God in the manger | The Angels’ Announcement to Mary

THANKS TO THE INCREASINGLY PERVASIVE ROLE of the mass media, people of every generation during the twentieth century heard some very memorable, and at times unexpected, news announcements. Such declarations, both print and broadcast, concerned crucial events that shaped the history of the century. For example, a few people still remember the newspaper extras of November 11, 1918 that heralded the end of World War I. A few more will recall the dramatic and exhilarating headlines of May 1927 that said Charles Lindbergh had officially completed his daring attempt to be the first aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic. Even more folks can remember the somber news of September 1939—the beginning of World War II in Europe—and December 7, 1941—the surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor and American entrance into the war. Many more will remember what they were doing on November 22, 1963 or January 28, 1986 when they first heard the shocking bulletins that President John F. Kennedy had died from gunshots or that the entire crew of the space shuttle Challenger had died when the craft exploded shortly after liftoff.
As huge, staggering, and widely proclaimed as those modern news announcements were, each is almost inconsequential when compared to the startling and far-reaching announcement of Jesus Christ’s birth, which Mary heard from the angel Gabriel. That simple, lovely, unmistakably clear narrative explicitly features the divine character of the event. There is no more miraculous, compelling announcement in all of history than that which opens Luke’s familiar and beloved account of the birth of our Lord:

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:26–33)

This is the angel’s promise that God was coming into the world, but it’s not the first time God made such a promise. Gabriel’s announcement actually heralded the beginning of the promise’s fulfillment. The monumental news of the Incarnation broke with supernatural surprise to Mary and soon dispelled the mundane tedium that was human history at that time. The news was part of God’s plan of redemption, which He devised even before the creation of the world. And the Holy Spirit previewed that plan from the opening of Scripture, at the start of human history. God originally established the hope of a Savior in Genesis 3:15, and the divine authors of the Old Testament kept it alive for millennia in the hearts of believers (Gen. 49:10; Deut. 18:15; Ps. 2:6–12; Isa. 7:14; 9:6–7; 52:13–53:12; Dan. 2:45; 7:13–14; 9:26; Mic. 5:2).
The Old Testament is filled with prophecies and promises concerning the coming Messiah (approximately 350). At the end of Luke’s Gospel, when the risen Jesus walked on the road to Emmaus with several disciples, Luke records the following interaction: “‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:25–27).
So it’s clear that the angel’s words to Mary are part of the fulfillment of God’s ancient promises. Those words possess a striking and unmistakable quality of simplicity—yet there is enough wonder and amazement in the announcement’s basic elements so that any open-minded person ought to embrace them and exult over their reality.

THE DIVINE MESSENGER

The best way to grasp the significance of the angel’s announcement is to look at it from God’s perspective. Everything about the proclamation was divine, including first of all its divine messenger. That God would send a message by means of a holy angelfor the second time in less than a year (Luke 1:11–20)—was in itself amazing. God’s people had not seen or heard from an angel in more than four hundred years. During that time there had been no revelation from the Lord, no miracle, and certainly no sequence of miracles. But then for the second time in the span of a few months the same angel appeared, both times with an extraordinary birth announcement to an ordinary person.
Luke 1:26 identifies the divine messenger as Gabriel, the same angel who came a few months earlier to the priest Zacharias with news about John the Baptist’s birth.
Gabriel is one of only two angels who are actually named in the Bible. The other one, Michael, is a superangel, associated with assignments requiring power and strength. Gabriel is God’s supreme messenger, who brought great, glorious, and crucial announcements from heaven. In Daniel 9, for example, he delivered the all-important pronouncement to Daniel regarding the rest of redemptive history, as unfolded in the incredible vision of the seventy weeks. And now the message of Christ’s forthcoming birth was so critically important that Gabriel again announced it.
Gabriel delivered the most astounding and significant birth announcement ever. And it was even more incredible because he brought it directly from the throne of God. Luke 1:19 says, “‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.’” This high-ranking angel of God came down out of heaven to a Galilean town called Nazareth. And that town, population several thousand, was quite obscure to the outside world. Galilee, an official region north of Jerusalem, was recognizable to most people; therefore, Luke gave his readers a better idea of the town where Christ would grow up by identifying it by regional location.
One of the remarkable facts about Galilee’s role in the story of Jesus’ birth is that the region was not the center of Jewish culture and religion. In fact, it tended to be more Gentile in its orientation, with a significant non-Jewish population surrounding the area. That’s why the district north of Jerusalem was called Galilee of the Gentiles. It’s quite intriguing that when God made the direct, formal announcement of the coming of His Son, the promised Jewish Messiah and King, it came to a part of Israel that was intersected by many Gentiles. We can almost paraphrase God’s intention this way: “My Son will come to a family from Nazareth in Galilee, because He will be the Savior not only of all Jews who believe, but also of believers from every tribe, tongue, and nation.”

THE PERSON OF DIVINE CHOICE

Luke’s account of Christ’s birth announcement continues its divine perspective by reporting God’s choice of the special person who would be Jesus’ mother. That person is identified as “a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary” (1:27).
Not only did the Father send an angel to a small, obscure town in Galilee, to one specific house—He also chose one of its residents to have a major role in the birth of Jesus. That person was a young teenager named Mary. The name Mary is the Greek form of the Hebrew Miriam and means “exalted one.” Beyond that, we know virtually nothing about Mary’s background, because the Bible does not tell us anything. (For a profile of Mary, see chapter 7 of my book In the Footsteps of Faith [Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1998].)
In Luke’s account, “virgin” is the Greek word parthenos, meaning “one who has had no sexual relations.” As we alluded to in chapter 1 of this study, the term was never used of a married woman. So we can be certain that Mary was truly a virgin. And in that regard, Mary’s marital status followed the normal Jewish practice, which was in turn patterned after Roman law of that day. Girls were engaged at twelve or thirteen years of age (around the time of reaching puberty) and married at the end of the engagement period. That practice ensured that adolescent girls maintained their virginity until marriage.
When you think about it, God’s sovereign choice of Mary to be the mother of Jesus is most astonishing. Out of all the women He could have chosen—queens, princesses, sisters or daughters of the wealthy and influential—He chose an unknown, unassuming young woman named Mary from an obscure village called Nazareth. But God’s plans and purposes often do not unfold in the manner we, as humans, would have selected.

THE DIVINE BLESSING TO MARY

As amazing as any announcement’s messenger might be, and as fascinating as the identity of the primary recipient is, the most important aspect of any announcement—what people really want to know—is the content. And the content of most everyday pronouncements is usually fairly mundane, often striking us as boring and uninspiring. That is certainly not true regarding the introductory content of Gabriel’s announcement.
Luke 1:28–30 confirms that the angel’s incredible message is indeed from God and contains His blessing: “And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’”
In keeping with Luke’s simple, unadorned narration, Gabriel merely entered the house and greeted Mary with a benign “hello” (usually translated “hail” or “rejoice”). Mary, who was apparently alone and preparing food at the time, must have received the angel’s greeting as a definite understatement. But there was a reason the greeting did not come with elaborate heavenly fanfare or intense drama. Divine wisdom undoubtedly knew a low-key introduction would prevent Mary from panicking. After all, she had never seen an angel before; and such a phenomenon could have frightened her, since she was an inexperienced youth. So a calm, reassuring, human-style voice was best for this most special situation.
Gabriel’s next statement clearly and immediately revealed that the divine blessing sovereignly bestowed on Mary was nothing less than God’s grace. However, for centuries the Roman Catholic Church has not embraced that truth, but instead has misled its adherents by accepting the Latin Vulgate Bible’s inaccurate translation of Luke 1:28. During that time, Catholic commentators, writers, and theologians have propagated the familiar but wrong rendering, “Hail, Mary, full of grace.” That has led millions to accept the seriously erroneous belief that Mary is the source of immeasurable grace, which she bestows on others.
Simply reading and understanding the entirety of Gabriel’s opening statement easily refutes that heresy: “‘highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’… ‘you [Mary] have found favor with God’” (vv. 28, 30). Those words are not praising Mary for her inherently virtuous, godly, or worthy character. The angel’s message to her simply said that God had freely chosen to give grace to Mary—that is what made her favored and blessed.
Gabriel had to use such an expression because, before God, Mary was unworthy in her own strength. That means she was a sinner, and sinners need God’s grace. In that sense, Mary was just like you and me—she had no grace to dispense, because she needed the saving grace only God can give. Therefore, she was the recipient of grace, not the source or bestower of it.
Mary did not respond with pride or smug self-satisfaction, as the Catholic view might suggest, but instead she reacted to Gabriel’s statement with humility and perplexed pondering. “But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was” (v. 29). The angel’s appearance did not shake Mary as much as did the nature of his words. “Considered” refers to a state of mind that is disturbed, confused, and perplexed. But why would Mary have reacted that way to the message? Simply because she knew she was a sinner who did not deserve to receive God’s grace. That’s why later she praised God and called Him, “God my Savior” (v. 47).
Mary knew what all righteous, believing people know—that she needed a Savior. And that is probably the best indication we have that Mary was a true believer. All genuinely righteous people are distressed when they face God (or in Mary’s case, one of His holy angels) because they know they’re sinners. As she pondered Gabriel’s message, Mary very well may have asked herself over and over, Why would God ever want to choose me, an unworthy sinner, to be the recipient of His amazing grace? Why would the Lord single out me for such special privilege? To her, it was staggering; nothing on earth could have prepared her for such a breathtaking opening announcement.
Even though Mary’s primary response to Gabriel’s words was one of perplexity and serious pondering, she also reacted with fear. Such supernatural appearances always generated a certain amount of fear and trembling in the human witnesses (Luke 1:13; 2:10). Therefore, it was appropriate that the angel would give Mary some words of assurance: “‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God’” (1:30). Gabriel was not coming to Mary in judgment, so there was nothing for her to fear.
God affirmed that He had extended His grace to Mary for no other reason than it suited His good pleasure and perfect plan. The issue was not Mary’s individual worthiness or human merit; it was God’s sovereign choice. God exercised the same prerogative centuries earlier when He spared Noah and his family from the Flood: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8).
Mary later acknowledged God’s incredible grace and mercy toward her: “‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name’” (Luke 1:46–49). She uttered those words of praise, not as the “blesser,” but as the “blessed.”
God’s special blessing to Mary, granted in the opening act of the wonderful drama of Christ’s birth, boldly highlights the truth that the Lord gives no grace to those who refuse Him. But as with His unique graciousness to Mary, He grants abundant grace to His chosen ones.

THE DIVINE CHILD

The astonishing appearance of the angel to Mary and the wonderful truth that God had shown great grace to her were just the beginning phases of Gabriel’s momentous announcement. Luke 1:31–33 unveils to Mary for the first time what the essence of God’s extraordinary work in her life would be: “‘And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’”
That is the fourth part of the divine announcement—Mary will be the virgin mother of the divine child, Jesus, the King and Redeemer.
If the angel’s initial statement that Mary had found favor with God jolted her and caused her much serious reflection, imagine how much more shocking these new words were to her. If it was challenging for Mary to comprehend divine grace extended to her, it must have been even more difficult to grasp that she would conceive God’s own Son in her womb.
Mary knew only one way to conceive, and that was to have sexual relations with a man. But she had never had a marital relationship, a fact she attested to with the simple question, “‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’” (v. 34). That was her euphemistic way of affirming that she was still a virgin.
Scripture doesn’t tell us what other reactions Mary had to this latest news, but we can reasonably guess her thoughts were something like this: Well, maybe I’ll conceive right after Joseph and I are finally married—after the celebration is over and the marriage is consummated. Surely this news can’t be fulfilled any other way. Humanly speaking, such thoughts would be understandable, because no young woman would think she could have a child without the involvement of a man.
But Mary is not left to wonder and speculate how Gabriel’s words will be fulfilled. He provided a most amazing answer to her question—“‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible’” (vv. 35–37).
Gabriel was explaining his earlier words (v. 31), which were only a general reference to the virgin birth. However, like another angelic statement in Matthew 1:23, those words were taken from the Greek translation for Isaiah 7:14. Thus, Gabriel’s explanation to Mary was the beginning of a fulfillment of that well-known prophecy: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” His elucidation supports the conclusions we drew in chapter 1 of this study, namely, that Jesus had to be born of a virgin to be the Son of God and a genuine Savior of sinners.
All of Gabriel’s words about the divine child, Jesus, constitute a summary of the entire person and work of our Lord and Savior. The summation appears rather simple on the surface, but the complexity of each facet challenges our ability to grasp and appreciate all that the angel said to Mary. It is truly awesome to contemplate Jesus’ saving work (in His name), His perfectly righteous life, His title of deity, and His kingly position—all in the same concise overview.

Jesus’ Saving Work

First, the angel gives a preliminary indication of the Child’s saving mission. Jesus’ name itself comes from the Hebrew Yeshua, which means “Jehovah saves” (Matt. 1:21). (The God of the Old Testament was a saving God, and His people knew it; 2 Sam. 7:23; Job 19:25; Isa. 44:21–23; 45:21; Hos. 14:2; Joel 2:12–13; Jon. 2:9.) Later in Luke’s description of the Incarnation, he reiterates and underscores the point that the Child, Jesus, was the long-awaited Savior: “‘For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (2:11); “‘For my [Simeon’s] eyes have seen Your salvation’” (2:30); “And coming in that instant she [Anna] gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (2:38). And later in his Gospel, while chronicling Christ’s ministry in Perea, Luke conveyed in Jesus’ own words the reason He came: “‘for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’” (19:10).

Jesus’ Perfectly Righteous Life

People use the word great in reference to all kinds of things: “Have a great day.” “That was a great film.” “That would be great.” But such frequent uses of this and other similar adjectives tend to water down and trivialize the very notions we try so hard to communicate. Consequently, we often have to struggle with additional adjectives to fully convey what we mean.
That’s the impression Luke 1:32 gives with Gabriel’s simple statement that Jesus would be great. Certainly there must be a more gripping way to describe the upcoming life of the Messiah. Some commentators would say it’s better to translate the Greek word for “great” as “extraordinary.” Or it might be better still to substitute the adjective splendid. Then additional terms, such as magnificent, noble, distinguished, powerful, and eminent, come to mind; but they still don’t allow us to speak as excitedly as we ought about the life of Jesus. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit regarded the simple designation “great” as sufficient to describe the extraordinary life of the divine child.
But is Jesus’ greatness of life the same as John the Baptist’s? After all, Luke earlier reported the angel’s words that John would “be great in the sight of the Lord” (1:15). Those words came true; however, John’s greatness was a quality God granted to him. In contrast, Jesus’ greatness is a quality not merely granted to Him, but inherently possessed by Him.
Christ’s greatness is best understood in relation to what the apostle John wrote about Him:

But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: 
  “Lord, who has believed our report?
  And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
  Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:
  “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
  Lest they should see with their eyes,
  Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
  So that I should heal them.”
  These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.
 (John 12:37–41)

John’s second quotation from the prophet is from Isaiah 6:9–10, when Isaiah witnessed God’s glory in the temple and spoke about Him. But when did Isaiah see the glory (or greatness) of Christ? He saw it at the same time he saw the glory of God, because the glory of Christ is the same as the glory of God. The prophet Isaiah knew that one day God was sending the Messiah, His Son, to live a perfect life among His people and to save them from their sins (Isa. 7:14; 9:6–7; 53:4–6). He had a preview of the same glory of Christ that the apostles later witnessed and wrote about (Matt. 17:1–8; John 1:14).
When Gabriel told Mary that Jesus would be great, he meant that Jesus would manifest the very glory of God. That is, people would see the attributes of God displayed through His perfectly righteous life. Whenever you study Luke or the other three Gospels, you see God in every picture of Christ. He talks like God, acts like God, thinks like God, performs miracles that only God could do, teaches truth only God would teach, and responds with the love, goodness, wisdom, and omniscience that only God could possess. And it all begins with the birth of the divine child.

