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
Why Did God Make Mankind? Heather AdamsIt’s a question that every human being grapples with at some point: “Why am I here? What’s the point of my life?” As Christians, we can firmly answer this question – but it may be harder for us to put into practice. Let’s take a look at why God made us, and what His purpose for us on earth is. Continue Reading →
Why Did God Send an Evil Spirit to King Saul? Candice LuceyThere can be no question that this distressing, harmful, or evil spirit was sent to Saul according to God’s will. But how can one reconcile the Lord’s choice of Saul with the later decision to torment him? Moreover, does this mean that evilcomes from God? Continue Reading →
10 Significant Ways God Uses Stones in Scripture Heather AdamsEverything the Lord chooses to include in His Word is significant, and stones are no exception. In Luke 19:40, Jesus says that if we were to keep quiet, then “the very stones would cry out.” Where else do we see the Lord using even rocks to further His purposes? Continue Reading →
3 Surprising Reasons to Be Like Doubting Thomas Rev. Kyle NormanWhile we may have to sit with our questions or doubts for a season, Jesus will eventually reveal his presence in our lives. When this occurs, we should act like Thomas, who was brave enough to abandon his doubts and place his life in Jesus. Continue Reading →
Why Is Jesus Our Good Shepherd? Ruth ClemenceWithout Jesus, we are “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Without God’s initiation, we are lost, dead in sin, and alienated from Him completely. Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way.” But there is hope in the same verse: “and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” We may have gone astray, but all of our sin has been laid on Jesus at the cross. Continue Reading →
Does Ministry Have to Involve a Pulpit? Ashley HookerThe Bible is full of ministry. It is packed with people using the talents God gave them to serve the people in their world. The ultimate purpose is to share the good news of Christ, and through their selfless service they did just that. Continue Reading →
Is Drinking Alcohol a Sin? Clarence L. Haynes Jr.Here is what you should think about the most when you consider the question of drinking alcohol. How does your decision to drink alcohol affect someone else? Continue Reading →
Why Is Satan Depicted as a Goat? Ashley HookerGoats are stubborn. They like to do their own thing with no shepherd or farmer guiding them. All the goats my family had wore collars with bells on them, so we knew where they were. They liked being free to do their own thing. Herding them was close to impossible. So are these characteristics similar to Satan? Continue Reading →
Why Is the Book of Enoch Not Part of the Bible? Kate HuffWhile extra-biblical writings can offer valuable insights and context, they are not divinely inspired and should be read with discernment, serving as a tool to understand Scripture, not a replacement.
Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
Mark 6:51-52
We cannot understand this last miracle unless we see it as a kind of examination period given to these disciples after the feeding of the five thousand. Our Lord had sent them out, had given them power. They had seen their ministry confirmed and authenticated by the hand of God working through them. They had come back excited and turned on by all they had seen and done. They had now been taught that Jesus was the one who was coming to fulfill the expectation of a Messiah to be given to Israel, promised throughout all the prophetic centuries. But somehow they seemed to miss it all.
So He gives them an examination, a test, to see how they are doing. He sends them out into a storm, but this time it is different. He is not with them in the boat. He sends them out alone, deliberately, and He goes up into the hills to pray. How many of the storms of our life are made up of these two elements–trouble that comes to us and seems to be overwhelming us, and the seeming absence of the Lord? Nevertheless, there is One up on the hillside praying for us.
After the storm has blown for several hours and the disciples are in deep distress, Jesus comes to them, walking upon the water. When they see Him they are scared out of their wits because they think He is a ghost. He has to reassure them: It–that thing you see that scares you to death–it is I; don’t be afraid. How many times does He have to say that to us? That thing that scares us, frightens us–It is I; be not afraid. He got into the boat, and they were absolutely flabbergasted! This indicates the grade they got on this exam. It was F. It was a total failure, but it astonished them. For the second time, now, their eyes are opened to begin to question: Who then is this? And they begin to listen. This opens the door for some of our Lord’s greatest teaching to His disciples regarding why He came.
And this is our Lord’s question to us: Who is this? Who sends the storms into our lives? Who tests us? Who makes provision for our needs and then tests us on it? Who gives us a promise and then sends us out to see if we believe what we teach or what we say? It is the Lord Himself. This is what He is doing with us, as he did with His disciples. He is training us, teaching us, preparing us, building into our lives, as He built into their lives, so that we might be men and women of faith, confident and calm and able to cope with life.
Thank You, Father, for what You are doing with me. Though I live in the midst of perilous times and travel among troubled seas, I know who You are–the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Life Application
When our lives are outwardly commendable but our faith and spiritual perception is weak, what things may God use to strengthen us, train us, and make us teachable?
7Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
8These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. 10Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.”
12They went out and preached that people should repent. 13They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
14King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
17For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
21Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
24She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
39Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42They all ate and were satisfied, 43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
45Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
We may then beg for the audience and acceptance of our poor weak prayers for Christ’s sake.
Now may the God of Israel grant me the things I have requested of him. 1 Samuel 1:17(ESV)
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14(ESV)
Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, giving ear to them whenever they call to you, for they are your people and your heritage. 1 Kings 8:51-52(ESV)
O my God, let your ears be attentive to the prayers that I have made: 2 Chronicles 6:40(ESV) O do not turn away the face of your Anointed One; remember your steadfast love for David your servant, 2 Chronicles 6:42(ESV) even Jesus, who is at your right hand interceding for me. Romans 8:34(ESV)
When experiments go wrong, it can be an opportunity for learning. Thomas Edison famously quipped, “I have not failed. I’ve found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” But when a failed experiment doesn’t provoke change, there is no progress. We must learn from our mistakes, or we will repeat them.Israel had received the king they desired. They followed the example of the nations around them, raising up leaders that valued power, wealth, and influence. But God desired a different kind of kingship, one that valued obedience, righteousness, and humility.Time and time again, the nation followed leaders who chose a worldly path and led the nation away from God. Jeroboam, the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, set the standard for wickedness. He was given his throne by God, yet when he came to power he quickly gave in to ungodly fear and set up idols to worship, and the nation followed him (v. 9)!The kings of Israel, like the judges, were supposed to lead the nation closer to the Lord. Instead, Jeroboam led them astray. Judgment came swiftly, “You have aroused my anger and turned your back on me,” God said. He declared that the nation would go into exile for what Jeroboam did (v. 15).One would expect the nation to learn from this disastrous experiment and turn to God in repentance and righteousness, but they did not. The rest of the books of 1 and 2 Kings detail the repeated failures of Israel leaders and the failure of the people to reject wicked leadership. What would come of the promise to Abraham to bless the nation? Could there ever be a king who could lead the nation like David did? The failures of kingship created an expectation for the one King who would light the world.
Go DeeperWhy do we often repeat the same sinful behaviors over and over? What can we learn from today’s reading that might help us learn and improve? Extended Reading: 1 Kings 14
Pray with UsAs we read about the failed leadership of Israel’s kings in 1 and 2 Kings, we long even more for the true King, the Savior, the Light of the world. Come, Lord Jesus!
Join all the glorious names Of wisdom, love, and power, That ever mortals knew, That angels ever bore: All are too mean to speak His worth, Too mean to set my Savior forth.
But O what gentle terms, What condescending ways, Doth our Redeemer use To teach His heav’nly grace! Mine eyes with joy and wonder see What forms of love He bears for me.
Arrayed in mortal flesh, He like an angel stands, And holds the promises And pardons in His hands; Commissioned from His Father’s throne To make His grace to mortals known.
