There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
In recent years, I have pondered, more deeply than ever before, on the state of the world and Western civilisation in particular. While working full time, latterly in academia, I never really had the time or headspace to do this.
Since my retirement in 2021, that all changed. I can now examine the world I used to inhabit from a new perspective. It has been such a blessing. This piece is presented as my story since retiring. I am trying to make sense of our world that appears to have gone mad!
I will be tackling politics, economics, globalism and nationalism, the legal and justice systems, communication, healthcare, personal freedom, personal responsibility, and finally, revolution. They are all interrelated, but it seems to me that an examination of the ingredients individually will be advantageous in seeking to understand our place on God’s earth.
The Collapse of Western Civilisation
It was May 2020. Two things happened simultaneously that unsettled me. Firstly, the political response to the COVID-19 ‘outbreak’ appeared to have been orchestrated across the Western world almost to the day. The US, Canada, the UK and Australia all seemed to be singing from the same song sheet, in perfect harmony and often with identical language. I could not believe that these various governments could be so cooperative with each other, with no one pushing back and no one offering any apparent resistance.
Secondly, at that time, I wrote to my state and federal members seeking to raise concerns, but their written responses were that they were putting into action what the majority of people wanted, as indicated by their polling; consequently, they saw no reason to speak with me, repeatedly ignoring my subsequent repeated requests. Right across the western world, the countries’ opposition parties simply fell into line with the party in power, negating any challenge to their beautifully orchestrated narrative.
Here in Australia, I was particularly concerned about the action of our then Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, announcing on 13 March 2020 a ‘national cabinet’ comprising himself and state and territory leaders. The Morrison government also invoked a state of emergency, which suspended the normal democratic processes of parliament from 23 March – 11 August 2020. The enactment of this measure was permitted, by then current legislation, for a state of war or a natural disaster, and the permitted suspension of normal government was for a maximum of two weeks. However, those ‘two weeks’ extended into nearly five months!
These events struck a fatal blow to my trust in parliamentarians, democracy, and our parliamentary system. As time has gone by, my trust has diminished further as I have seen Western governments, in particular, all marching to the same drum, the agenda of the globalists, that first appeared in plain sight in the COVID era.
Prior to 2020, I was aware of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), but I had not given them much thought. In the face of the apparent collapse of Western civilisation, I began to dig deeper into the WEF and the WHO, as I sought to understand what was going on and who was calling the shots.
Whose Authority Are We Under?
We don’t talk about authority much, do we? We think of authoritarianism. We think of a dictatorial teacher we had at school. We think of a harsh, cruel parent who may have been battling their own demons, but took it out on us as the weak and vulnerable child in their world.
Our society sees authority as negative. We are not allowed to correct our children; we must somehow create respect and obedience without ever showing any signs of authority.
Considering authority in the political world, I remember when government was for the people. In other words, those in government were there to put into action the will of the people. They were accountable to the people; they were under the authority of the people. That was democracy!
But what have we seen in and since the COVID era? Western governments, in particular, have bowed the knee to the globalist agendas of the WEF and the WHO. They have ignored their people and now are under the authority of the globalists.
But what is so maddening is that the majority of people can’t see it, and still think they live in a democratic nation and that our parliamentarians still represent our views and have our best interests at heart.
A Married Couple in a Double Bed
Let me tell you a parable of a married couple in a double bed. One is fast asleep, and one has been awake for a while, but has not stirred, not wanting to wake the other.
The sleepyhead is still back in their yesterday! In a dream with all the characters of their past. It’s actually a lovely dream that they don’t really want to wake up from. The sleeping spouse is caught in a time warp, oblivious to the reality of the day.
The spouse who is awake is aware of their present reality, with the demands of the day racing through their mind. They can hear the rain lashing against the window, which does not entice them to get up too soon, as they know they have to go out in it and it’s not going to be a walk in the park. It’s going to be a battle with the elements.
I am using this parable to describe the one who is awake to the reality of the globalists, and the one who still sees their reality through yesterday’s lenses.
This divided society is madness! I believe it has stalled our momentum as a sovereign nation. Our parliamentarians now take their orders from the globalists and say yes sir, three bags full! While at the same time turning to their people and continuing to feed their dreams of yesterday. Our parliamentarians have developed split personalities, and our communities and families are divided!
What Will Our Future Political Landscape Look Like?
We can stay in yesterday’s dream, but eventually, the window will blow open as a mighty storm hits, and we are thrown into consciousness.
Or our spouse can firmly but kindly say, it’s time to get up; I have brought you coffee! The coffee certainly helps, but the cruel light of day is still a mighty shock to the dreamer.
The globalists’ future will be clear to see. Their authority will become increasingly evident. But I am sure they will want to keep as many of us asleep as possible for as long as possible.
We need to tune into the voice of the few parliamentarians who know what’s going down. Let’s give them as much support as we can. They are doing great, but they will not hold back the globalist storm clouds delivering greater and greater destruction to our civilisation and to the whole world as a whole, as there will be nothing left in the tank to support and encourage the less fortunate.
I think we have seen nothing yet. Yes, our poor are already despairing, but not until the middle class is being crippled will all hell break loose. This is all madness, but I can’t see any alternative. The madness has to break loose in the streets before everyone will wake up.
