There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Ex-muslim turned Christian, Ridvan Aydemir aka “Apostate Prophet”, returns to the program to continue his conversation with Frank about theological problems with Islam and his recent conversion from atheism to Christianity. Together they answer questions like:
What role did David Wood play in his conversion from atheism to Christianity?
As an ex-Muslim, how did visiting Jerusalem change his point of view on Judaism?
Why is the resurrection of Jesus essential to the truth of Christianity?
Do we need 100% certainty to believe that anything is true?
Why is living a Christian life more fulfilling than any other worldview?
What inspirational words did Charlie Kirk share with Ridvan shortly before his death?
What advice would Ridvan give to Christians who want to evangelize to Muslims?
There’s even more important insights to share, so be sure to stay tuned for a future episode with the Apostate Prophet where he shares even more advice on evangelizing Muslims, the Hamas-Israel conflict, misunderstandings between Muslims and Christians, and why radical Islam has no place in the West!
If you enjoyed this podcast episode PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY BY SUPPORTING OUR MINISTRY USING THE LINK BELOW. 100% of your donation goes to ministry, 0% to buildings!
For all the ministers of God’s holy word and sacraments, the masters of assemblies.
Teach your ministers how they ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, 1 Timothy 3:15(ESV) that they may not preach themselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, 2 Corinthians 4:5(ESV) and may do their best to present themselves approved to God, workmen who have no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15(ESV)
Make them competent in the Scriptures, Acts 18:24(ESV) that from them they may be equipped for every good work, 2 Timothy 3:17(ESV) in teaching showing integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned. Titus 2:7-8(ESV)
Enable them to give attendance to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching; 1 Timothy 4:13(ESV) to practice these things; 1 Timothy 4:15(ESV) to devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word; Acts 6:4(ESV) to immerse themselves in them and to persist in them, that they may save both themselves and their hearers. 1 Timothy 4:15-16(ESV)
Let words be given to them in opening their mouths boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, that they may speak as they ought to speak, Ephesians 6:19-20(ESV) as competent ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; 2 Corinthians 3:6(ESV) and let them by the Lord’s mercy be trustworthy. 1 Corinthians 7:25(ESV)
Let the arms of their hands be made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; Genesis 49:24(ESV) and let them be full of power by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, Micah 3:8(ESV) to show your people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. Isaiah 58:1(ESV)
Make them sound in the faith, Titus 1:13(ESV) and enable them always to teach what accords with sound doctrine, Titus 2:1(ESV) correcting their opponents with gentleness; and let not the Lord’s servants be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach. 2 Timothy 2:24-25(ESV)
Make them good examples to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity; 1 Timothy 4:12(ESV) and let them purify themselves who bear the vessels of the Lord, Isaiah 52:11(ESV) and let HOLY TO THE LORD be written upon their foreheads. Exodus 28:36(ESV)
Lord, grant that they may not labor in vain or spend their strength for nothing and vanity, Isaiah 49:4(ESV) but let the hand of the Lord be with them, that many may believe and turn to the Lord. Acts 11:21(ESV)
Each year I get the privilege of welcoming freshman students to the Moody Bible Institute. In those first weeks they want to know what they are required to do for class. They also want to know the consequences if they fail to do what they are supposed to do. As we turn to the book of Numbers, we learn that disobedience to God carries consequences. While we have just learned that God provided a way for forgiveness, we also know that God is willing to hold the line even if it means punishing His people. This is a significant theme in the Bible.After meeting God at Mt. Sinai, the nation made its way to the land God had promised. Along the way He tested them to see if they would obey Him. Often their living circumstances were difficult. They were in a desert without the food and comforts Egypt had provided. Often, they complained bitterly (v. 4). Ironically, they forgot they were slaves in Egypt!On their desert journey, God had provided miraculous food in the form of manna (v. 9). Still, they complained. We see that, more than just a sign of displeasure, their complaining signified a deep spiritual problem. They refused to trust that God would bring them to the promised land. They doubted He would care for them. They even suspected He meant ill for them. All of these were deeply displeasing to God. He made promises to them based on His character. Their behavior implied He was unreliable. They were committing the sin of unbelief (Heb. 3:19).As tragic as these narratives are, they taught Israel and teach Bible readers today an important lesson: God judges unbelief. We learn that unbelief, like other sins, has consequences. God has made promises to you. Trust Him!
Go Deeper Why did the Israelites complain? How did their complaints signify unbelief? Have you struggled to believe God’s promises? Recommit yourself to believing His promises today.
Pray with Us As we move to the book of Numbers, we receive a somber warning about the sin of unbelief. Almighty God, may we never forget that Your mercy and forgiveness go together with judgment. Teach us to trust You completely.
Matthew 5 This week’s lessons on the Beatitudes teach us that true happiness comes by living in a way that is contrary to the world and even to our natural way of thinking.
Theme
The Poor in Spirit and Those Who Mourn
When we read the phrase, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” we think of somebody in material poverty and we assume that the Lord is saying that it is better to be poor than to be rich. But our Lord never said anywhere that it is better to be poor than to be rich. He did have many warnings about being rich. He said, “It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:23), for the obvious reasons that in an unregenerate state a rich man has his mind set upon his riches. But He did not say that one is happier by being poor. As a matter of fact, in the Scriptures you find that material prosperity is one of the blessings of God. David was blessed with riches. So was Abraham. If we are talking about material riches, most of us would probably agree with the actress Sophie Tucker, who said, “I’ve been poor. And I’ve been rich. And, believe me, rich is better.”
But that is not what our Lord is talking about. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means the opposite of being rich in pride. And that is where the happiness of the new life begins. It begins, not where we stand before God and throw out our chest and say, “Well, look at what a great guy I am. I am building my life all by myself, and I am doing quite well.” It is not that attitude at all. It is the attitude in which we stand before God in our sin, acknowledge our need, and say as the publican, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” The publican was a tax collector, and most tax collectors were rich. Yet, this was a man who, though he may have been rich, was poor in spirit because he recognized his poverty before God. If you want to be happy, begin at this point. Lay your pride aside, stand before God, and say, “I am a needy man (or I am a needy woman). If I am ever to be happy, my happiness has to come from you.”
Second, Jesus talks about mourning. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (v. 4). What kind of mourning is this? It could be a mourning over one’s personal experience of sorrow or tragedy—the loss of a loved one, such as a husband, wife, or child. Or maybe it could be mourning over sickness or personal dismay. In the midst of such circumstances God provides certain comfort and blessing for His children. Indeed, we grow in suffering. The Arabs have a proverb that goes, “All sunshine makes a desert.” Those of us who live in areas where there is more rainfall say, “Into each life a little rain must fall.” Suffering is inevitable and can be beneficial. But that is not the primary meaning of the beatitude.
Other people think that when Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn,” He was talking about mourning for the world. That is, “Blessed is the one who is sensitive to this world’s need.” I think of Lord Shaftesbury, the British statesman who was used by God in the last century to produce many genuine social reforms. He mourned for the misery in which other people lived their lives. He identified with others’ sorrow.
