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
You can watch the Reality Student Apologetics Conference live from your home or church starting February 20-21, 2026, with the ability to watch it until August 31, 2026, and earn 10.67 ACSI CEUs.
“Two days filled with good and edifying teaching, encouraging and challenging conversations, and lots of laughter and growing as a youth group.”
— Carrie Prince Stannert, student leader —
Take a deep breath. Feel the air enter and exit your lungs.
Now, let me ask you something: before I said that, were you actively thinking about your breathing? Probably not. Yet, you’ve been doing it all day—at least, I hope you have.
Breathing is essential. You can’t survive without it. But most of the time, you don’t even notice it. It’s usually when you’re out of breath or choking that you suddenly realize just how important it is.
Now, think about a goldfish swimming in a fishbowl. It eats, sleeps, and moves through the water. Water shapes everything it does, yet the fish doesn’t notice it. It only realizes water exists when it’s suddenly out of it.
For a fish, a world without water is drastically different than a world with it. In the same way, a world without the Word—without Christianity—is radically different from a world shaped by it.
Whether we realize it or not, Christianity is like the water to a fish or the air we breathe. Many of the values, institutions, and advancements we take for granted—like modern science, universities, human rights, and justice—exist because of the Christian worldview. But because they’ve always been there, we don’t recognize their connection to Christianity. At this year’s Reality Apologetics Student Conference, we’re pulling back the curtain to show students how Christianity has impacted our world.
Job interviews can be tricky. If you’re conducting the interview, you want to get a total picture of the candidate, but if you’re the candidate you might be tempted to present only your best features, even if the portrait you give is a bit one-sided.Our modern-day understanding of God can also be one-sided. Portrayals of God that neglect His willingness and capacity to judge are misleading at best, and deceitful at worst. But as this passage reminds us, mercy is part of God’s character as well! Israel sinned by turning from God to worship idols and to live in a way that violated the Mosaic Law. As promised, God judged them. But as He also promised, His judgment was paired with mercy and designed to lead them to repentance.Israel received judgment (v. 2), but eventually that time of punishment would come to an end, and Israel would experience God’s mercy. God promised they would return to the Promised Land after a time of exile. Even then, God’s mercies were not exhausted. Verses 3–5 looked forward to a time when God’s final kingdom will be established on the earth and “the glory of the Lord will be revealed” (v. 5) to everyone. In that day, Jesus will rule as King over a kingdom that will not end.This combination of judgment and mercy are best exemplified in Christ who took the judgment we deserved. His sacrifice was an act of mercy for all who trust in Him. God ordained them both. It was His plan to judge, and it was His plan to show mercy. This is glorious!
Go Deeper Have you overemphasized the judgment of God in your life? Take a moment to reflect on the mercy He has shown you. Have you overemphasized the mercy of God in your life? Take a moment to reflect on His judgment. Both judgment and mercy are for your benefit. Extended Reading: Isaiah 40
Pray with Us God, we join the prayer of the prophet Isaiah for Your kingdom on earth to come and Your glory to be revealed to everyone. What a glorious day it will be!
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God; Psalm 90:2(ESV) the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8(ESV)
Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away; but you are the same, and your years have no end. Psalm 102:25-27(ESV)
You are God and do not change; therefore I am not consumed. Malachi 3:6(ESV)
Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? Habakkuk 1:12(ESV) You are the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, who does not faint or grow weary, whose understanding is unsearchable. Isaiah 40:28(ESV)
That he is present in all places, and there is no place in which he is not included or out of which he is excluded.
You are a God at hand and not a God far away; none can hide himself in secret places so that you cannot see him, for you fill heaven and earth. Jeremiah 23:23-24(ESV)
I cannot go anywhere from your presence or flee from your Spirit: If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, in the depths of the earth, behold you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me, Psalm 139:7-10(ESV) for I can never outrun you.
Revelation 21 In these lessons we focus on heaven as the place where God and His redeemed people will dwell forever.
Theme
Jerusalem and Babylon
It’s really not possible to come to this chapter at this point in the Bible, right at the end, without realizing that when John has this vision of the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, this is in contrast to practically all of the great themes preceding this that have to do with our normal, earthly expectations. Jerusalem is certainly contrasted with Babylon, which is mentioned just a few chapters before. Babylon stands for everything that is human in opposition to God.
You have a great history of Babylon in the symbolism of Babylon in the Old Testament. You find it way back in the book of Genesis. Nimrod is the one who built Babylon. This man is described as a mighty warrior, a man who set out to found the first world empire, to bring people together by force of arms, and to set up his kingdom. That’s Babylon, and Babylon grew, and flourished, and became the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar. The book of Daniel shows an interaction of a spiritually-minded man with the kind of secularism that was present in that city, symbolized by Nebuchadnezzar, who stood and looked out over Babylon from the roof of his palace and said, “Is this not mighty Babylon that I have built by my power for my glory in the strength of my majesty.”
Babylon’s a secular city. It’s of man, and it’s by man, and it’s for man’s glory. And because it’s established in that way without reference to God, it’s also a very, very wicked place. And it falls. It fell historically, never to rise again. And here in the book of Revelation, it falls spiritually, as Babylon—which represents all of the secularism of the world, all of the hostility of the world, all of the machinations of the minds of the men and the women of the world against God—is brought down. You have that great fall of Babylon in Revelation 18, and the woes pronounced over the mighty city by the kings of the earth, the merchants of the world, and the sea captains: “Woe, woe,” they say to Babylon the great, for she has fallen, never to rise again.
You have that contrast, a secular city on the one hand, and here in chapter 21 the heavenly city, which is the destiny of God’s saints. I think it wouldn’t be fair, however, to make the contrast merely between earthly Babylon and the heavenly Jerusalem without recognizing that there is also another contrast that strikes much closer to home. We who, by the grace of God, have come to know Him through Jesus Christ, could easily say, “Well, of course, naturally, we’re with Jerusalem. We’re not with Babylon. That’s the world.” We could sort of pat ourselves on the back at that point and not realize that not only do we have the contrast between Babylon and Jerusalem, but we also have the contrast between earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from God.
Earthly Jerusalem was to be a thing of great beauty. It certainly was a thing of great privilege because this is where God established His temple. This is where the worship of the true God, conducted according to the revealed law of God, was practiced. This is the very site in which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified, giving His life for His people. Earthly Jerusalem was a marvelous thing, and yet sad as it is to say this, it became quite secular and quite wicked as well.
When you turn to Revelation 18, which talks about Babylon, that city is described as the great prostitute, the harlot. But if you turn back to the first chapter of Isaiah and find Isaiah writing to the Jerusalem of his day, you find precisely the same image. The prophet writes: “See how the faithful city [Jerusalem] has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her—but now murderers! Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes. They chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them” (1:21). That’s what it is to be a prostitute in the sight of God. That’s the wickedness that God has in mind, and this is Jerusalem, you see, that has become that.