Great Prophet of my God, My tongue would bless Thy name, By Thee the joyful news Of our salvation came, The joyful news of sin forgiv’n Of hell subdued, and peace with Heav’n.
Be Thou my counselor, My pattern, and my guide, And through this desert land Still keep me near thy side: Nor let my feet e’er run astray Nor rove nor seek the crooked way.
I love my shepherd’s voice, His watchful eyes shall keep My wand’ring soul among The thousands of His sheep: He feeds His flock, He calls their names, His bosom bears the tender lambs.
To this dear surety’s hand Will I commit my cause; He answers and fulfills His Father’s broken laws: Behold my soul at freedom set! My surety paid the dreadful debt.
Jesus, my great high priest, Offered His blood, and died; My guilty conscience seeks No sacrifice beside: His powerful blood did once atone, And now it pleads before the throne.
My advocate appears For my defense on high; The Father bows His ears, And lays His thunder by: Not all that hell or sin can say Shall turn His heart, His love away.
My dear almighty Lord, My conqueror and my king, Thy scepter and Thy sword, Thy reigning grace I sing: Thine is the power; behold I sit In willing bonds beneath Thy feet.
Now let my soul arise, And tread the tempter down; My captain leads me forth To conquest and a crown: A feeble saint shall win the day, Though death and hell obstruct the way.
Should all the hosts of death, And powers of hell unknown, Put their most dreadful forms Of rage and mischief on, I shall be safe, for Christ displays Superior power, and guardian grace.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. (2:12–13)
The process of the Spirit’s transmission of God’s truth is called inspiration. His truth cannot be discovered by man; it can only be received. In order to be received, something must first be offered. God’s truth can be received because it is freely given. The Spirit who is from God, not the spirit of the world (that is, human wisdom) has brought God’s Word—which comprises the things freely given to us by God. The Bible is the Spirit’s vehicle for bringing God’s revelation. The we’s and the us of verses 12–13 (as in vv. 6–7, 10) do not refer to Christians in general but to Paul himself. God’s Word is for all believers, but was revealed only to the apostles and the other writers of Scripture. Only those men properly can be said to have been inspired. The promise of John 14:26 (“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit … will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you”) is for the benefit of all believers, but was given only to the apostles. Paul and the other writers of Scripture did not record their own ideas and interpretations. They recorded what God gave them and only what He gave them. We have received … that we might know. The Spirit used words that the human writers knew and used, but He selected them and arranged them in precisely the order that He wanted. The Bible, therefore, not only is God’s Word but God’s words. It is not simply the “Word behind the words” that is from God, as many liberal and neoorthodox interpreters maintain. “All Scripture is inspired by God [lit., ‘God-breathed’]” (2 Tim. 3:16). Scripture means “writings,” and refers specifically to what God’s chosen men wrote by His revelation and inspiration, not to everything they said and wrote. It refers, as Paul explains, to the things freely given to us by God, to the “God-breathed” words they recorded. When Jesus responded to Satan’s first temptation in the wilderness, He said (quoting from Deut. 8:3), “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). God gave His own Word in His own words. “Every word that proceeds out the mouth of God” is revealed, inspired, and authoritative. Which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1984). 1 Corinthians (pp. 62–63). Moody Press.
12 By way of application, Paul states that it is the Spirit of God they have received. This is in contrast to some other kind of spirit through which some might try to know God’s wisdom and truth—whether the spirit of the wisdom of this world (1 Cor 1:20; 2:6; 3:19) or another kind of spirit (cf. 1 John 4:2–6). The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s special work of revelation (v. 10), Paul says, is that “we may understand what [i.e., the truths] God has freely given us” (v. 12).
Mare, W. H. (1976). 1 Corinthians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 202). Zondervan Publishing House.
12 The amazing thing is that such communication is indeed possible! For when one becomes a believer in Jesus, that person receives the Holy Spirit as a gift (see Ac 2:38; Ro 8:9b, 14–15). This is what Paul now reminds the Corinthians of—that believers have “received … the Spirit who is from God.” This reality enables us to understand the foregoing about how, through the cross and resurrection of Christ, the powers of this age are coming to nothing. Those, however, who have not received God’s Spirit—those who are still caught up in the “spirit of the world”—do not understand this “secret wisdom” (v. 7). With this message, of course, the apostle is able to address on the deepest level possible those among the Corinthians who loved the sophisticated rhetoric and wisdom of the world. If that is the level on which they desire to operate, says Paul, they will miss out on the full meaning of Jesus Christ, the purpose of his coming into the world, the salvation he has to offer, and the many gifts he has to offer. “What God has freely given” is actually a passive participle of the verb charizomai (GK 5919), with God as the expressed agent (called a “divine passive”; cf. NASB, “the things freely given to us by God”). It denotes in the broadest way possible all communication of teachings and gifts from God to us.
Verbrugge, V. D. (2008). 1 Corinthians. In T. Longman III &. Garland, David E. (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Revised Edition) (Vol. 11, p. 279). Zondervan.
12 With this sentence and the next we come to the heart of things, the central issue in the entire paragraph. The argument began with the assertion that Paul does indeed speak wisdom among the “grown-ups” of God’s people. That wisdom in fact is not esoteric knowledge of deeper truths about God; rather it is simply God’s own plan for saving his people. As such it is contrasted to “wisdom” of the leaders of the present age, who cannot know God’s wisdom because it is the “secret, hidden” wisdom that was/is destined for, and finally revealed to, those who love God. That revelation has been given by the Spirit, who alone knows the inner secrets of God, and whom, as this verse now affirms, “we have received.” Since “like is known by like,” the Spirit, who alone knows the thoughts of God, becomes the link on the human side for our knowing the thoughts of God. As before (vv. 6–9) Paul makes this point once again by way of antithesis to those of the present age. He is forever reminding the Corinthians that they belong to a different world order, a different age, and therefore must not do as they are now doing—pursue or think in terms of merely human sophia. In receiving the Spirit,287 it was not “the spirit of the world” that “we have received.” If this were made to walk on all fours, it could be seen as unusual language. But Paul’s point is simple. He is not suggesting that there is a “spirit” of the world comparable to the Holy Spirit, nor is he referring to demonic “spirits.” He is rather saying something about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit whom we have received is not “of this world”; rather, the divine Pneuma is “the Spirit who is from God.” The implication, of course, is that, since the Corinthian believers have the Holy Spirit, who is not of this world, they should desist thinking like this world. The final clause of the sentence picks up the main concern of all that has preceded (esp. vv. 6 and 10) and thereby gives the reason, spoken to in this context, for Paul’s and their having received the Spirit, namely, “that we may understand what God has freely given us.” This latter phrase in particular picks up the motif “what God has prepared for those who love him” (v. 9) and gives us a clear glimpse into the content of the wisdom that God has revealed to his people by the Spirit. The verb Paul uses here (charizomai) seems to be a deliberate allusion to the “grace” (charis) of God, or the “gift” (charisma) of salvation (as in Rom. 6:23); it appears here in the neuter plural (“what things have been freely bestowed”) because it is reflecting the preceding neuter plurals (v. 9). Therefore, this language seems determinative that Paul, in talking about God’s wisdom in this passage, is referring to salvation through the Crucified One (as in 1:23–24; 2:2). And God’s people are to “understand” that precisely because they have received the Spirit.
