, "Jesus Was a Socialist," Patheos, March 11, 2019.
Herb Montgomery, "Zacchaeus and C…
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Nov 14, 2022
Five Questions to Evaluate Parenting
Chelsea and I continue our chat about parenting.
Parents--even Christian ones--are ever too prone to treating their children reflexively. We need to be conscious of our motives when we interact with our children and the times we have to resort to discipline.
We discuss five questions we can ask ourselves to evaluate our parenting:
* Are we providing our children with security or always scrutinizing?
* Are we affirming or abandoning our children?
* Are we expecting our children to meet our needs?
* Are we not allowing our children to express negative emotions?
* Are we causing our children to be fearful of us?
Scriptures Cited:
Proverbs 3:12
Leviticus 19:18
Proverbs 3:27
Proverbs 31:28
Ecclesiastes 4:1
Galatians 5:15
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Nov 11, 2022
Was Jesus a Socialist? (part 4)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I chat about Jesus and socialism while driving to work.
A coworker recently made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it.
In part 4 I look at one of the socialist's prooftexts: the account of the rich young ruler. We see that this story doesn't teach any forced redistribution of wealth. Jesus' instructions to give up all possessions are also not universal to all disciples.
Jesus was dispelling the religious thought at the time that the wealth of religious leaders was proof of God's approval.
We also read some Bible verses from the Old Testament to show that being rich or poor is not the issue but wisdom and righteousness with wealth.
Scriptures Cited:
Deuteronomy 8:17:18
Ruth 2:1
2 Chronicles 1:12
Psalm 49:6; 112:3
Proverbs 13:11,22-23; 19:14; 24:3-4
Ecclesiastes 5:19
Proverbs 3:16
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Nov 7, 2022
Four Ways To Build Up Our Children
Chelsea and I continue our chat about parenting.
Society doesn't seem to place the value on children and the care that they truly need.
We discuss four ways we can build up our children with our words and how we treat them:
* Cherish them
* Be calm toward them
* Be consistent with them
* Compliment them
Scriptures Cited:
John 16:21
1 Thessalonians 2:7-8
Isaiah 66:13
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
James 2:9
Proverbs 27:9
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Nov 4, 2022
Was Jesus a Socialist? (part 3)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I chat about Jesus and socialism while driving to work.
A coworker recently made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it.
In part 3 I walk through the parable of the vineyard workers in Matthew chapter 20 that I have heard people claim teaches socialism. However, a closer look at the details shows that it teaches free market principles:
* private property
* profits
* enforcing voluntary contracts
* supply and demand
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Oct 31, 2022
REWIND: Jesus Changed Everything with Anthony Russo
I had the privilege to interview Anthony Russo about his new book Jesus Changed Everything: He Changed History, He Can Change Your Story.
Anthony gives his testimony of being converted from Roman Catholicism but also later from nominal Christianity. He realized from the Bible just how central Jesus is to everything we believe--even our reason for living.
We talk about how cultures try to worship other things in the place of God. Only the truth of the gospel makes sense of our plight and our cure.
Anthony Russo:
Grace and Peace Radio
Jesus Changed Everything book [bulk orders at discount]
Amazon Author page
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Oct 28, 2022
Was Jesus a Socialist? (part 2)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I chat about Jesus and socialism while driving to work.
A coworker recently made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it.
In part 2 I talk about how Jesus avoided being a leader of a political revolution. He taught voluntary charity.
I also walked through two parables in Matthew chapter 25 where Jesus seemed to teach "meritocracy":
* The wise and foolish virgins
* The talents/pounds
See also:
Rebecca Berschwinger - One Little Candle episode 56: "The ”He Gets Us” Movement. Promoting a False Jesus?"
Andrew Rappaport - Apologetics Live episode 172: "Answering the “He Gets Us” campaign"
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Oct 24, 2022
Four Ways We Tear Down Our Children
Chelsea and I continue our chat about parenting.
Parenting is the most rewarding and the most challenging job in life. How we treat our children now can impact them for life.
Here are four ways we can can tear down our children and not realize it:
* Be cold toward them
* Be critical of them
* Be condescending toward them
* Be controlling over them
Scriptures Cited:
Mark 18:10
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Ecclesiastes 10:12
Matthew 5:22
Romans 14:19
Proverbs 1:8-9
1 Peter 5:2-3
Hebrews 12:11
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
We value your feedback!
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Oct 21, 2022
Was Jesus a Socialist? (part 1)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I chat about Jesus and socialism while driving to work.
A coworker recently made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it.
In part 1 I talk about socialism's dependence on controlling "power structures."
Nothing in Jesus' teachings or actions show that He was trying to gather a following to overthrow the social order. His teachings on personal virtue are incompatible with the end goals of socialism. His parables are full of references to current institutions and markets to teach spiritual lessons.
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Oct 17, 2022
Three Reasons Parents Tear Down Their Children
Spring boarding from our series on slander Chelsea and I talk about parenting.
As important as how husband and wife treat each other is how they treat their children.
We give three reasons parents can find themselves tearing down their own children:
* Power (abuse of)
* Impulse (anger)
* Deception (two parenting extremes that show lack of love)
Scriptures Cited:
1 TImothy 5:21
James 3:17
Matthew 18:6
Colossians 3:21
Ephesians 6:4
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
We value your feedback!
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Oct 10, 2022
200th Episode: Andrew Rappaport on Christian Podcasting
For this 200th episode of Truthspresso Andrew Rappaport joins me to talk about Christian podcasting and the Christian Podcast Community. Truthspresso is a member podcast of the Christian Podcast Community.
Andrew Rappaport is the executive director of Striving For Eternity Ministries and the Christian Podcast Community.
Andrew grew up in a Jewish home and converted to Christianity at the age of 16. He is a pastor, apologist, and international speaker. He frequently engages in evangelism through street preaching.
Learn more about Andrew Rappaport:
Andrew Rappaport's testimony
Andrew Rappaport's ministries:
Striving For Eternity Ministries
The Christian Podcast Community
Andrew Rappaport's podcasts:
Andrew Rappaport's Rapp Report
The Daily Rapp Report with Andrew Rappaport
Apologetics Live
Theology Throw Down
So, You Want To Be A Podcaster?
Andrew Rappaport's books:
What Do They Believe?
What Do We Believe?
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Oct 3, 2022
Six Ways To Build Up Others
Chelsea and I conclude how we treat others with our words.
Using the acronym GREATS we present six ways to build up others with our words.
* _G_raceful words
* _R_espectful words
* _E_ncouraging words
* _A_ffirming words
* _T_ruthful words
* _S_incere words
Scriptures Referenced:
Colossians 4:6
1 Peter 2:17
Romans 12:10
1 Peter 3:15
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Proverbs 25:11
Deuteronomy 1:38; 31:6
James 4:11
Ephesians 4:24-25
2 Corinthians 1:12
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Sep 26, 2022
Three Ways We Tear Down Others
Chelsea and I shift gears to how we can find ourselves talking bad about others outside our home: extended family, neighbors, friends, coworkers, or church members.
Why do we speak negatively to or about others?
Envy, grudges, and competition can all make us slander people who are not the closest in our lives.
What are ways we tear down others?
* Say negative things about or to them
* Gossip
* Bear false witness
Scriptures Referenced:
Proverbs 18:21
Ecclesiastes 4:4
Acts 13:45
Mark 15:9-10
Acts 7:9; 13:50
Proverbs 11:12
1 Timothy 5:13
Proverbs 16:28; 6:19; 14:5; 26:18-19
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Sep 19, 2022
Seven Ways to Build Up Your Spouse
Chelsea and I finish our discussion of slander in marriage by giving positive alternatives to hurtful words.
What are ways we can build up our spouse to avoid temptations to slander?
* Show kindness
* Allow for positive silence
* Display grace
* Use encouraging words
* Express a thankful attitude
* Forgive
* Intentionally make time together
Scriptures Referenced:
Isaiah 40:31
Ephesians 4:32
Psalm 46:10
Psalm 4:4
Philippians 4:6
Matthew 6:6
Ecclesiastes 9:9a
Proverbs 17:22
1 Peter 3:7-10
Ephesians 4:2
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Proverbs 22:10
Philemon v.7
1 Thessalonians 5:15-18
Philippians 1:3
1 Thessalonians 1:2
Colossians 3:12-15
Proverbs 5:18
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Sep 12, 2022
How We Can Slander Our Spouse Through Negative Silence
We can find ourselves slandering our spouse in different ways: even "silent" ways!
Chelsea and I continue our discussion of slander in marriage to finish our answer to the question:
What are ways we tear down our spouse?
* Absence
* Negative Silence
* Assuming motives.
We fleshed out "Negative Silence" with how it shows up as...
* Avoidance/"peace at all costs"
* Bitterness
* Busyness/distractions
* Passive aggression
* Power/control
* Safety
Scriptures Referenced:
Colossians 3:19
James 3:11
Proverbs 25:28; 16:32
Sources Cited:
Todd Foley, "Silent storm: When your spouse won't talk," Focus on the Family Canada, Accessed September 11, 2022.
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Sep 5, 2022
Why and How Slander Happens in Marriage
Slander finds its way into marriages way too easily and often.
But slander doesn't belong in words toward our spouse!
Chelsea and I first give an acrostic for S-L-A-N-D-E-R, then how we should E-D-I-F-Y.
Then, we answer some questions:
Why do we react, respond, or talk negatively about or to our spouse?
* Anger
* Bitterness
* Childhood experiences
* Expectations
* Life events
* Low self-esteem
* Need for attention
What are ways we tear down our spouse?
* Critical or belittling comments
* Putting down
* Manipulation
* Sarcasm
* Quick, snappy statements
* Insensitivity
Scriptures Referenced:
Matthew 12:34-37
Proverbs 4:23-24
Proverbs 18:6
Sources Cited:
Todd Foley, "Words that bruise: Are you emotionally abusive?" Focus on the Family Canada, Accessed September 4, 2022.
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthl…
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Aug 29, 2022
Solutions to Giving and Receiving Slander
How can I avoid slandering others?
How do I handle when other people slander me?
Chelsea and I look at some good verses from the Bible to help us answer these questions
How do I avoid slandering others?
* Think before you speak (Jas 1:19; Pro 13:3; 21:23; 29:11)
* Let your motive for speaking be to edify (Eph 4:29,22-32)
How do I handle when other people slander me?
* Diffuse it with a pleasant response (Pro 15:1a; Rom 12:17-21; 1Pe 2:12)
* Focus on living right (1Co 4:12-13)
* Truth God and be patient with the results (Pro 20:22; Psa 109:2-4)
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Aug 26, 2022
Student Loan Forgiveness is not Biblical Forgiveness
After four months I finally did it! A new episode of Truthspresso Express!
While driving to work on Thursday morning I outline some thoughts on President Biden's announcement of a program to "forgive" some student loan debts.
When we clear away the politics and emotions, we see the problems with schemes like this. Particularly, the ideology of so-called student loan "forgiveness" is:
* Fantasy
* Theft
* Moral hazard
I also address an article I read that tries to claim student loan "forgiveness" is a Christian idea. The article raises Deuteronomy 15, which I argue cannot possibly qualify.
Sources consulted:
Matt Bernico, "I Paid Off My Loans. As a Christian, I Still Hope Biden Forgives Yours," Sojourners, May 4, 2022.
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Aug 22, 2022
How Slander Affects You and Others
Can slander be a tool in our belt? A weapon in our arsenal?
The Bible has a lot to say about slander. Neither the one slandered nor the slanderer is the better for it.
Chelsea and I show from the Bible how slander leaves wreckage in every wake.
How slander affects the slanderer:
* It destroys your reputation (Pro 23:7; 29:20; 22:1)
* Its gains are temporary (Pro 12:19; Joh 8:44; 1Pe 3:10; Pro 21:28; 10:6)
How slander affects the one slandered:
* It can make enemies (Pro 15:1b; 26:28)
* Its wounds can be lifelong (Pro 11:9; 25:18)
Sources Cited:
Lewina O. Lee et al, Bruce S. McEwen, ed., "Optimism is associated with exceptional longevity in 2 epidemiologic cohorts of men and women," PNAS, August 26, 2019.
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Aug 15, 2022
Six Reasons People Slander
What is slander? Why do people want to slander other people?
Chelsea and I look at some Bible verses and stories to find at least six reasons people slander others:
* To enrich themselves (Proverbs 21:6; 20:17; Haman)
* To satisfy envy (Joseph's brothers)
* To cover up wrongdoing or shift blame (Potiphar's wife)
* To conceal hateful motives or weakness (Proverbs 10:18)
* To damage or destroy opponents (Psalm 31:13; 1 Samuel 24:9; the Ammonites against David)
* To fight against truth (Psalm 31:18; 52:3; 64:3-4; Jeremiah 9:4-5)
Sources Cited:
Legal Dictionary, s.v. "slander (n.)," accessed August 14, 2022.
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Aug 8, 2022
Happiness vs. Joy
In our currently English dictionaries happiness and joy are almost synonyms. Chelsea and I try to be a dictionary for these words as we contrast the two words. We read verses from the Bible to learn what Biblical joy means and how it doesn't always go with happiness.
Our definitions of the words:
_Happiness_: a state of feeling good based on present conditions
_Joy_: a state of hope based on future promises
Sources Consulted:
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “happiness,” accessed August 7, 2022.
Scriptures Referenced:
Acts 5:41
Acts 13:50-52
Romans 14:17
2 Corinthians 7:4
Galatians 5:22
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
Hebrews 10:34
Hebrews 12:2
Psalm 30:5
Nehemiah 8:10
James 1:2
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Aug 1, 2022
Some Encouraging Names of Jesus (part 2)
Chelsea and I continue to take a break from current news to talk about some names of Jesus and how they encourage us and make us dig deep.