That means the Church—that which God has called into being and which is to hold forth His glory in Jesus Christ crucified before the world—becomes the harlot. And so the contrast is not merely between Babylon and Jerusalem, but the contrast between the visible, earthly Church and the new Jerusalem established by God.
Study Questions
In the Bible “Babylon” is both an actual city and a symbol of opposition against God. Trace the theme of Babylon through Scripture, and note the qualities that characterize it.
How does the new and heavenly Jerusalem of Revelation 21 compare with the earthly city? How are they similar, and how are they different?
Application
Reflection: The Church is to be a faithful reflection of the heavenly city of God. In what ways is it doing this? In what ways does it at times not do this?
For Further Study: To consider some other themes that characterize heaven, download for free and listen to a message by James Boice on John 14:3, entitled, “Heaven.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
Jesus called them together and said, You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you.
Mark 10:42-43a
Jesus sees the cross waiting for Him. James and John see thrones waiting for them. And what do the other ten see? They see James and John! They are angry and upset at them. Why? Because they got to Jesus first. Obviously they wanted the same things that James and John did and were angry only because James and John beat them to it. This is often the explanation for our anger, is it not? We are so often upset because somebody thought of it before we did.
But notice how Jesus sets aside all this business of politicking and maneuvering and asking for special privileges. That is the way the world works, but it is not to be part of the kingdom of God. In the kingdom—the church, if you like—there is not to be struggling and striving for position and honor. Paul brings this out so beautifully in his development of the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12, where he says that because we have gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit and a ministry opened to us by the Lord Jesus and power granted to us by the heavenly Father, we do not need to be in competition with anybody.
This is what our Lord wants to set before His disciples, so He gathers them together and patiently says, Now, fellows, sit down. I want to say something to you. You’ve looked at the Gentiles. Have you noticed that when they exercise authority, it is always over somebody else? They measure their power by how many are under them. That is the mark of their authority. It is still true today. That is the way people do things, the way they judge their success. And although it produces all kinds of rivalry, competition, skullduggery, politicking, conniving, maneuvering, manipulating, and trying to undercut everybody else, nevertheless, you cannot blame people for that, because that is all they know.
The key is in these words: Not so with you. The church is not to be set up as a hierarchy of power. There is no chain of command in the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus had already said to these disciples, You have only one Master and you are all brothers (Matthew 23:8). Every apostle is careful to remind us of the danger of lording it over one another, the problems that arise when those in positions of authority think they have the right to tell others what to do or how to act or what to think or how to behave, believing they have the right to make decisions that others must follow. This is not true in the church. Paul is careful to say to the Corinthians, Not that we lord it over your faith (2 Corinthians 1:24). That is, You can do what you want. You stand before God, responsible to Him, not to me. But he is also faithful to point out what it is they need to do and to warn them of the results that may follow if they do not want to do it. But no one is ever to be commanded to do something by another person in the church. Only the Lord commands.
Thank You, Lord, that You are my Master, and You’ve made me a significant part of Your church.
Life Application
How do the leadership principles Jesus teaches equip his disciples to live counter-culturally? How does a true follower cope with political & personal power struggles?
32They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”
35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
36“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
37They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
38“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
39“We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
41When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
“Unto thee lift I up mine eyes.” It is good to have some one to look up to. The Psalmist looked so high that he could look no higher. Not to the hills, but to the God of the hills he looked. He believed in a personal God, and knew nothing of that modern pantheism which is nothing more than atheism wearing a figleaf. The uplifted eyes naturally and instinctively represent the state of heart which fixes desire, hope, confidence, and expectation upon the Lord. God is everywhere, and yet it is most natural to think of him as being above us, in that glory-land Which lies beyond the skies. “O thou that dwellest in the heavens,” just sets forth the unsophisticated idea of a child of God in distress; God is, God is in heaven, God resides in one place, and God is evermore the same, therefore will I look to him. When we cannot look to any helper on a level with us it is greatly wise to look above us; in fact, if we have a thousand helpers, our eyes should still be toward the Lord. The higher the Lord is the better for our faith, since that height represents power, glory, and excellence, and these will be all engaged on our behalf. We ought to be very thankful for spiritual eyes; the blind men of this world, however much of human learning they may possess, cannot behold our God, for in heavenly matters they are devoid of sight. Yet we must use our eyes with resolution, for they will not go upward to the Lord of themselves, but they incline to look downward, or inward, or anywhere but to the Lord: let it be our firm resolve that the heavenward glance shall not be lacking. If we cannot see God, at least we will look towards him. God is in heaven as a king in his palace; he is there revealed, adored, and glorified: thence he looks down on the world and sends succours to his saints as their needs demand; hence we look up, even when our sorrow is so great that we can do no more. It is a blessed condescension on God’s part that he permits us to lift up our eyes to his glorious high throne; yea, more, that he invites and even commands us so to do. When we are looking to the Lord in hope, it is well to tell him so in prayer: the Psalmist uses his voice as well as his eye. We need not speak in prayer: a glance of the eye will do it all; for— “Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear, The upward glancing of an eye When none but God is near.” Still, it is helpful to the heart to use the tongue, and we do well to address ourselves in words and sentences to the God who heareth his people. It is no small joy that our God is always at home: he is not on a journey, like Baal, but he dwells in the heavens. Let us think no hour of the day inopportune for waiting upon the Lord; no watch of the night too dark for us to took to him.
Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 120-150 (Vol. 6, pp. 39–40). Marshall Brothers.
Our Attitude to God in Prayer (v. 1)
I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven (v. 1). The attitude of the psalmist is one of reverence for God. He comes in prayer to lift his eyes to the LORD, as real believers always do (Ps. 25:15). The difference between himself and his God is emphasised by recognising that he is enthroned in the heavens as the all-powerful creator of all things. The assertion that God’s throne is in the heaven has already been made in Psalms 9:4; 103:19 and 113:5. Our Lord Jesus taught his disciples to address God as ‘Father’, but to also say, ‘who is in heaven’ (Matt. 6:9). As we come to God we must say with John Newton (1725–1807):
Approach my soul the mercy seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer,
There humbly fall before his feet,
For none can perish there.
Harman, A. (2011). Psalms: A Mentor Commentary (Vols. 1–2, pp. 897–898). Mentor.
