The Remnant Radio's Podcast

Most of us have asked God for more power. Pastor Jon Thompson wants to know when you last asked God what you DON'T get.

Jon has spent nearly three decades on staff at Sanctus Church in Toronto. Along the way he led a functionally cessationist congregation into spiritual gifts, spiritual disciplines, and a three-year season of renewal. So when he says "God's 'no' is your best friend," it isn't a slogan. It comes from a close reading of Romans 12:3 and the "measure" God assigns to every gift.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
A lot of believers were told that if they prayed harder, fasted longer, and lived holier, more anointing would follow. And when it didn't, some burned out, while others quietly stopped asking God for anything at all. Joshua Lewis sits down with Jon, author of Convergence, to examine whether that promise was biblical in the first place.

Josh and Jon discuss:
- Why Jon reads Romans 12:3 as a guardrail for leaders, not a ceiling to break through
- Whether praying, fasting, and holiness unlock "more" anointing
- What 1 Corinthians 14:1 and 2 Timothy 1:6 mean for pursuing spiritual gifts
- The regulative vs. normative principle
- Where godly ambition comes from, and where it doesn't
- Whether spiritual gifts are residential or occasional
- Common, office, gift, and assignment authority in deliverance ministry

They don't agree on everything. Join us for a healthy discussion among Christian brothers about how to biblically operate in spiritual gifts.

0:00 – Introduction
3:07 – Convergence Book Origins
6:20 – Regulative vs Normative Principle
11:52 – Courts of Heaven Gnosticism
16:02 – Romans 12 Anointing Limits
32:12 – Godly Ambition & Sovereignty
49:01 – Guaranteed Places of Encounter
59:41 – Revival and House Rules
1:03:09 – Love, Word, Power Gifts
1:08:29 – Residential vs Occasional Gifts
1:15:13 – Office & Authority in Deliverance

ABOUT THE GUEST:
- Jon Thompson Books & Resources: https://jonthompsonresources.com/

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A generation raised on Left Behind was told to watch for a world leader who survives a fatal head wound and rises from the dead. Revelation 13 really does describe a death and a resurrection. But whose death? And when?

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Joshua Lewis and Michael Rowntree pick up part two of our 'Who is the Antichrist?' conversation and work through the beast, the wound, and what John wants the church to expect.

We Explore:
- Where the "Antichrist rises from the dead" idea comes from in Revelation 13:3, 12, and 14
- Whether the wound points to a person, an empire, or something bigger
- Why Revelation 12 and 13 may need to be read together
- Nero, the Nero myth, and the partial preterist reading of Revelation 17
- The "eighth head" and whether a final persecuting ruler is still coming
- Why Revelation 11:15 gives believers a reason for hope, not fear

BOOK:
📖The World Made Right by Michael Rowntree: https://www.michaelrowntree.com/the-world-made-right/

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- The Islamic Antichrist by Joel Richardson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7761560
- Before Jerusalem Fell by Kenneth Gentry: https://a.co/d/08slVT87
- Revelation (The Expositor's Bible Commentary) by Alan F. Johnson: https://a.co/d/07pJ7hP2

0:00 – Introduction
0:41 – Antichrist Part One Recap
2:40 – Beast's Mortal Wound
6:47 – Literal or Figurative Resurrection
7:40 – Joel Richardson's Islamic Antichrist
10:27 – Revelation 12 and 13
19:10 – Daniel 7 Beastly DNA
24:11 – Nero as Antichrist
28:17 – Revelation 17 Beast's Return
32:01 – Partial Preterism and Vespasian
37:32 – Wound, Plague, and Sword
41:37 – The Beast's Destruction

Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.

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ABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: 
The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit.

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Michael Rowntree recently posted a short addressing Deion Sanders speaking in tongues at a press conference, and pointed to Paul's instruction that tongues shouldn't be spoken in the congregation with an unbeliever present unless an interpreter is there too, so the unbeliever isn't left thinking you've lost your mind (1 Corinthians 14:23, 14:27-28). 

