The Gospel frees us to live in a brand new way—you are not stuck living the way you always have … you are a new creation! This is certainly true with the two defining characteristics of a believer’s life: love and humility. We have been freed from a prideful self-focused love to experience and showcase the love and life of Christ Jesus. In this message, Nathan Johnson examines love and humility as the two chief attributes of a Christian and how the grand and glorious gospel has set us free to live this new incredible life we call Christianity.

This is the twentieth installment in Eric’s series entitled Spiritual Lessons from the Time of Nero, he explores the surprisingly good news for Christians that is found in the Book of Revelation. It’s easy to focus on the doom of Revelation and dread the idea of going through “tribulation”. But this extraordinary final book of the Bible was not designed to depress the saints of God, but to exhilarate us. When we as the followers of Christ put on our Nikes, the world will be turned upside down. After all, God built us not to lose, but to win.

This is the nineteenth episode of Eric’s series entitled Spiritual Lessons from the Time of Nero. In this episode he dives into yet another complex mystery, but one that, when solved, should lead us to have great big smiles on our faces.  In Revelation 5:5 we learn that the sealed book (that no one in heaven or on earth can open) can now (as of the work of the Cross) officially be opened up. Most of us don’t get as excited as we should in hearing this bit of information. But, the fact remains (even if we don’t comprehend the significance) that The Lion of the Tribe of Judah has prevailed and the sealed Book can now be opened. 

Too many Christians see holiness merely as a legalistic list of dos and don’ts, but holiness in Scripture is always a positive thing. It is a key attribute of our God and He calls us to be holy because He is holy. In this study, Nathan Johnson explores the beauty of holiness and how we can live holy amidst an unholy world.

This is the eighteenth installment in Eric’s series entitled Spiritual Lessons from the Time of Nero. In this episode he explores the bizarre cultural setting of Rome in 64 AD. Rome’s cultural system centered around The Games, known as the Ludi (or Ludi Circus). The Ludi Circus was a gargantuan spectacle—the ancient equivalent of Hollywood, NASCAR, MLB, The NFL, The NHL, and The NBA all wrapped into one big thing. In the midst of such a strange and frenzied culture of spectacle, Jesus did His Cross-Work and Christianity exploded onto the scene, creating of stunning spectacle of its own. Now, let the real Games begin! 

This is the seventeenth installment in Eric’s series entitled Spiritual Lessons from the Time of Nero. In this episode he addresses the perplexing matter of time indicators associated with the prophecies of the New Testament. When the Scriptures say, “The time is near, He is coming quickly,” or “This will take place in this generation”—should we actually take that time declaration seriously, or are the Scriptures speaking in some sort of enigmatic heavenly symbolic language towards the concept of time? Many Christians today have jokingly concluded that when Jesus says “soon” He actually means “in two thousand or so years from now.” How should we appropriate this things? Because our expectations (and therefore, our faith) remain restless until we better understand God’s communication on time.  

As a believer, after you repent and put your faith in the Gospel, God changes your position from being in the kingdom of darkness and transfers you into the Kingdom of Christ. This new position and identity IN Jesus changes everything! In this study, Nathan Johnson explores the twofold reality of our position as Christians, discusses the manifold blessings of being IN Christ, and explains how we get into and remain IN Christ.

There are many blessings and benefits of the Gospel in our lives. As we begin our investigation of a few of them, Nathan Johnson focuses on the topic of adoption. Far more than the modern concept of adoption, this beautiful concept showcases the glory of what Christ purchased in our lives and our new sonship (adopted position) in the family of God. And it is this amazing reality that gives us great assurance of our salvation.

This is the sixteenth installment in Eric’s series entitled Spiritual Lessons from the Time of Nero. In this episode he asks his listeners to take off their doom and gloom glasses and put on their rose-colored ones. Strangely, for many people, the Book of Revelation is an oppressive, anxiety-inducing piece of God-ordained literature. But, ironically, the book’s purpose is totally opposite that. Its primary purpose is to reveal Jesus Christ. And many people miss the innate beauty hidden in this Divine Masterpiece because they first try to solve the book instead, of first trying to see Jesus in the book. .

This is the fifteenth installment in Eric’s series entitled Spiritual Lessons from the Time of Nero. In this episode he labors to parallel today’s modern church with a child “on the spectrum.” Strangely, it is much easier to give grace, patience, and understanding to someone known to be injured, malnourished, and/or otherwise neglected in their development, than it is to someone deemed privileged. And that is why it is important to note that much of the Church today has been stunted in their development and is showing serious signs of social backwardness because of that stunting. The majority of Christians in the West are used to an undernourished diet of unhealthy filler food and have not gained an appetite for real spiritual substance. If we can understand this “spiritual stunting” that surrounds us, it ought to make it easier to show grace and patience to the strange “spectrum” behaviors we are presently encountering in the Church.