The Bible Bunker

Leviticus is well-known for being the most boring book in the Bible, because it's mostly just a book of laws for a people 3000+ years ago!But when you read Leviticus in it's context (Exodus & Numbers), and have read the whole Bible, you realize not only that the laws are practical and ahead of their time, but also that not only are there connections from it to the whole Bible and even Jesus Himself!Today, Zach and Michael talk about Leviticus, God's call for holiness vs. our sinful nature, and the connections between Leviticus and the whole Bible.

Everyone's heard the story of the bronze serpent in the wilderness!The Israelites complain to God over and over again and are ungrateful, which God is not okay with! Because of this, God sends snakes to bite His people, and many of them died from the bites. But eventually, God showed Moses how they could be healed: by putting a snake on a staff raising it up for the people to look at. He told them through Moses that if they looked at the snake on the staff, then they would be healed; all they had to do was have faith in Him and look at the snake.Remind you of anything? Faith in One on a "post" which saves you from the death you would've otherwise suffered? If you don't understand by now, it's Jesus!Today, Zach and Michael talk about the comparisons and awesomeness of the story of the bronze serpent and the story of Jesus.

Sin is a very Christian term, and it is not to be taken lightly!Sinning is doing something that God disapproves of. Sin is doing something contrary to the creative order which God put in place. So not only does God hate it, but in the long run, you will hate it too because of what it does to you.Sin is a big deal! It can only be forgiven totally by Jesus Christ and his death.Confessing your sins (to God AND to brothers/sisters in Christ) and Addressing sins are so important, because sin kills! If sin isn't confessed, it kills one with guilt and anxiety. If sin isn't addressed, it kills not only the person, but relationships also, and even churches!Today, Zach and Michael talk about confessing and addressing various sins in various situations.

Suffering is a part of this world (John 16:33).It is very easy to say and think that you will be faithful and godly during trials, but no one really knows what trials will do to one's character until they are truly faced with it.When Job, a "blameless and upright man" according to God Himself, endured suffering, He never once blamed or cursed God. He remained steadfast and faithful to God, being a great servant of God, and example for us. His friends, though, were very wild in their interpretations of why his suffering came, not knowing that Satan was behind it, and that God allowed it regardless of Job's character.Today, Zach and Michael talk about examples of suffering, and warn carefulness when interpreting suffering and trying to figure out exactly why it is happening.

As deep cries out to deep; the prophet Isaiah describes understanding the mysteries of God by going “line upon line, precept upon precept”.To understand God's Word and to draw closer to the Him, we need to learn how to ask questions and follow the answers through the entire Bible. This changes our relationship with the Father and leads us to the deeper truth that He is God Almighty, along with Jesus - our friend, brother and Savior.In this episode, Zach gives an example of a principle followed through from beginning to end and how to apply it.

The recent movement known often as the Charismatic Movement is a movement which associates with Christianity, and in specific, especially loves to talk about the Holy Spirit.At it's extreme, those apart of the Charismatic Movement will incorporate many practices in their church services that are different from the average; some people scream, some get hit, some fall over in a claimed convulsion, all in the name of the Holy Spirit, healing, and a profound spiritual experience. Is this Biblical?In moderation, claimed charismatics often simply believe that the gifts of the Spirit are still active today. Many disagree with this; is it Biblical?Today, Zach and Michael give their thoughts on the Charismatic Movement and "charismaticism" as a whole, trying to determine what's Biblical, and what isn't.

Forgiveness is just one more huge issue that humans deal with. As Christians, we are commanded to forgive by Jesus (read Matthew 6:14-15; it's intimidating!)"But," one Christian may say, "I just can't forgive them. I can't!" The truth is, they only feel as if they can't. But this is a ridiculous idea for two+ reasons: #1 - Why can't you? (Think about that).  #2 - Jesus commands us to! Do you think he would EVER disable us from doing something that He commanded us to do?Or do we have forgiveness all wrong? Is forgiveness an eventual feeling that you are at peace with a matter? Or is it a decision to not act in return when you have been wronged?Today, Zach and Michael go deeper into what forgiveness is, and the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation.

Conflict is such a common thing in this world. We have them almost every day, whether with people or things.When it comes to conflicts in relationships, there are seemingly two types of people: those who shy away from conflict by nature, and those who are too quick to go into conflict, and do it the wrong way. Surely some have mastered conflict, but can you think of anyone?Conflict usually has a stigma of negativity. Is that right? Why is it looked at like that?Today, Zach and Michael talk about conflict: why it's a good thing, how to rightly handle conflicts with people, and how Jesus was conflicted in His life.

"Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody." - Bob DylanEvery human being is a slave, whether they like it or not! Whether you're a slave to God, or to any other idol, everyone is a slave to something or someone. If you are a slave to anything but Christ, you are serving the wrong thing! Read Romans 6:23, Matthew 7:14.Today, Zach and Michael talk about what it means to be a slave to God and what it means to be a slave to sin, and how that not only applies spiritually, but also practically in our lives.