Then, let’s all band together and go out to pick up the pieces and start to rebuild. That day will be magnificent, despite the destruction and chaos all around us, as the day of the two-faced politicians will be over, and the dawn of honest nationalism will be reborn.
Meanwhile, let’s do all we can to keep these politicians as honest as possible. Let’s seek to inject as many God-fearing men and women of courage and conviction into our parliaments. Let’s listen extremely carefully to the language of those seeking election. Are they selling themselves to ungodly agendas under the guise that they must get elected, and the means justify the end?
I have spent three years reviewing the political landscape, and I advocate support for The Family First Party. Are they going to defeat the globalists in the major parties? No, not likely any time soon. But can they get parliamentarians elected to our upper houses? I believe they can. There, they can join their voice with the courageous few and take a stand, holding back the greatest excesses of the Godless stormtroopers.
Why Do We Find Ourselves in This Battle?
I am sorry to say that I believe it’s because God-fearing people have been too quick to expect the best from their politicians, and many are still enjoying yesterday’s dreams. In being nice, we have failed to take a stand. And now, over so many issues, it’s too late.
We have let go of God from the heart of our society. We have, instead, enjoyed the comforts and the consumables of the consumerist society (Esau sells his birthright).
We can’t turn the clock back, but there’s no need to despair. We know who wins in the end!
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
More than ever, we need to live by faith. We need to walk by faith, making the most of every opportunity to do good (Ephesians 5:16). Above all, let’s rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice (Philippians 4:4-8).
Pope Francis has called for global organisations “endowed with real authority” to tackle climate change.
Great idea, pontiff. We could call it — oh, I don’t know — the Beast?
The Pope — or was it John Kerry? I get them confused — called for:
“More effective world organisations, equipped with the power to provide for the global common good, the elimination of hunger and poverty and the sure defence of fundamental human rights.”
And here I was thinking fossil fuels — which guarantee cheap, plentiful energy — were the most effective tool to eliminate hunger and poverty. But sure, give the kids in Africa solar panels.
I was also thinking that a fundamental human right would be the right not to take orders from a totalitarian globalist regime. But that’s just me. I’m weird like that.
Authoritarian
The Pope continued:
“Such organisations must be endowed with real authority, in such a way as to provide for the attainment of certain essential goals.”
Francis is nothing if not an ideas man!
We could give such organisations the power to cause every man to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, without which they could not buy or sell! I’m just thinking out loud here.
The Pope added helpfully:
“In this way, there could come about a multilateralism that is not dependent on changing political conditions or the interests of a certain few, and possesses a stable efficacy.”
In other words, let’s undermine national sovereignty and, with it, democracy.
The Pope needs to adjust his papal robe so that his leftist Marxism doesn’t show quite so easily.
It is mind-boggling that the head of the church wants to empower supranational bureaucracies, the members of which are in the main openly hostile to the Christian faith, to run the planet.
Is the Pope Catholic?
Platitudes
Ensconced in the golden Vatican, Pope Francis championed wind and solar energy and lamented that “the abandonment of fossil fuels is not progressing at the necessary speed.”
Wait. Who is he trying to impress?
Left-wing progressives don’t need him, and traditional Catholics don’t trust him.
His claims are unlikely to persuade more than a handful of church deacons to buy EVs.
Pope Francis made the comments as 400 delegates arrived in Rome for a Synod, which begs the question: did they fly business or economy?
Pandering to climate activists in the hope of gaining converts is a loser’s strategy. It’s a surefire way to cull the flock.
If only the Pope had another message to preach. Hmmmm… if only. Jesus is so yesterday.
The Pope slammed “irresponsible” Western lifestyles, saying:
“Emissions per individual in the United States are about two times greater than those of individuals living in China, and about seven times greater than the average of the poorest countries.”
Um, what level of “emissions per individual” might be appropriate? I guess we’ll know just as soon as the Beast, er, the global organisation working for “the common good, tells us.
So this is where we are now. The Pope slams the West while lauding socialist philosophy. He chastises petrol-driving Westerners while cosying up to Xi Jinping, the atheist leader of the most murderous regime in world history.
Jesus would be turning in His grave, if He had stayed there.
In the realm of geopolitical events, things are almost never as they appear.
The messaging being sent by the media is no longer mere “news.” What we receive from them are carefully crafted narratives meant to advance certain agendas. The same event, in fact, can carry multiple narratives often diametrically opposed to each other because the narratives are tailored to specific audiences and loaded with explosive words and images meant to trigger emotions in those audiences depending on their prior conditioning.
And the devastating attack on Israel Friday night was no exception.
The “what” cannot be debated – hundreds of Israeli citizens were slaughtered and more than 2,000 injured in a brazen and brutal attack by Hamas terrorists. At least 50 more Israelis, including an Israeli military general, were captured and are being held hostage.
But the “why” and the “how” – as in why now and how did they get away with it – will be less understood by the average American who’s more interested in who wins the Packers’ game this Sunday or how long Taylor Swift will retain her latest boyfriend.