123:1 I lift up my eyes to you. The metaphor implies looking trustingly to Yahweh for help (see 121:1). to you who sit enthroned in heaven. This picture of Yahweh, not named until verse 2, portrays God as sovereign King of the world (see also 93:4; 102:12); and because he sits enthroned in heaven and is “our God” (123:2c), the suppliant can look to him to “have mercy” on Israel (123:3). “Enthroned in heaven” points to God’s power, and “our God” (123:2c) sums up the special relationship Israel has to God and God to them (see the sidebar “The Covenant Formula” in the unit on Ps. 79).
Bullock, C. H. (2017). Psalms 73–150 (M. L. Strauss & J. H. Walton, Eds.; Vol. 2, p. 396). Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group.
It is a blessed thing when the soul, under exercises, is going out in dependence upon the Lord. The prophet remarks, under the burden of Hadrach (by which may be understood the Lord’s exercised people under their burdens), that the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be towards the Lord, Zech. 9:1. Hence, those many calls of the Lord to his people to be always looking unto him. Behold me! behold me! saith Jesus. Look unto me and be ye saved! Behold the Lamb of God! Isaiah, 65:1. John, 1:29. Isaiah, 45:22. There is a most sublime beauty in this title given to the Lord: O thou that dwellest in the heavens. See Isaiah, 57:15.
Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Job–Psalms (Vol. 4, p. 581). Logos Bible Software.
If the traveller in Psalm 121 had to learn to look higher than the hills, this sufferer, even more hemmed in, has won the same victory. His words, soaring above his circumstances, set his troubles in a context large enough to contain them. God, enthroned in the heavens, ‘does whatever he pleases’ (115:3), and his faithful love and wisdom are equally beyond our calculating (36:5; Isa. 55:9). The Lord’s Prayer opens with an upward look like this; the psalm may correct the perfunctory glance to which familiarity often reduces it.
Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 471). InterVarsity Press.
They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my jewels. (Malachi 3:17)
A day is coming in which the crown jewels of our great King shall be counted, that it may be seen whether they answer to the inventory which His Father gave Him. My soul, wilt thou be among the precious things of Jesus? Thou art precious to Him if He is precious to thee, and thou shalt be His “in that day,” if He is thine in this day.
In the days of Malachi, the chosen of the Lord were accustomed so to converse with each other that their God Himself listened to their talk. He liked it so well that He took notes of it; yes, and made a book of it, which He lodged in His record office. Pleased with their conversation, He was also pleased with them. Pause, my soul, and ask thyself: If Jesus were to listen to thy talk would He be pleased with it? Is it to His glory and to the edification of the brotherhood? Say, my soul, and be sure thou sayest the truth.
But what will the honor be for us poor creatures to be reckoned by the Lord to be His crown jewels! This honor have all the saints. Jesus not only says, “They are mine,” but, “They shall be mine.” He bought us, sought us, brought us in, and has so far wrought us to His image that we shall be fought for by Him with all His might.
We tend to think of Revelation being the “hard” chapter. But Paul’s little missive to the Galatians has some tough language in it, and stern words for the Christians of his day and for Christians of all time. Paul sends curses out twice in this short passage. False doctrine is extremely important to tend to. A little leaven spoils the whole lump.
Paul wrote:
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9).
Paul mentions here that:
–Christians desert solid doctrine –Christians accept a different gospel –Christians be warned that some come in who trouble us –Christians be warned that some who come in purposely distort the Gospel –Do not ‘dialog’ with the Gospel-perverters. Instead, let them be accursed!
“Have you ever noticed how difficult sometimes it is to reject a false system because the people in it are so nice? Paul says, “I don’t care if it’s me or if it’s a beautiful angel from heaven, let him be accursed.” So many buy false doctrine because the package is so nice. Don’t you know Satan knows that?” (source)
Far from being tolerant, having a ‘let them be mentality, or promoting inclusiveness; Christians should be exclusive to the Gospel only, intolerant of false doctrine, and vigorous in defending Christ.
“I believe firmly that all of truth is God’s truth.” R.C. Sproul
God is truth (Exodus 34:6, John 14:6). In fact, truth is such an essential aspect of His character and nature that He is called by the name “Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11). He is absolute verity, unaltered by the variable tides of time and circumstance (Numbers 23:19). The maker of all things in heaven and on earth, He furnishes His creation with evident truth (Psalm 19:1-6). He loves the truth (Jeremiah 10:10) and speaks the truth at all times and in all ways (Psalm 119:160). He is Himself the source of all truth, the essence of all truth, and the standard of all truth (1 John 5:6, 20-21).
Herman Bavinck declared, “God is the truth in its absolute fullness. He, therefore, is the primary, the original truth, the source of all truth, the truth in all truth. He is the ground of the truth—of the true being—of all things, of their knowability and conceivability, the ideal and archetype of all truth, of all ethical being, of all the rules and laws, in light of which the nature and manifestation of all things should be judged and on which they should be modeled. God is the source and origin of the knowledge of truth in all areas of life.”
Likewise, Keith Mathison asserted, “A God-centered view of truth demands that we affirm that all truth is God’s truth. That which is true is true because God said it, created it, or decreed it.”
According to the Belgic Confession God reveals truth in two ways: “First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe; which is before our eyes as a most elegant book, wherein all creatures, great and small, are as so many characters leading us to contemplate the invisible things of God, namely His eternal power and Godhead, as the Apostle Paul saith (Romans 1:20). All which things are sufficient to convince men and leave them without excuse. Secondly, He makes Himself more clearly and fully known to us by His holy and divine Word; that is to say, as far as is necessary for us to know in this life, to His glory and our salvation.”
God’s unchanging truth is sure, certain, and objective and is displayed in either the natural revelation of His created order or the special revelation of His inspired Word. He animates these two conduits of truth so that we might know the truth and be set free. Every true thing in art, music, literature, history, philosophy, science, or technology is therefore a manifestation of His providential and infallible revelation.
Many Christians find it hard to integrate Jesus’s teachings with his death.
As if to say, Jesus’s life was about “how to be a good Christian,” whilst his death was the event behind the atonement theologies of Paul, Hebrews, and Peter.
But Jesus’s message of the kingdom and his death upon the cross are not two different strands of biblical teaching, not two disparate themes rarely woven together, nor ideas that should remain siloed away from each other in our reading of the Gospels.
Remember, the placard on the cross, cruelly mocking Jesus as “King of the Jews” (Mt 27:37), conveys a truth that is neither ironic nor insignificant. Jesus, in his ministry, message, teachings, and deeds, proclaimed — even embodied — the kingdom of God. At the climax of that story is his crucifixion as king. It is as if the evangelists want us to understand that the kingdom of God comes, not despite the cross, but precisely through it!
But how?
The problem is that many Christians seemingly jump from Genesis 3 (the Fall) to John 1 (the incarnation), so that the history of Israel is a peculiar preamble to God’s plan to save humanity from sin. But such is a jaundiced view of God, Jesus, and Scripture. God’s plan has always been to create a worldwide family (Abraham), a nation (Israel), and a king (David), through whom his saving purposes would be manifested.
