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
We must earnestly pray for the pardon and forgiveness of all our sins.
Lord, I come to you, as the poor tax collector that stood far off and would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast; and I pray his prayer, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Luke 18:13(ESV) The God of infinite mercy be merciful to me!
O wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Psalm 51:2-3(ESV) O purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow; Psalm 51:7(ESV) hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Psalm 51:9(ESV)
Let me be justified by your grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Jesus, Romans 3:24(ESV) from everything from which I could not be justified by the law of Moses. Acts 13:39(ESV)
Blot out my transgressions like a cloud and my sins like mist; for I return to you, because you have redeemed me. Isaiah 44:22(ESV)
Enter not into judgment with your servant, O Lord, for no one living is righteous before you. Psalm 143:2(ESV)
Take away all iniquity, accept what is good, heal my apostasy, and love me freely; let your anger be turned away from me, for in you the orphan finds mercy. Hosea 14:2-4(ESV)
Though my sins have been like scarlet, let them be as white as snow; and though they have been red like crimson, let them be like wool; that being willing and obedient, I may eat the good of the land. Isaiah 1:18-19(ESV)
I will say to God, “Do not condemn me, Job 10:2(ESV) but deliver me from going down into the pit, for you have found the ransom.” Job 33:24(ESV)
God elects individuals to salvation not on the basis of anything they do or will do, but that His saving purpose may be exalted. In this sermon, R.C. Sproul demonstrates the biblical doctrine of unconditional election.
Just as man’s part in salvation is to come humbly, it is also to come in faith. Although finite minds cannot fully comprehend the truth, divine grace and human faith are inseparable in salvation. God sovereignly provides salvation, which includes the fact that man must give himself to the Lord Jesus Christ in commitment before it becomes effective. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me,” and then immediately added, “and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). Salvation is not through a creed, a church, a ritual, a pastor, a priest, or any other such human means—but through Jesus Christ, who said, Come to Me. To come is to believe to the point of submitting to His lordship. “I am the bread of life,” Jesus declared; “he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Comes and believes are parallel just as are hunger and thirst. Coming to Christ is believing in Him, which results in no longer hungering and thirsting. Other biblical synonyms for believing in Christ include confessing Him, receiving Him, eating and drinking Him, and hearing Him. Peter declared, “Of Him [Jesus Christ] all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43). And the Lord Himself said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14–16).
REPENTANCE AND REST
all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (11:28b)
All who are indicates a condition that already exists. Those whom Jesus invites to Himself are those who already are weary and heavy-laden. Although this aspect of Jesus’ invitation is mentioned after faith (“Come to Me”), chronologically it precedes faith, referring to the repentance that drives the humble, seeking person to Christ for salvation. Kopiaō (to grow weary, or “to labor”) carries the idea of working to the point of utter exhaustion. John uses the term to describe Jesus’ fatigue when He and the disciples reached Sychar after a long, hot journey from Jerusalem (John 4:6). Weary translates a present active participle and refers figuratively to arduous toil in seeking to please God and know the way of salvation. Jesus calls to Himself everyone who is exhausted from trying to find and please God in his own resources. Jesus invites the person who is wearied from his vain search for truth through human wisdom, who is exhausted from trying to earn salvation, and who has despaired of achieving God’s standard of righteousness by his own efforts. Heavy-laden translates a perfect passive participle, indicating that at some time in the past a great load was dumped on the wearied person. Whereas weary refers to the internal exhaustion caused by seeking divine truth through human wisdom, heavy-laden suggests the external burdens caused by the futile efforts of works righteousness. In Jesus’ day, the rabbinical teachings had become so massive, demanding, and all-encompassing that they prescribed standards and formulas for virtually every human activity. It was all but impossible even to learn all the traditions, and was completely impossible to keep them all. Jesus spoke of the heavy loads of religious tradition that the scribes and Pharisees laid on the people’s shoulders (Matt. 23:4); and at the Jerusalem Council, Peter noted that the Judaizers were trying to saddle Christianity with the same man-made “yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear” (Acts 15:10). Although the term itself is not used in the text, Jesus gives a call to repent, to turn away from the self-centered and works-centered life and come to Him. The person who is weary and heavy-laden despairs of his own ability to please God. He comes to the end of his own resources and turns to Christ. Desperation is a part of true salvation, because a person does not come to Christ as long as he has confidence in himself. To repent is to make a 180-degree turn from the burden of the old life to the restfulness of the new Repentance was the theme of John the Baptist’s preaching (Matt. 3:2) and the starting point of the preaching of Jesus (4:17), Peter (Acts 2:38; 3:19; cf. 5:31), and Paul (17:30; 20:21; cf. 2 Tim. 2:25). The person who humbly receives God’s revelation of Himself and His way of salvation, who turns from the unbearable burden of his sin and self-effort, and who comes to Christ empty-handed is the only person God will save. Anapauō (to give … rest) means to refresh or revive, as from labor or a long journey. Jesus promises spiritual rest to everyone who comes to Him in repentance and humble faith. God’s rest is a common Old Testament theme. The Lord warned Israel, “Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness; when your fathers tested Me, they tried Me, though they had seen My work.… Therefore I swore in My anger, truly they shall not enter into My rest” (Ps. 95:7–9, 11). After quoting that passage, the writer of Hebrews warns those who make a pretense of faith in Christ but have not really trusted Him: “Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God” (Heb. 3:12). To intellectually acknowledge Christ’s deity and lordship is a dangerous thing if it does not lead to true faith, because it gives a person the false confidence of belonging to Christ. In the time of the early church many Jews were attracted to the gospel and outwardly identified themselves with the church. But for fear of being unsynagogued, ostracized from the worship and ceremonies of Judaism, some of them did not truly receive Christ as saving Lord. They went part way to Him but stopped before full commitment. “As a result” of such superficial allegiance, John says, “many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore” (John 6:66). Consequently they would not enter God’s rest, that is, His salvation, because they still possessed “an evil, unbelieving heart” (Heb. 3:11–12). Just as those Israelites who rebelled against Moses in the wilderness were denied entrance into the Promised Land because of unbelief, so those who refuse to fully trust in Christ are denied entrance into God’s kingdom rest of salvation for the same reason (v. 19). “Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, ‘As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest’ ” (4:1–3). The dictionary gives several definitions of rest that remarkably parallel the spiritual rest God offers those who trust in His Son. First, the dictionary describes rest as cessation from action, motion, labor, or exertion. In a similar way, to enter God’s rest is to cease from all efforts at self-help in trying to earn salvation. Second, rest is described as freedom from that which wearies or disturbs. Again we see the spiritual parallel of God’s giving His children freedom from the cares and burdens that rob them of peace and joy. Third, the dictionary defines rest as something that is fixed and settled. Similarly, to be in God’s rest is to have the wonderful assurance that our eternal destiny is secure in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is to be freed from the uncertainties of running from philosophy to philosophy, from religion to religion, from guru to guru, hoping somehow and somewhere to discover truth, peace, happiness, and eternal life. Fourth, rest is defined as being confident and trustful. When we enter God’s rest we are given the assurance that “He who began a good work in [us] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Finally, the dictionary describes rest as leaning, reposing, or depending on. As children of God, we can depend with utter certainty that our heavenly Father will “supply all [our] needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985–1989). Matthew (Vol. 2, pp. 274–276). Moody Press.
