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What happens when you mix a hardened war criminal with a "friendly" neighborhood dog walker?
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The Ron Johnson Discipleship Podcast is designed to bring the Lordship of Christ to our everyday lives. In each episode we'll discuss current events from a biblical worldview perspective with the goal of displaying the beauty, wisdom and blessing of a life lived in joyful obedience to Jesus. The goal is to equip you to better engage our culture with the good news of the gospel for all of life.
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In this podcast we discuss things motivational inside and outside of fitness
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Today we celebrate our 200th podcast! We discuss the power of a biblical worldview to deliver us from a "fishbowl sized Christianity" into an oceanic perspective of faith. We also highlight the remarkable power of a Christian worldview to foster personal transformation and positive spiritual change in the lives of believers. Find out more at https:…
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This week America witnessed a total eclipse. Unfortunately, what could have been a perfect opportunity to highlight the truth of our Christian worldview was hijacked by end time hysteria and prophetic prognosticators. We also witnessed a surge of interest in women's collegiate basketball as South Carolina and Iowa faced off in the national champion…
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If the spirit of Molech were to return America, a nation that had rejected God and His principles, would he once again require blood and child sacrifice? Baal's goal was to erase the law of God and to inspire lawlessness and rebellion. Ishtar's objective is to sever sex from the marriage covenant resulting in unrestrained sexuality with no thought …
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His name is Molech and he is associated with the darkest of sins, the sacrifice of children. This evil practice, which God calls an "abomination," was nearly universal in the pagan world. Children were routinely subjected to mistreatment, abuse and murder. It was not safe to be a child. Jesus and the good news of the gospel changed all of that! Chi…
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It should come as no surprise that Baal's deification of profit and pleasure would lead to Ishtar's sexualization of American culture and the public monetization of sex. As sexual expression was "liberated" from the marriage bed, it became a commodity to be bought and sold. America, a nation consecrated at its inception to advancing the gospel, has…
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The seduction of American culture has been radical! As sexual expression was severed from the biblical confines of the marriage covenant, sex became deified. Sex was the new god. Sex was pursued as an end without regard to marriage, love or relationship. Sexual immorality was now not only accepted, but treated as sacred. The results of Ashtoreth's …
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It was the apostasy and rebellion of the spirit of Baal which opened the door for the entrance of Ashtoreth and unbridled sexuality, licentiousness and depravity (Judges 10:6). It happened in ancient Israel, and it is happening in America today. We have witnessed the open rejection of biblical standards and morality, the same ethics which have prov…
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Another election cycle is coming to town which means the Left will be coming out with their new list of scare tactics to keep Christians from being politically engaged. The latest bogeyman? White Christian Nationalism. Evidently if you love God and country and you exercise your God-given rights to engage in the political process you are not a threa…
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The spirit of Baal is a spirit of apostasy. Baal's assignment was to turn God's people away from Him. He promises prosperity, fulfillment and liberation, but in the end, it results in total bondage. Scripture tells us that we become like that which we worship (Psalm 115:4,-5, 8) We'll explore this principle as it relates to the rise of artificial i…
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As America turned from God to the spirit of Baal, a transformation took place. We have witnessed the gradual paganization of America and Western Culture. Baal is an overturner. He seeks to blend, blur and break God-given distinctions. His goal is to erase the clear lines between right and wrong, life and death, the natural and the unnatural, man an…
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Baal was the god of prosperity. He was the source behind increase, profit and gain. His goal was to cause the people to worship material prosperity, to pursue wealth, to serve money, instead of worshipping God. Baal’s preeminent symbol was the bull. The bull embodied his power and his connection to fertility. The appearance of the bull in ancient I…
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How would Baal come to America? Baal was the god of apostasy. His mission Baal is to cause a nation that has known God to stop knowing Him and then to forget Him, and then to forget it ever knew Him. In America we have witnessed this firsthand. How did a nation founded for the glory of God and built upon the Law of God experience such a godless tra…
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If the gods were to return, if they were to re-enter Western civilization, how would they do it? And what gods would they be? As we've watched Americans drift farther and farther from the Christian faith and a biblical worldview, we've seen a rise in paganism and godlessness. What is responsible for this radical transformation? Today we introduce y…
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The birth of Christ initiated the violent clash of two opposing kingdoms. The good news is Jesus won! As the gospel spread throughout the earth, the old gods were driven out and the gospel of the kingdom brought blessing and freedom everywhere Christ was preached. What then became of these principalities? If these demonic spirits were to return to …
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Episode 186In the ancient world, the gods were everywhere. Wherever there were people, there were gods. While the names of the gods varied depending upon the culture and nation, behind those false deities of the pagan world were demonic spirits (Deuteronomy 32:17). If individuals can fall under the influence of demons, is it possible for entire peo…
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For most of us, the America we grew up in is utterly unrecognizable. In fact, it's not limited to America alone. It is as if a spell has been cast on Western Civilization itself and the transformation has been taking place at lightning speed. Simple truth statements, like "there are two genders" or "only women can get pregnant" are now attacked as …