Jesus’ Title of Deity

The angel continues in Luke 1:32 his summary of the person and work of Christ: “[He] will be called the Son of the Highest.” “Highest” was simply a title for God, clearly indicating that nobody is higher than He is. Mary and other righteous Jews were familiar with that title because it is used throughout the Old Testament. In fact, the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek term used by Luke is one many of us know: El Elyon, “God Most High.” That title refers to God’s sovereignty and the fact that no one is higher, more exalted, or more powerful than He is.
To identify Jesus as the Son of the Highest is to declare that He has the same essence as the Most High God. Hebrews 1:3 says this about Jesus: “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.” Jesus told His disciples, “‘He who has seen Me has seen the Father’” (John 14:9). And He boldly asserted to His Jewish opponents, “‘I and My Father are one’” (John 10:30).
Gabriel announced, and the New Testament confirms, that Jesus unquestionably was and is worthy of His divine title, because He truly is the Son of God. But His story does not consist only of His amazing birth, extraordinary life, sacrificial death, and miraculous resurrection.

Jesus’ Kingly Position

The story of Jesus will wonderfully conclude with His sovereign rule over earth and heaven. “‘The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end’” (Luke 1:32–33). The story of redemption will culminate with great precision in the glorious reign of Jesus Christ on David’s throne over the nation of Israel, by which He will establish an earthly Kingdom for a thousand years, followed by an eternal Kingdom.
As we saw in our study of the genealogy of Jesus, God sent Him to earth with the proper credentials to rule. He offered His Kingdom to His people, but they spurned it and then rejected and executed Him. However, Christ will return in glory and with omnipotence to establish His Kingdom (Rev. 19:1–21:8).
The Old Testament writers, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, foresaw the coming of Christ’s Kingdom. For example, David writes, “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession’” (Ps. 2:6–8). In 2 Samuel 7:12–16, God told David he would have a Son who would reign for-ever. And that Son was not Solomon, but the Messiah, Jesus, as confirmed by the genealogies in Matthew and Luke.
The Bible promises that all believers will be part of Christ’s Kingdom. Even though God will take us to heaven through death or the Rapture, He will include us in the millennial Kingdom. Others will be saved during the Tribulation and become members of the Kingdom. Christ will return, kill the unbelieving, and then establish His earthly Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and truth. And once the final rebellion of Satan and his followers is crushed and they’re sent to the Lake of Fire, the Lord will establish His eternal Kingdom. The magnificent words of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” perfectly describe the conclusion: “He shall reign forever and ever!”
The angel Gabriel’s divinely dispatched announcement to the young Mary undoubtedly surpasses in significance any earthly news bulletin that you or I will ever hear. In five clear and concise sentences, Gabriel summarizes all of redemptive history. The proclamation’s key elements—such as God’s amazing grace to Mary and the attributes of the divine child—ought to remind you daily that the baby once born in Bethlehem now rules your heart and will eventually be your King in the glory of heaven. What monumental truths!

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). God in the manger: the miraculous birth of Christ (pp. 27–40). W Pub. Group.

Thank God for Every Spirit-Wrought Inward Change

Matthew Henry’s “Method For Prayer”

Thanksgiving 4.35 | ESV

We must bless God if there is a saving change wrought in us by his blessed Spirit.

And has God by his grace transferred me out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son? Colossians 1:13(ESV) Has he called me into the fellowship of Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 1:9(ESV) and brought me near by his blood, who by nature was far off? Ephesians 2:13(ESV) Not to myself, O LORD, not to myself, but to your name I give glory. Psalm 115:1(ESV)

I give thanks to God always for those to whom the gospel has come not only in word, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. 1 Thessalonians 1:5(ESV)

You have loved me with an everlasting love; therefore you have continued your faithfulness to me. Jeremiah 31:3(ESV) You have led me with cords of kindness, with the bands of love. Hosea 11:4(ESV)

When the strong man, fully armed, guarded his palace in my heart, and his goods were safe, it was One stronger than he who attacked him and took away his armor in which he trusted and divided the spoil. Luke 11:21-22(ESV)

Thank God for Every Spirit-Wrought Inward Change

Preaching the Parables, Pt 3: Bringing the Message to the Postmodern | Place for Truth

Among the many genres of Scripture, the parables of Jesus hold a unique power. They are simple and profound, familiar and unsettling, inviting and confrontational. They draw hearers into a story before they realize the story has drawn them before the judgment seat of God. In a postmodern world, which is marked by suspicion of “big stories,” fatigue toward propositional speech, and a renewed attraction to narrative and symbol, Jesus’ parables stand out as timely instruments for preaching. Yet their effectiveness today does not come from capitulating to postmodern relativism. Rather, it flows from embracing what parables truly are: kingdom-charged narratives spoken by the incarnate Son of God, designed to reveal truth to the humble and conceal it from the proud.

Postmodern Hearers and the Return of Story

Postmodern thought resists authoritative claims of truth, often viewing them as power plays, cultural constructions, or oppressive metanarratives. However, postmodern people are not indifferent to meaning. They hunger for stories. They long for authentic, experiential, image-rich narratives that speak to lived reality. As Groothuis argues, although postmodernity challenges traditional notions of objectivity, Scripture’s view of truth remains robust and unshaken (Groothuis 2000). The preacher, therefore, must refuse both the abandonment of truth and the neglect of this hunger for story.

Here is precisely where Jesus’ parables shine. Stiller observes that the parables speak with “narrative energy,” reversing expectations, destabilizing assumptions, and inviting listeners into a world in which God reigns (Stiller 2005). Postmodern listeners resonate with this kind of narrative encounter. A story draws them in, a metaphor disarms them, and a twist exposes their hearts. Yet these same listeners must be guided beyond the narrative experience toward kingdom interpretation. Parables are not open-ended fables. They speak with divine authority.

The Nature of Parables: Kingdom Stories, Not Reader-Constructed Meanings

To preach parables faithfully in a postmodern age, one must understand what parables are. Plummer’s historical survey of parable interpretation demonstrates two recurring dangers: allegorical excess and subjective ambiguity (Plummer 2009). Allegory multiplies meanings based on imagination rather than the text. Postmodernity tends to make the opposite mistake. It assumes that texts have no fixed meaning at all, only the interpretations that readers bring to them.

A Reformed hermeneutic rejects both extremes. Pennington shows in Matthew 13 that Jesus’ parables are embedded within a rich narrative of fulfillment, conflict, judgment, and discipleship (Pennington 2009). They reveal the kingdom to disciples while concealing it from the hard-hearted. Thus, parables possess authorial intent and theological direction. They are grounded in the person and mission of Jesus Christ.

Jeremias famously emphasized the Sitz im Leben Jesu, contending that parables were eschatological proclamations announcing the dawning of God’s kingdom (Jeremias 1954, 101–10). Although Jeremias occasionally pressed historical reconstructions too far, his central point remains indispensable. Parables confront hearers with a decisive kingdom moment. Jesus is not telling moral stories. He is summoning hearers to repentance and faith in the decisive presence of the kingdom.

Kistemaker likewise highlights the vivid narrative color and Christological focus of the parables. He shows that they carry a unifying kingdom point that is rooted in Jesus’ identity and redemptive purpose (Kistemaker 1980). Blomberg’s “limited allegory” approach adds helpful nuance. He argues that most parables have a central point for each major character or group, always tied to the original audience and literary context (Blomberg 2012).

Together, these insights safeguard the preacher from turning the parables into either playgrounds for personal interpretation or rigid moralistic instruction. They demand careful exegesis, canonical awareness, and doctrinal clarity, which are especially necessary in a culture that prizes ambiguity and subjectivity.

Preaching Parables Today: Reformed Homiletic Moves

If the parables possess objective, Christ-centered meaning, how does one communicate them effectively to postmodern hearers?

Moore provides helpful guidelines. He urges preachers to identify the historical setting, trace the narrative tension, clarify the main kingdom point, and apply the parable pastorally to contemporary life (Moore 2022). These guidelines echo a classic Reformed conviction. Preaching must be both theologically faithful and spiritually engaging.

At the same time, the preacher must avoid reducing the parable to a proposition. Allen warns that postmodern homiletics often champions ambiguity, elevating experience over biblical authority (Allen 2000). Preachers must resist this temptation. Parables are not invitations to open-ended interpretation. They are divine confrontations.

Yet the postmodern sensitivity to narrative is not a threat. It is an opportunity. This is where Richards becomes valuable. Although not writing explicitly for homiletics, Richards emphasizes that Scripture teaches not only through propositional content but also through imaginative forms such as story, metaphor, symbol, and narrative movement (Richards 1987). His emphasis on engaging the learner’s imagination (“hook, book, look, took”) provides a pedagogical bridge for preachers who seek to communicate kingdom truth in ways postmodern listeners can actually hear.

A Reformed preaching strategy for parables might unfold as follows:

1. Begin with an experiential hook. Enter the imaginative world of the parable as Jesus’ listeners would have.
2. Walk through the narrative with clarity and color. Allow the tension, surprise, and imagery to speak.
3. Expose the kingdom point. Show how the parable reveals Jesus, confronts sin, and calls for a response.
4. Press the application. Not as moralism, but as a summons to follow the King who speaks in stories.

Snodgrass’s exhaustive research reinforces this point. Parables are not vague or indefinite. They were crafted by Jesus to reveal the nature, demands, and grace of God’s kingdom (Snodgrass 2008).

Conclusion: Parables as Pastoral Apologetics

In a culture that is suspicious of certainty yet hungry for meaning, Jesus’ parables function as pastoral apologetics. They bypass defenses, awaken imagination, and invite listeners into a world where God reigns and Christ calls. They also confront, judge, reveal, and demand faith. The preacher who handles them with exegetical integrity and narrative sensitivity is well-equipped to speak to postmodern hearers without surrendering biblical authority.

Postmodernity presents many challenges. It also presents an audience that is uniquely prepared to hear the stories of Jesus. When the parables are preached with Christ-centered clarity, pastoral warmth, and Spirit-filled conviction, they remain what they have always been: kingdom stories that change hearts.

References

Allen, David L. 2000. “Homiletics and Biblical Authority.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 43 (3): 489–515.

Blomberg, Craig L. 2012. Interpreting the Parables. 2nd ed. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.

Groothuis, Douglas. 2000. “The Biblical View of Truth Challenges Postmodernist Truth Decay.” Themelios 26 (1): 3–14.

Jeremias, Joachim. 1954. The Parables of Jesus. 2nd rev. ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Kistemaker, Simon J. 1980. The Parables of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker.

Moore, Hamilton. 2022. “Preaching Gospel Parables: Some Guidelines.” Semănătorul 3 (1): 42–63.

Pennington, Jonathan T. 2009. “Matthew 13 and the Function of the Parables in the First Gospel.” Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 13 (3): 12–21.

Plummer, Robert L. 2009. “Parables in the Gospels: History of Interpretation and Hermeneutical Guidelines.” Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 13 (3): 4–11.

Richards, Lawrence O. 1987. Books in the Masters of the Word. 4 vols. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell.

Snodgrass, Klyne. 2008. Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Stiller, Brian C. 2005. Preaching Parables to Postmoderns. Minneapolis: Fortress.

Preaching the Parables, Pt 3: Bringing the Message to the Postmodern

“I Am Against the Shepherds” says the Sovereign LORD. | Gentle Reformation

One of the most heartbreaking realities in the life of the church, and one of the clearest signs of Satanic influence within the church, is the suffering of the sheep at the hands of the undershepherds. Such realities call for faithful undersheperds to rise up in defense of the flock, and this often means taking stands against fellow elders, or at least providing the resources that wounded sheep need in their plight. Please allow me to introduce you to the Ezekiel 34 Foundation.

To say that it’s a pleasure to commend this organization is almost paradoxical. The fact that this group’s work is so sorely needed is heartbreaking. Accounts continue to come to light of vulnerable sheep in the Good Shepherd’s flock having been savaged by wolves in sheep’s clothing. The Ezekiel 34 foundation exists because this violence has often occurred not only on the watch of undershepherds, but with their support. More zealous to protect the livelihood of the wolves than the lives of the sheep whom the wolves devour, some leaders in the church have looked the other way; others have actively obstructed efforts to provide practical resources and rescue for the wounded; still others have overtly amplified their pain by trying, in the name of Christian forgiveness, to force victims back into the company of abusers whose repentance is merely rhetorical – and therefore, according to Scripture, nonexistent (James 2).

Thankfully, other church leaders have heard the Good Shepherd’s call to care for wounded sheep. They’ve worked to provide the tangible help that Scripture requires us to give to the oppressed and that typifies pure religion in the sight of our Heavenly Father (James 1 and 2). Where some undershepherds have become accusers of the wounded, others have become advocates. They’ve helped victims – particularly women and children in the church and home – to be seen and heard, which assures them that the Lord himself has heard their cries and not lost sight of them. The spiritual and practical help that wounded sheep receive is tangible, personal evidence of the Good Shepherd’s care for his flock, and every one of his sheep. And for those reasons, it is a heavyhearted, nearly paradoxical pleasure – and yet an unequivocal joy – to commend the Ezekiel 34 foundation to you.

Please check this ministry out. Please support it in prayer, including prayer that the Lord would raise up other such works; and, if possible, please support this work financially.  I think you’ll find that this foundation is well rooted in the biblical doctrine and ethics that comprise the core of truly evangelical, conservative Christian faith. That faith is on display in many tangible ways, including the fact that they operate under ecclesiastical oversight and are committed on all levels to the transparency and accountability so studiously avoided by wolves and by those who give them safe haven in the home, the church, and in public Christian organizations. The foundation’s refusal to be autonomous, and its refusal to merely tell those crying out that that we’re praying for them, that they should go their way and be blessed, or simply to “trust the process” of church help that never comes – or comes too late – commends the Ezekiel 34 Foundation as a ministry truly representative of the Good Shepherd (Micah 6:8; Matthew 25:31ff; Luke 10:25ff; John 10).

May the Lord bless the Ezekiel 34 Foundation such that all who need the help it provides will be reached; and may the Lord so convict, cleanse, and reform his church that such organizations are no longer so sorely needed.  

https://gentlereformation.com/2025/12/13/i-am-against-the-shepherds-says-the-sovereign-lord/

Was Noah’s Flood Just a Local Event? | Around the World with Ken Ham

What is your ultimate authority—God’s Word or man’s word?