When called to serve or to suffer, we take stock of our strength, and we find it to be less than we thought and less than we need. But let not our heart sink within us while we have such a word as this to fall back upon, for it guarantees us all that we can possibly need. God has strength omnipotent; that strength He can communicate to us; and His promise is that He will do so. He will be the food of our souls and the health of our hearts; and thus He will give us strength. There is no telling how much power God can put into a man. When divine strength comes, human weakness is no more a hindrance.
Do we not remember seasons of labor and trial in which we received such special strength that we wondered at ourselves? In the midst of danger we were calm, under bereavement we were resigned, in slander we were self-contained, and in sickness we were patient. The fact is that God gives unexpected strength when unusual trials come upon us, We rise out of our feeble selves. Cowards play the man, foolish ones have wisdom given them, and the silent receive in the self-same hour what they shall speak, My own weakness makes me shrink, but God’s promise makes me brave. Lord, strengthen me “according to thy word.”
Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” (11:20–27)
When word reached Martha that Jesus was coming into the village she went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. The actions of the two sisters are in keeping with the picture of them in Luke 10:38–42. Martha was the bustling, active one (“distracted with all her preparations”; Luke 10:40), Mary was the quiet, contemplative one (“seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word”; v. 39). According to Jewish custom, those who suffered the loss of a loved one remained seated while the other mourners consoled them. But Martha, in keeping with her forceful personality, left her house and went to meet Jesus as He approached. When Martha reached Him, the disturbing thought that had been uppermost in her mind (and her sister’s; v. 32) for the last few days came pouring out: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Although obviously heartbroken, she was not rebuking the Lord for failing to prevent Lazarus’s death. As noted in the previous chapter of this volume, the sisters’ message had arrived too late, humanly speaking, for Jesus to have returned to Bethany in time to heal him. Martha’s words were simply a poignant expression of grief mingled with the faith she expressed in her next statement: “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” That confidence, however, evidently did not extend to Jesus’ ability to resurrect her brother, as her later hesitation when the tomb was opened makes clear (v. 39). She seems to have had faith in the Lord’s power to heal, but not in His power to raise the dead (perhaps the possibility had not even crossed her mind). Nonetheless Martha recognized that Jesus had a special relationship with God. She was therefore confident that through His prayers some good could still come out of the tragedy. Jesus responded by assuring her, “Your brother will rise again.” He meant that Lazarus was going to be resurrected immediately, but Martha missed the point. She assumed that Jesus, like the other mourners, was comforting her by pointing out that Lazarus would rise again at the end of the age. Martha, however, was already familiar with that truth, and so she replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” The resurrection of the body was taught in the Old Testament (e.g., Job 19:25–27; Ps. 16:10; Dan. 12:2), and affirmed by the Pharisees (though not by the Sadducees; Matt. 22:23; Acts 23:6–8). It was also, as Martha knew, the teaching of Jesus (cf. 5:21, 25–29; 6:39–40, 44, 54). Ironically, while she believed Jesus had the power to raise her brother in the distant future, she did not think that He could also do so immediately. Challenging Martha to move beyond an abstract belief in the final resurrection to complete faith in Him, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.” This is the fifth of the seven “I AM” deity claims in John’s gospel (6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 14:6; 15:1, 5). Martha’s focus was on the end of the age, but time is no obstacle for the One who has the power of resurrection and life (cf. 5:21, 26). Jesus will raise the dead in the future resurrection of which Martha spoke. But He was also going to raise her brother immediately. The Lord called her to a personal trust in Him as the One who alone has power over death. Jesus’ next two statements, “he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die,” are not redundant. They teach separate, though related, truths. The one who believes in Jesus will live even if he dies physically because He will raise him on the last day (5:21, 25–29; 6:39–40, 44, 54). And since everyone who lives and believes in Him has eternal life (3:36; 5:24; 6:47, 54), they will never die spiritually (see the discussion of 8:51 in chapter 32 of this volume), since eternal life cannot be extinguished by physical death. As a result, all who trust in Christ can exult, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55). When Jesus challenged Martha, “Do you believe this?” He was not asking her if she believed that He was about to raise her brother. The Lord was calling her to personally believe that He alone was the source of resurrection power and eternal life. R. C. H. Lenski writes,
To believe “this” is to believe what he says of himself and thus to believe “in him.” It is one thing to hear it, to reason and to argue about it; and quite another thing to believe, embrace, trust it. To believe is to receive, hold, enjoy the reality and the power of it, with all that lies in it of joy, comfort, peace, and hope. The measure of our believing, while it is not the measure of our possessing, since the smallest faith has Jesus, the resurrection and the life, completely, is yet the measure of our enjoyment of it all. (The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel [Reprint; Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1998], 803)
Because of His infinite love for Martha’s soul, Jesus pointed her to the only source of spiritual life and well-being—Himself. Martha’s affirmation of faith in Jesus stands with the other great confessions of His identity in the gospels (1:49; 6:69; Matt. 14:33; 16:16). It anticipates John’s purpose statement for writing his gospel: “These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (20:31). Martha emphatically (the Greek text has the personal pronoun in addition to the verb) declared three vital truths about Jesus: Like Andrew (1:41), she confessed that He was the Christ, or Messiah; like John the Baptist (1:34), Nathanael (1:49), and the disciples (Matt. 14:33) she affirmed that He was the Son of God; and finally, like the Old Testament had predicted (cf. Is. 9:6; Mic. 5:2), she referred to Him as He who comes into the world—the deliverer sent by God (Luke 7:19–20; cf. John 1:9; 3:31; 6:14).
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). John 1–11 (pp. 462–465). Moody Press.
“I Am the Resurrection and the Life”
John 11:17–26
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
About fifty years before the birth of Jesus Christ a letter was written by a well-known Roman, Sulpicius Severus, to the great orator Cicero on the occasion of the death of Cicero’s beloved daughter Tullia. It is a magnificent letter. It expresses deep sympathy. It reminds the orator that his daughter had only experienced a lot common to mankind and had passed away only when the freedom of the Republic was itself failing. It is warm and moving. But in spite of these great qualities the letter contains nothing of a hope of life beyond the grave. In reply, Cicero thanks his friend for his sympathy and enlarges upon the measure of his loss. A century later the apostle Paul was in contact with Christians who had become similarly discouraged by the death of their friends, as the result of which he too has left us a letter. But Paul’s letter is different. True, it acknowledges sorrow; but it also breathes hope. It deals with death, but it also knows the comfort of a resurrection. In it Paul writes, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.… Therefore encourage each other with these words” (1 Thess. 4:13–14, 18). These letters present a remarkable contrast, for they throw into relief that new awareness of the future life introduced by Christianity. Cicero was not unaware of Plato’s arguments for immortality or of any of the other arguments advanced in his day, but these were poor comfort in face of the cruel horror of death. Paul, on the other hand, moves in a new spirit of hope and confidence.
