Noble Minded, A Bereans Aflame Podcast

Studying John 2: 1. Jesus Turns Water into Wine2. Jesus Drives out Perversion in the Temple Everyone has a bias - but is your bias the conclusion of sound investigation or is it the filter of new information? Engage the epistemological epidemic on Noble Minded where we engage in open dialogue, critical thought and propose reasoned arguments which may be offensive to the weak-minded and emotionally driven. Listen as we host some of the most thoughtful political and religious discussions you won't hear in the mainstream media or in church!

We reengage with Katsumoto as we consider spiritual deconstruction and the reasons for it. If a Christian is unwilling to engage a topic which challenges their faith, does that suggest weak faith? How should a Christian engage the topic of Evolution?

Paul said that the church was established by God to be the "Pillar of Truth". But what light has the church illuminated: the Light of the World or the world's light? Today we discuss Christian Nationalism and the need to return our eyes upon Jesus. As the stream was about to end two hours in, an atheist and professor of anthropology in Brazil entered the chat to discuss he contradictions of the Christian church, and we end up agreeing with each other.

1 Peter 2:11-12 (NLT): "Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world." The problem here is what has transformed church culture and identity. We are charged with the responsibility of being the "pillar of truth", not the pillar of Christian Nationalism. And that is how we are being known. We need to reform the church back to God and His kingdom!

We discuss Deconstructionism and invite Twitch Guest, "Katsumoto" to discuss his experience with his own spiritual deconstruction involving the argument of evolution and intelligent design, Christian response to legitimate questions, and faith. We begin troubleshooting the problem with Katsumoto to help us both arrive at the point in which he began questioning which eventually resulted in him renouncing Christ.

Studying John 1: 1. Who is the Word?2. What is repentance?3. Who is the "Lamb of God" and what does it mean? Everyone has a bias - but is your bias the conclusion of sound investigation or is it the filter of new information? Engage the epistemological epidemic on Noble Minded where we engage in open dialogue, critical thought and propose reasoned arguments which may be offensive to the weak-minded and emotionally driven. Listen as we host some of the most thoughtful political and religious discussions you won't hear in the mainstream media or in church!

The nation's capital was breached by self-labeled Trump-supporters in order to stop the electoral vote from being certified and a curfew was set for 6pm before congress reconvened to certify the election anyway. We respond to various questions from chat and enter into a discussion about apologetics and the need for it in a culture currently deconstructing in all directions of thought.

With all of the various and sometimes contradictory prophecies delivered by prominently known Christian men and women - teachers and televangelists - it's hard to know as a Christian when a prophecy is truly given by God or not; let alone what to do about people whose prophecies not only don't come true, but actually end up being the opposite fulfilled. What is the difference between the office of the prophet and one gifted with prophecy? 

Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo), a former Methodist pastor prays to Bahma (Hindu) calling him a monotheistic god and ends his prayer with "amen and a-woman." There is just so much definitively wrong with this statement, but this is where we've come as a result of the unpaid bills of philosophy. Can we return to open and civil dialogue, or are we destined to remain predisposed in cognitive dissonance? 

Today's podcast is dedicated to the passing of a wonderful and mighty man of God, Ravi Zacharias. Prayers with his family. Praise God he's finished the race!

Covid-19 is in the White House, Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias, received dire news regarding his sarcoma. Umemployment continues to climb, and we discuss the latest in suggestions regarding the Mark of the Beast.

Jared's back! And we're talking about reopening the economy in specific non-hotspot areas. We discuss Chris Cuomo who tested positive for Covid-19 and the various different faces of the debate on whether or not the economy should be reopened unilaterally or continued to be locked down unilaterally. Then we discuss denominationalism in the church and how doubt and despair should be addressed.

Covid-19 conspiracy theories continue to spell intellectual suicide, but are beginning to look like social homicide, risking the lives of others forced to be involved, while China is allowed to maintain their cover-up crusade amplifying those conspiracy claims. Will we ever learn? REFERENCE: 1. Dr. Rassid Buttar's claims:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcx1BwHvVKw 2. Nature Magazine on the 2015 article citing the chimeric version theory: https://www.nature.com/news/engineered-bat-virus-stirs-debate-over-risky-research-1.18787 3. North Carolina Board Disciplinary Report: Dr. Rassid Buttar https://www.ncmedboard.org/images/uploads/disciplinary_reports/DiscReptMar-Apr2010__2_.pdf 4. Buttar's unproven cure for autism: https://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2006/06/17/rashid-buttar-and-the-autism-industry/ 5. China continues to capitalize on conspiracy theories: https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-gates-attacks-u-s-praises-china-china-did-a-lot-of-things-right-at-the-beginning 6. George Webb claims he found coronavirus patient zero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXJJYBb-kzw 7. Churches are returning https://www.christianpost.com/church-ministries/churches-nationwide-make-plans-for-soft-reopening-with-fewer-attendees-sanitation-stations.html. 8. Barna Group Studies Church in the midst of Covid-19 https://www.barna.com/research/update-current-church-trends/ 9. Trump's three phase suggestion to reopen economy https://www.whitehouse.gov/openingamerica/

