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
This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness
Ecclesiastes 2:24b-26a
The true message of this book is that enjoyment is a gift of God. There is nothing in possessions, in material goods, in money; there is nothing in people themselves that can enable them to keep enjoying the things they do. But it is possible to have enjoyment all your life if you take it from the hand of God. It is given to those who please God.
Wisdom and knowledge have been mentioned before as things you can get from under the sun, but they will not continue. To have added to them the ingredient of pleasure, of continual delight unceasing throughout the whole of life, you must take it from the hand of God. The person who pleases God is given the gift of joy.
It is wonderful to realize that this book teaches us that God wants us to have joy. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul said, [He] richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17). It is God’s desire and intent that all the good things of life that are mentioned here should contribute to people’s enjoyment; but only, says this Searcher, if you understand that enjoyment does not come from things or people. It is an added gift of God, and only those who please God can find it.
How do you please God? In many places in Scripture we are told that without faith it is impossible to please God. It is faith that pleases Him, belief that He is there and that everything in life comes from His hand. Underscore in your minds the word all. Pain, sorrow, bereavement, disappointment, as well as gladness, happiness, and joy—all these things are gifts of God. When we see life in those terms, any and every element of life can have its measure of joy—even sorrow, pain, and grief. These things were given to us to enjoy.
This is also the message of Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. It is also the message of Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Father, all things come from Your hands. I thank You that You sent Your Son that I might have Your joy within me.
Life Application
Shall we choose to live each day as grateful receivers, acknowledging every good gift as God’s provision? Have we seen His intent for joy in all we experience?
12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done?
13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.
15 Then I thought in my heart, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said in my heart, “This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
We must profess our entire reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ alone for acceptance with God and come in his name.
I do not present my plea before you because of my righteousness, Daniel 9:18(ESV) for I am before you in my guilt, Ezra 9:15(ESV) and cannot stand before you because of it; Psalm 130:3(ESV) but I make mention of Christ’s righteousness, even of his only, who is the LORD our righteousness, Jeremiah 23:6(ESV) and therefore the LORD my righteousness.
I know that even spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only through Christ Jesus, 1 Peter 2:5(ESV) nor can I hope to receive anything but what I ask of you in his name; John 16:23(ESV) and therefore, bless me in the Beloved, Ephesians 1:6(ESV) that other angel who put much incense to the prayers of the saints and offers them up on the golden altar before the throne. Revelation 8:3(ESV)
I come in the name of the great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, who is able to sympathize with my weaknesses, Hebrews 4:14-15(ESV) and is therefore able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25(ESV)
Behold, O God, my shield, and look on the face of your Anointed, Psalm 84:9(ESV) in whom you have by a voice from heaven declared yourself to be well pleased; Lord, be well pleased with me in him. Matthew 3:17(ESV)
John 11:25 In this week’s lessons we look at what it means for Jesus to be the resurrection and the life.
Theme
Contrasts in Faith
The story continues with Christ’s return to Bethany. Jesus does not go right into the city since the rulers of the Jews had determined to kill Him and He did not wish His presence known. Instead He waits outside. As He waits Martha hears that He has come and goes to meet Him. Mary waits in the home.
In Martha and Mary we have a contrast between two types of faith. And since we have these two types of faith today, it is worth exploring them a little. When Martha comes to Jesus her words contain a very strange mixture of belief and doubt. She says, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.” Later she says of her brother, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (vv. 21-22, 24). Martha says that she knows that anything Jesus will ask of God, God will grant.
Yet she limits Him to the place and the time. She said, “If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” And she added, “I know that he shall rise again… at the last day.” How strange this is! And yet it is not uncommon. Martha is a type of the predominantly intellectual believer. She had strong character, and her mind is critical. She believes what is reasonable, and she does not profess more than she actually feels. Much of this is good. Christian faith is reasonable, and it invites our intellectual assent. We are to be reasonable. Yet there is a weakness in purely intellectual assent. For if the whole of our faith is sight, our faith is limited by sight. And there is no strength for crises that transcend our understanding. Such faith is always partially mixed with doubt.
But then there is Mary. Her faith was not without reason. She had taken time to learn from Jesus. But her faith contained something more. Mary comes to Jesus, and her lips say the same thing as the lips of Martha: “If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” But practically every reader recognizes in an instant that there is a world of difference in the cry. Martha had debated with Jesus as she made her comment. Mary fell at His feet, and her words were made in the context of total trust and confidence. This was the position that Mary loved best. She had sat at His feet when Martha was serving. She is found at His feet again in chapter 12.
Mary was the one person who understood that Christ was going to the cross to die. In chapter 12 she anoints His feet with spikenard, and Jesus testifies that she did this against the day of His burial. Mary had listened. She had learned. But she had gone beyond mere intellectual knowledge to know Jesus intimately and to love Him. Out of that love and understanding came the intuitive realization that for Him anything at all was possible.