Names we talked about include the following:
* The Righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8)
* The Word of God (John 1:1,3,14; 1 John 1:1; Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 19:13)
* Our Protector (2 Thessalonians 3:3; Psalm 18:2)
* The Son of Man (Luke 19:10; Matthew 12:8; 18:11; Daniel 7:13-14,27; Mark 14:62-64)
* Our Hope (1 Timothy 1:1; Romans 8:24)
* The Son of God (Matthew 14:33; 4:3; 8:29; 16:16; 27:40; Romans 1:4)
This episode was fun, lighthearted, and uplifting. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
The quiz mentioned in this episode:
Names of Jesus Bible Quiz
Also in this episode series:
Some Encouraging Names of Jesus (part 1)
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Jul 25, 2022
Some Encouraging Names of Jesus (part 1)
Chelsea and I take a break from current news to talk about some names of Jesus and how they encourage us and make us dig deep.
Names we talked about include the following:
* The Amen (Revelation 3:14)
* Advocate (1 John 2:1)
* The Lamb (John 1:29; Revelation 5:6; 6:16; 22:3)
* Our Life (Matthew 16:26; Colossians 3:4)
* The Lord of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:7; James 2:1; Psalm 24:7-8)
* Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11)
This episode was fun, lighthearted, and uplifting. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Also in this episode series:
Some Encouraging Names of Jesus (part 2)
*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***
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Jul 18, 2022
How Abortion Politics Exploited a 10-Year-Old Girl
On July 1 the Indianapolis Star published a piece that mentioned a pregnant 10-year-old girl seeking an abortion. According to this article she had to go to Indiana because her home state of Ohio wouldn't allow it--all because of those fiendish Supreme Court justices!
The hazy event spread around the world and became part of the abortion debate (as intended), and President Biden mentioned it in a speech. After conservative news commentators and guests expressed their doubts about the story, police arrested the perpetrator on July 12. A child abuser is now off the streets!
As details are now coming out, they raise questions about coverups and political maneuvering. Why didn't the news initially focus on catching a criminal? Why does it seem like the arrest became a convenient trap for libel? Why did independent journalist Megan Fox of PJ Media have to struggle to get answers and be denied them? Who loses in these political games? The 10-year-old girl and the many victims who are like…
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Jul 11, 2022
TikTok Pro-Abortion Women Misunderstand Pro-Life
TikTok videos show pro-abortion women retaliating against the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
They're warning "pro-life" men that a lack of access to abortion could threaten "hookup culture." They're calling for "abstinence" apart from commitment. They're demanding men who cause women to be pregnant to share financial responsibility and help raise the child.
They believe these demands will punish "pro-life" men.
Chelsea and I believe these TikTok women have no idea what "pro-life" really means.
What these women think are ultimatums are what we have been saying all along. The Bible teaches abstinence before marriage, that men and women should seek a lifelong spouse, and that men should be fathers who sacrifice for their wife and children.
Christians should use these misunderstandings as opportunities to explain the truth about "pro-life" and ultimately to share the gospel.
Sources Consulted:
Waiyee Yip, "Women on TikTok say hookup culture will 'be absolutely d…
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Jul 4, 2022
Pride Month's Confusion over Womanhood
Chelsea and I conclude our series about Pride Month.
Ricci Tres is a 29-year-old combat veteran and father of three children who recently decided to try to be a woman. Tres was rejected from the women's Olympic skateboarding because he has too much testosterone. He later won a NYC skateboarding competition and put a 13-year-old girl in second place. Tres admits he could "never be a woman" but wishes he were born that way. He wants to be "pretty and cute."
Fox News aired a controversial story about the Whittington family and how their young daughter allegedly told her parents she was really a boy before she could even speak. She supposedly "came out" as a boy at age 5. The Whittingtons have been raising their daughter as a son renamed Ryland.
Stories like this lead us to ask the same question Matt Walsh asked in his documentary: "What is a woman?"
Chelsea gives biological traits of how God designed females differently from males. Men and women can have a wide range of personalities.…
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Jun 27, 2022
The End of Roe is Just the Beginning
We take a break from what we said we were going to address this week to talk about the Supreme Court ruling for Dobbs v. Jackson on Friday, June 24, 2022. On this historic day Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey were explicitly overturned.
We talk about the Constitutional arguments laid out in the decision and the problems with the dissenting opinion.
The decision simply relegated the authority to legislate abortion back to the states and the people. This is not the time to claim victory and move on. The battle for the hearts and minds of people over abortion now kicks into high gear from the ground up.
Sources Consulted:
Dobbs v. Jackson decision PDF
Dobbs v. Jackson dissent PDF
Scriptures Cited:
Psalm 20:7
Deuteronomy 21:9
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Jun 20, 2022
Pride Month's Mockery of Women
Chelsea and I continue our coverage of events and thoughts about Pride Month.
Some protesters disrupted a "Drag Queen Story Hour" at a library in San Lorenzo, California. Most media articles side with the drag queen and demonize the protesters. They mostly asked parents why they brought their kids specifically to this event. The parents didn't give a cogent answer.
Apparently, these protesters are possibly guilty of a "hate crime." Are "drag queens" now a protected minority class of people?
We shift from drag queens and transgender people to ask the question "What is a woman?" If being a "woman" is not a part of biology, what exactly is a "woman"?
The more Western culture insists on rebelling against God's created order, the more it turns the word woman into nothing more than a mask, a costume, a performance, or a meaningless identity.
Sources Consulted:
John Riley, "Proud Boys Disrupt Drag Queen Story Hour Event," Metro Weekly, June 14, 2022.
Scriptures Cited:
Genesis 1:27
Ps…
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Jun 13, 2022
Pride Month's War on Children
Note: This episode contains subject matter that may not be suitable for young children. We made our best effort to keep the information non-descriptive.
"Pride Month" has become a sacred cow of secular religion. Children are increasingly targeted for grooming.
The recent "Drag the Kids to Pride" event in Dallas, Texas demonstrated this as parents forced their young children to watch "drag queens" dance for money.
The kids didn't want to be there for their parents' secular ritual.
Commentators Alex Stein and John Doyle went there to report, chat, and preach. They revealed things the mainstream media ignored.
As Christians we must be bold about the truth that the Bible clearly condemns "pride" and the goals of "Pride Month." We must be vigilant to protect our children and call sinners to repentance. We must also give the gospel in love and recognize that many of these people were deprived of a loving home.
Sources Consulted:
Nicole Russell, "There’s no such thing as a family-fri…
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Jun 6, 2022
Biblical Solutions for Mass Shootings
Chelsea and I continue and conclude our discussion of the tragic mass school shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
As politicians clamor for more gun control, we look at Salvador Ramos' family situation.
Were warning signs ignored that led to this attack?
Could Ramos' poor family situation have been at the root of his problems?
We believe the evidence shows that Biblical parenthood is the true solution for preventing mass shootings.
Also in this series:
The Uvalde Tragedy
Sources Consulted:
Emma Parry, "TWISTED GAME: Disturbing tactic used by Salvador Ramos to lure girls online after his chilling threat to Yubo player emerges," The Sun, May 26, 2022.
Rachel Otts, "Warning Signs May Have Been Present in Uvalde Shooter," The Dallas Express, May 26, 2022.
Jack Morphet, MaryAnn Martinez, and Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, "New video shows Texas school shooter Salvador Ramos holding bag of dead cats," New York Post, May 30, 2022.
Giulia Carbonaro, "Adriana Reyes, Uvalde Sh…
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May 30, 2022
The Uvalde Tragedy
The mass school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas has gripped us all. We mourn with those who lost family and friends. Even those who managed to escape with their lives will be scarred by the evil.
Chelsea and I present the timeline of the tragedy. We do our best to evaluate the reported police response with fairness as information is still coming out. Of note, especially, is the mom who ran in and brought her two children out to safety.
Finally, we address the politics that unfortunately happen when depraved humans kill others with guns.
Also in this series:
Biblical Solutions for Mass Shootings
Sources Consulted:
Jake Bleiberg and Sean Murphy, "TIMELINE: Texas elementary school shooting, minute by minute," WPXI.com, May 28, 2022.
Azmi Haroun, "A mother who was handcuffed outside the Texas school shooting later ran into the school and pulled her two children to safety: report," Insider, May 26, 2022.
Barrack Obama, Twitter post on Uvalde and George Floyd, May…
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May 23, 2022
"Mostly Peaceful" Protests After the Supreme Court Leak
Chelsea and I talk about the aftermath of the Supreme Court leak of the draft of the ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson case that court overturn Roe v. Wade.
Senate Democrats tried to ram through a radical abortion law that lost 49-51.
Churches experienced raucous protests on Mother's Day.
The Wisconsin Family Action office was vandalized and received terrifying voice messages.
Supreme Court justices endured unlawful protests at their residential homes.
Abortion advocates testified before Congress and refused to answer obviously necessary questions about what abortion does.
We must stand for the truth boldly in this present evil age.
Sources Referenced:
Wisconsin Family Voice, "Listen to the voicemails left for us after the attack," Wisconsin Family Action, May 12, 2022.
Billy Hallowell, "'Burn, Little Jesus Freaks!' Horrific, Creepy, and Vile Death Threats Flood Pro-Life Group's Voicemail After Molotov Attack," CBN News, May 12, 2022.
Brandon Gillespie, "Reporter calls for viol…
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May 16, 2022
What About That Supreme Court Leak?
We look at some salient points from the leaked draft opinion in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization case.
The draft argues that the decisions of Roe vs. Wade and Planned Parenthood vs. Casey "must be overruled." Many pro-abortion activists are crying foul that this is judicial activism and an attack on a "fundamental right" to an abortion.
When we see the arguments and the rules in both Roe and Casey detailed in the draft, they clearly are themselves judicial activism. There simply is no federal "right" to an abortion recognized by the Constitution as a compact among the states.
If this draft passes, it does not ban abortions, despite the protests. It simply argues that the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction in the matter and that abortion is an issue for the states and their voters to decide by legislation.
Sources Cited:
Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward, "Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows," Politico, May 2, 2022.
"Read Justice…
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May 9, 2022
The Power of the Resurrection
Chelsea and I finish our series on the Passion Week with the most important event in history: the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
From the burial to the high Sabbath to Sunday morning, we look at the the people involved and how they discovered that Jesus Christ was alive again.
Join us as we feel Mary Magdalene's sorrow and witness how her experience determined the rest of history.
Source Cited:
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, "The Power of His Resurrection," The Spurgeon Center, April 21, 1889.
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May 2, 2022
Rethinking Money and Ministry with Conley Owens
Conley Owens is a husband and father of eight children. He is a pastor at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church. He also has a full time job as a software engineer at Google.
But Conley is more than just a modern day Batman. He has thought deeply about how modern Christianity has commercialized ministry contrary to the examples and teachings in the Bible.
Conley's book The Dorean Principle is an eye-opening look at how Christians should raise funds without turning the gospel into a product and recipients into consumers.
The way we publish books, host conferences, and charge speaker fees deserves some fresh criticism! And that is why The Dorean Principle demands the church's consideration.
Further Research:
The Dorean Principle: A Biblical Response to the Commercialization of Christianity
The Dorean Principle Facebook Group
First Love Ministries
Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church
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Apr 25, 2022
The Wonder of the Crucifixion
Chelsea and I break down the timeline of the crucifixion according to the gospel accounts.
The agony of this brutal form of execution helps us to see what Jesus was willing to anticipate and endure.
Yet, what makes this spectacle even more amazing are the prophecies Jesus and others involved in this event fulfill.
Prepare to cherish Christ dearly through this deep and captivating look at the day of atonement!
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Apr 18, 2022
The Politics of Jesus' Trials and Crucifixion
Chelsea and I continue our series on the Passion Week and note the worldly politics that led to Jesus' atonement.
We cover Jesus' betrayal and arrest, His six trials, Peter's denials, the release of Barabbas, and Jesus' final sentence.
We ponder the question "Who put Jesus on the cross?"
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Apr 15, 2022
The Lord's Supper: Transubstantiation? (part 2)
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I analyze more arguments for the Roman Catholic dogma of transubstantiation while driving to work in the morning and from work in the evening.
How does Jesus going away and returning to earth conflict with the claims of Transubstantiation? What about the role of the Holy Spirit as "another Comforter" in Jesus' bodily absence?
Can Transubstantiation confuse the human and divine attributes of Christ?
How does the Council of Trent claiming that the "whole Christ" is found in the bread or in the wine separately help with a "literal" reading of Jesus' words?
How does Transubstantiation ultimately affect the doctrine of salvation?
This episode is inspired by the recent episode of Theology Throw Down in the Christian Podcast Community.
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Apr 11, 2022
The Politics of the Passion Week
Chelsea and I continue our series of episodes on the Easter season. We talk about the busy week of Jesus from His triumphal entry to His trials.
One thing that characterized most of the entanglements He faced: politics, politics, politics!
We observe how nothing has changed about human politics, and how politics leads people to shirk truth and deny their own eyes and hearts. Jesus gave us an example of how to fight politics with cold, hard truth all the way to the end.
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Apr 8, 2022
The Lord's Supper: Transubstantiation?
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I analyze arguments for the Roman Catholic dogma of transubstantiation while driving to work in the morning and from work in the evening.
Does John 6 teach the we must literally eat Christ's flesh and drink His blood?
Is a metaphor a "literal" understanding of "This is My body"?
This episode is inspired by the recent episode of Theology Throw Down in the Christian Podcast Community.
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Apr 4, 2022
The Triumphal Entry
Chelsea and I begin with by talking about our crazy day (Saturday). Our water heater broke and was leaking while Chelsea was engaged in an unexpected spiritual battle. We mentioned the End Abortion Now event at the Colorado capital. We planned to go to it but the water heater issue kept us home.