Fee, G. D. (2014). The First Epistle to the Corinthians (N. B. Stonehouse, F. F. Bruce, G. D. Fee, & J. B. Green, Eds.; Revised Edition, pp. 120–121). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may know the things freely given to us by God. a. “Now we have received.” In the previous verse, Paul spoke in generalities that involved man’s spirit. But here he specifies the Corinthians and himself by using the plural personal pronoun we. This pronoun takes the first place in the Greek sentence and so receives emphasis. With this inclusive pronoun, Paul has come to the heart of the paragraph on God’s Spirit versus man’s spirit. He offers the comforting assurance that we have received the Spirit, whom God has given us. b. “Not the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God.” The negative clause not the spirit of the world has been interpreted in various ways: it describes the rulers of the world who crucified Jesus (v. 8); it denotes evil that has established its own rules and objectives (see 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 4:4; 5:19); it is equivalent to the wisdom of this world (1:20); it is the spirit in man that is worldly.
We say that the spirit of the world is the spirit that makes the world secular. From the time Adam and Eve fell into sin, the spirit of this world has revealed itself in opposition to God’s Spirit: for example, in the lawlessness prior to the flood, in the building of the tower of Babel, and in the false teachers who sought to destroy the church in apostolic days (2 Peter 2; 1 John 4:1–3; Jude 4–19). It is the spirit that rules a person in whom God’s Spirit does not live. It is a power that determines “all the thinking and doing of men, which places itself over against the Spirit who is of God.” By contrast, as Paul expresses in eloquent Greek, believers have received the Spirit that proceeds from God (see John 15:26; Gal. 4:6). God’s Spirit comes to the believers from a sphere other than this world and conveys knowledge of God, creation, redemption, and restoration. Since Pentecost, God’s Spirit dwells in the hearts of all believers (6:19). c. “That we may know the things freely given to us by God.” Why does God grant us the gift of his Spirit? The answer is that we may know innately the things that pertain to our salvation. The Spirit teaches us the treasures we have in Christ Jesus, whom God handed over to die on a cross so that we have eternal life (1 John 5:13). If God delivered up his Son, he certainly will graciously give us in him all things (Rom. 8:32). Believers appropriate the gift of salvation through the work of the Holy Spirit. They realize through faith that in Christ sin and guilt have been removed from them, that God is reconciled to them, and that the way to heaven has been opened for them.
Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians (Vol. 18, pp. 88–89). Baker Book House.
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth. (Ecclesiastes 11:3)
Why, then, do we dread the clouds which now darken our sky? True, for a while they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; He will shine out again before long. Meanwhile those black clouds are filled with rain; and the blacker they are, the more likely they are to yield plentiful showers. How can we have rain without clouds?
Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always will. They are the black chariots of bright grace. These clouds will empty themselves before long, and every tender herb will be the gladder for the shower. Our God may drench us with grief, but He will not drown us with wrath; nay, He will refresh us with mercy. Our Lord’s love letters often come to us in black-edged envelopes. His wagons rumble, but they are loaded with benefits. His rod blossoms with sweet flowers and nourishing fruits. Let us not worry about the clouds but sing because May flowers are brought to us through the April clouds and showers.
O Lord, the clouds are the dust of Thy feet! How near Thou art in the cloudy and dark day! Love beholds Thee and is glad. Faith sees the clouds emptying themselves and making the little hills rejoice on every side.
I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron. (Isaiah 45:2)
This was for Cyrus; but it is evermore the heritage of all the Lord’s own spiritual servants. Only let us go forward by faith, and our way will be cleared for us. Crooks and turns of human craft and satanic subtlety shall be straightened for us; we shall not need to track their devious windings. The gates of brass shall be broken, and the iron bars which fastened them shall be cut asunder. We shall not need the battering ram nor the crowbar: the Lord Himself will do the impossible for us, and the unexpected shall be a fact.
Let us not sit down in coward fear. Let us press onward in the path of duty, for the Lord hath said it: “I will go before thee.” Ours not to reason why; ours but to dare and dash forward. It is the Lord’s work, and He will enable us to do it: all impediments must yield before Him. Hath He not said, “I will break in pieces the gates of brass”! What can hinder His purpose or balk His decrees? Those who serve God have infinite resources. The way is clear to faith though barred to human strength. When Jehovah says, “I will,” as He does twice in this promise, we dare not doubt.
45. What benefit do we receive from the resurrection of Christ?
First, by His resurrection He has overcome death, that He might make us partakers of the righteousness which He has obtained for us by His death.1 Second, we also are now by His power raised up to a new life.2 Third, the resurrection of Christ is to us a sure pledge of our blessed resurrection.3
1 Rom 4:25; 1 Cor 15:16-20; 1 Pt 1:3-5; 2 Rom 6:5-11; Eph 2:4-6; Col 3:1-4; 3 Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 15:12-23; Php 3:20-21
The 2026 update for Denver Seminary’s Old Testament bibliography is now available here. For their 2026 New Testament bibliography, go here. And here’s a link to the Best Commentaries site, which has a lot of useful information. For Steve Hays’ bibliography, updated shortly before his death in 2020, go here.
What does genuine love look like in Christ’s church? In this sermon, R.C. Sproul considers the kinds of qualities that should mark the life of a believer, exhorting God’s people to give honor and preference to one another in humility.
Ver. 6.—Lift up your eyes to the heavens. Look to that which seems to you most stable and most certain to endure—the vast firmament of the heavens, and the solid earth beneath it, of which God “bears up the pillars” (Ps. 75:3). Both these, and man too, are in their nature perishable, and will (or may) vanish away and cease to be. But God, and his power to save, and his eternal law of right, can never pass away, but must endure for evermore. Let Israel be sure that the righteous purposes of God with respect to their own deliverance from Babylon, and to the conversion of the Gentiles, stand firm, and that they will most certainly be accomplished. The heavens shall vanish away like smoke (comp. Ps. 102:26; Matt. 24:35; 2 Pet. 3:10–12). And the earth shall wax old like a garment. So also in Ps. 102:26 and Heb. 1:11. The new heaven and new earth promised by Isaiah (65:17; 66:22), St. Peter (2 Pet. 3:13), and St. John (Rev. 21:1) are created in the last times, because “the first heaven and the first earth have passed away.” They that dwell therein shall die in like manner. Dr. Kay observes that the Hebrew text does not say, “in like manner.” but “as in like manner.” Man is not subject to the same law of perishableness as the external world, but to a different law. External things simply “pass away” and are no more. Man disappears from the earth, but continues to exist somewhere. He has, by God’s gift, a life that is to be unceasing.
Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1910). Isaiah (Vol. 2, pp. 259–260). Funk & Wagnalls Company.