Whenever we take something from outside Scripture, such as millions of years, and allow that to determine our interpretation of Scripture, we’re elevating man’s wisdom over God’s Word.

I’ve been asking this question for decades now (over 50 years!), and sadly, the answer is often “man’s word”—whether or not the person will actually admit it! Whenever we take something from outside Scripture, such as millions of years, and allow that to determine our interpretation of Scripture, we’re elevating man’s wisdom over God’s Word. It’s compromise with the simple truths of Scripture, and the end result is hermeneutical gymnastics as we attempt to make Scripture say something it simply doesn’t say.

This is true of yet another book that tries to argue biblically and scientifically for a local flood of Noah’s day: Noah’s Flood Revisited by Dr. Hugh Ross of Reasons to Believe. Dr. Ross has long been a proponent of millions of years, which necessitates a local Mesopotamia-only flood. This new book is really just a recycling of many of the same old arguments as he reinterprets God’s Word to fit into his millions-of-years belief that came out of naturalism (atheism). But how do his arguments hold up to Scripture?

Our Answers News team, Bryan Osborne and Avery Foley, hosted AiG’s Dr. Terry Mortenson to discuss Noah’s Flood Revisited and why we must reject Ross’ conclusions. I encourage you to watch and share this video:

Watch the video on YouTube.

God’s Word is clear: Noah’s flood was a global (completely covering the entire earth) event. When we start with Scripture and not man’s interpretations of the rock layers, we don’t need to creatively interpret God’s Word. We can simply allow God, the eyewitness to all of history, tell us what happened.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.

https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/global/was-noahs-flood-just-local-event/

C.H. Spurgeon: ‘Evening Brightens into Day’ | Morning Studies

“It shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light”
– Zechariah 14:7

It is a surprise that it should be so; for all things threaten that at evening time it shall be dark. God is wont to work in a way so much above our fears and beyond our hopes that we are greatly amazed and are led to praise His sovereign grace. No, it shall not be with us as our hearts are prophesying: the dark will not deepen into midnight, but it will, of a sudden, brighten into day. Never let us despair. In the worst times let us trust in the LORD who turneth the darkness of the shadow of death into the morning. When the tale of bricks is doubled Moses appears, and when tribulation abounds it is nearest its end. This promise should assist our patience. The light may not fully come till our hopes are quite spent by waiting all day to no purpose. To the wicked the sun goes down while it is yet day: to the righteous the sun rises when it is almost night. May we not with patience wait for that heavenly light, which may be long in coming but is sure to prove itself well worth waiting for? Come, my soul, take up thy parable and sing unto Him who will bless thee in life and in death, in a manner surpassing all that nature has ever seen when at its best.

Source: Daily Devotional | SermonAudio

Source: Pinterest

https://rchstudies.christian-heritage-news.com/2025/12/ch-spurgeon-evening-brightens-into-day.html

December 13 Evening Verse of the Day

THE LORD’S GLORY

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (3:20–21)

In culmination of all he has been declaring about God’s limitless provision for His children, Paul gives this great doxology, a paean of praise and glory, introduced by Now unto Him.
When the Holy Spirit has empowered us, Christ has indwelt us, love has mastered us, and God has filled us with His own fullness, then He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. Until those conditions are met, God’s working in us is limited. When they are met, His working in us is unlimited. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:12–14).
There is no situation in which the Lord cannot use us, provided we are submitted to Him. As is frequently pointed out, verse 20 is a pyramid progression of God’s enablement: He is able; He is able to do; He is able to do exceeding abundantly; He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask; He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. There is no question in the minds of believers that God is able to do more than we can conceive, but too few Christians enjoy the privilege of seeing Him do that in their lives, because they fail to follow the pattern of enablement presented in these verses.
Paul declared that the effectiveness of his own ministry was that “my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:4), because “the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power” (4:20). Throughout his ministry the apostle was concerned about “giving no cause for offense in anything, in order that the ministry be not discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God” (2 Cor. 6:3–7). Everything Paul did was in the power of God, and in the power of God there was nothing within the Lord’s will that he could not see accomplished. That same power works within us by the presence of the Spirit (Acts 1:8).
When by our yieldedness God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, only then are we truly effective and only then is He truly glorified. And He deserves glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, not only now, but to all generations forever and ever. The Amen confirms that worthy goal.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 112–113). Moody Press.

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A Great Doxology

Ephesians 3:20–21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Bible study is a kaleidoscopic experience. The lessons we learn and the experiences we have are multiple. At times the Bible humbles us, making us conscious of our sin. At other times it thrills us as we think of all God has done in Christ for our salvation. Some Bible passages instruct us. Some rebuke us. Some stir us up to great action. In some passages we seem to gain a glimpse into hell. In others, a door is opened into heaven.
The last is the case as we come to the closing verses of Ephesians 3. They are a great doxology, perhaps the greatest in the Bible. In the verses just before this Paul has reached a height beyond which neither reason nor imagination can go. He had been speaking of God’s purposes for his redeemed people, and he had expressed the wish that we should “be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (v. 19).
This is beyond comprehension; we cannot even begin to imagine how we can be filled with God’s own fullness. We stand on the edge of the infinite. And yet, Paul is still not satisfied. He has prayed that God will do something we cannot even imagine; and now, having exhausted his ability to speak and write along that line, he bursts out in praise to God who, he says, “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (v. 20).
What an amazing doxology! In the last study I spoke of Paul’s ascending requests for the Ephesians as a “prayer staircase.” But here is another staircase, a “doxology staircase.” Ruth Paxson makes this vivid by arranging the doxology as a pyramid (KJV).

Unto him
That is able to do
All that we ask or think
Above all that we ask or think
Abundantly above all that we ask or think
Exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think
According to the power that worketh in us

A verse of this scope deserves careful consideration.
The first thing the apostle says about God is that he is able to do something. The word for “do” is poieō, which actually means “to make, cause, effect, bring about, accomplish, perform, provide, or create,” as one Greek dictionary has it. It points to God as a worker, which means, as John Stott says, that “he is neither idle, nor inactive, nor dead.”
What a contrast then between this God, the true God, and the so-called gods of the heathen! In Isaiah’s day the people of Israel had fallen away from the worship of the true God and were worshiping idols, and God gave Isaiah words for that situation. He described the idols. They are, he said, nothing but pieces of lumber carved up by the worshiper. “They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand” (Isa. 44:18). God calls an idol just “a block of wood” (v. 19). He issues this challenge:

“Present your case,” says the LORD.
  “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.
“Bring in your idols to tell us
  what is going to happen.
Tell us what the former things were,
  so that we may consider them
  and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,
  tell us what the future holds,
  so we may know that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,
  so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.
But you are less than nothing
  and your works are utterly worthless.”

Isaiah 41:21–24

According to these verses, the proof of the true God’s existence is that he is able to do things. The idols can do nothing, not even evil.

Ask and Receive

The second thing Paul says about God is that he is able to do what we ask. That is, the ability of God to work is not related merely to his own concerns and interests but extends to the concerns and interests of his people. It is a statement about prayer.
Most of us are probably quite cautious in our prayers, unless we have learned to pray through a lifetime of growing in this discipline. So often we hold back in asking, afraid of embarrassing either God or ourselves. But that is not the kind of prayer God commands in the Bible.
To be sure, we do often pray wrongly. James says, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3). But for every verse that warns us about wrong prayers there are others which by example and precept teach us to pray frequently and with confidence. A favorite of mine is 1 John 3:21–22: “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.”
That verse is a great prayer promise. It says that (1) if we are praying with a clear conscience, that is, if we are being honest and open before God, and (2) if we are doing what God in his Word has commanded us to do, and (3) if we are seeking to please God in every possible way, then we can know that what we ask of God we will receive. We can know, to use Paul’s words, that God “is able to (and will) do … [what] we ask.”
What about our thoughts? Have you ever had the experience of thinking about something you would like to ask God for, but not asking him because you had no real confidence that the thing was God’s will for you? I have. There are things I pray for with great confidence. I know it is God’s will for me to conquer sin, to bless my preaching of his Word, and many such things. There are other things that I would like to see happen—the type of things God blesses and that I think would please him—but I do not always pray for them, because I have no real confidence that God wants to do them through my life and ministry or that he wants to do them now. So I hold back, only thinking about them and only occasionally mentioning them as possibilities in my prayers.
I do not know whether I am right in this. I may be wrong. I should probably be much bolder in what I pray for. But whether that is the case or not, it is a comfort to come to a verse like this and read that “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” It says that God is able to do those things that I only think about but am afraid to ask for.

All We Can Ask or Think

Paul’s doxology would have been great if he had stopped at this point, for it would be wonderful to know that God is able to do what we imagine (or think) as well as what we explicitly ask for. But at this point we are only halfway up this great ascending staircase. The next thing Paul tells us is that God is able to do all we can ask or think. It is not a question of God being only fifty percent or even ninety-nine percent able. God “is able to do … all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
It is God’s ability to do all we can ask or imagine that encourages us to stretch forward spiritually and ask for more. My father-in-law was a banker in New York City, and he frequently passed on to me the kind of jokes bankers tell one another. One was about a loan officer who tried to run a gas station in his retirement years. He had been a successful banker, but failed at running a gas station. Whenever a customer came in and asked for ten gallons of gas, he would respond, “Can you get by with five?” Paul tells us that God is not like that. He does not give half of what we ask for (if we ask rightly), but all. Indeed, it is his ability to give all we ask or imagine that encourages us to come with big petitions.

More Than We Ask

It is greater even than this, for Paul has amplified his doxology to say that God is able to do even more than all we might ask or imagine. I put it to you: Is that not your experience of God? Have you not found it to be true that whatever you ask of God (assuming you ask rightly and not with wrong motives, as James warns), God always has something bigger and greater for you—something more than you asked for? It is generally something different, something you would not have anticipated.
That would have been the testimony of all the great biblical characters. I think of Abraham. God called Abraham when he was a pagan living in Ur of the Chaldeans. He told him that he would make him into a great nation, that he would bless him and that he would make him to be a source of blessing to others. I do not know what Abraham would have understood by that at first. In time he probably came to see that the blessing to others would come as a result of the work of the Messiah who would be born in his life. But I suppose that at the beginning he just thought about having a large family which would eventually become a nation similar to those around it. Through most of his life his prayers would have focused on his lack of even one son, and he would have repeatedly asked God to give him children.
How did God answer? We know the story. We know that God did eventually give him a son, a son born to him and Sarah in their old age. And we know that Abraham had other children after that—Genesis 25:2 lists six—and that Abraham’s immediate clan grew substantially so that, at the time of the battle against the four kings of the East, Abraham was able to muster 318 trained men of war to pursue them.
But that is only the most obvious of Abraham’s blessings. In Abraham’s case the “much more” would have included the fact that Isaac, the son of promise, became a type of Jesus Christ and was used to teach Abraham about the future work of Christ, and that the nation promised to Abraham was not limited to his natural descendants, the Jews, but included the entire family of God collected from among all nations throughout all human history. These are the people who have become “as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore” (Gen. 22:17).
Certainly Abraham would testify that God is able to do more than we can ever ask or think.
Moses would say the same thing. God told Moses that he was going to cause Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave Egypt, where they had been slaves for four centuries. Moses did not want to go. He had failed once, and did not want to fail again. But when God insisted and when he showed Moses that he would work miracles through him, changing his staff into a serpent and then back again and making his hand leprous and then healing it again, Moses went.
Could Moses have anticipated the full extent of the plagues God brought on Egypt: the turning of the water of the land to blood, the multiplication of frogs, gnats, and flies, the plague on the livestock, the boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and eventually the death of the firstborn? Could he have anticipated the miracles of the Exodus: the parting of the Red Sea, the destruction of the Egyptians, the cloud that accompanied the people during their years of wandering and protected them, the manna, the water from the rock, and other miracles? Could Moses have guessed that God would appear to him again and give him the law or that he would work through him to give us the first five books of the Bible?
Moses would not even have dreamed of these things. He would have testified freely that God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine.
David would speak along the same lines. God called him from following after the sheep. He made him the first great king of Israel, replacing Saul. He blessed him beyond his greatest dreams. At the end of his long and favored life God announced that through his descendant, the Messiah, his house and kingdom would be established forever. David replied, “Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant.… What more can David say to you?… How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears” (2 Sam. 7:18–20, 22).
David would have joined others in confessing that God is able to do more than any of us can possibly ask or think, and that he does do it.
Is this not your experience? Life may not have gone exactly as you would have planned it for yourself; you may have had many disappointments. But if you are really trying to obey God and follow after him, can you not say that God’s fulfillment of his promises toward you has been more than you have asked?

Immeasurably More

There is one more statement in Paul’s doxology in which he says that God is not only able to do more than all we can think but that he is able to do immeasurably more than we can contemplate. The word translated “immeasurably” (NIV) is another of Paul’s coined words: hyperekperissou. It occurs only here and in 1 Thessalonians 3:10 in Greek literature. It can be rendered “exceeding abundantly” (KJV), “infinitely more” (PHILLIPS), “far more abundantly” (RSV), “exceeding abundantly beyond” (NASB), and so on.
How can this be? Even though Abraham, Moses, David, and others may not have anticipated the full measure of what God was going to do in their lives, what they experienced is measurable. It may take time, but it can be spelled out. Was Paul just carried away in this passage? Was he exaggerating for effect? I do not think so. After all, in the previous chapter, in a complementary passage, Paul wrote that “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6–7). In this verse Paul uses the word “incomparable” rather than “immeasurable” but his thought is much the same and indicates to my mind how the word in Ephesians 3:20 should be taken. Paul is not thinking of earthly blessings here. He is going beyond these to think of the blessings of God’s inexhaustible kindness toward us through Christ in eternity. Since eternity is immeasurable, so also are the works that God will do for us in the life to come.
In this sense the doxology ends as the prayer ended just a verse before, with reference to our being filled forever to the measure of all the fullness of God, which is immeasurable.

Power and Glory

After a doxology like this we may be so overwhelmed by the promises implied in it that we find ourselves thinking that it cannot possibly apply to us—for others maybe, for Abraham (he was a giant in faith) or Moses or David—but not for normal people like ourselves. Paul does not allow this. He ties it down to our experience by showing that the power of God which is able to do these things is the same power that is already at work in all who are God’s children. It is “according to his power that is at work within us.”
In other words, although we have not realized the full extent of God’s working—and never will, precisely because God is infinite in his workings—what we are yet to experience is nevertheless of the same substance as what we have already known, if we are genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our salvation in Christ is a resurrection from the dead, for we were “dead in … transgressions and sins” (Eph. 2:1), and it is precisely that resurrecting power of God that we are to go on experiencing. It is by that power and not by our own that these great promises are to be accomplished.
What can be added to this? Nothing but the final, direct ascription of praise to God, which is what Paul does. “To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” John Stott says, “The power comes from him; the glory must go to him.” And so it shall!

Boice, J. M. (1988). Ephesians: an expositional commentary (pp. 113–119). Ministry Resources Library.

