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The Revelation of Jesus Christ – Prayers and Silence – Revelation 8:1-13

August 29, 2018

At the end of Revelation 7, the patriarchs of the Old Testament, the multitudes, the angels, the creatures and everyone else worships the Lord as the invasion of Heaven to earth continues. There is a taste of heaven that the world receives (and shudders as it does so). The judgment of God is being poured out as the seals on the scroll are being opened. Previously, there was an extended pause after the sixth scroll and now the judgment continues. The Lamb of God, the Lion of the tribe of Judah opens the seventh scroll. Yet, for all the raucousness of the previous seals, heaven falls strangely silent. Events unfold and an angel ministers at the altar, dealing with the prayers of the saints before the throne. There is a mixture of prayers of the people and the offerings of the heavenly beings. The holiness of God and the prayers of the people unite in one and are returned to earth. The prayer we have all been taught by Christ Himself plays itself out in this moment; “your kingdom comes, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”

The Fruit of Faithfulness: The Outpouring of Trust

The Fruit of the Faithfulness: The Outpouring of Trust

August 27, 2018

One of the most talked about topics of Christianity is the idea of faith. We are encouraged to live out our faith, express faith, and in some cases “just have faith.” Sometimes the advice given to Christians is a pleasant reminder of the importance of persevering and continuing to trust God during difficult times. Other times, it seems reductionist, giving buzzword advice instead of being present for a person who is hurting. Faith, for the believer is crucial for the well-being of the Christian, though. It carries the believer through difficult times, gives us the strength to stand when it is easier to fall, and helps us persevere when times become rough. For all its importance, faith can sometimes seem elusive and difficult to determine what precisely it is. Yet, as Paul discusses faithfulness as a part of the fruit of the Spirit, Paul is speaking clearly of a quality that builds on the foundation of God’s steadfast nature. For the believer, faith does not require all of the evidence to be present but continues to stand in the face of discouragement and anything that would attempt to derail a person from their trust in the Savior. It traces the hand of God through the past to allow us to trust that the hand of God has not departed.

The Fruit of Goodness: Indwelling and Expressing

The Fruit of the Goodness: Indwelling and Expressing

August 20, 2018

In computer programming, there is a commonly held ideal for Trash In Trash Out. If a person inputs fair amount of of garbage and nonsensical commands, the program will simply shut down and return the garbage it has been given. But, if there is care and intentionality in stringing together the code, remarkable and beautiful programs spring out. Whatever input the programmer gives reveals itself through the program. Goodness, in the lives of the spirit-filled Christian, works similarly. Goodness comes from the overflow of goodness through us. Whatever we spend time engaging with and filling our hearts with will be the thing that pours out of our hearts. While it is certainly true that Christians are saved by faith instead of works, the works of a Christian display the fruit that comes from within a person. Mankind produces whatever has been seeded inside of it and reflects what we truly worship and not what we necessarily should worship. As Christians, we allow the Holy Spirit to move within us and through us to express the abundant goodness and righteousness of God in the public sphere. We stand for the good and the right because God is working through us and has redeemed our own personal unrighteousness for His glory.

Nobody Special 041: Cutting Out Toxic Just Like Jesus Christ

Nobody Special 041: Cutting Out Toxic People Just Like Jesus

August 17, 2018

Have you noticed an increase in people saying they are Cutting Out Toxic People on facebook? The boys of Nobody Special have and we are talking about how scriptural this is. If you didn’t interpret the last thing as sarcasm, this may not be the podcast for you. Next we mourn with the actions of Willow Creek and celebrate with the actions of Saddleback. A great comparison of what happens when churches focus on the mission in front of them. Finally we close the episode out with a phenomenal round of Bible Bros where we look at Jeremiah 10:2-6.

Revelation 7:1-17 Of Saints and Multitudes

The Revelation of Jesus Christ – Saints and Multitudes – Revelation 7:1-17

August 16, 2018

Between the 6th and 7th seal being open, there is a brief pause. Up until this point, the believers have felt the effects (albeit not the consequences) of the judgment being poured out on the world. Then, with the return of the martyrs and the persistent denial from the world of the Lordship of Christ while seeing clearly His omnipotent hand, creation pauses and the scene shifts. John’s vision makes it clear that the judgment will be ramping up in intensity and in consequence. The nearer to the end of time that humanity approaches, the more adverse the effects. After all, sin is permitted to remain for the sake of saving as many persons ensnared by its alluring grasp. Thus, as sin continues, its effects on the world continue and the punishment becomes more and more deserved with each passing day. In fact, the judgment of God has already started, pouring out the first seals by the hand of the Lamb of God.