I think, however, that the primary meaning of the beatitude is that those people are blessed who mourn for their sin. In the Beatitudes, there is a logical sequence. In the first beatitude we stand before God, not in our pride, but in poverty of spirit, recognizing our need. As we stand before God we see Him in His holiness and are inevitably conscious of our own sin. So in the second beatitude Jesus says that we are not only to see that sin, but to mourn for it. Then He gives us this promise: Those who mourn for their sin will be comforted as God deals with that sin through the work of Christ.
Study Questions
What does it mean to be poor in spirit? How do we practice it?
In what different ways has the idea of mourning been explained? Which understanding is preferred for this particular beatitude?
Application
Reflection: Is your Christian life characterized by both a poverty of spirit and a mourning for sin?
For Further Study: To learn more about how the Bible governs the life of the Christian, download and listen for free to James Boice’s message, “Walking by God’s Word.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.
Mark 3:7-8
We have difficulty grasping the size of this crowd. This was not just a few people, or even a few thousand. There were literally tens of thousands of people, undoubtedly, in this crowd. They came from all over this country and beyond. They flocked out from all the cities to hear this amazing prophet who has risen in Galilee and was saying such startling things.
You can see how Mark traces the emphasis upon the crowd throughout this division. In verse 20 he says, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. Then, in verse 32: a crowd was sitting around him. And in chapter 4, verse 1: Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the Lake… And then, in verse 36, Mark says, Leaving the crowd, they went across to the other side of the lake. In chapter 5, verse 21: When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. And in verse 24: A large crowd followed and pressed around him. So this is the period when Jesus is pressed by the great masses of people, the period of His greatest popularity.
For many, this has been the measure of Jesus’ success, as it would often be in evaluating a successful person today. Anybody who can achieve a great crowd-following is regarded as a success. Today we call these people stars—there are star actors, star athletes, star singers, star politicians—various people who have attained what in our day is a mark of success. No wonder the title of one of today’s most popular musicals is Jesus Christ, Superstar. He is the one who drew all these great multitudes out from the cities of His day.
But as you read this account through, you see that Mark’s intention is to underscore the weakness of popularity; the empty, hollow worthlessness of being popular; and how much damage and danger popularity produced in our Lord’s ministry. One of the worst things that can happen to us, as this account makes clear, is to become caught up in a popular movement. False forces arise out of it. That is the whole thrust of this section. Mis-emphases easily spring into being—and wrongful attitudes arise readily in a popular movement. Popularity, therefore, ought to be watched carefully. And when a movement is popular, as Christianity is popular in many places today, we must be careful that we are listening to the voice and the Spirit of God.
Father, thank You for the truth as it is in Jesus. Help me to beware of the perils of popularity.
Life Application
Do we evaluate success by our audience’s size and applause? What can we learn from our Lord’s own life and death about the shallowness and peril of popularity?
7Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
13Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons. 16These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter 17James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder 18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
20Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
22And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
23So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. 28I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. 29But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”
30He said this because they were saying, “He has an evil spirit.”
31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
33“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.
34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
We must set our schedule to where there are no more than six days of work and one day of rest, or we’ll face the many physical and mental health issues that come by not doing so.
Want a 31-hour work week, move to Paris!
The definition of what is work and what is personal, along with the line between them, has become blurred for some and old news for others. Work is a part of life – 46 hours of life, for those who live and work in America. And that is the key:
How Do I Make Work a Part of Life, Not My Whole Life?
We were designed for work of a different sort, to glorify the Father and enjoy Him forever. For many Americans, however, work seems to be more about glorifying self and enjoying the fruits that satisfy our worldly desires. But this seems to just fuel a desire for more.
In addition, there is a great deal of noise pulling our ears and feet in many different directions. Unlike previous generations, we see the rise of competition and workload that’s eating into our lives outside of the office. How does one respond to emails, voicemails, text messages, tweets, likes, social media, and so many other distractions and still do life? The office can find us 24/7.
No wonder we constantly exclaim “I’m busy.”
I Just Don’t Have Enough Time!
Time to answer the cell phone, time to answer those text messages and email messages, time to care for the family, time to do the other fifty million work-scheduled items we try to balance life with. And it truly is impossible for those for whom work and life are two separate times.
But for those who have figured out that “we are His workmanship,” and we’re just doing the work He has designed us and called us to do, it’s much less stressful and less demanding. Why? It isn’t work at all – it’s who we are and what we do.
This is what can happen when we center our schedule and lives around something and Someone greater. A greater purpose for our existence and time. Who we are does not switch on or off day-to-day. We don’t compartmentalize who we are Sunday and then turn another switch on Monday through Friday.
Time for Self-Assessment
To do this requires a bit of self-assessment: we must focus on what we are really trying to accomplish, and then determine if our current actions truly do contribute to meeting those goals. Rather than listing separate work, personal, and spiritual goals, think about how they go hand-in-hand.
Instead of a goal of “earning XYZ salary,” think holistically about supporting your family’s needs. This includes income, most certainly, but it also includes being there for important events, and being the spiritual leader your family needs. I think this is key and is something I am advocating parents and leaders incorporate into their lives this year.
There are a lot of things pulling at our schedules, so there has to be an emphasis on focus so activities can be pared down to the items that truly pertain to achieving our goals.
God Prescribes Balance
In addition, we must remember God’s prescription for balance: Six days of work and one day of rest is God’s example and command. Even scientific studies highlight the physical stress indicators that are caused by working seven days a week with no day of rest. We must set our schedule to where there are no more than six days of work and one day of rest, or we’ll face the many physical and mental health issues that come by not doing so.
For a practical implementation of this guideline, I suggest a “no phone or computer day” one day each week. I also recommend putting the phone and computer down for one hour each day to ensure we are connecting with our families the way we desire.
When we can reach the point where our work is just part of who we are—not the whole—and the means to reaching the best ends for ourselves and our families, we will have the proper perspective. From this perspective, you’ll be more able to achieve that elusive work/life balance.
“Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens.” Like the ethereal blue, it encompasses the whole earth, smiling upon universal nature, acting as a canopy for all the creatures of earth, surmounting the loftiest peaks of human provocations, and rising high above the mists of mortal transgression. Clear sky is evermore above, and mercy calmly smiles above the din and smoke of this poor world. Darkness and clouds are but of earth’s lower atmosphere: the heavens are evermore serene, and bright with innumerable stars. Divine mercy abides in its vastness of expanse, and matchless patience, all unaltered by the rebellions of man. When we can measure the heavens, then shall we bound the mercy of the Lord. Towards his own servants especially, in the salvation of the Lord Jesus, he has displayed grace higher than the heaven of heavens, and wider than the universe. O that the atheist could but see this, how earnestly would he long to become a servant of Jehovah! “Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.” Far, far above all comprehension is the truth and faithfulness of God. He never fails, nor forgets, nor falters, nor forfeits his word. Afflictions are like clouds, but the divine truthfulness is all around them. While we are under the cloud we are in the region of God’s faithfulness; when we mount above it we shall not need such an assurance. To every word of threat, or promise, prophecy or covenant, the Lord has exactly adhered, for he is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent.
Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 27-57 (Vol. 2, pp. 158–159). Marshall Brothers.
36:5 steadfast love. A special word in Hebrew, signifying the loving devotion in which God binds Himself to His people. It indicates His lovingkindness toward those with whom He is in covenant relationship. This word recurs throughout Psalms, showing that it is a book of covenantal prayers.
Sproul, R. C., ed. (2005). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (p. 767). Ligonier Ministries.
36:5 your loyal love The psalmist describes Yahweh’s character as chesed, referring to His faithful, covenantal love (see note on Exod 34:6).
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ps 36:5). Lexham Press.
† 36:5 — Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. God loves to show mercy and remains eternally trustworthy to do exactly what He has promised. If He seems to delay in working on your behalf, wait for Him. He will never be unfaithful to you.
Stanley, C. F. (2005). The Charles F. Stanley life principles Bible: New King James Version (Ps 36:5). Nelson Bibles.
36:5 In stark contrast to the depravity of such a sinner are the perfections of the LORD. His mercy, for instance, extends to the heavens. Barnes writes:
It is very exalted: to the very heavens, as high as the highest object of which man can conceive. The idea is not that the mercy of God is manifested in heaven … nor that it has its origin in heaven (though that is true) but that it is of the most exalted nature, it is as high as men can conceive.
God’s faithfulness reaches to the clouds, that is, it is limitless in its dimensions. A. W. Pink says:
What a word is this! “Thy faithfulness extends to the clouds.” Far above all finite comprehension is the unchanging faithfulness of God. Everything about God is great, vast, incomparable. He never forgets, never fails, never falters, never forfeits His word. To every declaration of promise or prophecy the Lord has exactly adhered, every engagement of covenant or threatening He will make good, for “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19, AV). Therefore does the believer exclaim, “His compassions fail not, they are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22, 23, AV).32
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.; p. 601). Thomas Nelson.
And I will give him the morning star. (Revelation 2:28)
Until the day break and the shadows flee away, what a blessing it is to see in Jesus “the morning star”! I remember when we read in the newspapers the idle tale that the star of Bethlehem had again appeared. On inquiry we found that it was only “the morning star”; but no great mistake had been made after all.
It is best to see Jesus as the sun; but when we cannot do so, the next best thing is to see Him as that star which prophesies the day and shows that the eternal light is near at hand. If I am not today all that I hope to be, yet I see Jesus, and that assures me that I shall one day be like Him. A sight of Jesus by faith is the pledge of beholding Him in His glory and being transformed into His image. If I have not at this hour all the light and joy I could desire, yet I shall have it; for as surely as I see the morning star I shall see the day. The morning star is never far from the sun.
Come, my soul, has the Lord given thee the morning star? Dost thou hold fast that truth, grace, hope, and love which the Lord has given thee? Then in this thou hast the dawn of coming glory. He that makes thee overcome evil, and persevere in righteousness, has therein given thee the morning star.
This essay examines biblical suffering, distinguishing between suffering for obedience to God and suffering caused by rebellion or sin. Through Job, Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, and Jonah, it urges believers to examine their hearts, trusting Christ while avoiding unnecessary, self-inflicted sorrow.
Suffering. We are promised a life of suffering if we believe in Jesus and follow Him rightly. (John 16:33). But Jesus said immediately after, to take heart because He has overcome the world.
The Bible recounts much suffering among its people. Some suffering is because the people disobeyed and they suffered the consequences of their sins. Pagans suffered because even though they met God, they rebelled against him, like Pharaoh. Others suffered medically, like the woman with a 12-year blood issue, or the man born blind. Of the man, he was born blind on purpose, so that at the appointed time, “the works of God might be displayed in him”. (John 9:3).
That last one was part of the skewed concept the Jews had at the time that anyone who suffered, such as blind men or lepers, was because they had sinned. They thought that trouble in the world was solely due to some sin the person was holding onto.
That was what Job’s friends kept telling Job. Numerous chapters of speeches reminding Job that sin causes immediate suffering.
Yes, and no. Sometimes the consequences of sin catch up to a person. There is a kind of reaping and sowing. You become promiscuous, you might reap a venereal disease. You embezzle, you might land in jail.
But other times, the suffering is because the person is living for Christ. In that case, the world makes the person suffer. That was Job’s suffering. Elijah, and Moses. I chose those three men because all three at some point in their suffering, they stated they wanted to die. Job said it was better if had not been born. Moses asked God to kill him now (Numbers 11:15). Depressed and exhausted Elijah also asked to die.
“Job and His Friends” by Russian artist Ilya Repin, 1869.
10-15. Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant, &c.—It is impossible not to sympathize with his feelings although the tone and language of his remonstrances to God cannot be justified. He was in a most distressing situation—having a mighty multitude under his care, with no means of satisfying their clamorous demands. Their conduct shows how deeply they had been debased and demoralized by long oppression: while his reveals a state of mind agonized and almost overwhelmed by a sense of the undivided responsibilities of his office. Source Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commentary
Elijah lived 100% for God but even he came to a point where he said out loud he wanted to die. In 1 Kings 19:4 he had killed the 400 false prophets with a sword, heard Jezebel’s vow to hunt him down and kill him in retaliation, and Elijah ran and ran away and collapsed under a broom tree and said he was a failure, kill him now.
Job’s anguish was such that he wanted to die, he said ‘Why did You birth me? I wish I’d never been born’. Job 10:18-22.
Jeremiah expressed the same. He suffered mightily for the LORD and one day he lamented that the Lord did not kill him in the womb before he was ever born. (Jeremiah 20, lament for suffering).
These mighty men came to the end of their capacity. Sometimes that happens. Paul noted in 2 Corinthians 1:8 that he and his men had been burdened excessively, beyond what they could bear.
Now let’s turn to Jonah. Like Moses, Elijah, and Job, he also expressed that he wanted to die.
And when the sun came up God designated a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint, and he begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life!” (Jonah 4:8).
Jonah’s suffering was different than the men I’ve mentioned. Jonah’s was of own making, however. He had NOT been living for the Lord as Moses, Elijah, Job, and Jeremiah had. He was roiling up his own soul to the point of death because he was angry things didn’t turn out the way he wanted with the Ninevites. His was not a righteous lament. God replied tenderly to Elijah and sent an angel to minister to him. He promised Jeremiah that He was with him (Jeremiah 15:20) and encouraged Jeremiah to return to the work. Jeremiah was in bitter grief, whose human nature could not at present submit to the divine will. Jeremiah was spent, wrung out completely. Elijah too. Moses as well. God restored the strength of all three.
Jonah, though…his suffering was self inflicted. He was angry that God did not perform the way Jonah wanted- to smite the Ninevites. Jonah was angry that God displayed mercy. Jonah was sinning.
If we suffer, it would be helpful not to assume our suffering was tribulation brought on as described in John 16:33, that we are suffering because we are righteous, like Job. Sometimes it is true that our stance for Christ may lead to firing from our job, ejection from a wayward church, excommunication from our family, or even persecution or death. But it is pride to automatically assume this is the cause. Sometimes our suffering is of our own making. A terrible attitude, a hidden sin, an unrighteous lifestyle unrepented of, all could result in a suffering that wouldn’t exist if we had forsaken them.