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20, 21. When the apostle surveyed God’s marvelous mercies whereby, through the supreme sacrifice of his beloved Son, he brought those who were at one time children of wrath into his own family, and gave them “the courage of confident access,” the privilege of contemplating in all its glorious dimensions the love of Christ, and the inspiring task of instructing the angels in the mysteries of God’s kaleidoscopic wisdom, his soul, lost in wonder, love, and praise, uttered the following sublime doxology: Now to him who is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever; Amen. It is immediately clear that this doxology is not only a fitting conclusion to the prayer but also a very appropriate expression of gratitude and praise for all the blessings so generously poured out upon the church, as described in the entire preceding contents of this letter. Besides, it is Paul’s way of making known his firm conviction that although in his prayer he has asked much, God is able to grant far more. On this point the apostle, who relished superlatives (see N.T.C. on I and II Timothy and Titus, p. 75), speaks very strongly. Literally he says, “Now to him—that is, to God Triune—who is able to do super-abundantly above all that we ask or imagine (or: think, conceive),” etc. In order to appreciate fully what is implied in these words it should be noted that Paul’s reasoning has taken the following steps: a. God is able to do all we ask him to do; b. he is even able to do all that we dare not ask but merely imagine; c. he can do more than this; d. far more; e. very far more. Moreover, the apostle immediately adds that he is not dealing with abstractions. The omnipotence which God reveals in answering prayer is not a figment of the imagination but is in line with (“according to”) that mighty operation of his power that is already at work “within us.” It called us out of darkness and brought us into the light, changed children of wrath into dearly beloved sons and daughters, brought about reconciliation between God and man, and between Jew and Gentile. It is God’s infinite might which he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead, and which is now operative in our own, parallel, spiritual resurrection.
Therefore to the One who does not need to over-exert himself in order to fulfil our desires but can do it with ease, “be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.” In other words, may homage and adoration be rendered to God because of the splendor of his amazing attributes—power (1:19, 2:20), wisdom (3:10), mercy (2:4), love (2:4), grace (2:5–8); etc.—manifested in the church, which is the body, and in Christ Jesus, its exalted head. (On the concept glory see N.T.C. on Philippians, pp. 62, 63, footnote 43.)
The apostle’s ardent desire is that this praise may endure “to all generations.” The word generation, in addition to other meanings, has especially two connotations that should be considered in the present connection: a. the sum-total of contemporaries (Matt. 17:17); and b. the duration of their life on earth; that is, the span of time intervening between the birth of the parents and that of their children. In the present case, as well as in verse 5 above, the latter or chronological sense is indicated, for the phrase “to all generations” is reinforced by “forever and ever.” The latter expression means exactly what it says. It refers to the flow of moments from past to present to future, continuing on and on without ever coming to an end. Rather strangely it has been defined by some as indicating “the opposite of time,” “time without progress,” “timeless existence,” etc. But as far as creatures and their activities are concerned, the Bible nowhere teaches such timeless existence. The popular notion, also found in some commentaries and in religious poetry, namely, that at death—or according to others, at the moment of Christ’s return—believers will enter upon a timeless existence, finds no support in Scripture, not even in Rev. 10:6 when properly interpreted. If in the hereafter believers will acquire one divine “incommunicable” attribute, namely, eternity, why not the others also, for example “omnipresence”? For more on this see the work mentioned on p. 174, footnote 97.
The blessed activity of which believers have a foretaste even now but which in unalloyed and superabundant grandeur will be their portion in the intermediate state, and far more emphatically in the day of the great consummation, an activity with which the apostle is deeply concerned and for which he yearns in prayer, consists, therefore, in this, that forever and ever the members of the Father’s Family ascribe praise and honor to their Maker-Redeemer, whose love, supported by the illimitable power which raised Christ from the dead, will lift their hearts to higher and higher plateaus of inexpressible delight and reverent gratitude. Arrived in glory, their minds unobscured by sin, advance from one pinnacle of spiritual discovery to the next, and then to the next, in an ever ascending series. Their wills, then fully delivered from all the enslaving shackles of willfulness, and invigorated with a constantly growing supply of power, find more and more avenues of rewarding expression. In brief, the salvation in store for God’s children resembles the Healing Waters of Ezekiel’s vision (Ezek. 47:1–5), which, though when one enters them they are ankle-deep, soon become knee-deep, then come up to the loins, and are finally impassable except by swimming. And because of this constant progress in bliss, the answering progress in praise to God also never ceases, for

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
  Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
  Than when we first begun.”

(John Newton)

When the Holy Spirit inspired the prisoner Paul to write this overpowering doxology, Paul’s heart was moved by that same Spirit to express hearty approval by means of the solemn “Amen.”

Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Ephesians (Vol. 7, pp. 175–177). Baker Book House.

My Choice Is His Choice | VCY

https://www.vcy.org/charles-spurgeon/2025/12/13/my-choice-is-his-choice/

He shall choose our inheritance for us. (Psalm 47:4)

Our enemies would allot us a very dreary portion, but we are not left in their hands. The Lord will cause us to stand in our lot, and our place is appointed by His infinite wisdom. A wiser mind than our own arranges our destiny, The ordaining of all things is with God, and we are glad to have it so; we choose that God should choose for us. If we might have our own way we would wish to let all things go in God’s way.

Being conscious of our own folly, we would not desire to rule our own destinies. We feel safer and more at ease when the Lord steers our vessel than we could possibly be if we could direct it according to our own judgment. Joyfully we leave the painful present and the unknown future with our Father, our Savior, our Comforter.

O my soul, this day lay down thy wishes at Jesus’ feet! If thou hast of late been somewhat wayward and willful, eager to be and to do after thine own mind, now dismiss thy foolish self, and place the reins in the Lord’s hands. Say, “He shall choose.” If others dispute the sovereignty of the Lord and glory in the free will of man, do thou answer them, “He shall choose for me.” It is my freest choice to let Him choose. As a free agent, I elect that He should have absolute sway.

Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 18, The Highest King | Elizabeth Prata

Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 18, The Highest King

By Elizabeth Prata

We are flowing through a section of verses which focus on Jesus as the Second Person of the Trinity.

Further Reading

Though the verse is literally speaking about King David, the relation of David to Christ means the verse also prefigures the preeminence of King Jesus. The throne, through David’s line, would last forever through Christ.

Spurgeon, Treasury of David:

Verse 27. Also I will make him my firstborn… Among the kings the seed of David were to be most favoured and indulged with most love and paternal regard from God: but in Jesus we see this in the highest degree verified, for he has preeminence in all things, inasmuch as by inheritance he has a more glorious name than any other, and is higher than the kings of the earth. Who can rival heaven’s Firstborn? The double portion and the government belong to him. Kings are honoured when they honour him, and those who honour him are kings! In the millennial glory it shall be seen what the covenant stores up for the once despised Son of David, but even now faith sees him exalted as King of kings and Lord of lords. Lo, we bow before thee, thou Heir of all things! Our sheaves do obeisance to thy sheaf. All thy mother’s children call thee blessed. Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise. Jesus is no servant of princes, nor would he have his bride, the church, degrade herself by bowing before kings and eating the bread of a pensioner at their hands. He and his kingdom are higher than the kings of the earth. Let the great ones of the earth be wise and submit to him, for he is Lord, and he is the governor among the nations.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Also I will make him my first-born – He shall be regarded and treated by me as the first-born son is in a family; that is, with distinguished favor and honor. Compare Genesis 27:19; Genesis 29:26; Exodus 4:22; Exodus 13:12; Jeremiah 31:9. See also the notes at Colossians 1:15, notes at Colossians 1:18.

Gill’s Exposition says,

Also I will make him my firstborn,…. Or, “make him the firstborn”; make him great, as Jarchi interprets it; give him the blessing, the double portion of inheritance: so Christ is made most blessed for ever, and has all spiritual blessings in his hands; and is heir of all things, and his people joint-heirs with him. Christ is God’s “firstborn”, or “first begotten”, Hebrews 1:6, being begotten by him, and of him; … even him the Father promises to make “higher than the kings of the earth”; having a kingdom of a superior nature to theirs, and a more extensive and durable one; and even they themselves shall be subject to him; hence he is called “King of kings”, Revelation 19:16.

The King of Kings shall reign forever, His Kingdom shall endure!

Thirty Days of Jesus Series-

Introduction/Background
Day 1: The Virgin shall conceive
Day 2: A shoot from Jesse
Day 3: God sent His Son in the fullness of time
Day 4:  Marry her, she will bear a Son
Day 5: The Babe has arrived!
Day 6: The Glory of Jesus
Day 7: Magi seek the Child
Day 8: The Magi Offer gifts & worship
Day 9: The Child Grew
Day 10- the Boy Jesus at the Temple
Day 11: He was Obedient
Day 12: The Son!
Day 13: God is pleased with His Son
Day 14: Propitiation
Day 15: The Gift of Eternal Life
Day 16:  Kingdom of Darkness to Light
Day 17: Jesus’ Preeminence

Bible Prophecy Fulfilled — The Nativity and Origins of Jesus: Chapter One

Welcome to “Jesus and the Prophecies of Christmas,” a podcast that dives deep into the incredible story of how Jesus’ birth was foretold long before the manger. We’re exploring how the Old Testament prophecies pointed to the coming Messiah and how ancient promises came to be perfectly fulfilled in the person of Jesus.

In chapter one of the discussion, we explore the role and power of biblical prophecy, Jesus’ presence throughout the Old Testament, and why the baby in a manger is a fulfillment of God’s promises to humanity. This introductory episode sets the stage for what’s to come in this powerful, four-part series.

Join For King + Country’s Joel Smallbone, Greg Laurie, Jeff Kinley, Ray Comfort, Jesse Bradley, Shane Idleman, and CBN’s Billy Hallowell for a must-hear conversation.

And in the next chapter of “Jesus and the Prophecies of Christmas,” we’ll explore key figures in the nativity story and how they reacted to the prophecies they were given by God and angels.

Source: Bible Prophecy Fulfilled — The Nativity and Origins of Jesus: Chapter One

Christmas reminder: God meets us in the ‘fields’ of modern life

 What happens when Jesus meets you at work?

Source: Christmas reminder: God meets us in the ‘fields’ of modern life

When Was The Last Time You Felt “Wonder”? | The Log College

When Was The Last Time You Felt “Wonder”?

by Dave Harvey

“And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.” (Luke 2:8–11)

When was the last time you truly felt wonder—that soul-deep, heart-gripping sense of awe? For most of us, it’s rare. Life has a way of dulling the edges of amazement. Fatigue flattens it. Cynicism buries it. Distraction replaces it. But Christmas—real Christmas—is an invitation to rekindle it. It calls us to stop scrolling, look up, and marvel again at the astonishing truth that God became man.

Here are four ways we can recover wonder this Christmas:

1. Study the Kids

For children, wonder comes naturally. My four-year-old grandson is a perfect example. His world is alive with awe, from fireflies to mountains, stories to stars. He finds wonder simply by stepping outside. For him, every moment brims with the enchantments of boyhood.

For adults, however, it’s different. Life’s demands and disappointments take their toll. The older we get, the more our sense of wonder diminishes. We pass a threshold where wonder visits less often, or perhaps it’s just harder to see.

Is that you? Has life’s clutter dulled your ability to marvel at the beauty and mystery around you?

Christmas, I believe, is God’s way of helping us reset. Like restarting a cluttered phone, Christmas clears our hearts and minds, reminding us to look up and be amazed. It’s a chance to ensure we haven’t wasted our wonder on lesser things and to refocus it on the astonishing reality of God’s gift to us in Christ. If you can relate, find a kid and learn a lesson. 

2. Wonder at the Audience God Chose

Of all people, God sent the angels to announce the Savior’s birth to shepherds—the outcasts of their day. They were poor, untrusted, and invisible. Yet heaven’s most glorious message came first to them. Why? Because God delights in lifting the lowly. Christmas reminds us that grace finds the forgotten, that the glory of God often breaks into the dark fields of obscurity. This Christmas, remember: if He came for the shepherds, He came for you too.

3. Wonder at the Way God Speaks

The angels’ message was like an ancient emergency broadcast. It interrupted everything: “Fear not… I bring you good news of great joy.” The announcement of Christ wasn’t delivered to emperors or influencers but to those ready to listen. God’s greatest news often comes quietly—through His Word, through worship, through whispers in the night. Make space this season to listen. Turn down the volume of everything else so you can hear heaven’s message again.

4. Wonder by Responding Like the Shepherds

The shepherds didn’t stay in the fields. They went to see the Savior, and when they found Him, they couldn’t keep silent. “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2:18). True wonder always moves us—it propels us toward worship, witness, and joy. This Christmas, respond to wonder by retelling the story: share it with your kids, your friends, your neighbor, your unbelieving coworker. Wonder grows when it’s shared.

The first time we took our kids to the Jersey Shore, I saw something that perfectly illustrates our misplaced sense of wonder. As we walked down the path to the beach, there was a pile of broken toys in the sand. My kids, heading toward the ocean for the first time, stopped short. They were captivated by the toys, exclaiming how amazing they were.

I stood there smiling, thinking, “If you’re this excited about broken toys, wait until you see the ocean!” Their wonder circuits were about to be blown wide open. I couldn’t wait to steer them towards the greater glory. 

It wasn’t that my kids lacked wonder. Their bar for it was just too low. And isn’t that us? We so often waste our wonder on trivial things, missing the grandeur of what God has placed before us. Christmas serves as an annual “wonder check,” reminding us to lift our eyes from the broken toys of life and behold the infinite beauty of the Savior.

Like the shepherds, let’s marvel at the Savior, share His story, and allow the wonder of His birth to transform our everyday lives. In the ordinary routines and mundane moments, may we find glimpses of the extraordinary grace of Emmanuel—God with us.

Today’s Tenacious Question

Where has your sense of wonder gone this year—and what would it look like to lift your eyes from life’s broken toys to the vast ocean of God’s grace?

Prayer

Father, restore my wonder. Help me see the glory of Christ’s birth with fresh eyes—like the shepherds who left their fields to find the Savior. Deliver me from small amazements and low expectations. Open my heart to marvel at grace, to worship with joy, and to share the good news that still changes the world: Unto us a Savior is born. Amen.