How do you come to Jesus? Do you come only with an intellectual faith, or do you come with the faith that throws itself totally upon Christ and seeks to learn from Him and love Him more? If you come as Mary did, you will find that in addition to knowledge there will be a strong, growing, and simple trust built upon an intimate knowledge of the one who is your Lord and master.
Study Questions
What is the first type of faith, which is associated with Martha? What characterizes this kind of faith?
Describe the second type of faith, which is connected with Mary.
What does Mary do for Jesus in John 12? What does this tell us about Mary’s attitude toward Jesus and how she views Him?
Application
Prayer: Pray for anyone you know who claims to be a Christian, but their idea of faith seems to be merely intellectual belief in certain doctrinal truths. Ask the Lord to work in their heart and mind to show them that saving faith brings with it repentance, holiness, and obedience.
For Further Study: Download for free and listen to James Boice’s message, “With Jesus Forever.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
The corridors of history are filled with surprising twists and abrupt turns. Some philosophers, noting how the cogs of history seem to turn abruptly upon the smallest of happenings, have sometimes discussed what popular culture refers to as “the butterfly effect.” Originally, the theory was birthed by a meteorologist as part of chaos theory, but more commonly today people use this term to refer to the theory that one slight action in the present may act as a cause resulting in a multitude of unforeseen effects; for example, in popular media, the idea is often presented that the death of a butterfly in the present may result in a hurricane in the future.
Cause and effect, ebb and flow, push and pull; we see these functions imprinted all over the cogs of fate throughout history. One event leads to another, that event leading to countless more. Everything, then, is connected. (I have often joked with my students that if you want a good game to waste some time on, just go to Wikipedia, click an article at random, and start clicking the hyperlinks until you eventually get to an article on Adolph Hitler—it never takes very long.) If we wanted to, we could effectively trace every moment in history back to a foundational starting point: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).
This interconnectedness of history means that it ought not to be surprising to learn then that the Scottish National Covenant of 1638 exists because of the King James translation of the Bible.
Permit me to take you, dear reader, down a few corridors of history.
King James VI of Scotland
In modern retellings of his life, I have found that James is more commonly remembered as King James I of England, rather than King James VI of Scotland. Nonetheless, he was in fact King of both realms, and also ruler of Ireland, as well. He ruled all three nations from March 24, 1603, until his eventual death in 1625. Despite his two decades of rule, the nations were never able to come to a true unification, continuing to operate as sovereign nations with their own parliaments.
King James was born the son of Mary, Queen of the Scots (the same antagonist mentioned throughout the life and times of the great Scottish Reformer, John Knox), and a great grand-son of King Henry VII, King of England and Lord of Ireland. He was also the great-great nephew of King Henry VIII, making him the first cousin, twice removed, of Queen Elizabeth I. Thus, from his birth, he existed as heir apparent to three different thrones. He ascended his first throne—that of Scotland—at only a little over a year old, when his mother was forced to abdicate and abandon the throne.
It was not unheard of for rulers after the Reformation to be Protestant, but it also was not unusual to see them still cling to their Roman Catholic upbringing. Several factors resulted in James being raised as a Protestant and Presbyterian, despite having received Roman Catholic baptism as an infant. His own ancestors had often stood between one side or the other, with each subsequent generation wavering to the opposite side. While his own mother had been staunchly Roman Catholic, several decades earlier his great-great uncle, King Henry VIII, had split from the Roman Catholic Church and had founded the Church of England.
By the time James took the English throne in 1603, times were turbulent. On November 5th, 1605, on the eve of the first English Parliament to be led by James, the Gunpowder Plot, spearheaded by the Catholic Guy Fawkes, was discovered. Fawkes had planned to use 36 barrels of gunpowder, beneath Parliament, to blow up not just the meeting place, but King James, his family, and everyone else present at the time.
If James was a Protestant before this simply because it was how he was raised by his benefactors, he was now a Protestant in principle, as well. In his view, the Catholics had attempted to assassinate him. From this point on, he would intentionally make it clear to one and all that neither Pope nor Vatican had any authority over him or his realms. In fact, he even began making Catholics in his realm sign the Oath of Allegiance of 1606, which formally recognized that the Pope had no power over James, either to lead him or depose him. Those who signed were considered loyal subjects, while those who refused were labeled as traitors.
But there was another problem that James had to contend with for the Protestants. The English translation of the Bible by William Tyndall in 1526 had led to several other English translations. Most notably, the Great Bible was the first authorized English translation in 1539, and it was rather disliked by most. More alarmingly, the English Church attempted to make it the only available translation, while several others attempted to make it impossible for nearly ninety percent of the English population to read it by limiting its availability to only certain social classes. The Geneva Bible of 1560 proved far more valuable and well-liked, but with its overt Calvinistic undertones in its notes, though most popular among the people, was rejected by the Church of England under King Henry VIII. Eventually, under Queen Elizabeth I, the Geneva translation was taken and developed into what would be known as the Bishops’ Bible. It was very similar to the Geneva translation, minus the Calvinistic and reformed footnotes.