Jonah ‘suffered’ because he rebelled. Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah suffered because they obeyed. Did Jonah have to be tossed overboard into the wild sea? Did Jonah have to live in the great fish for 3 days? No. Did Jonah have to pout on top of the hill because the plant had died and the Ninevites were still living? No. He brought it on himself.
If you are suffering, I am sorry. We are promised suffering from God. Just make sure it isn’t an additional suffering you did not have to endure due to your own attitude or habits. If so, we have a gracious savior who will forgive you if you appeal to Him in repentance.
I have found this song helpful and quieting when I am troubled: Dallas Holm, “I have Hope”. Jesus is a caring savior, who suffered more than anyone on earth ever has or ever will. He understands your righteous suffering.
In this episode of the G3 Podcast, Scott Aniol and Dr. James White delve into the complexities of Islam, discussing its core tenets, the differences between Sunni and Shia Islam, and the challenges Christians face when engaging with Muslims. They emphasize the importance of understanding Islamic beliefs to effectively share the gospel and address the rise of Islam in contemporary society, advocating for a compassionate and informed approach to dialogue.
The guys explore the claim that Peter was the first pope, examining Scripture and church history to challenge the idea of papal authority. They discuss the structure of the early church and point back to Christ alone as the true head of the Church.
How very different is this from the ignorant Jewish notion of God which prevailed in our Saviour’s day. The Jews said, “The holy land is God’s, and the seed of Abraham are his only people;” but their great Monarch had long before instructed them,—“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.” The whole round world is claimed for Jehovah, “and they that dwell therein” are declared to be his subjects. When we consider the bigotry of the Jewish people at the time of Christ, and how angry they were with our Lord for saying that many widows were in Israel, but unto none of them was the prophet sent, save only to the widow of Sarepta, and that there were many lepers in Israel, but none of them was healed except Naaman the Syrian,—when we recollect, too, how angry they were at the mention of Paul’s being sent to the Gentiles, we are amazed that they should have remained in such blindness, and yet have sung this Psalm, which shows so clearly that God is not the God of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also. What a rebuke is this to those wiseacres who speak of the negro and other despised races as though they were not cared for by the God of heaven! If a man be but a man the Lord claims him, and who dares to brand him as a mere piece of merchandise! The meanest of men is a dweller in the world, and therefore belongs to Jehovah. Jesus Christ has made an end of the exclusiveness of nationalities. There is neither barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but we all are one in Christ Jesus. Man lives upon “the earth,” and parcels out its soil among his mimic kings and autocrats; but the earth is not man’s. He is but a tenant at will, a leaseholder upon most precarious tenure, liable to instantaneous ejectment. The great Landowner and true Proprietor holds his court above the clouds and laughs at the title-deeds of worms of the dust. The fee-simple is not with the lord of the manor nor the freeholder, but with the Creator. The “fulness” of the earth may mean its harvests, its wealth, its life, or its worship; in all these senses the Most High God is Possessor of all. The earth is full of God; he made it full and he keeps it full, notwithstanding all the demands which living creatures make upon its stores. The sea is full, despite all the clouds which rise from it; the air is full, notwithstanding all the lives which breathe it; the soil is full, though millions of plants derive their nourishment from it. Under man’s tutored hand the world is coming to a greater fulness than ever, but it is all the Lord’s; the field and the fruit, the earth and all earth’s wonders are Jehovah’s. We look also for a sublimer fulness when the true ideal of a world for God shall have been reached in millennial glories, and then most clearly the earth will be the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof. These words are now upon London’s Royal Exchange, they shall one day be written in letters of light across the sky. The term “world” indicates the habitable regions, wherein Jehovah is especially to be acknowledged as Sovereign. He who rules the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air should not be disobeyed by man, his noblest creature. Jehovah is the Universal King, all nations are beneath his sway: true Autocrat of all the nations, emperors and czars are but his slaves. Men are not their own, nor may they call their lips, their hearts, or their substance their own; they are Jehovah’s rightful servants. This claim especially applies to us who are born from heaven. We do not belong to the world or to Satan, but by creation and redemption we are the peculiar portion of the Lord. Paul uses this verse twice, to show that no food is unclean, and that nothing is really the property of false gods. All things are God’s; no ban is on the face of nature, nothing is common or unclean. The world is all God’s world, and the food which is sold in the shambles is sanctified by being my Father’s, and I need not scruple to eat thereof.
Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 1-26 (Vol. 1, pp. 374–375). Marshall Brothers.
24:1 No one truly “owns” anything. We are merely temporary custodians of that which God has entrusted to us. The entire earth and all who dwell in it belong to the Lord.
Comfort, R. (2003). The Evidence Bible: Irrefutable Evidence for the Thinking Mind, Notes (K. Cameron, Ed.; p. 722). Bridge-Logos.
24:1 Though no historical notation appears in the superscription, the occasion of this psalm may very well have been the return of the ark (the symbol of God’s presence) by David from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem (cf. 2 Sam. 6:12–19). This verse, denoting God’s universal sovereignty, is quoted by Paul in 1 Cor. 10:26. God sustains the life of Hiscreation (23:1). His eternal, unfailing purpose is to direct and guide His creation (Prov. 3:6) and to meet its needs (Matt. 6:11). God expects from His children gratitude (1 Thess. 5:18), which issues in complete obedience and genuine faith in Him to do what He has promised (Heb. 11:6). Obedience should not depend upon perfect people, happy circumstances, or convenient timing, but rather upon the divine mandate to go God’s way and thereby receive eternal reward (Matt. 6:19, 20, 33). God has shown His providential care again and again (2 Tim. 1:12): Pharaoh and the Egyptians were moved to release the children of Israel, even heaping upon them wealth and possessions; Esther the Jewess became simultaneously the queen of Persia and the deliverer of the Jews. The God who controls Pharaoh of Egypt and Ahasuerus of Persia has ultimate power over every situation, and He never allows a testing without providing an escape. He never gives a task without undergirding and equipping the believer to do it (1 Cor. 10:13). He is the “blessed and only Potentate” (1 Tim. 6:15).
Criswell, W. A., Patterson, P., Clendenen, E. R., Akin, D. L., Chamberlin, M., Patterson, D. K., & Pogue, J., eds. (1991). Believer’s Study Bible (electronic ed., Ps 24:1). Thomas Nelson.
24:1 The earth is the LORD’s. God created and sustains the whole earth; it belongs to Him. Paul cites this verse to establish the principle that there is no food, even things offered to pagan idols, which is unlawful for Christians to eat (1 Cor. 10:25, 26).
Sproul, R. C., ed. (2005). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (p. 757). Ligonier Ministries.
24:1 — The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. Occasionally you may hear a teaching that claims this world is the legal property of Satan, obtained in the Fall. Don’t believe it. This world always has been and always will be God’s. He hands His sovereignty over to no one.
Stanley, C. F. (2005). The Charles F. Stanley life principles Bible: New King James Version (Ps 24:1). Nelson Bibles.