December 13 Afternoon Verse of the Day

COMFORT COMES FROM TRUSTING CHRIST’S PROCLAMATION

And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (14:4–6)

Since He had already told them that He was returning to the Father (e.g., 7:33; 13:1, 3), Jesus expected the disciples to know the way where He was going. But by this time their minds were so rattled (cf. the discussion of v. 1 above) that they were not sure of anything. Thomas vocalized their perplexity when he said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” (cf. Peter’s similar question in 13:36). By now they understood that Jesus was going to die. But their knowledge stopped at death; they had no firsthand experience of what lay beyond the grave. Furthermore, Jesus Himself had told them that at this time they could not go where He was going (13:33, 36). If they did not know where the Lord was going, how could they know the way to get there?
Jesus’ reply, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” is the sixth “I AM” statement in John’s gospel (cf. 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; the seventh comes in 15:1, 5). Jesus alone is the way to God (10:7–9; Acts 4:12) because He alone is the truth (John 1:14, 17; 18:37; Rev. 3:7; 19:11) about God and He alone possesses the life of God (John 1:4; 5:26; 11:25; 1 John 1:1; 5:20). The purpose of this gospel is to make those things known, so they are repeated throughout the book so as to lead people to faith and salvation (20:31).
The Bible teaches that God may be approached exclusively through His only-begotten Son. Jesus alone is the “door of the sheep” (10:7); all others are “thieves and robbers” (v. 8), and it is only the one who “enters through [Him who] will be saved” (v. 9). The way of salvation is a narrow path entered through a small, narrow gate, and few find it (Matt. 7:13–14; cf. Luke 13:24). “There is salvation in no one else,” Peter boldly affirmed, “for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Thus, it is “he who believes in the Son [who] has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36), and “no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11), because “there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).
The postmodern belief that there are many paths to religious truth is a satanic lie. F. F. Bruce writes,

He [Jesus] is, in fact, the only way by which men and women may come to the Father; there is no other way. If this seems offensively exclusive, let it be borne in mind that the one who makes this claim is the incarnate Word, the revealer of the Father. If God has no avenue of communication with mankind apart from his Word … mankind has no avenue of approach to God apart from that same Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us in order to supply such an avenue of approach. (The Gospel of John [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983], 298)

Jesus alone reveals God (John 1:18; cf. 3:13; 10:30–38; 12:45; 14:9; Col. 1:15, 19; 2:9; Heb. 1:3), and no one who rejects His proclamation of the truth can legitimately claim to know God (John 5:23; 8:42–45; 15:23; Matt. 11:27; 1 John 2:23; 2 John 9). It was because the early Christians taught that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation that Christianity became known as “The Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22).

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2008). John 12–21 (pp. 102–103). Moody Publishers.

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The Only Way Home

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The exclusive claim of the Lord Jesus Christ to be “the way and the truth and the life” is wrapped up in three phrases. He claims to be the way to God, indeed, the only way; he claims to be the truth about God, himself the truth; and he claims to be spiritual life, not merely the way to life. We would think, as we read that phrase, that it has said all that needs to be said. Yet, as we read the Lord’s own words, we find that immediately after saying, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” he says the whole thing over again in different words, lest we misunderstand it. He says, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” If the Lord stated this a second time, lest we misunderstand it, then we should look at it a second time also.

Only through Jesus

Taken together, these phrases mean that Christianity makes an exclusive claim. People sometimes suggest that we are narrow-minded as Christians when we say that Christ is the only way to God, and we have to confess that this is precisely what we are at this point. We are as narrow as the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord said—this is the emphasis of the verse—that he is the only way to God. There is no other way. So while it would be nice for us to equivocate on this point and say, in order to win friends and influence people, that other ways have some value—though we would like to say this, we are nevertheless unable to do so. Rather, we find ourselves affirming with the Lord Jesus Christ and with all the biblical writers that there is no salvation apart from Jesus.
Many verses teach it: 1 Corinthians 3:11—“No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ”; Acts 4:12—“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we must be saved”; 1 Timothy 2:5—“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
If you are one who is rejecting all this, if you are one who perhaps is interested in Christianity but not exclusively, if you think that perhaps Jesus Christ is a way to God but not the way to God, I want to stress that, according to his teaching, he is the only way and that any attempt to find another way is folly, is bound to produce despair, and is perverse. The tragedy is that apart from the grace of God folly, despair, and perversity characterize each one of us. We are fools because we seek another way. We despair because there is no other way to be found. We are perverse because God has told us that there is only one way. Therefore, in turning from him to try to find another way we dishonor him.

The Fool Has Said

First, there is the folly of trying to find another way. Why is it folly? It is folly because, if a way to God has been provided, it is nonsense to look for another. Who would seek for a second cure for cancer if a perfect cure had been found?
Yet this is the folly of the human heart in spiritual things. Jesus told about it in a parable that concerned a rich man. This man thought the way to life was through material possessions, so he spent a lifetime accumulating worldly goods. He was a farmer. He had produce. His wealth was in the storage of his barn. When the barn became too small for what he was accumulating, he said, “I’ll tear down my old barn and build a bigger one that can hold my possessions.” The Lord’s comment on that man’s life was: “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20).
It is not the preacher who calls the unbeliever a fool. If that were the case, it would mean little indeed. The unbeliever could simply say to the preacher, “You are the fool for believing as you do.” No, God is the one who calls men fools, fools for refusing to come to him in the way he has provided.
If we explore a bit deeper to find out why this is so, we find that it is because we are determined to provide for ourselves. During World War II, my father served as a doctor in the air force in the southern part of the United States. When he was released from military service he and the family began to drive northward to the family home in western Pennsylvania. It was only a few days before Christmas. So it was no surprise that on the way we ran into an early blizzard in the mountains of Tennessee. The storm got worse and worse and eventually halted our progress. At one point, however, before we had stopped for the night and as we were going uphill in a little mountain area with a dangerous precipice at our right, a car up ahead stopped. My father realized that, if the car ahead stopped, he would have to stop and, if he stopped, he would immediately begin to slide over the precipice. So he grabbed a blanket, jumped out of the car, ran around to the back wheels and stuck the blanket under one of them to stop our descent. We were stopped. But there we were, stranded in the blizzard on the mountainside.
My father was an Irishman, and at this point two things characterized him: first, pride in his achievement and, second, determination to bring off another. He had saved us from going over the precipice. Now he was going to get us up the mountain. So he began to work, shoveling snow and placing boards and blankets under the tires. He worked for about an hour, but without much success. All the time my two sisters and I, my mother, and my aunt were in the car, getting colder and colder. We were very depressed. Suddenly a truck with wonderful traction came by. This truck moved ahead of us and stopped. It was obvious that the driver knew he could get going again. He got out, came back to my father and said, “I have a chain. Would you like me to hitch onto your car and take you up the mountain?”
Do you know what my father said? He said, “No, thanks. We’re doing fine.” And he did do fine! But it was about sixty cold and gloomy minutes later!
God says that we are exactly like this spiritually, except for the fact that it does not matter whether we spend an hour, two hours, a year, or a lifetime. We are never going to get ourselves going up the road to salvation. So Jesus says, “Look, I’ve come to provide the way to salvation. I am the way. Don’t be so foolish that you turn your back on me out of pride.”

No Exit

Second, you are not only foolish, you are also on a trip to despair. If Jesus is right when he says, “I am the way … no one comes to the Father except through me,” then no other way can be found. The Father is the source of all spiritual blessings. The way to the Father is through Jesus. If you are trying to find another way, you are never going to get those spiritual blessings. To go in any other way is to embark upon a road that has no exits and no destination.
Paul spells it out in the Book of Romans, pointing to the different ways men and women try to reach God. There are three categories. First, there is the way of natural theology. This is the way of the man who goes out into the field at night and says, “I am going to commune with God in nature.” It is the man who says, “I worship God on Sunday afternoon in my golf cart.” Paul says that this is a dead end, because you cannot find God in nature. No man has ever found God in nature. You can find things about God in nature, but these condemn you.
Romans says that nature reveals two things about God. It reveals the “Godhead” of God, that is, his existence, and it reveals his “power,” because obviously something or someone of considerable power stands behind what we observe. That is all that can be known of God in nature. So if you think you are going to find God in nature, you are destined to emptiness in your search. You cannot worship an eternal power; you cannot worship a supreme being; you cannot worship a law of nature. Moreover, says Paul, “You don’t even try!” Because when you say to yourself, “I’m going to worship God in nature,” what you are really doing is using nature as an excuse to avoid God. Actually you do not want to be with Christian people, nor do you wish to be under the preaching of the Word. You find it disturbing. What you are really trying to do is to escape from God into nature. If you worship anything at all, it is nature you worship; and the worship of nature is idolatry.
Some years ago, after I had given a message along these lines, a woman said, “I found that to be true in my work with the beach crowd in California.”
I asked, “What do you mean?”
“Well,” she said, “we used to have meetings on the beach, and I used to witness to the surfers. When I would speak to them about God, they would reply that they worshiped God in nature. At first I didn’t know what to say, but after a while I caught on. I learned to ask, ‘And what is God?’ They would reply, ‘My surfboard is my god.’ ” At least that is honest, but it is paganism and idolatry.
Second, there are people who try to find God in the way of human morality. They say, “God certainly likes good men and women; therefore, I’ll be good, and I’ll get to him that way.” Paul says that this line will lead you to despair also. Why? We see the answer when we reason as follows. If God loves good people—and it is true that he does—how good do they have to be? The answer is that they have to be absolutely good, perfect, because God can settle for nothing less. But no one is perfect. So Paul says, “When you start like that, when you start thinking that you are going to please God by getting better and better, you fail to see that even if you could achieve the maximum goodness possible to anyone in this world, you would never get to God in that way because it would not be good enough.
We have a strange situation in the church today. The church has a message to proclaim; it begins with the total depravity of man. But this is offensive to most people. So the church gets cold feet at this point—ministers do, of course—and it backs off from preaching these things. Ministers say, “We admit that the Bible does say that all are sinners; it does say that all are dead in trespasses and sins; but it does not really mean that. It is hyperbole. What it really means is that we just need a little help. People are really pretty good underneath. So if we just appeal to their natural goodness, they’ll come and be Christians. Besides, they’ll join our churches and give us money.”
Does the world congratulate the church for congratulating the world? Not at all! The world knows that this is not true. So you have people like Jean Paul Sartre and other existentialists leaping to their feet to say, “If the church is not going to tell the truth, we are going to tell the truth! We know that when you scratch beneath the veneer of mankind, when you get rid of the social conventions, when you get rid of the desire to be acceptable with other people by matching up to certain preestablished patterns of behavior, what you find beneath the surface is garbage. You find a sewer of corruption.” The existentialist does not have the answer. The despair of the existentialist is proof of what lies at the end of his road. But at least he speaks out; he is not silent.
Then, in Romans 2:17–29, Paul says that there is a third way that people try; it is the way of religion, a sort of formalism. This person says, “If I cannot be righteous, at least I can do things that God likes. I’ll be baptized. I’ll be confirmed. I’ll go to communion.” Paul says that this leads to despair also. Why? Because it is based on a false conception of God. It suggests that God will settle for externals. Does he? No! People may settle for externals, but not God; he looks on the heart. God sees that although you can go through the rite of baptism, it does not mean a thing if your heart is not cleansed. He sees that although you may come to communion, it does not mean a thing unless you have first fed on Jesus Christ by faith and have drunk at that stream that he provides.

An Insult to God

To say that one is a fool for looking in another direction than Christ sounds insulting. To say that it leads to despair sounds grim. But there is worse to come. For seeking a way other than Jesus is not only foolish and leads to despair, it is perverse. It is insulting to God. How is it insulting? It is insulting because Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” So if you go another way, it is not merely that you are doing something for yourself, and it is certainly not the case that you are doing something praiseworthy. What you are really doing is saying to the Lord Jesus Christ, “Lord Jesus Christ, you are a liar!”
Do you think that God is going to be proud of you for trying to find your own way? Do you think that God is going to admire you for that, love you for that, praise you for that? God is going to regard this for what it is, an insult to the Lord Jesus Christ his Son, because that is the equivalent of saying, “You, Lord Jesus Christ, you in whom the Father is well pleased, cannot be trusted.”
Furthermore, to seek another way is not only an insult to Christ, it is an insult to the love of God who planned the way of salvation out of his great love for the sinner. What the Lord Jesus Christ did was in fulfillment of the desires of his Father. He said, “I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God” (Heb. 10:7). It was God’s will that Jesus Christ, his Son, should die in your place. So it is an insult to God to ignore it. Do you think that it was easy for God to send Jesus Christ to die for you? I am asking you fathers: Would it be easy for you to give up your son or your daughter, to see that son or daughter killed, in order that someone else might be saved? I ask you mothers: Would it be easy for you to have a son or daughter killed in your sight, to turn your back when you could save that son or daughter, in order to have someone else saved? Of course not! You who are brothers: Would you give up a sister? You who are sisters: Would you give up a brother? If it is not easy for you, why should you think that it would be easy for God? Yet that is what God did for you.
Do you think it was easy for the Lord Jesus Christ to stand with his disciples on the verge of his crucifixion and say, “I am the way”? He knew what it meant to be the way. It meant that he had to go to the cross; he had to die; he had to suffer; he had to have the Father turn his back on him while he was made sin for us; he had to have the wrath of God poured out upon him. That is what it meant when the Lord Jesus Christ said, “I am the way … no one comes to the Father except through me.” Yet he said it.

Come … Come

So I ask: Is it anything but sinful, obstinate perversity for someone to say, “That is all very nice, but I am going to go another way”? To go another way is to condemn yourself to hell! For there is no other way. “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).
How foolish it would be, how much despair is involved, how perverse on your part to go away, saying, “Well, that is all very interesting, of course; but I’m going to look a bit farther.” Today is the day of salvation! This may be the last opportunity you will ever have! I cannot promise that you will ever hear the gospel again. I cannot promise that the Holy Spirit will ever speak to your heart again, if he is speaking at this moment. Heed the invitation and come! The Bible says, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (Rev. 22:17).

Boice, J. M. (2005). The Gospel of John: an expositional commentary (pp. 1081–1086). Baker Books.