Then, we talked about the events surrounding the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We discussed the significance of the donkey, the palm branches, Lazarus, and the politics of the day. In some ways we see how the hearts of Jesus' enemies plotting His death are similar to today's culture.
Scriptures Cited:
Isaiah 62:11
Zechariah 9:9
Further Research:
Matthew 21
Mark 11
Luke 19
John 12
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Apr 1, 2022
Some Yap About That Slap
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I talk about the now infamous incident from the Oscars on Sunday when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock.
Just some casual thoughts about why I don't think it was staged and where I pick sides (or not).
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Mar 28, 2022
Colorado Passes Its Radical Abortion Bill!
HB 22-1279, also known as the "Reproductive Health Equity Act" went through the Colorado Senate floor this last week. This bill is designed to legalize all abortions anytime anywhere for any reason up until birth and possibly afterwards.
The language of this evil bill is intentionally broad and ambiguous. Senate Republicans offered a plethora of amendments to limit the bill or clarify the language. Democrats wouldn't budge on a single word of the bill.
Chelsea and I review the debate and most of the amendments. From simply requiring "sterile instruments" to protecting free speech, the radically pro-abortion Democrats defied all reason for their holy grail.
As of this recording, the bill will soon arrive at the governor's desk and he is committed to signing it. Please pray for the state of Colorado! We must speak truth in love and have faith that God is sovereign.
Further Research:
HB 22-1279: Reproductive Health Equity Act
Colorado State Senate Floor Hearing (with Amendments) on…
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Mar 21, 2022
Colorado's Radical Abortion Bill!
Colorado Democrats are afraid of Roe vs. Wade being overturned this year. So afraid, in fact, that they are trying to ram through a radically evil abortion bill!
HB 22-1279, also known as the "Reproductive Health Equity Act" would enshrine into statute abortion on demand for any reason with no restrictions using any means up until birth (and quite possibly beyond). It is unclear even from the legislators whether a human has the rights claimed in the bill until he or she can exercise such reproductive rights.
The Colorado House and Senate each heard over nine hours of truth in testimonies against this awful bill. They heard how this bill will enable human trafficking and abuse and butcher unborn (and possibly born) babies. They heard the gospel as well!
Chelsea herself testified against the bill in the Senate hearing. We play the clip of her testimony in this episode.
Please pray for God's mercy and justice!
Further Research:
HB 22-1279: Reproductive Health Equity Act
Colorado Se…
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Mar 14, 2022
Is the Bible a Manual for Terrorism?
Since I am starting to recover from a cold and voice is not at the moment all it's cracked up to be (it mostly just cracks), I got permission from Andrew Rappaport to re-air an episode of the Rapp Report from July 4, 2021 entitled "National Strategy for Counter Terrorism Against Christians."
It's certainly eye-opening for those of us expecting to live in "the land of the free," but, as Christians, we already know our battle against "spiritual wickedness in high places" will be ever before us until the last day.
Also, keep Andrew in your prayers as his mother recently passed away. He shared the gospel with her multiple times and she repeatedly rejected it. Only God knows what was in her heart in her final breaths.
See Also:
The Rapp Report episode 179: "National Strategy for Counter Terrorism Against Christians" (original episode)
The Rapp Report with Andrew Rappaport
Theology Throw Down episode 19: "Handling Unsaved People Near Death"
Christian Podcast Community
Striving For Et…
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Mar 7, 2022
Differences or Divisions: Understanding Your Spouse
Chelsea and I chat more about how husbands and wives can get along and make the most of their marriage. Understanding common differences that often manifest themselves between men and women can help communication and prevent arguments.
We observe helpful differences in
* Psychology
* Brain structure
* Communication
Becoming aware of our differences as how God made us can help us appreciate our spouse as we take time to talk.
Sources Cited:
Matt Hutson, "6 Subtle Psychological Differences Between Men and Women," Psychology Today, December 17, 2020.
Bruce Goldman, "Two minds: The cognitive differences between men and women," Stanford Medicine, Accessed March 6, 2022.
"Key Differences Between Male and Female," Focus on the Family, 2015.
Frank Brennan, "3 Scientific Ways Men and Women Promote Miscommunication in Marriage," All Pro Dad, Accessed March 6, 2022.
Susy Alexandre, "14 Huge Ways Men and Women Communicate Differently in Relationships," Slice, June 13, 2018.
Scriptu…
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Mar 5, 2022
The State of the Union: A Truthspresso Response
It's finally Truthspresso Express time again!
I combined three commute talks into one packed episode to share my thoughts about the President's State of the Union address.
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Feb 28, 2022
Before You Say "I Do"
Chelsea and I went to a marriage retreat this last weekend. Some of what we heard makes it way into our discussion.
We direct this episode mostly toward engaged couples to prepare Biblically for marriage.
We encourage premarital counseling, but show the difference between secular and Biblical questions.
If you're getting close to that wedding day, understand how being married is very different from the single dating stage.
We wrap up by looking at marriage advice from older veterans of the craft.
Sources Referenced:
Sarah Hanlon, "This Was the Most Popular Day to Get Engaged Last Year," The Knot, June 14, 2020.
Maddy Sims, "Here's the Average Length of Engagement for Couples," The Know, Updated June 14, 2020.
"What to Know About Premarital Counseling," The Knot, Updated Nov 29, 2019.
Renee Fisher, "34 Premarital Questions Every Christian Couple Should Ask Before Marriage," iBelieve, August 23, 2021.
Jessica Stillman, "5 Secrets of Enduring Love From Couples Who Have Been Marr…
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Feb 21, 2022
"The Cave: When Ministry Becomes Misery" with Pastor Scott Distler
Scott Distler, pastor of Gaylord E-Free Church joins me to talk about his book The Cave: When Ministry Becomes Misery.
Pastor Scott shares his testimony of how his apparent ministry success quickly turned into misery through betrayal.
After the prophet Elijah scored a miraculous victory against the prophets of Baal, he soon found himself hiding in a cave asking God to end his life.
This "cave" experience is what Pastor Scott wants to help us recognize and endure with humility and faith.
Scott Distler
Scott Distler is the lead pastor at Gaylord E-Free Church (a multi-campus church with campuses in Gaylord and Sault, Michigan). He holds a Pastoral Ministries degree and a Masters in Religion from Liberty University. Scott has served a role of pastor in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and now Michigan.
Amazon: The Cave: When Ministry Becomes Misery
NewsWire Press Release
Gaylord E-Free Church
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Feb 14, 2022
What Is Love?
My wife Chelsea returns to co-host with me for this Valentines Day episode.
What is love?
Dictionaries describe it as a "feeling," "affection," "passion," or "desire."
These are all well and good, but do they fully describe what love is?
The Bible has a lot to say about love that doesn't quite fit these terms.
We see how the Bible defines love as
* Commanded
* Sacrificial
* Selfless
* Unconditional
The world often gets the cart before the horse. Feelings aren't necessarily the source of commitment. Rather, commitment properly produces feelings.
Sources Cited:
Merriam-Webster, s.v. "love," accessed February 12, 2022, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love.
Dictionary.com, s.v. "love," accessed February 12, 2022, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/love.
Scriptures Cited:
Matthew 22:35-40
1 John 4:10-11
Ephesians 5:2,25,32
John 15:13
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Romans 5:8
Luke 6:27
Proverbs 10:12
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Feb 7, 2022
Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus? (part 3)
We are continuing and finally concluding a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero (in this case a super villain) will represent each of these ideas.
This is part 3 of 3 of "Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus?"
In this episode we cover two takeaways from the monothelite controversy that matter to us today:
* Monothelitism compromises substitutionary atonement (Heb 2:14-18; 4:15; 5:7-9).
* The barrage of anathemas against Pope Honorius I who was complicit in the error refutes the Roman Catholic dogma of papal infallibility.
Sources Consulted:
"Third Council of Constantinople," New Advent, Accessed February 6, 2022.
Philip Schaff, ed., "The Sentence Against the Monothelites." Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Accessed February 6, 2022.
Ibid., "Session XVI," Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Accessed February 6, 2022.
Ibid., "The Definition of Faith," Christian Cl…
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Jan 31, 2022
Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus (part 2)
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
This is part 2 of 2 3 of "Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus?"
After a bit of review of our superheroes and the issues, we look at the intricate history of this conflict over monothelitism in the seventh century.
Monothelitism was political position that was intentionally constructed to reconcile the orthodox with the monophysites to unite and strengthen the Byzantine empire.
Some of the orthodox who opposed this compromise doctrine suffered tremendously for the truth. We owe them a debt of gratitude rather than let them slip through the cracks of history.
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Jan 28, 2022
With Me in Paradise: A Problem for Jehovah's Witnesses
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I talk about the Jehovah's Witnesses contention over what Jesus told the thief on the cross: "Today, you will be with me in paradise."
We can observe several points:
* The word today is unnecessary if it isn't part of the message.
* The word paradise is also what Paul observed as the "third heaven."
* According to Jehovah's Witness teaching, Jesus couldn't even be with the thief in paradise.
Scriptures Referenced:
Luke 23:42-43
2 Corinthians 12:2-4
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Jan 24, 2022
Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus? (part 1)
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
This is part 1 of 2 of "Is Jesus Like Doctor Octopus?"
Who is Doctor Octopus?
How are Jesus and Doctor Octopus similar?
* They both seemingly have a distinct human and "divine" nature.
* They are both a single person.
How are Jesus and Doctor Octopus different?
* Doctor Octopus has only one active will: the will of the super arms.
* Jesus has both an active human will and an active divine will.
Are there Scriptures that show the two wills of Jesus?
* Jesus had the same divine will with the Father (Joh 5:17-23, see v.19)
* Jesus had a distinct human will from the divine will of the Father (Mat 26:38-39; Heb 10:7-9)
* God cannot be tempted, but man can be (Jas 1:13-16)
* The Son was incarnate so that He can be tempted as a human (Heb 2:16-18)
Scriptures Ci…
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Jan 21, 2022
The Contradictory Secular Gospel of the V
At long last another episode of Truthspresso Express!
After studying a barrage of articles showing contradictory and gaping holes in the narrative to push the V, I present the case for sanity and truth.
How do we reconcile firing tens of thousands of healthy workers for not taking a V with expecting others to work even while symptomatic from the very contagion that the V is supposed to prevent? Our society has seriously jumped the shark. "The Science" has become a secular gospel of conformity, not actual health care.
Sources Consulted:
Adriana Gomez Licon and Jennifer McDermott, "US hospitals letting staff members infected with COVID stay on the job," Stars and Stripes, January 10, 2022.
Andrew Miller, "Hospitals across the U.S. turning to foreign nurses as healthcare workers are fired over vaccine mandates," yahoo! news, January 8, 2022.
Carolyn, Crist, "Mayo Clinic Fires 700 Employees for Refusing COVID Vaccine," WebMD, January 6, 2022.
Jordan Boyd, "Canadian Ronald McDonald H…
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Jan 17, 2022
Talking Jehovah's Witnesses on Quest For Truth
Keith Heltsley, co-host of the Quest For Truth podcast, interviewed me and my brother John to talk about Jehovah's Witnesses and our book When the Watchtower Knocks: Discussing an Encounter With Jehovah's Witnesses.
The interview was originally recorded on November 10, 2021 and was aired on Quest For Truth on November 15.
Quest For Truth and Truthspresso are both member podcasts of the Christian Podcast Community, a part of Striving For Eternity ministries.
Also check out these resources!
Life Truth Network with Keith Heltsley and Nathan Caldwell
Quest For Truth episode 345: Discussing Jehovah's Witnesses with Daniel and John Mynyk
Quest For Truth episode 309: Superblian and Superhero, Daniel Mynyk
When the Watchtower Knocks: Discussing an Encounter with Jehovah's Witnesses by Daniel and John Mynyk
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Jan 10, 2022
Biblical Resolutions (part 2)
Chelsea and I continue and close our two-part series about New Year's resolutions from a Biblical perspective.
We begin with three weird and unusual New Year's resolutions that people have made.
Then we continue our assessment from the Bible about the kinds of resolutions that Christians should make. We should reflect about how Christianity looks at life differently from the world:
* Christians shouldn't think in cycles but in permanency and about eternity
* Christians should resolve to make changes now and from now on
Sources Cited:
Byron Udell, "15 Most Unusual New Year's Resolutions," AccuQuote, December 22, 2017.
Scriptures Cited:
Hebrews 9:25-26
2 Peter 3:3-4, 11-13
Proverbs 28:13
Galatians 5:1
Ephesians 4:28-29
1 Timothy 4:8
1 Peter 2:1, 11
1 Peter 4:2-4
Isaiah 40:28-31
Romans 6:21-22
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Jan 3, 2022
Biblical Resolutions (part 1)
Chelsea and I recorded this episode late at night closing out the year 2021.
We discuss the history of New Year's resolutions. The roots go back to ancient history!
We hash some statistics about how many people make resolutions, what they're about, and how successful (or unsuccessful many are).
We then look at what the Bible says about resolutions and making rash promises. The secular world is often flippant and rash with empty pledges. Christians should be slow to make promises and take their own words to heart as the Bible says "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.'"
Sources Cited:
Amanda Capritto, "The history of New Year's resolutions and celebrations," CNet.com, December 1, 2020.
Sarah Pruitt, "The History of New Year’s Resolutions," History.com, Updated December 30, 2015.
"New Year’s Resolution Statistics (2021 Updated)," Discover Happy Habits, Updated November 13, 2021.
Alyssa Flores, "Top 10 most common New Year’s Resolutions and how to stick to them," Kr…
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Dec 27, 2021
What Did Mary Know (and How Much Does It Matter)?
Chelsea and I throw our hats in the ring to examine the lyrics to the song "Mary, Did You Know?" by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene.
We group lyrics into these categories:
* Did Mary know Jesus would rule the nations?