Covid-19 continues to ramp up protests as the conversation shifts as to whether we should reopen economies yet or not. Political polarity popularizes again while the left argues that the right just want people to die, and the right argue that the left is attempting to implement their long awaited socialist agenda. Meanwhile, unemployment skyrockets and stock plummet to levels comparable the Great Depression. How should we engage this conversation as Christians and regain the credibility we are obviously losing? REFERENCES: 1. Covid-19 Stats: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html 2. Tom Frieden outlines 4 phases for the economy to reopen https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/we-all-want-to-reopen-the-economy-but-it-wont-be-quick-or-easy/2020/04/13/8a281d7e-7db1-11ea-a3ee-13e1ae0a3571_story.html 3. Contact tracing is labor intensive and unemployment is projected to reach 16.4% by May https://www.cnbc.com/video/2020/04/17/unemployment-rate-to-hit-16point4percent-in-may-says-economist.html 4. Harvard University's Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics Resilience Roadmap https://www.pandemictesting.org/ 5. Ben Shapiro argues that state mandated temporary lockdown are constitutional and have been done before https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f9bvzKGezg 6. Dan Crenshaw and Bill Maher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTGBJMDcras 7. Israel drug by Pluristem Terapeutics is being tested in the United States https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2020/april/israeli-covid-19-treatment-with-100-survival-rate-tested-on-first-us-patient 8. Dr Fauci says that the economy will not recover until Covid-19 is controlled https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/fauci-us-economy-wont-recover-until-coronavirus-controlled

This past Sunday, we celebrated the quintessential event in all of eternity - the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. During quarantine of Covid-19, it is easy to look to Him for solutions for your circumstance and forget that to be in Christ is to suffer for His namesake. But if He didn't rise, then we preach in vain and our faith in Him is useless. So… did He rise from the dead? This episode, we explain the gospel in detail, emphasizing the historical event when the Man whom the Jews called Yeshua rose from the dead, and what it means for us today. REFERENCES: 1. Bernie Sanders suspends his campaign last Wednesday: https://www.npr.org/2020/04/08/814291136/bernie-sanders-is-suspending-his-presidential-campaign 2. Coronavirus Stats: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html 3. Wuhan Ends Its Long Quarantine: https://www.npr.org/2020/04/08/829574902/as-chinas-wuhan-ends-its-long-quarantine-residents-feel-a-mix-of-joy-and-fear 4. "Faith, Evidence, and Credible Testimony" by Eric Lyons, M.Min. https://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=4146 5. "The Resurrection of Jesus Christ" by Kyle Butt, M.Div. http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=147

As with any crisis, Covid-19 has sparked new conspiracies. Some of them have gained traction, while others are simply laughable. We’ll go down the top 5 conspiracies surrounding Covid-19. Also, this past Sunday, we celebrated Palm Sunday. What was the point of this event? How did the Jews know Who Jesus was or that they should lay the road with palm branches, or that He’d be riding on a donkey? REFERENCES:1. Coronavirus Update:https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html2. Worlds Top Exports:http://www.worldstopexports.com/3. “Hosanna!”, Apologetics Presshttp://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=11924. Prophecies which foretell of Jesus’ messiahshiphttps://jewsforjesus.org/answers/top-40-most-helpful-messianic-prophecies/