The Geneva Bible translation proved to still be the more popular English translation (and would be for many more decades). But the Bishop’s Bible continued to hang in the background of the Puritans and Presbyterians, and they wanted to get as far from the Church of England as they could, believing it to be not so far removed from the tyranny of the Catholic church. So, in 1604, King James authorized the scholarly undertaking of another English translation of the Bible. By 1611, it would be completed and would become the authorized and standardized version of the Bible for English speaking churches to use.
However, King James had an underlying motive for desiring a new authoritative and standardized translation: The Geneva Bible, in various footnotes, referred to the tyranny of monarchies and kings. This was unacceptable in James’ view. Such footnotes had to be erased, and anything that would make monarchs questionable needed to go.
Charles I of England: A Tragic Tyrant
Charles I of England was not initially supposed to be king. He was the second son of King James I. His elder brother, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, was the true heir apparent, right up until his death in 1612.
Charles I took to the throne in 1625, and immediately cast himself in a negative light before the Protestant population by taking Henrietta Maria of France—a Roman Catholic—as his wife. Further tarnishing his reputation, he held to the views espoused by the High Anglican Church, including ceremonial worship practices, and rejection of Calvinism in favor of Arminianism, which placed him dangerously close to Roman Catholicism for some.
Worsening matters, Charles I took advantage of the fact that the King James translation had removed all footnotes mentioning the tyranny of rulers and instead insisted upon the doctrine of the divine right of kings. He held that he had a God-given right to rule the people as he pleased and was not liable to be held under anyone’s authority or scrutiny. He believed that his duty was to govern according to his conscience, and no laws would bind him otherwise.
When he then began to try and enforce the High Church practices of Anglicanism upon the Kirk of Scotland, it was clear something would need to give. He had already made enemies of Parliament by insisting upon his divine rights to rule as he pleased. He had also managed to upset a good portion of the populace with the levying of taxes without the needed consent of Parliament. And now he was making enemies of the Scottish Presbyterians and English Puritans.
War was inevitable. Charles I had acted as a tyrant, as far as the Presbyterians and Puritans were concerned. His actions would led directly to the Bishops’ Wars, which was fought between Charles I and the Covenanters, from 1639-40. This would become only the first of many more conflicts to follow during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, including: The First and Second English Civil Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, and the Anglo-Scottish War.
Charles I effectively managed to secure his own downfall through imposing the religious practices of the Anglican Church upon his Scottish subjects. While the Scottish Kirk believed strongly in Presbyterianism, and thus the election of ministers through a Presbytery and congregation, Charles I believed in an Episcopalian model, wherein the King elected bishops to serve over the congregation to be best.
Not only did Charles I attempt to enforce Arminian doctrines upon the Kirk, and an Episcopalian polity, he then replaced John Knox’s Book of Discipline with the Book of Canons in 1636. Not only was this an apparent attack on the tradition of the Scottish Kirk, but the Book of Canons also threatened excommunication of any person in the Kirk who denied the sovereign right of the King to rule over not just civilian affairs, but church affairs, too.
Rioting soon followed. Some argue that the War really started in St. Giles Cathedral (the same Kirk where Knox had ministered decades earlier), when Jenny Geddes threw a wooden stool during the service. This was in 1637, when Charles I implemented the required following and reading of The Book of Common Prayer within the Scottish Kirk.
Eventually, on January 30, 1649, King Charles I was defeated and executed. He was publicly beheaded in London and was charged with both high treason and for attempting to take away the rights and liberties of the people by ruling as an absolute monarch—a charge that was as unmistakable as it was undeniable.
But in between wars and rumors of wars, public trials and executions, came the birth of the National Covenant.
The Signing of the National Covenant
King Charles I was attempting his own reform of the Scottish Kirk, and the Scots were not taking kindly to his attempts. They saw his mission as being little more than Catholic subterfuge and refused to permit this tyrannical ruler from dictating the way that their church, or nation, would serve the Lord.
Thus, the Covenanters were officially born, bound by that very same slogan made famous by John Knox: “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.” Written and drafted predominantly by Archibald Johnson (a lawyer) and Alexander Henderson (a minister), the document declared that the Scots allegiance was to Christ as their King. On February 28th, 1638, the first signers of the National Covenant put their names to the document at the Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, and more signers would soon follow as the Covenant was passed around.
The signing of the National Covenant was counted by King Charles I as treason, but the Scots considered him to have already committed treason previously, with his attempts to dictate their worship of the Lord. In fact, they saw Charles I as introducing into the Kirk popish novelties and devilish practices that needed to once more be purged from the church if it were to properly worship God in pure Spirit and truth.