* Did Mary know Jesus would perform miracles?
* Did Mary know Jesus would save people from their sins?
* Did Mary know Jesus would be divine?
We also cover a few more ancillary questions about what Mary could have known.
Mary did, in fact, know a lot about Who her son would be.
We close by assessing how we could see a lot of good from the song directly and indirectly and what truly matters about what the song tells us about Jesus.
Scriptures Cited:
Luke 1:28,30,32-33,43
Luke 2:32,35,48-50
Luke 4:18
Psalm 2:7-8
Psalm 72:8-9
Isaiah 61:1
Isaiah 42:7
John 2:3-4
Matthew 1:21,23
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 35:4-6
Sources Cited:
Bob Smietana, "'Mary Did You Know' Writer Mark Lowry Good-Natured Over Song's Controversy," December 19, 2021.
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Dec 22, 2021
Scouring the Smollett Saga
I piece together three recent driving talks into one Truthspresso Express episode to drive us through the whole saga involving actor Jussie Smollett and his hate crime hoax.
We look at everything from his letter, the staged incident, the police report, the media reaction, the Good Morning America interview, the original charges being dropped, and the trial.
Lessons
God cares about truth.
Victimhood should not be a tool for personal gain.
Scriptures Cited
Psalm 62:9-10
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Dec 20, 2021
Christmas Traditions and Much More!
Chelsea and I reminisce a bit on our Christmas traditions when we were kids and what we do now. We mentioned our favorite Christmas songs and why we like them.
We talk about various traditions and how they developed over time.
* Is it Ok to celebrate Christmas or have a Christmas tree?
* Where did Santa Claus come from?
* Why do we give gifts at Christmas?
Chelsea even put me on the spot to try to imitate Bing Crosby singing "Mele Kalikimaka."
Grab some egg nog or your favorite Christmas comfort and enjoy this fun and encouraging Christmas episode of Truthspresso!
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Dec 13, 2021
Jesus Changed Everything with Anthony Russo
I had the privilege to interview Anthony Russo about his new book Jesus Changed Everything: He Changed History, He Can Change Your Story.
Anthony gives his testimony of being converted from Roman Catholicism but also later from nominal Christianity. He realized from the Bible just how central Jesus is to everything we believe--even our reason for living.
We talk about how cultures try to worship other things in the place of God. Only the truth of the gospel makes sense of our plight and our cure.
Anthony Russo:
Grace and Peace Radio
Jesus Changed Everything book [bulk orders at discount]
Amazon Author page
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Dec 6, 2021
Thankful for Precious Life: Miscarriage Care, Abortion Battles, and Women's Health
Chelsea and I conclude our series on Thanksgiving by cherishing the value of life.
This episode is based on a presentation we gave at our church a few years ago.
First, we briefly mention our miscarriage.
Then, we explain the political push for the abortion pill and how the regimen works.
Next, we discuss the growing success of the abortion pill reversal and how Internet search engines are blocking advertising.
Finally, we talk about our life-affirming women's health clinic.
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Nov 29, 2021
Thankful for Precious Life: The Story of our Son
Chelsea and I continue our series on Thanksgiving by recognizing how precious life really is and how society wants to make it disposable.
We tell the gripping story of our second son's battle for life. Doctors advised us to get an abortion for false pretenses. Our son struggled to survive his birth. Over the years he underwent heart surgeries and intestinal surgeries. Yet, the hand of God was in his life to prove life is worth the fight.
We pray his miraculous story will encourage you to trust God and put life in His hands.
The names have been redacted to protect the innocent.
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Nov 22, 2021
Thanksgiving: Then and Now
Chelsea and I give a brief overview of the first Thanksgiving celebration in 1621. We look at how the pilgrims sacrificed their lives for religious freedom. Their example of thanking God in tough times should inspire us to be thankful for what we have, even when we don't think we have much.
We also compare what the pilgrims and the Wampanoag natives likely ate at the three days of feasting with the Thanksgiving Day staples we enjoy today.
We close this episode with another round of Thanksgiving "dad jokes."
Sources Consulted:
Sarah Pruitt, "Colonists at the First Thanksgiving Were Mostly Men Because Women Had Perished," History.com, November, 16, 2020.
"First Thanksgiving Meal," History.com, Updated November 18, 2021.
Scriptures Cited:
Proverbs 15:15
Psalm 92:1
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Nov 19, 2021
Unicode vs. the Jehovah's Witnesses: Evidence that Jesus Died on a Cross
On my drive to work Tuesday morning I relay some evidence that Jesus died on a cross structure. Jehovah's Witnesses claim that Jesus died only on a pole with no cross beam.
My brother John and I were recently interviewed on The Quest For Truth with Keith Heltsley to talk about our recent book When the Watchtower Knocks: Discussing an Encounter With Jehovah's Witnesses. I am giving much of the same information about the cross as I presented in the interview.
What I mention extra in this episode is the unicode character set on many computers! Certain Coptic characters tell us Jesus died on a cross, not just a "torture stake."
References:
Interview: Quest For Truth episode 345: "Discussing Jehovah’s Witnesses with Daniel and John Mynyk"
Book: When the Watchtower Knocks: Discussing an Encounter With Jehovah's Witnesses
"The Staurogram," Biblical Archaeology Society, August 30, 2020.
Unicode Coptic character 2CE7: stauros
Unicode Coptic character 2CE8: tau-rho ligature
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Nov 15, 2021
A Thankful and Merry Heart
Chelsea and I look on the bright side as we kick off the Thanksgiving season. We talk about how to have a perspective of thankfulness when things are hard.
We finish the episode by telling each other some Thanksgiving "dad jokes."
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Nov 12, 2021
More Is Less, More or Less?: Biden's Plan To Fight Inflation With More Inflation
During my drive to work I give my thoughts from reading a PBS article about President Biden's "Build Back Better" bill. Although he expressed concern about inflation he claimed the new $1.2-trillion bill would help fight inflation.
We've heard the statement "less is more." Biden seems to be claiming "more is less" as yet more irresponsible theft and spending is supposed to lessen the effects of previous theft and spending.
The Bible gives examples that shed light on the upside-down wisdom of the world.
Sources Consulted:
Josh Boak and Colleen Long, "Biden says infrastructure bill will ease economy woes with time," PBS, November, 10, 2021.
Brad Polumbo, "Ivy League Analysis Destroys Biden’s Entire Argument for Multi-Trillion-Dollar ‘Build Back Better’ Spending Plans," Foundation for Economic Education, November 6, 2021.
Scripture Referenced:
Genesis 47:15-19
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Nov 8, 2021
The Biblical Grounds for Divorce
My wife Chelsea and I close our series about marriage. In this episode we finish tackling the taboo subject of divorce.
We discuss Jesus' answer to the question of divorce from the Pharisees. We talk about the houses of Hillel and Shammai as background for this question.
Jesus directed his audience to the beginning with God's design for marriage. He also explained that adultery was the grounds for divorce. Does mean other heinous problems like violence are not grounds for divorce? We give our understanding of this context as well as other passages in the law that show other technical grounds for divorce.
Bottom line: Divorce harms even when it is necessary. God's design for marriage is a man and woman for life. It is the fallenness of humanity that breaks the perfect picture of Christ and the church.
Scriptures Referenced:
Deuteronomy 24:1
Matthew 19:3-11
Malachi 2:16
Exodus 21:10-11
1 Corinthians 7:15
Ephesians 5:30-33
1 Corinthians 5:11
Other episodes in this series:
How…
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Nov 5, 2021
Overview of Galatians part 2
As I drive to work I give an overview of Galatians chapters 4-6 from studying the epistle the previous night.
Paul explains how Jesus came to fulfill the law. He makes an analogy of two very different covenants with Sarah and Hagar to contrast promise with bondage.
Paul shows how liberty via the fruit of the Spirit is better than bondage to circumcision and law-keeping for righteousness.
Those who are spiritual restore those who have faltered.
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Nov 1, 2021
A Biblical Definition of Divorce
My wife Chelsea and I continue our series about marriage. In this episode we begin to tackle the taboo subject of divorce.
We open with some divorce statistics:
* About 44% of marriages in the United States end in divorce.
* The top three reasons for divorce roughly include "lack of commitment," "incompatibility and growing apart," and "communication problems."
We then look at how divorce is defined and prescribed in the law of Moses and how things shifted a bit by the New Testament. We observe two interesting facts:
* The Old Testament only discusses how a husband can "put away" his wife. We talk about why the land promise to the tribes of Israel possibly explains the apparent patriarchal system of marriage, but also how the sphere of "marriage" may have been broader than we define it legally today.
* Jesus mentioned the concept of a wife "putting away" her husband. We look at three possible interpretations of this with some likely examples in the New Testament of women wh…
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Oct 27, 2021
Overview of Galatians part 1
As I drive to work I give an overview of Galatians chapters 1-3 from studying the epistle the previous night.
The Judaizers were wreaking havoc of the faith of the Galatian churches.
Paul recounts his conversion and how he dealt with the error personally.
He then explains why Abraham, the father of the faithful, was not given the law as a promise. The purpose of the law was never to save but to point us to the Savior.
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Oct 25, 2021
The Scientific Credibility of Faith with Dr. Hugh Ross
Do the heavens declare the glory of God or do they show indifferent chance?
Special guest Dr. Hugh Ross from Reasons To Believe joins me to talk about science and the Bible.
Dr. Ross gives his testimony for how he became a Christian after searching for answers in other religions.
We discuss various reasons the universe is no accident:
* Evidence for fine tuning is exploding in recent years.
* The moon is but one of many evidences that the universe is fine-tuned.
* The "zero energy" hypothesis doesn't prove the universe came from nothing.
* A multiverse is a poor argument against fine tuning.
* Humans are a special creation of God, not a product of macroevolution.
Some fun questions toward the end include the following:
* What are black holes and what happens to things that get sucked in?
* What about the anisotropic synchrony convention for the one-way speed of light proposed by Dr. Jason Lisle?
Dr. Hugh Ross
Dr. Hugh Ross is the founder and president of Reasons T…
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Oct 20, 2021
Texas Hold'em: Birthing People Edition
On my drive to work I talked about the recent developments in the Texas Heartbeat Law status as Texas and federal justices battle over whether abortion is a "constitutional right."
At the end I look at a strange article claiming that Texas abortion controversy overlooks and especially hurts "non-cisgendered" "birthing people."
Sources Consulted:
Dan Berman, "CNN: Texas abortion law to remain in force, federal appeals court says," CNN, October 14, 2021.
Mabinty Quarshie, "Getting an abortion while trans was always hard. In Texas, a new law puts outsized burdens on them," USA Today, October 12, 2021.
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Oct 18, 2021
How to Talk to Jehovah's Witnesses
This is the second of my two guest appearances on the Basic Bible Podcast with Kevin Thompson.
We talked about my 2021 book When the Watchtower Knocks: Discussing an Encounter with Jehovah's Witnesses that I coauthored with my brother John.
Our book narrates John's encounter with Jehovah's Witnesses as we give our commentary. I share with Kevin how I got into apologetics and my thoughts on how to control a conversation with Jehovah's Witnesses. We talk about how the Jesus that Jehovah's Witnesses serve cannot save them.
Check out the Basic Bible Podcast with Kevin Thompson
Original interview: Basic Bible Podcast Episode 188 - When the Watchtower Knocks
Also, snag a copy of our book When the Watchtower Knocks: Discussing an Encounter with Jehovah's Witnesses: Paperback or Kindle.
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Oct 13, 2021
Just a Pinch of Incense
On my drive to work on this episode of Truthspresso Express I offer a challenge to fellow Christians to resist the temptation to bow to tyranny.
Jesus told Pilate the only authority he had came from God.
Jesus told His disciples that all authority is given to Him in heaven and earth.
Early Christians were persecuted because they would not offer a pinch of incense to Caesar.
What are some "pinch of incense" pressures we face today?
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Oct 11, 2021
Do Christians Need to Tithe?
This is the first of my two guest appearances on the Basic Bible Podcast with Kevin Thompson.
We talked about my 2011 book Freedom To Give: The Biblical Truth About Tithing.
My book explains that, although Christians are not obligated to tithe according to the Bible, we should still give to meet needs and compensate ministers.
Listen to this episode to find out what this is all about!
Check out the Basic Bible Podcast with Kevin Thompson
Original interview: Basic Bible Podcast Episode 187 - Freedom To Give
Also, snag a copy of my book Freedom To Give: The Biblical Truth About Tithing: Paperback or Kindle.
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Oct 8, 2021
The Vax Vex Vortex 2
As I drive to work on Thursday I briefly hit on five articles related to our favorite politicized virus.
* Recent studies show the Pfizer vaccine's effectiveness wanes faster and greater than before (down to 20% after four months). Pfizer admits that natural immunity is much better than two dozes of their vaccine. And...
* New studies from Israel and Qatar show statistically high adverse myocarditis in teenage boys getting the Pfizer vaccine. Yet...
* A New York federal court enforced vaccine mandates for school teachers, but mayor Bill de Blasio isn't cracking down on government departments. And...
* A New York school teacher tells his story of being laid off for a year without pay until he gets vaccinated, but he already has natural immunity. And...
* A Colorado hospital denies a patient access to a kidney transplant until she and the donor are fully vaccinated.
Sources Cited:
Maggie Fox, "Studies confirm waning immunity from Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine," CNN, October 06,…
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Oct 6, 2021
The Bob Enyart Memorial Service
On my morning drive to work for this episode of Truthspresso Express I talk about the memorial service my wife and I attended this last Saturday for Bob Enyart who passed away on September 12. Bob Enyart was the pastor of Denver Bible Church and host of the radio show Bob Enyart Live. In the 1990's he hosted a midnight television show also named Bob Enyart Live.