While few realize it, what happened in Israel on the night of Friday, October 6, is an earthquake in terms of the impact on global stability, mostly because of the timing. The events of October 6 cannot be analyzed and properly understood separate from all that has been going on over the last 18 months between the US/NATO and their vassal states and Russia/China and their vassal states. The attack on Israel (a vassal state of the US/NATO) by Hamas (a vassal state of Iran which is a vassal state of Russia/China) opens up a second front in the escalating World War III scenario being advanced by the globalists for reasons I’ve provided in previous articles, the most recent of which was posted September 25 as “The Four D’s of Digitization, Dehumanization, Destruction and Depopulation.”
Ukrainian President Zelensky has already come out with a statement in support of Israel and implying that Russia was responsible for the Hamas attack. We don’t know if that’s true but Zelensky said it so that makes it true for the faction of people who believe Ukraine’s war with Russia is just and totally defensive in nature.
The media tells us that Hamas launched a sneak attack on Israel and caught the IDF napping.
Excuse me, but there is simply no way the Israeli Defense Forces – the most technologically modern, most adept, most highly trained security force in the world – did not see this attack coming. For them to be caught off guard is inconceivable.
We’re told they were totally surprised. Even on the 50th anniversary of the last massive attack on Israel, the Yom Kippur War of October 7, 1973, they were not prepared for an attack from their arch enemy? They left their border unmanned and unprotected, and it was breached in 29 different places, including in some areas right next to an international music festival where tourists from other countries were partying literally within yards of a dangerous Gaza border? Please. I’m not buying it.
Nor is former IDF intelligence officer Efrat Fenigson buying into this narrative. Watch what she has to say in a post to the platform X.
Let this be an object lesson for all of us, in America and elsewhere.
In my book, Stealth Invasion, I referred to Muslim Brotherhood documents, including the Explanatory Memorandum, which prophesied about a “zero-hour event.” Zero hour can be any event that sets off panic and chaos among the masses, and at this point the Islamic terrorists all join hands to attack the infidel, whether that be Jews in Israel or Christians in the West. All the terror cells get activated.
Since around 1990, the United States has imported more than 3 million Muslims to America, mostly through legal channels associated with the Office of Refugee Resettlement and other avenues where Muslims can come here on religious visas, visa lottery programs and countless other visa programs. Refugees are set on a path to full citizenship within five years.
I’m not saying all of them are anti-American. But if even 10 percent of them are, we’ve got a problem very similar to Israel’s.
Sources of mine in Sterling Heights, Michigan, reported seeing fireworks coming from at site on 15 Mile Road where a mega-mosque is under construction. The mosque is not even open for business, yet the property owners used the site to express their celebratory emotions and feelings of giddiness over the news coming out of Israel.
Hundreds of miles away in Tampa, Florida, I was informed of a pro-Hamas rally, also expressing jubilation over Israelis being killed. Muslims also rallied in support of Hamas terrorists in America’s largest city, New York City.
So it would be a mistake to view what happened in Israel as something “over there.”
It can and will happen here. When it comes to America and many European countries, the hordes are not standing at the gates, they’re inside the gates, waiting for their zero-hour event.
That event happened Friday night for an Israeli people who were not prepared. They’d grown too comfortable, too prosperous, too lazy, and maybe some had just grown too tired and weary of standing on alert all the time. It can be exhausting being on watch 24/7.
Perhaps they got lulled into a false sense of security, placing too much faith in their government to save them from such attacks. When the chips are down, the government will not be there to save us. Not in Israel and not in America, Britain, Germany, Italy or France.
Just when you feel you are dwelling in safety and security, then like a thief, Satan will send his minions to attack you in the most vicious way possible.
Be aware. World War III is bulldozing its way into our reality. What happened in Israel on the night of October 6 widens the war and draws in the Muslim world. They now have a stake in the outcome of the war. Israel has a stake. Many of the evangelical Christians in the West who were against funding Ukraine’s war with Russia will now feel they have a stake in this new front being opened in the Middle East.
We should expect a third front to open soon. Perhaps a Chinese blockade of Taiwan? Serbia attacking Kosovo?
All of this will add up to global war and millions of new combatants being drafted into duty on both sides. Americans, are you prepared to offer up your sons and daughters to the military-industrial complex?
If not, then you’d better wise up and refuse to be played by the script writers in the globalist war games.
The violence is coming soon to a nation, state, city, and/or community near you.
Why? Because, at this point, both sides want it. They’ve been manipulated into mutual hatred and they’re taking the bait.
This is perhaps the best-known and best-loved verse in the Bible. It comes in the context of a conversation between Jesus and a devout Jew, Nicodemus. It is then put into action in the following chapter of John, when Jesus converses with a woman on the opposite end of the social, moral, and religious spectrum. This teaches us something important: that the good news of Christ’s coming is not limited to pious people, like Nicodemus, but breaks boundaries to extend even to the dejected and rejected, like the woman at the well.
The contrast between these two individuals is stark. Nicodemus was learned, powerful, respected, and theologically trained. The woman was uneducated, without influence, despised, and immoral. Jesus’ interactions with both, however, display that all humans need a Savior. Nicodemus’s meeting with Christ makes it clear that we can never do enough good to save ourselves. Conversely, the Samaritan woman’s experience makes clear that no one can ever do enough bad to be beyond Christ’s reach. We all live under God’s wrath and judgment until we welcome the light of Christ’s salvation—whether you’re a Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman, or somewhere in between. The whole world needs God’s Son; and God has given the whole world His Son.