Lift up your eyes toward heaven. When we see so great changes in the world, we are apt to think that the Church comes within the influence of the same violent motion; and therefore we need to have our minds elevated above the ordinary course of nature; otherwise, the salvation of the Church will appear to hang on a thread, and to be carried hither and thither by the billows and tempests. Yet we may see both in heaven and in earth how wisely God regulates all things, with what fatherly kindness he upholds and defends his workmanship and the frame of the world, and with what equity he provides for all his creatures. But in a remarkable manner he deigns to watch over his Church, as he has separated her from the ordinary rank. And look upon the earth beneath. Both of the views now stated are here embraced by the Prophet; for he bids believers turn their eyes upwards and downwards, so as to perceive both in heaven and in earth the wonderful providence of God, by which he so beautifully preserves the order and harmony which he at first established. But he adds that, though heaven and earth hasten to decay, it is impossible that the Church shall fail, the stability of which is founded on God; as if he had said, “A thousand times rather shall heaven mingle with the earth than the promise on which your salvation rests shall fail of its accomplishment.” My salvation shall endure for ever. First of all, he mentions “salvation,” and next he speaks of “righteousness,” on which it rests as on a solid foundation. Whenever, therefore, dangers shall press upon us on every hand, let us learn to betake ourselves to this place of refuge. And with this sentiment agree the words of the Psalmist, “The heavens shall wax old and vanish away; but thou, Lord, art always the same, and thy years are not changed.” (Psalm 102:26, 27.) Both passages remind us that the grace of God, which he displays in the preservation of his Church, surpasses all his other works. Everything that is contained in heaven and earth is frail and fading; but God’s salvation, by which he guards the Church, is eternal, and therefore cannot be liable to these dangers.
Calvin, J., & Pringle, W. (2010). Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (Vol. 4, pp. 71–72). Logos Bible Software.
The Lord’s universal salvation (4–5) is also eternal. Even the most durable things in our experience—heavens … earth and the continuance of humankind (inhabitants)—are transient, but not so that salvation which satisfies the Lord’s righteousness. Vanish, ‘be dispersed’, ‘fall to bits’; wear out, succumb to its own evanescence; like flies is probably simply ‘in like manner’. Last … never fail: literally ‘be … not be shattered’. ‘Be’ refers to intrinsic durability, ‘not shattered’ to imperviousness to external forces. Knowledge, imperturbability and confidence (51:7–8). Those who know need not fear and can rest assured that all will be well.
Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, p. 363). InterVarsity Press.
Ver. 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens.—The eternity of religion:— From the thought of the universality of religion the prophet rises to that of its eternity, which is here expressed by a contrast of surprising boldness between the “things which are seen” and the “things which are not seen.” (Prof. J. Skinner, D.D.) The present and the future:— I. We have to speak to you of CREATED THINGS—the heavens above and the earth beneath—as temporal either in themselves, or in regard to us who “must die in like manner.” There may be much room for questioning whether there will be the actual annihilation of matter; whether even this earth is to be so destroyed that no vestige of it shall remain. We know that our bodies at least are not to be annihilated; but that having gone through certain processes, they are to be united to the soul, and remain in that re-union for ever. Without, however, supposing the actual annihilation of matter, we may speak of the universe as destined to be destroyed, seeing that the systems which are to succeed to the present will be wholly different, and wear all the traces of a new creation. Our text marks out a second way in which our connection with visible things—the heavens and the earth—may be brought to a close—“they that dwell therein shall die in like manner.” II. A CONTRAST is drawn between God—His salvation and His righteousness—and the heavens and the earth. It seems the design of the passage to affix a general character to the objects of faith as distinguished from the objects of sense—the character of permanence and distinguished from that of decline. (H. Melvill, B.D.) Looking heavenward:— Man hath a muscle more than ordinary to draw up his eyes heavenward. (J. Trapp.) The perishing and the stable:— I. THE PERISHING NATURE OF ALL WORLDLY OBJECTS, PURSUITS, AND COMFORTS. II. THE STABILITY OF THOSE WHICH THE GOSPEL PROPOSES. (W. Richardson.) An eternal salvation:— We must never expect any other way of salvation, any other covenant of peace, or rule of righteousness, but what we have in the Gospel, and what we have there shall continue to the end. (M. Henry.) God’s everlasting salvation:— There are brought before us in the text, three great varieties of existence, viz. those of man, the earth, and the starry heavens; and contrasted with God’s salvation and righteousness. I. GOD’S SALVATION IS INDEPENDENT OF, AND WILL OUTLIVE, EVERYTHING HUMAN. “When they that dwell therein shall die in like manner,” i.e. like the old earth itself. “My salvation shall be for ever.” Not only is the power of God unto salvation independent of its friends, but unconquerable by its foes. II. THE GRASS WITHERETH, THE FLOWER FADETH; AND SO, TOO, WILL THE EARTH OUT OF WHICH THEY SPRING. It “shall wax old like a garment.” To the same intent speaks science. Will religion wax old too? When the aged planet’s voice is low and indistinct, will the truth of God also be less clear and defined? I trow not. The world, in its youth and beauty, was but a great symbol. The symbol is gone; the truth remains. The time may come when the resources of earth may be dried up; not so the resources of Heaven. There may be no sunshine to cheer the earth; there will be sunshine for the hearts of men;—no dew to refresh a thirsty earth; there will be life-giving dew for the soul of man. III. OVER THE WHOLE EARTH BROODS THE MIGHTY LAW OF CHANGE. Everywhere there are births and dissolutions. Almost everything yields to its power. From the tiny flower, to the huge mountain; from the life of the insect that is born and dies in a day, to the life of men, of nations, of the whole world. The dominion of the changeable, however, is not confined to this world; it extends to all worlds. And why should it remain any longer when a grander universe has begun? The work of the old one is done. It came into being only to speak the great truths of God. It has done so; let it pass. Its bright suns, the centres of life and light, all spoke of one Eternal Sun from whom comes all life and all light. Let the changing, decaying systems of the old universe now disappear; their existence would be but a mockery beside the one everlasting system of righteousness. Let all that must pass away now pass. The watchword is, “For ever and ever,” for ever one system, one will, one obedience, one atmosphere of love. (D. Johnson, M.A.) The eternity of God’s salvation:— This is evidently one of those predictions having special reference to the introduction of the Gospel dispensation, with which this book is so thickly studded. We may regard vers. 4 and 5 as forming a kind of preface to ver. 6; and in that preface the clue is given in four ruling words, viz. law, judgment, righteousness, and salvation.
The Gospel is a law—not written upon tables of stone, but upon the fleshly tables of the heart by the Spirit of the living God; it is a law of faith, and love, and obedience; it is the law by which God will henceforth govern men. As the prophet in another place says, “The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; He will save us.” His law is in order to His rule; and His rule is in order to the salvation of men.
The word “judgment” is here used in the sense of a body or code of laws, such as form the basis of the constitution of a kingdom. It must point to the body of Gospel truth which God is about to reveal to the world. The doctrines, precepts, promises, which centre upon the person and work, which together are bound up in the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, these form the basis, the foundation which God will “make settled” for a light to the people.
“My righteousness is near.” It is about to be signally manifested, and in an unheard-of way, by the death of My only begotten Son. Therein am I about to be seen, just, and yet the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
“My salvation is gone forth,” etc. The good news that men are to be saved by the free grace of God, is already published, and it shall awaken loving trust in Me wherever it is known. Then comes the climax upon this preface; the eternal endurance which is the destiny of this saving rule of the Almighty—“Lift up your eyes to the heavens,” etc. Three things here present themselves for our consideration— I. THE DESTINY OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH.
Let us think of their nature. They are an emanation from the mind of God.
The design of the creation. (1) This is its immediate design—to subserve the well-being of man. (2) But what is the ultimate design of the heavens and the earth? Like all else, to declare the glory of God. But upon this two remarks must be made—This declaration is by itself alone imperfect, as all material signs of truth must be. The printed page may tell us many truths, but there are truths which the printed page of itself can never tell. Creation cannot declare to us all that we ought to know of God. There are apparent contradictions in nature: there is the genial sun, the gentle dew, the balmy wind; but there is also the fiery volcano, the awful earthquake, the furious hurricane. Creation cannot reconcile its own phenomena; its testimony is imperfect without some higher and concurrent light. The testimony of creation is too often rendered void or perverted through human sinfulness. Either men do not see God at all in nature, or they view Him with vision all awry. (3) Carry your thoughts forward to the revealed destiny of the heavens and earth. They are to pass away utterly. “Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved, etc.” II. THE DESTINY OF THE MORTAL RACE OF MAN. “They that dwell therein shall die in like manner.” Man and the world date from the same origin, and are formed of the same material.