Will Duffy chronicled the life of Bob Enyart at the end of the service. I recall some salient moments from the presentation.
Despite some doctrinal differences I had with Bob, his battles with the political left and his fight against abortion were impeccable.
View the Bob Enyart Memorial Service on YouTube.
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Oct 4, 2021
Does Romans 13 Allow Tyranny? (part 2)
My wife Chelsea and I continue and conclude our discussion of Romans chapter 13 and what we believe it really means. Last week we defined the narrow role of government to enforcing the "thou shalt not's" that define the second table of the law.
In this episode we answer some questions about common assumptions of what government should do:
* Is government allowed to regulate vices that are not crimes (e.g. gluttony)?
* Can government mandate positive actions (e.g. mask mandates)?
* Is conscription something Christians should support?
We also explain how Christians should all agree on a Biblical role of government against all forms of tyranny, but can respectfully disagree and handle specific situations with charity and love.
Scriptures Cited:
Romans 2:14
Proverbs 23:20-21
Ephesians 4:31-32
1 Samuel 8:10-12
Deuteronomy 17:16
Sources Cited:
Daniel Webster, speech before the floor of the House of Representatives, December 9, 1814.
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Oct 1, 2021
The Depth of John 3:16
On my morning drive to work for this episode of Truthspresso Express I chat about John 3:16. Using points from an unpublished article I had written years ago I walk through the context of Nicodemus and words from the first half of the verse:
* For
* God
* so loved
* gave
* only begotten Son
Each of these words help us plumb the depths of the verse to see how great God is and who Jesus must be. Yes, we see why a mere creature can't satisfy this verse!
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Sep 29, 2021
The Vax Vex Vortex
Welcome to Truthspresso Express! This is where I record an episode on my commute to or from work.
More commentary and jab jabs for the week! I talk about two different articles that unintentionally clash with each other. That kind of stormy weather can create a vax vex vortex!
First, NBA coaches fear that a few players refusing the jab are a health risk. A trainer complained that he could spread the virus from a player to his vulnerable family. His statement, of course, raises the same questions that many are asking about why such a medical procedure is necessary for everyone if it doesn't definitely work for anyone.
Second, some antiviral drugs are in the works as treatments for the virus. They would be available in pill form and are currently in clinical trials. But some challenges remain for these clinical trials: participants must be jab-free and recently tested positive. Many who happen to fit the criteria are being contacted for the clinical trials and are refusing. I wonder w…
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Sep 27, 2021
Does Romans 13 Allow Tyranny?
My wife Chelsea and I discuss Romans chapter 13 and what we believe it really means. Have many Christians misunderstood verses 1-7? Did the Apostle Paul really teach that God's moral law can sanction tyranny from pagan rulers?
We ask and answer these questions about Romans chapter 13:
* What are the "higher powers"?
* What is the "good" and "evil"?
* What about Paul's own ministry of being an outlaw?
* What is the function of government being addressed? (vengeance and the second table of the law)
Scriptures Cited:
Romans 13:1-7
Matthew 20:25-27
2 Corinthians 11:23,32-33
1 Peter 2:13-14
Romans 12:19
Romans 13:9
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Sep 24, 2021
Facebook Unitarians Misunderstand the Trinity
Welcome to Truthspresso Express! This is where I record an episode on my commute to or from work.
I tried to explain the Trinity to some Unitarians on Facebook. As I said that God is one "being" who is three "persons" and distinguished between the "what-ness" and "who-ness" of God, the Unitarians made fun of my terminology.
They claimed I was objectifying God or using "new age" language. But there is nothing unusual or new about what I was saying.
This episode clears up their misunderstanding of the doctrine of the Trinity.
I also made reference to the following debate: Deity of Messiah Debate.
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Sep 22, 2021
Third Jab's a Charm - Maybe
Welcome to Truthspresso Express! This is where I record an episode on my commute to or from work.
I recorded this episode on Monday, September 20th. I "celebrate" the official first release day of "booster shots" by recalling two articles I read the night before.
The first article was about how recent studies are showing that the effectiveness of certain COVID vaccines are waning. Moderna seems to be a little better than Pfizer. The most recent study shows Pfizer as low as 42% effective against the current Delta variant. The article highly recommended "booster shots" but ultimately concluded that future effectiveness still depends on how any individual immune system wants to handle injections or infections.
The second article sugar coated the FDA's overwhelming down vote on political pressure to approve Pfizer "booster shots" by mentioning that the FDA "approved" such shots for certain older patients or some who have serious risks.
Do we really expect to handle a coronavirus pandem…
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Sep 20, 2021
REWIND: Why God Exists - Interview with Christian apologist and former atheist Tyler Vela
As my wife and I are on a vacation with family visiting from out of state, this episode will be a rewind of episode 19.
I interview Tyler Vela about the age-old topic: Does God exist?
Tyler was raised an atheist until his atheist professor in a Metaphysics class in college discussed arguments for the existence of God. The challenge of the "moral argument" caused Tyler to investigate and eventually convert to Christianity.
In this interview, we raise and answer various philosophical and presuppositional arguments about the existence of God.
We also consider the issue of miracles and animals that talked in the Bible.
We also examine the arguments about God's existence from the claims of the Bible itself and how to define a "fool."
Tyler Vela studied Philosophy and English at Sonoma State University in California.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies at Moody Bible Institute.
He is pursuing a Masters in Biblical Studies at Reformed Theological Semin…
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Sep 17, 2021
How Philippians 2:3-7 Teaches That Jesus Is Fully God and Man
Welcome to Truthspresso Express! This is where I record an episode on my commute to or from work.
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I talk about my recent exchange with an Arian on Facebook over Philippians 2:6-7. I walk through the verbs in verses 6-7 and the context of humility in verses 3-5 to show that Jesus must be fully God and fully man.
I argue these two major points:
* Jesus is fully God with the Father, not simply an angelic creature.
* Jesus took on a human nature without losing His divine nature.
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Sep 15, 2021
Not Enough Bad News? Make Stuff Up!
Welcome to Truthspresso Express! This is where I record an episode on my commute to or from work.
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I discuss two articles claiming hospital pandemonium that turned out to be fabricated:
* A children's hospital "hits capacity" from our favorite virus.
* A hospital can't admit gunshot victims because it's loaded with patients suffering from too much "horse dewormer."
Bad News sells--both money and fear. Are these false reports just harmless tricks or honest mistakes? What are the effects of claiming these kinds of false narratives?
Sources Consulted:
Katie Moore, "Children's Mercy in Kansas City hits capacity as COVID cases continue rising in metro," Kansas City Star, July 27, 2021.
"Kentucky Hospital Says The Media Is LYING About Hospitals Being ‘Overwhelmed’ With Kids With COVID," enVolve, August, 9, 2021.
Katelyn Ogle, "Patients overdosing on ivermectin backing up rural Oklahoma hospitals, ambulances," KFOR, September, 1, 2021.
Gr…
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Sep 13, 2021
What is the "Milk" and "Meat" of the Word?
My wife Chelsea and I address our first listener question:
What does the Bible mean by the "milk" and "meat" of the Word?
Three key passages mention "milk" and two of them compare it to "meat":
* 1 Peter 2:2-3
* 1 Corinthians 3:2
* Hebrews 5:12-14
The listener heard these passages explained as Sunday School stories for "milk" and understanding different Greek words as "meat."
After reading these passages in their full context we think they're really talking about maturity of conduct and avoiding unnecessary divisions. Christians who can eat "strong meat" are those who can determine right from wrong and solve problems of conflict in light of the basic principles of God's Word.
We also bring a little politics into our understanding of these passages. Mature Christians shouldn't fall prey to the world's politics that make people fight over things.
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Sep 10, 2021
Does Acts 22:16 Teach That Water Baptism Washes Away Sins?
Welcome to Truthspresso Express! This is where I record an episode on my commute to or from work.
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I discuss my understanding of what Acts 22:16 means when it says "Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins." The Greek verbs may tell a different story than we think.
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Sep 8, 2021
Should We Only Sing Psalms in Church?
Welcome to Truthspresso Express! This is where I record an episode on my commute to or from work.
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I use some notes I had prepared for the recent Theology Throw Down in case "Exclusive Psalmody" was an issue. Since no one in our discussion held to Exclusive Psalmody, I present my questions and challenges to it in this episode.
Check out the Theology Throw Down discussion on Music - What Should We Think About It?
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Sep 6, 2021
Boosters, Pineapples, and Heartbeats
My wife Chelsea and I cover a hodgepodge of three recent news events:
* Boosters: Two officials leave the FDA because of undue pressure from the Biden administration to rubber stamp "booster" shots of the Pfizer vaccine for children under 12 by September 20.
* Pineapples: Despite the President's tragic withdrawal strategy from Afghanistan, a volunteer military veteran task force carried out "Operation Pineapple Express" to rescue over 630 Afghans targeted by the Taliban.
* Heartbeats: The Texas "heartbeat" law went into effect September 1, and abortion activists are treating it as political Armageddon.
Chelsea and I observe the common thread of "courage" in these three situations for those who stand up for truth against enemies of life.
Sources Consulted:
Phil Shiver, "Top vaccine officials leave FDA amid infighting, political pressure — now there are warnings of a 'mutiny,'" The Blaze, September, 1, 2021.
Dr. Kavita Patel, "Why these Covid vaccine scientists resigned from…
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Sep 3, 2021
Does 1 Peter 3:21 Teach That Water Baptism Justifies?
Welcome to Truthspresso Express! This is where I record an episode on my commute to or from work.
In this episode of Truthspresso Express I discuss my understanding of what 1 Peter 3:21 means when it says "baptism also now saves us." I taught this as part of a Sunday School lesson on 1 Peter chapter 3 years ago. I also presented this explanation in response to a Lutheran named Evan in a Facebook thread.
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Sep 1, 2021
The High Calling to be a Husband and Father
Welcome to Truthspresso Express! This is where I record an episode on my commute to or from work.
In this first episode of Truthspresso Express I address a Facebook friend's question for advice about finding a wife and having children.
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Aug 30, 2021
The Abortion Pill Pandemic and Chalking it Up to Planned Parenthood
My wife Chelsea and I finish our two-part series on the abortion pill regimen (mifepristone and misoprostol).
We trace the history of the abortion pill from when it was first approved by the FDA to the current push to distribute it to the masses by mail.
The abortion industry claims the abortion pill is "safer than Tylenol." Of course we know it's not "safe" for the baby that's murdered, but we show from the statistics that it's not safe for women either. As the rate of deaths increased over the second decade, we expect deaths to skyrocket from mail-in abortions.
We finish the episode by talking about our recent experience doing sidewalk messages at a Planned Parenthood.
Sources Consulted:
Kelly Cleland, "The FDA Should Remove Its Restrictions on the 'Abortion Pill' Mifepristone," Scientific American, August 21, 2021.
Carole Novielli, "The abortion pill: So dangerous it needs a rare safety requirement," Live Action, June 6, 2020.
"Medication Abortion," Guttmacher Institute, Febr…
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Aug 23, 2021
Death by Mail: Answering the Current Politics Behind the Abortion Pill
My wife Chelsea joins me again as I have officially upgraded her title to "co-host."
We take a break from our series on marriage to talk about recent politics behind the abortion pill and the push to make it widely accessible by mail.
We answer the following questions about the abortion pill:
* What is the difference between an abortion and a miscarriage?
* What is the difference between the "morning after pill" and the "abortion pill"?
* Is the abortion pill actually safer that Tylenol?
* Will abortions by mail be safe for women?
Sources Consulted:
www.miscarriagehurts.com
www.abortionchangesyou.com
"Induced Abortion in the United States," Guttmacher Institute, September, 2019.
Cecile Richards, "Conservatives are fighting to roll back abortion rights. And they’re winning — but not for long," Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2018.
"Safe, Online, Delivered: How to Get the Abortion Pill By Mail," National Women's Health Network, March 8, 2021.
"Questions and Answers on M…
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Aug 16, 2021
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 3)
My wife Chelsea joins me to continue our series talking about marriage.
This episode concludes a multi-part series within the series to evaluate the book Created To Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl.
Chelsea and I agree that any good points in this book are drowned out by what we consider dangerous and unbiblical ideas of marriage. Although there is a proper understanding of wives submitting to husbands, we believe this book takes the idea to an unhealthy extreme.
The book denigrates women by defining their role as lifelong slaves to men.
The book denigrates men by relegating them to base impulses and domineering.
In part 3 of our review, we examine Debi's idea of the wife's responsibility with the Biblical understanding that a "heavenly marriage" requires both husband and wife to do their part. We see Debi's shocking advice for dealing with an abusive husband and expecting a wonderful marriage after the husband spends up to 20 years in jail. As the Pearls seem to believe divorce can…
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Aug 9, 2021
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 2)
My wife Chelsea joins me to continue our series talking about marriage.
This episode continues a multi-part series within the series to evaluate the book Created To Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl.
Chelsea and I agree that any good points in this book are drowned out by what we consider dangerous and unbiblical ideas of marriage. Although there is a proper understanding of wives submitting to husbands, we believe this book takes the idea to an unhealthy extreme.
The book denigrates women by defining their role as lifelong slaves to men.
The book denigrates men by relegating them to base impulses and domineering.
In part 2 of our review, we look at what the Hebrew word for "help meet" means. We then see how Debi Pearl makes the wife bear all responsibility for a cheating husband. We see how Debi berates a woman for disobeying her husband's commands to take birth control when she believed it causes murder. We examine her three types of men and put especially "Mr. Command Man" to the…
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Aug 2, 2021
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 1)
My wife Chelsea joins me to continue our series talking about marriage.
This episode begins a multi-part series within the series to evaluate the book Created To Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl.
Chelsea and I agree that any good points in this book are drowned out by what we consider dangerous and unbiblical ideas of marriage. Although there is a proper understanding of wives submitting to husbands, we believe this book takes the idea to an unhealthy extreme.