Because the gospel of Jesus does not discriminate, neither should we in proclaiming it. While both Nicodemus and the woman at the well needed to hear the same good news, Jesus masterfully shared it with each of them in a personalized way. He did not engage them with the same formulaic conversation; He met them where they were. He simply asked questions that revealed their sinful hearts and God’s loving heart for them.
Just as God invites all to hear His gospel, so He invites all who are changed by this gospel to be the agents of change for others. After her conversation with Jesus, the Samaritan woman ran back to her town, telling everyone of how He knew everything she had ever done (John 4:39). The people then responded to her words and sought Jesus out. This should encourage all of us, and especially those of us who lack confidence in extending the gospel invitation to others. When God is at work, we’ll be amazed at what happens!
“For God so loved the world…” Such love has come to live in any who believe. It empowers you to do what is necessary to live as God commands. It saves you from the chains that tie you to your past—be it a past of piety and pride, like Nicodemus’s, or a past of sordid decisions and shame, like the Samaritan woman’s. It spurs you to share this gospel of Son-giving, life-bringing love with those around you. Whoever believes will have eternal life.
Questions for Thought
How is God calling meto think differently?
How is God reordering myheart’s affections— what I love?
What is God calling meto doas I go about my day today?
What can we expect to encounter in Heaven? What will we find?
In a word, everything! Everything that is most precious and dear to you and me, everything that is important to Christ-followers, is currently in heaven. Everything we need or desire will be found in heaven once we pass through its magnificent gates, either by death or by being caught up with Christ at the Rapture.
The word heaven is mentioned almost 700 times in the Bible. Thirty-three of the 39 Old Testament books talk about heaven along with 21 of the 27 books in the New Testament. The word heaven refers to something that is raised up or lofty. So the language of the Bible speaks of heaven as a place that is high, lofty, and lifted up.
Jesus does not intend for us to live in a vapory nether land, in a disembodied haze, or in a blissful but intangible state of mind. No, the Bible refers to heaven as a specific place.
Sometimes the Bible refers to heaven as a country, which implies vastness of territory. Sometimes it’s referred to as the celestial city, which brings to mind buildings, streets, residents, and activity. Sometimes heaven is referred to as a kingdom, which speaks of organization and government. In the passage I quoted from John 14:1–3, Jesus referred to heaven as “My Father’s house.”
For me, there’s something intimate, sweet, and personal about heaven when we talk about it as “My Father’s house.” It’s no longer an empty space. In my mind’s eye, I see a home. Jesus promised that if we put our trust in Him, He would prepare a place for us in our Father’s house that will serve as our heavenly home. There is nothing imaginary, hypothetical, or intangible about that.
Next, our Redeemer is in heaven. Hebrews 9:24 says, “Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
Just imagine the moment we get to heaven—and we see Jesus! Right now we don’t see Him in a visual way. But the Bible says that when Jesus returns for us, “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Think of the joy that will be ours when we get to heaven and see the One who gave His life for us so that we could spend forever with Him in paradise!
When you become a Christian, God becomes your Father and makes you an heir. That means you have an inheritance in Christ that will never be touched by inflation. It won’t be lost in an economic crash. Its value will never decline or decrease, and it is both reserved and preserved for you. Your name is on it.
Those eternal resources include the rewards we will receive from Christ. Jesus told His followers during a time of persecution, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:12).
Heaven is also precious to us because our residence is there. I’m not just talking about where we will live; I’m talking about our citizenship. When we become Christians, we become residents of heaven: “Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).
As believers in Jesus, we are not citizens of earth who are going to heaven. We are citizens of heaven who are traveling through earth. Let that reality change the way you live each day!
Heaven is also precious to us because it’s where our riches are stored: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19–21).
The only things going from earth to heaven are human souls and the Word of God. So, if you’re trying to build equity in heaven, invest your time, talents, and treasure in the Word of God and the souls of men and women who need the message of Jesus Christ.
Finally, heaven is precious because our reservation is there. The registry in heaven in which the names of all who belong to Christ are recorded is called the Lamb’s Book of Life. Is your name written in heaven? Do you have a reservation there?
Recently a collection of nearly 400 hotels, regional tourism boards, tour operators, and others in the hospitality industry sent a letter to Chuck Sams, the director of the National Parks Service, and Deb Haaland, who is U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary. The reason for that letter? Frustration with the national parks’ reservation website Recreation.gov.
For many years, tourists from all across America have seethed when trying to reserve camping sites or hotel accommodations at Yellowstone, Yosemite, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and more than 4,200 other federally managed properties. The main issue seems to be the reservation system, which only allows would-be visitors to book between thirty and sixty days prior to a visit—a window that manages to thwart people who plan ahead and those who live spontaneously.
It’s strange to think that gaining access to a national park is more difficult than gaining access to heaven, but that is the case! Faith in Jesus is all that’s required to secure your reservation for eternal salvation.
If you are reading these words and aren’t sure your reservation is secure, I urge you to pray right now. Confess your sins. Acknowledge Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Do it now. Turn your life over to His control and accept His free offer of the gift of eternal life.