A Troubled Believer
Before we look at Christ’s statement regarding the resurrection and of himself as “the resurrection and the life,” we need to look at the one to whom he spoke it. For the person to whom he spoke was Martha, and Martha is an excellent example of a certain type of believer, of whom we have many today. These do not distrust the Lord, but neither do they believe with that full confidence that would allow them to lay aside their care and rest in his good provision. They believe, but they are always troubling themselves with questions of “How?” and “Why?” and “What if?” and so miss the blessing that could be theirs if they would only believe more simply. Such faith always attempts to limit God or, which is the same thing, to scale down his promises. Notice that Martha limited the Lord’s working both to time and place, for she said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (v. 21). We need to recall here that Jesus had deliberately delayed his return to Bethany for two days so that he eventually arrived in Bethany four full days after Lazarus’ burial. Some have felt that Jesus delayed until Lazarus had died (and have imagined this to be cruel), but a careful thinking through of the days will show that this probably was not true. If we number the days one through four, we can reconstruct what happened. On the first day, as Lazarus was getting worse, the sisters sent to Jesus. Apparently Lazarus died some time after the departure of the messenger and was quickly buried, so that this day counts as the first of the four in which he lay in the tomb. Quick burials were customary in such a hot climate. The next two days Jesus stayed in the area of the Jordan; that is, days two and three. Then, on the fourth day, Jesus returned to Bethany and performed the resurrection. Lazarus was therefore already dead by the time word of his illness reached Jesus; Jesus knew of it and therefore delayed his return, not that Lazarus might die but for an entirely different purpose. The reason Jesus delayed his return from the Jordan was that there might be no doubt that Lazarus was dead and that there might therefore be no cause for doubting the miracle. Thus we know that from the beginning he intended to perform it. Martha did not see this, however, so when Jesus returned to Bethany her first words were a bit of rebuke. And they expressed her own limited faith, as I have indicated. “If you had been here,” she said. That is, she felt that Jesus could have done something four days earlier but that he could not do what was obviously necessary now. True, one verse later Martha says, “But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask” (v. 22). But we know that her “whatever” did not include a resurrection, for she was quick to rebuke Christ later when he asked that the stone be rolled away from the tomb of Lazarus. Moreover, Martha also clearly tried to limit Christ by place; for she said, “If you had been here,” that is, in Bethany. It implied that Jesus could not have healed her brother from a distance. A little later she does the same thing when she reacts to Christ’s promise concerning her brother—“Your brother will rise again”—by saying, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (v. 24). In the same way many of us also seek to limit Jesus. We believe that he is able to do all he says he will do—but not now and not here. At least we do not expect him to and are genuinely surprised or disbelieving when he does. The second characteristic of Martha’s strange faith is that she treated the words of Christ impersonally. The first recorded words of Jesus after his return to Bethany were a tremendous promise. He said, “Your brother will rise again” (v. 23). But instead of taking this in the best and most personal sense—as a promise that Jesus was about to restore her brother to her—Martha pushed the words off into the future as though to say that they had no relationship either to herself or her situation. This is also what we do with Christ’s promises, many of us. We believe them, in a sense, that is, as they apply to others or to a far distant time. But we do not receive them personally. For us, the glorious promises of God become something like a mighty fleet that has been put in moth balls, or like antiques in the attic. They have value, we suppose; but practically we get nothing out of them. The story is told of a gentleman who visited the home of a poor French couple a long time ago where he saw a note for one thousand francs papered to the wall. He asked them how they got that particular piece of paper. They answered that they had found a poor soldier, who had been wounded, and that they had nursed him in their home until he died. He had given it to them. It was such a nice memorial of him, they thought, that they had caused it to be plastered to the wall where they would always be able to see it. Naturally they were surprised when they were told that it would be worth quite a little fortune to them if they would turn it into money. Unfortunately many Christians do that with God’s promises. But they should not—that is the point. As Spurgeon once wrote, they should have “grace to turn God’s bullion … into current coin.”
A New Revelation
We have looked at Martha, then. Let us now look at Jesus and at the way in which he dealt with her. She had come expressing a poor kind of faith, a faith that was half faith and half doubt. Even her words had a hint of rebuke about them. But Jesus did not get angry with her for her weak faith, or rebuke her in turn for her attitude. He could have said, “Martha, Martha, what poor thoughts you have of me. I have been with you for a long time and you still do not know that I am both willing to and will raise your brother.” He could have said something like that, but he did not. Rebuke in a time of great sorrow is not helpful, and is uncalled for. Besides, it would even have been misunderstood; for Martha thought she was expressing great faith in Jesus when she said, “But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask” (v. 22). Instead, Jesus used the opportunity to teach Martha more of himself. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (vv. 25–26). What did Jesus teach Martha? His first words were words to her condition specifically. She had attempted to push the resurrection off to the last day. Jesus replied by saying that he himself was the resurrection and that, therefore, wherever he is there is life. In this case, the Lord Jesus Christ was present physically; so there was going to be physical life. Lazarus would live again. When Jesus returns physically at the end of this age, there will be a physical resurrection then also. At other times, as today, Jesus is present spiritually; so there is a spiritual resurrection rather than a physical one. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have experienced this resurrection. You were dead in trespasses and sins, but you have been brought to life by Jesus. Likewise, all who know the Lord Jesus Christ will experience a physical resurrection. So at this point, having spoken directly to Martha’s situation, Jesus goes on to develop his teaching. “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (vv. 25–26). These comments can mean any of three things. First, both halves of Christ’s saying can be taken spiritually. If we do this, the sense would be, “Whoever believes in me, though he were spiritually dead, yet shall he become spiritually alive. And whosoever is spiritually alive and continues to believe in me shall never die spiritually.” The advantage of this interpretation is that it takes the terms in the same sense. If it is followed, the major thought is that the one who believes in Christ, having received the eternal life of God, will never be lost. The second interpretation is one that takes the first half of Christ’s words physically and the second half spiritually. It would give us a meaning somewhat like this: “He who believes in me, even though he should die physically, yet he will live physically [that is, there will be a final resurrection]. And whosoever is spiritually alive and believes in me shall not die spiritually.” The advantage of this interpretation is that it relates to Martha’s problem directly—the problem of physical death answered by physical resurrection. The disadvantage is that the terms, particularly the term “life,” must be taken in different senses. The third interpretation takes both halves of Christ’s statement physically, that is, as applying to the time of Christ’s second coming at which time those who are alive will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air while those who have died will be raised physically. This, while true, does not seem to relate to the situation in John 11. But if it were the meaning of the verses, we would have to read them like this: “He who believes in me, though he shall have died physically by the time of my return, yet shall he be raised. And whoever is a believer and is still living at the time of my return, shall never die physically but shall be caught up to heaven.” This was the interpretation of C. H. Spurgeon and some other commentators. Which of these is to be preferred? It is probably impossible to say with certainty; for, since the statements involved in each view are true in themselves, each could be possible. In my opinion the second is the most likely in that it begins with Martha’s situation but then goes on to present a higher principle. If this is the case, then Christ’s promises are all-inclusive. There is a promise of spiritual life and physical life. There is a promise of life now and also life to come. Moreover, it is clearly stated that this life is only for those who believe on Christ and who are therefore members of his covenant people.
