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 pray for the comfortable sense of our reconciliation to God and our acceptance with him.
That we may have some evidence of the pardon of our sins and of our adoption.
O let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that sin has broken rejoice. Psalm 51:8(ESV)
Say to each of your children, “Take heart, my son, my daughter; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2(ESV)
Let the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify my conscience from dead works to serve you, the living God. Hebrews 9:14(ESV)
Let your Spirit witness with my spirit that I am a child of God, and if a child, then an heir – an heir of God and a fellow heir with Christ. Romans 8:16-17(ESV)
Nehemiah 9:38-10:39 In this week’s study, we look at the third stage of revival in Nehemiah, which is a formal commitment to change.
Theme
A Solemn Covenant
Things changed in Jerusalem under the governorship of Nehemiah and the pastoring of Ezra, and they did so radically. I have been calling it a revival, because that is what it was. Revival means coming to spiritual life again. The people had been spiritually dead. Now they revived, and the changes that came transformed their nation and culture permanently. Some of these changes lasted more than four hundred years up to and even beyond the time of Jesus Christ.
What were the steps of this revival? We have already seen two of them. The third stage is a formal commitment to change, expressed in a covenant. The text refers to it as “a binding agreement” (Neh. 9:38) to which the leaders, Levites and priests formally affixed their seals, the equivalent of a signature.
Four different categories of people signed the document.
At the head of the list of signatories are Nehemiah and Zedekiah (v. 1). In the New International Version, Zedekiah seems to belong to the list of priests in verses 2-8. But in the Hebrew, Nehemiah and Zedekiah are joined by the conjunction “and,” which seems to set the two of them apart as a special group representing the civil power. Probably Zedekiah was Nehemiah’s chief secretary.
The second category of signatories contains the names of Israel’s priests (vv. 2-8). There are twenty-one names in this list, the majority of which (at least fifteen) are family names. We can tell this by comparing these verses with chapter 12, verses 12-21, where the names of the priestly families are given explicitly. Ezra belonged to the family of Seraiah (cf. Ezra 7:1), the name that heads the list, which most scholars feel explains why Ezra’s name does not appear separately.
The third category contains seventeen names of Levites (vv. 9-13). Some of these are family names, but most are individuals, a number of whom appear in the list of Levites who explained and applied the law on the day it was first read, according to Nehemiah 8:7.
The final category contains the names of forty-one of the noble families of Israel (vv. 14-27). Many of these names correspond to the names of the families which are said to have returned with the first group of exiles, according to Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7. Some of the names also appear among the list of wall builders in Nehemiah 3. These signers of the covenant were meant to represent the entire people, as the concluding postscript to the list of names clearly indicates: “The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who were able to understand—all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our God” (vv. 28-29).
It is hard to imagine a more formal agreement on the part of the people, or a more intense commitment to forward spiritual change.
Study Questions
What was the third stage of this revival? How was this expressed?
Who signed the covenant? What does this indicate?
What does the language of the covenant tell us about the nature of what was being promised?
Application
For Further Study: Download for free and listen to Derek Thomas’ message, “The God of the Covenants.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
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“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
One of my goals as a Christian and as a tenured full professor of philosophy and religion at our nation’s largest research university (ASU) is to help Christian parents and students understand what to expect if they attend classes teaching radical ideologies—DEI, LGBTQ+, Antifa, decolonization, anti-settler, anti-white, and anti-heteronormativity theories. Christians know that such universities would never permit a Christian to use class time for evangelism. The radical Marxist professor seems to think that the First Amendment guarantees them a job as a professor, but it doesn’t guarantee them that anyone will attend their classes or programs.
So how did we get here, and what can parents and students do about it?
Three Steps that Led Us Here
1. The Myth of Neutrality – The first step is the myth of neutrality. Christians allowed public universities to be disconnected from Christian belief on the assumption that in a pluralistic society, public education cannot be shaped by one “perspective.” But this neutrality was a myth—and it was never practiced by the radical left.
Many on the left claim they are teaching “facts,” not religion, so they avoid the appearance of bias. Yet, for them, the Marxist dialectic is the fact of the matter. They look at who is in power and blame that power structure for realities like poverty and crime. In the modern era, white Christian males have been in power, so they become the objects of animosity.
This assessment has no nuance. These critics lump all Christians into the same narrative, ignoring that slavery, for example, was brought to an end largely by white Christian men, whereas it continues in other parts of the world today. But for the radicals, that too must somehow be blamed on colonization and, by extension, Christianity. All problems in any nation today are due, they tell us, to Christianity. Christian missionaries are the special subject of their animosity.
Twisting Christian Values –Second, they use Christian values to tie Christians up so they can’t engage in the intellectual battle. “Christians,” they say, “are supposed to be self-sacrificing and turn the other cheek. If you’re insulted, you shouldn’t reply. And don’t Christians care about the poor? Shouldn’t you help marginalized sexual groups?”
For many Christians, this strategy is powerful. They either bow out of the conflict with radicalism or even join it because they want to help those who suffer. Radicals will even quote the Bible to Christian students: “Didn’t Jesus say that when you help the least of these, you are helping Him?”
Students may be ready for a direct assault on the Bible, but they are often unprepared for scripture twisting. One radical I work with says she loves Jesus just not the other parts of the Bible made by men. Which parts of what Jesus says does she like and which parts are made by men? She likes the parts that accord with her own moral intuitions (two or three sayings about helping others) and all the rest, those that call for repentance for sin, those that tell the crowd to seek the bread of life, those that call us to love him by keeping his commandments, those she dismisses.
The False Dilemma – Third, we need to prepare for the false dilemma. A false dilemma gives only two options when more are available. It says, “either A or B,” when there is also C, D, E, and so on.
In a false dilemma, each side may contain some truth. Rarely does a belief system teach only falsehoods. The Marxist is right to care about the poor and to point out that greedy people misuse the capitalist system to exploit others. But the Marxist’s ability to identify real sins does not validate the rest of their worldview.
The Horizontal Solutions
Radical professors try to solve humanity’s problems on a merely human level—what I call the horizontal level. They believe crime and poverty result from private property. Eliminate private property, they argue, and we will create perfect humans.
But the other side of the false dilemma is no better. There we find godless capitalism, pushed by atheist technocrats who want to perfect humanity through technology and transhumanism built on capitalist innovation.
Both sides offer merely horizontal solutions.
The Need for a Vertical Perspective
The real solution begins with recognizing that there is more to existence than the merely human or merely material. We must begin with God, who has existed from eternity. We are His creatures, made by Him and given moral direction by Him. Our chief end is to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.
Our human problem is first and foremost our sin by which we lost communion with God. Our sin destroys every aspect of our lives. It makes us hate ourselves and have body dysmorphia, it makes us hate our neighbor and develop grievances and envy, and it makes us hate God. Although God’s commands are good for us and are the path to life, in our sin we hate his law and find it a burden.
Jesus warned the crowds following Him that they sought only material bread when they should have been seeking the Bread of Life. Poverty is tragic, but there are far worse things—such as spiritual death. Jesus was clear that we should not be focused on “what shall I eat and what shall I wear” but on the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:24-26). He was clear that “Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).
Why the Radical Turns to Marxism
The desire to help the downtrodden is why many godless academics are drawn to some variation of Marxism. Created in the image of God, they still long for justice and righteousness, even after abandoning God. They suffer under the weight of sin that crushes individuals and entire systems.
But rather than repent, many will just harden their hearts, double down on hating God, and propose their materialist dialectic. The “spiritually minded” simply add New Age platitudes about “the universe,” “my soul,” “reincarnation,” or “the One.”
The False Dilemma Exposed
The false dilemma appears because both perceived options—Marxism and materialistic capitalism—reject God.
Some forms of capitalism assert that the individual is the absolute owner.
Marxism asserts that the community is the absolute owner.
But the truth is that only God can absolutely own anything.
Capitalism has real virtues: personal responsibility, private property, fair wages, investment of capital, wise use of time. It has raised more people out of poverty and produced more innovation than any other system. But if it becomes mere human ownership for selfish indulgence, it is as ugly as Marxism.
We do not have to pick between two poisons. What happens in the university is that Marxists point out abuses in capitalism, and the unprepared Christian is caught and made captive to unbelief.
Preparing the Next Generation
We need to teach our children to see through these tactics. Help them anticipate the assaults of Marxist radicals so they are not caught off guard—and so they can raise questions exposing the folly of the materialist dialectic.
If they know the strategy in advance, they can counter it. Or better yet, they can choose alternative classes and professors. No one is required to take courses from Marxist radicals. Let them lecture to empty rooms.
Recommended Resources:
Was Jesus Intolerant? (DVD) and (Mp4 Download) by Dr. Frank Turek
Correct not Politically Correct: About Same-Sex Marriage and Transgenderism by Frank Turek (Book, MP4, )
How Philosophy Can Help Your Theology by Richard Howe (DVD Set, Mp3, and Mp4)
Dr. Owen Anderson is a Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Arizona State University, a pastor, and a certified jiu-jitsu instructor. He emphasizes the Christian belief in God, human sin, and redemption through Christ, and he explores these themes in his philosophical commentary on the Book of Job. His recent research addresses issues such as DEIB, antiracism, and academic freedom in secular universities, critiquing the influence of thinkers like Rousseau, Marx, and Freud. Dr. Anderson actively shares his insights through articles, books, online classes, and his Substack.
