Amateur Christian Podcast

12/05/2024

Before you wind up taking your kids to the mall Santa, Heres a quick Santa check.

Now, I know the real Santa doesn't actually work in the malls taking pictures, but just in case here's a simple question that will help you be sure. 😉👉

12/02/2024

Good morning. We have started a Facebook Group to act as a place to build a community of discussion and encouragement. There will be exclusive content hosted there beyond the podcast, like FB lives, blogs, videos, book studies; as well as the opportunity to interact in real time with the podcast hosts as well as others who have the same heart and passion for theology, church history, practices of faith and scripture. Keeping with the concept of being an "Amateur" venture, there are no subscriptions or money involved with participation. If you're interested in joining the Amateur Christian Community, just hit us up.

11/27/2024

Blessing in God's chastisement.

I'm on a religious calendar. The whole year is filled with season of feasts and fasts, and days commemorated to stories of saints and scriptures. Right now is the front end of the fast of the Nativity or Advent in spiritual preparation for Christmas. Today, November 26th is the reading of Luke 1 and the account of St John the baptist's parents Elizabeth and Zachariah.

When the angle Gabriel prophesied to to Zachariah about the miracle God was going to do by finally providing He and his wife a child, he doubted. Gabriel then chastised him and revealed that he wouldn't be able to speak until the child was born.

I never considered today the grace in this. Zachariah stumbled and recieved consequences for his doubt. But the consequence also doubled as a grace. It was a sign of the trustworthiness of God. His silence would be removed at the birth of John the forerunner and Zachariah would know that things Gabriel told him about his son would be true. Zachariah would know that the silence of God in the time between the prophets of old and the coming of the Lord is broken. This was the first signs of the universe in labor, the rays of light in the early morning beginning to break the tyranny of night.

In the time of fasting and quiet before Christmas. We anticipate with literal baited breath the incarnation and salvation that comes from Jesus Christ's arrival in history past and in our hearts today and tomorrow.

That's the God I know. He does not punish just to punish. He does not abuse his children for insolence. Even in his harshest correction he gives us the deepest and most beautiful of graces. If we can accept them, we will see the signs of victory, of love, salvation, trustworthiness. If that's you or I, suffering a moment of rebuke, trial, or loss in life and you're struggling to how God can possibly act. Let that silence be as fruitful as Zachariah's. Let it be the means by which you see the coming promise and victory. Let it be the means by which you behold Christ's imminence.

With love, Kickstand.

11/25/2024

Wow. Been a while. Expect the Amateur Christian Podcast to be more active. Some inspiration in the works. More to come later this week. I want to get back to sharing the treasures of Christendom and contemplating the Joy of salvation with everyone.

~Kickstand

06/08/2024

Check out Devin's recent interview on the Beauty in the Broken Podcast. Where they dig into Devin's journey from Christian leadership to questioning God's existence, to his journey back to faith.

Quickly and easily listen to Beauty in the Broken for free!

05/05/2024

Our Brothers and Sisters in the East just celebrated Pascha (Easter).

If you ever have the chance to go observe the celebration of the Resurrection at Pascha in an Orthodox Christian church. I highly recommend it. If you have the stamina, it's an amazing experience.

CHRIST IS RISEN!!!!!

04/18/2024

Lent finished with Easter for most church's, and for the east will go for about another 2 and a half weeks. At this time of year I often hear remarks from people who say they don't really "get" fasting. Yeah sure there are physiological benefits, but that's no different than a basic diet that any positive altering to your food consumption can provide and has no bearing on your relationship with God other than how good you might feel while doing it. And the same effects will be had by anybody who does a diet regardless of spiritual practice they may or may not have.

Sometimes Christian leaders and preachers will make it sound like if you fast you will have some kind of special revelation/vision/or connection with God. They may say that while fasting the power of your prayers will exponentially increase or things you desire will be granted, or your spirit grows in strength at the same ratio your body weakens.

Plainly put that kind of thinking is a kind of magic. A way to impose your desire for power on God with a sacrifice and impel him to grant your wishes or grant you spiritual power. That's no different the thinking that is present in witchcraft or pagan religions.

Fasting should be practiced alongside your church body, family, friends and alone, as a time of reflection, of mourning sin, seeking repentance, hungering for the good things of God. There may be, deep or wondrous spiritual things that happen during fasting, there may be deep growth in ones spiritual life during fasts or the Lenten season. But God isn't compelled by your fasting to do anything, or to heed your requests like a servant obeys his master. This is a time of looking forward to his ultimate grace and mercy. His defeat over death and plan of salvation, and in preparation of the celebration of that event, we prepare ourselves for that day by doing a deep check up on our life, our walk, our relationship with God, our commitment to righteousness, our actions, our treatment of others. We repent and worship and serve. We We curb our appetites to create hunger for the feast he brings. This the heart of fasting. Not to start a trendy physical diet and feel fit (happy benefit but not the goal) or to do some kind of Gnostic diet and build up spiritual power. It's just to grow closer to God and embody a spirit and lifestyle that is good soil for the gospel to take root and flourish within us.