It is in the closing paragraph of the National Covenant that the Scots make their opposition to King and his religious demands upon the Kirk most obvious, quoted here in its fullness:
We noblemen, barons, gentlemen, burgesses, ministers, and commons under subscribing, considering divers times before, and especially at this time, the danger of the true reformed religion, of the King’s honour, and of the public peace of the kingdom, by the manifold innovations and evils generally contained and particularly mentioned in our late supplications, complaints, and protestations, do hereby profess, and before God, His angels and the world, solemnly declare, that with our whole hearts we agree and resolve all the days of our life constantly to adhere unto and to defend the aforesaid true religion, and forbearing the practice of all novations already introduced in the matters of the worship of God, or approbation of the corruptions of the public government of the Kirk, or civil places and power of kirkmen, till they be tried and allowed in free assemblies and in Parliaments, to labour by all means lawful to recover the purity and liberty of the Gospel as it was established and professed before the aforesaid novations; and because, after due examination, we plainly perceive and undoubtedly believe that the innovations and evils contained in our supplications, complaints, and protestations have no warrant of the Word of God, are contrary to the articles of the aforesaid confessions, to the intention and meaning of the blessed reformers of religion in this land, to the above-written Acts of Parliament, and do sensibly tend to the re-establishing of the popish religion and tyranny, and to the subversion and ruin of the true reformed religion, and of our liberties, laws and estates; we also declare that the aforesaid confessions are to be interpreted, and ought to be understood of the aforesaid novations and evils, no less than if every one of them had been expressed in the aforesaid confessions; and that we are obliged to detest and abhor them, amongst other particular heads of papistry abjured therein; and therefore from the knowledge and conscience of our duty to God, to our King and country, without any worldly respect or inducement so far as human infirmity will suffer, wishing a further measure of the grace of God for this effect, we promise and swear by the great name of the Lord our God to continue in the profession and obedience of the aforesaid religion; that we shall defend the same, and resist all these contrary errors and corruptions according to our vocation, and to the utmost of that power that God hath put into our hands, all the days of our life.[1]
Throughout, the Scots make two things abundantly clear: The proper worship of the triune God must be dictated only by His Word, and anything that opposes this true and proper worship is rightly opposed and resisted. Having thus bound themselves by oath and through signature, the Scots covenanted before God to serve Him, and Him alone.
These Covenanters, representing an entire nation at a very particular point in time, have a great deal to teach us today. Next time, we will turn our attention to the two men who framed the National Covenant: Archibald Johnson and Alexander Henderson.
When composers create music, they do more than just write notes on a page. They compose with specific instruments in mind. While we may hum the melody of a piano concerto, it was not written to be hummed. It was written to be played by an orchestra. Each instrument is chosen with intention and follows its own score while the hand of the composer controls.In the years after Christ ascended, the church grew. They also faced harsh persecution (Acts 8:1). New believers were imprisoned and even killed. It would have been easy to assume the risen Christ had abandoned His flock. But He was at work in ways they could never have comprehended.Saul, a leader among the Jewish community, obtained orders to arrest Christians in Damascus (Acts 9:1–2). He was “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” (v. 1). But God had other plans. While Saul was en route to that city, he was confronted by the risen Christ: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (v. 4).Blinded by this encounter, Saul was sent to meet a Christian named Ananias. But Ananias was reluctant to welcome him (v. 13). So, Jesus revealed his plan for Saul: “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (v. 15). Notice how Ananias’s attitude changes as he addresses this man, once a feared enemy, as “Brother Saul” (v. 17).God had selected Saul, who was later called Paul (see Acts 13:9), for a specific purpose. Until now the gospel had spread among Jewish people, and Jesus would use Paul to take it to Gentiles. Like an instrument chosen by a composer for its unique sound, Paul would serve the design of the Master Composer.
Go Deeper Are you an unlikely convert? Consider your role in God’s grand symphony. What role does He want you to play? Extended Reading:Acts 2; Acts 7; Acts 9
Pray with Us You had a wonderful plan for Saul of Tarsus, turning him into a fiery apostle Paul. We praise You, God, that You have plans for our lives as well, to give us “hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11). We can trust You with our lives!
Just as man’s part in salvation is to come humbly, it is also to come in faith. Although finite minds cannot fully comprehend the truth, divine grace and human faith are inseparable in salvation. God sovereignly provides salvation, which includes the fact that man must give himself to the Lord Jesus Christ in commitment before it becomes effective. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me,” and then immediately added, “and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). Salvation is not through a creed, a church, a ritual, a pastor, a priest, or any other such human means—but through Jesus Christ, who said, Come to Me. To come is to believe to the point of submitting to His lordship. “I am the bread of life,” Jesus declared; “he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Comes and believes are parallel just as are hunger and thirst. Coming to Christ is believing in Him, which results in no longer hungering and thirsting. Other biblical synonyms for believing in Christ include confessing Him, receiving Him, eating and drinking Him, and hearing Him. Peter declared, “Of Him [Jesus Christ] all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43). And the Lord Himself said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14–16).