Jesus had more impact on the history of human thought than any otehr person who has ever lived. Period. He even impacted the spiritual beliefs of religious believers around the globe. Even non-Christian worldviews acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth.
To see more training videos with J. Warner and Jimmy Wallace, visit the YouTube playlist.
For more information about the impact Jesus and His followers had on science, read Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World That Rejects the Bible. This unique and innovative book makes a case for the historicity and Deity of Jesus from history alone, without relying on the New Testament manuscripts. It contains over 400 illustrations and is accompanied by a ten-session Person of Interest DVD Set (and Investigator’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case.
Over the years, I’ve stood at a lot of deathbeds, conducted a lot of funerals, said goodbye to a lot of my friends and family, and counseled more people in grief than I can remember. Two types of questions come up again and again among those standing by the graveside of a loved one:
Where is my daddy right now? Where is my loved one? Is my little girl alive right now somewhere?
How is it going with them? What are they doing right now on the other side of the grave? How are they?
Those aren’t new questions. They’ve been discussed throughout history — including among those who lived in New Testament times. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Christians so they would not be ignorant “concerning those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:13, NKJV). Falling asleep was, of course, a metaphor for death — the same one Jesus used to describe Lazarus (John 11:11). Dr. Luke described Stephen’s death as him falling asleep (Acts 7:60), and Paul described the death of David in the Old Testament the same way (Acts 13:36).
When people ask, “Where is my loved one now?” following his or her death, they obviously are not asking about the body. They’re asking about the person’s soul. The material body is laid in the grave, but what happens to the immaterial person?
The Bible has the answer, and it is illustrated clearly in a story told by Jesus about two individuals who went to two different places when they died.
A Story of Two People
You’ve likely heard the story Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31). Let’s pause here because this story offers something we don’t see anywhere else in the Bible: a unique glimpse into the afterlife from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ. This happens in no other place throughout Scripture, so we should certainly pay attention!
Also, notice I refer to these verses as a story, not a parable. That’s important. Our Lord employed a lot of parables throughout His public ministry, but there was never a time when He used someone’s given name in a parable. The characters in parables always had generic labels — “A certain man,” “a judge,” “an older brother.” But in this passage, Jesus told us of a man named Lazarus. This was a specific man with a specific name. Why? Jesus was telling a real story.
Because this is a real story, it gives us real insight into what Lazarus and the rich man experienced after death — which means it also gives us real and meaningful insight into what our loved ones experience after they die. This is a story with real answers for each of us.
Two Men Contrasted in Life
Jesus didn’t name the rich man, but many over the centuries have referred to him as Dives (pronounced Dye-vees) because dives is the Latin term for “rich man.” This particular wealthy man showed his riches by dressing in purple garments and fine linen, and by eating sumptuous foods of the finest quality for every meal. He was outwardly wealthy, displaying his assets for all to see.
The second man, Lazarus, wasn’t the brother of Mary and Martha whom Jesus raised from the dead. This Lazarus was a poor beggar. Instead of fancy clothes, his body was covered in sores. Instead of dining on fancy foods, he spent much of each day lying outside the gates of Dives’s house, hoping someone would provide him a few crumbs from the rich man’s table. Lazarus was in such bad shape that “the dogs came and licked his sores” (Luke 16:21, NKJV).
Two Men Contrasted in Death
After introducing these two men, the story takes a turn by jumping to the moment of their deaths:
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Then he cried and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” But Abraham said, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.” (Luke 16:22–26, NKJV)
To understand where these two men went when they died, we have to understand the Old Testament’s teaching about the afterlife. Before Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the Bible teaches there was an intermediate place where souls went after death. This place of the dead had two divisions separated by “a great gulf fixed” (Luke 16:26, NKJV).
On one side was Paradise, also known as Abraham’s bosom. This was a temporary “heaven” where the righteous dead went. It was a place of comfort, love, and companionship. On the other was a temporary “hell” called hades. This was a place of torment for the unrighteous dead. And between these two places was a great, uncrossable gulf.
THE PLACE OF THE DEAD (Luke 16)
Paradise (Abraham’s bosom)
The Great Gulf (Fixed)
Hades
A temporary heaven
A temporary hell
A place for the righteous dead
A place for the unrighteous dead
A place of comfort, love, and companionship
A place of torment
Now let’s take a closer look at what happened to these two men in the story Jesus told.
Jesus said that when Lazarus died, he was carried by the angels to “Abraham’s bosom” (verse 22). As we have seen, the term Abraham’sbosom is another name for Paradise, or the place where the spirit of Old Testament believers went when they died.
Please note: Jesus did not say, “Lazarus was carried by the angels to heaven.” I will explain why in a moment.
But Dives went to hades where he was “in torment” (verse 23). In verses 23–31, Jesus went on to describe hades as a place of misery, memory, and mourning. In many respects, the rich man and Lazarus changed places. The proud man of time became the beggar in eternity. The one who in life denied the poor man a crumb from his table was now begging the poor man to give him a drop of water on his finger. The one who in life fared sumptuously every day would now be happy with just one drop of water to cool his tongue.
A Story of Two Places
Now let’s directly and definitively answer the question: What happens today to people when they die? The Bible says they go to one of two places.
The Unsaved Go to Hades
When a person dies today without knowing Christ, that person’s body goes in the grave, and his or her soul and spirit go to hades, the intermediate “hell,” until a particular point in time in the future. This is where the rich man in Jesus’ story remains today.
But here’s what we need to understand. Revelation 20:13–14 says that after the judgment at the Great White Throne, death and hades will give up those who are in them, and they will all be cast into the lake of fire forever. There will be a moment of final judgment that is still to come.
The Saved Go to Heaven
As we have seen, when Old Testament believers died they went to the temporary “heaven” called Paradise or Abraham’s bosom. This was a place of peace, but it wasn’t yet heaven. Then something incredible happened on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday that changed everything. Jesus, though His body rested in the grave, descended in spirit to the place of the dead — the realm we have been talking about. And He didn’t go there to suffer. He went to declare victory! He stepped into the unseen world and announced the triumph of the cross.
We know this because of what Jesus said to the repentant thief: “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43, NKJV). Remember, at that time Paradise was the temporary place where the souls of the righteous dead were gathered.
Jesus went there and 1 Peter 3 tells us He “proclaimed to the spirits in prison” (ESV). Ephesians 4 says He “descended into the lower parts of the earth” and “led captivity captive” (verses 8–9, NKJV). And in Revelation 1:18 (NKJV), Jesus declared, “I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
What did Jesus do in the place of the dead? He preached victory to the fallen angels, the unrighteous dead, and to the Old Testament saints who had long waited for the Messiah. And then, in triumph, He led the righteous out of that waiting place and into the very presence of God.
In other words, Jesus took the Old Testament believers from Paradise into heaven. Since then, believers no longer pass through an intermediate heaven at death. The soul and spirit of every believer now go directly to heaven because Paradise is now in the presence of God (2 Corinthians 12:2–4).
Where Are They Now?
So here is the answer to the question, “Where are they now?”
If your loved ones were followers of Christ, I can tell you for sure where they are. Their bodies are in the grave, waiting for the day of resurrection at the rapture; their souls and spirits are in heaven! And in 2 Corinthians 5:1–5, Paul hinted at the fact that they have some kind of intermediate body as they await their full resurrection at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
Think back to what Abraham told the rich man in Jesus’ story from Luke 16: “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us” (verse 26 NKJV). Scripture also says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27, NKJV).
The Bible does not tell us we’ll have a second chance to secure the redemption of our souls after death. Rather, it says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
The rich man in Luke 16 could have heard and heeded the truth of the gospel, but he let the days slip away until there was no time left. I urge you not to make the same mistake.
Questions for Further Reflection
Read John 14:3 and Philippians 1:23. What is the most important thing about our being in heaven once we have died?
Have you ever looked around and thought, There has to be more than this? You’re not alone … and you’re right. Heaven is your forever home. In The Promise of Heaven, Dr. David Jeremiah invites you to lift your eyes above the disappointments and burdens of this world and catch a glimpse of the one to come.