The next time you think of fasting or your church has a season of fasting, consider this and stir your heart into a season of reflection, repentance and joyous hope. The best seasoning for any food is hunger.

02/14/2024

Today in the West, the 2024 liturgical calendar sees St. Valentine's day and Ash Wednesday arrive together.

St. Valentine was a Martyr in the church in the early centuries. There are lots of legend and tradition regarding him, but little facts other than he was a Martyr for Christ. Due to some of the traditional stories that surrounded his martyrdom he is held as the patron saint of lovers. February 14th is the anniversary of his death and the day the church celebrates him

Ash Wednesday, a floating day year to year on the calendar, is the day Lent begins. Lent is a 40 day fast before Easter where the faithful fast and meditate solemnly and in repentance in preparation for the feast celebrating Christ's victory over the Grave. On Ash Wednesday to begin the fast Christians in western liturgical traditions attend church and the priest smears ash in a cross on their forehead. This symbolises repentance and humility.

I was thinking this morning, about how these two liturgical signposts may compliment each other quite well. As husband's and wife's (lovers) we are called to submit to one another. Paul exhorts Husband's to give up their lives as Christ gave up his love for the church. Both fasting and marriage are sorts of Martyrdom where desires of the flesh are conquered and brought into submission to God's plan of salvation and life to the fullest.

This year, if you are reading this and intrigued by the thought of fasting through the Lenten season... Perhaps take St. Valentine's Saintly presence on this day as a cue to fast in a way that builds up your marriage or prepares you for marriage. Forego selfishness for generosity to your spouse, be present at home, take household duties onto yourself, fast from anger or impatience, give yourself to your spouse in romance and practical demonstrations of care, repent and seek forgiveness and forgive your spouse when their is offence between you. Guard and keep Holy the love and the person God has blessed you with, not just today on St. Valentine's as is customary in our culture... But make extra effort to that end for the next 40 days.

02/13/2024

02/04/2024

Luke 2:22-39

This weekend was the feast of Entrance at the temple. A cool example of how church calendars work.

In Luke 2, St. Mary and St. Joseph bring Jesus to the temple 40 days after his birth. Yesterday, the day of the feast, is forty days after Christmas. Celebrating and remembering these things progressively through the year is a great reminder that the big holy days, like Christmas and Easter, don't exist alone but in relationship to the whole Gospel that is continuously kept before our eyes and hearts in remembrance AND participation. Like St Simeon and St. Anna, we get to participate with them in beholding Christ, the light, revelation, and glory. Like Simeon we have beheld him and can depart in peace. Like Anna we can preach of the news that he will has come and will restore his kingdom. Like Joseph and Mary, we can approach the temple and alter and be reminded of the prophecies of the old testament that are fulfilled in Jesus and encouraged by them.

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[29] “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; [30] for my eyes have seen your salvation [31] that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, [32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

12/27/2023

My most merciful and all-merciful God, O Lord Jesus Christ: in thy great love, thou didst come down and take flesh in order to save all. And so I pray to thee, O Savior: save me by grace.

If thou shouldst save me because of my deeds, this would not be a gift but merely a duty. Truly, thou aboundest in compassion and art inexpressibly merciful; for thou hast said, O my Christ: 'He who believes in me shall live and never see death.'

If faith in thee saves the desperate, behold: I beleive.

Save me, for thou art my God and my Creator. May faith be accounted to me in place of deeds, for thou shalt find no deeds to justify me. May my faith suffice me for everything: may answer for me; justify me; may it make me an eternal partaker of thine eternal glory.

Do not let Satan seize me and boast that he has torn me from thy hand and fold; but rather, Christ my Savior, save me, save me whether I want it or not. Come quickly, hurry, for I am perishing: for thou art my God from my mother's womb.

I Lord, grant now that I may love thee as I once loved sin, and that I may labor for thee without laziness just as I once labored for Satan the deciever. All the more shall I labour for thee, my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, all the days of my life, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

~ Orthodox prayer book: Ninth prayer 'To our Lord Jesus Christ'

12/23/2023

Merry Christmas, Rejoice! There's no episode this week. But here's a reading from a kind of hymnal poetry for your Christmas Eve.