Maduro update: Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro appeared in a New York City court on Monday following his arrest by U.S. forces in Caracas over the weekend. Wearing a prison uniform, Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges connected to narco-terrorism, contending that he was “a decent man” and that he was “innocent” and “not guilty of anything that is mentioned here.” His wife, Cilia Flores, who was arrested and charged with him, also entered a not-guilty plea. Meanwhile, in Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, who had been serving as vice president under Maduro, was sworn in as the country’s interim president. She spun the U.S. operation to capture and arrest Maduro as a “kidnapping.” The U.S. ambassador to the UN clarified that “there is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country.”
Trump’s next target: Mexican drug cartels: While the response to President Donald Trump’s directive to capture and arrest Nicolás Maduro has been met with mixed reactions across the world, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum unsurprisingly condemned the action. However, given Mexico’s cartel problem, she offered “cooperation.” Sheinbaum’s statement was likely in response to Trump’s warning on Saturday: “We will crash the cartels.” He also answered a question on Mexico’s cartels, saying, “So we have to do something because we lost, the real number is 300,000 people, in my opinion.” It would appear that Trump is far from done in addressing the scourge of criminal drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere. Indeed, he may just be getting started.
Vance home attacked: It seems that the radical Left is at it again. A man attacked Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home on Monday morning, shattering windows while the VP and his family were away. Vance thanked well-wishers on X while publicly questioning the news value of sharing pictures of his home with broken windows, given his young children. The 26-year-old attacker, William DeFoor, a Cincinnati local, has been arrested and is being held by the Cincinnati Police Department while the Secret Service reviews charges. DeFoor, whose parents donated thousands to Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign, has been charged with trespassing and vandalism before. In those cases, he was referred to mental health treatment, and his mother was granted legal guardianship by reason of his mental illness. Trans-radicalism may be at play in this attack, as William has recently been posting to social media as “Julia.”
Biden-era rule change that created a fraud loophole to be overturned: It’s starting to seem like a pattern: rules that were in place when Joe Biden took office were changed in ways that facilitated crime. The rule in question in this case is a change to the structure of the Child Care and Development Fund that required the Department of Health and Human Services to disburse payments based on prospective enrollment at childcare facilities rather than attendance. HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill says, “Paying providers upfront … invites abuse.” This administration’s proposed return to making payments based on attendance will make fraud more difficult and enable greater parental oversight of fund distribution.
Child vaccine schedule lowered: Under new guidance issued Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now advises vaccines for 11 diseases instead of 17. Dropped from the vaccine schedule are recommendations for Hep B, Rotavirus, MenACWY, Hep A, and the flu shot. Health officials, in their assessment of 20 other developed peer nations’ schedules, found that the U.S. is a “global outlier” in both the number of diseases addressed in its routine vaccine schedule and the total number of recommended doses. A press release from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s Health and Human Services said insurance “will continue to cover more vaccines for children in the United States than in peer nations, where insurance generally only pays for recommended vaccines.” While Kennedy is not discouraging vaccination, he is seeking to restore public trust in government health agencies that for years have been a “rubber stamp” for the pharmaceutical industry, prioritizing profits over science.
Trump and Greenland: Donald Trump still has his eyes on Greenland, an interest he raised again over the weekend, telling reporters, “We need Greenland! From a national security situation.” He added, “Right now Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.” Noting national security concerns, Trump stated, “Denmark is not going to be able to do it.” He then said, “You know what Denmark did recently to boost up security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled. It’s true! They thought that was a great move.” Trump then claimed that even the European Union agrees that the U.S. should have Greenland. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called Trump’s comments “very rude and disrespectful,” while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen strongly urged “the United States to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have said very clearly that they are not for sale.”
Hilton Hotels causes ICE storm: After it came to light that a Hilton hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, canceled the reservations of ICE officers, explicitly explaining “that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property,” Hilton’s corporate headquarters responded with a quick about-face. The hotel giant released the following statement: “Hilton hotels serve as welcoming places for all. This hotel is independently owned and operated, and the actions referenced are not reflective of Hilton values. We are investigating this matter with this individual hotel, and can confirm that Hilton works with governments, law enforcement, and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone.” Clearly, the execs at Hilton are fearing getting the Bud Light treatment and are running damage control.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting closes up shop: CPB officials announced on Monday that the board of directors voted to dissolve the organization. The agency created by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 distributed funds to PBS and NPR, as well as local radio and television stations. The decision to dissolve was made to prevent manipulation from new actors who did not serve public media’s best interests. Ruby Calvert, the chair of the board, said the Trump administration’s efforts to defund the organization were “devastating” and opined that her organization was “critical to our children’s education … and democracy.” NPR and PBS continue to operate, though budget and staff cuts suggest their future is in doubt. Conservatives who have felt a bias against them in the programming supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting may find little to mourn in its end.
Convicted ICE-interfering judge resigns: Actions have consequences, and for once, an anti-American obstructionist judge is feeling those consequences. Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who has been convicted of obstructing the arrest of illegal immigrants by ICE, has now bowed to pressure and resigned from her office. In a public statement, she defended her treatment of all people with dignity and respect and claimed the case against her was too large a distraction to continue acting as a judge. The facts are that giving preferential treatment to illegal immigrants is not treating American citizens with dignity or respect, and she was forced to leave her office in disgrace. Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, praised Dugan’s decision to resign, as it follows “the clear direction from the Wisconsin Constitution.”
Headlines
Marjorie Taylor Greene marks her last day in Congress after resignation (CBS News)
By that I mean: Kelly didn’t desert his post, didn’t turn himself over to the enemy, and didn’t cause an America-hating American president to trade five high-value enemy detainees for his release. No, unlike the man of Susan Rice’s dreams, Mark Kelly really did, by all accounts, serve our nation “with honor and distinction.”
But that’s as good as he’ll get from yours truly.
Yesterday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that he’d taken the extraordinary step of censuring the former Navy pilot and current senior senator from Arizona for his participation with five other Democrats in a sleazy, slippery, scummy seditionist video aimed at our active-duty service personnel and repeatedly suggesting that their commander-in-chief, Donald Trump, is giving them unlawful orders that they must disobey. As Secretary Hegseth put it:
Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly — and five other members of Congress — released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline. As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice. And the Department of War — and the American people — expect justice.
Therefore, in response to Senator Mark Kelly’s seditious statements — and his pattern of reckless misconduct — the Department of War is taking administrative action against Captain Mark E. Kelly, USN (Ret). The department has initiated retirement grade determination proceedings under 10 U.S.C. § 1370(f), with reduction in his retired grade resulting in a corresponding reduction in retired pay.
Actions have consequences, and Commander Kelly — man, does that ever have a nice ring to it — isn’t immune to those consequences. Hegseth added that the censure was “a necessary process step” toward a demotion in rank and a reduction in retirement pay.