A Direct Application
This brings us to our conclusion, which is at the same time (let us note) the conclusion that Jesus pressed upon Martha. It is a conclusion in the form of a question: “Do you believe this?” (v. 26). Jesus had made a statement (“I am the resurrection and the life”); he had elaborated upon it. Now he asks, “Do you believe this? Do you really believe it?” This is the question I would like to leave with you also. Do you believe Christ’s teaching? As you think about it, notice that Jesus speaks of faith and not feeling. He did not say to Martha, “Do you feel better now, Martha? Have you found these thoughts comforting? Do you feel your old optimism returning?” According to Jesus it was not how she felt that was important, but what she believed. Feelings are deceiving. Moreover, they come and go. On the other hand, faith is an anchor fixed in bedrock. To believe the words of Jesus is to believe in One whose promises are absolutely trustworthy. Notice also that Christ was specific. He did not say, “Martha, do you believe generally?” He said, “Martha, do you believe this? That is, do you believe the specific truths I have taught you?” I ask that question of you. I trust that your answer may be different. Do you believe this? You should be able to say, “Yes, Lord, I believe it. I believe all that is written in your Book. “I believe in one great God, who has made this earth and has placed me upon it. I believe that I am sinful. I believe that this same God in love and wisdom sent the Lord Jesus Christ to die for me that I might be saved. I believe that Jesus existed with God and as God from the beginning, that he became man, that his death was a substitutionary death for me by which my sin has been removed as far as the east is from the west and on the basis of which it will be remembered against me no more. I believe in Christ’s historical, literal, and bodily resurrection, by which God has demonstrated that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is acceptable to him as an all-sufficient atonement for the sin of his people and in which he has also given a foretaste of the coming resurrection of all who believe on him. I believe in the person and power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that he opens blind eyes to see Christ and moves rebellious wills to embrace him to their salvation. I believe that he illuminates the written Word of God so that those who are saved can understand it and obey it. I believe in the fellowship of the saints. I believe in the church. I believe in God’s providence, by which nothing enters the life of the Christian that is not the product either of God’s direct or permissive will. I believe that God chastises his children. I believe that he is determined to perfect the character of Jesus Christ in all who are united to Christ by faith. I believe that Jesus will one day return from heaven even as he was seen to go into heaven—bodily and in time. I believe that in that day there will be a final resurrection of believers to the life of heaven and of unbelievers to judgment. In hell there will be suffering. In heaven there will be a life of blessing prepared in advance by God for those whom he has chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.” There is much more that can be said, of course. But every Christian should be able to say at least that. “Do you believe this?” You should be able to echo the teaching of the written Word in answer to the question of the living Word, rounding it off with a hearty, “Yes, Lord, I believe all that is written in your Book.”
Boice, J. M. (2005). The Gospel of John: an expositional commentary (pp. 849–854). Baker Books.
Could Tony Blair run Gaza? Mr Blair’s plan has powerful backers, from Gulf leaders to Jared Kushner, the American president’s son-in-law. Perhaps most important, unlike other plans, it seems to have Donald Trump’s blessing. Mr Blair, Mr Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the president’s Middle East envoy, all argued the case at a meeting with the president on August 27th. (Ron Dermer, the Israeli prime minister’s confidant and minister for strategic affairs, joined in by phone.) And on September 23rd Mr Trump was said to have presented the idea to the leaders of Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia and five Arab countries. “Maybe we can end it [the Gaza war] right now,” Mr Trump told them.
UN Security Council rejects Russia and China’s last-ditch effort to delay sanctions on Iran The U.N. Security Council on Friday rejected a last-ditch effort to delay reimposing sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, a decision that the country’s president immediately called “unfair, unjust and illegal.” The decision on the “snapback sanctions” came a day before the deadline and after Western countries claimed weeks of meetings failed to result in a concrete agreement.
ICE arrests leader of Iowa’s largest school district, saying he was living and working in the US illegally Federal immigration agents targeted the well-liked leader of Iowa’s largest school district in a traffic stop Friday and arrested him after he fled into the woods, leaving educators and community members stunned. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Des Moines Public School Superintendent Ian Roberts was in the country illegally and had no work authorization. Roberts, who is from Guyana in South America, was considered an ICE fugitive because he was subject to a final removal order issued in 2024, the agency said.
Woman charged after remains of four dead babies found in home A Pennsylvania woman is facing criminal charges after police found the remains of four deceased infants in the home where she had been living. Jessica Marie Mauthe, 39, has been arrested and charged with criminal homicide, involuntary manslaughter, and multiple counts of abuse of a corpse after her landlord discovered the remains of several infants while cleaning out a closet in the home. The horrifying discovery of Mauthe’s dead infants comes at a time when several shocking stories of infant abandonment have entered the news cycle.
Trump orders troop deployment to ‘war ravaged’ Portland to protect ICE facilities: ‘Authorizing full force’ President Trump ordered the Department of War to dispatch “all necessary” troops to Portland, Oregon, to secure the city and safeguard Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, he said Saturday. Trump also confirmed he is “authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” amid a spate of daily protests against the federal ICE detention facility in Portland that have intensified since June. “At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,”
25 Dead from Alcohol Poisoning in Western Russia This Month 25 people have died of alcohol poisoning in western Russia this month, according to investigators in the country. Deaths caused by cheap homemade spirits are not uncommon in Russia, which has been plagued by high alcoholism for years, although they have decreased compared to the record levels of the 1990s.
Saudi Sisters Face Persecution for Challenging Gender Roles in Saudi Arabia The al-Otaibi sisters refuse to remain silent about the injustices in their home country of Saudi Arabia. For that, they have been severely punished. One is imprisoned, another has been forced to flee and the third can be arrested at any time. The police called in their father and said: “You can kill your girls, then we call it a family matter”. The sisters’ crime? Posts on social media – and a hashtag that demanded the end of Saudi Arabia’s system of male guardianship.
Faith Leaders Launch Petition Campaign to President Trump The open letter, signed by thousands of pastors, rabbis, and religious leaders, specifically warns against reviving Trump’s previous “Peace to Prosperity” plan, which was first introduced in January 2020 during his previous presidency. The petition presents ten core arguments against territorial division, mixing religious, legal, and political reasoning. The signatories argue that “Israel’s land is covenant land” and cite biblical passages, including Genesis 15:18 and Joel 3:2, to support their position that dividing the territory “has consistently led to instability.” The letter draws particular attention to Gaza,
Tony Blair Makes List of Influential Gay Icons The list of timeless gay icons has just received an unlikely new addition: former British prime minister Tony Blair. British magazine Gay Times revealed its latest list of influential figures to the LGBT community to celebrate the publication of its 30<sup>th anniversary issue, and picked the controversial former British leader, to join the ranks of other more traditional figures such as Boy George, Joan Rivers and Barbra Streisand. Blair, who has appeared on the cover of Gay Times twice, oversaw the legal lowering of the age of consent for gay couples to bring it in line with that of heterosexual couples. “It’s something I’m very proud of,” Blair said, referring to his status as a gay icon.
Ground operation in Gaza gains force Following IDF and ISA intelligence, IDF troops continue operational activity against the terrorist organizations throughout the Gaza Strip. IDF troops continue to expand operations in the Gaza City area. Over the past day, numerous weapons, including anti-tank missiles, rockets, explosives, and weapons were located, and several terrorists who posed a threat to the troops were eliminated.
Intelligence Directorate: Nasrallah didn’t realize he was the next target for elimination The IDF’s Intelligence Directorate on Saturday night revealed that in the days leading up to late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s elimination, he chose to remain in a bunker built with Iranian technology. “Nasrallah remained in place and tried to plan counterattacks,” the Directorate noted. The Intelligence Directorate added that in the days preceding the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, following the beeper operation and the elimination of Ibrahim Aqil, the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization remained in place, unaware that he was the next target for elimination.