The Fruit of Goodness: Created to Do Good Works

The Fruit of the Goodness: Created To Do Good Works

August 13, 2018

There is often talk of a person’s “moral compass” often referring to the intrinsic drive within a person that compels them to behave in moral and good ways. Yet, we also live in a world shaped by moral relativism where the idea and concept “goodness” becomes hotly debated if not entirely eroded. According to moral relativism a person’s experience and worldview determines whether an action is “good” or not. Since there cannot be complete truth, as everything is relative to the individual, there cannot be anything purely good either. Yet for the Christian impacted by the Redeemer, our standards, our worldview, and our actions adhere to a much higher standard. We display the fullness of God’s goodness. While one aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit is kindness which gives of itself, goodness gives of itself in right and holy ways. Kindness and goodness work together through the outward actions of man together in both grace and truth. Goodness roots itself in the love and holiness of God who has proclaimed His mind from the beginning of time. God is the ultimate good as He exudes excellence and purity in great abundance.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ – The Earth Opens – Revelation 6:9-17

August 8, 2018

The first four seals opening leave a minor doubt in the world that the hand of God is not actively at work. Yet, with the 5th and 6th seal’s being broken, all doubt is removed. A time is coming when the world will run out of excuses to deny the hand of God. The core of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is Gospel centric. The Lamb of God, while pouring out His wrath upon the world, is returning all things to himself. Every step of God’s intervention has been a heavenly invasion to rend a rebellious people from the clutches of sin and death and return them to the fullness of God. For some, this will mean entering into the fullness of God’s glory. For others, they will enter into the fullness of God’s wrath. While they may know who is pursuing and calling them, their unwillingness to return to Christ will result in the fullness of God’s wrath poured out on them. The 5th and 6th seals represent those who gave the ultimate price for their faith, the martyrs, and those who would not bow before the Lord.

The Fruit of Goodness: The Moral Compass

The Fruit of the Goodness: The Moral Compass

August 6, 2018

There is often talk of a person’s “moral compass” often referring to the intrinsic drive within a person that compels them to behave in moral and good ways. Yet, we also live in a world shaped by moral relativism where the idea and concept “goodness” becomes hotly debated if not entirely eroded. According to moral relativism a person’s experience and worldview determines whether an action is “good” or not. Since there cannot be complete truth, as everything is relative to the individual, there cannot be anything purely good either. Yet for the Christian impacted by the Redeemer, our standards, our worldview, and our actions adhere to a much higher standard. We display the fullness of God’s goodness. While one aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit is kindness which gives of itself, goodness gives of itself in right and holy ways. Kindness and goodness work together through the outward actions of man together in both grace and truth. Goodness roots itself in the love and holiness of God who has proclaimed His mind from the beginning of time. God is the ultimate good as He exudes excellence and purity in great abundance.

Nobody Special 040: Guardians of the James Gunn

August 3, 2018

This week Danny goes on an emotional roller coaster, going through everything that makes him cry. But then we go back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and all the changes that have gone on this week. James Gunn has been let go from Guardians of the Galaxy and we think that idea is terrible. People need grace. Also, people need other people. We look at how the the cast stood with their friend and how Christians can be there for one another. Also, we give a special thank you to everyone who is going off to college and everywhere else. We appreciate the friends and everyone God has put in our lives.

The Fruit of Kindness: Giving to the World Around Us

The Fruit of the Kindness: Giving to the World Around Us

July 30, 2018

Taking an honest look at the world, there are certain people that we find easier to be kind to than others. People similar to us tend to be the ones we show kindness towards. Agreeableness tend to breed kindness simply because there is no reason to fight or quarrel. Yet, when a person disagrees with us or wrongs us, kindness quickly flies out the window. The rules of civility quickly disappear and our heels dig in to whatever position we once held for the sake of being right. Relationships are damaged all for the sake of whatever minuscule argument. Sure, not every case is THIS extreme, but the undergirding principles are still present. The root issues expresses itself through our need to view ourselves and our positions as much higher than we should. If kindness stems from a self sacrifice (as we discussed earlier in the series) and goes beyond a simple niceness (which we looked at the second part of this series) then kindness is a type of grace that we show to others.