Comments came fast: isn't there a difference between tongues spoken publicly in a church service and a private prayer language used to build yourself up (1 Corinthians 14:4)? And what about in Acts when people are speaking in tongues with no interpreter?

Was Deion praying in a private prayer language or was he doing what Paul describes as speaking in tongues in church (in public) in front of a mix of believers and unbelievers, where the interpretation rule applies? 

Joshua Lewis, Michael Miller, and Michael Rowntree will answer the comments, working through 1 Corinthians 14 and the book of Acts. 

Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.

Support the show

ABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: 
The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit.

📧 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER
📚 COURSES & CONFERENCES
🛒 SHOP MERCH
💝 SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY:
• Leave a Tip
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After our episode on John Bevere getting the gospel wrong (https://youtu.be/FXXvRTiLNbQ) blew up in the comments, one argument kept coming back: doesn't the Bible say your obedience keeps you saved? So we called in Theocast's Jon Moffitt to answer your questions.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Joshua Lewis and Jon Moffitt go straight into the texts people cited: Romans 8, Matthew 7, Matthew 19, James 2, John 15, and Galatians 3 and 5. They give a verse-by-verse case that Christ's finished work is what saves and sustains, and that obedience is the fruit of that faith, not the fuel keeping it alive.

If you've ever read James 2 and started sweating, or wondered whether the fruitless branch in John 15 is you, this conversation answers your questions.

0:00 – Introduction
2:22 – Jon Moffitt with Theocast
4:00 – Calvinism & Reformed Theology
10:07 – Romans 8 Flesh | Spirit
34:52 – Matthew 7 Workers | Lawlessness
37:54 – Rich Young Ruler
46:54 – James 2 Faith | Works
1:06:51 – John 15 Abiding Vine
1:26:18 – Galatians New Perspective Debate
1:33:06 – Galatians 5 Fruit of the Spirit
1:50:31 – Closing Thoughts On Assurance

Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.

Support the show

ABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: 
The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit.

📧 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER
📚 COURSES & CONFERENCES
🛒 SHOP MERCH
💝 SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY:
• Leave a Tip
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Josh's Church
Miller's Church
Rowntree's Church

Everyone loves to speculate about who the Antichrist is, but the word "antichrist" never once appears in the book of Revelation. So where did our mental picture of him actually come from, and does Scripture back it up?

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Most of what we think about the Antichrist comes from pop culture, not Scripture. So what does the Bible say? Joshua Lewis interviews fellow co-host Michael Rowntree in part 3 of our Revelation series. Together, they work through 1 John, 2 Thessalonians 2, Daniel 7, and Revelation 13 to ask whether the Antichrist is one final man, a recurring category, or something in between.

0:00 – Introduction
1:31 – Singular Versus Plural Antichrist
5:18 – Pop Culture Antichrist View
10:11 – Man of Lawlessness Explained
13:00 – Daniel's Little Horn Imagery
19:09 – Defining the Antichrist Archetype
29:12 – False Teachers and Persecution
34:07 – Daniel's Four Beasts Unified
44:01 – Nero, Hitler, and Popes
49:00 – Avoiding Newspaper Exegesis
54:03 – Practical Takeaways Today
57:28 – Book Recommendation Closing

📖BOOK:
The World Made Right: Finding Confident Hope in the Book of Revelation 
https://www.michaelrowntree.com/the-world-made-right/

Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.

Support the show

ABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: 
The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit.

📧 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER
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What if the prophecy that came true wasn't from God at all? Scripture says that not only is that possible, but it's happened before. And, it's happening now. How can you tell the difference?

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Michael Rowntree tackles the question, "Can demons prophesy?" The answer matters because it changes how prophecy gets practiced, interpreted, and discerned. 

Starting with King Saul's unsettling character arc across 1 Samuel 10, 18, and 19, Michael traces how the same Hebrew word for prophesying gets applied to the Spirit of the Lord, to a harmful spirit, and to the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18.

Michael also examines whether demons can predict the future and explores why that question has to be answered carefully. Satan isn't the opposite of God, and he doesn't share God's omniscience, but Scripture and church history both describe a limited, counterfeit version of foresight that can look convincing. 