Put bluntly: Kelly fooled around with sedition, and now he’s finding out about the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
“Over twenty-five years in the U.S. Navy,” caterwauled Kelly in response, “thirty-nine combat missions, and four missions to space, I risked my life for this country and to defend our Constitution — including the First Amendment rights of every American to speak out. I never expected that the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense would attack me for doing exactly that. My rank and retirement are things that I earned through my service and sacrifice for this country. I got shot at. I missed holidays and birthdays. I commanded a space shuttle mission while my wife Gabby recovered from a gunshot wound to the head– all while proudly wearing the American flag on my shoulder.”
Kelly did indeed earn his rank and retirement, but he didn’t earn the right to engage in sedition. Put another way, if I can borrow from James Madison: I cannot undertake to lay my finger upon that article of the UCMJ which granted retired officers receiving retirement pay the right to engage in seditious behavior against their commander-in-chief.
Kelly, of all people, should’ve known better. After all, he isn’t some non-rate spouting off in the E-club about Barack Hussein Obama. He’s a retired Navy captain, the equivalent of an Army or Marine Corps colonel. Furthermore, he’s a sitting U.S. senator. If anyone on planet Earth should know better, it’s him.
Kelly’s invocation of the First Amendment is equally galling, and surpassingly idiotic. Everyone in the military knows that when they take the Oath of Enlistment, they check their First Amendment rights at the door. As the Supreme Court noted in the 1974 Parker v. Levy case, “The military is, by necessity, a specialized society apart from civilian society.”
Maybe Kelly was asleep during that class about the UCMJ — the class that covered Article 133, which is Conduct Unbecoming an Officer, and Article 134, which is the glorious catch-all article that we all learned about in boot camp; the article that was specifically written to cover clear offenses that hadn’t otherwise been specifically spelled out. You know, like starring in a seditious video and promoting it via social media to the entirety of our Armed Forces. That sorta thing.
Retired Navy SEAL and popular podcaster Jocko Willink appeared on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show last night, and he began by calling Kelly “a guy that served with distinction.” Which, again, is true. But Willink wasn’t so much defending Kelly as simply stating the obvious. Indeed, if we look back through Kelly’s military career, we can’t find any instances of him attempting to undermine the terminal end of his chain of command. Which makes what he did six weeks ago in that video so jarring and so patently unlawful.
Regarding the seditious video, Willink then added this: “It implies that there is some sort of unlawful order out there. What they’re saying is actually true. Anybody in the military will tell you you’re not allowed to obey — and you must disobey — unlawful orders. But they’re implying that there’s some unlawful orders out on the horizon or that there’s been unlawful orders without identifying any of them. So, yeah, that causes, that undermines, the chain of command, and it’s not healthy. And I think anyone that’s in the military knows and understands that. And that’s why I think it’s a dishonest video, and I think it’s just meant as a political statement.”
Yep, it’s a dishonest video. And a seditious one.
Those looking for an even harsher condemnation from Willink need to remember: He’s got a business empire to protect. And, as Michael Jordan once famously put it while explaining his refusal to take political stands in favor of Democrats, “Republicans buy sneakers too.”
Having said that, I keep going back to that part of Kelly’s tweet where he complained, “I missed holidays and birthdays.” Yeah, well, me too. Same with Jocko and his brothers, and same with every one of the tens of millions of warriors who’ve ever worn our nation’s uniform.
None of us is crying out for special treatment, though. And neither should Captain Mark Kelly.
Jack DeVine: Can’t We All Just Get Along? — Our society is in deep trouble if many of us would rather see our country fail than see our political opponents succeed.
Gary Bauer: Mamdani’s Marxist Message — The danger here is not just that Mamdani is mayor of New York City. The danger is that he represents the rising wing of the Democrat Party.
Reader Comments
Editor’s Note: Each week we receive hundreds of comments and correspondences — and we read every one of them. Click here for a few thought-provoking comments about specific articles. The views expressed therein don’t necessarily reflect those of The Patriot Post.
Venezuela Quickly Explained: Important for U.S. Security — Larry Alex Taunton spent five years following caravans of illegal aliens all over South America. Here’s why President Trump’s military action is so important for U.S. security.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Is Planning to Flee to Russia — New reporting suggests Ali Khamenei is planning an escape route out of Iran — an extraordinary signal of growing concern at the very top of the regime.
New Threats to the First Amendment — As the UK arrests people over so-called “hate incidents” and the EU tightens the screws on X/Twitter, it’s becoming clear that free speech is one of the last truly American rights.
“From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year. Tyranny is booming over here.” —”comedian” Jimmy Kimmel to a UK audience during Christmas
Fact-Check: False
“I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country.” —indicted narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro
A Trip Down Memory Lane
“Trump talks tough on Venezuela, but admires thugs and dictators like Nicolás Maduro. As President, I will stand with the Venezuelan people and for democracy.” —Joe Biden, June 2020
Dumb & Dumber
“Donald Trump’s unconstitutional military action in Venezuela is putting our troops in harm’s way with no long-term strategy. The American people deserve a President focused on making their lives more affordable.” —Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker
“Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable. That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise.” —former Vice President Kamala Harris
“The American people voted for lower costs, not for Trump’s dangerous military adventurism overseas that won’t make the American people safer.” —Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
“He’s willing to risk American and Venezuelan lives for political gain, but refused to extend a critical lifeline to families fleeing the very crisis he claims to oppose.” —Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL)
“Clearly, the President has decided that Congress is nothing more than a pesky accessory.” —Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)
“Today, many Democrats have understandably questioned whether impeachment is possible again under the current political reality.” —Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) on Trump’s Maduro operation
Shot/Chaser
“That’s one of the problems with this action in Venezuela — how does it actually improve the quality of life of everyday Americans? How is it in America’s national security interest?” —House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
“When there’s a big Trump success, Democrats pretend to not know why it was needed.” —Scott Adams
A Broken Clock Is Right Twice a Day
“America is a force of good, order, and democracy, and we are promoting these kinds of values. We are the good guys.” —Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA)
“I don’t know why we can’t just acknowledge that it’s been a good thing what’s happened.” —Sen. John Fetterman
For the Record
“I don’t care what the UN says. The UN doesn’t know what they’re talking about.” —Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissing assertions that Venezuela was not involved in the drug trade
“It is not easy to land helicopters in the middle of the largest military base in the country — the guy lived on a military base — land within three minutes, kick down his door, grab him, put him in handcuffs, read him his rights, put him in a helicopter, and leave the country without losing any American or any American assets.” —Sec. Marco Rubio
Belly Laugh of the Day
“It appears that the Cuartel de la Montaña complex, housing the remains of former President Hugo Chávez in Caracas will be closed for repairs until further notice. Chavez, who died from cancer in 2013, was buried at the mausoleum at the now Revolution Museum at the Mountain Barracks. [Saturday] night, his remains were cremated.” —Jim Geraghty
And Last…
“We can do it again… No one can stop us.” —President Donald Trump on capturing Maduro
ON THIS DAY in 1838, Samuel Morse successfully tested the first telegraph in New Jersey. In the preceding years, he had developed a system of dots and dashes that became known as Morse Code, which could be used to communicate using electricity via wire. It launched the modern communication age.
-The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which allocates federal funds to PBS, NPR and hundreds of public TV and radio stations, votes to shut down rather than run a scaled-down operation after losing $1 billion in federal funding.