Dr. David Jeremiah is the founder of Turning Point, an international ministry committed to providing Christians with sound Bible teaching through radio and television, the Internet, live events, and resource materials and books. He is the author of more than fifty books, including Forward, The Book of Signs, and Where Do We Go From Here?
10:11 Jesus is the good shepherd (see note at 6:35, 48). In the OT, God as the true shepherd is contrasted with unfaithful shepherds whom God will judge (Jr 23:1–4; Ezk 34; Zch 11:4–17). David (or the Davidic Messiah) was also depicted as a good shepherd (2Sm 5:2; Ps 78:70–72; Ezk 37:24; Mc 5:4), as was Moses (Is 63:11; cp. Ps 77:20). The reference to the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep calls to mind young David (1Sm 17:34–37).[1]
10:11 good shepherd. Jesus now returns to the illustration with which the chapter started (vv. 2–5).
lays down his life. Jesus as Shepherd does more than risk His life (cf. 1 Sam. 17:34–36), He gives His life, enduring death on behalf of sinners. This is intimated in the name “Lamb of God” declared by John the Baptist (1:29) and in other statements by Jesus Himself (2:19; 3:14; 6:51).
for the sheep. This sacrifice is for “the sheep.” It is for those whom the Father has given Him (17:2, 6, 24), the elect. It is they who through the death of Jesus Christ on their behalf will be justified and enjoy fellowship with God.[2]
10:11I am the good shepherd Jesus fulfills the messianic role of the shepherd. This role in Ezekiel is depicted as fulfilled by God; Jesus makes the claim that He (as God in flesh) is the one fulfilling it (see note on Ezek 34:23). On the “I am” saying, see note on John 6:35.
The Parable of the Good Shepherd Devotional
Jesus’ ‘I Am’ Statements Table
lays down his life Evoking imagery of the young shepherd, David, risking his life to keep his sheep safe (see 1 Sam 17:34–37). In addition to fulfilling God’s role with His people as shepherd, Jesus fulfills David’s role as their king.[3]
10:11I am the good shepherd. Another “I am” saying; see note on 6:35. In the OT, God as the true shepherd is contrasted with unfaithful shepherds who will be judged by him (Psalm 23; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 23:1–4; Ezekiel 34; Zech. 11:4–17; see note on John 10:8). But David or the Davidic Messiah is also depicted as a (good) shepherd (2 Sam. 5:2; Ps. 78:70–72; Ezek. 37:24; Mic. 5:4), as is Moses (Isa. 63:11; cf. Ps. 77:20). Jesus as God and man is the fulfillment of both of these themes. The reference to the “good shepherd” who lays down his life for the sheep calls to mind young David, who literally risked his life for his sheep (1 Sam. 17:34–37). But Jesus surpassed David in that he gave his life on the cross for his sheep. See also John 10:15.[4]
10:11 lays down His life for the sheep. This is a reference to Jesus’ substitutionary death for sinners on the cross. Cf. v. 15; 6:51; 11:50, 51; 17:19; 18:14.[5]
10:11 — “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
If Jesus willingly gave His life to save ours, how can we think He would ever keep back from us anything that would truly benefit us? He is the good shepherd, not the stingy shepherd or the tightfisted shepherd.[6]
10:11 Jesus is the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep (3:16; 1 John 3:16), as opposed to the wicked thief who takes their lives. While life in v. 10 refers to eternal life, life here refers to physical life. Jesus laid down His physical life in order to give us eternal life.[7]
10:11. This is the fourth “I am” saying in John: “I am the good shepherd [who] gives His life [psychē] for the sheep.” Giving His life refers to His approaching substitutionary death, though few if any in the crowd probably understood that at this time.[8]
10:11 Many times the Lord Jesus used the expression “I am,” one of the titles of Deity. Each time He was making a claim to equality with God the Father. Here he presented Himself as the good shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. Ordinarily, the sheep were called upon to lay down their lives for the shepherd. But the Lord Jesus died for the flock.
10:11. Jesus then developed the sheep/shepherd figure in a third way. When evening settled over the land of Palestine, danger lurked. In Bible times lions, wolves, jackals, panthers, leopards, bears, and hyenas were common in the countryside. The life of a shepherd could be dangerous as illustrated by David’s fights with at least one lion and one bear (1 Sam. 17:34–35, 37). Jacob also experienced the labor and toil of being a faithful shepherd (Gen. 31:38–40). Jesus said, I am the Good Shepherd (cf. John 10:14). In the Old Testament, God is called the Shepherd of His people (Pss. 23:1; 80:1–2; Ecc. 12:11; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 31:10). Jesus is this to His people, and He came to give His life for their benefit (cf. John 10:14, 17–18; Gal. 1:4; Eph. 5:2, 25; Heb. 9:14). He is also the “Great Shepherd” (Heb. 13:20–21) and “the Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4).[10]
10:11. This verse provides the key to our passage and another one of the famous “I Am” statements of this Gospel. The good shepherd does not just lie across the opening of the pen to frighten away dangerous predators; if necessary he lays down his life for the sheep. Unlike the “worthless” shepherd of Zechariah 11:17, the good shepherd makes the supreme sacrifice.