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6. Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.
   This is another of the seven great I AM’s of John’s Gospel (for the others see on 6:48; 8:12; 10:9; 10:11; 11:25; and 15:1). In the predicate each of the words way, truth, and life is preceded by the definite article.
   “I am the way.” Jesus does not merely show the way; he is himself the way. It is true that he teaches the way (Mark 12:14; Luke 20:21), guides us in the way (Luke 1:79), and has dedicated for us a new and living way (Heb. 10:20); but all this is possible only because he is himself the way.
   Christ is God. Now God is equal to each of his attributes, whereas he “possesses” each attribute in an infinite degree. Hence, not only does God have love (or exercise love), but he is love, nothing but love; he is righteousness, nothing but righteousness, etc. So also Christ is the way: in every act, word, and attitude he is the Mediator between God and his elect.
   Notice also the pronoun I. In the last analysis we are not saved by a principle or by a force but by a person. In the school the pupil is educated not primarily by blackboards, books, and maps, but by the teacher who makes use of all these means. In the home he is brought up by father and mother. So also the means of access to the Father is Christ himself. We are persons. The God from whom we have been estranged is a personal God. Hence, it is not strange that apart from living fellowship with the person, Jesus Christ, who exists in indissoluble union with the Father, there is no salvation for us (cf. Rom. 5:1, 2).
   Now Jesus is the way in a twofold sense (cf. also on 10:1, 7, 9). He is the way from God to man—all divine blessings come down from the Father through the Son (Matt. 11:27, 28); he is also the way from man to God. As already indicated, in the present context the emphasis falls on the latter idea.
   “I am … the truth.”
   Much of what has been said in connection with “I am the way” applies here also. Jesus is the very embodiment of the truth. He is the truth in person. As such he is the final reality in contrast with the shadows which preceded him (see on 1:14, 17). But in the present context the term the truth seems to have a different shade of meaning. It is that which stands over against the lie. Jesus is the truth because he is the dependable source of redemptive revelation. That this is the sense in which the word is used is clear from verse 7 which teaches that Christ reveals the Father. Cf. Matt. 11:27.
   But just as the way is a living way, so also the truth is living truth. It is active. It takes hold of us and influences us powerfully. It sanctifies us, guides us, and sets us free (8:32; cf. 17:17). Basically, not it but he is the truth, he himself in person. Pilate asked, “What is truth?” (18:38). Jesus here in 14:6 answers, “I am the truth.”
   “I am … the life.”
   Jesus is not referring here to the breath or spirit (πνεῦμα) which animates our body. He is not thinking of the soul (ψυχή) nor of life as outwardly manifested (βίος), but of life as opposed to death (ζωή). All God’s glorious attributes dwell in the Son of God (see on 1:4). And because he has the life within himself (see on 5:26), he is the source and giver of life for his own (see on 3:16; 6:33; 10:28; 11:25). He has the light of life (8:12), the words of life (6:68), and he came that we might have life and abundance (10:10). Just as death spells separation from God, so life implies communion with him (17:3).
   All three concepts are active and dynamic. The way brings to God; the truth makes men free; the life produces fellowship.
   How are these three related? As more or less separate, wholly coordinate entities? Or, as forming a single concept: “the true and living way”? It is not necessary to choose either of these alternatives. Truth and life are nouns, not adjectives. Christ is the truth and the life, just as well as he is the way. Nevertheless, the context indicates that the idea of the way predominates. The meaning appears to be: “I am the way because I am the truth and the life.” When Jesus reveals God’s redemptive truth which sets men free from the enslaving power of sin, and when he imparts the seed of life, which produces fellowship with the Father, then and thereby he, as the way (which they themselves, by sovereign grace, have chosen), has brought them to the Father. Hence, Jesus continues: No one comes to the Father but by me.
   Since men are absolutely dependent upon Christ for their knowledge of redemptive truth and also for the spark that causes that truth to live in their souls (and their souls to become alive to that truth), it follows that no one comes to the Father but through him. With Christ removed there can be no redemptive truth, no everlasting life; hence, no way to the Father. Cf. Acts 4:12. Both the absoluteness of the Christian religion and the urgent necessity of Christian Missions is clearly indicated.

Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to John (Vol. 2, pp. 267–269). Baker Book House.

13 Dec 2025 News Briefing

Musk fires back at Newsom for pushing ‘trans kids,’ ‘evil woke mind virus’
Free speech advocate Elon Musk and California Governor Gavin Newsom are engaged in a heated debate on X after Newsom called for more “trans kids.” In a December 11 exchange on X, Newsom claimed that Musk’s gender-confused son “hates” him, after Musk posted an interview clip of Newsom advocating for more legislation to “gender transition” children. “I want to see [so-called] trans kids,” Newsom said in an interview clip shared by Musk’s America PAC account on X. “There’s no governor that’s done more pro-trans legislation than I have.” Musk quickly responded, saying,

Japan Has Been Selected — Inside Yasir Qadhi’s Coordinated Campaign to Institutionalize Political Islam
Yasir Qadhi has identified Japan as his next ideological frontier, using a polished da’wah tour to embed foreign-trained leadership, expand Islamic institutions, and quietly build a long-term foothold in a nation with no scrutiny, no resistance, and no understanding of the movement he represents. In a move that should alarm every security analyst and every government paying attention to the global spread of political Islam, the notorious Texas-based imam Yasir Qadhi — long identified by critics, researchers, and former intelligence officials as aligned with Muslim Brotherhood-influenced networks, has now arrived in Japan

E.T. phone Steven? Spielberg’s new UFO movie, cryptic billboards reignite real alien conspiracies 
Steven Spielberg’s new UFO movie has reignited speculation within the alien conspiracy theory community, especially after cryptic billboards teasing the upcoming film popped up across the country this week. “All will be disclosed,” read billboards for the forthcoming flick in New York City and Los Angeles, alongside the “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” director’s name and the project’s June 12, 2026, release date.

Italy wants to see alternatives for Russian assets
Italy joins Belgium in opposing the European Commission’s proposal to transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, Malta and Bulgaria, in addition to Italy, also join Belgium in urging the Commission to explore alternative “less risky” solutions to support Ukraine.

Turkey wants to pacify ports in the Ukraine war
Turkey wants a “limited ceasefire” to stop attacks on ports and energy facilities in Ukraine and Russia. Meanwhile, a Turkish ship was reportedly damaged in a Russian airstrike on the port city of Odessa.

Russian Central Bank takes on assets
The Russian Central Bank is taking the securities institution Euroclear to court in Moscow, due to the frozen Russian assets that may be used to help Ukraine. The central bank describes it as suffering financial losses from Euroclear’s actions, the state-run Tass news agency reports. A claim for compensation has been filed with an arbitration court in Moscow.

‘They’re no longer hiding’: How Russia is shipping liquefied natural gas to China despite sanctions
A cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia’s Portovaya plant was delivered to the Beihai terminal in China on December 8. This marks the first delivery since the facility was placed under US sanctions in January 2025. The development highlights deepening China-Russia energy ties as Moscow seeks to increase its LNG exports and secure revenue to fund its war in Ukraine.

Speaker Johnson Declares: ‘The Bible is Clear—Judea and Samaria are the Land of Israel’
House Speaker Mike Johnson stood in his Washington office this week and said what millions of Bible-believing Christians and Jews know to be true: Judea and Samaria belong to the Jewish people. “The Bible is clear: Judea and Samaria are the Land of Israel,” Johnson told Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan during a meeting that underscored the deepening alliance between Israel and its evangelical supporters in America. “I do not understand why we debate this anew every single day.”

Konya Plain Collapses: Turkey’s Sinkholes and the Lessons of Korach
Hundreds of sinkholes are tearing open the parched farmlands of central Turkey, turning the Konya Plain—long described as the country’s breadbasket—into a fractured landscape. Officials identified 684 sinkholes across the Konya region, an unprecedented number that is alarming local farmers and drawing new scrutiny to decades of groundwater depletion. A detailed assessment from state and university researchers attributes the crisis to severe drought, NASA’s Earth Observatory has described Turkey’s ongoing drought as severe

WATCH: IDF strikes Hezbollah training camps in southern Lebanon
For the second time this week, the IDF targeted Hezbollah training camps and military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, aiming to thwart the terror group’s preparation for attacks on Israeli civilians and forces.

Israeli Farmers welcome Storm Byron after multi-year drought
Storm Byron delivered widespread rain across Israel this week, offering rare relief to farmers after consecutive dry winters and a year officially classified as a drought. Heavy precipitation reached the southern coastal plain, the Judean foothills, the Negev and the Gaza Envelope, where growers had entered the season with depleted soil moisture, high irrigation costs and sharply reduced yields.

Tensions Escalate as Lebanon Faces Year-End Deadline to Disarm Hezbollah Amid Israeli Airstrikes, Iranian Influence
As Israel steps up pressure on the Lebanese government ahead of a deadline to disarm the terrorist group Hezbollah, Lebanese officials fear an imminent Israeli operation that could push the country toward a renewed conflict with the Jewish state.

US forces seize Chinese cargo ship delivering military equipment to Iran – WSJ
US forces seized a Chinese cargo headed to Iran, as part of an operation to disrupt the rearming of Iranian regime forces, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The ship was boarded on the Indian Ocean a month ago, with military equipment being seized, officials revealed to the US newspaper.

Iran Accelerates Ballistic Missile Production, Israel Warns
Iran is rapidly rebuilding its missile arsenal following the 12-day war with Israel in June, raising alarm bells among Israeli officials as Tehran aims to restore its weakened military capabilities and extend its influence across the Middle East. During a closed meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee this week, a senior Israeli military official told lawmakers that Iran has resumed large-scale production of ballistic missiles,

Despite Being An Atheistic Stronghold, France Experiences ‘Quiet Surge’ Of Evangelicals
God is continuing to grow his church around the world, even in countries that for decades have been atheistic, secular strongholds. A few weeks ago, a short documentary from a secular news media outlet proclaimed “the quiet surge of France’s evangelicals,” sharing that “evangelical churches are booming in France, a country often seen as one of the most secular [atheistic] in Europe. They’re multiplying so fast that every ten days, a new evangelical church opens its doors”—a new church every ten days! Notice this movement is not happening from most of the long-established churches.

Border Tsar Homan Announces Investigation Into Rep. Omar: A Case For Fraud Or Defamation?
This week, the lingering allegations over the marital history of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) took an ominous step when Border Tsar Tom Homan publicly acknowledged that the government is looking into the matter. Rep. Omar has long denied that she married her brother to gain his entry into the United States, but the allegation has continued to rage on the Internet and among her critics. The question is whether this is a substantive case of fraud or defamation.

Lefty ‘Consumer’ Watchdog Group Bought & Paid For By Big Pharma
The National Consumers League is America’s oldest consumer advocacy organization and a group trusted by the left, especially, to stand up for consumers’ interests. But according to a review of its tax filings by the Washington Examiner, it has also become part of a web of astroturf groups shilling for the corporate interests of PhRMA, the massive drugmaker trade association that operates in Washington, DC, which donated close to $1 million to it just last year.

Russia Retaliates: Turkish-Owned Cargo Ship Attacked At Ukrainian Port
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has warned against the ongoing escalation of the war on maritime shipping in the Black Sea, after on Friday serious damage was sustained by a Turkish-owned vessel during a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk, in Odesa oblast. The ministry confirmed that a ship operated by a Turkish company is on fire. At least one person, possibly a dockworker, was reported injured – but there doesn’t appear to be further casualties

Twin brothers charged for threatening to kill top DHS official, ‘shoot ICE on sight’ 
In a Tuesday press release, the Department of Homeland Security announced that a pair of twins from Absecon, New Jersey, identified as Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores, made threats Monday on social media to kill Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin and to “shoot ICE on sight.” Following the threats, the Department of Homeland Security and the Absecon Police Department SWAT team executed a search and arrest warrant for the twin brothers.

Shallow M6.7 aftershock hits off the coast of Honshu, Japan
A strong and shallow 6.7 earthquake hit off the coast of Honshu, Japan, on December 12 – an aftershock from the 7.6 earthquake on Monday that injured at least 20 people and caused the evacuation of 900,000 people in tsunami zones. Officials had said on Tuesday that there was an increased risk of a magnitude-8 or larger quake within the next week and urged residents, especially along coastal areas, to be prepared.

Linda Sarsour in Oklahoma: CAIR’s Attempt to Rewrite Sharia and Jihad for Conservative Audiences
As CAIR expanded its political footprint inside Oklahoma, it deployed one of the most radical activists in America to soften, sanitize, and rebrand Islamic political ideology for conservative audiences: Linda Sarsour. Sarsour, known for praising convicted terrorists, telling Muslims not to assimilate, and using incendiary rhetoric toward critics, was proudly hosted by CAIR Oklahoma to deliver their most strategic message: “Sharia is harmless. Jihad just means inner struggle.”

‘United Caliphate of America’: Senator Tuberville Issues Historic Warning as Jihadist Violence and Somali Fraud Explode Nationwide
Senator Tommy Tuberville shattered Washington’s long-standing silence by declaring that jihadist violence, mass Islamic migration, Somali fraud networks, and political cowardice are driving America toward an “Islamic takeover,” and that the nation must act now or watch itself become the “United Caliphate of America.”

WARNING: Japan Has Been Selected — Inside Yasir Qadhi’s Coordinated Campaign to Institutionalize Political Islam
Yasir Qadhi has identified Japan as his next ideological frontier, using a polished da’wah tour to embed foreign-trained leadership, expand Islamic institutions, and quietly build a long-term foothold in a nation with no scrutiny, no resistance, and no understanding of the movement he represents.

Ominous warning to humanity as nearly 700 huge sinkholes consume Turkey, mirroring biblical prophecy
Gigantic sinkholes hundreds of feet deep have been opening up throughout Turkey, mirroring a biblical prophecy. The Book of Numbers, Chapter 6, describes the earth opening up and swallowing people as divine punishment for rebellion, a connection that some are drawing after the massive collapses in the Konya Plain, a key wheat-growing region.

US preparing to seize more tankers off Venezuela’s coast after first ship taken, sources say
The latest U.S. action has put shipowners, operators, and maritime agencies involved in transporting Venezuelan crude on alert, with many reconsidering whether to sail from Venezuelan waters in the coming days as planned. Further direct interventions by the U.S. are expected in the coming weeks, targeting ships carrying Venezuelan oil that may also have transported oil from other countries targeted by U.S. sanctions, such as Iran.

Leaked Video: Woke Elite College Held “Disgusting” Sexual Orientation Performance
Amherst College, proudly one of America’s wokest institutions, has once again outdone itself in the name of “sexual respect.” A group of traumatized students claim they were effectively coerced into a mandatory orientation spectacle where student performers humped under blankets, moaned theatrically, and pelted the audience with condoms “like confetti,” footage leaked to the Washington Free Beacon shows.

13 Dec 2025

Headlines – 12/13/2025

PM Netanyahu plans to mend ties with Egypt by traveling to Cairo, signing multibillion-dollar gas deal – Heavy US pressure on Israel to mend ties, restore economic relations with neighbors

Sissi has no plans to meet Netanyahu and won’t without major changes in Israeli conduct toward Egypt – official

The Cairo paradox: Why Israel must re-evaluate the strategic logic of the Leviathan deal – For Jerusalem to sign a $35 billion economic bailout while its security demands regarding the border remain unmet is a failure of statecraft

Biden administration briefly withheld intelligence from Israel during Gaza war – In the second half of 2024, the US cut off a live video feed from a US drone over Gaza, which the Israeli government was using in its hunt for hostages and Hamas terrorists

Report: Israel agrees to US demand to pay for massive Gaza rubble-clearing operation

Report: Under US pressure, Israel to take over rubble clearing in devastated Gaza Strip – Removing Gaza debris estimated to take up to 7 years, billions of dollars

UN: Gaza-bound shelter materials refused entry, leaving displaced masses exposed

US-led center says 30,000-plus aid trucks have entered Gaza – Despite the progress, officials say that major challenges remain, including the removal of some 60 million tons of debris from across the Strip.