Let us consider the nature of the mortal race of man. It is simply a part of the visible material creation.
Think again of the design of our mortal race. It is pre-eminently to declare the glory of God. “I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” But this glory that excelleth God is to derive not so much from our bodily nature, for this is but the kind of glory that all His other works render to Him, an unconscious glory; as from our spiritual nature, from renovated wills, from purified affections, from a redeemed and sanctified nature.
We shall gain further light upon the purpose of God with regard to our earthly race, if we glance at the analogy between the individual life and that of the whole race. Each man among us is the miniature, the epitome of the history of the world. He is the microcosm; you trace in yourself imperfections of bodily and mental powers; you are conscious of the seeds of death within you; all connected with your present condition speaks plainly the lesson that you are in a dissolving, uncertain, precarious, transitory condition. It is fitly described in the emblems of Scripture, a tent, not a fixed habitation, a lodging, not a final rest. Now, I say you may trace a close analogy to all this in the history of the whole race. The world grows old; there are wrinkles on its brow.
Then remember that this is the predicted destiny of our mortal race. All living men and all their sensuous surroundings shall be utterly swept away. III. THE DESTINY OF GOD’S SAVING RULE.—“My salvation,” etc. By the saving rule of God we mean that rule which God has revealed in the Gospel, in conforming to which man enjoy salvation; the rule which demands repentance, implicit faith in the Mediator and obedience to the Holy Ghost. It is God’s plan, or rule, or way of salvation, and it is founded upon the immutable attribute of His righteousness.
Look at its nature. The Gospel is the full and perfect exhibition of the mind of God.
Look at its design. It is in order to the complete blessedness of our immortal spirits in earth and heaven—here and hereafter, and for ever and ever.
God’s saving rule shall endure for ever and ever. Conclusion: The rule of God must either save and bless, and eternally exalt you, or it must crush and destroy you. (E. Johnson, B.A.) The contrast:— I. A CHANGING, PASSING WORLD. “Lift up your eyes,” etc. God calls on us to interrupt for a short season our busy occupations, and to meditate on things seen and unseen, things temporal and things eternal.
The framework of creation is changing,—passing.
The riches, the comforts, the enjoyments of life are passing.
The cares, and anxieties, and sorrows of life are passing.
Life itself is passing. II. AN UNCHANGING, ETERNAL SALVATION.
The blessing itself is salvation.
It has God for its author.
Eternity is its duration.
Sinners are the partakers of this blessing. Which has your heart—your hopes? The love of both cannot dwell in the same breast, “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (F. Storr, M.A.)
Exell, J. S. (n.d.). Isaiah (Vol. 3, pp. 36–39). Fleming H. Revell Company.
51:6 Heavens and earth suggest the entire cosmos (13:13; 40:21, 22; 48:13; 51:13). The old cosmos will vanish away and grow old (34:4; Heb. 1:10, 11), and those who dwell in it will die (v. 8). Only God’s people will inherit the new cosmos. Righteousness, a synonym for salvation in Isaiah (45:8; 46:13), will last forever (45:17; 56:1).
Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 861). T. Nelson Publishers.
51:6 sky will vanish … earth will wear out. This begins to take place in the time of tribulation (cf. Rev 6:12–14; 8:12, 13; 16:8–10, 21), setting the stage, along with the earthly judgments on land, sea, and fresh water (cf. Rev 6:14; 8:6–11; 16:3–5), for a renewed earth during the Millennium. The actual “uncreation” or destruction of the present universe, of which Peter wrote (2Pe 3:10–13), occurs at the end of Christ’s millennial reign on the earth, when a new heaven and a new earth will replace the present creation (2Pe 3:10; Rev 21:1).
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Is 51:6). Thomas Nelson Publishers.
51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens Compare 40:26. The greatness of the heavens was held up as an example of Yahweh’s creative power. Now the focus is on the impermanence of all that God has created when compared to the eternal nature of His salvation.
my salvation will be forever Though the heavens may vanish, the earth wear out, and all life on earth die, Yahweh’s salvation will endure. The imagery is not referring to a literal end to heaven and earth. Rather, the language contrasts the enduring nature of God’s plan of salvation with the temporary nature of His creation.
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 (Is 51:6). Lexham Press.
Tehran In Flames As Iranian Revolution Spreads Ahead Of Potential Regime Collapse – Khamenei Blames Trump Estimates are that somewhere between 1.5 and 2 million protesters are now in the streets of Iran in what is now being called a revolution, as the regime appears to be on the brink of collapsing. One huge telltale sign is that a mosque in Tehran was burned to the ground. Iranians are also burning the regime’s flag and openly defying brutal Sharia law.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declare ‘red line’ on security as protests escalate Iranian protesters took to the steets once again on Saturday night shouting anti-government chants as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that safeguarding security was a “red line” and the military vowed to “vigorously protect” the nation against those “seeking to disrupt order and peace”.
US used powerful mystery weapon that brought Venezuelan soldiers to their knees during Maduro raid: witness account n a jaw-dropping interview, the guard described how American forces wiped out hundreds of fighters without losing a single soldier, using technology unlike anything he has ever seen — or heard. just 20 US troops into the area. But those few men, he said, came armed with something far more powerful than guns. “They were technologically very advanced,” the guard recalled. “They didn’t look like anything we’ve fought against before.” “At one point, they launched something; I don’t know how to describe it,” he said. “It was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside.” Now, he says, the message is clear: Don’t tread on Uncle Sam.
Annihilation or Eternal Conscious Punishment? we should be like the Bereans, searching Scripture to see what the truth is. However, it seems to us that Cameron and his son James are being influenced by their own emotions and being selective in the Scripture that they’re referencing, so we want to offer a gentle response to explain AiG’s position—that the unredeemed will suffer eternally apart from God in what the Bible calls the lake of fire.
US launches large-scale strikes on ISIS targets in Syria: military The Trump administration carried out multiple large-scale strikes against ISIS targets in Syria Saturday afternoon, the US military said. “The strikes today targeted ISIS throughout Syria as part of our ongoing commitment to root out Islamic terrorism against our warfighters,” US Central Command said
US urges citizens in Venezuela to leave immediately Americans who find themselves in Venezuela should leave the country “immediately,” the U.S. State Department says. The advisory cites that the situation in the country is “changing”, which could include, among other things, a risk that paramilitary groups will begin searching for American citizens at roadblocks.