The word kalos (good) emphasizes genuineness, value, and truth. This verse shows us how the good shepherd differs from other shepherds. They might risk their lives for the sheep as David did in fighting off lions and bears, but they would never intentionally die for the sheep as the good shepherd will do. This passage describes substitutionary atonement for sin, the supreme sacrifice of Calvary.
As Carson observes, “The shepherd does not die for his sheep to serve as an example, throwing himself off a cliff in a grotesque and futile display while bellowing, ‘See how much I love you!’ No, the assumption is that the sheep are in mortal danger; that in their defense the shepherd loses his life; and by his death they are saved. That, and that alone, is what makes him the good shepherd” (Carson, p. 386).[11]
[1] Köstenberger, A. J. (2017). John. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1687). Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jn 10:11). Lexham Press.
[10] Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 310). Victor Books.
[11] Gangel, K. O. (2000). John (Vol. 4, p. 197). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. (Zechariah 12:8)
One of the best methods of the Lord’s defending His people is to make them strong in inward might. Men are better than walls, and faith is stronger than castles.
The Lord can take the feeblest among us and make him like David, the champion of Israel. Lord, do this with me! Infuse Thy power into me, and fill me with sacred courage that I may face the giant with sling and stone, confident in God.
The Lord can make His greatest champions far mightier than they are: David can be as God, as the angel of Jehovah. This would be a marvelous development, but it is possible, or it would not be spoken of. O Lord, work with the best of our leaders! Show us what Thou art able to do—namely, to raise Thy faithful servants to a height of grace and holiness which shall be clearly supernatural!
Lord, dwell in Thy saints, and they shall be as God; put Thy might into them, and they shall be as the living creatures who dwell in the presence of Jehovah. Fulfill this promise to Thine entire church in this our day, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5
Author James O’Donnell knew sadness. His wife Lizzie was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and then heart failure. She also was the mother of their three boys.
He said, “The thought that she might enjoy sitting at Jesus’ feet in heaven was, frankly, of little delight to either of us. I deeply and dearly loved her.”
So what was it like during the daily battle to try to save her life? Every day they were filled with joy! Nothing taught them as much about the value of life as the reality that they might not have another tomorrow here on earth. But holding onto life, amidst devastation, requires courage, love and a huge dose of God’s grace.
Friend, God promises to never leave you or forsake you, no matter where your journey takes you.
Leona Von Brethorst song “I Will Enter His Gates“, is a great song for thanksgiving because it leaves us rejoicing.
I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter His courts with praise! I will say this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
The following note is from an eleven year old who attended day camp this summer.
My commitment to God
Last week at camp, I gave my life to Jesus again. I’ve always loved Jesus, but this time it was different. This time I wanted it to be my own decision, not something my family tells me to do. I want to love others and God. In the past, I have been mean to my sisters. I want this to change. I felt really connected to God this past week, and I’m wanting to learn how to stay connected all my life. I soon want to be baptized.
Pontius Pilate washed his hands of Jesus’ case, symbolizing that he wanted nothing to do with it. I want to do the same thing, except with my sinful life. I want to wash away all my sins and be a follower of Christ.
Zion.
We are even more thankful and rejoicing because that eleven year old is our grandson.
My prayer for us this week
“Lord we shout to you with joy. We worship you our Lord with gladness; and come before you with joyful songs. We know that you Lord are God. It is you who made us, and we are yours; we are your people, the sheep of your pasture. We enter your gates with thanksgiving and your courts with praise; giving thanks to you and your name. For you, our Lord are good and your love endures forever; your faithfulness continues through all generations. Amen.” Psalm 100:1-5
We are Under Attack and Desperately Need your Help What we are experiencing now is unthinkable, unimaginable. The horror, the evil, the pain. It is more than we can bear. Parents and children, are slaughtered. Elderly people and their nurses, are slaughtered. Teenagers at an outdoor party, slaughtered. For those who are far away, who may not grasp the enormity of this horror – this is Israel’s 9/11.
“Abortion Bots”: Murderous Advice Right from Your Smartphone a recent article from The Washington Post titled, “The abortion bot will see you now.” This article highlights the release of Charley, an “abortion bot” designed “to help people find accessible health care” (“health care” being a euphemism for killing a baby). Users answer a few simple questions (e.g., “What’s your zip code?”), and “the bot points them toward vetted clinics, telehealth providers or support resources.” But note this bot isn’t just for those in states that allow abortion—the article makes sure to note Charley is being rolled out across the US, “even in states with abortion bans.”
World Reacts To Shocking Scenes From Attack On Israel, While Iran ‘Congratulates’ Palestinian Fighters This conflict will get worse before it gets better, and is sure to last weeks or possibly months. The danger of escalation with Hezbollah in the north will only grow. An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday congratulated Palestinian fighters for launching the biggest attack on Israel in years, the semi-official ISNA news site reported. “We congratulate the Palestinian fighters,” it quoted Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying. “We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.”
“Democrats Look Like Sanctuary City Hypocrites” “Real Time” host Bill Maher blasted President Biden and ultra-radical progressives for their massive policy U-turn on the southern border this week. He said border state Republicans who bused migrants to sanctuary metro areas (mainly in the Northeast) “called the Democrats’ bluff about sanctuary cities,” and the Democrats “look like sanctuary city hypocrites.”