The Promise of Deliverance
Just as Israel was saved in the original exodus, even after the harrowing effects of the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, God promises in the prophets to bring about a new exodus, where Israel’s sins would be forgiven, there would be a new covenant, a new temple, a new Davidic ruler. And where God himself would come — and come in kingly power — to deliver them.
As it says in Isaiah:
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. — Isaiah 52:7-10 (NIV)
Of course, in the very next chapters, we also read about the mysterious “Suffering Servant,” about whom it is said:
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great and he will divide the spoils with the strong because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. — Isaiah 53:10-12 (NIV)
Indeed, the Servant is a parable of Israel, how Israel’s death (i.e., exile) will end when God brings a re-ordering of power, a reversal of fortunes, vindicates the nation from their oppressors, and returns them to the land, with other manifold blessings.
Thus, to understand Jesus’s kingdom message and situate it in relation to the cross will help us understand how Jesus’s message and his death are a focal point for fulfilling God’s promises to Israel and for the realizing of God’s saving purposes.
The Kingdom Declaration
To begin with, it is important to observe that Jesus began his public ministry with a clear and electrifying message. Mark captures it succinctly: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mk 1:14-15, NRSVUE).
This wasn’t merely a pious platitude. Jesus was announcing that the long-awaited moment had arrived when Israel’s God would become king, when divine rule would break into history and transform everything. In other words, the shot-clock had wound down to zero, D-Day had arrived, the revolution leading to Israel’s redemption was now at hand.
Jesus’s Ministry: Kingdom-in-Action
Yet Jesus didn’t just talk about the kingdom as something theoretical, a matter of feelings or interior renewal. He inaugurated the kingdom — made its presence real — through his various actions. When he healed the sick, welcomed outcasts, dined with sinners, and cast out demons, he was showing what it looks like when God’s reign takes root and becomes reality. As Jesus himself put it, “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Lk 11:20, NRSVUE).
His ministry was the kingdom-in-action — though not in the way people expected. Many anticipated military liberation, political revolution, moral reformation, religious resurgence, or dramatic cosmic intervention. Jesus offered something both more palpable and more powerful.
The Parables: The Kingdom Breaking In
Consider too the parables. These figurative vignettes are not — though it’s nauseatingly repeated — “earthly stories with a spiritual meaning.” No, they are stories that challenge and redefine what it means to be God’s kingdom-people.
Through his parables, Jesus explained that God’s kingdom was breaking into the world like seed scattered in a field. Some would receive it and bear fruit, while others would reject it. The kingdom was like a great homecoming feast where the outcasts were welcomed, while the self-righteous stood outside nursing their resentment.
These weren’t just nice stories. They were challenges and warnings that demanded a response. Where do you stand in relation to the coming kingdom?
The Sermon on the Mount: The Kingdom’s Agenda
In the Sermon on the Mount, often reduced to “ethics,” Jesus outlined the kingdom’s agenda: the meek would inherit the earth, peacemakers would be called God’s children, and those who hungered for justice would be satisfied.
This wasn’t a call to politeness and niceties. Jesus was announcing God’s revolutionary way of transforming the world, not through legions and armies, but through the humble, the broken-hearted, and those committed to peace and justice. By the time the powers of this world realized what was happening, these unlikely revolutionaries would have already changed everything.
The Messianic Redefinition
The dramatic turning point in Jesus’s mission came at Caesarea Philippi, in the far north of Israel, where Jewish territory met the pagan world. This was a place laden with symbolism, home to a grotto dedicated to the god Pan and a temple honoring the Roman emperor.
Here, Jesus asked his disciples a pivotal question: “Who do people say that I am?” (Mk 8:27). After his disciples relayed the various rumours circulating about his identity, Jesus made the question even more direct: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter, bold as ever, gave the confession that many had suspected but few had the courage to say out loud: “You are the Messiah” (Mk 8:29).
Jesus didn’t deny it. But what happened next shocked the disciples to their core. Jesus immediately began to redefine what messiahship meant. He taught them that “the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31).
How does this relate to Jesus’s kingdom message?
Well, Jesus was weaving together several strands of scriptural expectation that had never been combined before.
He was taking the role of the Messiah, the conquering king from David’s line, and fusing it with Isaiah’s suffering servant, Daniel’s “one like a son of man,” Zechariah’s smitten shepherd, and the righteous sufferer of the Psalms. The path to glory would go through the cross. The kingdom would come not through military might but through suffering and death.
Jesus made this chillingly explicit: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it” (Mk 8:34-35 NRSVA).
Thus, the cross wasn’t a detour from his kingdom message. On the contrary, it was central to it.
The Last Supper: A New Exodus Meal
When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover festival, he deliberately chose to celebrate a final meal with his disciples that would become the interpretive key for understanding his death. Passover commemorated Israel’s liberation from Egypt, the original exodus that redeemed God’s people from slavery in Egypt. Yet Jesus transformed this ancient meal into something new: a story of a new exodus, a new covenant, and a new king.
Luke’s account captures the profound significance of this moment. Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19 NRSVUE). Then he took the cup, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Lk 22:20).
With these simple actions, Jesus was explaining that his death would accomplish what Israel had always been called to do: bring God’s salvation to the world through Israel. He was establishing a new covenant, fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy that God would forgive sins and write his law on human hearts (Jer 31:31-34). His blood would inaugurate a new exodus, not from literal Egypt, but from the deeper slavery of sin and death itself. When God acted to deliver his people this time, it wouldn’t be through the death of Egyptian firstborns, but through the death of God’s own firstborn Son.
The Crucifixion: Where Kingdom Meets Cross
Matthew’s account of the crucifixion reveals the dramatic irony surrounding Jesus’s death. As Jesus hung on the cross, the placard above his head read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Mt 27:37).
Intended as mocking jibe, it was actually the truth.
The Jerusalem leaders taunted him: “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him” (Mt 27:42). But this was precisely the point. Jesus could have saved himself — but then he couldn’t have saved others. The kingdom was coming through the cross, not despite it. When darkness covered the land and Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46), he was taking upon himself the full weight of exile, sin, and death.
The crucifixion was not Rome’s victory over another would-be messiah, one of many Judaeans deluded by notions of apocalyptic glory and given recompense by their imperial masters. No, this was God’s strategy for defeating evil itself. The cross was where God’s kingdom broke through the shell of the old creation to bring forth the new. It was the precipice of Israel’s horror and their hope for the future. It was the means by which God would deal with evil once and for all and launch the renewal of all things through a renewed Israel centered around the Messiah.