REPENTANCE AND REST
all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (11:28b)
All who are indicates a condition that already exists. Those whom Jesus invites to Himself are those who already are weary and heavy-laden. Although this aspect of Jesus’ invitation is mentioned after faith (“Come to Me”), chronologically it precedes faith, referring to the repentance that drives the humble, seeking person to Christ for salvation. Kopiaō (to grow weary, or “to labor”) carries the idea of working to the point of utter exhaustion. John uses the term to describe Jesus’ fatigue when He and the disciples reached Sychar after a long, hot journey from Jerusalem (John 4:6). Weary translates a present active participle and refers figuratively to arduous toil in seeking to please God and know the way of salvation. Jesus calls to Himself everyone who is exhausted from trying to find and please God in his own resources. Jesus invites the person who is wearied from his vain search for truth through human wisdom, who is exhausted from trying to earn salvation, and who has despaired of achieving God’s standard of righteousness by his own efforts. Heavy-laden translates a perfect passive participle, indicating that at some time in the past a great load was dumped on the wearied person. Whereas weary refers to the internal exhaustion caused by seeking divine truth through human wisdom, heavy-laden suggests the external burdens caused by the futile efforts of works righteousness. In Jesus’ day, the rabbinical teachings had become so massive, demanding, and all-encompassing that they prescribed standards and formulas for virtually every human activity. It was all but impossible even to learn all the traditions, and was completely impossible to keep them all. Jesus spoke of the heavy loads of religious tradition that the scribes and Pharisees laid on the people’s shoulders (Matt. 23:4); and at the Jerusalem Council, Peter noted that the Judaizers were trying to saddle Christianity with the same man-made “yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear” (Acts 15:10). Although the term itself is not used in the text, Jesus gives a call to repent, to turn away from the self-centered and works-centered life and come to Him. The person who is weary and heavy-laden despairs of his own ability to please God. He comes to the end of his own resources and turns to Christ. Desperation is a part of true salvation, because a person does not come to Christ as long as he has confidence in himself. To repent is to make a 180-degree turn from the burden of the old life to the restfulness of the new Repentance was the theme of John the Baptist’s preaching (Matt. 3:2) and the starting point of the preaching of Jesus (4:17), Peter (Acts 2:38; 3:19; cf. 5:31), and Paul (17:30; 20:21; cf. 2 Tim. 2:25). The person who humbly receives God’s revelation of Himself and His way of salvation, who turns from the unbearable burden of his sin and self-effort, and who comes to Christ empty-handed is the only person God will save. Anapauō (to give … rest) means to refresh or revive, as from labor or a long journey. Jesus promises spiritual rest to everyone who comes to Him in repentance and humble faith. God’s rest is a common Old Testament theme. The Lord warned Israel, “Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness; when your fathers tested Me, they tried Me, though they had seen My work.… Therefore I swore in My anger, truly they shall not enter into My rest” (Ps. 95:7–9, 11). After quoting that passage, the writer of Hebrews warns those who make a pretense of faith in Christ but have not really trusted Him: “Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God” (Heb. 3:12). To intellectually acknowledge Christ’s deity and lordship is a dangerous thing if it does not lead to true faith, because it gives a person the false confidence of belonging to Christ. In the time of the early church many Jews were attracted to the gospel and outwardly identified themselves with the church. But for fear of being unsynagogued, ostracized from the worship and ceremonies of Judaism, some of them did not truly receive Christ as saving Lord. They went part way to Him but stopped before full commitment. “As a result” of such superficial allegiance, John says, “many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore” (John 6:66). Consequently they would not enter God’s rest, that is, His salvation, because they still possessed “an evil, unbelieving heart” (Heb. 3:11–12). Just as those Israelites who rebelled against Moses in the wilderness were denied entrance into the Promised Land because of unbelief, so those who refuse to fully trust in Christ are denied entrance into God’s kingdom rest of salvation for the same reason (v. 19). “Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, ‘As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest’ ” (4:1–3). The dictionary gives several definitions of rest that remarkably parallel the spiritual rest God offers those who trust in His Son. First, the dictionary describes rest as cessation from action, motion, labor, or exertion. In a similar way, to enter God’s rest is to cease from all efforts at self-help in trying to earn salvation. Second, rest is described as freedom from that which wearies or disturbs. Again we see the spiritual parallel of God’s giving His children freedom from the cares and burdens that rob them of peace and joy. Third, the dictionary defines rest as something that is fixed and settled. Similarly, to be in God’s rest is to have the wonderful assurance that our eternal destiny is secure in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is to be freed from the uncertainties of running from philosophy to philosophy, from religion to religion, from guru to guru, hoping somehow and somewhere to discover truth, peace, happiness, and eternal life. Fourth, rest is defined as being confident and trustful. When we enter God’s rest we are given the assurance that “He who began a good work in [us] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Finally, the dictionary describes rest as leaning, reposing, or depending on. As children of God, we can depend with utter certainty that our heavenly Father will “supply all [our] needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985–1989). Matthew (Vol. 2, pp. 274–276). Moody Press.
Ver. 28. Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden.—
The burdened directed to Christ:— I. THE PERSONS WHOM OUR LORD HERE ADDRESSES. 1. As burdened with convictions of sin and the keen remorse of a wounded conscience. 2. That sinners under these circumstances labour to be released from their burden. (1) They resolve in their own strength to forsake their sins. (2) There are others who are ignorant of the righteousness of God, and go about to establish their own righteousness. (3) In looking to the mercy of God irrespective of Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice. II. OUR LORD’S TENDER SOLICITUDE FOR THE HAPPINESS OF SUCH. 1. The invitation is condescending. 2. It is extensive and unconditional. III. THE PROMISE ANNEXED. 1. Rest in your conscience from the dread of Divine wrath. 2. Rest in the will from its former corrupt propensities. 3. Heavenly rest for the people of God. (R May.)