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” (7:21–23)
A Jew could use the term lord simply as a title of respect and honor, given to any political, military, or religious leader, including teachers. But for those people to say, Lord, Lord, suggests much more than human respect, as their following comments make clear. That they claimed to have prophesied, cast out demons, and performed miracles in Jesus’ name indicates they acknowledged Him as Lord in a supernatural way. Lord was a common Jewish substitute title for Jehovah, or Yahweh, which name they considered too holy to utter. Therefore to address Jesus as Lord was to address Him as the one true God. To address Him as Lord, Lord was to add a spirit of intense zeal to demonstrate strength of devotion and dedication. In verse 22, the three references to your name are emphatic and convey the significance of who He is. Jesus is therefore talking about those who make a profession of faith in Him. These people claim to be followers of the God of Israel, the Creator and Lord of all earth. Not only that, but they acknowledge Jesus Himself to be divine, because they will say to Me [that is, to Jesus] on that day, “Lord, Lord.” And the fact that they have claimed so many outstanding works in His name tells us they are especially fervent religious workers. The final judgment, on that day, is presented here in general, without reference to the distinction between the separate tribunals for believers (2 Cor. 5:10) and for unbelievers (Rev. 20:11–15). That day is a frequently used reference to the era of divine judgment known throughout Scripture as “the day of the Lord” (Isa. 2:12; Joel 2:1; Mal. 4:5; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; etc.). Matthew uses that day here and in 24:36, where it refers to the second coming of the Savior. It is noteworthy that the second coming parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1–13) makes reference to those virgins who are shut out of the kingdom as crying out, “Lord, Lord,” to which He also replies, “I do not know you” (vv. 11–12). These few passages together reveal that Matthew has in mind the unspecified season of judgment that will accompany the return of Jesus Christ. That some of the ones Jesus is talking about here are true believers is shown by His saying, Not everyone and many. The same many who entered the wide gate (v. 13) are now at the end of the broad way facing the Judge. For some people, however, the claim Lord, Lord will be legitimate, because Jesus will have indeed been their Lord on earth and they will have served Him genuinely. If Jesus is speaking about the great white throne judgment, many professing believers who are not genuine will already have spent centuries in hell awaiting their final judgment (see Luke 16:23–26; Acts 1:25). Because they were so zealous and active and diligent in religious work—in the Lord’s own name—they are incredulous that they are even standing before Christ to be judged. Even at that time they will address Christ as Lord and speak to Him in desperation with the greatest respect and sincerity. Their words and their works will seem impressive to them, but their lives will not support the claim of their lips. In Luke 6:46 Jesus said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” It is not the one who simply claims the Lord, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven who is saved. The issue is obedience to the Word of God. “If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine,” Jesus said (John 8:31; cf. 6:66–69; Matt. 24:13; Col. 1:22–23; 1 Tim. 4:16; Heb. 3:14; 10:38–39; 1 John 2:19). Salvation and obedience to the will of God are inseparable, as the writer of Hebrews makes clear: “He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (5:9; cf. Rom. 1:5; 6:16; 15:18; 16:19, 26; 1 Pet. 1:2, 22). Jesus’ word to the disobedient claimers will be, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. All their words of respect and honor and all their works of dedication and devotion will be declared empty and worthless. They may have had God’s name in their mouths, but rebellion was in their hearts. His saying, I never knew you, does not, of course, mean that Jesus was unaware of their identity. He knows quite well who these persons are; they are deceived professing Christians whose lives were spent in the practice [of] lawlessness. “To know” was a Hebrew idiom that represented intimate relations. It was frequently used of marital intimacy (see Gen. 4:1, 17; etc.; where “had relations” is literally “knew,” as in the KJV). It was also used of God’s special intimacy with His chosen people Israel and with all of those who trust in Him. In a unique and beautiful way the Lord “knows those who take refuge in Him” (Nah. 1:7). The Good Shepherd knows His sheep intimately (John 10:1–14). Jesus therefore will say to those who claim Him but never trusted in Him, I never knew you. “I have never known you as My disciples, and you have never known Me as your Lord and Savior. We have no intimate part of each other. You chose your kingdom, and it was not My kingdom.” Depart from Me is the resulting final sentence to hell, and is identical in thought to the judgment of Matthew 25:41 at the Lord’s return: “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” The lake of fire awaits all false professors (Rev. 20:15). Practice lawlessness is a present participle in the Greek, indicating continuous, regular action, and identifies the unforgiven sin and unrighteous life patterns of those claimers of salvation. You continually and habitually practice lawlessness is the idea. Profession of Christ and practice of lawlessness are totally incompatible. A good tree cannot bear that sort of fruit (Matt. 7:18; John 3:4–10). A good tree not only can but will bear good fruit, and a life that professes to be Christian, but in no way reflects Christ’s righteousness, has no part in Him. That kind of profession comes from the kind of faith that has no works and is dead (James 2:17). It is the demon faith James refers to (James 2:19), which is orthodox and accurate, but unholy. In the ultimate and most tragic sense such a false profession is to take the Lord’s name in vain. “The blasphemy of the sanctuary,” G. Campbell Morgan observed, “is far more awful than the blasphemy of the slum” (The Gospel According to Matthew [New York: Revell, 1929], p. 79). Mere professed devotion to Christ is but another Judas kiss. The Lord knows well that even His most faithful disciples will fail, stumble, and fall into sin. Otherwise He would not have told us to pray, “Forgive us our debts” (Matt. 6:12). And when “we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). No Christian is sinless, but the fact that we continually confess our sins, seek the Lord’s forgiveness, and long for righteousness (Matt. 5:6) is evidence that we belong to Him. God’s will may not be the perfection of the true believer’s life, but it is the direction of it. Those who continually practice lawlessness, however, give evidence that they do not belong to Christ. They do not recognize or confess their sins or hunger for righteousness, because they have no part of Christ. All religious activity, no matter how orthodox and fervent, that does not result from obedience to the lordship of Christ and the pursuit of His glory is rebellion against the law of God, which demands heart conformity. This passage is all the more amazing when one considers the impressive works that those professing believers claim to have accomplished. They tell the Lord, Did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? As already mentioned, we know from verse 21 (not everyone) that some of these claims will be made by genuine believers. And because Jesus does not question the factualness of the claims, it is possible that actual prophecies were made, demons cast out, and some kind of miracles performed even by those who were not genuine believers. There are three possible explanations for the claim of the false believers. It may be that they were allowed to do those amazing works by God’s power. God put words in Balaam’s mouth, even though that prophet was false and wicked (Num. 23:5). King Saul, after he became apostate had the “Spirit of God [come] upon him mightily, so that he prophesied” (1 Sam. 10:10). The wicked high priest Caiaphas unwittingly and unintentionally “prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation” (John 11:51). A second possibility is that those amazing acts were accomplished by Satan’s power. Jesus predicted that “false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24). The unbelieving sons of Sceva, for example, were Jewish exorcists, who made their living casting out demons (Acts 19:13–14). Mark 9:38–40 tells of someone outside the apostles casting out demons. Paul promises false signs in the last days, lying wonders of Satan (2 Thess. 2:8–10). Acts 8:11 describes the work of a satanic sorcerer. Today there are miracle workers, healers, and exorcists who claim to work for Jesus Christ but are satanic deceivers. A third possibility is that some of the claims were simply false. The prophecies, exorcisms, and miracles were fake and contrived. No doubt all three will be represented. But whether the works themselves were done in God’s power or not, the people who did them did not belong to Him and did not truly recognize Him as Lord, despite their profession. They had no part in His kingdom or its righteousness, and those works, whether genuine or false, divine or Satanic, would stand them in no good stead before the judgment seat of Christ. The words of an engraving from the cathedral of Lübeck, Germany, beautifully reflect our Lord’s teaching here:
Thus speaketh Christ our Lord to us, You call Me master and obey Me not, you call Me light and see Me not, you call Me the way and walk Me not, you call Me life and live Me not, you call Me wise and follow Me not, you call Me fair and love Me not, you call Me rich and ask Me not, you call Me eternal and seek Me not, if I condemn thee, blame Me not.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985–1989). Matthew (Vol. 1, pp. 477–480). Moody Press.
Nominal Christians
Matthew 7:21–23
In the final verses of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ has been warning his hearers against the things that can hinder a listener from going on to that full commitment to Christ that is the true gate to salvation. He has warned against the idea that salvation can come to a man in the normal course of things, that is, without true personal decision and conversion. He has warned against the false teachers and their doctrines. Now Jesus turns to a danger that lies within the heart of the individual himself. It is self-delusion, or deception. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matt. 7:21–23). This means that the listener to the gospel must not count on a mere belief in Christ’s person on the one hand, or the performance of great works in his name on the other hand as proof of his own salvation. These things will not save him. Rather, he must assure himself of his relation to Jesus Christ personally.
Cheap Grace
Dietrich Bonhoeffer knew the reality of this kind of self-delusion in the Lutheran Church in Germany in his day, and “cheap grace” was his term for describing it. Here was a church, like many of the denominations in America, in which the profession of faith was present and in which good works were done, but in which most of the people had simply not been born again. They were taught “grace,” but it was grace without conversion. As Proverbs says, there are “those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth” (Prov. 30:12). In The Cost of Discipleship Bonhoeffer writes, “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” This is precisely what we find in many large sectors of the so-called church of Jesus Christ in our day. Several years ago Arthur W. Pink declared, “Never were there so many millions of nominal Christians on earth as there are today, and never was there such a small percentage of real ones.… We seriously doubt whether there has ever been a time in the history of this Christian era when there were such multitudes of deceived souls within the churches, who verily believe that all is well with their souls when in fact the wrath of God abideth on them.” And then he added, “And we know of no single thing better calculated to undeceive them than a full and faithful exposition of these closing verses of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount.” In the light of these truths, it is evident that Christ’s words are a particularly pertinent warning to those who blithely believe a few doctrines, or who perform a smattering of so-called good works and yet have never entered into that kind of true commitment to Christ which results in increasingly costly obedience and in true discipleship.