Is our war against Covid-19 worse than the disease? This week, we return in a time of unprecedented advantage and confusion as the coronavirus continues to remain the most talked about discussion on virtually every media platform. What is being done to counter the massive misinformation and media malpractice, other than Trump's usual schtick of sticking it to the media? What really is Covid-19 (a.k.a. novel coronavirus)? And how has this affected the various factions of interest (i.e. political, religious, etc.). Has anyone heard from Binny Hinn? Todd White? Todd Bentley? Kenneth Copeland? REFERENCES: 1. Last week, President Trump signed a $2.2 trillion stimulus bill: https://www.allsides.com/story/house-passes-22-trillion-stimulus-package 2. United Methodist Church cancelled their conference where they planned to discuss BOD New 2556 ("Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation and Restructuring"): https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/march/umc-conference-sbc-annual-meeting-canceled-coronavirus.html 3. Barna Group study shows millennials are more likely to fact-check sermons: https://www.christianpost.com/news/millennials-most-likely-to-fact-check-sermons-barna-study-finds.html /https://www.barna.com/research/worship-shifting/ 4. Prosperity Preacher of a megachurch in Florida, Rodney-Howard-Browne, arrested because he would not close his church doors, and promised to "curse" coronavirus like he did the Zika virus: https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-rodney-howard-browne-florida-pastor-pansies-1492460 5. Bethel Church closed its weekend services, including their healing room: https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/feb/13/claims-bible-daltflowing-oil-undermined-new-i/515550/ 6. Dalton Oil Miracle proved to be a hoax: https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/feb/13/claims-bible-daltflowing-oil-undermined-new-i/515550/ 7. Jim Bakker is sued by the state of Missouri for selling "silver solution" as a cure for coronavirus: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/11/814550474/missouri-sues-televangelist-jim-bakker-for-selling-fake-coronavirus-cure 8. Identity-Protective-Cognition: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/cosmostheinlost/2015/05/19/identity-protective-cognition-science-finally-discovers-original-ssin/ Test everything against the Word of God. Does God still heal? Yes. The problem is when men arise and attempt to be and control God rather than submit to His will.

Gonzaga University law student responds to his professor's claim that MAGA (Make America Great Again) is racist. El Paso and Dayton spark... yet again... the gun control debate. But it all comes down to the problem of evil and why it is allowed to endure. REFERENCES 1. Seeing Red: A professor coexists with ‘MAGA’ in the classroomhttp://www.abajournal.com/voice/article/coexisting-with-maga-in-the-classroom2. GU Law student responds to professor who called ‘MAGA’ hats a ‘symbol of white supremacy’https://www.krem.com/article/news/politics/gu-law-student-responds-to-professor-who-called-maga-hats-a-symbol-of-white-supremacy/293-5270d867-6514-4c1b-a35c-b6bed6c71e873. El Paso Walmart Mass Shootinghttps://abcnews.go.com/US/police-el-paso-issue-report-active-shooter/story?id=647538964. Dayton Mass Shootinghttps://www.cnn.com/2019/08/04/us/dayton-ohio-active-shooter/index.html5. No, expanded background checks wouldn’t prevent mass shootingshttps://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2019/08/06/expanded-background-checks-wouldn-prevent-mass-shootings/SaprIaTy43Dp2iDuyFNwyN/story.html

Kamala Harris is eviscerated during round 2 of the 2020 Democratic National Debates. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are most certainly out of touch with their voters, their own party, and reality. And Joshua Harris, forerunner for the purity culture of the early 2000s, is reportedly and self-admittedly no longer a Christian anymore, going so far as to apologize to the LGBTQ+ community for speaking against them in his books. References:1. July 30 Democratic Debates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WvVQpWrByo2. July 31 Democratic Debates: https://youtu.be/AvDc0I5Dc2g3. Joshua Harris Kissed his book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" goodbye: https://relevantmagazine.com/god/faith/josh-harris-is-kissing-i-kissed-dating-goodbye-goodbye/4. Joshua Harris Divorces his wife: https://pulpitandpen.org/2019/07/19/kissing-marriage-goodbye-joshua-harris-announces-divorce/5. Joshua Harris declares he's no longer a Christian: https://www.christianpost.com/news/joshua-harris-falling-away-from-faith-i-am-not-a-christian.html Visit our website: https://bereansaflame.orgEmail us: info@bereansaflame.organd join our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BereansAflame

Tonight, Aaron Gilmore and Aaron Blain are joined by Pastor Billy Anger and two callers from the Calvinist persuasion to discuss the first tenant within Calvinism - Total Depravity; also known as Total Inability. Resources:1. Canons of Synod of Dorthttps://prts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Canons-of-Dort-with-Intro.pdf2. https://www.calvinistcorner.com/tulip.htm

While Christianity may be in decline in America, it's growing in places where it's illegal. The House voted to raise the federal minimum wage to $15/hr. And Robert Mueller fails to link President Trump to any impeachable offense. In fact, it may be that Mueller didn't even write his own report. References:1. https://www.premier.org.uk/News/World/China-orders-towns-to-monitor-and-count-Christians2. https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/18/politics/minimum-wage-house-vote/index.html3. https://reason.com/2019/07/19/bernie-sanders-gets-a-lesson-in-what-a-15-minimum-wage-would-mean/4. https://apnews.com/23db4a35e5a849f9b3109b24da39bb09