Rest in Christ for the heavy-laden:— I. WHAT IT IS. “Rest,” not rest in sin, not rest from trouble. It is rest from sin—its guilt, misery, power. It is rest in trouble. II. OF WHOM IS THIS BLESSING TO BE OBTAINED. The conscious greatness these few simple words indicate. Have you ever tried to comfort a troubled heart? Beyond your power. It is the prerogative of Him who made the soul to give it rest. There is more power in Him to comfort than in the world to disquiet. III. WHO MAY OBTAIN THIS REST FROM HIM—“All that labour.” These words express the inward condition of man. We do indeed toil. Some weary themselves to work iniquity. The world has worn some of you out. The burden of affliction; guilt—our corruptions. IV. HOW THEY WHO DESIRE MAY OBTAIN IT—“Come.” 1. Literally, when lie was on earth. 2. Faith in operation. Hagar went to the well and drank, and was saved. Those who have found rest in Christ, remember where you found it. See on what easy terms we may find rest. Some know they are sinners, but are not weary of sin. (C. Bradley.)
Rest for the weary:—1. The promise is faithful. 2. It is a precious promise. 3. It is an appropriate promise. 4. It is one of present accomplishment. (D. Rees.)
The way of coming to Christ:—1. The most obvious is Christ historically taught. 2. Men seek to come to Him speculatively. Who can find out a being by a pure process of thought? 3. There are those who seek Christ by a sentimental and humanitarian method. This will not fire zeal. How then are men to come to Christ? Through a series of moral, practical endeavours to live the life which He has prescribed for us. (H. W. Beecher.)
Christ’s word to the weary:—There are three sorts of trouble. 1. There is head-trouble—to do what is right. 2. There is heart-trouble. The interior grief. 3. There is soul-trouble. Christ gives rest from these. (W. G. Barrett.)
A special invitation:—1. It is personal—“Come unto me.” God directs to Christ, not to His members. 2. It is present—“Come” now, do not wait. 3. So sweet an invitation demands a spontaneous acceptance. 4. He puts the matter very exclusively. Do nothing else but come to Him. Arguments which the Saviour used:—1. Because He is the appointed mediator—“All things are delivered unto me of My Father.” 2. Moreover the Father has given all things into His hands in the sense of government. 3. Christ is a well-furnished mediator—“All things are delivered unto Me.” He has all the sinner wants. 4. Come to Christ because He is an inconceivably great mediator. No man knows His fulness but the Father. 5. Because He is an infinitely wise Saviour. He understands both persons on whose behalf He mediates. 6. He is an indispensable mediator—“Neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son.” (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Invitation based on saving power:—In a previous verse our Lord had said, “All things are delivered unto me by My Father: meaning that all power is given unto Him for the instructing, ruling, and saving of mankind; from whence He infers those comfortable words in the text. I. A gracious invitation made by our Saviour. II. The persons invited. III. A promise of ease and benefit. IV. The way and manner of coming to Christ. V. A farther encouragement hereunto, from an inward sense and feeling of the promised rest. VI. A good reason to back and enforce it—“My yoke is easy.” (Matthew Hole.)
Ways of coming to Christ:—Coming to Christ and believing, are in Scripture used to signify one and the same thing. I. The first step in coming to Christ is by baptism. II. The next step is by prayer. III. A farther step is by repentance and confession of sin. IV. We are said to come to God by hearing His Word, and receiving instruction from Him. V. Also by receiving His Holy Supper: and—VI. By putting our whole trust and affiance in Him, relying upon Him for salvation, and placing all our hopes and confidence in His merits and satisfaction. (Ibid.)
Coming to Christ:—This implies three things. I. ABSENCE: for what need is there of oar coming to Christ unless we are previously at a distance from Him? Such is the condition of every man. Naturally, all are without Christ as to saving influence; as to a proper knowledge of Him, love to Him, confidence in Him, and union and communion with Him. II. ACCESSIBLENESS. We come to Him; we can find and approach Him. Not to His bodily presence. As man He is absent; as God He is still present. He said to His apostles, “Lo, I am with you always; even unto the end of the, world.” III. APPLICATION. For this coming to Him is to deal with Him concerning the affairs of the soul of eternity. (W. Jay.)