False Confidence
Does that describe you? Are you one who is correct in doctrine but who has never come to the point of knowing the Lord personally? If you are, the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to you when he says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” What does that mean? Well, the address, “Lord, Lord,” is actually a confession of faith. The word “Lord” (both in Hebrew and in Greek) is a word that denotes divinity. In the Old Testament, “Lord” is the word “Jehovah,” a name for God. In the New Testament the word for “Lord” is kyrios, by which citizens of the Roman Empire were required to confess the godhead of Caesar. Thus, Jesus says that there will be those in the history of the church who will confess his divinity but who will never have entered into a true personal relationship with him. Such persons will be found throughout the church, and even, unfortunately, in its pulpits. Someone will say, “Can that be? Can a man come out of seminary and still not be born again?” He certainly can. Moreover, a man can sit in the pews of a local church for years firmly believing that Christ is God, that he died on the cross, and even that he is coming back one day to judge the world, and yet never come to the place where he trusts that same Jesus Christ as his Savior. That was the case with Luther. Luther was so concerned for his soul that he left his training in a secular occupation to enter the monastery of the Augustinian hermits in Erfurt, Germany. Erfurt’s monastery was popular and respected. There Luther soon made good progress and was ordained to the priesthood. He studied Scripture, becoming a doctor of theology. He lectured on the Psalms, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, and Titus. Now, if anyone had asked Luther at this point in his life, “Do you believe in the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ?” he would have answered, “Of course, I do. I have always believed it.” If you had asked him, “Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross and that he died for your sin?” he would have answered, “Yes,” even though he did not then understand what that meant and was not born again. If you had asked, “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is coming back again to judge the world?” Luther would have answered, “Yes, I do, and I tremble at the thought.” Yet at this point in his life Luther did not know the Lord personally. Jesus was God, but not his God. Jesus was Lord, but not his Lord. Jesus was Savior, but not his Savior. Before the peace that he craved became his and before he could be used of God as the great Protestant reformer, he had to confront Jesus Christ himself. Because a man can believe certain Christian doctrines with his head and yet not be converted, there always will be counterfeit or nominal Christians in church circles. Some of them will be dangerous, for they will be planted there by the devil to deceive the unwary, like tares in field of wheat. Others will only be self-deluded. Whatever the case, however, the world will be able to point to them and say, “Ah, look at those hypocrites; that’s why I’m not a Christian.” Do not be discouraged by that. Just be sure that you are not one of them. Ask the Lord to reveal the state of your own heart before him and allow him to lead you to the fullness of belief in Christ and commitment to him.
Good Works
Doctrine is only the first area in which many persons find a false spiritual confidence. There is a second area also; that is works (v. 22). There will always be somebody to say, “It’s not just that I believe these things and hear sermons about them, I really serve Christ. I prophesy in his name. I cast out demons. I do wonderful works.” Now Jesus says that it is quite possible for a person to be baptized, to be confirmed, to take communion, to serve on a church board, even to be a missionary, and still never have been born again. So he says, “Examine your heart, you youthful reformers, you church members, you servants of the church, you preachers. Are you born again?” The Bible says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). This latter verse does not mean that there are not to be good works in Christianity, for there certainly should be. However, good works have to be those that come forth out of the life of Jesus Christ within. That is why, for instance, in theology the phrase “faith and works” is used. Faith is not mere intellectual assent to certain doctrines, the kind of belief that Jesus warned about earlier. It is commitment, or personal trust. Thus the phrase means that there must be personal commitment, and then, growing out of that, there must be good works. These are the two oars of the ship that are meant to propel it forward. If only one oar is present, there will be trouble. In one of the great battles that took place between the Greeks and the Persians just prior to the Greek Golden Age, there was an incident that perfectly illustrates this principle. The Persian fleet had sailed from the Bosporus out along the Macedonian coast and then down the edge of Greece to Attica. It finally met the Greek ships in the bay of Salamis just off Athens. The Greek ships were lighter and quicker; the Persian ships were cumbersome. So, in the battle that followed, the Greeks made short work of the Persians. In one particular encounter a Greek ship managed to sail close to a large Persian vessel and brush by its side. Because it had done this quickly, the Persian oarsmen did not have time to draw their oars in, although the Greeks did. The result was that the Greek ship broke off all of the oars on that side of the Persian vessel. Few on the Persian ship realized what had happened, and because the oarsmen on the other side continued rowing, the ship swung around in a circle leaving a fresh set of oars visible to the Greek captain. The Greeks then reversed their ship, trimmed off the other set of oars, and sank the enemy. It must have been a humorous sight, the great ship going around in circles. But it is an illustration of what happens when there is faith without works or works without faith. Oh, we can generate a big storm with one oar. We can get attention. But we will just be going around in circles spiritually. Real Christianity is a personal relationship to Jesus Christ through faith resulting in a new life that goes forward and that is increasingly productive of good works.
Becoming a Christian
At this point you may be quite ready to say, “Yes, I acknowledge that the personal relationship you are talking about is necessary, and that I must have it. But how does Jesus become my Savior personally?” It is quite simple. To begin with you must stop what you are doing and listen carefully to his voice. It is quite easy to do the opposite. John R. W. Stott, minister of All Souls Church in London, writes in Basic Christianity: “It is tragically possible to turn a deaf ear to Him and to drown the insistent whisper of His appeal. Sometimes we hear His voice through the prickings of the conscience and sometimes through the gropings of the mind. Now it is a moral defeat, now an inexplicable spiritual hunger, now sickness or suffering or fear, through which we detect His pleading. We can listen to His call through a friend or a preacher or a book. When we hear, we must listen.” Second, when he speaks to us we must acknowledge that the things he is saying, however difficult to accept, are true and that he alone has the answer to our problems. Jesus is kind, but he does not pull punches. He will spell out the problem. Whatever form your sin may have taken, whether the sin of Abraham, or David, or the rich young ruler, or Paul—whatever it may be—he will reveal that sin to you. He will tell you why it is serious in his sight, why sin must be dealt with, and why the solution to the problem had to be his death on Calvary.
There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven, and let us in.
Finally, there must be an act by which you open the gate of your heart and admit him. Or, to put it another way, you must pass through the narrow gate to salvation. This does not mean that you are responsible for your own salvation. If you do open the door, it is because he is there beforehand moving you to do it. And yet, from your own point of view, the act itself is absolutely indispensable. C. S. Lewis, the great Christian apologist, writes of his own personal conversion: “I was going up Headington Hill on the top of a bus. Without words and (I think) almost without images, a fact about myself was somehow presented to me. I became aware that I was holding something at bay, or shutting something out. Or, if you like, that I was wearing some stiff clothing, like corsets, or even a suit of armor, as if I were a lobster. I felt myself being, there and then, given a free choice. I could open the door or keep it shut; I could unbuckle the armor or keep it on. Neither choice was presented as a duty; no threat or promise was attached to either, though I knew that to open the door or to take off the corset meant the incalculable. The choice appeared to be momentous but I was also strangely unemotional. I was moved by no desires or fears. In a sense I was not moved by anything. I chose to open, to unbuckle, to loosen the rein. I say, ‘I chose,’ yet it did not really seem possible to do the opposite.” Later, in his rooms at Magdalen College in Cambridge, Lewis made the final decision. “In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.” It does not matter in the slightest whether you feel the dejection of Lewis, the peace of Luther, or the joy of countless others. What matters is the reality of your own personal commitment to Jesus. Are you a Christian? That is the question. Is it real? The answer to that question does not depend upon your intellectual beliefs (“Lord, Lord”) or upon your good works (“Did we not prophesy in your name?”) but upon your relationship to the Lord Jesus. Have you ever asked him to be your Savior? Have you ever said, “Lord Jesus Christ, I want you to enter my heart”? If you have never done that, then you must know that you are at the gate to salvation. If you have said that, then you can be assured that he has entered your life. For he has said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matt. 5:6). He says, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).
Boice, J. M. (2002). The Sermon on the Mount: an expositional commentary (pp. 258–263). Baker Books.
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shalt be delivered.Joel 2:32
Why do I not call on His name? Why do I run to this neighbor and that when God is so near and will hear my faintest call? Why do I sit down and devise schemes and invent plans! Why not at once roll my self and my burden upon the Lord? Straightforward is the best runner—why do I not run at once to the living God? In vain shall I look for deliverance anywhere else; but with God I shall find it; for here I have His royal “shall” to make it sure.
I need not ask whether I may call on Him or not, for that word whosoever is a very wide and comprehensive one. Whosoever means me, for it means anybody and everybody who calls upon God. I will therefore follow the leading of the text and at once call upon the glorious Lord who had made so large a promise.
My case is urgent, and I do not see how I am to be delivered; but this is no business of mine. He who makes the promise will find out ways and means of keeping it. It is mine to obey His commands; it is not mine to direct His counsels. I am His servant, not His solicitor. I call upon Him, and He will deliver me.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.Psalm 9:18
Poverty is a hard heritage; but those who trust in the Lord are made rich by faith. They know that they are not forgotten of God, and though it may seem that they are overlooked in His providential distribution of good things, they look for a time when all this shall be righted. Lazarus will not always lie among the dogs at the rich man’s gate, but he will have his recompense in Abraham’s bosom. Even now the Lord remembers His poor but precious sons, “I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me,” said one of old, and it is even so. The godly poor have great expectations. They expect the Lord to provide them all things necessary for this life and godliness; they expect to see things working for their good; they expect to have all the closer fellowship with their Lord, who had not where to lay His head; they expect His second advent and to share its glory. This expectation cannot perish, for it is laid up in Christ Jesus, who liveth forever, and because He lives, it shall live also. The poor saint singeth many a song which the rich sinner cannot understand. Wherefore, let us, when we have short commons below, think of the royal table above.