State DHS commissioner tells GOP senators she won’t rescind ‘racist’ hiring policy The Department of Justice said this summer it is investigating the policy, which requires supervisors to provide a “justification” when hiring a “non-underrepresented candidate.” On Wednesday, DHS Commissioner Shireen Gandhi informed a pair of state senators that the agency would not comply with their request to rescind the policy, which was updated on Aug. 12 and requires DHS hiring supervisors to provide a “hiring justification” when seeking to hire a “non-underrepresented candidate.” Department of Justice said it’s investigating policy following Alpha News report
Britain may pay Palestinian Arabs due to state recognition A group of Palestinian families is demanding an apology and compensation from Britain for war crimes committed during colonial rule. After the British government recognized a Palestinian state earlier this week, representatives of 12 Palestinian families went to the Foreign Office in London, demanding that the British government acknowledge the war crimes committed during the British Mandate in Palestine. The petitioners filed a 400-page legal petition in which they allege that they and their family members were subjected to violence, exile or repression during the British Mandate period up to 1948.
Netanyahu To The UN: ‘As The Prophets Of Israel Foretold In The Bible, You’ve Turned Good Into Evil And Evil Into Good’ “As the prophets of Israel foretold in the Bible, you’ve turned good into evil and evil into good,” Netanyahu exclaimed, referring to Isaiah 5:20. “I say to the representatives of those nations, this is not an indictment of Israel. It’s an indictment of you,” he underscored. “It’s an indictment of weak-kneed leaders who appease evil rather than support a nation whose brave soldiers guard you from the barbarians at the gate.” “Israel will not allow you to shove a terrorist state down our throats,” Netanyahu asserted. “
Future Imelda strengthens as first tropical storm alerts issued for Florida Tropical storm alerts have now been posted along the eastern Florida coast, and at least two states have declared a pre-emptive state of emergency as a looming storm system is on its way to becoming future Hurricane Imelda, bringing the potential threat of days of flooding from heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the Southeast.
2,000 Accept Christ at University of South Florida Event A student-led revival movement that began at Auburn University two years ago continued Thursday at the University of South Florida, where 7,000 students gathered for worship and multitudes prayed to receive Christ.
Global cancer explosion: Deaths are set to soar over 75% by 2050 Cancer deaths worldwide are set to soar up to 75 per cent over the next two decades, leading experts have warned. A rising and aging population—combined with unhealthy lifestyles—are said to be fueling the problem, researchers behind a damning new global report claim. US scientists found that worldwide, the number of new cancer cases has more than doubled since 1990 to 18.5 million in 2023.
Slovakia Passes Constitutional Amendment Recognizing Only 2 Genders …The amendment, drafted by Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government, required a three-fifths majority to pass, and moved through the National Council with 90 of the 150 members backing it. It states that Slovakia only recognizes two genders, male and female, and that Bratislava retains its sovereignty in matters of “national identity,” especially in “fundamental cultural-ethical questions.”
‘Our Fight Starts Now’: All Oklahoma High Schools to Host Turning Point USA To Combat ‘Woke Indoctrination’ All government high schools in Oklahoma will be hosting Turning Point USA chapters to combat the “radical leftist teachers unions” and the “woke indoctrination,” explained State Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters before stepping down from his role. Across America, interest in the organization and the movement is surging.
The whole world is disillusioned with climate politics, except for the UK “This year’s annual global climate change Conference of the Parties, COP30, is set to be held from 10 to 21 November 2025, in Belém, Brazil. Ahead of COP30, by February 2025, countries were supposed to have submitted updated national climate plans to the United Nations (“UN”). Of the 197 countries that are UN members, only one country has submitted its national climate action plan that is compatible with the Paris Agreement – the United Kingdom.”
Providence Baptist Church on RSBN featuring Pastor Dr Rusty Sowell live from Providence Baptist Church in Beauregard, AL Sunday Morning Worship 9/28/25
President Trump recently cracked down on the H1B visa program, requiring companies to pay $100,000 to sponsor a worker.
The program was originally intended to bring in temporary employees with highly specialized skills that few Americans possessed. However, as the White House proclamation states, the H-1B program “has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers.”
Investigations have uncovered widespread fraud: fake applicants, forged documents, and shell companies that sponsor visas and then place workers into U.S. firms on contract.
Over the past 30 years, a pattern has emerged in which hiring an Indian HR manager often leads to a steady increase in Indian workers until Americans become a minority in certain departments or entire companies.
Wages are suppressed, discouraging Americans from entering these fields and reinforcing the false claim that there are jobs Americans “won’t” or “can’t” do.
In reality, Americans will take any job if the pay is fair, and proper wages motivate them to pursue training. The proof lies in recent layoffs: in 2022, the top 30 companies brought in 34,000 new H-1B workers even as they cut at least 85,000 staff.
The new Trump policy will reduce the number of new H1B visas issued but does nothing about the roughly 600,000 holders already in the country. The dishonesty and scope of the problem are far greater than most people realize.
Salvatore Militello, who has spent decades in the IT sector as both a technician and later a recruiter, told me in an interview how the H1B program has harmed the industry.
“I started working with Microsoft in around the year 2000. And then I became independent. From 2000 to about 2015 or 2016, there was this trend of bringing people from India over to Microsoft. I would occasionally work on campus, managing these difficult projects for Microsoft. They were called rescue projects.”
He recalled companies claiming they couldn’t find qualified Americans, but he didn’t believe it. “I’m thinking, yes, you can find people.” The reality, he said, was that companies simply didn’t want to pay American wages.
Militello noted that salaries offered to Indian workers were 30 to 40 percent below the market average, which in turn pushed wages across the board downward.
Across the industry, he saw a broader pattern of offshoring tied to H-1B visas.
“They had an offshore team, or they brought a mix of offshore and some of those onshore, which I used to call extended offshore, because that’s what they were with this H-1B business.”
COVID accelerated the trend. Once American employees were forced to work from home, companies found it easier to offshore jobs. Replacing remote U.S. staff with Indians working from India became seamless, and this also opened the door to bringing more Indian workers into the United States on H-1B visas to replace local employees.
According to Militello, the largest drivers of H-1B expansion have been Amazon, Microsoft, and LinkedIn. Amazon filed 10,969 Labor Condition Applications in fiscal year 2024, leading to 10,044 approvals in 2025.
The White House cited similar patterns, noting that one firm was approved for more than 5,000 H-1B visas in 2025 while laying off 15,000 workers, and another cut 2,400 staff in Oregon while securing nearly 1,700 approvals.
Amazon remained the top sponsor, rising from 9,257 approvals in 2024 to 10,044 in 2025, an increase of 787. Other major firms, including Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and JPMorgan Chase, also expanded their H-1B sponsorships.
LinkedIn has played a critical role in fueling this deluge. Evidence shows Indian recruiters use the platform aggressively to promote visa opportunities and connect workers with American companies.
Reports describe more than 14,000 call centers in India, each employing 500 to 1,000 workers with access to LinkedIn, Dice, ChatGPT, and VoIP, and each recruiter given quotas for collecting résumés. At the center of this system is the “bench sales” model.
LinkedIn job searches show hundreds of listings in India for “Sr. Bench Sales Recruiters,” whose role is to market H-1B workers who are between projects and place them in U.S. companies as quickly as possible.
American job seekers are now familiar with aggressive Indian recruiters who contact them with vague offers, demand résumés and personal details, and provide little real information.
These résumés are often harvested to “spice up” Indian candidates’ profiles or to fabricate a paper trail showing that domestic workers were considered and rejected, even though the jobs are reserved for pre-selected H-1B applicants.
This explains why so many Americans are contacted repeatedly about jobs they never hear back on. Fake recruiters use domestic résumés as evidence of unsuccessful screenings, creating the documentation needed for visa fraud.