The book denigrates women by defining their role as lifelong slaves to men.
The book denigrates men by relegating them to base impulses and domineering.
In part 1 of our review, we address Debi Pearl's story of how she and Michael got married. We also examine a strange "trash bag" story that we believe is rather unhelpful.
Other episodes in this series:
How God Wrote our Love Story
Thinking Biblically About Marriage
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 1)
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 2)
What Does "O…
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Jul 26, 2021
Unbiblical Funny Money (my interview on Governed By God)
As my wife and I are getting over a head cold, I asked Eric Luppold, host of the Governed By God podcast, to let me republish an episode we did in the beginning of May.
Eric interviewed me on the topic of Biblical money and how the current government and banking system corrupts everything by not following God's laws about money.
We hope you enjoy this discussion. Eric asked a lot of good questions!
This interview originally aired as episode S1E29 – Economics and Money on Governed By God.
Check out Governed By God on the Christian Podcast Community.
Support Eric's work by becoming a Patreon.
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Jul 21, 2021
Book Release: When the Watchtower Knocks
Saturday, July 17th, my brother John and I officially released a book we co-authored together:
When the Watchtower Knocks: Discussing an Encounter with Jehovah's Witnesses
On release day we posted an interview video that we made for the release. This episode has an audio version of the interview.
More information:
When the Watchtower Knocks (paperback) (Kindle)
Book release page on Truth Hub
Book release video on YouTube
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Jul 19, 2021
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 2): Five Tips to Resolve a Conflict
My wife Chelsea joins me to continue our series talking about marriage.
What about when you have a conflict with your spouse? Let's look at five tips to help you end it in a God-honoring way:
* Resolve: The goal is not to "win" against your spouse (Amo 3:3).
* Readjust: Try later if conditions don't allow a level head (Pro 15:23).
* Respite: Call a brief "time out" to think when angry (Pro 15:28).
* Reflect: Examine if your motives are self-centered (Pro 12:20; 1Pe 5:5).
* Request: Pray to God together and bond to ease tensions (Psa 55:14).
Other episodes in this series:
How God Wrote our Love Story
Thinking Biblically About Marriage
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 1)
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 2)
What Does "One Flesh" in Marriage Mean?
Let's Talk: How Communication is Key to a Healthy Marriage
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 1): Four Things You Should Never Do
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 2): Five Tips to Resolve a Confl…
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Jul 12, 2021
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 1): Four Things You Should Never Do
My wife Chelsea joins me to continue our series talking about marriage.
What about when you have a conflict with your spouse? Let's look at four things you should avoid doing in a conflict:
* Never cut down (Pro 15:1; 18:21; Col 3:19).
* Never weaponize weaknesses (Psa 103:12).
* Never yell or make threats of violence (Pro 12:18,25)
* Never force ultimatums (Rom 13:8)
Other episodes in this series:
How God Wrote our Love Story
Thinking Biblically About Marriage
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 1)
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 2)
What Does "One Flesh" in Marriage Mean?
Let's Talk: How Communication is Key to a Healthy Marriage
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 1): Four Things You Should Never Do
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 2): Five Tips to Resolve a Conflict
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 1)
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 2)
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 3)
A Biblical Definition of Divorce
The Biblical Grounds for…
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Jul 5, 2021
Let's Talk: How Communication is Key to a Healthy Marriage
My wife Chelsea joins me to continue our series talking about marriage.
What is the primary cause of divorce? Most problems stem from bad communication.
We share our experience and advice for a healthy marriage with these four guidelines for communication:
* Agree to be honest with your words (Jas 5:12).
* Make time to talk about your day (1Co 1:10).
* Be careful with tone and body language (Col 4:6; Pro 16:24)
* Listen attentively (Pro 2:2)
Sources Referenced:
"Number One Reason for Divorce." Laws.com. Modified December 22, 2019.
Stacey A. Shannon. "8 Ways to improve communication in your marriage," Families with Grace. August 6, 2020.
Further Research:
Willard F. Harley, Jr. His Needs, Her Needs: Building a Marriage That Lasts. Ada, MI: Revell, 2020.
Emerson Eggerichs, PhD. Cracking the Communication Code: The Secret to Speaking Your Mate's Language. Nashville: Integrity Publishers, 2007.
Gary Chapman. The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts (Reprint edi…
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Jun 28, 2021
What Does "One Flesh" in Marriage Mean?
My wife Chelsea joins me to continue our series talking about marriage.
Genesis 2:24 says God's design for marriage is that the husband and wife become "one flesh."
We discuss three areas in which husband and wife should be "one flesh":
* "One flesh" in intimacy--no cheating (Mat 5:28; Pro 5:15-18; 31:11; Phi 4:8)
* "One flesh" in goals--no competition (Act 18:26; Eph 5:33; Phi 2:3)
* "One flesh" in struggles--no cowardice (Jas 1:19; 1Pe 3:7)
Other episodes in this series:
How God Wrote our Love Story
Thinking Biblically About Marriage
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 1)
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 2)
What Does "One Flesh" in Marriage Mean?
Let's Talk: How Communication is Key to a Healthy Marriage
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 1): Four Things You Should Never Do
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 2): Five Tips to Resolve a Conflict
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 1)
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 2)
Casting Pearls Before…
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Jun 21, 2021
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 2)
My wife Chelsea joins me to continue our series talking about marriage.
Are you single and looking for a life-long companion to call your spouse?
We offer some more tips to encourage you to look in a God-honoring way with patience.
* Ask yourself why you want to be married. (Gen 2:18; Eph 5:25,28; Mat 19:10)
* Put character above all outward traits. (Pro 31:30-31)
* Don't expect marriage to change bad behavior (2Co 6:14; Ecc 3:11)
Other episodes in this series:
How God Wrote our Love Story
Thinking Biblically About Marriage
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 1)
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 2)
What Does "One Flesh" in Marriage Mean?
Let's Talk: How Communication is Key to a Healthy Marriage
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 1): Four Things You Should Never Do
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 2): Five Tips to Resolve a Conflict
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 1)
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 2)
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part…
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Jun 14, 2021
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 1)
My wife Chelsea joins me to continue our series talking about marriage.
Are you single and looking for a life-long companion to call your spouse?
We offer some tips to encourage you to look in a God-honoring way with patience.
* Start with your own relationship with God. (Mat 6:33)
* Don't look for "the one." (Joh 15:13; Eph 5:2)
* Look only for a permanent relationship. (Pro 31:3; Ecc 9:9)
* Be a friend before being romantic (Pro 18:24; 17:17)
Stay tuned for more tips for singles in the next episode!
Other episodes in this series:
How God Wrote our Love Story
Thinking Biblically About Marriage
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 1)
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 2)
What Does "One Flesh" in Marriage Mean?
Let's Talk: How Communication is Key to a Healthy Marriage
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 1): Four Things You Should Never Do
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 2): Five Tips to Resolve a Conflict
Casting Pearls Before Swine (part 1…
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Jun 7, 2021
Thinking Biblically About Marriage
My wife Chelsea joins again to continue our series on marriage.
We look at a dictionary definition of marriage according to a current Google search. We compare this with the definition from the 1828 Webster's dictionary.
We observe that the definition has become quite vague recently. It has changed from the specific and Biblical definition to something ambiguous and almost meaningless.
Then, we talked about the difference between a covenant and a contract. The Bible presents marriage as a covenant by design with a life-long commitment. The world presents marriage as a contract with the expectation of breaking it.
Sources Cited:
Google search for "marriage definition."
"Marriage," Webster's Dictionary 1828.
"Marriage," Webster's 1913 Dictionary.
"Marriage," Laird & Lee's Webster's New Standard Dictionary of the English Language.
"Contracts vs. Covenants – Why the Difference Matters," New Creeations.
Ron Edmondson, "The 7 Commandments of Christian Marriage," Crosswalk, March…
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May 31, 2021
How God Wrote Our Love Story
Better than a Hallmark movie!
Well, in our opinion, anyway.
Join us for a walk down memory lane as we share our love story.
Chuckle together with us through our journey of how we met, became friends, dated, got engaged, and ultimately married.
The cuteness factor just may be off the charts!
As we celebrate 12 years of marriage, we hope our story will encourage singles to seek God's will for their future and couples to be dearest friends.
This episode will kick start a series of episodes about marriage and family.
Scriptures Cited:
Proverbs 18:22
Other episodes in this series:
How God Wrote Our Love Story
Thinking Biblically About Marriage
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 1)
Tips for Singles Looking for a Spouse (part 2)
What Does "One Flesh" in Marriage Mean?
Let's Talk: How Communication is Key to a Healthy Marriage
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 1): Four Things You Should Never Do
Conflict Resolution in Marriage (part 2): Five Tips to Resolve a Conf…
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May 24, 2021
COVID Lies: The Rebekah Jones Story
Let's kick off the next hundred episodes of Truthspresso with a bang!
A young woman named Rebekah Jones became a media darling last year. She was fired from the Florida Department of Health in May 2020. She claims that Governor DeSantis pressured staff to fudge the numbers to cover up the real COVID case and death totals. Allegedly conditions are much worse in Florida than the governor wants people to know.
Police raided Jones' house and took her computers. She was later arrested and is currently facing court battles.
Is the governor a criminal, or is she the real criminal? Listen to two sides to this story as we solve some mysteries.
Sources Consulted:
Ava Loomar, "Rebekah Jones And The Consequences Of Whistleblowing," WUFT News, May 13, 2021.
Charles C. W. Cooke, "How a fake whistleblower peddled lies about Florida’s COVID deaths," NY Post, May 13, 2021.
Charles C. W. Cooke, "Rebekah Jones, the COVID Whistleblower Who Wasn’t," National Review, May 13, 2021.
Mary Ellen Kla…
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May 17, 2021
Celebrating 100 Episodes!
My wife Chelsea returns to Truthspresso to celebrate 100 episodes of our podcast!
We take a walk down memory lane and remember all the episodes we did to get to 100.
Lots of topics and plenty of chuckles in this show! We share some behind-the-scenes aura for some episodes. We even talk about how we got to know each other!
At the end we listed the three most downloaded episodes of Truthspresso.
Join us for this light-hearted gallivant and the longest episode to date.
Resources:
The Climb Ministries
Guests on Truthspresso:
Brennan Falks (Under 1 Love)
Tyler Vela (The Freed Thinker Podcast)
Dr. Shawn Ritenour (Grove City College faculty)
Chelsea Mynyk (Castle Rock Women's Health)
Jamal Bandy (Prescribed Truth)
Joe from WalkwithGod (WalkwithGod on YouTube)
Daniel was a guest on:
The Quest For Truth Podcast with Keith Heltsley and Nathan Caldwell (episode link)
The Rapp Report with Andrew Rappaport (episode link)
Scriptures Referenced:
1 Timothy 6:10
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May 10, 2021
The War on Motherhood
Happy Mother's Day!
My wife Chelsea returns to talk with me about the cultural war on motherhood.
While avoiding "patriarchy" on one side and "radical feminism" on the other side, we answer some questions about the cultural war on Biblical motherhood:
* Is motherhood an obstacle holding back women’s freedom?
* Should women seek to “have it all”?
* Does equality mean politically managing the roles of father and mother?
* What effects does the war on motherhood have on children?
* What effects does the war on motherhood have on fathers?
Sources Referenced:
Faith Moore, "It's Okay To Aspire To Motherhood Over A Career," Evie Magazine, March 8, 2019.
"Remarks by President Biden at an Event to Mark Equal Pay Day," WH.gov, March 24, 2021.
Christine Hassler, "The Myth of Having It All," Huffington Post, Updated November 17, 2011.
Sarrah Le Marquand, "Sarrah Le Marquand: It should be illegal to be a stay-at-home mum," March 21, 2017.
Kathy Gyngell, "Mrs May’s war on…
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May 3, 2021
The Roots and Fruits of Critical Race Theory
My wife Chelsea returns to Truthspresso to talk with me about Critical Race Theory ("CRT").
We look at recent news articles about CRT infiltrating schools and making parents upset.
What is a "critical theory"? We see that it's unquestionably Marxism and Freudianism combined. It looks for two classes in history: oppressors and oppressed.
What is the goal of a critical theory? We notice that it's end goal is to impose Marxism as a solution to historical ills.
We check out the New York Times' "1619 Project" to see how it wants to define U.S. history in terms of CRT.
Next, we read parts of the "About" section of the Black Lives Matter ("BLM") website to see that the stated goals seem laudable. However, if words mean how BLM treats them, this mission can have dangerous effects and a never-ending pursuit.
We also listen to the viral video from Patrice Cullors, one of the three Black women co-founders of BLM where she said that they were "trained Marxists."
Finally, as CRT is infiltrat…
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Apr 26, 2021
REWIND: How Not To Let Social Media Depress You
This is a replay of an episode that I recorded in February 2020 in a hotel room in Texas. My wife was attending a conference for pro-life health care providers. This was released on March 9, 2020 as episode 36 of Truthspresso.
Social media allows us to keep in touch with long lost childhood friends from anywhere in the world. We can see their lives unfold day by day without even asking.
But this technology has it's dark side. Many find themselves facing depression as they see all their problems while their friends seem to be living the dream. Amy from Forbes describes this plight.
We take apart the misconceptions we infer from the lives of our friends on social media.
Let the truth set you free as we use some tips to take control of social media addictions that cause depression and envy.
Sources Cited:
Amy Morin, "How 'Keeping Up With The Joneses' On Social Media Is Damaging Everyone’s Mental Health," Forbes, November 25, 2019.
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Apr 19, 2021
RETRO 2018: Truthspresso Early Drafts
Since I continued to be quite under the weather this last week, I dug up some recordings I did in 2018 that I intended for the first episodes of Truthspresso. At the time I was aiming for shorter episodes three days a week.