In Western culture, love is often looked at as simply a feeling, though most western people don't know this because it is so ingrained in them!The feeling you get when you get a new boyfriend/girlfriend: is that love? Boy/girl romantic relationships in movies and TV shows: is that love? Is it simply about your feelings? Or could it be something much more?Today, Zach and Michael talk about how the Bible describes love, what it really means to love, and how feelings can sometimes be untrustworthy.

If "prosperity preachers" get anything right, it's that God has more in store for us than we know. They just don't know what that really means.This does not mean that He will necessarily bless us with physical blessings, such as no sickness, wealth, or success (though He will sometimes). It means more so that our spirit will be at peace, and we will feel close and content in our relationship with God. How? By surrendering our lives to Him, as He did for us. (Romans 12:1)Today, Zach and Michael talk (utilizing Scripture) about what it means to settle, why it's bad for us, and how to allow God's blessings into our lives.

Most people (Christian or not) in the world today see Heaven as a separate place from here, maybe where angels sing along with us in worship to God and play harps on clouds in an aethereal place called Heaven.This brings up some questions: is this true? Does the Bible teach this? Why do we think this is what Heaven will be like? Could it be because of the way church services are run (not that they are bad at all)? Could it be because of the depiction of painters and people who may or may not understand the Bible?Today, Zach and Michael talk about how the Bible describes Heaven, in two different sections: #1, if I died today, and #2, when Jesus returns again at the end of the world. They then describe who goes to Heaven, and who goes to hell, the only difference being a committed relationship to Jesus Christ.

God does not tempt us, as James 1 says, but He does test us.If He doesn't ever test us, we'll never grow! Think about it: if only good things happened to you, then we're just spoiled brats! Trials and hardships are inevitable in this life, and they reveal what is truly inside of us (ex. fear or anger, perseverance or love). Embracing them as a regular part of human life is necessary.Today, Zach and Michael talk about Trials and Tests, some different viewpoints on them, and that God cares about our integrity more than just our good feelings.

Self-control is a staple of success in life.Success in anything requires self-control in one way or another. Think about it! Whatever you aspire to be or want for yourself, if it is a good thing, requires this rare attribute.Further than just worldly advantage, self-control is also required in order to please God. This is because humans naturally sin against God, and it is what comes easiest to all of us! Jesus says of those who desire to follow Him that, "... he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23).Today, Michael talks about examples of self-control, areas that require self-control, and finally the greatest example of self-control of all: the savior Jesus Christ.

The book of Ezra is a story of God saving His people from captivity, and them repenting from their sins that they have committed against Him.Though it is a simple message, how central is repentance to being a Christian? How central is God saving his people from captivity (i.e., their sins)? How do those connect together? How can this apply today and on until the end of my life?Today, Michael goes over the book of Ezra.

The theory of evolution is most commonly known to be started (mainly) by Charles Darwin. Though it is still labeled the THEORY of evolution to this day, it is rarely remembered as a theory, but instead is taught as a fact of life. But it is not a fact... though to some it is very convincing.What do you think about evolution?Is evolution true? If so, is it resolvable with Christianity? If not, does this mean science is totally false?We challenge you to have an open mind (since evolution is so deeply ingrained in everything around us) as Zach and Michael discuss these questions, and more, in this episode.

The Bible was written to a Jewish audience who had a certain culture, and therefore, a certain way of life that is unique from any other! After all, God wanted Israel to be "holy", which means to be "set apart".But as Westerners, we (obviously) do not have that culture; in fact, we have been much more influenced by the culture of the Greeks in ways that we don't often think and bout, and that many of us don't even know!Today, Zach and Michael talk about the influences of ancient Greek culture on our society today, and how it affects our reading of the Bible and our understanding of Christianity in general.Part 2!

The Bible was written to a Jewish audience who had a certain culture, and therefore, a certain way of life that is unique from any other! After all, God wanted Israel to be "holy", which means to be "set apart".But as Westerners, we (obviously) do not have that culture; in fact, we have been much more influenced by the culture of the Greeks in ways that we don't often think and bout, and that many of us don't even know!Today, Zach and Michael talk about the influences of ancient Greek culture on our society today, and how it affects our reading of the Bible and our understanding of Christianity in general.

If you aren't used to Christianity and its lingo, you may have heard the word "repent" a couple times, and maybe you have a slight idea of what it means. If you are, you know that its one of the most common words in the faith, and you may or may not understand its incredible significance in becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, and even AS a follower throughout your life.Regardless, you probably use this word more than you think you do,  just in a different form; the definition of repent is literally to "change" or "turn" from one thing to another.Today, Zach and Michael talk about what this word means and how it changes the lives of those who take part in it.

In America, we read everything in chronological order, and we often make sense of stories by reading in order from beginning to end. Isn't this what everyone does? It makes sense to read something from start to finish!In Eastern culture and in the Bible, since the beginning of ancient Eastern writings, a very common way to teach about something is to use something called a chiasm.A chiasm is a pattern of writing that is intended to show you the order regardless of chronology. It can look like a mirror in the text, or a continuous pattern in the text of Scripture.Confused? Listen to the podcast to learn what a chiasm is, why it's so important in your reading of the Bible, and how you can find it in the Bible!