I discuss Psalm 115 using Charles Spurgeon’s commentary, The Treasury of David. I focus on the Psalm’s theme of God’s glory versus heathen idols. The Psalm underscores a fervent plea for God to receive glory amidst hardship. Modern idolatry can encompass things like money, social media, and a host of other personal idols. They all detract from God’s glory. I urge reflection on true devotion.
Did you know that Charles Spurgeon wrote a commentary on every Psalm? It is called The Treasury of David. It’s available online in many places, including here.
The author of Psalm 115 is unknown. The theme of the Psalm is ‘Heathen idols contrasted with the LORD.’
In reading Psalm 115 this week, I was struck by the author’s fervency to plead that God receives all glory and not us, Lord, not us; as verse 1 says.
Not to us, LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.
Do we plead for the Lord to receive His due glory, even if we are enduring a tragic situation?
The repetition of the words, ‘Not unto us’, would seem to indicate a very serious desire to renounce any glory which they might at any time have proudly appropriated to themselves, and it also sets forth the vehemence of their wish that God would at any cost to them magnify his own name.
O, the idols that arise from every quarter, all competing for glory and stealing it from the LORD.
Their idols are silver and gold, The work of human hands. verse 4.
A stone idol of Buddha? No thank you. EPrata photo
Spurgeon said, Verse 4.Their idols are silver and gold, mere dead inert matter; at the best only made of precious metal, but that metal quite as powerless as the commonest wood or clay. The value of the idol shows the folly of the maker in wasting his substance, but certainly does not increase the power of the image, since there is no more life in silver and gold than in brass or iron.
I wonder if Alexander the Coppersmith ever repented of the damage he caused Paul. (2 Timothy 4:14) Or Demetrius the silversmith in the New Testament whose income depended on making idols of Artemis and thus incited the riot in Ephesus…was he ever converted? If not, at death they found themselves facing the actual God of all, and their mouths would find no explanation for the evil work of their hands.
verse 8 says, Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.
Spurgeon said, “Those who have sunk so low as to be capable of confiding in idols have reached the extreme of folly, and are worthy of as much contempt as their detestable deities.”
John Calvin said “The human heart is a perpetual idol factory.”
Do WE hate idols enough? What are some modern forms of idolatry? We see the Buddha statues, the crucifixes, the Mary on the half0shell figures…but what about abstract or intangible idols?
R.C. Sproul said that common modern-day idols could be things created by humans or ideas that people prioritize over God, including money, power, sex, reputation, appearance, knowledge, celebrity, and especially comfort. I’d also add social media, self-image, careers, relationships or any created thing that gets greater devotion than God can become an idol. Anything.
Verse 18.But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
Spurgeon: “Even eternity cannot exhaust the reasons why God should be glorified. Praise the Lord, or Hallelujah. Though the dead cannot, and the wicked will not, and the careless do not praise God, yet we will shout “Hallelujah” for ever and ever. Amen.”
Be concerned today that the Lord above receives His due glory. Praise Him with your lips and obey him with your actions and kindle holy affections in your heart.
Many people talk about Jesus, but not everyone trusts in Christ alone. Dr. John Crotts reveals why Solus Christus is not just a slogan, but the heart of our salvation. Learn how to identify false gospels and walk in the freedom of trusting Christ completely.
Originally aired 7/10/25: Mary takes on a topic that may be hard to hear, but is necessary, and few in the church are speaking out about it. The passage is 2 Timothy 3:1-5. When the Bible talks about perilous times, we tend to think about those headlines that appear suddenly and stand the world on its head – birth pangs, wars and rumours, Israel. And yet these verses point to a peril no one wants to talk about: the human heart. And not of unbelievers, but in the church. How in the world did we get here, loving self more than God? And yet, churches are battling this ill more and more to the point where believers are staying away. Yes, lack of sound doctrine plays a part – sometimes. But when narcissism begins to work its evil throughout a church, flowing primarily from controlling and unaccountable leadership, who is watching out for the sheep? What is a “form of godliness”? Why does Paul say to avoid such? What are the qualifications for pulpit ministry? Christians tend to be gracious and put up with a lot of mischief from leadership, as long as the doctrine is sound. But what does God think about those who mistreat His people? Let’s let the Word do the talking on this one, but talk about it we must. The gentiles lord it over others, but it should “not be so among you”. A challenging hour on an elephant-in-the-room topic. PDF transcription – click here.
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (8:12)
As noted in the previous chapter of this volume, the word again appears to link this passage with 7:37–52, rather than 7:53–8:11, likely not in the original. More important, this is the second of seven “I am” statements in John’s gospel that reveal different facets of Christ’s nature as God and His work as Savior (cf. the discussion of 6:35 in chapter 20 of this volume). John had already used the metaphor of light to describe Jesus (1:4, 8–9; cf. Rev. 21:23), and it was one rich in Old Testament allusions (cf. Ex. 13:21–22; 14:19–20; Neh. 9:12, 19; Pss. 27:1; 36:9; 43:3; 44:3; 104:2; 119:105, 130; Prov. 6:23; Isa. 60:19–20; Ezek. 1:4, 13, 26–28; Mic. 7:8; Hab. 3:3–4; Zech. 14:5b–7). By claiming to be the Light of the world Jesus was clearly claiming to be God (cf. Ps. 27:1; Isa. 60:19; 1 John 1:5) and to be Israel’s Messiah, sent by God as the “light to the nations” (Isa. 42:6; cf. 49:6; Mal. 4:2). Jesus Christ alone brings the light of salvation to a sin-cursed world. To the darkness of falsehood He is the light of truth; to the darkness of ignorance He is the light of wisdom; to the darkness of sin He is the light of holiness; to the darkness of sorrow He is the light of joy; and to the darkness of death He is the light of life. The analogy of light, as with Jesus’ earlier use of the metaphor of living water (7:37–39), was particularly relevant to the Feast of Tabernacles. The daily water-pouring ceremony had its nightly counterpart in a lamp-lighting ceremony. In the very Court of the Women where Jesus was speaking, four huge candelabra were lit, pushing light up into the night sky like a searchlight. So brilliant was their light that one ancient Jewish source declared, “There was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that did not reflect [their] light” (cited in F. F. Bruce, The Gospel of John [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983], 206 n. 1). They served as a reminder of the pillar of fire by which God had guided Israel in the wilderness (Ex. 13:21–22). The people—even the most dignified leaders—danced exuberantly around the candelabra through the night, holding blazing torches in their hands and singing songs of praise. It was against the backdrop of that ceremony that Jesus made the stunning announcement that He is the true Light of the world. But unlike the temporary and stationary candelabra, Jesus is a light that never goes out and a light to be followed. Just as Israel followed the pillar of fire in the wilderness (Ex. 40:36–38), so Jesus called men to follow Him (John 1:43; 10:4, 27; 12:26; 21:19, 22; Matt. 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21). The one who follows Him, Jesus promised, will not walk in the darkness of sin, the world, and Satan, but will have the Light that produces spiritual life (cf. 1:4; Pss. 27:1; 36:9; Isa. 49:6; Acts 13:47; 2 Cor. 4:4–6; Eph. 5:14; 1 John 1:7). Having been illumined by Jesus, believers reflect His light in the dark world (Matt. 5:14; Eph. 5:8; Phil. 2:15; 1 Thess. 5:5); “They, having kindled their torches at His bright flame, show to the world something of His light” (Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979], 438). Akoloutheō (follows) is sometimes used in a general sense to speak of the crowds who followed Jesus (e.g., 6:2; Matt. 4:25; 8:1; 12:15; Mark 2:15; 3:7; Luke 7:9; 9:11). But it can also refer, more specifically, to following Him as a true disciple (e.g., 1:43; 10:4, 27; 12:26; Matt. 4:20, 22; 9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:27; Mark 9:38). In that context, it has the connotation of complete submission to Jesus as Lord. God does not accept a half-hearted following of Christ—of receiving Him as Savior, but not following Him as Lord. The person who comes to Jesus comes to Him on His terms, or he does not come at all—a truth Jesus illustrated in Matthew 8:18–22:
Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”
An even more striking illustration of that principle is found in Jesus’ dialogue with the rich young ruler:
A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” (Luke 18:18–27)
In a shocking contradiction of contemporary evangelistic principles, Jesus actually turned away an eager prospect. But the Lord was not interested in making salvation artificially easy for people, but genuine. He wanted their absolute allegiance, obedience, and submission. In Luke 9:23–24 He said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” (For a discussion of the biblical view of the lordship of Christ, see John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus, rev. ed. [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994], and The Gospel According to the Apostles [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1993.) Following Christ is not burdensome, as walking in the light illustrates. It is far easier than stumbling around in the dark (cf. Jer. 13:16).
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). John 1–11 (pp. 333–336). Moody Press.