Why Kingdom and Cross Belong Together
We often struggle to hold together Jesus’s kingdom message with his death on the cross. We tend to separate them, treating the cross as about personal salvation and the kingdom as about ethics or a future hope. But throughout the Gospels, these two themes are inseparable.
Jesus believed he had to draw Israel’s destiny onto himself. Israel was called to be the light to the nations, the means of bringing God’s blessing to the whole world. But Israel was in exile, under judgment, unable to fulfill its calling. So Jesus, as Israel’s true representative, took that judgment upon himself so that through his death, exile could end and the new exodus could begin. His resurrection would then vindicate this strange strategy and launch the new creation.
That is how and why kingdom and cross belong together!
First, it means we must embrace the paradox at the heart of Christian faith: the way to life is through death, the path to glory goes through suffering, and the kingdom advances not through power and coercion but through self-giving love and service.
Second, it challenges us to reconsider what faithful kingdom living looks like. Jesus’s beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount aren’t just about individual spirituality. They’re the kingdom manifesto. We are called to be meek, merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers. We hunger and thirst for justice. We willingly embrace persecution for righteousness’ sake. This is how God transforms the world.
Third, every time we share in the Lord’s Supper, we’re not just remembering a past event. We’re participating in the new exodus and proclaiming that Jesus’s death and resurrection have inaugurated the kingdom. We are part of the new covenant community, marked by God’s forgiveness and empowered by his Spirit to live as kingdom citizens in a world that doesn’t yet fully acknowledge the King.
The cross and the kingdom belong together. Jesus didn’t die insteadof establishing God’s kingdom; he died to establish it. His resurrection proved that God’s kingdom strategy works and that death no longer has the final word. Now we live in the already-but-not-yet of God’s reign, bearing witness to the King who conquered through self-giving love and inviting all people into his kingdom of peace, justice, and life.
We all share a fascination for discovering “the rest of the story.” In The New Testament You Never Knew, an eight-session video Bible study completely revised and updated for 2026, well-known Bible scholars N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird team up to take you on a tour of the explosive story behind the New Testament.
You will discover things you never knew about Jesus’s baptism and journey in the wilderness, the meaning behind his parables and miracles, the significance of his death and resurrection, the incredible expansion of the early church into the Greco-Roman world, and how the transforming mission of Jesus can still turn the world upside down today.
I witnessed a Facebook controversy where a local restaurateur’s accusations went viral worldwide, then collapsed under video evidence. The episode illustrates social media’s power to spread gossip, destroy reputations, and implicate hearers, urging Christians to remember God’s omnipresent witness and use words only to edify others.
EPrata photo
I watched a social media blow-up last week on Facebook. Social media is a wonderful invention to help get the Gospel out, to edify the saints, and to offer links to content from long ago theologians we otherwise may not have known about. It is also a reputation destroying, conspiracy-theory promoting, evil satanic tool.
It’s a lot.
So there I was on a relaxing weekend in Georgia, scrolling my Facebook feed. For some reason this post from a town about 110 miles away popped up. It was written by a restaurant owner and it was a screed. I mean, the guy was big mad. He complained about an employee (who he named) who he said had called the health department because of a persistent problem with raw sewage. He railed against a local official, the town, the world. It was long. It immediately garnered attention. Why? Everybody loves a good fight.
My first thought was that’s not the way a local businessman should act. Secondly, I mean, raw sewage? That is a problem. Depending on whose page the man’s screed was re-posted on, people took sides. Some on some pages said the local official named would not act that way and the businessman is in the wrong. Others were more of a flavor of ‘yeah, businessman, ‘go git um’, that good ole boy network need busting up!’
As the thing grew, I saw a man from Ohio comment. Ohio?! That’s 700 miles away? Who knew a localized issue on Facebook would go that far?! Then a guy from England chimed in. England! He said he didn’t know why the post had come across his feed but it certainly looked like a difficult situation. England!
I refrained from reading further, it was unpalatable and unwholesome. I don’t know why ‘the algorithm’ thought that a post from that far away was of interest to me. But 5 days later I saw another post. It was a response from the Town. An official response. The announcement said that the Town was aware of the restaurateur’s post and had looked into the allegations. ‘Fortunately our local official was wearing his body camera when he made several visits to the restaurant in question. There was no wrongdoing on the part of the Town Official.’ And the Town posted all 4 videos for the public to see for themselves.
Doh!
The restaurant businessman…busted! It turned out that nothing the businessman had said was true. None of it. The businessman issued an apology.
I pondered the scenario. It had emerged solely on social media and blown up then like a balloon, had popped, then gone away with a whimper. But it leaves damage in its wake.
It brought to mind the utter devastation of libel (when it’s written) and slander (when it’s spoken). And the sister sins of gossip, rumor-mongering, backbiting, lying etc are equally devastating. God hates them.
Proverbs 6:16-19- 16 There are six things that the Lord hates, Seven that are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who declares lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
“Abomination” is a strong word.
Obviously, we should not use our tongues for any of those purposes. And since this is the era of social media, we should not write them either.
I was glad the Town Official had worn a body cam. It is for his protection as well as the townspeople’s. I was thinking as I pondered, we should always assume when we are in public, we should assume that there is a camera somewhere. CCTV is ubiquitous now. When the snow was supposed to hit us yesterday in Georgia, I brought up 511, the Georgia.gov site for road conditions. I could see live video of the traffic and the road conditions in towns all along the way from my apartment to church, 25 miles. I could make an assessment that it was safe to drive. A lot of cameras. In our lives these days, there are traffic cams, scenery cams, all kinds of cams litter our lives these days.
Never mind CCTV cameras…there is one very important cam that eyes us constantly. Jesus. He sees everything we do, hears everything we say, and even knows everything we think. Before writing or saying something, stop and remember: I am doing/saying this in front of Jesus. Picture Him with you in the room (because He is).
I had written before about the impact of social media in its influence. I was amazed watching a negative review from British hotel reviewer Hannah Ricketts had downgraded a London hotel’s Yelp standing almost immediately- within hours. Now in this case of the wayward restaurateur, we see the breadth of a post. It went from Georgia to Ohio to England.
I was reminded of the Jewish folk tale about rumors and feathers. The full story is at the Jewish site Chabad. Here it is synopsized:
Scattering Feathers in the Wind An old Jewish tale well illustrates the consequences of spreading hurtful gossip. Told in various forms, the gist of the story is as follows. A man went about town slandering the town’s wise man. Later, the malicious gossiper realized his wrong and went to the wise man to ask for forgiveness, offering to do whatever was necessary to make amends. The wise man had one request: The gossiper was told to go and take a feather pillow and cut it open, scattering the feathers to the wind. Though puzzled by the request, the gossiper did as he was instructed and then returned to the wise man. “Am I now forgiven?” he asked. “First, go and gather all the feathers,” the wise man responded. “But how can I? The wind has already scattered them.” “It is as difficult to repair the damage done by your words as it is to recover the feathers.” The lesson is clear. Once spoken, words cannot be retrieved, and it may be impossible to undo the hurt they cause. Before spreading a bit of gossip, we are wise to remember that we are, in effect, about to scatter feathers in the wind.