‘Nightmare’ Footage: Dad receives vid of Gaza doc ‘injecting air into Israeli hostage daughter’s veins before she died begging for help’ – The 19-year-old’s body was recovered from Gaza in 2023

Father of last hostage Ran Gvili: ‘Hard for me to accept condolences until I see his body’

Israel said to give mediators a list of terrorists who know where Ran Gvili is buried

After meeting Mamdani, leading NY rabbi says ‘deeply’ worried about next 4 years – Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says he was ‘pleased’ to meet with mayor-elect, but remains concerned about his ‘harsh ideological anti-Zionism’

Primal Scream concert visuals combine swastikas and Stars of David, sparking outrage

Swiss ‘Non-Binary’ Rapper Nemo Returns Eurovision Trophy to Protest Israel

Anti-Israel activists vandalize UK justice ministry with red paint

ICC officials confront curbs to travel, finances in face of sweeping US sanctions

Ex-ICC prosecutor says UK threatened to defund court over Netanyahu arrest warrant

Irish minister defends plans for ‘extremely limited’ curbs to trade with settlements

Israel gives legal status to 19 West Bank settlements, media reports

Pressured by Trump and threatened by Iran, Ukraine looks to revamp ties with Israel

Local Spies with Lethal Gear: How Israel and Ukraine Reinvented Covert Action – A potent new fusion of old-style human spycraft with cutting-edge technology is having a big impact on high-stakes conflicts

Beirut has been warned of possible Israeli offensive against Hezbollah – Lebanese FM

IDF says it struck Hezbollah training facility, other sites in south Lebanon

Lebanon FM claims: Israel planning major military operation against Lebanon – Lebanon’s FM Youssef Rajji warns Israel plans a major strike, while also criticizing Hezbollah and Iran

Iran ‘violently’ arrested Nobel-prize winning activist Narges Mohammadi, supporters say

Child bride spared execution in Iran after family accepts $100K ‘blood money’

Iran frees former child bride sentenced to death over husband’s killing – Goli Kouhkan was forced into marriage with cousin at 12, gave birth at 13 and was abused for years; she’s spared execution after global pressure, financial settlement with man’s family

U.S. Forces Raid Ship, Seize Cargo Headed to Iran From China – Operation highlights the Trump administration’s use of aggressive tactics against adversaries at sea that were rarely used in the past

Tanker Seized By US Off Venezuela Was Part Of Iranian Shadow Fleet

Satellite images suggest seized tanker ‘deliberately’ manipulated location data

US sanctions Maduro family members and ships it says move Venezuelan oil, a day after seizing tanker

Cuba on edge as US seizure of oil tanker puts supply at risk

U.S. military members fear personal legal blowback tied to boat strikes

Combat Rescue Aircraft, Tankers Arrive In Caribbean As U.S. Military Buildup Accelerates

Rubio Leads Charge in Trump’s New War in Latin America – The secretary of state is shaping what could be the most consequential military actions of President Trump’s second term

‘Like Pirates of the Caribbean’ – Nicolas Maduro on Seized ‘Ship of Peace’ Tanker

Maduro Threatens to ‘Smash the Teeth’ of US

US covert team leader describes ‘dangerous’ mission to rescue Venezuelan opposition leader – Maria Corina Machado had been in hiding since January after detention in Caracas following protests

U.S. Sanctions Nicolas Maduro’s ‘Narco-Nephews,’ Convicted in U.S. Court but Freed by Biden

False Flag: Oil Tanker Seized by US Was Falsely Flying Guyana’s Flag, as More Action Is Expected Against Sanctioned Ships

US accuses Rwanda at UN of leading region toward war

Thai and Cambodian leaders agree to renew a ceasefire after days of deadly clashes, Trump says

Thailand dissolves parliament, heightening political turmoil as Trump seeks to salvage ceasefire with Cambodia

U.S. and Japan flex military muscles in a show of force amid Tokyo’s feud with Beijing

A Chinese whistleblower now living in the US is being hunted by Beijing with US tech

Time to Prepare For World War-Size Conflict With Russia, Warns NATO

NATO Leader Mark Rutte Urges Europe to Prepare For ‘Widespread Suffering’ and WW3 With Russia Within Five Years

UK ‘rapidly developing’ plans to prepare for war – Al Carns has warned of a “shadow of war” at Europe’s door, as hostile intelligence activity against the UK has jumped by more than 50% over the past year

NATO’s Rutte says Europe must prepare for ‘scale of war our grandparents’ endured – If Putin is “prepared to sacrifice ordinary Russians in this way, what is he prepared to do to us?” the NATO chief said

Germany accuses Russia of air traffic control cyber-attack

EU backs indefinite freeze on Russia’s frozen cash ahead of loan plan for Ukraine

Zelenskyy debunks Russia’s claim it occupied Kupyansk with in-person visit

Ukraine Claims Destruction of 2 Vessels Transporting Russian Arms in Caspian Sea

Turkish Ship Damaged in Russian Strike on Ukraine’s Odesa Region

Drone Strike Sets One of Central Russia’s Biggest Refineries on Fire – The strike on Yaroslavl comes less than 24 hours after Ukraine carried out its biggest and most wide-reaching combined drone attack of the full-scale war

Blackrock CEO Larry Fink Is Sitting with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff at the Ukraine Negotiating Table

Secret meetings between FBI and Ukraine negotiator spark concern

Booker: Trump’s ‘Reckless’ Military Action Against Venezuela a Potential War Crime

Zelensky says US.-led peace talks wrestling with Russian demands for Ukrainian territory

Ukraine is ready to hold elections in next 90 days if allies can guarantee security, Zelensky says

Washington Suggested ‘Compromise’ of ‘Free Economic Zone’ in Donbas, Claims Ukraine’s Zelensky

Kremlin: Ceasefire Only Possible After Kyiv Withdraws From Donbas

Pakistani PM Crashes Putin-Erdogan Meeting on Ukraine War

Kyiv, Brussels Seek Deal Where Ukraine Joins European Union Next Year as Part of Peace Deal Package: Report

Trump team weighs forming 5-nation group with Russia to replace G7

Germany Summons Russian Ambassador Over Alleged Sabotage and Election Interference

Anti-Tax-Rise Protesters Bring Down Bulgarian Government

EU Elites in Panic Mode: Threaten Belgium with Bankruptcy Over Refusal to Rob Russian Assets – De Wever Stands Firm Against Brussels’ Madcap Scheme!

US removes Brazil Supreme Court judge from sanctions list – Moraes was sanctioned in July due to his involvement in the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro – This decision follows Donald Trump’s earlier easing of tariffs on Brazilian exports

Big Winner in Trump’s Trade War: The Grinch – Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, is paying stiff tariffs on gifts at the mall

AP Pushes Misleading ‘Noticing Inflation’ Holiday Shopping Narrative

Schumer: Shutdown ‘Hurts People’ But It Helped Dems, People See We’re ‘On Their Side’

Trump’s approval rating on the economy hits record low 31%

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s farewell gift to Mike Johnson: a longshot plot to oust him – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been gauging whether there’s enough support among her GOP colleagues to remove Rep. Mike Johnson from the speakership

“Cacophony of grifters”: MAGA infighting erodes real-world power

Comer reminds Clintons to sit for depositions next week or face criminal contempt referrals – The two Democrats are currently scheduled to give depositions on their alleged ties to Epstein on Dec. 17 and Dec. 18

New Epstein Photo Drop Renews Scrutiny of Trump, Clinton and Other VIPs Amid Justice Dept. Deadline

Bombshell new Epstein files released showing pics of Andrew, Trump, Woody Allen and Richard Branson among top elites – There is no indication that these images suggest any misconduct, as many have denied any wrongdoing

Sleepy Trump and the ‘treasonous’ reports of his declining health – Questions over 79-year-old’s fitness have sharpened after series of drowsy moments on camera and bruising on his hand

Republicans spooked by string of disappointing elections

Trump’s Hand-Picked RNC Chair Predicts Doom – This is not your usual party committee script

How Indiana’s redistricting rejection affects Trump’s push nationwide

WaPo: DOJ sues Georgia county as Trump pushes debunked 2020 election fraud claims

Justice Department Targets Fulton County Over 2020 Election Records, Expands Legal Push Against Four States

How Three Judges Dismantled a Federal Indictment: Judicial Overreach in United States v. Comey

Trump Administration Seeks to Block Testimony in Boasberg Contempt Inquiry

Appeals Court Halts Boasberg’s Plan for Contempt Hearings in Alien Enemies Act Deportations Case

Tourists to US would have to reveal five years of social media activity under new Trump plan – Plan would apply to countries not currently required to get visas to the US, including Britain and France

Report: U.S. Trade Officials Shaped EU Censorship Law Used to Target Elon Musk’s X

Marlow: The EU Is a ‘Superstate Engaging in Draconian Censorship’

Meta Report: Global Enforcement Mistakes Down 90% Since Pivot from Censorship-Heavy Regime

Trump Calls for National AI Framework, Curbing ‘Onerous’ State-Based Regulations

Trump is trying to preempt state AI laws via an executive order. It may not be legal

Trump: WSJ AI Report ‘Wrong’ in Saying China Beating US

Trump greenlights Nvidia AI chip exports to China, touts 25% US share – Policy partially reverses Biden-era restriction on high-end chip exports

Trump’s OK of AI Chip Sales in China Called ‘Dangerous’ by Senate Democrats – Senators say allowing sales of Nvidia’s H200 processors in China undoes past U.S. containment efforts

OpenAI Researcher Quits, Saying Company Is Hiding the Truth – It’s not letting potentially damning research get out there

Google CEO Says We’re All Going to Have to Suffer Through It as AI Puts Society Through the Woodchipper – “We will have to work through societal disruption.”

Robot Dystopia: Europol Report Warns That, in a Decade, Enemy-Deployed Humanoids May Battle Law Enforcement, While People Unemployed by Tech Rebel and Demand ‘Humans First’

Robot smaller than grain of salt can ‘sense, think and act’

‘Threat from above’: Prisons face escalating threat from drones

Footage appears to show aircraft larger than football field soaring over Calif. – The Roc looks like it emerged from the pages of a science fiction novel

Spielberg Poster Teases Mysterious New UFO Movie: “All Will Be Disclosed”

Does Spielberg’s new film star real aliens? Probably not… but conspiracy theorists believe the director has been granted ‘unprecedented access’ to classified files – and maybe a UFO

Elon Musk Confirms that SpaceX Is Headed for an IPO that Could Make Him an ‘Instant Trillionaire’

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake causes small tsunami waves off northeastern Japan

5.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Kushimoto, Japan

5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia

5.1 magnitude earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands region

Sangay volcano in Ecuador erupts to 20,000ft

Purace volcano in Colombia erupts to 18,000ft

Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala erupts to 16,000ft

Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 14,000ft

Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 14,000ft

Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts to 14,000ft

Ominous warning to humanity as nearly 700 huge sinkholes consume Turkey mirroring biblical prophecy

Nearly 700 massive sinkholes consume Turkey farmland fueled by extreme drought – Experts say sinkholes more than 200 feet deep began appearing in the 2000s, driven by drought and extensive groundwater extraction

Ancient lake from ice age comes back to life in Death Valley after record rainfall

Extratropical cyclone leaves 1 dead and over 2 million without power in eastern Brazil

Sri Lanka: Cyclone aftermath disrupts economic recovery

U.S. Coast guard airlifts 4 people in Sumas amid historic Washington floods

Skagit and Snohomish rivers rise to record-breaking levels, Washington, U.S.

2025 will be world’s second or third-hottest year on record, EU scientists say

Near-record cold and dangerous wind chills forecast across the Northern Plains and Mid-South

Propane shortages during cold outbreak trigger state of emergency in New Jersey, U.S.

In-Depth: UN COP30 Climate Summit Unites World Religions Under The Cult Of ‘Earth Worship’

Vatican Accepts Resignation of Jailed Bishop, Raising Questions About Religious Freedom in China

Trump weighing order reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous

Cannabis stocks surge on report Trump seeks to ease restrictions – Trump reportedly expected to direct agencies to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III drug

MS-13 Gang Member Kilmar Abrego Garcia Vows to “Fight” the Trump Administration After Judge Blocks ICE From Arresting Him

Democratic states sue Trump administration over new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas

ICE agents wrongfully detained US citizen who ‘looked Somali’ in Minneapolis, city leaders say – Minneapolisis the latest city targeted by Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign known as ‘Operation Metro Surge’

ICE Sweep in Sanctuary California: 10,000 Criminal Aliens Arrested, Including 14‑Conviction Repeat Offender

DHS sweeps Twin Cities, arrests 400 as feds blast Walz for ‘failing to protect Minnesota’ – Operation Metro Surge targets illegal immigrants with criminal convictions including rape and assault

Nigerian national, woman charged with assault of Homeland Security agent in Twin Cities

ICE Sweep in New Orleans Nets Rapists, Human Smugglers, Child Abusers

Arizona Taco Chain Forced to Close 7 Restaurants Over ICE Arrests

Duffy: Non‑English Speaking Chinese Bus Driver with New York License Kills Truck Driver in Tennessee Crash

Semi-Truck Driver Arrested in Deadly Crash in Washington State is an Indian Illegal Alien – Released Into US by Biden Regime

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confronted about veteran in contentious hearing over deportations

US lawmakers decry VA’s ‘draconian approach to non-citizen database’ – Congress members demand answers after Guardian revealed data to be shared for immigration enforcement

White House Slams Vermont School’s Somali Flag Hoist: ‘Aliens Who Hate America Should Not Be Here… American Schools Should Fly American Flags’

Treasury Department to target money services businesses used by Somalis in Minnesota in fraud probe

Treasury Rachets up Investigations Targeting Somali Community for Fraud in Minnesota

Tom Homan on Rampant Somali Migrant Fraud: ‘Multiple Deportations Coming’

Tim Walz Blames White Men For Widespread Fraud in Somali Community

Whistleblower: Massive Welfare Fraud by Somali Migrants in Ohio

Whistleblower on Somali Fraud in Ohio: Minnesota ‘Just Tip of the Spear’

Leicestershire police trial anti-grab hijabs in bid to recruit more Muslim women

BBC: ‘Quick-release’ hijab for female police developed – The headwear has been created by researchers at De Montfort University (DMU) with Leicestershire Police, with the magnetic attachment allowing the lower section to detach instantly if pulled in a confrontation to prevent the “risk of strangulation while maintaining modesty”.

Democrat State Lawmaker Sarah Stalker: ‘I Don’t Feel Good About Being White Every Day’

Black student stabs white classmate in the face at Atlanta high school

National park gift shops are ordered to purge bias-driven DEI and woke merchandise

‘This Has Gone Way Too Far’: Videos Show Bizarre Sexual Ceremony That Elite Amherst College Pushes All First Year Students To Attend – The event, ‘Voices of Amherst,’ is paid for by the administration and takes place in the school’s chapel

FBI: California Led Nation in ‘Active Shooter Incidents’ 2020-2024

Confessed Child Killer Freed for Good Behavior After Serving Half His Sentence Arrested Again

Nicki Minaj appears to condemn Newsom for trans agenda, declares ‘end of the road’ for his career – Rapper condemns California governor’s stance on transgender policies in series of social media posts

‘I assume you’re referring to my son, Xavier’: Elon Musk SLAMS Newsom’s office for saying trans ‘daughter’ hates him

Gray divorce is surging – and it’s expected to get even worse

Court rejects Planned Parenthood’s challenge to Trump-backed law ending Medicaid funding

Appeals Court Overturns Obama Judge’s Order Blocking Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Provision Barring Funding for Planned Parenthood

Dark Policies: Under Governor Pritzker, Illinois Is the Newest US State To Implement Assisted Suicide

Pritzker approves physician-assisted suicide law for terminally ill patients despite Catholic opposition

Socialist Paradise: Man With Downs Syndrome Was Starved to Death as Entire Hospital Staff Watched Without Lifting a Finger

RFK Jr. announces that the total elimination of mercury in all US vaccines is official and calls on all global health authorities to follow suit

FDA intends to put its most serious warning on COVID vaccines, sources say

FDA Weighs Black-Box Warning on Covid Vaccines, Sparking Pushback From Scientists – Report

The MAHA Administration Bails Out Big Seed Oil – The Trump administration continues a long tradition of subsidizing the things it tells Americans to eat less of

Bill Gates Blames Trump Administration for ‘Lots of Deaths’ Due to Global Aid Cuts

Source: http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php

Week in Review · December 8-12, 2025

 “From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.