For this RETRO 2018 we enjoy the following blasts from the unreleased past:
* What is Apologetics? (1 Peter 3:15)
* Separating the Sheets from the Coats (Matthew 25:31-33)
* Commercial for the Audio-Technica ATR2100 microphone
Podcast Promo:
Revived Thoughts with Joel and Troy.
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Apr 12, 2021
Of Superblians and Superheroes
Back on February 10th I was interviewed on The Quest For Truth with Keith Heltsley and Nathan Caldwell.
We started with a little intro about me and what on earth convinced me to start this strange podcast called Truthspresso.
Of Superblians
For the first half we talked about my sci-fi audio drama "The Tale of the Superblians."
What lessons did I intend to teach?
Do I have any plans to make a sequel?
Of Superheroes
Next we discussed the current superhero series.
How did I come up with this idea?
How can we understand Jesus better by contrasting Him with superheroes?
How can superheroes help us learn some otherwise dusty church history?
The original airing of this interview is at Life-Truth:
Superblian and Superhero, Daniel Mynik. (309)
Podcast Promos:
Life Truth Network
The Quest For Truth with Keith Heltsley and Nathan Caldwell on the Christian Podcast Community.
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Apr 5, 2021
Is Jesus Like Captain America? (part 3)
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
This is part 3 of 3 of "Is Jesus Like Captain America?"
Why does Jesus have to be fully God and fully man to be our substitute?
Let's take a deep dive into Scripture to answer this question.
Scriptures Quoted:
Genesis 1:26
Galatians 4:4-5
Romans 3:19
1 Peter 3:18
John 1:1
John 1:14
John 8:58
Colossians 2:9
Romans 1:3-4
John 20:27-29
Philippians 2:6-7
Hebrews 2:16
Job 9:28-35
Honorable Mentions:
Voice of Reason Radio with Chris Hohnholz and Rich Story
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Mar 29, 2021
Is Jesus Like Captain America? (part 2)
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
This is part 2 of 2 3 of "Is Jesus Like Captain America?"
We review the following:
* Who is Captain America?
* How are Jesus and Captain America similar?
* How are Jesus and Captain America different?
* What is Eutychianism?
* What happened at the "robber council"?
Then, we answer these questions:
* What was the Council of Chalcedon?
* How does the Council of Chalcedon argue against papal primacy?
* What did the Council of Chalcedon decree against prior heresies about Jesus?
Sources Consulted:
"Council of Chalcedon," Wikipedia.
"Chapter 6. Application of the First Note of a True Development—Preservation of Type," Newman Reader.
Richard Price and Michael Gaddis, eds., The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, vol. 1, (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press,…
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Mar 22, 2021
Would the Equality Act Increase Abortions?
This is part 3 of a discussion with my wife Chelsea about the Equality Act and our deep concerns about its consequences.
We address these basic questions about the potential effects of the Equality Act:
* Would the ambiguous language force tax-funded abortions?
* Could it make women more expensive to hire?
* Could it chill businesses with fear, uncertainty, and doubt?
* How should Christians respond?
Sources Consulted:
H.R.5, 117th Congress (2021-2022), "The Equality Act"
Pregancy Discrimination Act of 1978
Erika Bachiochi, "The Equality Act’s implications for abortion would be devastating for pregnant women in the workplace," America Magazine, February 25, 2021.
Ryan Anderson, "Biden's Equality Act is a danger to women's and conscience rights," New York Post, February 21, 2021.
"11 myths about H.R. 5, the Equality Act of 2021," The Heritage Foundation, February 24, 2021.
United Nations Human Rights, "Abortion," Information Series on Sexual and Reproductive Health an…
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Mar 15, 2021
Would the Equality Act Harm Women and Children?
This is part 2 of a discussion with my wife Chelsea about the Equality Act and our deep concerns about its consequences.
We address these basic questions about the potential effect of the Equality Act:
* Could it crush female sports?
* Could it harm female privacy and safety in restrooms, locker rooms, and dressing rooms?
* Could it undo the security and charity of shelters?
Sources Consulted:
H.R.5, 117th Congress (2021-2022), "The Equality Act"
Jonathan Capehart, "A transphobic tirade against the Equality Act masquerading as feminism," Washington Post, February 27, 2021.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler, "The Equality Act would lead to the death of women's rights," The Hill, May 14, 2019.
Ryan Kennedy, "DA: Cross-Dressing Man Secretly Taped Women at Macy’s," KTLA5, May 14, 2013.
Jason Rantz, "Man caught undressing in front of girls at Green Lake locker room," My Northwest, February 17, 2016.
Steve Mays, "Cross-dressing sex predator sentenced for Clackamas aquatic park crimes," Or…
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Mar 8, 2021
Would the Equality Act Save Us From Discrimination?
This is part 1 of a discussion with my wife Chelsea about the Equality Act and our deep concerns about its consequences.
We address these basic questions:
* What is the Equality Act?
* What is "discrimination" and is it always bad?
* Does the Equality Act correctly cite the Fourteenth Amendment?
* What are some biological differences between males and females?
* Can we truly avoid biology if we can't "discriminate" based on "gender identity"?
* Can Christians recognize "gender identity" struggles without championing them?
Sources Consulted:
H.R.5, 117th Congress (2021-2022), "The Equality Act"
Goldman, Bruce. "Two minds: The cognitive differences between men and women." Sex, Gender and Medicine (2017).
Blair, Martha L. "Sex-based differences in physiology: what should we teach in the medical curriculum?." Advances in physiology education 31, no. 1 (2007): 23-25.
Podcast Plugs:
The Rapp Report with Andrew Rappaport
What Do We Believe book by Andrew Rappaport
*****…
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Mar 1, 2021
Is Jesus Like Captain America? (part 1)
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
This is part 1 of 2 of "Is Jesus Like Captain America?"
Who is Captain America?
* Comic book history and story
* Some mention of the Marvel movies
* An honorable mention of Chris Hohnholz and his "Cap" outfit
What are Captain America's superpowers?
How are Jesus and Captain America similar?
* They are both human and "divine."
* They are both an individual person.
How are Jesus and Captain America different?
* Jesus divinity and humanity are two distinct natures.
* Captain America has a single nature that has humanity and divinity mixed together.
What is Eutychianism?
* Eutyches was head of a monastery in Constantinople.
* Eutyches taught that Jesus had one nature as a product of humanity and divinity.
* Eusebius of Doryleum accused him of heresy.…
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Feb 22, 2021
COVID Vaccines and Christian Conscience
My wife Chelsea returns to Truthspresso to discuss COVID vaccines and related political and Biblical issues.
Rather than taking a hard-line approach, we try to present some information we could gather. We encourage weighing all factors according to the Bible and Christian conscience.
Questions we address include
* To what degree do the various COVID vaccines rely on fetal cell lines?
* How are the new mRNA vaccines different from traditional vaccines?
* Are there concerns with rushing the new vaccines?
* What are possible side-effects of the COVID vaccines?
* Should Christians favor making vaccines mandatory?
Chelsea has worked as a Registered Nurse (R.N.) in Pediatrics and in labor and delivery. She also holds a post-Master's certificate in Certified Nurse Midwifery (C.N.M.) and has delivered about 100 babies.
Sources Referenced:
David Prentice, Ph.D., "Update: COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates and Abortion-Derived Cell Lines," Charlotte Lozier Institute, Updated January 4,…
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Feb 15, 2021
Is Jesus Like the Incredible Hulk?
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
Is Jesus Like the Incredible Hulk?
Who is the Incredible Hulk?
* The first issue was in 1962.
* The Incredible Hulk comics underwent quite a few changes and series.
* Dr, Banner was exposed to gamma radiation that released the Hulk whenever he gets angry.
How is Jesus like the Incredible Hulk?
* Both Dr. Banner and Jesus are intelligent humans.
* Both represent two natures: divine and human.
How is Jesus not like the Incredible Hulk?
* Dr. Banner and the Incredible Hulk are different persons.
* Two persons share the one body.
* This makes Dr. Banner essentially schizophrenic.
* Jesus is not two persons. He is one person with two natures.
What is Nestorianism?
* Nestorius was bishop of Constantinople from 428-431.
* His rival, Cyril of Alexandria, b…
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Feb 8, 2021
Is Jesus Like the Green Lantern?
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
Is Jesus Like the Green Lantern?
Who is the Green Lantern?
* There are 7200 Green Lanterns in the intergalactic corps.
* They each have a ring that gives them their power.
* Hal Jordan was the first human being from earth to become a Green Lantern.
* The 2011 DC film wasn't successful.
What is Adoptionism (or Dynamic Monarchianism)?
* Monarchianism is unitarianism--only one God Who is only one Person
* Dynamic monarchianism allows for this divinity to change (adopt a Son).
* Modalistic monarchianism is God manifesting in three modes.
* Adoptionism teaches that Jesus became divine either at his baptism
Who were the early adoptionist teachers?
* Theodotus the tanner of Byzantium (late 100's) taught that Jesus became the Christ at his baptism and became div…
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Feb 1, 2021
Is Jesus Like Iron Man?
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
Is Jesus Like Iron Man?
How are Jesus and Iron Man (Tony Stark) similar?
* They are both fully human.
* They are both highly intelligent.
* They both sacrificed the wealth they have to save the world.
How are Jesus and Iron Man different?
* Iron Man is a human person driving a super ("divine") suit.
* Jesus is a divine person driving a human suit...or, wait...is that right?
Who was Apollinaris the Younger and what is Apollinarianism?
* Apollinaris let his philosophy define his theology.
* Apollinaris fought Arianism so hard that he sacrificed the full humanity of Jesus.
* He basically believed that Jesus was "God in a bod"--that Jesus replaced the rational mind of his human nature with His own divine Logos.
Who were the Cappadocian fathers?
* Basil of…
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Jan 25, 2021
Is Jesus Like Thor? (part 2)
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
Is Jesus Like Thor?
Is He a created Son of God Who had a beginning and is a separate lesser being from the Father?
This episode covers the following aspects of history:
* The council of Nicea in 325 A.D. (what it wasn't about and what it was about)
* Athanasius early life and role as deacon at the Council
* The return and death of Arius
* The rise of semi-Arianism against the Nicene faith
* Constantine's death and the divided empire under his three sons and nephew
* Athanasius' five exiles
Sources Cited:
Christian History Institute, "#109: Council of Nicea"
Wisconsin Lutheran College, "Emperor Constantine to Arius," "Fourth Century Christianity."
Ibid., "Arius and Euzoius to the Emperor Constantine."
Ibid., "Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis of Nicaea to a…
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Jan 18, 2021
Is Jesus Like Thor? (part 1)
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
Is Jesus Like Thor?
We answer this question by answering the following:
Who is Thor?
What are things that Jesus and Thor seem to have in common?
What does it mean for Jesus to be the "Son of God"?
What is Arianism and Subordinationism?
This episode is part 1 of answering this question because there is a lot of history to cover. This episode discusses the following:
* The major Christian persecutions from the first through the fourth centuries
* The rise of Constantine as emperor of the whole Roman empire
* Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge
* The conflict between team Alexander and team Arius over Christology in Alexandria, Egypt
* Arius' teachings in his poem Thalia.
* Constantine's letter to Alexander and Arius to stop…
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Jan 13, 2021
BONUS: Taking a Step Back when Chaos Hits
My wife Chelsea came up with the idea to record a discussion about how to stay encouraged when the world seems to be falling to pieces.
We discuss ideas such as
* Take a step back and look at the big picture.
* Turn off the news and social media for a bit.
* Take time to read the Bible and pray.
* Look at examples in the Bible of how people handled suffering.
* Remember that God is on the throne.
* Put your trust in God, not human government.
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Jan 11, 2021
Is Jesus Like Ant-Man?
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
Is Jesus Like Ant-Man?
We answer this question by answering the following:
Who is Ant-Man?
What are things that Jesus and Ant-Man seem to have in common?
How does Ant-Man's different sizes reflect the way people view the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
What is Modalism?
Who was Sabellius?
How does Oneness Pentecostalism continue modalism today?
How does modalism differ from the doctrine of the Trinity?
What are problems with modalism/Sabellianism/Oneness?
* If Jesus is not distinct from the Father, to whom was he praying?
* If Jesus is not distinct from the Father, to whom did he submit?
* If we have a modalist understanding of Jesus, what are two versions of this error? (a.) Jesus is just God the Father animating a human body. He could not be our substitute if he…
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Jan 4, 2021
Is Jesus Like Batman?
We are continuing a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
Is Jesus Like Batman
We answer this question by answering the following:
Who is Batman?
What are things that Jesus and Batman somewhat have in common?
Is Batman divine or human?
Does he have any superpowers?
What did the Ebionites believe about Jesus?
What do the Socinians believe about Jesus?
Why does Jesus have to be fully divine as well as fully human?
What are problems with Ebionism/Socinianism?
* A great human teacher cannot be our substitute (Gal 4:1-5).
* A human who is merely subject to the law cannot be our substitute (Mat 12:8; 9:6).
* A human-only Jesus cannot bear the penalty for the sins and capital offenses of many people (Lev 24:19-21; Joh 1:29; 1Pe 2:24; Heb 9:28; 2Co 5:21)
What are some verses against Ebionism/Socinianism?
* Jesus is called…
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Dec 28, 2020
Is Jesus Like Superman?
We are beginning a series of episodes comparing Jesus to superheroes. This series will tackle wrong ideas about Jesus from church history in chronological order. A superhero will represent each of these ideas.
Is Jesus Like Superman?
We answer this question by answering the following:
Who is Superman?
Is Superman or Clark Kent human?
What is Gnosticism and Docetism?
What are three flavors of Docetism?
* The Phantom theory
* The Alien Body theory
* The Divine Blood theory
What are problems with Docetism?