Our words go far. They go far geographically and they go far into our hearts. Negative words, rumors, gossip, lies and other sins of the tongue hurt the heart. They damage.
Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29).
Did you catch that? About those who hear you talk? If a person is lying or gossiping or rumor-mongering, the hearers are being drawn in as participants. We should not be a stumbling block to the people around us.
Matthew 12:34 says You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. Proverbs 15:23 is about timely, good words. And there are many other verses to mention, so many. This is because Jesus is serious about wholesome talk.
All these admonitions are applied to me as well. Speak nobly, build up, use our tongue and our social media for godly purposes.
“Praise ye the Lord.” Hallelujah. Praise ye Jah. This song is for the assembled people, and they are all exhorted to join in praise to Jehovah. It is not meet for a few to praise and the rest to be silent; but all should join. If David were present in churches where quartettes and choirs carry on all the singing, he would turn to the congregation and say, “Praise ye the Lord.” Our meditation dwells upon human sin; but on all occasions and in all occupations it is seasonable and profitable to praise the Lord. “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good.” To us needy creatures the goodness of God is the first attribute which excites praise. and that praise takes the form of gratitude. We praise the Lord truly when we give him thanks for what we have received from his goodness. Let us never be slow to return unto the Lord our praise; to thank him is the least we can do—let us not neglect it. “For his mercy endureth for ever.” Goodness towards sinners assumes the form of mercy, mercy should therefore be a leading note in our song. Since man ceases not to be sinful, it is a great blessing that Jehovah ceases not to be merciful. From age to age the Lord deals graciously with his church, and to every individual in it he is constant and faithful in his grace, even for evermore. In a short space we have here two arguments for praise, “for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever;” and these two arguments are themselves praises. The very best language of adoration is that which adoringly in the plainest words sets forth the simple truth with regard to our great Lord. No rhetorical flourishes or poetical hyperboles are needed, the bare facts are sublime poetry, and the narration of them with reverence is the essence of adoration. This first verse is the text of all that which follows; we are now to see how from generation to generation the mercy of God endured to his chosen people.
Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 88-110 (Vol. 4, pp. 363–364). Marshall Brothers.
106:1 In his approach to God, he begins with worship; he enters the divine gates with thanksgiving, and the sacred courts with praise. “Praise the LORD,” the translation of the Hebrew word “Hallelujah,” is the first and last note of the song. Ceaseless thanksgiving should arise to the LORD, because He has been so good to every one of us. His mercy endures forever—our continued survival is proof of that. If we received what we deserve, we would be lost forever.
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.; p. 712). Thomas Nelson.
Hawaii’s strict gun law faces SCOTUS challenge: Hawaii has some of the most restrictive gun laws of any state. One of those laws has been challenged, and the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today. In Wolford v. Lopez, the state’s ban on open carry on private property that serves the public, such as a grocery store, without “express authorization” is being challenged as an infringement on residents’ Second Amendment rights. The Court’s Bruen decision in 2022 ruled that the right to bear arms includes bringing “a handgun for self-defense outside the home.” It would appear that Hawaii’s law is in direct conflict with the Bruen decision and is an underhanded effort to block Hawaiians from exercising their 2A rights.
Unaffirming affirmative action: The attorneys general for Florida and Texas both issued opinions on Martin Luther King Jr. Day that, in keeping with Dr. King’s dream, forbid affirmative action and DEI policies in their states. Florida AG James Uthemeier commented that racial discrimination is morally wrong and unconstitutional, “Yet Florida maintains several laws on its books that promote and require discrimination on its face.” Some Florida laws that Uthemeier seeks to challenge require minority quotas on boards, councils, and in government contracts. In Texas, park locations, clean energy funds, and water projects approved in part due to affirmative action policies are likely to be reconsidered. Affirmative action and “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” infiltrated American society over decades, and it will take decades to undo the damage, but Florida and Texas are leading the way.
ICE gets court win limiting congressional oversight visits: Following Democrat lawmakers’ efforts to force themselves unannounced into an ICE facility last year on the pretext of Congress’s oversight authority, the Department of Homeland Security made a new policy barring members of Congress from performing surprise inspections. On Monday, Judge Jia Cobb rejected Democrats’ challenge to the new rule and agreed with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s argument that the agency needs to be informed of a lawmaker’s planned facility visit to ensure the “adequate protection” of the lawmaker and ICE personnel. Cobb also noted that the passage of last summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act created an independent revenue stream for ICE and notably did not include a guaranteed access language tied to the funding.
Speaker Johnson addresses Parliament: For the first time in its 250-year history, the speaker of the House of Representatives addressed the Parliament of London, which has existed in some form for over 700 years. Johnson spoke favorably of the “special relationship” between the U.S. and the UK, noting that “our nations have evolved and grown and strengthened in so many ways together.” Lindsay Hoyle, speaker of the British House of Commons, introduced Johnson, joking, “We’ve only just about forgiven you” for the first trade dispute between the two nations, the Boston Tea Party, “so I’ll say no more about any others,” obliquely referencing the far less friendly tone of the U.S. president. Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have harshly criticized the UK in recent days, but hopefully, Johnson’s visit can soothe some troubled waters.
Teachers union leaders support Maduro and communism: The Chicago Teachers Union is, as the name implies, a group meant to support public school teachers in the Chicago area, so readers can probably guess what it was up to in early January. That’s right — leading an emergency protest in concert with other socialist groups to oppose Operation Absolute Resolve, where the U.S. captured the illegitimate leader of Venezuela. To understand how this took place, it is useful to examine CTU’s executive board, which includes one member, Kobi Guillory, who also serves on the Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s central committee. The FRSO issued public statements in support of Maduro’s regime and has wished for terrorist organizations to experience “success upon success.” While conservatives are unlikely to be surprised by a strong link between teachers unions and radical Marxists, their brazen connections can still come as a shock.
Venezuelans are appreciative of Maduro’s extradition: A local Venezuelan polling firm asked 1,006 Venezuelans about their feelings on Operation Absolute Resolve and the capture of their illegitimate president, Nicolás Maduro. American leftists may be surprised to learn that 92.2% of respondents said they were grateful to President Trump for his stunning action, while only 6.3% said otherwise. Venezuelans aren’t limiting their gratitude to the commander-in-chief either. When asked if they agreed with the U.S. “becoming the principal ally and only provider of products for the Venezuelan state,” 90.6% said yes. Americans have been so insulated from tyranny for so long that they struggle to understand some basic facts, but as it turns out, human beings are usually grateful when their oppressors are killed or captured.