Christ’s rest:— I. A NEGATIVE DESCRIPTION. (1) Rest, not lethargy. A condition in which the powers of the soul are quickened, rendered alive to its capacities, duties, and privileges. (2) Rest, not inactivity. Release from weariness rather than from labour. (3) Rest, not confinement. Not isolation or routine. (4) Rest, not leisure. Not a brief season of relaxation, but a lasting state of peace and strength. II. A POSITIVE DESCRIPTION. (1) Rest, that is, peace. Conscience is at ease. The mind is satisfied. The heart is filled with love. (2) Rest, that is, fearlessness. Not only is there present satisfaction, but assured confidence in the future. (3) Rest, that is, fortitude. The burden may not be removed, but Christ gives us such a temper that we are as happy with our burden as though we were without it. (4) Rest, that is, security. He shields us from every adverse power. He gives us ground for our confidence. (Stems and Twigs.)
Christ relieving us of natural burdens:—1. Spiritual burdens. 2. Mental burdens. 3. Providential burdens. 4. Physical burdens. (Bishop Simpson.)
Christianity lightens physical burdens:—Go to-day into heathen countries, into Mohammedan lands, and what do you find? The village on the hill top, the old walls, the spring down near the foot of the hill, the water carried by hand, the pitcher, the goat skin—just as it was in ancient times. The burden is borne by men upon their backs. Go to China, and travel from place to place. It is difficult, and oftentimes the traveller must be carried by men, and, if not by men, by a rude cart. When I was in Palestine, a year ago, there was only one wheeled vehicle in the whole territory, and that had been brought there by the Russian Embassy. Burdens were borne on the back, and in the simplest way. Turn to Christian lands, and what are they? See what you call civilization—that is, Christianity affecting the minds and occupations of men—how it works! How is this city of a million and a quarter supplied with water? A great engine pumps it up from the river; iron pipes carry it to every house. You turn the tap and have it in almost every room. There is no broken back or burdened frame carrying from some spring this water. Go into countries partly civilized, and you find a few public pumps or wells, and the multitudes go there. It is a mere physical thing, you say. Yes; but it is God working in the subjugation of nature to man’s comfort. Moreover, you turn these taps in your room without thinking of it; and yet you have here a proof that God is taking care of the labour-burdened, and ought to remember how Christ has said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Go out into the fields. What was the old way? Men, bowed down in the heat of an August sun, took the sickle in hand, and tried to reap the harvest. Now the reaping-machine, drawn by horses, moves into the field, throws out its bound-up sheaves without human toil: and the harvest is gathered without man being bowed down to the earth. What is it? “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Go into the house: long ago, needlewomen, from early morn until night, and late into the night, stitched carefully, slowly, regularly, on their endless task. Now look at the sewing-machine, and see the amount of work that can be done without, comparatively speaking, human toil. Turn your eyes over to this light, and whence comes it, and how? Look at the little lamp of old, with its lard and wick, then the tallow candle; and now, wandering through all these pipes, comes this air or gas to be lighted, and what a change in human labour! From the darkness, from the atmosphere around us, men are gathering this electric fluid, and throwing light over the darkest of streets and alleys of your city, and thus enabling thousands of men to work as by daylight in your manufactories. What a change in human labour! There must still be labour, but it is not to be of that toilsome character that it once was. (Bishop Simpson.) It is not a local coming to Christ, which is now impossible, but a movement of heart and mind to Him. I. THE CLASS OF PERSONS that our Saviour wan supposed to have in view. 1. Such as were laden with the burden of ceremonial obedience. The observances of Christianity were few and simple, neither occupying much time, nor incurring much expense. They recommended themselves by their significance and force. 2. Such as are oppressed and burdened with a sense of guilt. 3. Such as are endeavouring to erect an edifice of righteousness out of their own performances. 4. Those who are overwhelmed with worldly calamities—the victims of worldly sorrow. 5. Those who are engaged in a restless, uncertain pursuit after felicity in the present state. 6. Those who are heavy laden by speculative pursuits in matters of religion. (Robert Hall, M.A.)
A word in season to the weary:—Causes of weariness. 1. Wounded affections. 2. The disappointment of our desires. 3. Vacancy of mind and the sense of monotony. 4. The load of a guilty conscience is fatiguing. 5. The burden of earnest thought and noble endeavour. (E. Johnson, M.A.)
Desire outruns faculty and causes weariness:—The result would be something monstrous if their energies and abilities grew as fast as their aspirations or their ambitions. As the eye carries the mind in the flash of a moment over a space of country which it would require hours to traverse in the body, so the hot speed of human Desire outruns our slow and pausing faculties. And this a great cause of fatigue; we cannot keep up with ourselves; one part of our nature lags behind another. Or, no sooner is the goal which we had thought a fixed one reached, than another starts up in the new distance, and Desire is still goading us on, refusing us rest. (Ibid.)
Rest not found in mere ceremonial observances:—Both the Wesleys, and Whitefield also, fell for a time into the same mistake. In their endeavours to obtain peace of conscience, in addition to attending every ordinary service of the church, they received the sacrament every Sunday, fasted every Wednesday and Friday, retired regularly every morning and evening for meditation and prayer; they wore the coarsest garments, partook of the coarsest fare, visited the sick, taught the ignorant, ministered to the wants of the needy; and, that he might have more to give away, John Wesley even for a time went barefoot. And yet, with all this, they did not obtain the peace for which their souls craved. (R. A. Bertram.)