“I Am the Light of the World”
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
It is not an accident that the claim of the Lord Jesus Christ to be the light of the world occurs immediately after the story of the woman taken in adultery, the story that introduces the eighth chapter of John’s Gospel. The story of the woman taken in adultery may not have been in the original text of John’s Gospel, that is, in the first copy of the book as John wrote it. But whether it was there initially or not, few can doubt that the place where it finally was put was well chosen; for it follows well on the failure of an original plan by the rulers of Israel to arrest Jesus, and leads naturally into Christ’s statement about being the light of the world. The story of the woman and her accusers is a greater revelation of the dark nature of sin than anything yet recorded in John’s Gospel, and in it the purity and brightness of Jesus shine through abundantly. It is appropriate to turn from the story itself to hear the Lord say, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (8:12). Jesus already has been described as light in John’s Gospel. In the opening chapter John wrote, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men” (v. 4). He spoke of the light six times in that context. In chapter 3 there is a similar reference. John said, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (v. 19). This verse and those immediately following refer to light five times in reference to Jesus. In each of these cases the image is in John’s words only, however. So we read these verses and, if we have not read further, we find ourselves asking, “But why does John refer to Jesus in this way? Where did he get this image? How did he develop this idea?” It is only when we get to our present text that we discover the answer. John refers to Jesus as the light because Jesus referred to himself as the light. Indeed, John obviously remembered this and so developed the images even further in this Gospel and in 1 John. Jesus’ claim to be the world’s light is the second of the seven great “I am” sayings that are a unique feature of this book. The others are: “I am the bread of life” (6:35), “I am the gate” (10:7, 9), “I am the good shepherd” (10:11, 14), “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25), “I am the way and the truth and the life” (14:6), and “I am the true vine” (15:1, 5).
The Cloud in the Desert
If we are to understand the full import of what Jesus was claiming when he claimed to be the light of the world, we must understand this verse in terms of that to which Jesus was undoubtedly referring. This is particularly important because it is not what we would most naturally think. We read this verse—“I am the light of the world”—and we think of the sun. Indeed, we are encouraged to do that by uses of this image elsewhere, as in Malachi where the coming Messiah is spoken of as the “sun of righteousness … with healing in its wings.” This is not a bad thing to do. There is even much to be learned from it. But it is not the image Jesus is using in John 8:12. To understand what Jesus had in mind as he spoke to the people we must remember that these words were spoken shortly after the Feast of Tabernacles in the courtyard of the temple area (v. 20) where the ceremonies that were a part of that feast were conducted. We already have noted one of these ceremonies. On each morning of the eight-day feast the priests of Israel joined in a procession to the pool of Siloam from which they drew water in golden pitchers. Then, returning to the temple area, they poured this water upon the altar of sacrifice. As they did this the people, many of whom accompanied the priests, sang and chanted. One verse used was Isaiah 12:3: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Another was Psalm 114:7–8: “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.” The use of Psalm 114 shows that the ceremony was conceived primarily as a remembrance of God’s provision of water for the people of Israel during the years of their wilderness wandering, though it also pointed forward to the spiritual water that men would draw from God in the day of God’s future visitation. It was probably at the high point of this ceremony that Jesus broke into the festivities by crying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37–38). The second ceremony was similar. On the first night of the feast, and probably on succeeding nights also, after the sun had set, two great lamps were lighted in the courts of the temple. These were said to have cast their light over every quarter of the city. The lamps were meant to recall the pillar of cloud and fire that had accompanied the people in their wanderings in the desert. This was the cloud that had appeared on the day when the people left Egypt and had stood between the Israelites and the pursuing armies of the Egyptians the night before the crossing of the Red Sea. It kept the Jewish people from being attacked. Later it guided the people through the wilderness. It also spread out over them to give shade by day and light and warmth by night. I believe that it was in clear reference to the ceremony of lighting the lamps and naturally, therefore, also to the miraculous cloud itself that Jesus referred when he claimed to be this world’s light. This conclusion is supported by the fact that if it is so, then we have a striking succession of three great wilderness images in chapters 6; 7, and 8 of John’s Gospel. In 6, Jesus is the new manna sent down from heaven. In 7, he is the water miraculously provided from the rock. In 8, he is the cloud. We therefore turn to the cloud itself and to its functions in order to determine the full meaning of this second of the “I am” sayings in John’s Gospel.
God’s Presence
Why was the cloud important? The most obvious way in which the cloud was important was that it symbolized God’s presence with the people. This would be obvious from the fact that the cloud gave off light. For in an age that did not know an abundance of artificial light, light would always suggest God’s presence. Besides, the cloud was so huge and so striking that this in itself would suggest a theophany. We see this in the texts that refer to this unique phenomenon. For instance, the first reference to the cloud in the Old Testament clearly identifies the presence of the Lord with it. “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night” (Exod. 13:21–22). Other passages tell us that God spoke from the cloud and that he sometimes broke forth from it in judgment upon the sins of the people. In one striking passage the cloud is even addressed as God, for God is said to have raised himself up when the cloud rose and to have descended when the cloud descended. “Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, ‘Rise up, O LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.’ Whenever it came to rest, he said, ‘Return, O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel’ ” (Num. 10:35–36). At no time in their wandering were the people of Israel able to forget that the presence of God went with them and overshadowed them in all they did. Apply this now to the claim of the Lord Jesus Christ. Long years before, the cloud of God’s glory had departed from Israel. It once had filled the Holy of Holies of the temple before which Christ was standing. Now the innermost shrine was empty, and even the lamps that commemorated the departed cloud had gone out. In this context and against this background Jesus cried, “I am the light of the world. I am the cloud. I am God with you.” Here was God once again with his people. Have you found God in Jesus? Is Jesus, God with you? There is no other place in which you may find him. Come to him if you have never done so, and learn to say with John and the believers of all ages: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Protection
Second, the cloud was important in that it was the primary means by which God protected the people. Without it the people would have perished many years before they entered Canaan, either from their human enemies like Pharoah and his armies or from the natural dangers of the desert. We must remember at this point that when the people of Israel left Egypt there were probably about two million of them. The Bible says that there were 600,000 men, but, of course, wives and children need to be added to that number. This vast company of people was being led out into a desert region that, as anyone who has ever been there can tell you, is one of the most inhospitable regions on earth. In the daytime the temperature can easily reach 140 or 150 degrees, and at night it can fall below freezing. To survive in such a region the vast host of Israel needed water and a shelter from the sun. The rock, which Moses was instructed to smite with his rod, provided water. Shelter was provided by the cloud, which spread out over the camp of the people to give them protection. Without this special and miraculous provision the people would have died. We sing about God’s protection of the people in one of our hymns, a hymn that many who sing it probably do not understand.
Round each habitation hov’ring,
See the cloud and fire appear
For a glory and a cov’ring,
Showing that the Lord is near!
Thus, deriving from their banner
Light by night and shade by day,
Safe they feed upon the manna
Which he gives them when they pray.
In the same way the Lord Jesus Christ is a protector for all who come to him and follow him.
The Moving of the Cloud
Third, the cloud was important because it was the primary means by which God guided the people while they were in the desert. There were few, if any, landmarks in the desert, and the people would not have recognized landmarks even if they had seen them. Besides, the heat of the desert produces mirages, distorts distances, and makes most terrains indistinguishable. How were the people to find their way? How were they to avoid wandering into hostile territory or around in circles? The answer God gave was the cloud. When the cloud moved they were to move; indeed, they had to move, for if they had remained where they were they would soon have died from the heat of the desert by day or from the cold at night. When the cloud remained in one place, they remained. One long passage in Numbers makes this particularly clear. “Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses” (Num. 9:17–23). We can easily see how this applies to Christ’s statement. For when he claimed to be the light of the world in clear reference to the cloud of Israel’s wandering, he was claiming not only that he was God with his people, or that he was the one who would protect them, but also that he is the one who gives guidance. Thus, when Jesus moves before us we are to move. When he abides in one place we, too, are to remain there. Moreover, we are to avoid two errors. The first error is to be overly hasty in following him; that is, to follow so closely upon the moving of the cloud that we mistake its moving and find ourselves going in another direction. If we tend to make this mistake, we must remember that there was to be a clear space between the guiding ark over which the cloud rose and the people—about “two thousand cubits” (three-fifths of a mile)—that there be no mistakes about the road. Alexander Maclaren, who writes on this theme, observes, “It is neither reverent nor wise to be treading on the heels of our Guide in our eager confidence that we know where He wants us to go.” On the other hand, we are not to be slow either. For, as Maclaren states, we are not to “let the warmth by the camp-fire, or the pleasantness of the shady place where [our] tent is pitched, keep [us] there when the cloud lifts.” The only place of true blessing is under the shadow of God’s presence.
Will You Follow?
To summarize: When the Lord Jesus Christ claimed to be the light of the world he was claiming to be these three things for his people—God with them, the source of protection, and the One who guides. These are great claims. But we must not overlook the fact that they are only for those who follow him. He said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” To follow Christ is almost synonymous with believing in Christ; for in another, parallel passage Jesus uses the same image in declaring, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46). Faith in Christ is following Christ, or at least leads to following Christ. And following Christ is possible only for those who have faith in him. Do you have faith in Christ? Are you following him? You should; for if you are, you have Christ’s promise that you will no longer be walking in darkness but will possess the light of life. The last phrase is another way of saying that you will possess Christ himself, who thereafter will become all things to you. The Bible says that he is made unto us “righteousness, holiness, and redemption,” and that it is a joy to follow him (1 Cor. 1:30).
Boice, J. M. (2005). The Gospel of John: an expositional commentary (pp. 613–618). Baker Books.