What is a woman? Dems won’t say: Of nearly 20 potential Democrat 2028 presidential contenders, only one knows what a woman is. Axios recently observed how these Democrats responded to the following question: “Can a man become a woman?” The list of Democrats includes Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The majority of these Democrats dodged the question entirely. For example, Newsom deflected, “Yeah, I just, well, I think, uh, for the grace of God.” The lone Democrat who didn’t go all mealy-mouthed and weak-kneed was former Obama White House Chief of Staff and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whose answer was simply, “No.” This issue continues to be a major weakness for Democrats because they are afraid of crossing the LGBT contingent of their base.
Sanders snubs Holocaust Museum board meetings: Bernie Sanders, who’s as Jewish as a ham sandwich and has falsely accused Israel of committing genocide, has not attended one meeting of the Holocaust Memorial Council in the 18 years since his appointment. Congress established the Council in 1980, requiring 55 members to be presidentially appointed to five-year terms, with an additional 10 members coming from the House and the Senate. Two Trump-appointed members are among a dozen others who have signed a letter requesting that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer replace Sanders, whose “beliefs and public statements do not reflect the stated mission of the museum.” The letter states, “With Jew hatred and Holocaust distortion rising globally, it is imperative that Senate-appointed representatives on the Council are fully engaged and steadfastly supportive of its mission.” It’s probably best practice to have someone on the Holocaust Council who doesn’t hate Israel.
China’s birthrate continues to plummet: China’s 1979 one-child policy continues to threaten the future of the world’s largest communist country. Despite ending the policy in 2015, the birthrate of the East Asian nation is in a continuous free fall. Last year, China saw a total of 7.92 million babies born while experiencing 11.31 million deaths. This continues a trend of falling birth rates, now at a record low of 5.63 births per 1,000 people, down from 6.4 births per 1,000 two years prior. The population “replacement level” is 2.1 births per woman. China has not only dropped below two births per woman but is now below one birth per woman. If this trend doesn’t turn around soon, China’s future is doomed. However, China is far from the only country struggling with declining birth rates, as the U.S. is currently at 1.6 births per woman.
Headlines
Team Kamala asked if Josh Shapiro was an Israeli double agent (Hot Air)
Kremlin says Trump has invited Putin to join “Board of Peace” for Gaza (Not the Bee)
Canada-China trade deal poses national security threat to U.S. (Washington Stand)
Humor: ICE protesters reveal next nine places they will attack (Babylon Bee)
The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.
On Friday, the Justice Department announced that it had subpoenaed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation of both Democrats for interfering with federal immigration enforcement efforts. On Sunday, Don Lemon and a bunch of anti-ICE rabble-rousers invaded a church during a worship service because they allegedly thought there was a connection between the church and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On Monday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the Trump administration has apprehended quite a few aliens in Minnesota.
“PEACE AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN MINNEAPOLIS!” Noem posted on X. “We have arrested over 10,000 criminal illegal aliens who were killing Americans, hurting children and reigning terror in Minneapolis because Tim Walz and Jacob Frey refuse to protect their own people and instead protect criminals.”
She added, “There is MASSIVE Fraud in Minneapolis, at least $19 billion and that’s just the tip of [the] iceberg. Our Homeland Security Investigators are on the ground in Minneapolis conducting wide scale investigations to get justice for the American people who have been robbed blind. MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN.”
Obviously, her post goes against the grain of the Leftmedia’s reporting and public mood. If you believe the polls, Americans have quickly soured on the Trump administration’s enforcement, especially after Renee Good’s death.
Minnesota, of course, was the only state Ronald Reagan didn’t win in 1984, so it’s not like its left-wing politics are something new.
Let’s focus for a moment on Don Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023. He claims he “didn’t even know” about the mob’s plans to disrupt and effectively end the worship service at Cities Church, but he embedded with them and then entered the building with them to film their actions. They mistook the pastor, David Easterwood, for a man of the same name who is the acting director of the St. Paul ICE field office.
“Listen,” Lemon insisted, “there’s a Constitution and a First Amendment to freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and protest.” His actions, he claims, were “an act of journalism.”
Lemon has been put “on notice” by the Justice Department’s Harmeet Dhillon, who said, “The First Amendment [does not] protect your pseudo journalism of disrupting a prayer service.”
Lemon also made clear what he thinks of any Christians who object to his or the mob’s behavior. “I think people who are in religious groups like that — it’s not the type of Christianity that I practice — but I think that they’re entitled, and that entitlement comes from … white supremacy,” he told leftist podcaster Jennifer Welch. “They think this country was built for them, that it’s a Christian country.”
That’s not journalism; that’s hateful bigotry and left-wing activism. That describes much of today’s Leftmedia.
But wait — here’s the funny part.
Lemon could face charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which is generally a law meant to govern protests at abortion clinics. But another possibility Dhillon raised is the Ku Klux Klan Act. “The Biden DOJ used the Klan Act conspiracy charges tacked onto the FACE Act in the case of protests outside abortion clinics to bring much longer sentences,” she explained. “So there are a number of tools available to us.”
That could make Lemon even more sour.
Federal law enforcement officials are in this situation because Minnesota officials refuse to enforce the law.
State Attorney General Keith Ellison called the church invasion a “protest” that “is fundamental to American society.” I’m guessing that, as a Muslim, he wouldn’t say the same thing about an invasion of a mosque.
It’s bad enough that Ellison praised the illegal “protest,” but The Daily Wire reports, “A top staffer for Hennepin County’s Soros-backed prosecutor was among the protesters.” That would be Jamael Lundy, who “works as intergovernmental affairs coordinator for Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, is married to St. Paul City Council member Anika Bowie, and is running for a seat in the state legislature as a Democrat.”
So, the state’s chief law enforcement officer and a prosecutor are part of the problem, but as I mentioned above, the resistance includes Mayor Frey and Governor Walz. After Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent because she disobeyed direct orders and accelerated her car while he stood in front of it — in other words, a justified shooting, gaslighting notwithstanding — Frey demanded that ICE “get the f**k out” of Minneapolis. Walz accused ICE of “organized brutality against the people of Minnesota.”
Both men have made numerous other inflammatory comments that debase the Rule of Law and arguably incite protesters to more radical and sometimes violent actions. Democrats know what they’re doing, which is why they throw in a “peaceful” admonition here and there. Frey even laughably asserted that the angry mob resistance “is all about love.”