A Twitch caller by the username: Solomon calls in for an initial debate on the Trinity, but the question remains on the divinity of Jesus Christ. The question comes down to a reference to Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19 where Jesus asks a rich lawyer, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good."  Either Jesus is good, and therefore God, orJesus is not good, and therefore an insufficient sacrifice for sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

What can man do against such reckless hate?! Well, not join in, for one. Tonight we focused on the dichotomy of objectivity and subjectivity. If we're to make an objective truth claim, then our evidence must be objective. If we're to make a subjective truth claim, then we shouldn't be int eh business of trying to force others to agree and comply. The house is divided because we're not willing to hear the opposition - safe spaces and echochambers prevent us from hearing alternative ideas to our own and have bred elitists and extremists. You want to end it? Then start by evaluating yourself. Is what you believe objectively true or subjectively true? REFERENCES1. https://www.newsmax.com/politics/census-citizenship-question/2019/07/11/id/924046/2. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/6/12/1864278/-Rep-Ocasio-Cortez-gets-down-to-business-demands-answers-about-the-magically-added-racist-census?detail=emaildksp3. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/06/kris-kobachs-voter-suppression-law-was-just-struck-down-in-kansas/

The political polarity continues as the Democratic National Convention hosts its first two democratic presidential debates. In the conversation includes topics of abortion, LGBTQIAA+, universal healthcare, socialism, and so on. But, can the church get involved in such conversation without risked their 501(c)(3)s? Will speaking against abortion, for instance, be in violation of the Johnson Amendment in the IRS tax code? What about the separation of church and states? References:1. https://www.barna.com/research/pastors-speaking-out/2. https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/exemption-requirements-section-501c3-organizations3. https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php?id=. 4. https://reynoldslawgroup.net/blog/can-a-pastor-talk-about-politics-from-the-pulpit5. https://bereansaflame.org/arguments/politics-in-the-pulpit/

Is it political polarity? An epistemological epidemic? Or just alluring alliteration?  The U.S. and Russia back out of their 1987 arms treaty risking a return to the cold war; Congress discusses the "study" for possible slavery reparations; and Illinois becomes the most radical left state on abortion legalizing the murder of an unborn child up to birth! But theses problems can't be solved by the church because in too many places she's just as morally and intellectually deficient. References: https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/06/18/world/europe/ap-eu-russia-us.html https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/21/reparations-slavery-2020-democratic-candidates https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/illinois-governor-signs-law-expanding-access-to-abortion/2019/06/12/a74e3e10-8d48-11e9-b6f4-033356502dce_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.b82ab4357af4 https://www.barna.com/r01esearch/competing-worldviews-influence-todays-christians/ https://bereansaflame.org/apologetics/introduction

Opposition research is conducted to… rebuke… opposition researchAmong Church Attendants, Bible Centeredness Is Decreasing, and Skepticism Is Growing. And the gospel is the power of God unto salvation… but which gospel? REFERENCES1. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bethbaumann/2019/06/12/oh-boy-stephanopoulos-attempts-to-pigeonhole-trump-over-receiving-opposition-re-n25481342. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bethbaumann/2019/06/12/cue-the-outrage-dems-react-to-trumps-interview-with-stephanopoulos-n25481393. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/clinton-campaign-dnc-paid-for-research-that-led-to-russia-dossier/2017/10/24/226fabf0-b8e4-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html?utm_term=.52e492a7483e4. https://bipartisanreport.com/2019/06/13/lindsey-is-pissed-about-trumps-oppo-research-comment-video/5. https://www.dailywire.com/news/46272/hammer-mueller-report-amounts-democratic-oppo-josh-hammer6. https://www.barna.com/research/state-of-the-bible-2019/7. https://bereansaflame.org/gospel/the-gospel-of-christ/

Noble Minded PodcastEpisode 01 | D-Day The political and religious climates are ongoing battlegrounds with seemingly no victory in site for anyone, regardless of views held. This is because of an epistemological epidemic; the common participant doesn't know how they know what they know and can't substantiate their emotionally held beliefs. To be Noble Minded is to be critically minded - seeking the truth that will arm us in defense. Resources:1. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9196110/donald-trump-meghan-markle-nasty-comment-uk-visit/2. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/leader-la-luz-del-mundo-charged-child-rape-634949453. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/06/05/youtube-will-remove-more-white-supremacist-hoax-videos-greater-hate-speech-effort/?utm_term=.0256acbb78214. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/447302-federal-investigators-concluded-ryan-zinkes-maga-socks-violated-law5. https://bereansaflame.org/apologetics/introduction