Moms Shine Spotlight On Harms Caused By Youth Transgender Movement Moms For America, an advocacy group for family rights, hosted a virtual screening and panel discussion of the Epoch Original docudrama “Gender Transformation: The Untold Realities” on Oct. 5 at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. “I think when people see this, they will realize that this is really a billion-dollar business that’s set up to mutilate our children,”
Appeals Court Rules For Trump Amid NY Fraud Trial After a hearing on Friday, an appeals court granted a stay, or pause, on a judge’s order that former President Donald Trump’s businesses be dissolved. This was only a partial victory for President Trump, as the appeals court said the trial that began this week could continue.
Israel vows ‘mighty vengeance’ after deadliest day for 50 years Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the assault that had begun in Gaza would spread to the West Bank and Jerusalem. Bodies of Israeli civilians were strewn across the streets of Sderot in southern Israel, near Gaza, surrounded by broken glass. The bodies of a woman and a man were sprawled across the front seats of a car. “I went out, I saw loads of bodies of terrorists, civilians, cars shot up. A sea of bodies, inside Sderot along the road, other places, loads of bodies,” said Shlomi from Sderot.
Biden in televised statement: ‘Let there be no mistake, the United States stands with the State of Israel’ “Today the people of Israel are under attack orchestrated by a terrorist organization, Hamas. In this moment of tragedy, I want to say to them and to the world and to terrorists everywhere, the United States stands with Israel. We will not ever fail to have their back, we’ll make sure that they’ll have the help their citizens need and they can continue to defend themselves,”
Israel jets strike Hamas control rooms fighter jets struck two operational infrastructure sites located in mosques. The IDF reported that these sites were being used by Hamas to direct terror activities against Israel.
‘Get out of Gaza, we will hit everywhere hard,’ Netanyahu warns Gazans Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel’s military wound avenge the hundreds of citizens and soldiers murdered by Hamas in its massive invasion of southern Israel Saturday, warning residents of the Gaza Strip to flee the area. Netanyahu vowed that the IDF will in the coming days destroy Hamas’ military capabilities, noting that his entire government backed the decision. “What happened today has never happened before in Israel, and I will make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
US media displays anti-Israel bias in Gaza war coverage Almost immediately, some talking heads on TV in the U.S. began blaming the victims in this surprise attack on the Simchat Torah holiday with questions like, “How did Israel not see this coming?” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally convened a Council of War and declared “We are at war, and we will win it.”
On the first Saturday of October again: A shocking déjà vu For the second time in modern Israeli history, the enemy has launched a surprise attack on Israel when the nation was unprepared, with both instances occurring on the first Saturday of October. Just as it did exactly 50 years ago (Saturday, Oct. 6, 1973), today’s surprise attack has fallen on a significant holiday. In both cases, the enemy chose one of God’s appointed holidays for the assault; a time when people are typically at the beach or enjoying family trips in the desert.
Putin Warns That When Russia Nukes America “There Is No Chance Of Survival” And “There Will Be No Single Enemy Left” The Russians are feverishly preparing to fight a nuclear war, but our leaders continue to insist that nuclear war is not a threat because the Russians would never use their nuclear weapons against us no matter how much we may provoke them…Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin continues to make public statements about nuking America. This week, he told the entire world that there will be “no chance of survival” once he launches his nuclear missiles at us…
Twin M6.7 earthquakes hit PapuaNew Guinea Two strong earthquakes registered by the USGS as M6.7 hit the eastern New Guinea region of Papua New Guinea on October 7, 2023. The first quake struck at 08:34 UTC at a depth of 54 km (33 miles) and the second at 08:40 UTC at a depth of 74 km (46 miles). EMSC is reporting two M6.7 earthquakes at depths of 67 km (42 miles) and 57 km (35 miles).
Airlines Cancel Flights To Tel Aviv As War Erupts It’s very puzzling that the Central Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, also known as Mossad, one of the world’s most advanced intelligence agencies, had no advance warning about the biggest Hamas assault on Israel in decades.
Ukraine “Corrupt At All Levels” – Says Former EU Commission Chief Juncker Ukraine is not ready to join the EU due to its being “corrupt at all levels of society,” Jean-Claude Juncker, the former European Commission president, said in unusually blunt statements to Germany’s Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper this week.
French president seeks to enshrine abortion in country’s constitution President of France Emmanuel Macron announced his intentions to enshrine abortion rights in the country’s constitution. Macron spoke Wednesday before the Constitutional Council, where he laid out his desires for adjustments to the nation’s governing document. One point driven home during the speech was the president’s desire to add the right to abortion directly to the constitution.
Hungary PM Orbán: Brussels Is Creating An Orwellian World In Front Of Our Eyes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took to platform X to point out what he says is the “Orwellian world” the European Union is creating, including promoting war via a facility meant for peace and attempting to curtail media as a form of freedom.
Ukraine war: US gives 1.1 million rounds of ammunition seized from Iran to Kyiv The US has sent roughly 1.1 million bullets seized from Iran last year to Ukraine, its military has said. The US Central Command (Centcom), which oversees operations in the Middle East, says the rounds were confiscated from a ship bound for Yemen in December.