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In one of his letters written during his imprisonment by the Nazi's, Bonhoeffer wondered whether we needed a "religionless Christianity." Was he advocating a Christianity without Christ or sound doctrine? Was he seeking an ecumenical movement rooted in inclusivity and tolerance as German liberal theologians promoted? Actually, he was seeking just t…
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Today we talk about the trap of moralism where Christians focus on keeping the letter of the Law but miss the heart, the essence, of what the Law intends. The German Church cooperated with Nazi authorities using Romans 13 as the justification. For them, being a Christian meant avoiding trouble at all costs, instead of serving Jesus with courage and…
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I am joined today on this special Thanksgiving podcast by my lovely wife, Marion! We begin with the first Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by George Washington highlighting the undeniably Christian roots of our founding as a nation. We read a second proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln issued in the middle of the Civil War reminding us of God'…
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Ohio voters adopted Issue 1, which creates a constitutional right to abortion. What's even more disturbing is that an estimated 20% of the voters were evangelicals, and 30% of evangelical voters voted in favor of abortion on demand throughout the entire term of pregnancy. The Bible, of course, is clear on the issue. God calls abortion an abominatio…
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The Church of Jesus Christ is called to be the conscience of the State. When the Church fails to speak for those who have no voice, we shirk our God-given responsibility, and everyone suffers from our silence. How can we speak prophetically to the most critical issues of our day - issues like the sanctity of life, marriage, sexuality, transgenderis…
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A common error among Christians today is to suppress the Truth in favor of demonstrating "love." We avoid the contentious and controversial issues of our day in the name of loving our neighbor. However, truth and love emanate from the same Source. Jesus is perfect Truth and perfect Love embodied. This is why we cannot separate them with doing damag…
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There are many pastors today who argue that the Church should focus exclusively on evangelism. "What is more valuable than a soul?" they argue. It follows that speaking about anything that might offend an unbeliever is of secondary importance and should be avoided at all costs. After all, why should a lesser issue become a stumbling block to the gr…
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Episode 177What happened to the robust, passionate faith of Luther, a faith that was willing to die if necessary for truth? According to Bonhoeffer, it had dwindled to a faith of mere intellectual assent. The faith of the German Church had been reduced to a belief in proper historical creeds and doctrinal truths. The result was a hollow, passionles…
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Episode 176Deitrich Bonhoeffer experienced first-hand the failure of the Church to address the evils of his day. He understood "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. God will not hold us guiltless.” When people fail to speak out, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fe…
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Episode 175 In response to Hitler's "cancelling" of Jewish people from full participation in German life, Deitrich Bonhoeffer helped to draft the Barmen Declaration. This document served to draw a clear line in the sand between the National Reich Church that was subservient to Hitler, and the Confessing Church which was fully submitted to Jesus Chr…
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On January 31, 1933, Adolf Hitler came to power as chancellor of Germany. What followed was nothing short of a "fundamental transformation" of German culture. Hitler acted with lightning speed to bring about a "synchronization" of German life with Nazi ideology. Crises were created and executive powers were seized to bring order. Political opponent…
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On Reformation Sunday, November 6, 1932, Dietrich Bonhoffer stood in the pulpit of the leading church in all of Germany and delivered a prophetic call for the church to return to Jesus, her first love. The fiery church of Luther was gone. In its place was a Christianity void of Christ! Bonhoeffer called it "cheap grace." If the Church did not arise…
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In his book, Letter to the American Church, Eric Metaxes asks, "How is it that so many in the American Church of our time have shrunk back from public engagement, and quietly assented to the decidedly unbiblical—and decidedly un-American and unconstitutional—view that the truth of God is not applicable beyond the churches?" We discuss the reason fo…
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The pandemic exposed a great deal of ambiguity concerning the role of the Church. Many pastors and their congregations were confused over where to find their marching orders. Do we blindly comply with the directives of unelected "health experts?" Are we called to follow the orders of the State? The parallels between the German church during the ris…
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Patriotism has fallen on hard times in America. Perhaps it's because we are more divided than ever over what it means to love our country. One side of the ideological camp focuses on all of the great things America has done throughout history. The other side seems to only focus on her faults. However, to truly love America, we must somehow see both…
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The concept of American exceptionalism is controversial largely because it is tragically misunderstood. Is America exceptional? If so, what is so special about America? What sets us apart from all of the nations of the world? Why is this understanding so critical if we hope to steward and sustain the republic we have been given?…
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How important is the character of our leaders if we hope to keep the fragile republic of ordered freedoms entrusted to us? Many today conveniently compartmentalize a leader's character from his/her competencies. One's ability to "get the job done" is really all that matters. Who cares about a leader's personal indiscretions! Our Founders saw things…