Four takeaways as Congress investigates Walz, Minnesota fraud The witnesses at a House Oversight hearing Wednesday claimed that Gov. Walz knew about the fraud scandals as they were occurring, alleged that the state intimidated whistleblowers, and broached the possibility of funding of foreign terrorism. Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., asked Robbins, “Do you have any examples of how the Walz administration blocked investigators from moving forward?” Robbins said that an inspector general investigation of the state’s human services department — at the center of the state’s fraud scandals — was shut down. “They were told they could no longer do criminal investigations,” Robbins said. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan publicly called state employees who raised concerns about potential fraud “weirdos and losers sitting in their mother’s basement.” “We have plenty of evidence of that from money directly going to Al-Shabbab,
China widens attack on Japan nuclear ‘threats’ as ties sour China is ramping up objections to what it sees as Japan’s desire to acquire nuclear weapons, despite Tokyo’s long-standing renunciation of such arms, deepening another fissure in the two neighbors’ increasingly tense ties. In what appears to be a concerted effort, China’s foreign and defense ministries issued statements on Thursday condemning alleged re-militarism efforts by Tokyo. The remarks came as two of the country’s top think tanks jointly issued a 29-page report framing recent actions by “right-wing forces” in Japan as posing a “serious threat” to world peace.
The first two-state solution: The forgotten partition of 1922 the true legal foundation of modern Israel, and the region as a whole, begins not in 1967, but over four decades earlier. It is rooted in binding international commitments from 1920 and 1922 that partitioned the land long before any modern Palestinian statehood claim arose.
Maduro’s fall decimates the Russia-Iran-China axis in Latin America While critics debate the legality of US President Donald Trump’s overnight extraction of Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela, they’re missing the forest for the trees. The operation represents far more than the removal of a narco-terrorist dictator – it marks a devastating strategic defeat for Russia, Iran, and China, all of which invested heavily in the Maduro regime as their critical foothold for undermining American influence in the Western Hemisphere. Moscow’s collapse, Beijing’s shock, and Tehran’s fury at Maduro’s capture reveal just how catastrophic this loss truly is.
Who Is Really In Control?: UK Police Lie To Cover Up Enforcment Of Islamic Demands The Sunday Times reported this week that leaked minutes from a safety advisory group meeting show that the police procured false evidence to justify banning Israeli fans from coming to support their team against Aston Villa in November. It was only after the decision was challenged that evidence to support the decision to ban Israeli fans was sought. In fact, as we now know, it was threats from militant Muslims that the police were concerned about. This sorry story shows once again that Islam is growing in influence in the UK. This time to the extent that the police will lie rather than confront Islamic demands.
Minneapolis ICE Shooting Shows Left Wing’s Protest Industrial Complex Wants Another ‘George Floyd’-Type Riot The latest iteration of the Democratic Party’s color-revolution-style operation was on full display in recent days as tensions erupted following the fatal shooting of a left-wing activist by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a federal enforcement sweep in Minnesota. This incident demonstrates that the protest industrial complex, funded by left-wing billionaires, has been on standby, waiting for a catalyzing event to ignite mass mobilization. MSM, the Democratic Party, and left-wing nonprofits are working hard to manufacture another ‘George Floyd’-type protest or riot by omitting key context about the woman shot and killed by an ICE agent.
Strong M6.5 earthquake hits Kepulauan Talaud region, Indonesia A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.5 struck the Kepulauan Talaud region, Indonesia, at 14:58 UTC on January 10, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 51.6 km (32 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Tehran In Flames As Iranian Revolution Spreads Ahead Of Potential Regime Collapse – Khamenei Blames Trump Estimates are that somewhere between 1.5 and 2 million protesters are now in the streets of Iran in what is now being called a revolution, as the regime appears to be on the brink of collapsing. One huge telltale sign is that a mosque in Tehran was burned to the ground. Iranians are also burning the regime’s flag and openly defying brutal Sharia law.
The CCP Is Sending A Chilling Message To All Believers: Obedience To God Will Be Punished Corey Jackson of the Luke Alliance — an advocacy group focused on supporting China’s unregistered churches —described China as “one of the worst abusers of human rights in the world,” and recent events added fresh evidence. On Tuesday, a new wave of arrests shined a glaring spotlight on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) growing hostility toward people of faith — persecution that seems to escalate by the day.
UN is targeting homeschooling through national governments In September 2025, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (“UNESCO”) released a report titled ‘Homeschooling through a Human Rights Lens’, which sparked significant debate regarding parental rights and educational freedom.
What Greenland Wants And Why Trump Can’t Afford To Buy It “U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear what he wants: Greenland. But what does Greenland want? And is Trump willing – and able – to give Greenland’s leaders and people what they need to even consider becoming part of the United States?”
In a chilling move, the UK government has rolled out a taxpayer-funded video game that paints every curious teenager as a potential far-right extremist. The “Pathways” game, backed by the Home Office’s Prevent counter-terrorism program, threatens young players with referrals to anti-terror experts simply for questioning unchecked mass migration or engaging with online debates about British identity.
This indoctrination tool assumes teens are one wrong click away from radicalisation, equating basic concerns over job competition or veteran housing with illegal hate groups. It’s a blatant assault on free thought, designed to stifle dissent and enforce globalist narratives in schools—exposing the state’s tightening grip on the next generation.
The game, developed by Shout Out UK with funding from Prevent, targets 11- to 18-year-olds. Players guide a character named Charlie—using “they” pronouns—through everyday scenarios that quickly spiral into warnings of extremism.
?INSIDIOUS: The UK government has developed a video game that INDOCTRINATES children by threatening to report them to counter-terrorism authorities for merely questioning mass migration or expressing concern about the erosion of British values. pic.twitter.com/YoEmqAOptd
For instance, after being outperformed by a black student, Charlie faces a choice: accept it or blame immigrants for “stealing jobs.” Opting for the latter ramps up an in-game extremism meter.
One scenario involves a video claiming “Muslim men are stealing the places of British veterans in emergency accommodation” and “the Government is betraying white British people and we need to take back control of our country.” Engaging with it leads to a flood of “harmful ideological messages,” with the game stating, “Unfortunately, Charlie didn’t realise that some of the groups they were engaging in were actually illegal.”
Even researching immigration statistics online is portrayed as a gateway to danger, bombarding players with material on the “replacement” of white people. Joining a protest against “the changes that Britain has been through in the last few years and the erosion of British values” nearly ends in arrest, with the revelation that it “seemed to be more about racism and anti-immigration than British values and honouring fallen veterans.”
Pathways is an interactive game designed for 11- to 18-year-old pupils and funded by Prevent, a Home Office programme for tackling extremism.
Young players are directed to help their in-game characters – a white teenage boy and girl – to avoid being reported for “extreme… pic.twitter.com/fUkUdYRr4P
As The Telegraph reports, bad choices within the game culminate in counseling for “ideological thoughts” or full Prevent referrals, complete with mentors to teach the “differences between right and wrong in expressing political beliefs.”
Matteo Bergamini, founder and CEO of Shout Out UK, defended the game, saying, “Teaching media literacy ensures that all those impacted by our programmes leave with life-long tools and skills to safeguard themselves from these threats. Our Pathways game is designed for the local threat picture in collaboration with the local authority and funded by the Home Office, to teach about the concept of extremism and radicalisation and illustrate the scope of online dangers and radicalisation routes.”
A Home Office spokesman added, “Prevent has diverted nearly 6,000 people away from violent ideologies, stopping terrorists and keeping our country safe. We provide funding to local authorities to tackle a range of threats, including Islamist extremism and Extreme Right Wing.”
Yet this comes amid growing scrutiny of Prevent’s overreach. GB News highlighted how the program now flags concerns about mass migration as a “terrorist ideology,” including “cultural nationalism” where Western culture faces threats from unchecked integration failures. Referrals for right-wing views hit 19% in 2024, outpacing Islamist cases despite MI5’s focus on the latter as 75% of threats.