Join Michael to better understand, from Scripture and church history, whether demons can prophesy and learn how to discern the real from the counterfeit.

0:00 – Introduction
0:33 – King Saul's Demonic Spirit
2:04 – Saul's Election Prophecy
2:58 – Spirit of Lord Returns
5:02 – Prophets of Baal
5:52 – Micaiah's Lying Spirit
6:49 – Deuteronomy 13 Nuance
8:01 – Irenaeus and Marcus
9:13 – Chrysostom on Discernment
9:56 – Can Demons Predict Future?
13:17 – Demonic Prophecy Conclusion
14:22 – Testing the Spirits

RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- 1 Samuel 10, 18, 19 (ESV)
- 1 Kings 18, 22 (ESV)
- Deuteronomy 13, 18 (ESV)
- Isaiah 46:9-10 (ESV)
- Acts 16:16-18 (ESV)
- 1 Corinthians 12; 1 John 4
- Irenaeus, Against Heresies
- John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Thessalonians 5

Support the show

ABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: 
The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit.

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Everyone agrees Christians are supposed to serve. The question this episode asks is different: did we accidentally turn the pastor into a trainer instead of a minister, and is that even biblical? Who should actually be ministering?

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
Joshua Lewis, Michael Miller, and Michael Rowntree examine T. David Gordon's 1994 ETS paper (link below) that Ephesians 4:11-12 has been misread for decades. Gordon doesn't question whether ordinary Christians should serve. He questions whether the ordained minister was ever supposed to be a trainer at all, or whether that reading caught on because it fit American egalitarian, populist instincts more than it fit the text.

We're exploring Gordon's grammar, his word study, and his provocation about American church culture, and testing all three against Scripture ourselves. Does his argument hold up, or does he overreach? And if his proposition holds, what does that mean for churches built on the idea that pastors only equip the saints?

GORDON'S PAPER:
https://etsjets.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/files_JETS-PDFs_37_37-1_JETS_37-1_069-078_Gordon.pdf

Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.

Support the show

ABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: 
The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit.

📧 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER
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Rowntree's Church

How should we read the Book of Revelation? It's easy to write it off as the most confusing book in the Bible, with multiple viewpoints on how to interpret it. Joshua Lewis sits down with fellow co-host Michael Rowntree, author of the new book The World Made Right, to discuss the rules and perspective we should apply to apocalyptic literature (the genre Revelation belongs to). Michael says the moment we reach for a newspaper to decode Revelation, we've already misread it.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Michael and Josh examine why the Apostle John calls his own book "signified" in the very first verse, why Revelation interprets itself and leans on the Old Testament, and why the book was written to form the church, not just predict its future.

Michael breaks down the layers of genre at work, apocalyptic, prophetic, and a letter all at once, and why getting that right changes how you read every image in the book. They also explore recapitulation, the way Revelation circles back and re-magnifies the same events (Revelation 4, 6, 11, 16) instead of moving in a straight timeline, and discuss the four major interpretive lenses believers bring to the book: preterist, futurist, idealist, and historicist.

Join us to hear why Michael says, "Revelation is for us, but it's not about us," and how reading it with the right rules and perspective turns it into a book of hope, not fear.

0:00 – Introduction
0:56 – Reading Revelation Differently
4:31 – Symbolism vs Literalism
10:14 – Apocalyptic Genre Explained
16:15 – Prophecy Foretelling Forthtelling
20:04 – Revelation As Letter
22:34 – Why Genre Matters
33:06 – Preterist Futurist Idealist Views
37:54 – Recapitulation In Revelation
44:07 – Four Views Compared
54:55 – Tools For Interpretation
58:45 – Book Pre-Order | Available at RemCon

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The World Made Right: Finding Confident Hope in the Book of Revelation by Michael Rowntree (Zondervan, October 20, 2027 — pre-order includes bonus content, including a commentary on Daniel 7): https://www.michaelrowntree.com/preorder-bonuses/

RESOURCES MENTIONED:
The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham: https://www.amazon.com/Climax-Prophecy-Studies-Book-Revelation/dp/0567086259
The Theology of the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham: https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Book-Revelation-New-Testament/dp/0521356911
Apocalyptic by Leon Morris: https://www.amazon.com/Apocalyptic-Leon-Morris/dp/0802814557
The Fathers on the Future: A 2nd-Century Eschatology for the 21st-Century Church by Michael Svigel: https://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Future-2nd-Century-Eschatology-21st-Century/dp/1496487664

Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.