The business model depends on scale and low costs. Bench recruiters in India may earn about $1,000 per month, while agencies profit from each consultant placed.
Many LinkedIn postings explicitly require knowledge of visa categories (H-1B, OPT, CPT, GC, USC) and emphasize working with visa-holding consultants.
After moving into recruiting, Militello was asked to review résumés from Indian applicants.
“What I found was that applicants would say they were H-1B, but they weren’t. They were here illegally. How do I know? Because I checked.”
When he explained that without a valid visa the company could not sponsor them, applicants often replied, “That’s okay. I have a friend with a corporation in the U.S. You pay the corporation, and they will pay me.”
This was one of many scams.
Shell companies, sometimes listing large numbers of employees on paper, existed only to loan workers out on consultancy contracts to U.S. firms. The shell company, not the worker, received the salary.
To keep costs attractive, the rate charged to the hiring company was below market value, and the shell company took a cut, leaving the worker with only a fraction of the standard pay.
Militello recalled that when the going rate was $100 an hour, Indian workers sometimes ended up with just $60.
In addition to his interactions with job seekers, Militello described the constant outreach from Indian scam recruiters. “We’ve got 20 candidates and their first name is Singh, Amit, Sumit—you get it. Twenty of them.
And then they say, ‘We have these people that need work, do you have any positions open for them?’ You can’t do that. If you have the work, I’m not going to participate.” He shared one such email, which read:
“Hello, Greetings for the Day!! This is Ganesh, from Sainar Solutions INC., working as a Bench Sales Recruiter. We have excellent consultants in our Bench, who are actively looking for projects on C2C/C2H. Please let me know if you have any suitable requirements. Kindly share me the requirements with…”
The recruiter’s email itself demonstrates multiple violations.
The H-1B program requires a specific job that cannot be filled by an American worker, yet the email shows they had candidates first and were seeking jobs second, exactly the opposite of the law. It also implies the workers were “on the bench,” waiting without pay for placement, another violation of federal rules.
Finally, offering to supply workers through a third-party arrangement raises employer-employee relationship issues, since the sponsoring company may not actually control the worker’s employment.
The H-1B visa scam grew under Obama and exploded under Biden. Now it is being squelched by Trump.
The additional steps the president needs to take are scrutinizing and canceling many of the 600,000 existing H-1B visas, and shutting down the consulting companies and Indian recruiters that enable the system.
Given his speed and thoroughness, the administration may already be working on that.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is taking a sledgehammer to one of the most overlooked, yet dangerous scandals in our nation’s transportation system: states issuing commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to illegal aliens.
This comes just one month after a major trucking accident involving an illegal alien driver. And now, the Department of Transportation’s nationwide audit has exposed a systemic breakdown that is putting every American family at risk on our highways.
Duffy revealed on Friday that the DOT’s audit uncovered widespread abuse and incompetence by state agencies responsible for issuing CDLs. The details are beyond infuriating:
States are failing to validate legal presence. Licenses are being issued to individuals without confirming their lawful immigration status.
CDLs are being extended far beyond lawful presence. In some cases, licenses are valid months — even years — after a driver’s work permit has expired.
Computer flaws and procedural errors have compounded the crisis, allowing unqualified, nondomiciled drivers to hit American roads.
Duffy didn’t hold back in his Friday announcement:
DUFFY: “We have launched a nationwide audit of nondomiciled CDLS to get the bottom of what we think in causing this crisis. Something was seriously wrong.
It was alleged that the open borders policies of the last administration has led to an exploitation of our nation’s trucking licensing system.
So I’m here to tell you that after an audit; these reports are all true!
What our audit has discovered should anger every single American.
Our audit revealed a systemic breakdown among states to follow the law and issue licenses properly. States are failing to follow even the most basic procedures.
We even uncovered widespread procedural errors, computer programming flaws, and a gross lack of oversight in the states that issue CDLs.
This means that thousands of licenses that should never have been issued actually were issued. States are issuing licenses that extend months and even years beyond a driver’s lawful presence in the US!
This is a direct incentive to stay in our country illegally beyond their authorized work permit. In some disturbing cases, they have failed to validate a driver’s lawful presence before handing them a commercial license.
It’s deeply disturbing, but even worse, our second finding was that the current federal regulations are allowing dangerous, unqualified drivers on American roadways. This means that even when the rules are being followed, dangerous individuals who shouldn’t be near a big rig, are getting behind the wheel and causing crashes on our roadways.”
In a blistering post on X, Duffy singled out California Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration:
“California is the worst offender when it comes to trucking licenses, according to @FMCSA’s ongoing audit: more than 25% of non-domiciled CDLs were issued ILLEGALLY! My message to @CAgovernor: You’re putting the safety of your citizens at risk. Fix it NOW. Here are the receipts.”
WATCH:
California is the worst offender when it comes to trucking licenses, according to @FMCSA’s ongoing audit: more than 25% of non-domiciled CDLs were issued ILLEGALLY!
My message to @CAgovernor: You’re putting the safety of your citizens at risk. Fix it NOW.
Instead of addressing the illegal licensing scandal, Newsom’s office tried to deflect, boasting that California’s CDL holders have a “fatal crash rate nearly 40% lower than the national average.” They even took a swipe at Texas, claiming its CDL drivers have a higher crash rate.
But that’s not what Duffy was talking about. He was pointing out blatant lawbreaking and regulatory noncompliance, not crash stats.
Newsom’s office wrote:
“It appears the Secretary of Transportation is having a challenging time understanding the road rules. Unlike him, we’ll stick to the facts: California commercial driver’s license holders have a fatal crash rate nearly 40% LOWER than the national average.
And when you look at Texas — the only state with more commercial holders — the lone star state has a rate almost 50% HIGHER than California. Facts don’t lie. But the Trump Admin does.”
Newsom is talking apples while Duffy is exposing the rotten oranges. He’s droning on about overall CDL crash rates by state, while Duffy is laser-focused on compliance with federal regulations for non-domiciled CDLs.
Duffy clapped back hard:
“What a disgusting response. No word from @CAgovernor, but his staff minions run to X to deflect from their state’s gross incompetence. You want a fact, Governor? Here’s one: California issued 25% of the state’s non-domiciled CDLs ILLEGALLY! Fix this problem or lose funding, it’s that simple.”
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a review of California’s CDL records found that one in four non-domiciled licenses were not compliant with federal regulations in 49 CFR parts 383 and 384.
What a disgusting response.
No word from @CAgovernor, but his staff minions run to X to deflect from their state's gross incompetence.
You want a fact, Governor?
Here’s one: California issued 25% of the state’s non-domiciled CDLs ILLEGALLY!
Under Part 383, the federal rules define how commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) must be issued, tested, and maintained. It covers required knowledge and skills testing, categories and endorsements, disqualifications for offenses, and standards that ensure only qualified drivers operate large vehicles.
Meanwhile, Part 384 holds states accountable: it sets minimum program standards, outlines procedures for assessing state compliance, and defines consequences if a state fails to meet federal requirements.
Duffy’s audit is just the beginning. Expect more heads to roll as the DoT cracks down on this insanity. Americans deserve safe roads, not a highway to chaos courtesy of blue-state bureaucrats.
Democrats are threatening to shut down the government this week unless Republicans spend billions in taxpayer money to pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants.
Democrats think this is a winner.
And you wonder why the left’s approval ratings are in the cellar!
Vice President J.D. Vance spelled this out on FOX News Sunday.