* It denies substitutionary atonement
* It denies the eschatology of Jesus' reign on earth
What are some verses against Docetism?
Sources Cited:
The Gnostic Society Library, "The Acts of John."
Phillip R. Johnson, "What's All the Controversy About John MacArthur and the Blood of Christ?" romans45.org, 2000.
Scriptures Referenced:
Matthew 9:4
Luke 11:17
Galatians 3:16
Hebrews 2:16
Acts 2:29-30
Romans 1:3
2 Timothy 2:8
Hebrews 10:4-6
Isaiah 53:5
1 Peter 3…
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Dec 21, 2020
The Christmas Promise of Isaiah 9:6
Welcome to Christmas 2020 at Truthspresso.
In this episode we are going to unwrap the depths of Isaiah 9:6 as a present from God for the first Christmas.
Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
We look at each phrase and cross reference to see that it is a prophecy of the Messiah.
We also compare it with Isaiah 7:14 to verify that the Messiah would be truly born of a virgin.
We put other possible fulfillments to the test such as King Hezekiah, Isaiah's son, or someone unknown from history.
We challenge ourselves to remember that the ultimate purpose of Jesus' coming is to be the king over the earth. His suffering and atonement secures his citizenry.
We look at the name of the son as "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." We find each part of this name describing…
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Dec 14, 2020
Four Biblical Principles from the Superblians
To conclude our series of political economic topics, let's derive some Biblical principles of economics (and against tyranny) as we break down the Tale of the Superblians.
As many humans in our story replaced simple Biblical rules for tyrannical man-made rules, they drove the benevolent Superblians away from earth. Over time, when the fog cleared, at least one started to realize the evil they had imposed against their intergalactic friends.
The Superblians helped humans prosper by practicing and teaching these four Biblical principles of economics:
* The Bible favors private property (Exo 20:15-17; Jer 32:6-15; Act 5:4)
* The Bible favors free exchange (Lev 25:14)
* The Bible favors savings (Gen 41; Pro 21:20; 13:22)
* The Bible does not favor "stimulus" (Lev 19:11; Jer 7:9; Joh 10:10; Amo 3:10; Pro 11:1; 16:11)
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Dec 7, 2020
The Tale of the Superblians part 3
Welcome to the first made-up, imaginary, fictional type story on Truthspresso!
This episode is part 3 and concludes the Tale of the Superblians.
Jake arrives at the convention center after Dr. Tom Words finished delivering a speech against Dr. Paul Drugman's article in the New Dork Times. Jake still wants to meet Dr. Words before he has to catch his plane. As Jake befriends Superblians, he has the sneaking suspicion that society is beginning to reevaluate their own.
Some real life type people figures make guest appearances or are mentioned in this part. The names have been changed to protect the innocent and the super guilty alike.
Parodied appearances:
Paul Krugman as "Paul Drugman"
Robert P. Murphy as "Robert P. Nerfy"
Thomas E. Woods as "Thomas E. Words"
Megyn Kelly as "Megyn Skelly"
Bernie Sanders as "Senator Bernie Slanders"
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as "Alexandria Ocrazio-CourtSays"
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Nov 30, 2020
The Tale of the Superblians part 2
Welcome to the first made-up, imaginary, fictional type story on Truthspresso!
Guess what: I was wrong! It turns out as I write this silly story, part 2 will not conclude the Tale of the Superblians.
We pick up our story a year after the Superblians "invaded" from outer space. Listen in as our antagonist Jake has to battle two opposing economic ideas about these benevolent aliens. Are their improvements good as they appear or will they lead to destruction?
Some real life type people figures make guest appearances in this part. The names have been changed to protect the innocent and the super guilty alike.
Parodied appearances:
Paul Krugman as "Paul Drugman"
Robert P. Murphy as "Robert P. Nerfy"
Thomas E. Woods as "Thomas E. Words"
Theater sounds adapted from FreeSound:
https://freesound.org/people/J.Zazvurek/sounds/60792
https://freesound.org/people/ehohnke/sounds/242231
https://freesound.org/people/Adam_N/sounds/346682
https://freesound.org/people/temawas/sounds/179870
Sc…
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Nov 23, 2020
The Tale of the Superblians part 1
Welcome to the first made-up, imaginary, fictional type story on Truthspresso!
I am planning to wrap up the economics series with the Tale of the Superblians.
Part 1 introduces the main characters and our rather unique situation.
Part 2 will show how our unusual story shockingly concludes.
If you like Sci-Fi, I hope you will bear with me in my first attempt at a Sci-Fi short story that also teaches important economic lessons.
Scripture Citations:
Psalm 35:26-28
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Nov 16, 2020
Is Income the Litmus Test for Equality?
Continuing with parsing through the politics of income inequality, we shift from the myths and articles to get down to some simple questions.
We consider these few basic thoughts:
* College shows why incomes differ. Different majors offer different skills that have different levels of supply and demand. People intend to go to college for a return on investment.
* Jobs are different and command different incomes. Should a low-skilled factory worker make similar income as a brain surgeon?
* Because people are different, an economy rebooted with income inequality would never naturally stay that way. People save differently, spend differently, invest differently, and seek different vocations. Any snapshot of an economy with income inequality imposed would quickly revert to inequality without persistent draconian regulation. Our differences are why we trade, interact, and benefit each other.
* Different types of employment structures account for income inequality. Full time, part…
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Nov 9, 2020
Four Claims About Income Inequality Answered
Income inequality has become a hot button issue in this last decade. Concerns range from the idea that it will destroy civilization to simply "It just isn't fair!"
Well, this episode will present four common claims about how income inequality is "unfair" and answer them"
* The rich are getting richer and the poor are staying poor.
* The United States is the worst offender for income inequality.
* The poor and middle class are being cheated out of much of the wealth their labor creates.
* Economic growth that fuels income inequality leaves the poor behind.
Sources Cited:
US Census Bureau, "Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019"
Phil Gramm and John F. Early, Wall Street Journal, "The Myth of American Inequality"
Nat Levy, Geekwire, "Walmart posts $514B in revenue for the year, plans to double down on grocery pickup and delivery"
MacroTrends, "Walmart Net Income 2006-2020 | WMT"
Walmart, "Company Facts"
Kim Souza, Talk Business & Politics, "Walmart’s top five ex…
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Nov 2, 2020
An Election Without Representation?
Joe from WalkwithGod joined me on Wednesday to chat about the upcoming election and politics from a Christian perspective.
What made this fun is that we didn't plan out our discussion. Neither of us knew the other's views until right before hitting the record button!
Joe described himself as a "centrist."
I described myself as "libertarian-leaning."
Both of us feel a little like outsiders looking in through the window at a political system that never really represents us.
As Christians, we both desire to filter all politics through the Word of God, not through a party platform.
We discussed abortion, democracy, gerrymandering, representation, the Supreme Court, and God's laws in the Decalogue.
We hope this discussion will be both challenging and encouraging as we wait for the perfect government with Christ returns to reign.
Check out Joe's thoughts:
WalkwithGod podcast
WalkwithGod YouTube channel
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Oct 26, 2020
Will Income Inequality Destroy the Earth?
We shift from the overpopulation myth because respectable mainstream opinion has changed. Even the political left has criticized the former overpopulation alarmism as potentially "racist" and bigoted toward poorer people.
But the new alarmism in the recent decade is that "income inequality" is the new dragon to slay. We tackle two claims of how income inequality crushes civilization:
* Income inequality destroys the environment
* Income inequality kills poor people
Understanding how the economy is an interwoven tapestry of mutual exchanges shows how the wealthy do not "overconsume," nor do they do so in a vacuum. And the real underconsumption of wealthy investment actually improves the lives of everyone in the economy.
Sources Cited:
Heather Alberro, Nottingham Trent University, "Why we should be wary of blaming 'overpopulation' for the climate crisis," January 28, 2020.
Stephen Bezruchka, "Inequality Kills," April 2, 2014.
"Life expectancy in the United States, 1860-2020"…
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Oct 19, 2020
The Incredible Shrinking Humanity
After seeing that some people sympathize with Thanos against the Marvel Avengers for the fate of the universe, we look at another model of population growth trends that is becoming more mainstream.
The Demographic Transition Model (DTM) provides four to six stages of population growth to show how it naturally levels off after spiking. This model correlates statistics about birth rates, death rates, and technology advances throughout several centuries and observes countries of the world at various stages.
There is no need for alarm. The population naturally takes care of its own growth. The real problem for a people is rejecting the design of their Creator.
Sources Referenced:
"The Demographic Transition Model (DTM)"
Keith Montgomery, Department of Geography and Geology, UWC, "THE DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION"
Scriptures Referenced:
Hebrews 13:4
Jeremiah 18:7-10
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Oct 12, 2020
Was Thanos the Good Guy?
We continue discussing the overpopulation myth that still hasn't died.
We start with some 21st-century statements from the infamous Paul Ehrlich, proving that he hasn't recanted his failed prophecies of overpopulation fearmongering.
Next, we review an article from Forbes that tries to convince the world that Thanos, the supervillain from the late Marvel Avengers movies really did nothing wrong. According to this article, Thanos was really the guy good and the Avengers were the bad guys.
Sources Referenced:
Damian Carrington, "Paul Ehrlich: 'Collapse of civilisation is a near certainty within decades'"
Katharine Mieszkowski, "Do we need population control?"
ThanosDidNothingWrong on Reddit
JV Chamary, "The Science Of 'Avengers: Endgame' Proves Thanos Did Nothing Wrong"
Scriptures Referenced:
Proverbs 6:16-19
Psalm 2:1-4
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Oct 5, 2020
Should We Fear Overpopulation?
This episode was inspired by something my wife showed me from a campaign called "One Planet One Child."
From Thomas Malthus in the 1790's to Paul Ehrlich in the 1960's and beyond, some economists and scientists have feared the doom of humanity. This doom is mass suffering and starvation of millions of people ever at the door.
The cause? Overpopulation.
We look at Paul Ehrlich's predictions in the 1960's through the 1980's to see if they came to pass. You could probably look around you to figure it out.
But is an overpopulation problem still on the horizon? What does the Bible say?
Sources Consulted:
https://www.intelligenteconomist.com/malthusian-theory
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dont-fall-for-the-doomsday-predictions/2019/01/08/46a4ced2-1361-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html
https://ourworldindata.org/future-population-growth
https://ourworldindata.org/extreme-poverty
http://darrowmillerandfriends.com/2016/02/01/overpopulation-what-god-thinks/
Scriptures Cited:…
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Sep 28, 2020
Critical Race Theory or Christ - A Discussion with Jamal Bandy part 2
This is part 2 of an interview with Jamal Bandy, host of the Prescribed Truth podcast.
Jamal explains what "social justice" and "critical theory" are as elements of Marxist philosophy. The word "race" has been added to make "critical race theory" an issue of U.S. history.
Jamal gives some heartfelt and keen insights into misunderstood realities of both the present and the past that are often fuel for ethnic politics.
Jamal Bandy:
Prescribed Truth
Prescribed Truth podcast
Prescribed Truth YouTube
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Sep 21, 2020
From Oneness Cult to Truth - A Discussion with Jamal Bandy part 1
This is part 1 of an interview with Jamal Bandy, host of the Prescribed Truth podcast.
Jamal tells his story of how he was involved in an Apostolic Oneness church and how unexpected events led him to question what he was taught.
Jamal learns the truth about God as Trinity and that the Oneness teaching is wrong. He also learns that works don't save him and don't keep him saved, because the Father and the Son secure him.
Jamal Bandy:
Prescribed Truth
Prescribed Truth podcast
Prescribed Truth YouTube
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Sep 14, 2020
Nine Problems with Democracy
This episode continues from the topic of the last one by discussing actual problems with democracy.
We answer the following questions:
What are the problems of democracy?
* It is not based on absolute, unchanging truth.
* Eligibility to vote is not certain.
* A simple majority is not really "the will of the people." 51% can plunder the 49%.
* It encourages factions to develop.
* Defensive voting is a constant headache.
* Special interests can trick voters with confusing ballot initiatives.
* A nation is not homogeneous to unite "one people." Factors of regional differences can cause certain interests to overpower other interests.
* Election campaigns become increasingly expensive.
* It tends toward socialism.
Where does democracy actually work?
In free market contexts.
Is there anything better than either democracy or centralized power?
How about a simple, small government that protects individual rights and punishes violations such as expressed in the last fiv…
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Sep 7, 2020
Is Democracy Good and Biblical?
There is a lot of hoopla about the state of democracy in the United States and around the world. Many citizens value the ideals of democracy as sacred and best.
Christians should be willing to examine democracy itself and ask some important questions. We ask and answer the following questions:
* What is democracy? We define the term and compare it to other types of government.
* Why is democracy appealing? We look at five reasons: (a) power is decentralized, (b) each voter is supposed to be politically equal, (c) laws require majority approval, (d) citizens are encouraged to know and participate in their own politics, and (e) change can happen without a violent revolution
* Is Democracy Biblical?
Scriptures Referenced:
Judges 21:25
Proverbs 14:12
Micah 2:2
Exodus 20:13-17
Sources Cited:
Austin Sarat, "Where Are the Defenders of Democracy?" The Bulwark, September 1, 2020.
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Aug 31, 2020
Should Christians Support Preemptive War?
This is part 2 of the last episode. We continue to examine the mindset of war from a Christian perspective by asking questions. This episode asks the last two questions:
* What about the wars that God commanded? (Gen 50:19; Rom 12:18-21)
* How should we view our enemies now? (Mat 28:18-19; Mat 5:43-47)
We conclude with Psalm 120:2,6-7 to ask the question, "Are we for peace, or are we for war?"
Podcast Promotion:
Quest For Truth with Keith Heltsley and Nathan Caldwell
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