“We are either a United people, or we are not. If the former, let us, in all matters of general concern act as a nation, which have national objects to promote, and a national character to support. If we are not, let us no longer act a farce by pretending to it.” —George Washington (1785)
Kavanaugh attempted assassin sentenced: The attempted killer of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Nicholas Roske, who traveled across the country with a pistol, a lock-picking set, a crowbar, and other tools, only stopped when he saw armed guards outside Kavanaugh’s home. Roske received a surprisingly lenient sentence compared to the maximum of life in prison, partly because Roske turned himself in, but, more egregiously, also because of his recent and patently self-serving decision to identify as “transgender.” Judge Deborah Boardman, who referred to Roske by his preferred female pronouns, wrote that she took his self-identity into account, given that he will be serving time in a male prison despite his “female” self-identity. Leftmedia outlets are also pushing the lie that Roske is a woman. The DOJ intends to appeal the sentence.
Attempted SCOTUS attack: A man was arrested at 6 a.m. on Sunday outside of the Cathedral of Saint Matthew for unlawful entry, threats of kidnapping or injury, and possession of a Molotov cocktail. Police secured the scene and reported that there was no threat to public safety. FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the ATF continue to investigate. The Cathedral was preparing to celebrate its 73rd annual Red Mass, a service traditionally attended by members of the Supreme Court as they prepare for the opening of their annual term. The Supreme Court justices were denied the chance to attend the Mass due to this security threat.
Shutdown lies and Trump’s Project 2025: The federal government is currently in a partial shutdown due to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to direct Democrats to block a vote on a clean continuing resolution. But now that the “Schumer Shutdown” has happened, Democrats are disingenuously blaming Republicans. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has trolled Democrats by touting his Office of Management and Budget chief Russell Vought with a recent social media post stating, “I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent.” Trump’s reference to Project 2025 is a dog whistle to Democrats who railed against The Heritage Foundation’s creation, suggesting that it was Trump’s policy platform, a claim he repeatedly denied.
Team Trump pulls $2.1B from Chicago: In its standoff with Democrat lawmakers over the Schumer Shutdown, the Trump administration on Friday ratcheted up pressure by freezing $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago. The frozen funding was intended for Chicago’s public transit system. OMB chief Russ Vought explained that the money was “put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting.” The Windy City is undergoing a modernization project for its train system. The lack of federal funding will significantly slow down Chicago’s rail-line renovation and expansion plans. This, of course, is intended to get Democrats to end their government shutdown.
North Carolina governor signs Iryna’s Law: Gov. Josh Stein of North Carolina signed Iryna’s Law on Friday, which aims to decrease the number of criminals freed on bail and to prohibit cashless bail for certain violent crimes. The bill is named for Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed to death by a violent criminal who had been arrested and released 14 times previously. Stein, a Democrat, says he doesn’t like every aspect of the law, but he reviews possible public safety legislation on the simple criterion of whether it makes people safer, so he signed it. This bill is the least action required in the wake of Zarutska’s horrific murder, but it’s a step in the right direction.
VA Dem AG candidate facing exit heat: Focus is growing on the danger of violence associated with political rhetoric, especially coming from the Left in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. For that reason, Jay Jones, Virginia’s Democrat candidate for attorney general, is facing a growing chorus of calls to exit the race. Over the weekend, text messages from Jones, sent in 2022 when he was a state representative, surfaced exposing his vile comments to another lawmaker regarding then-Republican Speaker of the House of Delegates Todd Gilbert. Jones suggested that “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head” when included in a group with Adolf Hitler and former Cambodian dictator Pol Pot. Jones added, “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.” Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears called Jones’s statements “horrible” and “disqualifying” for someone running for office.
Appeals court rules Trump can’t end birthright citizenship: On Friday, another appeals court ruled against Donald Trump’s executive order banning the automatic application of birthright citizenship to children born to illegal aliens in the U.S. The First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston has become the fifth court to rule against Trump, writing, “The ‘lessons of history’ thus give us every reason to be wary of now blessing this most recent effort to break with our established tradition of recognizing birthright citizenship and to make citizenship depend on the actions of one’s parents rather than — in all but the rarest of circumstances — the simple fact of being born in the United States.” Last month, the Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court to rule on the question of birthright citizenship, which could result in a decision by next summer.
Dave Chappelle is tone-deaf: Popular comedian Dave Chappelle, who has developed a reputation for being a truth-teller, appears to have lost that feature on a recent comedy festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk that you’ll get canceled. I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out,” Chappelle told an audience of some 6,000 people. He then claimed, “It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.” Really? In truth, in order for Chappelle to engage in the comedy festival and garner a fat paycheck, he had to sign a contract that barred him from making any jokes about Islam, its founder Muhammad, or the Saudi government. Some free speech stalwart.
Turning Point USA chapters are booming: When an assassin silenced Charlie Kirk’s voice, it made Kirk’s message louder than ever. More than 1,500 Club America chapters — Turning Point USA’s high school offshoot — have been opened since Kirk’s death. That’s more than double the 1,200 chapters that existed when he was alive. Turning Point USA and Club America chapters require faculty sponsors, which has long been a sticking point for burgeoning chapters. However, since Kirk’s death, more faculty members than ever before have dared to stand up for conservatism on campuses.
U.S. military strikes another Venezuelan drug boat: President Trump released an official memo on Thursday informing lawmakers that the U.S. is now at war with drug cartels. On Friday, the fourth known strike on a drug-smuggling speedboat was announced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. “Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics,” Hegseth said, confirming that those on board were narco-terrorists. Critics of the administration’s hardline policy on drug trafficking say that these strikes in international waters so close to Venezuela could spark a war with the nation. The State and Justice Departments have already issued a $50 million bounty for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro.
Democrats are not serious about fighting crime. Donald Trump is.
We can certainly debate the merits of Trump’s decisions to deploy the National Guard to help combat crime in Washington, DC, Memphis, Portland, and Chicago. Democrats are absolutely litigating Trump’s moves, fighting harder against that than they do against the crime running rampant on their streets.
The latest legal move came late Sunday, when U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, a Trump appointee, temporarily blocked the administration’s order to send troops to Portland, Oregon. The crux of the issue is that after her temporary restraining order against sending Oregon National Guard troops, Trump instead said he’d deploy California National Guard personnel — over the objections of Democrat Governors Tina Kotek and Gavin Newsom.
“Donald Trump tried to turn our soldiers into instruments of his political will,” Newsom crowed, “and while our fight continues, tonight the rule of law said ‘hell no.’”
Next up is Illinois. According to Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, “Amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness, that local leaders like [Democrat Governor JB] Pritzker have refused to step in to quell, President Trump has authorized 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets.”
Pritzker, who runs a sanctuary state for illegal aliens, pushed back, posting in a long X thread, “It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.”
“We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion. It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops,” he continued. “There is no reason a President should send military troops into a sovereign state without their knowledge, consent, or cooperation.”
President Abraham Lincoln, call your office.
Now, let’s back up a minute and consider why Trump is doing what he’s doing.
The why is the important part, according to Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. “I have no desire to put [criminals] in jail,” even after multiple crimes, he said. Instead, “I don’t know his or her story. Maybe they were abused as a child. Maybe they’re hungry. But my remedy is to find their life story to see how we can help.”
Trump was born in… Okay, I’m kidding. We won’t back up that far.
In DC, Trump’s rationale was pretty simple: Democrats in charge of the federal district’s government were not doing their job to clean up the streets, so he took charge. Despite Democrat denials, it worked.
His authority in other cities is less clear, but the rationale is largely the same. A key difference is that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and facilities have come under attack in Portland and Chicago, and Trump aims to secure federal property and personnel. Democrats have run both cities for a long time, and both are infamous for their lawlessness and rampant crime.
On Saturday, Judge Immergut contended that there is “substantial evidence that the protests at the Portland ICE facility were not significantly violent or disruptive in the days — or even weeks — leading up to the President’s directive.” While she was issuing her order, law enforcement officers were using pepper balls and chemical irritants to battle an unruly mob gathered outside an ICE facility.
There is concern in Portland that the city’s police department is effectively complicit with antifa thugs. In fact, the Justice Department has opened an investigation to determine the extent of this issue after videos revealed officers arresting a journalist and letting thugs go.
Also on Saturday in Chicago, what the media call “a female motorist” rammed her vehicle into ICE vehicles as part of a coordinated attack by “protesters” in other vehicles that boxed in ICE agents. An armed agent shot her. The assailant was also armed at the time, and other people threw bottles and rocks at enforcement officers.
Law enforcement officers are putting their lives on the line for the Rule of Law, and Pritzker blames them for the chaos.
“They are the ones that are making it a war zone,” Pritzker argued of ICE agents. “They want mayhem on the ground. They want to create the war zone, so that they can send in even more troops.”
Remember that, just a couple of weeks ago, a man with a rifle ambushed an ICE facility in Dallas, aiming for agents but killing two detainees. He was motivated by the kind of rhetoric Pritzker continues to spout daily. In between the Dallas and Chicago attacks, Pritzker called ICE agents “jackbooted thugs.”
Chicago police, by the way, were ordered away from the scene of the ICE attack, and then the department lied about it.
Still think Trump has no reason to send Guard troops to secure certain cities?
