Dewey Bertolini's Podcast

The lovely little land of Israel. There is on this planet nothing that rivals Israel for its beauty, mystery, and meaning. Think of Israel as the “stage” on which the biblical drama is lived. We cannot begin to understand that drama until we know something of that stage. That’s what this podcast is all about. We are about to turn a corner in our study of Jesus in HD, and discover in some detail the wonder of Jesus’ adult life, ministry, teaching, and miracles. Consequently, this brief overview of the Land is coming at just the right time! You will be amazed at how familiar stories in the Gospels will now move from two dimensions into a full 3D. And how this knowledge of the Land will put your life experience -- right now, right here, in real time -- into its proper perspective. My thanks to Dr. James Fleming of Biblical Resources for his many insights that contributed to this podcast. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

Be honest with me now... Have you, or anyone you know, ever been besieged by doubts? Have you ever silently wondered to yourself something like this: Is this Christian thing for real? Can I really truly trust the Bible? Is Jesus the real deal?  If so, I have good news for you. You are not alone. Wait until you see who went through his own crisis of faith. You may be in for a huge and shocking surprise.  AND you may be especially surprised at what Jesus thought of him. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

...is another man’s treasure. Or should I say, One man’s trash is Almighty God’s Treasure? Or is it both? You’ve certainly heard of him: Mark, the author of the 2nd Gospel commonly referred to as The Gospel According to Mark. Would you believe me if I told you that Mark’s personal story goes right to the heart of the heart of God? That Mark’s story reveals to us the one attribute of God’s character that I, for one, find to be utterly irresistible? Let me further clue you in on this: Mark’s story graphically illustrates the absolute best and worst in a certain individual, the identity of whom will definitely surprise you. Indeed, through Mark’s story we will witness the growth of one individual and the redemption of another.  And for good measure, Mark’ story addresses an issue that for many, many Christians often causes a crisis of personal faith. One that we’ll address in this podcast. So needless to say, there is a lot going on here, all wrapped up in a nice but not-so-neat package known to us simpl

Thirty years in about 30 minutes or so. That was the goal. We didn’t quite hit it. But we did cover thirty years in about 45 minutes. Which is to say, we know very, very little about Jesus’ childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. All of which spans a grand total of thirty years. Which makes what we do know that much more significant. There are basically two, and only two, incidents in the first thirty years of Jesus’ life that are highlighted by the Gospel writers -- 1 by Matthew, 1 by Luke. One dreadfully frightful, the other in some ways comical, heart-warming, and yet sobering. One of which we looked at last week -- Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fleeing to Egypt in the wake of Herod’s Holocaust -- that from Matthew. This week we’ll look at the second incident -- this one no less significant. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

Mothers, think back to what it was like when you gave birth to your firstborn child – the fears, the insecurities, the feelings of inadequacy. Now imagine that when you did give birth, it was not in the clinical cleanliness of a hospital room or birthing center. Imagine you were in a cave, dark and alone, unsanitary to the extreme, no nurse, doctor, or midwife to help you, and you are all of 13 or 15 years old, in what was essentially a foreign country, away from your family, with only your fiancé to help you. Add to all of that the political climate of the world Mary was living in – a world of crushing oppression fueled by a brutal and barbaric military occupation. Furthermore, if we discover nothing else from the birth narratives in both Matthew and Luke, we at least learn this: There are some people in this world who are without a doubt the very incarnation of evil. Such was the power of Rome, and so was the person of Herod. From this point on in all four Gospels, every miracle that Jesus performs, e

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:34-35). The virgin birth. A dual miracle. An unprecedented, never-seen-before-or-since, one-time, life-altering, history-changing event.  How did it happen? What kind of a man would this virgin born baby boy grow up to be? What does the Virgin Birth means to your life and mine.  Discover the answers to these questions, and so many more... PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified” (Luke 2:8-9). Do you see what is so singularly significant about that statement? You will after you hear this podcast. Trust me, you may never hear nor read the Christmas story in quite the same way again. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

How much thought do you put into the gifts that you give at Christmas? I have no doubt that the Wise Men put a considerable amount of thought into theirs. The three gifts that these mysterious visitors from the East presented to Jesus -- Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh -- tell a remarkably riveting story. Indeed, the single most compelling story that has ever been told. That story, so beautifully symbolized and so clearly communicated, in a curious combination of three unusual-yet-fascinating gifts. Spoiler Alert: After hearing this message, you may never look upon a manger scene the same way again. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

His eyes blazed with the fire of conviction. His voice thundered as he peered out from behind his uncut hair and unkempt beard. He wore a camel’s-hair garment bound with a leather belt. He ate a strangely strict diet of honey and grasshoppers, of all things. Yet when he spoke, the people trembled. Why? Who was this strange specter that haunted the barren sands of the Judean desert? Where did he come from?  What was it about him that caused Jesus to pay him the highest of all possible compliments -- “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptizer” (Matthew 11:11)? You are about to meet one of the most remarkable people ever to walk across the biblical stage in this epic drama we call “Jesus in HD.” PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

“Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers” (Matthew 1:2). This seemingly boring and benign statement shockingly reveals in stunning detail the sizable heart of Jesus, and what should be the heart of every one of His followers -- including you and me. How can that be true? Over the years, I have discovered -- much to my delight -- that many of the Bible’s most stunning insights, some of its most tantalizingly life-transforming truths can be found in the most unlikely of places. Case in point: Jesus’ genealogy. There are buried within its laundry list of strange-sounding names jewels to be harvested, gems to excavate, rare and precious stones to uncover. In just about 45 minutes or so, you might just discover -- to your own delight -- that your view of God will never be the same. AND for no extra charge, you'll also discover God's view of you. (Here's a hint: It's pretty cool!) All of this -- if you can believe it -- from Jesus' genealogy. PLEASE NOTE: With some browser

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).   Believe it or not, those 17 simple words comprise one of the landmark, foundational verses upon which our faith, and therefore our lives, rests. Yet, when I read them aloud, there are no bugles blaring, no angelic choirs singing, no lightning flashing, nor thunder pealing. My reading of these words never elicits from anyone any audible ooohs or aaahs.    Maybe, just maybe that’s because on the surface at least, these 17 words sound for foreign, so unlike the way we talk, so hard to relate to. "In the beginning was the Word"? As someone said to me just recently, "My mind has always just sort of glazed over that verse." I can see why.   That being said, it would be impossible for me -- impossible for me -- to overstate the importance of this opening verse that introduces to us the Gospel According to John.   Listen to this podcast, and you will quickly understand why.   PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up

While on its surface, Luke 1:1-4 may not seem like a remarkable introduction to this "greatest story ever told," I can assure you that Luke's little lead-in contains several nuggets of pure gold. You are in for some surprises as we formally kick-off our chronological study of the life of Jesus. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

Welcome to this introductory lesson that launches this brand new series: Jesus in High Definition. By harmonizing the four Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John -- we will study the life of Christ in chronological order, from the first utterances of the angels heralding His birth, to His crucifixion and resurrection. It is our sincere hope and expectation that as we immerse ourselves in Jesus' life and ministry, we will fall more deeply in love with Him, and become more and more like Him. In this first lesson, we will provide you with an overview of the entire Bible -- think of it as looking at the boxtop of a puzzle -- so that we will understand exactly where the individual "pieces" of the Gospels fall within the grand sweep of the biblical drama. Sit back, relax, and enjoy our study of Jesus in HD. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.