This isn’t isolated. Recall our recent coverage where a teacher was branded a terrorist threat for showing Trump videos in a U.S. politics class. The educator recounted, “It was just terrifying; just mind-boggling. We were discussing the US election, Trump had just won and I showed a couple of videos from the Trump campaign. Next thing, I was accused of bias. One of the students said they were emotionally disturbed and claimed to have had nightmares.” The Local Authority Designated Officer warned his views “could constitute a hate crime” and risked “radicalisation.”
Such cases expose the left’s weaponization of Prevent against conservative ideas. Now, add in to this dystopian recipe the Labour government’s push to ban X entirely, with the frankly laughable excuse that images of people in bikinis can be created using Grok.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer raged, “This is disgraceful. It’s disgusting, and it’s not to be tolerated,” insisting “all options are on the table” over Grok AI’s image generation. Labour MP Lola McEvoy declared platforms like X “have no right to be accessed in this country” if non-compliant.
Leaked messages show MPs calling Elon Musk a “fascist” and urging abandonment of the platform. This aligns perfectly with “Pathways”—silencing online spaces where teens might encounter unfiltered views on migration or freedom.
There also exists a horrible double standard where schools freely indoctrinate kids with outright fabrications, such as pushing “non-fiction” books claiming Black people built Stonehenge, and were integral in other historical developments, part of a “decolonizing” push that insists Britain was “a black country for more than 7,000 years before white people came.”
The hypocrisy deepens with radical gender ideology flooding classrooms. Trans lobbyists from Stonewall are demanding over 300 schools scrap terms like “boys and girls,” opting for neutral language, gender-neutral bathrooms, and identical uniforms—all under the guise of “inclusion.” Schools paying into Stonewall’s scheme must embed LGBTQ+ propaganda across the curriculum, ignoring government guidance against promoting “gender identity ideology.”
This teacher-shaming fits into a broader, sinister trend: the UK government’s push to teach children how to “spot extremist content and misinformation” in schools, embedding “critical thinking” that suspiciously aligns with establishment narratives.
Under the Labour government, kids are being indoctrinated to analyse articles and websites and weed out “putrid conspiracy theories,” grooming the next generation to police thought.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has warned: “If the parameters that are set are to say to every kid, if you read a post that questions net zero and global warming, it will be extreme content, and a lie, if you read a post that even dares to question levels of immigration, legal or illegal into Britain, that that’s extremist, then you start to set a narrative for a future generation that is fundamentally undemocratic.” Farage has labeled Prime Minister Keir Starmer the “biggest threat to free speech” in British history.
Keir Starmer poses the biggest threat to free speech we’ve seen in our history. pic.twitter.com/AB9cdiQtue
As X owner Elon Musk has warned, the British public simply have to come together and get on board with stopping this lurch toward tyranny dead in its tracks now, before it’s too late.
ELON MUSK: “All of the people of Britain have to fight for the future. If this doesn’t happen, there won’t be a future. You have to fight.” pic.twitter.com/yKC8T2Euph
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The people in Iran wish to be free. With words of encouragement from President Trump, they are gaining steam against the radical terrorists running the country. President Trump shared this … Read more
President Trump issued a statement outlining Democratic politicians who attacked and vilified ICE, in many cases encouraging the very resistance that leads to violence. Image courtesy of the White House.
On National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, the Trump Administration issued a statement outlining how Democratic officials and activists have repeatedly used extreme and inflammatory rhetoric against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and law enforcement more broadly. These attacks represent a sustained campaign by Democratic leaders to delegitimize and demonize federal officers. The administration emphasizes that this rhetoric is reckless and dangerous, and that it contributes to hostility and violence against law enforcement.
The piece lists 57 examples involving governors, senators, members of Congress, mayors, and local officials who compared ICE to Nazis, the Gestapo, secret police, fascists, or terrorists, accused the agency of terrorizing communities, or called for ICE to be abolished or driven out of their jurisdictions. Several officials are quoted encouraging resistance, “pushing back,” or “fighting” ICE, while others are cited for excusing or downplaying violence directed at federal officers.
The administration argues that this rhetoric goes beyond policy disagreement and amounts to incitement, normalizing obstruction of federal law enforcement and encouraging public hostility. The White House concludes that such language undermines public safety, erodes respect for the rule of law, and places ICE agents and their families at risk, particularly when paired with organized activism and sanctuary policies opposing immigration enforcement.
Some of the most egregious attacks on ICE by public officials have come from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, whose state is now being investigated for widespread fraud, particularly within the Somali community. So far, Walz himself has not been implicated as personally benefiting from the diverted funds, but he has demanded that the investigations be called off, arguing they amount to a demonization of Somalis.
Walz smeared ICE officers as “reckless” and a “threat to the public.” He went so far as to call them the “modern-day Gestapo” and suggested the state was at “war” with federal officers and “under attack.” After an ICE officer was forced to shoot Renee Nicole Good in self-defense, Walz issued a “warning order” to prepare the Minnesota National Guard for deployment and authorized the mobilization of 85 members of the Minnesota State Patrol Mobile Response Team to support law enforcement in the Twin Cities.
Walz stated that “Minnesota will not allow our community to be used as a prop in a national political fight” and warned residents, “Do not take the bait. Do not allow them to deploy federal troops into here. Do not allow them to invoke the Insurrection Act. Do not allow them to declare martial law.” He urged “peaceful resistance” and called protesting the administration “a patriotic duty.” He told President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, “We do not need any further help from the federal government. To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough.” He also characterized Trump administration operations as “dangerous, sensationalized operations” that are “a threat to our public safety.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is another elected official taking an activist stance against federal law enforcement. He called ICE agents’ self-defense narrative “garbage” and “bulls***” in the context of the Renee Nicole Good shooting, despite video evidence showing that she hit an agent with her car. Frey stated, “They want an excuse to come in and show the kind of force that will create more chaos and more despair. Let’s not let them.” This “chaos” narrative is another example of how framing is used to exacerbate the problem.
The chaos does not originate from federal law enforcement but from activists interfering with ICE, illegal aliens refusing to self-deport, individuals resisting arrest, and public officials encouraging resistance. Frey called on ICE agents to leave the city, asserting that federal immigration authorities were “ripping families apart and sowing chaos on Minneapolis streets.” Once again, the “ripping families apart” phrasing is used to vilify ICE.
That narrative stems from one of two situations. In cases where an entire family is arrested, children are often placed in juvenile detention while adults are sent to adult detention, and the family is reunited after deportation. In other cases, the children are legal U.S. citizens and only the parents are deported. Citizens cannot be deported, but parents have the option of taking their citizen children with them. If they exercise that option, the family can be together after deportation. If parents choose to leave their children in the United States, that is their choice and does not constitute “tearing families apart.”
Frey also made the categorically untrue claim that “up until last night we hadn’t had any shootings in this city other than ICE.” Minneapolis experiences crime and shootings on a regular basis. In Democratic jurisdictions, crime rates are often misrepresented by reclassifying offenses or failing to report or prosecute crimes.
Frey, like Walz, also opposes investigations into fraud and appears invested in supporting the Somali community irrespective of documented immigration fraud, welfare fraud, other forms of financial fraud, and links to the transnational terrorist organization al-Shabaab.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner called President Trump the “criminal-in-chief” and said federal agents were being ordered to break the law by “a bunch of thugs.” He issued direct threats to ICE agents, stating, “Let me be clear, if any law enforcement agent, if any ICE agent, is going to come to Philly to commit crimes, you can get the F out of here. Because if you do that here, I will charge you with those crimes.” While it is legal to prosecute someone for committing a crime, this framing suggests to the public that ICE enforcement itself is a crime.
