BeachCast.TV: Bible Exploration, Apologetics and Church History with Dr. Chase A. Thompson:

Strange and fascinating topic today: Why did Satan rebel, and what was his role before he turned against God? What made him fall and be expelled from God's Heaven? Does Ezekiel 28 gives us the deepest clues in the Bible about the origin and motivations of the Devil, the enemy of God?

What are cherubim - are they angels? Do they have four wings or six wings? four faces or one face? We discuss the fascinating heavenly beings called cherubim today, and trace them from Genesis through Revelation.

Abraham was born over 4000 years ago in modern Iraq. He was a man of faith, but he frequently messed up, passing off his wife as his sister twice, and seeing her marry (or almost marry) other men. Why is Abraham important to Christians who are not native born Israelis? How was Abraham counted by God as righteous considering his multiple mess-ups?

Today we discuss the 'Roman Road to Salvation,' which is a way of presenting the good news with only six verses, and find an even more compressed way to share the gospel in Romans 3 that only has 3.5 verses. We also discuss how Jesus is the mercy seat or propitiation for our sins.

Today we discuss God's promise of a new heart and how the spiritual circumcision of the heart leads to a new creation and a new person.

Today we discuss sainthood. The Roman Catholic church requires the title 'saint' to only be given to those who have been dead 5 years, have lived a life of heroic virtue, and have somehow managed to have 2 miracles happen after they have died. This differs quite radically from what the Bible teaches in multiple ways.

Today we address claims from Oneness Pentecostals that you must speak in tongues and be baptized ONLY in the name of Jesus to be saved. Do such teachings line up with Scripture? Should people be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, or ONLY in the name of Jesus?

Jeremiah is known as the "Weeping Prophet" because his life was so difficult and almost nobody listened to his prophecies, or turned to the Lord under his teaching. He seemed to have fought depression, and at least one time wished he had never been born. He did, however, look forward into the future prophetically and saw great hope coming in the form of God's New Covenant. What is this hope all about?

In Isaiah 58, God tells His people that there is a type of religious behavior that is more harmful than helpful, but also a kind of fasting and worship that caused Him to bless us greatly. What activity can we do that invites the blessing of God?

At the trial of Jesus, the crowds shouted that the responsibility of the blood and death of Jesus should be on their heads and their children's heads. This brutal and bloodthirsty statement gives us a wonderful preview of the gospel. Also - how much is 30 pieces of silver, the betrayal price of Jesus, worth today? Was it a fortune?

Today we look at a man during Jesus time that made the biggest mistake in history, and un unsung, unfamous woman who probably invested her life and understood Jesus and His priorities better than almost everybody has ever lived.

The Parable of the Sheep and Goats is incredibly striking, as Jesus describes here how He will separate people into those who are going to Heaven and those who are going to destruction. What is the difference between the two groups?

Today we look at nine signs of the end times, according to Jesus - and discuss WHEN He might be coming, and why it is very tricky - impossible, actually - to nail down the when. (It's quite easy to know what we should be doing between now and then, however.

The Pharisees are widely known as the enemies of Jesus. What caused such trouble between Jesus and the Pharisees? Why did they hate Him, and why did Jesus teach strongly against them? Also: The dangers of Christian titles.

Why did Jesus have to die a violent death? Was this some kind of cosmic child abuse? Today we delve into the deep and most important truth of substitutionary atonement - the death of Jesus in our place. The most beautiful truth ever.

In today's passage, we see a hopeful prophecy about the future peace and prosperity of Israel. Plus: Does Isaiah 14 gives us a veiled set of clues about the origin and ultimate fate of Satan/Lucifer?

Will married people on earth be also married in Heaven? Will single people on earth be able to find a spouse in Heaven? Will marriage persist eternally? Also: What Jesus said was the most important and greatest command in the Bible.

Was Jesus gentle, as in when He rode on a donkey and blessed the little children, or was He fierce, as when He made a whip and drove people out of the temple? It turns out that Jesus was and is...BOTH!

Jesus is called "Son of David," by blind men and a foreign woman in the Bible. What does this title mean - given that Jesus' human father was named Joseph, how can He be the son of David?

Today we discuss wealth and riches. Why is it harder for rich people to be saved, according to Jesus? Was there really a needle gate in Jerusalem where the camels had to stoop down to get in?

Surprisingly, Jesus wants His followers to be great, but the way of greatness is does NOT at all line up with the Western view of greatness. Instead, humility and servanthood, says Jesus, is the ONLY way to be eternally great in the Kingdom of Heaven!

Today we discuss the dangers in spiritual practices like horoscopes, mediums and psychics, as well as the importance of turning away from the wrong things, and turning to the right things.

As most famous verse: The Virgin will conceive and bring forth a child. Did you know that this verse was originally spoken of in a military context? The importance of standing firm in the faith.

We face a seeming Bible contradiction today: Jesus tells the disciples they failed to cast an unclean spirit out because of a lack of faith in Matthew 17, but in Mark 9, He says they failed because of a lack of prayer. Does Matthew or Mark have it wrong? Actually, when we dig deeper, we see an amazing truth here, not a contradiction or error.

Two topics today. First: What does Christ mean? Was this the last name of Jesus? Second: What does it mean that we must take up our cross and lose our life to find it?