-On “National Report,” Judge Andrew Napolitano analyzes charges against ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
-NEWSMAX’s Carl Higbie explains how the U.S. military can swiftly take out a foreign dictator.
-Rob Finnerty notes Nicolas Maduro’s arrest is what the former Biden admin. and Democrats said they wanted, yet now they erupt in their usual anti-Trump performative outrage.
-Scott Jennings discusses the political fallout for Gov. Tim Walz, who won’t seek re-election amid the Somali fraud scandal in Minnesota.
-Rob Finnerty and former MN Rep. Jason Lewis dive deeper into the Somali fraud scandal.
-On “Newsline,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez discusses possible new military action by President Trump in Latin America.
-The Secret Service arrests a 26-year-old man, who demands to be called “Julia,” for trying to break into Vice President JD Vance’s vacant Cincinnati home.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newest appointment, Cea Weaver, to the Office to Protect Tenants, once ranted on the then-known Twitter platform that “homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy.” Oh, boy. And the hits just keep on coming.
Nicolas Maduro (second from left) and his wife, Cillia (right), are led by law enforcement officers from a helicopter to a courtroom proceeding in New York City on January 5, 2026, where a courtroom sketch artist captured the proceedings. CREDITS: Shutterstock/Public Domain/YouTube Screenshot
How should Christians feel about the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro? There is plenty of room for questions and debate, but one thing is certain: The American government has a God-given mandate to protect its citizens from any evil that threatens to harm them.
Early Saturday morning, U.S. special operations forces executed what may prove to be one of the most consequential counter-narcoterrorism operations in American history. In a carefully planned two-hour mission involving 150 aircraft, American military forces and law enforcement personnel captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and transported him to face justice in a Brooklyn detention center for crimes that have devastated American communities.
The operation wasn’t impulsive political theater. It was the calculated culmination of years of intelligence gathering, legal groundwork, and strategic planning to stop an ongoing attack on American citizens that has claimed more than 250,000 lives since 2021.
The Death Toll Americans Face
While critics focus on the reported (but unverified) 80 deaths of Venezuelan and Cuban security forces (and no Americans) during Saturday’s operation, they ignore the catastrophic American casualties that necessitated this action.
Since 2021, more than 250,000 Americans have died from fentanyl and synthetic opioid overdoses. In 2023 alone, approximately 72,776 Americans died from fentanyl — nearly 900 deaths every single day. These aren’t statistics. They’re Americans poisoned by drugs flooding across our southern border.
The threat isn’t abstract. Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan prison gang, took over apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado, beginning in late 2023. Gang members engaged in armed home invasions, kidnappings, extortion, assault, human trafficking, and child prostitution. Property managers received death threats. And 16 suspected members were arrested after a December kidnapping. Venezuelan criminal aliens are also responsible for killing 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley and 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, among others. At a press conference discussing Maduro’s arrest, Trump stated: “What really played into the decision is the fact that he [Maduro] sent millions of people into our country from prisons and from mental institutions.”
The Biblical Framework: Government’s Duty to Protect
Romans 13:1-4 establishes God’s foundational principle for righteous government: “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”
Government doesn’t bear the sword symbolically. It exists precisely to punish evildoers and protect the innocent. When a foreign dictator oversees narco-terrorism operations that poison American streets with fentanyl, when he weaponizes migration by emptying prisons and directing them to invade our border, when his regime enables gang violence in American cities — this is exactly the evil God ordains government to stop.
The President’s primary constitutional duty is to protect American citizens. This isn’t optional. It’s the core function of government under both biblical and constitutional frameworks. When 250,000 Americans lie dead due to narco-terrorism emanating from Venezuela, when gang violence terrorizes American neighborhoods, and when criminal aliens rape and murder innocent Americans, the question isn’t whether government should act, it’s what action best serves justice.
Christians rightly emphasize that we “wrestle not against flesh and blood,” but against “principalities” and “spiritual powers” (Ephesians 6:12), but spiritual warfare doesn’t negate earthly government’s God-given responsibility to wield the sword against evildoers. Both truths operate simultaneously. The Church wages spiritual war through prayer and Gospel proclamation, while government wages temporal war against criminals who murder citizens.
This Wasn’t Random — It Was Strategic
The operation represents calculated planning targeting multiple objectives:
Stop the drug flow. Maduro’s regime oversaw the Cártel de los Soles — Venezuelan military involvement in cocaine and fentanyl trafficking. The 2020 indictment charges Maduro with, among other crimes, narco-terrorism conspiracy. Removing him and establishing leverage over Venezuela’s government aims to dismantle drug trafficking networks at their source.
Cut Iran and China’s funding. Maduro sold sanctioned oil to Iran and China, financing his dictatorship and enabling hostile powers in our hemisphere. In the aftermath of Maduro’s arrest, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a naval blockade on Venezuelan oil tankers, a tactic that will ensure economic strangulation to eliminate this funding.
Establish regional security. Under Maduro’s regime,Venezuela had become a base for Iran, China, Russia, and Cuba, all of whom were building capabilities and exerting power and influence in America’s backyard. Removing Maduro disrupts these alliances.
End humanitarian catastrophe. Oil-rich Venezuela was once South America’s most prosperous nation, but under socialism, its oil industry and economy collapsed, with hyperinflation exceeding one million percent and its citizens forced to endure food and medicine shortages, extreme poverty, and tyranny. More than six million Venezuelans ultimately fled, directly fueling migration chaos at America’s border.
The Legitimacy Question
Critics say the Maduro operation violates Venezuela’s national sovereignty and is illegal, but the legitimacy argument contains crucial nuances.
The United States never recognized Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president. From 2019 to 2023, the U.S. recognized Juan Guaidó as interim president following Maduro’s fraudulent 2018 reelection. When Guaidó’s interim government dissolved in 2023, the U.S. continued recognizing the opposition-controlled National Assembly while explicitly not recognizing Maduro.
Nearly 60 countries — including most of the European Union, Canada, Australia, Japan, Israel, and 16 Western Hemisphere nations — also rejected Maduro’s legitimacy. The Venezuelan people themselves deemed his 2024 election fraudulent, with international observers supporting opposition candidate Edmundo González, who Nobel Peace Prize winner and Venezuelan dissident María Corina Machado had championed.
When the U.S. refuses to recognize someone as a legitimate head of state, sovereignty claims become considerably more complex. Maduro held power through fraud, violence, and oppression, not democratic legitimacy.
Moreover, Maduro was already under federal indictment. The Trump administration didn’t fabricate charges post-operation — the Justice Department filed narco-terrorism charges against Maduro and his wife in 2020 during Trump’s first term and a federal grand jury indicted them both. This operation executed an existing arrest warrant against an indicted criminal who happened to control a government the U.S. never recognized as legitimate.
The Obama and Bush 1 Precedents
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Trumps decision to apprehend a high-ranking accused criminal inside of a foreign country has happened before. In 2011, President Obama ordered Navy SEALs into Pakistan not to apprehend but to kill Osama bin Laden and he did so without notifying the Pakistani government or seeking new congressional authorization. Obama relied on the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) — congressional authorization passed after 9/11 granting the President authority to use force against those who “planned, authorized, committed, or aided” the September 11 attacks.