Michael Smith: How Non-Enforcement Turned Immigration Into a Street War — America didn’t stumble into immigration violence. It arrived here through years of political denial, institutional sabotage, and organized resistance to the Rule of Law.
Jack DeVine: It’s Affordability, Stupid! — It’s time for a simple, clear, and rock-solid conversation with the American public about economic realities. No exaggeration, no spin! We can handle it.
Douglas Andrews: The Dems’ Three-Part Fraud Scheme — The Minnesota fraud scandal shows how the Democrats use illegal immigration to enrich their coffers and fraudulently increase their congressional representation.
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“We are seeing a sustained effort to eradicate the Voting Rights Act. That is the crown jewel … of the civil rights movement and an essential part of Dr. King’s legacy. … There is a concerted effort to re-segregate America.” —former Attorney General Eric Holder
Pot Calling the Kettle Black
“I think that they’re entitled. And that entitlement comes from a supremacy, a white supremacy. And they think that this country was built for them.” —former CNN anchor Don Lemon speaking of the congregation of the church where he led protesters to invade and shut down worship
Village Idiot
“If you stand against heavily armed masked federal troops invading American cities and using Gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens — if you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest — then send a message to this president.” —singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen
Persona Non Grata
“The one place where we thought we would never experience this is the U.S. Godd**n States.” —Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
Reality Check
“We’re here to arrest a child sex offender. … That’s who you guys are protecting. Insane.” —an ICE agent in St. Paul, Minnesota, after protesters started honking their horns to alert the area of an ICE raid
Law and Order
“President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship. The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place … at a church in Minnesota.” —White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
For the Record
“The reason why so many illegal aliens who have not been subject to prior arrests are getting swept up in these enforcement operations is that ICE has to go out into the community and find the offenders, and when they encounter other illegal aliens they arrest them as well for breaking our immigration laws. They were not HIGH priorities and would never have been swept up in the dragnet, but the political leaders here have decided to up the tension, so they are. The alternative is for ICE to quit enforcing immigration law.” —David Strom
A Trip Down Memory Lane
“We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, unchecked, and circumventing the line of people who are waiting patiently, diligently, and lawfully to become immigrants in this country.” —Barack Obama, 2005
Shot/Chaser
“I believe Christianity points to the truth. I also think other religions of love point to the same truth. I think of different religious traditions as different languages. … We are all talking about the same reality. I believe Jesus Christ reveals that reality to us, but I also think that other traditions reveal that reality in their own ways with their own symbol structures. And I’ve learned more about my tradition by learning more about Buddhism, and Hinduism, and Islam, and Judaism. And so I see these beautiful faith traditions as circling the same truth about the universe, about the cosmos, and that truth is inherently a mystery.” —Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” —John 14:6
ON THIS DAY at noon every four years, we hold an inauguration of the president, who takes an oath straight from Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
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President Trump on Tuesday blasted the anti-ICE protesters who stormed a Minnesota church during a service as professional “insurrectionists” — demanding they be thrown in jail or deported along with “corrupt politicians” Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Screenshot of Michelle Obama during her latest podcast appearance.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama has urged people to be “mindful” when buying from white-owned clothing brands.
During a recent interview clip circulating on social media, Obama says she actively tries to buy clothes from people of “color” in order to “make it a point.”
“If I hear of someone whose fashion that I like, and I know that they’re a person of color, I try to make it a point, but the clothes have to be available.”
“You know, I think we can all do some work to think about that balance in our wardrobes, you know.”
“What does our closet look like and who’s in it? Who are we supporting in it? You know, and I think if you have the money to buy Chanel, then you have the money to buy everybody.”
“And so let us be mindful, I think would be my advice.”
Michelle Obama says she is mindful to try to avoid white-owned brands and others also should be pic.twitter.com/5MqY5gaxUv
The suggestion is just one of numerous racially charged comments by Michelle Obama over recent years.
Last year, she claimed that Americans did not show her and her family “grace” because of their skin color, despite the fact her husband was elected in a landslide.
“You can’t afford to get anything wrong because you didn’t get the—at least until the country came to know us,” she said in an interview with NBC last October.
“We didn’t get the grace that I think some other families have gotten.”
Michelle Obama complains: “We didn’t get the grace that I think some other (first) families have gotten.” pic.twitter.com/wgLY3TZqFD
Despite being repeatedly touted as a future presidential candidate, Obama recently put an end to that speculation on the grounds that Americans simply aren’t ready for a woman to lead the country.
“As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” she said during an appearance at Brooklyn Academy of Music.
“That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not.”
“You know, we’ve got a lot of growing up to do,” she continued. “And there’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is scheduled to hold a press briefing at 1:00 pm ET. Tune in for more from the White House! Join RSBN LIVE at 11:00 am EDT on January 20, 2026
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced on Jan. 19 that more than 10,000 criminal illegal immigrants had been arrested by federal law enforcement officers during ongoing immigration-related operations in Minneapolis.
“We have arrested over 10,000 criminal illegal aliens who were killing Americans, hurting children and reigning terror in Minneapolis,” Noem wrote on X.
“In the last 6 weeks, our brave DHS law enforcement have arrested 3,000 criminal illegal aliens including vicious murderers, rapists, child pedophiles and incredibly dangerous individuals. A HUGE victory for public safety.”
Many law enforcement officers of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as other agencies, have been deployed to the Minnesota cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul since Dec. 1, as part of Operation Metro Surge.
Local Democratic Party officials and progressive groups have voiced their opposition to this effort, with many protesters demonstrating against law enforcement officers while they are conducting arrests, and have sued the administration to enjoin the law enforcement operations.
The tension grew after protester Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer. Federal officials said Good drove her SUV into the ICE officer, who shot her in self-defense.
Operation Metro Surge is one of many recent actions the Trump administration has undertaken against Minnesota amid allegations of welfare fraud and race-based discrimination.
The state has been sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged violations of the Civil Rights Act for alleged racial discrimination in state hiring, and is under investigation by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act arising from “racial favoritism.”
Furthermore, dozens of members of the Somali community in the state have been indicted or convicted of fraud involving the theft of public funds on a massive scale.
The Department of Homeland Security has also taken other immigration actions that affected the community, such as terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia’s citizens and reviewing past asylum and naturalization applications for fraud.
In her post, Noem referenced an ongoing scandal involving the fraudulent misuse of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds in Minnesota, which has implicated Gov. Tim Walz and other Democratic Party officials in the state government.
“There is MASSIVE Fraud in Minneapolis, at least $19 billion and that’s just the tip of iceberg,” Noem stated.
“Our Homeland Security Investigators are on the ground in Minneapolis conducting wide scale investigations to get justice for the American people who have been robbed blind.”
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