The disciples often had difficulty grasping what Jesus was saying to them - and particularly struggled with His parables, frequently asking Him for explanations. One woman, however - a pagan and foreign woman - actually immediately understood one of the most complex parables of Jesus, and gives us all a lesson in persistent and bold faith in the process.

3 topics today: #1 How did Jesus grieve when faced with His own death and the death of His relative John the Baptist? #2 Why did Jesus' disciples believe in ghosts - are ghosts real, according to the Bible? #3 The danger of staring at our trials and troubles and not staring at Jesus.

The Parable of the Sower is probably the most important parable in the Bible - mainly because Jesus seems to imply that this parable is the key to understanding the other parables. What does this parable - seemingly about gardening or farming - have to teach us about eternal life and following Jesus?

Our focus today is on prayer and intercession. Going on the example of Job interceding successfully for his sinful friends, we talk about how important intercession is, and read through some encouragements to prayer from spiritual giants.

In Job 1, a great man suffers a series of terrible tragedies, one after another. His response is incredible: He worships God wholeheartedly, even though his heart is broken. How can we go through tragedies and trials like this?

The Unforgivable sin: that there could be a sin that God will NOT forgive is quite shocking to us, and genuinely scary. There is great confusion about what the unpardonable/unforgivable sin is, but fortunately, Jesus explains it quite clearly and simply in Matthew 12, which we discuss today.

Doubt is not a topic that Christians talk about very much, but the Bible addresses it frequently, and probably in a more nuanced way than you might expect. Doubt is very common, and even some of the greatest saints in the Bible wrestled with doubts. How can we overcome doubt?

Two topics today: 1st: Should Christians bless houses and households when they enter them? (Jesus commands His disciples to do this!) Second: What does it mean that Jesus tells us that those who lose their life for His sake will have life, and those who hang onto their lives will not have life at all?

Today we discuss divine healing. Does God still heal? If He does, what role does faith play? Must I have great faith to be healed? Could my lack of faith be causing healing prayers to not be heard?

Today we see 2 pictures of great faith, and one example of a lack of faith. All of these will help us understand what faith looks like in our lives. We will also discuss the mysterious question that the demon possessed man asks Jesus.

Our focus today is on how the joy of the Lord is our strength and also the duty and privilege that pastors and parents have of teaching the Word of God.

Today we discuss two huge theological truths: God's sovereignty and providence, and have help understanding them from the Bible and an excellent illustration from pastor Tim Keller.

Two short topics today: How dangerous is hypocrisy, and why does Jesus preach so strongly against it? (Also: What is hypocrisy, exactly?) We will also discuss the scariest verse in the entire Bible, which is found in Matthew 7.

Today we discuss God's cure for anxiety- how we can walk in peace and run from worry when we are beset by difficult circumstances.

Today we are going to focus on light and grapple with a most important question: who is the light of the World? At first, Jesus is the light of the World, but then He assigns that title His followers - US. What does it mean that WE are to be the light of the world?

God led Jesus into a real desert, and the book of Luke tells us that when Jesus came out of the desert, He came out in the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes God will take you and I into a spiritual sort of desert. It can be lonely, and difficult, but today we discuss how the spiritual deserts of our life can be great for us.

John the Baptist warns the Pharisees in Matthew 3 of the dangers of trusting in their genetics - their relationship to Father Abraham - for their salvation. In "Christian" nations, many people make a similar mistake. Today our focus is on where salvation actually comes from.

For centuries, God's prophets had warned the residents of Jerusalem that judgment would come if they didn't follow God wholeheartedly - they ignored those commands, and were taken into captivity by the kingdom of Babylon. What can Christians learn about God and judgment from this event - will God judge the whole earth in the future?

A catastrophe is recorded in 2nd Kings 17 - 11 tribes of Israel are utterly defeated by the Assyrians and taken into captivity. Why did this devastating event happen to God's people, and what can we learn from this?

Two topics today: Was Jesus a refugee? If so, what does that mean for us? Also: Does God still speak to His people in dreams? How can we know a certain dream is from God, or not? What precautions should we take with dreams?

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary, who was wed to Joseph. The Catholic church further teaches that Mary remained a virgin her whole life, that Jesus' other brothers and sisters came from a prior marriage Joseph had, and that Mary lived her life without sin. Is there any biblical basis for these beliefs?

Today we hear an amusing anecdote about the time I made a face at a police officer (and rightly got pulled over!) as well as the danger of complaining about others when Jesus - the judge! - is right at the door, listening and watching.

Almost two thousand years ago, James warned Christians that they don't know the future, God alone does, so we should be careful about making long term plans - we should do so with humility and understanding of God's sovereignty. Spurgeon warned his congregation of the same truths in the 1800s, and in modern times those truths are just as needed!

Almost two thousand years ago, James warned Christians that they don't know the future, God alone does, so we should be careful about making long term plans - we should do so with humility and understanding of God's sovereignty. Spurgeon warned his congregation of the same truths in the 1800s, and in modern times those truths are just as needed!

The meaning of true biblical wisdom has become quite obscured over the years, so today we have a refresher on what the Bible teaches us about wisdom, focusing in particular on the fact that Godly wisdom is gentle and peace-loving.