“They are just putting out their propaganda,” insists Pritzker.
Given the choice between supporting violent criminals and Donald Trump, Democrats are choosing the violent criminals every time.
Douglas Andrews: Dems Ramp Up the Violent Rhetoric — At a moment when fundamental decency dictates that the Democrats tone down their violent rhetoric and police their own, they’ve opted instead for more cowbell.
Emmy Griffin: FDA Expands Generic Abortion Pills, Endangering Many Lives — The government needs to revoke the approval of mifepristone. In the meantime, pro-life advocates are joining the growing outcry against this step backwards in the fight for life.
Thomas Gallatin: Trump’s Plan to Reform Higher Education — His administration has rolled out a compact that offers preferential funding and other benefits for schools that agree to and follow through on meeting the goals of the new program.
Gregory Lyakhov: Trump Should Refuse the Nobel Peace Prize if Awarded — The Nobel Peace Prize was once the world’s most prestigious recognition of leadership in the pursuit of peace. Today, its credibility is collapsing.
Roger Helle: My Fatal Heart Condition — I recently worked with Ukrainian soldiers struggling with post-traumatic stress, and they had the same undiagnosed heart condition from which I had suffered.
Update on Charlie Kirk Assassination — Officer Tatum has confirmed evidence that debunks almost all of the conspiracies surrounding Kirk’s assassination.
Keller vs. Kirk: Who Was Right? — Timothy Keller or Charlie Kirk? Third way between Left and Right, or just being right? Which way should the church go?
“MAGA Finds It’s George Floyd: Charlie Kirk isn’t the first martyr to be used as a cudgel.” —headline and subheading in The Atlantic
“I wear two things now: the American flag … and a paper clip. What did the teachers in Norway do when there was a Nazi occupation? They started wearing paper clips.” —American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten
Re: Balancing the Budget
“It’s the season when our great political leaders in Congress finally have to stand up tall and decide who in the federal government will get the tens and hundreds of billions of dollars we don’t really have and will be borrowing for our grandchildren to pay off.” —Michael Reagan
“If you pray for rain, you’ve got to be prepared to deal with the mud. I don’t know how Senator Schumer plans to deal with the mud, because we will never, ever agree to his $1.5 TRILLION list of demands.” —Sen. John Kennedy
“This may be the dumbest strategy that I have seen in a long time. There are two things the American people want: do not close the government, and do not raise spending. So what do the Democrats do? They say, ‘I’m going to close the government until you raise spending.’” —Newt Gingrich
“Democrats are effectively conceding that Obamacare as originally designed has failed, and the only way to keep the program functional is to dump more taxpayer dollars into it forever.” —Dominic Pino
“Democrats have declared Trump to be Hitler, but if he makes permanent the temporary healthcare subsidies from COVID-19 that cover illegal aliens and restores funding for progressive television and radio stations, he can go back to Hitler-ing to his heart’s content.” —Erick Erickson
“The actual details over the trend of federal spending — always rising dramatically — are treated as boring. How many journalists fixate on the annual deficit, or the accumulated national debt? That’s not a serious question. Don’t be a nerd.” —Tim Graham
Upright
“People are getting caught up in battles over social media memes. This is not a game. We’ve got to keep the government open for the people. … To my friend Hakeem who I was asked about, man, just ignore it. I mean, Gavin Newsom was trolling me last night. He painted me like a minion. … And I thought it was hilarious. You don’t respond to it.” —House Speaker Mike Johnson
Law and Order
“Thanks to President Trump and his vision for safe cities in America, Memphis is about to be one of the safest cities in the country.” —Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee
“There must be consequences for treason and sedition. Leftists cannot continue to believe that they are impervious to any scrutiny and prosecution.” —Allen West
Art of the Deal
“Instead of soaring UN utopian rhetoric or fueling one side with money and weapons to win these forever wars, Trump engages both aggressor and victim — even those he despises.” —Victor Davis Hanson
And Last…
“Democrats are in the uncomfortable position of appeasing what has become the party’s dominant constituency, affluent white college graduates.” —Michael Barone
ON THIS DAY in 1979, Pope John Paul II visited the White House, becoming the first Catholic pontiff to do so in America’s two-century history.
Please join us in prayer for our nation — that righteous leaders would rise and prevail and we would be united as Americans. Pray for the protection of our uniformed Military Patriots, Veterans, First Responders, and their families. Lift up your Patriot Post team and our mission to support and defend our legacy of American Liberty and our Republic’s Founding Principles, in order that the fires of freedom would be ignited in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.
Lady Justice is wearing a blue blindfold, winking at criminals who align with the radical Left while slamming the gavel down on anyone who dares wave an American flag or enforce the law.
Friend of the Treehouse John Spiropoulos has put together a series of videos explaining how President Obama, FBI Director James Comey and CIA Director John Brennan constructed a coverup to hide their political surveillance operation. Today there are two video segments that deserve focus.
From the perspective of Obama, Comey and Brennan, expanding Hillary Clinton’s Trump-Russia collusion narrative was the key element to hide the activity of the administration prior to the November 2016 election. That’s the motive for the FBI and CIA to collaborate on the agenda after the shocking outcome of the 2016 election result; but pay close attention to the activity of the primary “at risk” official, James Comey.
The December ’16 Joint Analysis Report (JAR), and the January ’17 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), were fabricated to enhance a spying coverup. Spiropoulos has taken the time to put the deconstruction of the ICA into a simple to follow video format. Two parts below:
The next segment is below. Pay particular attention to the person who actually triggered the cancellation of the December 9, 2016, Presidential Daily Brief. It wasn’t Obama, it was James Comey.
From a risk management perspective, initially the surveillance and spying operation was a low-risk endeavor. Obama held power and was going to hand off operations to Hillary. The Clinton administration would retain the officials who were doing the surveillance/spying, and no one would ever know.
Donald Trump was not expected to win the election. When he did, all of the participants were suddenly at risk. President Obama and every member of his cabinet involved in the spying operations, then used Clinton’s “Russiagate” smear to cover up Obama’s “Spygate” activity.
The IRS was used to identify targets 2010 through 2012, until discovered in April ’12. Suddenly, President Obama has a problem. President Obama then sends his Chief of Staff, Jack Lew, to run the IRS and block discoveries around the IRS weaponization.
From 2012 through April 2016, the Obama administration was spying on their political opposition using the FBI to conduct surveillance through their access to the NSA database.
In April 2016, NSA Admiral Mike Rogers was alerted by the NSA compliance officer who noted the uptick in database access activity by the FBI searching the Republican primary candidate field.
Post April 2016, the Obama administration had a problem. Enter FBI operation “Crossfire Hurricane,” July 2016, in an effort to remove the political risk.
October 2016, the FBI rushes a FISA application through the FISC, circumventing the missing ‘Woods File’, with the Chris Steele dossier as evidence.
October 2016, NSA Director Rogers sends the first official notification of the FBI using the NSA database to the oversight body, the FISA Court.
December 2016, worried about Trump now discovering the NSA database spying, the Obama administration wraps the Clinton smear into official policy, blaming the Russians and validating Crossfire Hurricane. That’s where the Intelligence Community Assessment becomes critical.
May 2017, needing to extend the coverup of the FBI activity, special counsel Robert Mueller then takes over Crossfire Hurricane. All FBI evidence and personnel transfers to Mueller.
April 2019, Robert Mueller operation wraps up, prior activity coverup shifts to Impeachment process.
July 2019, John Durham kicks in extending DOJ/FBI control through 2020 election.
Fall 2020, mail-in ballots triggered to facilitate 2020 election outcome.
January 2021, FBI triggers Operation Arctic Frost, targeting Trump supporters and 2020 election researchers. FBI again using NSA database search queries to identify targeting.
March 2021, FBI Arctic Frost results fed to J6 Committee and DHS. TSA trigger “Quiet Skies” targeting via results from Arctic Frost.
It’s one long continuum of coverup activity within Main Justice and the FBI, supported by all other various agencies who operate in support. What are they covering up? The 2012 through 2016 political spying operation within the Obama administration, as carried out by the same Main Justice and FBI operations.
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination, the question remains: how should the church respond? On this week’s Truths That Transform, Dr. Rob Pacienza and Lauren Cooley, VP of Public Affairs at the Institute for Faith & Culture, reflect on Charlie’s life, legacy, and Lauren’s early days serving with him at Turning Point USA. You’ll also hear Rob’s powerful message declaring that—even in dark days—the Gospel cannot be silenced, and the church will advance.
As Gaza ceasefire talks continue, Hamas is objecting to some terms of the peace deal and making demands for its own conditions, but President Trump – while sounding positive about the discussions – warns Hamas that if they try to cling to power, they face ‘complete obliteration,’ and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it’s now up to Hamas, and a retired IDF General tells CBN News he believes the tables have turned against Hamas; Chris Mitchell talks about whether or not the Israeli government believes ‘Hamas is done,’ how Hamas might respond to the talks in the days ahead, the big sticking points in the negotiations, the possibility that Israel could end up in control of Gaza here, and more; in the US, a movement to encourage evangelical pastors to run for office; a Christian outreach this summer in Mallorca, Spain – bringing the Gospel to a major nightlife area; and a look at the Museum of Christian and Gospel Music, which opened this weekend in Nashville.
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