Martha MacCallum: Last question, Vice President. This government shutdown issue looming next week, how do you see this? And are you opposed to a shutdown, or do you think there would be advantages to that potentially?
Vice President J.D. Vance: Well, look, we don’t want to shut down the government, Martha, but it’s really up to the Democrats.
Under our system, you need 60 Senate Democrats to vote for the clean, continuing resolution that the President and House Republicans have put forward.
I think it’s preposterous, Martha. I think the American people really should pay attention to the fact that Democrats are threatening to shut down the entire government because they want to give hundreds of billions of dollars of health care benefits to illegal aliens. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never seen a political party actually advertising the fact that they want to shut down every essential function of government, and they want to use that as leverage so that they get more money for illegal alien health care benefits.
It’s such a stark contrast between Republicans who are trying to put the interests of the American people first, and Democrats who I think would want to take money from the American people to give benefits to illegal aliens.
We don’t want to shut down the government. But if Democrats refuse to just pass this clean, continuing resolution, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. I think the Democrats are going to bear the responsibility for it.
Martha MacCallum: All right, we’ll see what happens. Vice President Vance, thank you very much. Good to have you with us on Fox.
Via Rapid Response 47.
The contrast could not be more clear: Republicans are trying to keep the government open and put the interest of Americans first.
Meanwhile, Democrats want to take from the American people in order to give taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal immigrants. pic.twitter.com/cGlqrF1Cip
Netanyahu delivers a fiery speech at the UN, triggering walkouts and global controversy. What did he say that made entire nations leave mid-speech? Watch the moment that stunned the world and reshaped global debate.
The Jim Comey case is already the most corrupt case in US history and it’s barely 24 hours since Corrupt Dirty Cop Comey was indicted.
Jim Comey
For starters, Jim Comey is one of the most corrupt individuals in US history. He attempted a coup of the Trump Administration. He lied about his actions and obstructed justice in doing so. This is why he’s indicted. Comey was part of the corrupt Obama gang of corruption.
Comey was fired by President Trump as FBI Director and it wasn’t soon enough. We have never seen the corruption that Comey took part in before in US history. Comey was supposed to be protecting the American people from criminals but he was the criminal we needed protection from.
The Judge
The judge assigned to Comey’s case is a Biden judge who is absolutely totally conflicted but he is making no mention of recusing himself. This is perhaps the worst conflict in US history and we hear crickets from the judge. This is so bad it must be criminal. How can the judge keep a law license after not recusing himself.
So the judge that has been assigned the James Comey case goes by the name of Michael Nachmanoff. He was appointed as a federal judge by Joe Biden. But the plot thickens. Nachamanoff was given his first job out of law school working for the eastern district of Virginia by James Comey in 1995-1996. And then hired back again by James Comey once again in 2002 after working in a private practice didn’t work out well for him. You can’t make this shit up. It’s right there on the Internet just open your eyes and look. Nachamanoff worked for / with Comey! This is a massive conflict of interest, and he must recuse himself immediately!
So the judge that has been assigned the James Comey case goes by the name of Michael Nachmanoff. He was appointed as a federal judge by Joe Biden. But the plot thickens. Nachamanoff was given his first job out of law school working for the eastern district of Virginia by James… pic.twitter.com/xbWVggOkev
In addition to this, Judge Nachamanoff has a relationship with Barack Obama that would lead a man of integrity recuse himself from this incredibly significant case. (You see this is the future of the country here – we either have a country of justice or we have a communist regime running America.)
BREAKING: The father of the Biden-appointed judge hearing the Comey case–Michael Nachmanoff–was a friend and fellow traveler of Obama’s communist father. He gave $7,500+ to Obama/DSCC/DCCC/DNC, records show.
The judge will arraign Comey Oct 9 at 10 AM at Alexandria courthouse.
BREAKING: The father of the Biden-appointed judge hearing the Comey case–Michael Nachmanoff–was a friend and fellow traveler of Obama's communist father. He gave $7,500+ to Obama/DSCC/DCCC/DNC, records show.
(It’s really so sick seeing the Obama and Biden judges sit there and pretend that they care about justice when they don’t. These judges are radical communists and they prove it in their court rooms.)
And the Biden judge was backed by the corrupt Virginia Senators Warner and Kaine.
Next stage of the fix
The judge assigned to the Comey case, Michael S. Nachmanoff, is a Biden appointee recommended by Senators Warner and Kaine pic.twitter.com/FqvbA4eDoA
Comey hired his partner in crime, attorney Pat Fitzgerald to represent him.
⚖️ Comey Lawyered Up
Former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald will represent James Comey in his federal case.
Fitzgerald is a longtime ally of Comey — the same prosecutor who led the Valerie Plame leak investigation and later defended other establishment figures.
George Sorors: Image: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license/ Author Michael Wuertenberg
Since 2016, George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF), now run byh his son Alexander, has funneled more than $80 million into organizations with direct ties to extremist violence and terrorism according to the Capital Research Center.
For years, Open Society has been portrayed as a philanthropic giant funding progressive causes.
But the financial trail reveals something much darker: tens of millions sent to groups that either train activists in sabotage or partner with foreign terrorist networks.
The evidence is extensive. OSF has awarded millions to U.S.-based groups that openly engage in what the FBI defines as “domestic terrorism.”
WATCH: THE ATLANTIC Admits the LEFT has a VIOLENCE Problem
Among them are the Center for Third World Organizing and its militant partner, the Ruckus Society.
These organizations gained notoriety during the 2020 riots, when they trained activists in property destruction, sabotage, and “direct actions” that paralyzed cities across America.
OSF has also funded the Sunrise Movement, which lent its endorsement to the Antifa-linked “Stop Cop City” campaign.
That campaign alone has left more than 40 activists facing domestic terrorism charges and 60 others indicted under Georgia’s racketeering laws.
At the same time, Soros’s foundation poured $18 million into the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition that published a radical organizing guide glorifying Hamas’s October 7 massacre in Israel.
The guide does not stop there—it instructs activists in deception, including how to use false identification, blockade infrastructure, and engineer economic disruption.
By underwriting such efforts, OSF has made itself a partner in escalating political violence, not merely a bystander.
The problem extends far beyond America’s borders. Between 2016 and 2023, Open Society sent more than $2.3 million to Al-Haq, a West Bank-based nongovernmental organization repeatedly accused of ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group designated as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.
OSF’s grants ranged from $400,000 in “general support” to an $800,000 “institutional” award.
In September 2025, the U.S. State Department sanctioned Al-Haq, declaring that the group had “directly engaged in the International Criminal Court’s illegitimate targeting of Israel.”
That means Soros’s money helped bankroll an organization now officially blacklisted by Washington.
The scale is staggering: from U.S. streets to the West Bank, Soros’s dollars have consistently flowed to movements that reject democratic order and flirt with terrorism.
The Open Society Foundation brands itself as a defender of justice and human rights. In reality, the record shows $80 million spent empowering extremists whose goal is chaos at home and abroad.
Folks often talk about how they enjoy being free, but in reality they seem to prefer living in servitude. They are willing to trade away liberty for various perceived benefits. While many folks would go along with the state motto of New Hampshire, “Live Free or Die,” too many others have no real desire for freedom at all.
Lots of folks in the West today seem quite happy to see their basic freedoms taken away from them by the state if they can just get various goods. We are seeing this more and more of this sense of living in an age of entitlement being played out in the West.