Krasner claimed ICE officer behavior violated law enforcement protocols, citing Philadelphia Police Department rules directing officers not to stand in front of vehicles and not to shoot into cars unless being shot at. He emphasized his office’s history of prosecuting police officers for criminal homicide and threatened to do the same to ICE agents. This framing attempts to force ICE agents to follow local police protocols, which is complete nonsense. Federal agencies have their own protocols, as do local police, and there is little precedent suggesting federal law enforcement is required to observe local police procedures during federal operations.
Furthermore, irrespective of Krasner’s claim that the ICE agent violated police protocol, this does not change the fact that Renee Nicole Good intentionally hit him with her car, prompting a response.
City Councilmember Kendra Brooks declared, “We are doing everything in our power to prevent ICE from murdering anyone here in Philadelphia.” Liberals would say this statement is acceptable because preventing murder is good. However, it suggests that ICE has committed murder, which it has not, and further implies that the purpose of ICE is to commit murder in the city. In reality, ICE is present to enforce immigration law in accordance with the Constitution.
Portland, Oregon, a city that allowed rioters to attack federal buildings, burn businesses, terrorize locals, and seize control of a portion of the city following George Floyd’s death, is yet another city where elected officials are fomenting hatred toward ICE. Mayor Keith Wilson called on ICE to “end all operations in the city until a full investigation is completed.” He pledged that the Portland Police Bureau would not support ICE and stated that Portland “has not requested and does not require” intervention from the National Guard, despite widespread unrest. He said the city would fight unwarranted federal intervention in court and characterized the federal presence as “a show of force” and “just a big show.”
Seattle officials called on residents to sign up for “ICE Mobilization Alerts” to track federal operations. They issued executive orders developing new guidance for police responses to ICE activities and drafted ordinances banning the use of face masks by law enforcement and prohibiting the use of city property for federal immigration enforcement. The face-mask ban appears to be central to many of these anti-ICE programs promoted by Democratic politicians. It is well known that if ICE agents’ identities are exposed, they and their families are placed in danger, yet Democratic politicians pretend not to know this, with figures such as Gavin Newsom saying, “Take off the masks. Come on, what are you afraid of?”
The president outlined a much longer list of Democrats attacking ICE in his message. At the same time, social media and even mainstream media are amplifying these messages to the point that some people not only believe ICE has no authority and that it is acceptable to obstruct or attack agents, but also that, as Tim Walz said, doing so is a patriotic duty. Meanwhile, none of these critics have encouraged illegal aliens to self-deport or suggested an alternative means of deporting the approximately 18 million illegal aliens who remain in the country.
Is Cuba next on the list of Marxist nations about to learn the hard way if they cross President Trump?
On Sunday morning, President Trump announced on Truth Social that the USA had cut off all oil and money to Cuba. This action follows the capture of Venezuelan tyrant Nicholas Maduro earlier this month after he taunted Trump.
In his message, Trump noted that Cuba had been dependent on Venezuelan oil for years to survive, and that several Cubans died during the U.S. invasion of Venezuela.
Then he sent a warning that should send chills down the spines of the Marxists running the island country.
Here is Trump’s full message to Cuba’s tyrants:
Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided “Security Services” for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE!
Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last week’s U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years.
Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will.
THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Trump then raised a few eyebrows by backing a certain man with Cuban ancestry to run the country in the future: Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio.
“Sounds good to me!” Trump replied to a user who suggested Rubio.
Mugshots released by ICE show some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens arrested during a recent enforcement surge in Minnesota. (Screenshot: Bill Melugin/Fox News)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has handed over to Fox News a chilling list of the most heinous criminal illegal aliens arrested during a recent surge operation in Minnesota.
This “sanctuary state” – a haven for lawbreakers under liberal governance – has been sheltering some of the worst predators imaginable, including convicted child rapists, sodomizers, and multiple murderers, many with deportation orders dating back decades.
“ICE has provided Fox News a list of the most egregious criminal aliens they’ve arrested during their surge in the sanctuary state of Minnesota, & it’s the most disturbing list I’ve ever seen, including numerous convicted child rapists/sodomizers & ten convicted killers, most with deportation orders going back many years. Several from Laos, Somalia, and Sudan.”
These are the same individuals, Democrats routinely described as their “neighbors” while attempting to obstruct federal law enforcement operations.
Melugin wrote:
“Sriudorn Phaivan, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of strong-arm sodomy of a boy & strong-arm sodomy of a girl with a deportation order since 2018.
Tou Vang, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of sexual assault and sodomy of a girl under age 13 and procuring a child for prostitution with a deportation order since 2006.
Chong Vue, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of the strong-arm rape of a 12-year-old girl and kidnapping a child with intent to sexually assault her, with a deportation order since 2004,
Ge Yang, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of strong-arm rape, aggravated assault with a weapon, and strangulation with a deportation order since 2012.
Pao Choua Xiong, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of rape and child fondling with a deportation order since 2003.
Kou Lor, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of rape, rape with a weapon, and sexual assault with a deportation order since 1996.
Hernan Cortes-Valencia, Mexican illegal alien convicted of sexual assault of a child and DUI with a deportation order since 2016.
Abdirashid Adosh Elmi, a Somalian illegal alien convicted of homicide.
Gilberto Salguero Landaverde, a Salvadoran illegal alien convicted of three counts of homicide with a deportation order since June 2025.
Gabriel Figueroa Gama, a Mexican illegal convicted of homicide who has been previously deported in 2002.
Galuak Michael Rotgai, a Sudanese illegal alien convicted of homicide.
Thai Lor, a Laotian illegal alien convicted of two counts of homicide with a deportation order since 2009.
Mariana Sia Kanu, an illegal alien from Sierra Leone convicted of two counts of homicide with a deportation order since 2022.
Aldrin Guerrero Munoz, a Mexican illegal alien convicted of homicide with a deportation order since 2015.
Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed, a Somalian illegal alien convicted of manslaughter with a deportation order since 2022.
Mongong Dual Maniang Deng, a Sudanese illegal alien convicted of attempt to commit homicide, weapon possession, and DUI.
Aler Gomez Lucas, a Guatemalan illegal alien convicted of negligent homicide with a vehicle and DUI with a deportation order since 2022.
Shwe Htoo, a Burmese illegal alien convicted of negligent homicide.
ICE says all of these criminal aliens were roaming freely in the sanctuary state of Minnesota prior to arrest, and that these are the type of people that politicians and activists are referring to as their “neighbors” as they attempt to interfere with ICE.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X, “This is why we have ICE Agents. May God Bless them for their thankless work to protect American communities from these sick people.”
This is why we have ICE Agents. May God Bless them for their thankless work to protect American communities from these sick people. https://t.co/jSs1koXQSe
ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a statement to Fox News:
“Regardless of staged political theatrics, ICE is going to continue to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota and elsewhere.
“Some of these criminal aliens have had final orders of removal for 30 years, but they’ve been free to terrorize Minnesotans. ICE’s arrests prevent recidivism and make communities safer, but it feels like local politicians want to ignore that part and drum up discontent rather than protect their own constituents.”
While Democrats insist enforcement is unnecessary and accuse ICE of fearmongering, the facts tell a different story: child predators and killers with final deportation orders were protected by policy choices, not by accident, but by design.
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