ANALYSIS TPUSA to Take on Candace Owens and Set the Record Straight Samantha Koch Owens has spent the last three months advancing conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s murder, including that TPUSA personnel were in on it.

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Will Trump’s ‘Affordability Tour’ Move the Public Approval Needle? Mark Alexander Trump can’t keep claiming that the Demos’ “affordability” rhetoric is a “fake narrative” that “doesn’t mean anything to anybody” when it actually means a lot to just about everybody, regardless of political affiliation.

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Who Gets SNAP Money and How Do They Spend It? Nate Jackson The Trump administration is working to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, as well as stop people from buying junk food, which then leads to taxpayer spending on healthcare.

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Trump EO Addresses Food Prices — With a Task Force Michael Swartz “Affordability” is the word of the moment, as more Americans grow tired of the inflation Democrats created. President Trump best have an answer.

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Dems Defend Another Indefensible Douglas Andrews As the Trump administration prosecutes the war on narco-terrorists, the Democrats are forced yet again into another politically unpopular position.

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War Crime? Jack DeVine If we paid more attention to real problems — like drug trafficking — and less to political gotcha games, we’d be better off.

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Somalis: 1.5% of Minnesota — Nearly 12% of Its Impoverished Gregory Lyakhov This small group consumes almost $2.8 billion in annual taxpayer-funded “public assistance.”

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Fuentes’s Foreign and Fake Following Fueling ‘Popularity’ Emmy Griffin Bot farms in Africa and Southeast Asia are the reason Fuentes has more reach on X than the social media platform’s owner, Elon Musk.

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Hollywood’s Slow Suicide Thomas Gallatin Another major studio is being sold off as the once-vibrant movie industry has increasingly lost relevance due to its lousy product.

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The ICE Ops Optics Problem Mark Alexander If the ICE focus is not narrowed to violent criminal illegal aliens, the “worst of the worst,” the Trump hemorrhage of Hispanic voters will accelerate.

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Is the President in Charge of the Executive Branch? Nate Jackson The Supreme Court heard arguments in a case yesterday that could have drastic implications for our system of three, not four, constitutional branches of government.

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The New Nullification Michael Smith How Democrat leaders are turning political disagreement into a license for defying lawful authority.

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NYT Tries to Rewrite Immigration History Douglas Andrews Only now, five years after the fact, is The New York Times reporting that Joe Biden and his top advisers failed to heed the warning of the “experts” who saw the border crisis coming.

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Person of the Year: Charlie Kirk or AI Architects? Nate Jackson Time Magazine’s annual honor went to the people who’ve created revolutionary technology, but the late conservative influencer did much to earn the honor instead.

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Democrats’ Masculinity Problem Thomas Gallatin They are struggling to attract male voters because they have made man-hating anti-patriarchy a pillar of their political brand.

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Profiles of Valor: CPT John James (USA) Mark Alexander “I’m chasing my purpose, not a paycheck. … My entire adult life, I was prepared to sacrifice everything in pursuit of my purpose.”

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Visit our archive for more analysis commentary.

Catch up on the latest news headlines with our executive summary.

VIDEOS The Dangers of AI: Control, Deception, and the Future of Humanity TPUSA Will Debunk Candace’s Claims Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Fight at the Supreme CourtIs ICE Stopping People Because They Simply Look Somali? See our extensive curated video library for more!

QUOTES It’s the Economy, Stupid “Joe Biden’s insane policies left American families unable to afford a decent living in their own country. Through tax cuts, better-paying jobs, and investment in American industry, President Trump is making America affordable again for working families one step at a time.” —JD Vance Constitutional Branches “What kind of supervision can a president — any president — exercise if he can’t fire officials who ignore his commands or take policy positions opposite those of his own administration?” —Hans Von Spakovsky on the case before the Supreme Court Plain and Simple “There is no constitutional right for illegal aliens to cross the border, have a child, and give that child U.S. citizenship.” —Tom Cotton Can’t Fix Stupid “We are the world’s number one bully. … America is indeed … the great hand of Satan … the great Satan.” —Democrat Representative Hank Johnson, who first came to national attention for suggesting that the island of Guam might capsize Re: The Left “Why do leftists want to be in political office in a country that they despise so very much? Who will vote for people who wish death and destruction upon the American people? Leftists are telling us exactly who they are and what they desire for us all, our demise.” —Allen West What’s Wrong With That? “African ‘asylum seekers’ should seek asylum in another African country. Arab asylum seekers should seek asylum in an Arab country. Asian asylum seekers should seek asylum in an Asian country. Why the hell is it our job to provide ‘asylum’ to misfits and outcasts from other continents? Let them find their asylum in a country with a similar culture. And if none of those countries will take them — well, that’s all the more reason why we shouldn’t, either.” —Matt Walsh For the Record “Importing Somalis to America didn’t give them American values. They brought their pre-existing values to America and ripped off taxpayers for billions. They brought clan rivalries from Somalia along with them as well.” —Victor Joecks Does It Need to be Said? “My silence does not mean I am complacent. My silence does not mean that somehow TPUSA & all of the hand-picked staff that loved my husband … is somehow in on it. … I want justice for my husband, for myself, for my family, more than anyone else out there.” —Erika Kirk Wisdom of the Ages “One of the mysteries of the ages is why the political left has, for centuries, lavished so much attention on the well-being of criminals and paid so little attention to their victims.” —Thomas Sowell For more insightful quotes, see our Short Cuts.

MEME Don’t miss the latest memes.

CARTOON Don’t miss the latest cartoons.

 “From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.

NEW evidence sheds light on alleged Minnesota fraud scheme

Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams and contributor Jason Chaffetz have the latest on how scammers allegedly spent millions of dollars intended for hungry children on luxury items on ‘America Reports.’ #fox #media #breakingnews #us #usa #new #news #breaking #foxnews #americareports #alexismcadams #jasonchaffetz #scam #fraud #children #funding #government #crime #crimenews #crimestory #criminal #police #luxury #money #investigation #corruption #consumer

Source: NEW evidence sheds light on alleged Minnesota fraud scheme

Watters: He’s threatening to kick America in the teeth…

Fox News host Jesse Watters unpacks the intensifying rift between Venezuela and the United States, applauding the Trump administration’s drug crackdown efforts on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’ #fox #media #breakingnews #us #usa #new #news #breaking #jessewattersprimetime #foxnews #jessewatters #watters #trump #donaldtrump #maduro #venezuela #drug #crackdown #politics #political #politicalnews #government #foreignpolicy #rift #international #washingtondc #washington #dc

Source: Watters: He’s threatening to kick America in the teeth…

Taylor Swift gave her Eras Tour crew bonuses in amounts that literally made their jaws drop | Business Insider

Taylor Swift and her dancers perform during the Eras Tour in Milan.Vittorio Zunino Celotto/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

• Taylor Swift’s “The End of an Era” docuseries features behind-the-scenes footage from the Eras Tour.
• In episode two, Swift is shown handing out bonuses to her dancers, musicians, and crew members.
• Swift reportedly distributed $197 million in bonuses throughout the tour.

Taylor Swift may be the biggest name in show business, but she’s never one to miss a chance to thank the people who helped her succeed.

Swift’s new Disney+ docuseries, “The End of an Era,” features behind-the-scenes footage from the Eras Tour, which spanned 149 concerts in 21 countries. By the final show in December 2024, it had become the first tour in history to gross over $2 billion.

In the second episode of the docuseries, “Magic in the Eras,” Swift opens up about distributing bonuses to her dancers, musicians, and crew members as each leg of the tour comes to a close.

“Bonus day is so important because setting a precedent with the Eras Tour is really important to me. Because people who work on the road, if the tour grosses more, they get more of a bonus,” Swift tells the camera. “And these people just work so hard, and they are the best at what they do.”

Swift also says she hand-wrote notes to deliver with each bonus, all part of her effort to make the tour’s grueling two-year schedule “worthwhile.”

“It took me a couple weeks, but it’s fun to write them notes. It’s fun to think about everybody’s lives that they’re going to go back to, and the time off they’re going to have, and the kids they haven’t seen because they’ve been away for months,” Swift says. “It feels like Christmas morning when you finally get to say thank you.”

Taylor Swift in “The End of an Era” docuseries.Disney+

The next scene shows Swift personally handing out bonuses to her dancers, who’d recently been tasked with overhauling the three-and-a-half-hour show — reordering the set list and learning new choreography — to perform additional songs from “The Tortured Poets Department,” Swift’s 11th album, which was released between the tour’s stops in Singapore and France.

“This leg of this tour has been harder than anything I’ve ever done in a live setting. And you guys have taken this on with such excitement and such curiosity,” Swift tells her dancers. “The endurance you’ve shown, but the spirit you’ve shown, how much you’ve given to these crowds — that gives to me every single night. The tour has done really well, thanks to all of our hard work.”

One of Swift’s dancers, Kameron Saunders, reads the bonus amount out loud to the group. Although the number itself is censored in the footage, the dancers react with visible shock.

Taylor Swift distributed bonuses to the Eras Tour crew at the end of each leg.Disney+

People previously reported that Swift gave $197 million in bonuses to the crew of the Eras Tour, including caterers, lighting technicians, audio technicians, riggers, carpenters, choreographers, and more. A shot of envelopes in the docuseries reveals a stack labeled “wardrobe/makeup/hair,” and another labeled “venue security.”

Michael Scherkenbach, founder and CEO of the Colorado-based trucking company Shomotion — one of two transportation companies used by the tour — has also said that each trucker received a $100,000 check and handwritten letter from Swift. He described the amount of money as “life-changing.”

“The typical amount is $5,000 to $10,000 each,” Scherkenbach told CNN. “So this large amount is unbelievable.”

The success of the Eras Tour propelled Swift’s net worth into the billions, according to Forbes. The publication’s estimates are largely based on the value of Swift’s musical catalog.

Earlier this year, Swift bought the rights to her back catalog in a reported $360 million sale.

“That’s how I spent that Eras Tour money,” Swift told Stephen Colbert. “My fans are why I was able to get my music back.”

Read the original article on Business Insider

Source: Taylor Swift gave her Eras Tour crew bonuses in amounts that literally made their jaws drop

News Weakly – 12/13/2025 | Winging It

A Freedom Too Far?
The makers of the ICEBlock app are suing the Trump administration because of the pressure to remove the app. The app is intended to prevent law enforcement from doing their jobs … and endangers ICE personnel. When does the “freedom of the press” or “free speech” fall outside legal protection? Should we be required to allow all speech even if it endangers lives and violates laws? Is this really the road we want to follow?

A Question Too Far?
Now here’s an interesting story. The FDA is probing deaths from COVID … vaccines. Over time, multiple stories have surfaced about deaths caused by the vaccine. They were typically squashed and ignored, but … not absent. It wasn’t … an accepted story. The “freedom of the press” is very limited in our day … just not always by the government.

A Question of Fraud?
Trump announced a pardon for Tina Peters in Colorado. Peters is serving a nine-year sentence for trying to aid Trump in overturning the 2020 election results for fraudulent voting. It was a state sentence, and legal minds largely agree that a president can only pardon someone for federal crimes, so it’s only symbolic. However, the very real question of whether or not there was sufficient voter fraud in 2020 to skew the results will never be examined because the powers that be have manipulated public opinion against even asking the question with the completely truthful but wildly misleading statement, “There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.” (The claim is not “widespread,” but largely localized and limited to three specific swing states … but … we can’t ask anymore.)

A News Splash
Some odd news gathered this week. New Zealand police recovered a stolen Fabergé egg pendant after a thief swallowed it and stole it. It took six days to … “extract” it naturally. A woman in San Francisco gave birth … in a Waymo self-driving taxi. Waymo is promising to deliver, but … that’s not what they meant, was it? And a a drone in South Carolina dropped a meal of steak and crab legs, complete with some marijuana and a couple of cartons of cigarettes … to a prison yard for a prisoner. The guards got it first. Nice try.

Your Best Source for Fake News
In politics, Jasmine Crockett has hit the campaign trail to “axe for votes”. I’m afraid there might be a … language barrier brewing there. Trump has announced a $12 billion farmers aid package (actual story) to help them deal with the growing economy. Finally, with Christmas fast approaching, the Pope is urging Jesus and Satan to put aside their differences in the name of peace. “Can’t we all just get along?” (As a bonus, you might look at the Bee’s 13 Things Safer to Give Your Kids Than A Smarphone story in view of the recent concerns over kids and smartphones.)

Must be true; I read it on the internet.

http://birdsoftheair.blogspot.com/2025/12/news-weakly-12132025.html

News Roundup & Comment | VCY

News Roundup & Comment

Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Jim Schneider
MP3 | Order

https://embed.sermonaudio.com/player/a/121225222332109/

Below are highlights from the first quarter hour of this week’s Round-Up broadcast: 

–Tyler Robinson, the man who is alleged to have assassinated Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, made his first court appearance yesterday, nearly 3 months after being taken into custody.

–As expected, lawmakers failed to pass either of the competing partisan health care bills in the Senate yesterday.  The result all but ensures that the enhanced premium tax credits through legislation known as “Obama Care” will revert to pre-pandemic levels in 2026.

–Wisconsin Congressman Glenn Grothman says the National Defense Authorization Act passed Wednesday by the House contains a little noticed weapon to cut federal spending and bureaucracy.  The bill, now heading to the Senate, cuts 19% of civilian jobs inside the War Department saving an estimated 30 billion dollars. 

–The U.S. House of Representatives passed a 901 billion dollar defense authorization bill Wednesday but stripped a controversial provision that would have required insurance coverage for in-vitro fertilization for military families. 

–The U.S. Congress voted Wednesday in favor of repealing the Caesar Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026.

–The U.S. has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

–A New York Times report revealed that the seized oil tanker may have been trying to conceal its whereabouts by broadcasting falsified location data according to a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery and photographs.

–Barry Loudermilk, chairman of the new House Republican-led Select Subcommittee on January 6^th, claims that key surveillance footage showing areas near the RNC and DNC where pipe bombs were placed the prior evening was not preserved.

–Thanks to the use of the auto pen, some actions taken in former President Joe Biden’s name might qualify as illegitimate.

–The Federal Reserve on Wednesday did cut interest rates a quarter point.

–Federal prosecutors have uncovered massive fraud in Minnesota’s federally funded food/child nutrition programs where scammers, many of Somali descent, allegedly ripped off over a billion dollars from taxpayers.

–The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a stronger version of the city’s local sanctuary ordinance on December 11^th. 

–The Trump administration’s border czar, Tom Homan, said this week that the Department of Homeland Security is investigating whether Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar committed immigration fraud by allegedly marrying her brother.