Support the show

ABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: 
The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit.

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Skillet's John and Korey Cooper just described spiritual abuse they endured at an NAR church. Unfortunately, their story shapes a pattern showing up in many churches across the country. Josh, Michael and Michael will speak with a former elder of the Cooper's church to understand what happened and learn how to better recognize spiritual abuse. 

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
John and Korey Cooper recently sat down for a long, detailed interview on Alisa Childers' YouTube channel (link to full episode below) and described what they say happened inside Korey's lifelong church. Leadership they'd trusted for decades had quietly embraced New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) theology. When the Coopers began asking direct theological questions, they say the response wasn't a proper answer. Instead, it was pressure, prophetic words used against people close to them, and warnings that leaving would cost them God's blessing.

In reviewing the Coopers' story, Joshua Lewis, Michael Miller, and Michael Rowntree will walk through what the New Apostolic Reformation actually teaches about apostolic authority, why "sound doctrine" so easily gets redefined once a leader claims that kind of role, and why asking a direct question about a church's beliefs should never be treated as rebellion. We'll look at where this movement's theology runs into what Scripture actually says about who qualifies to lead (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1:9), who the church is actually built on (Ephesians 2:20), and whether any leader, even a real apostle, is above correction (Galatians 1:8).

Join us to better understand the Coopers' story and learn how to spot spiritual abuse before it costs you.

ALISA CHILDERS' INTERVIEW:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GwayjaKqfQ

 0:00 – Introduction
 2:13 – Caleb's Background Story
 3:20 – Reacting to Cooper Interview
 9:36 – Church Structure Overview
 15:12 – VNC Course Explained
 18:23 – Apostles as Foundation Doctrine
 27:47 – Caleb's Theological Journey
 33:35 – Relational Leverage and Control
 39:24 – Darvo Text and Gaslighting
 44:07 – Right vs Wrong Loyalty
 50:41 – Isolation and Matthew 18
 58:00 – Gossip vs Slander Defined
 1:06:35 – Third-Party Investigation Findings
 1:11:24 – False Visions Red Flags
 1:16:11 – Hope and Healing After 

Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.

Support the show

ABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: 
The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit.

📧 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER
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John Bevere's "Under Cover" has sold close to half a million copies and shaped how a generation of churches views submission. In a previous episode, Joshua Lewis and Michael Miller discussed the dangers of the type of authority Bevere's book promotes (see link below). But does "Under Cover" also present a different Gospel? 

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Josh and Michael return to "Under Cover" to track how often the book confuses law and gospel, treating obedience as the source of faith and the ground of salvation instead of its fruit. They compare Bevere's own quotes against Luke 14, Matthew 7, Galatians, Hebrews 11, and James 2. 

Unfortunately, what they find is a consistent pattern: obedience is the ground of assurance instead of its fruit, and faith is treated as something you earn your way into rather than something freely given.

Join us to understand where Bevere's book veers from Scripture and how to better recognize doctrinal drift when you see it.

0:00 – Introduction
1:03 – Law and Gospel Explained
6:49 – Luke 14 Wedding Parable
17:16 – Matthew 7:21 Lord Lord
30:41 – Bevere's Sobering Vision
35:04 – God's Unconditional Acceptance
42:43 – Cain, Abel, and Faith
50:31 – Galatians and Witchcraft Curse
59:51 – Abraham's Obedience Examined
1:09:16 – James, Faith Without Works

PREVIOUS EPISODE ON JOHN BEVERE'S "UNDER COVER":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWoF5MsH9pE

Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.

Support the show

ABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: 
The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit.

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