The Venezuela operation differs in important ways. Trump characterized it as “law enforcement executing an arrest warrant” rather than invoking the AUMF or claiming Article 51 self-defense. This framing avoids War Powers Resolution requirements for congressional authorization of military action.
Some legal scholars question whether calling a military invasion “law enforcement” legitimately bypasses congressional oversight, but the Venezuelan operation closely mirrors the decision by President George H.W. Bush to send in the U.S. military to invade Panama in order to arrest and extract Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega. That operation was also predicated on executing an arrest warrant after a federal grand jury indicted Noriega on drug trafficking charges.
Precedent aside, others note that protecting Americans from ongoing mass casualty attacks falls within the President’s constitutional duty as commander-in-chief.
The capture versus kill distinction also matters. The Obama order to assassinate bin Laden required 24 SEALs and a 40-minute raid. Capturing Maduro alive and extracting him from Venezuela’s capital required overwhelming force — 150 aircraft to suppress air defenses, secure extraction routes, and safely transport the arrestee to U.S. custody. The operation’s scale reflects the mission’s complexity, not imperial overreach.
Christians should consider these questions: Does the President’s duty to protect Americans from narco-terrorism that has killed 250,000 citizens require congressional pre-authorization? Should Congress debate while Americans die daily from Venezuelan-sourced fentanyl, or does emergency action to stop ongoing mass casualties fall within executive authority to defend the nation?
Such life-or-death concerns deserve serious consideration, not reflexive answers driven by political tribalism.
Venezuelan Suffering and Gospel Need
Socialism destroyed Venezuela. The “Bolivarian Revolution,” as it was dubbed, seized property, nationalized industries, and redistributed wealth through corrupt bureaucracies. The result? A prosperous nation supported by the world’s largest oil reserves was reduced to starvation, oppression, and exodus.
Christians must understand that socialism isn’t merely flawed economics — it’s a rival faith that worships the state as its savior. This belief system violates the Eighth Commandment’s protection of property and institutionalizes the Tenth Commandment’s forbidden covetousness.
For those who lived under Maduro’s totalitarian regime, this issue isn’t complicated. They recognize the rightness of removing an illegitimate and murderous thug from the seat of power. It was hardly surprising then to see Venezuelan-Americans in south Florida erupt in celebration on Saturday. “Libertad!” they chanted through tears. As Valeria Morillo, 19, told CBS News: “This means everything. Since the moment I was born, we lived under an abusive dictatorship.”
The Path Forward
Trump says that America is “in charge” temporarily. While former Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, now interim leader, initially denounced the operation, she has since extended an invitation for the U.S. and Venezuela to work together.
This came after Trump threatened: “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price.”
Opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for recognizing Edmundo González as president, who is seen as the legitimate winner of the 2024 election. But putting him in place is complicated. Secretary of State has stated that new elections will be held at a certain point. However, for the moment, he said, America’s goal “is to see changes in Venezuela that are beneficial to the United States first and foremost, because that’s who we work for, but also we believe beneficial for the people of Venezuela who have suffered tremendously. We want a better future for Venezuela.”
Historically, nation-building hasn’t worked well. Can the U.S. install legitimate governance without years of occupation? What prevents another strongman from seizing power once U.S. forces leave or if its policy towards Venezuela changes with a future administration?
These concerns merit attention, and Christians should demand congressional accountability and proper oversight.
The Christian To Do List
As the debates and actions over Venezuela continue in the coming days and weeks, what should Christians do? Here are five actions:
Pray for Venezuela. Pray for wisdom for leaders. Pray for Venezuela’s interim government. Pray for protection of vulnerable Venezuelans. Pray for churches to be planted and for Gospel light to shine brightly on a country that is 72 percent Catholic and 8 percent Protestant.
Think consistently. Don’t let political tribalism determine your position. Apply biblical principles consistently regardless of which party holds power.
Demand accountability. Even necessary operations require oversight. Christians can support action against evil while demanding constitutional accountability.
Reject false choices. We can oppose socialism while questioning aspects of intervention. We can celebrate a dictator’s removal while mourning deaths. We can acknowledge threats while demanding transparency.
Remember spiritual priorities. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall. Christ’s Kingdom stands forever. No matter who governs Venezuela, Jesus Christ remains King of Kings and belief in Him is what will deliver ultimate freedom.
One truth remains clear: When evil threatens American citizens on this scale — hundreds of thousands dead from narco-terrorism, gang violence in American cities, a dictator funding hostile powers — government bears the God-given responsibility to act. This is precisely what Romans 13 describes.
Christians can debate tactics and timing. But we cannot deny that confronting this evil falls within government’s biblical mandate. The question isn’t whether to act against such wickedness — it’s whether this specific action serves justice rightly, proportionally, and with proper authority.
That’s a question worthy of serious Christian reflection, not reflexive condemnation of leaders attempting to stop an ongoing mass casualty attack on the people they’re sworn to protect.
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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has vowed to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible” following America’s capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro, warning that the current regime is escalating an internal crackdown on dissent and journalists.
Speaking to “Hannity” on Monday, Machado said the moment is now right for her return after spending more than a year in hiding. She secretly escaped Venezuela last month and traveled to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which she dedicated to President Donald Trump.
“Well, first of all, I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible,” Machado said.
“As I’ve always said, Sean, every day I make a decision where I am more useful for our cause. That’s why I stayed in hiding for over 16 months, and that’s why I decided to go out, because I believed that at this moment I’m more useful to our cause, being able to speak out from where I’m at right now. But I’m going to go as soon possible back home.”
Machado said developments in the past 24 hours have been deeply concerning, pointing to what she described as a sweeping executive order signed by Maduro on the same day he was captured and flown out of the country by U.S. forces.
“What we’re seeing right now in the last 24 hours is really alarming,” she said.
Machado said the order mandates the persecution of Venezuelans who support Trump’s actions and claimed at least 14 journalists have been detained. A state of emergency decree issued Saturday, but published Monday, orders police to “immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States,” the text of the decree reads, according to Reuters.
She said the situation must be closely monitored by the United States and the Venezuelan people, arguing that the transition away from Maduro must continue.
“So this is very alarming. This is something that has to be followed carefully, I’m sure, by the United States government and by the Venezuelan people,” she said. “And certainly we believe that this transition should move forward.”
Machado also sharply criticized Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, calling her unfit to lead any transitional authority. Rodríguez, who has been vice president under Maduro since 2018, was sworn in as interim president on Monday.
“Delcy Rodriguez, as you know, is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narco trafficking,” Machado said. “She’s the main ally and liaison with Russia, China, Iran, certainly not an individual that could be trusted by international investors. And she’s really rejected, repudiated by the Venezuelan people.”
Machado’s comments came just two days after the Trump administration announced that U.S. forces had captured the dictator and his wife, Cilia Flores, after successful “large-scale” military strikes targeting the Venezuelan government. The dictator and his wife are now being held in New York while they await trial on narco-terrorism charges.
Fox News’ Maria Lencki and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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