COVID Vaccine Mandates Begin in Red State Even though the state where it is located, Texas, is politically “red” and largely opposed to vaccine mandates, the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston has decided to mandate the newest Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) “vaccines” for students, faculty members and employees at the facility.
A claim in a news report that American weapons seized in Afghanistan have ended up in the hands of Palestinian groups operating in the Gaza Strip has taken on renewed significance after Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group, launched an attack on Israel on Saturday.
CBN’s Chris Mitchell breaks down what we know after day 2 of the Israel-Gaza War. Stay tuned to CBN News continuing coverage. CBN News. Because Truth Matters™
Democratic Socialists of America – which is backed by members of the so-called “Squad” – is holding a rally in support of the Palestinian cause on Sunday afternoon.
Democratic Socialists of America is the self-described “largest socialist organization in the United States with over 90,000 members” with a mission of “building working class power to challenge the dominance of the wealthy and the powerful in the five boroughs.”
Following the deadly surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants that took the lives of more than 600 Israeli soldiers and citizens, Democratic Socialists of America announced that it was hosting a pro-“Palestine” rally at 1 p.m. in New York City’s Times Square.
The DSA said, “In solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to resist 75 years of occupation and apartheid FREE PALESTINE!”
Democratic Socialists of America urged demonstrators to take “protest safety” seriously because “police repression is no joke.” It urged socialist protesters to not go out alone, “make sure someone knows where you are,” and to give someone “your legal info in case you’re arrested.”
— (@)
In another tweet, DSA blamed Israel for the worst single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
“DSA is steadfast in expressing our solidarity with Palestine,” the socialist organization wrote. “Today’s events are a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime — a regime that receives billions in funding from the United States.”
“End the violence. End the Occupation. Free Palestine,” the group declared.
“We unequivocally condemn the killing of all civilians. It is imperative for international human rights law to be respected,” DSA said, before condemning Israel, “But we cannot forget that the Israeli state has systematically denied Palestinians the right to self-determination for decades.”
“This was not unprovoked,” Democratic Socialists of America asserted. “For over 60 years, Palestinians have faced ethnic cleansing, torture, bombings, and housing demolitions. Gaza is still under a blockade. As socialists, we must act.”
There are six progressive U.S. House of Representatives who support Democratic Socialists of America. Members of The Squad who belong to the DSA include Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), and Greg Casar (D-Texas).
Following the unprecedented attacks on Israel by Hamas that included taking women and children as hostages and parading victims’ bodies through the street, members of The Squad issued statements ordering Israel not to retaliate. The Democratic representatives all had a nearly identical message, calling for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation.
Today is devastating for all those seeking a lasting peace and respect for human rights in Israel and Palestine. I condemn Hamas’ attack in the strongest possible terms. No child and family should ever endure this kind of violence and fear, and this violence will not solve the ongoing oppression and occupation in the region,” Ocasio-Cortez continued. An immediate ceasefire and de-escalation is urgently needed to save lives.
I condemn the horrific acts we are seeing unfold today in Israel against children, women, the elderly, and the unarmed people who are being slaughtered and taken hostage by Hamas. Such senseless violence will only repeat the back and forth cycle we’ve seen, which we cannot allow to continue. We need to call for deescalation and ceasefire. I will keep advocating for peace and justice throughout the Middle East.
I am heartbroken by the ongoing violence in Palestine and Israel, and I mourn the over 250 Israeli and 230 Palestinian lives that have been lost today, and the thousands injured, following attacks by Hamas militants on Israeli border towns and Israeli military bombardment of Gaza. I strongly condemn the targeting of civilians and I urge an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation to prevent further loss of life.
I unequivocally condemn the killings & kidnappings by Hamas, & I mourn the deaths of innocent Israeli & Palestinian civilians. We must de-escalate this before the cycle of violence worsens further – and work toward a lasting peace without terrorist attacks, occupation, & war. In the coming days, we urge for all hostages to be released and for all civilians to be protected.
These devastating attacks on Israelis are deeply alarming and my heart breaks for the victims & their loved ones. We need an immediate ceasefire & de-escalation. It is long past time to stop this cycle of violence & trauma, and work toward a just & lasting peace in the region.
At the time of publication, Tlaib had not issued a statement on the deadly Hamas invasion of Israel.
What exactly happened in Israel with an unprecedented Hamas attack? What’s happening now? What is at stake? Find out the latest now with JNS CEO Alex Traimain.
The Israeli response is already well underway. Airstrikes have been slamming the Gaza Strip, and shortly before dark, electricity was cut to the area, paving the way for ground forces to operate. A full-scale invasion is imminent.
With that said, most American politicians have shown solidarity with Israel given the abject evil being perpetrated in what some are calling the nation’s Pearl Harbor. Then there’s the so-called “squad,” which consists of House representatives Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among others.It wasn’t long before those in the group who did speak settled on a narrative. Namely, they want an “immediate ceasefire.” These devastating attacks on Israelis are deeply alarming and my heart breaks […]
Read the Whole Article From the Source: redstate.com
An initial State Department statement posted online, warning against retaliating for Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel, was quickly deleted, but it was not lost on critics like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley tore into the Biden administration’s defense of the $6 billion Iranian assets it unfroze during a prisoner swap last month.
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