This is a well-worn passage in the Christmas story found in the Gospel of Luke. Mary is visited by an angel who tells her some amazing and disturbing news. She is going to conceive a child by God and from God who will be the Savior of the world! She is unsettled at first, but her tone changes when she realizes what she's been chosen to do! She breaks out in song! We often see this as a sweet little song sung by a teenage girl who is obedient to the Lord. But there is deep theology in this song. Prophetic truth! These are hardly the words of a 14-year old! Where does she get this language and knowledge that is clearly beyond her years? And what is this song really conveying? This is the Magnificat, and when you dig deeper, your mind will be blown!

Here we go again! This is another conversation that arose out of an intersection between faith and culture. We've talked about the antichrist before. We had a whole episode on it in our Revelation series. But just a few weeks ago, multi-billionaire Peter Thiel gave a series of lectures in an exclusive setting in San Francisco. He fancies himself to be a sort of modern-day futurist. I guess if you have a bazillion dollars, you can call yourself anything you want! He claims to be a person of faith, and in his talks, he referenced the antichrist numerous times! He seems to be low-key obsessed with this idea! This sparked a renewed interest in the public sector, with a barrage of talks, articles, and random social media videos. So, let's get into it! Where did this idea of the antichrist come from? How many times is it referenced in Scripture? Is it a person, or an ideology? When will this antichrist show up? What will he/it do? Who is the antichrist?

This world has gone crazy! It's understandable. We are constantly bombarded with information, events, trends, and disruption. Things move so fast and furiously that we get overwhelmed by conflict and chaos. In the midst of all this, the temptation is to retreat - to go back in time to when life was simpler, slower, easier to navigate. We are seeing trends among younger people. trad-wives, homesteading, organic micro-farms, off-the-grid living. One of the more alarming trends that has popped up recently, ironically, in the Christian atmosphere, is a suggestion that we reimagine how we think about marriage - specifically bringing back polygamy - men having multiple wives! Where is this coming from? For sure, it is in the Bible, but is it the norm, or an accommodation by God in an ancient pagan culture? Where does the newfangled idea of polyamory fit in? Why can't we just leave well enough alone?

You may have heard of this phenomenon by the terms euthanasia, assisted suicide, or physician-assisted suicide. Perhaps you're familiar with the original Dr. Death - Jack Kevorkian. What you may not know is that this is now an established and growing practice in many countries, including ten states in the U.S.! Traditionally, the guidelines and policies surrounding what is now called medical assistance in dying required that a person was in such a condition that there was no hope. Terminal illness, unbearable pain, a few months to live, etc. But several countries, including Canada, are loosening those restrictions to include conditions such as mental illness or mental disorder! And - they are considering extending the opportunity to request this service to people they call mature minors! What is going on? Where will it end? What does the Bible and Christian tradition have to say about all this?

One of the most talked-about and controversial episodes in the Bible is found in Ezekiel 1. In this passage, the prophet Ezekiel describes an otherworldly vision he receives unexpectedly. It is wild! He sees fire, lightning, and clouds of smoke. He hears thunder and a cacophony of noise! Winged creatures appear, each with four faces and eyes all over them! Then a wild-looking throne, with wheels inside of wheels and a human-like figure seated on it! He is transported by this throne-mobile and experiences extraterrestrial sights and sounds! What is Ezekiel seeing? Many have speculated over the decades that Ezekiel had an encounter with aliens and some sort of spacecraft. We might call it a close encounter of the third kind, complete with an abduction! There have been books written (one by a NASA engineer), and thousands have become convinced that this is indeed the prophet describing aliens and rocket ships in the only vocabulary available to him. Are there aliens and rocket ships in the Bible? What did Ezekiel see?

In keeping with the Halloween-ish vibe this time of year, today we're talking about two of the most bizarre episodes in the New Testament. Both are a part of the passion narrative, and they are related in a strange sort of way. In Matthew 27, just as Jesus gave up His Spirit on the cross, three things occur. The veil in the temple is torn in 2, there is an earthquake, and the rocks split. Then the tombs are opened, many bodies of the saints who had been dead are raised, and they enter the holy city and appear to many! Who are these un-dead people, and what are they doing in town? This leads right into the next question. What was Jesus doing during the three days He was in the tomb? I'll give you a hint. He wasn't just sitting around! He was busy! Now you can find out why they call it the Harrowing of Hell!

What is the Day of the Dead? Perhaps you've noticed the decorations and all the paraphernalia. Skulls, colorful figures, and creepy candles. What's that all about? Some call it Mexican Halloween. As we found out, that's not accurate. As it turns out, it is a celebration with roots in the ancient Aztec tradition. It's a time to remember the ancestors and all that have gone on before us. But it's not just a remembrance, it's a time to welcome the dead. To honor the dead. To help them make an actual appearance on these nights! Is this okay? Is it just an innocent, fun kind of activity like trick-or-treating? Or is it something more sinister - even demonic? Let's dive in!

This is the first in what we hope will be a bunch of these kinds of episodes. As a follow-up to our iconic 100th episode, we collected all of the questions we didn't have time to get to, and we answer them in exhaustive detail! We had a blast doing this! It sparked so much conversation between the three of us, and we learned a thing or two along the way!