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Heroes are vitally important to the health of any nation. When Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle, David composed a funeral song and commanded that it be taught to the people of Israel. He wanted future generations to know of the heroic sacrifices of these men. Why? Because heroes inspire us. Heroic examples call forth from us a powerful desir…
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What united a loosely connected group of individual colonies into a single people with a common identity as Americans? The answer: George Whitefield and the First Great Awakening. After three decades of anointed, tireless preaching, a remarkable 80% of the population of the American colonies experienced Whitefield's ministry at least once. The impa…
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Americans are freedom loving people! Our founding Fathers did a magnificent job securing our liberty by winning the Revolution. They secured and ordered those liberties by giving us a Constitution. The real issue before us now is how do we sustain the precious freedoms we have inherited? We discuss a powerful idea called "The Golden Triangle of Fre…
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Today we begin our discussion of Eric Metaxas' best-selling book, _If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty. _In 1776 a nation was formed in a way that was absolutely unique in human history. It was something entirely new: the nation as an idea. It was nothing more and nothing less than this singular idea that held America and …
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Some have suggested that America is in her twilight. The sun is setting, and darkness is quickly encroaching. Are we doomed to a future of moral debauchery and depravity? What we are witnessing is the fruit of a godless, materialistic worldview which reduces people to biochemical machines. We are simply the products of our chemistry and environment…
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When Christians share the good news of the gospel with others, especially those from different cultures, we are often accused of being ethnocentric or imperialistic. Our modern culture chides us for thinking one culture might be doing things better than another culture. Who are we to impose our values on others! Cultures should be judged by their o…
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While we prepare to celebrate another national birthday, it's important to understand the cause for American strength and stability. Thankfully, America is not a democracy, because democracies don't last long. Our founders opted for a constitutional republic which required both the people and their rulers be constrained by the rule of law. And it w…
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Why are some nations so poor and others so rich? Do cultural beliefs and values condemn whole cultures to poverty? Does inner wealth produce material wealth? What type of worldview is necessary to inspire engineers and entrepreneurs to create labor saving devices to serve the poor and needy? What is the Protestant work ethic and how did it lead to …
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Compassionate care for the sick, the weak and the elderly has become a hallmark of America. Why is this the case? Other worldviews show little concern for the weak and infirmed. Medical knowledge alone does not create a caring, compassionate culture. It was the Bible that revealed God as “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” Jesus became …
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Four decades after the failed French Revolution, Alexis de Tocqueville, a French magistrate, came to the United States seeking explanations for the success of American democracy. He published his findings in his two-volume classic, Democracy in America. You might be shocked with his conclusion. He said the chief cause of our "extraordinary prosperi…
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Corruption is a cancer to any healthy society. It not only destroys a nation's economy, but it also destroys a people's soul. Empirical data shows that countries most influenced by the Bible are the least corrupt. Why is this true? And is there any hope for America as the headlines reveal a nation steeped in corruption, sexual perversion and a host…
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In our American culture it is fashionable to pit religion and science as mortal enemies. You can have faith or reason but you can't have both, or so we are told. But this scenario could not be farther from the actual truth. Science did not emerge in a vacuum. There must be faith in the possibility of science. Science grew in the rich soil of a bibl…
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In this episode I am joined by Seth Gruber. Seth is the CEO and Founder of the White Rose Resistance, and host of the popular podcast "Unaborted." A nationally known human rights activist and sought after speaker, Seth is fighting for a world where every person has the right to be born. Notes from Seth Gruber's keynote: click here Find out more at …
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Americans enjoy approximately 6000 different choices in the area of higher education. Globally there are over 25,000 colleges and universities. Education is something open to all and encouraged by all. So how did we reach this place? If you roll back the clock several centuries, you find a completely different landscape. There was a time when globa…
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The ideas and language of the Bible have radically shaped western civilization. This is why a knowledge of the Scriptures is absolutely essential to understand both English literature and the ideas that have shaped American culture. So why is this the case? What makes the Bible so unique when compared to the writings of other cultures and historica…
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Why is it that for many Americans the word "nationalism" has become a word of derision? What's wrong with having a love for one's country? In today's podcast we'll discuss the biblical origins of the concept of nation-states and the value of biblical nationalism. Nations are actually the invention of a sovereign God and serve as a vital barrier to …
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The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. Most Americans own a copy or two. But did you know the Bible we enjoy today is covered in the blood and sacrifice of many reformers who were willing to die for the Truth it proclaims? Why would kings and popes execute anyone who attempted to translate the Bible into the language of the people? Why wou…
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