But this is actually nothing new. Way back in Old Testament times we saw this clearly being played out. Consider for example what we find in Numbers 11:4-6:
“Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”
Recall the context. Israel has been miraculously rescued and set free from cruel Egyptian slavery by Moses not all that long ago. After ten miraculous plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea, they were heading toward the Promised Land to live as a new people in a new place.
But before long they were grumbling and complaining. They actually wanted to go back to their lives as slaves under Pharoah. ‘Hey, at least we had free stuff there!’ Keith Green of course made this the theme of his HIT 1980 album and one of its songs: “So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1PCIBo12KI
Let me look at two aspects of this flight from freedom – one political and one spiritual.
Political
Life is about trade-offs. Some people are willing to trade away freedom for what they perceive to be safety and security. The Covid lockdown mania was a good case in point. Millions of people were quite willing to hand their fundamental liberties over to the state in exchange for promises of protection from a virus. It really was frightening to see so many folks being so very eager and willing to surrender basic human rights and freedoms to the expansionist state.
Moreover, we are increasingly finding Western nations characterised by two main groups: those who work long and hard to provide for their families, and those who don’t, who are happy to live off of state benefits and entitlements, paid for by those hardworking tax-payers.
Elections more and more seem to break down between these two groups. The former group will vote for parties that reward hard work, responsibility, success and entrepreneurship. The latter group will vote in the party that promises them a lot of free stuff. Too may folks simply want to see Santa Claus elected so they can keep getting all the free goodies.
What the ancient Israelites did back in the book of Numbers is a case in point. They really did not care about freedom – all they want was their leaks and onions – that ‘cost nothing’. They were happy to be slaves in other words instead of a proud and free people.
One last thing to note: a helpful book on how the 1960s really helped to bring about this entitlement culture is the 2020 volume by Christopher Caldwell, The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties (Simon & Schuster).
The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties by Caldwell, Christopher (Author)
Spiritual
As bad as the political repudiation of liberty for security and benefits is, the spiritual trade-off is even more deplorable. As Christians, like ancient Israel, we are part of a glorious exodus, thanks to the wonderful grace of God. We were miraculous delivered from sin, self and death, yet too many believers seem to wanna go back to Egypt.
We want to return to bondage. This can take various forms. One common form is to simply want to go back to our old way of life: our old sins and selfish habits. We enjoyed those sins, and we too easily succumb to temptations to fall back into them.
As Paul put it in Galatians 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Or as Peter put it: “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves” (1 Peter 2:16).
We should rejoice that we are no longer slaves to sin and Satan. Instead, we find glorious liberty in being – paradoxically – slaves to Christ. As Paul said in Titus 1:1, “Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.” And again, “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible” (1 Corinthians 9:19).
Another way we can go back to bondage is also discussed in Galatians 5. In the opening verses Paul speaks about how the believers there should NOT go back into bondage by seeking to please God by works of the law, by circumcision, and so on. As he says in verse 1: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
The whole overriding theme of the letter to the Galatians is about the liberty of Christians, and how Christ has set us free from the bondage of the law as a means of getting right with God. As we read in Galatians 3:1-3:
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
But let me conclude with one short piece of commentary on the Numbers 11 text that I started with. Adrian Reynolds says this:
The Israelites’ complaint seems to be that they were better off in Egypt, certainly as far as food is concerned. This will be a theme to which we shall return in later rebellions. Their desire is very strong, ‘craved other foods’ translates ‘craved a craving’ or ‘desired a desire.’ It’s an extraordinary statement. Whilst we have no way of verifying whether they are factually right or not, to crave a return to slavery is stupefying! Pharaoh was trying to wipe them out (see Exodus 1:14-16). The exit from Egypt is the nation’s salvation: their wish for Egyptian glory-days (even if they ever were) is thus a rejection of what God has done and provided.
Moreover, the manna with which they are so bored is itself a blessing, a gracious provision by a generous God. The reject the manna is therefore to reject the Giver.
The irony here is that the Israelites would have had liberty and free stuff, not just in the desert but in the Promised Land, all from God’s gracious gifts to them. But they preferred slavery and free eats in Egypt. Too many folks today are in the same camp. They will take government handouts along with restriction on their freedom.
That is always a bad trade-off.
Note: I was reminded of the Number 11 text in a short Charlie Kirk video clip that I recently watched. So even though he is no longer with us, he is still providing inspiration and helpful instruction.
Bill Maher gives the radical left a much needed browbeating.
This was refreshing. Far left mouthpiece Bill Maher took a sledge hammer to every dangerous and lunatic idea Democrats have come up with over the past several years and forced down the throats of decent Americans.
Bill Maher: If we are ever going to get back to the old America, that’s got to be the Democrats part of the bargain.
Stop coming up with radically new and often terrible ideas, and then in the next breath, insist there be no debate about any of it. That if you don’t see it right away and go along, you’re bad, stupid, and deplorable.
As if you were saying, Duh, 2 plus 2 equals 5. Isn’t that obvious? Yeah, it’s obvious you can’t add.
You can’t just say sh*t. Math is racist, queers for Palestine, looting is cool, healthy at any weight. If the men’s football team played the woman’s team, it would be a tie. You can’t just say shit.
Welcome to episode 68 of the Knight and Rose podcast! In this episode, Wintery Knight and Desert Rose discuss the the progressive miseducation of America, with Dr. Corey Miller. If you like this episode, please subscribe to the podcast, and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We would appreciate it if you left us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Podcast description:
Christian apologists Wintery Knight and Desert Rose discuss apologetics, policy, culture, relationships, and more. Each episode equips you with evidence you can use to boldly engage anyone, anywhere. We train our listeners to become Christian secret agents. Action and adventure guaranteed. 30-45 minutes per episode. New episode every week.
Episode summary:
Wintery Knight and Desert Rose welcome Dr. Corey Miller to discuss The Progressive Miseducation of America. They examine how universities promote scientism, cultural Marxism, and postmodernism, undermining morality and fueling issues like divorce and fatherlessness. Miller critiques the secular drift and offers practical guidance, highlighting Ratio Christi’s tools to equip young people for the intellectual and moral challenges of high school and university.
You can find the details about his new book here, and if you sign up for the Ratio Christi newsletter on that site, you get the first two chapters FOR FREE!
Outline and transcript
Here is a transcript of the show provided by TurboScribe AI. TurboScribe AI allows you to translate the transcript into many, many different languages. You can also export the transcript into many different formats, with optional timestamps.
Episode 68:
Speaker biographies
Corey Miller grew up in Utah as a seventh generation Mormon. He came to Christ, and later became a pastor, philosophy professor, campus minister, and now serves as the president/CEO of Ratio Christi (RatioChristi.org). He has authored or edited five books and holds three master’s degrees, along with a PhD from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. His thought is centered on the intersection of faith, reason, and culture. His newest book is entitled “The Progressive Miseducation of America: Confronting the Cultural Revolution from the Classroom to Your Community “, published by Harvest House Publishers. It will be available on October 14, 2025.
Wintery Knight is a black legal immigrant. He is a senior software engineer by day, and an amateur Christian apologist by night. He has been blogging at winteryknight.com since January of 2009, covering news, policy and Christian worldview issues.
Desert Rose did her undergraduate degree in public policy, and then worked for a conservative Washington lobbyist organization. She also has a graduate degree from a prestigious evangelical seminary. She is active in Christian apologetics as a speaker, author, and teacher.
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