He is risen!After dying on a cross in front of everyone, Jesus seems to leave all His followers behind, with the hope of His words not (yet) making sense to those He taught.But wait... Jesus is alive? That's great! But uh... what now?In this episode, Zach and Michael talk about what Christians are supposed to do now that Jesus is risen, explaining that it's not quite over yet! Specifically the Great Commission of Jesus to His disciples.

Everyone knows that day that comes two days before Easter: "Good Friday".But why is it called Good Friday, you may ask? Only because it resulted in our good. Christians so often forget that Jesus had to suffer not only the most intense physical pain and torture and death of the time, but also much worse: spiritual separation from His Father, which had never, and will never, happen for eternity.No one who followed Jesus was awaiting the Sunday soon to come; they could only live in the moment and see what was right in front of them: the physical death of their God.Today, Zach and Michael consider the Biblical account of the final hours of Jesus' incarnate life.

When we think of Palm Sunday, we often just think the simple fact of the event: the week before Jesus' resurrection.While this is obviously true, many Christians fail to consider the cultural context of Jerusalem in this intense time!In this episode, Zach and Michael consider what the Bible says and why it says what it does, including some of the context of the time, which is extremely important to understand why Palm Sunday is SO epic!

What is worship? Why is it important? To worship literally means to exclaim to someone how worthy they are or, in most cases, love/affection/glory/etc.Who is more worthy than the God who created us, who is unlike anything in creation, who never does wrong, and who died to save those who went against Him?In this episode, Zach and Michael talk about the meaning of worship, why church on Sunday morning is so important, and above all, what God has to say about it in the Bible.

God wants a relationship with us. Not just on Sunday, or Tuesday night youth group, but every day! So many Christians are not willing to give God their whole life, because they still have some sinning they want to do before they commit to Jesus.But Jesus is willing to commit to us if we are willing to commit to Him.Are you ready to commit to Jesus?

If God knew everything always, then is it really our choices that are being made, or did God make them for us? If Jesus knew who would be saved and who wouldn't be, is it really a person's choice to follow God?In this episode, Zach and Michael talk through the Arminian/Calvinist debate that commonly goes on in Christianity, hoping to do so Biblically.

If Yahweh is a good God and created good things, why is there evil in the world? Why is there any suffering for anyone? Why is life so hard? Couldn't God make it easy on us if He wanted to?Today, Zach and Michael try to answer this question from Biblical principals and examples.

Regardless of the Christian's view on it, there is no debating that abortion is one of the biggest controversies in the world today, including in the church!In this episode, Zach and Michael attempt to break the movement down morally and Biblically, and to see what God has to say about the issue.

Almost 2000 years ago, a man named Jesus took our sins that we committed upon Himself. These sins that we have made habitual are together the thing that keeps us from a healthy relationship with God. But if we repent of our sinfulness toward God, and simply believe that Jesus took the WHOLE punishment that we deserve, He will give us eternal life in His presence; this is the Christian's salvation.Is there anything that Christians, being humans, can do to lose that salvation? We want to know what the Bible has to say about it! Since the Bible told us about our salvation, we should also let IT tell us the details of our salvation in Jesus Christ.In this episode, Zach and Michael go through different Scriptures that talk about this topic, which is heavily debated inside of the church today.

When listening to teachers of the Bible, you should never just take what they say as true. You should check them by using the Bible without bias, and just seeing what God says, either specifically or in principal, about any topic. Sometimes, me (Michael) or Zach may say something that seems controversial, or something that you think is Biblically wrong. If so, see what God has to say about it! Be careful what you say, because "When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is wise." (Proverbs 10:19) And be careful to take any man's word as automatically true, because no one is always true except for God.

Sharing the Gospel with people is one of the most nerve-racking things for the American Christian, and just Christians in general. The thing that many people think about when the thing of evangelizing is street preachers, yelling at everyone to repent with signs, or someone randomly coming up to you and telling you about Jesus and handing you a tract. In this episode, Zach and I talk about another way to reach people with the message of the good news of Jesus in a natural, more comfortable way.

Believe it or not: the Bible wasn't written to 21st century people, let alone 21st century Americans! Not only are we 2000+ years removed from the Bible's culture, but Americans and Western Europeans are not at all familiar with Eastern culture much at all. As a result of that, we can very easily misunderstand parts of the Bible, or apply it to our lives based on what it means to us nowadays. Just remember, the Word of God IS applicable to our lives, and to anyone. But only after applying it to the people who God was speaking to in context.

Context is something that most American Christians miss while reading the Bible.We often forget that the Bible wasn't written to the 21st Century Western world, but to the Eastern world 20+ centuries ago. In this episode, we talk about some examples of using context correctly and incorrectly in the Bible, and also in real life. We hope this helps you understand that the Bible can be applied to us today, but only after researching and figuring out how it applied to the specific people it was written to.