The reality of rest:—“Come,” saith Christ, “and I will give you rest.” I will not show you rest, nor barely tell you of rest, but I will give you rest. I am faithfulness itself, and cannot lie, I will give you rest. I that have the greatest power to give it, the greatest will to give it, the greatest right to give it, come, laden sinners, and I will give you rest. Rest is the most desirable good, the most suitable good, and to you the greatest good. Come, saith Christ—that is, believe in Me, and I will give you rest; I will give you peace with God, and peace with conscience: I will turn your storm into an everlasting calm; I will give you such rest, that the world can neither give to you nor take from you. (Thomas Brooks.)
Rest only in God:—Lord, Thou madest us for Thyself, and we can find no rest till we find rest in Thee! (Augustine.)
The weary welcome to rest:—A poor English girl, in Miss Leigh’s home in Paris, ill in body and hopeless in spirit, was greatly affected by hearing some children singing, “I heard the voice of Jesus say.” When they came to the words, “weary, and worn, and sad,” she moaned, “That’s me! That’s me! What did He do? Fill it up, fill it up!” She never rested until she had heard the whole of the hymn which tells how Jesus gives rest to such. By-and-by she asked, “Is that true?” On being answered, “Yes,” she asked, “Have you come to Jesus? Has He given you rest?” “He has.” Raising herself, she asked, “Do you mind my coming very close to you? May be it would be easier to go to Jesus with one who has been before than to go to Him alone.” So saying, she nestled her head on the shoulder of her who watched, and clutching her as one in the agony of death, she murmured, “Now, try and take me with you to Jesus.” (The Sunday at Home.)
Rest for all:—There are many heads resting on Christ’s bosom, but there’s room for yours there. (Samuel Rutherford.)
Rest not inaction:—It is not the lake locked in ice that suggests repose, but the river moving on calmly and rapidly, in silent majesty and strength. It is not the cattle lying in the sun, but the eagle cleaving the air with fixed pinions, that gives you the idea of repose with strength and motion. In creation, the rest of God is exhibited as a sense of power which nothing wearies. When chaos burst into harmony, so to speak, God had rest. (F. W. Robertson.)
Rest in trouble:—I say that men want rest from their troubles, and that the only worthy rest is rest in our trouble. We have our first real impression of what toil is, when we begin, as an apprentice, to learn some trade. Our first real impression of toil brings the first real desire for rest. But all the rest the young man thinks of is the rest of laying down his tools, and leaving the workshop or the warehouse to spend the evening in manly sports. He has no thought yet of that higher rest, which will come, by-and-by, out of skill and facility in the use of tools. (R. Tuck, B.A.)
Resting on the Bible:—In Newport church, in the Isle of Wight, lies buried the Princess Elizabeth (daughter of Charles the First). A marble monument, erected by our Queen Victoria, records in a touching way the manner of her death. She languished in Carisbrook Castle during the wars of the Commonwealth—a prisoner, alone, and separated from all the companions of her youth, tilt death set her free. She was found dead one day, with her head leaning on her Bible, and the Bible open at the words, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The monument in Newport church records this fact. It consists of a female figure reclining her head on a marble book, with our text engraven on the book. Think, my brethren, what a sermon in stone that monument preaches. Think what a standing memorial it affords of the utter inability of rank and high birth to confer certain happiness. Think what a testimony it bears to the lesson before you this day—the mighty lesson that there is no true rest for any one excepting in Christ. Happy will it be for your soul if that lesson is never forgotten.
Exell, J. S. (1952). The Biblical Illustrator: Matthew (pp. 222–225). Baker Book House.
Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence. (Psalm 140:13)
Oh, that my heart may be upright, that I may always be able to bless the name of the Lord! He is so good to those that be good, that I would fain be among them and feel myself full of thankfulness every day. Perhaps, for a moment, the righteous are staggered when their integrity results in severe trial; but assuredly the day shall come when they shall bless their God that they did not yield to evil suggestions and adopt a shifty policy. In the long run true men will thank the God of the right for leading them by a right way. Oh, that I may be among them!
What a promise is implied in this second clause, “The upright shall dwell in thy presence!” They shall stand accepted where others appear only to be condemned. They shall be the courtiers of the great King, indulged with audience whensoever they desire it. They shall be favored ones upon whom Jehovah smiles and with whom He graciously communes. Lord, I covet this high honor, this precious privilege. It will be heaven on earth to me to enjoy it. Make me in all things upright, that I may today and tomorrow and every day stand in Thy heavenly presence. Then will I give thanks unto Thy name evermore. Amen.
Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. (James 5:8)
The last word in the Canticle of love is, “Make haste, my beloved,” and among the last words of the Apocalypse we read, “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come”; to which the heavenly Bridegroom answers, “Surely I come quickly.” Love longs for the glorious appearing of the Lord and enjoys this sweet promise-“The coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” This stays our minds as to the future. We look out with hope through this window.
This sacred “window of agate” lets in a flood of light upon the present and puts us into fine condition for immediate work or suffering. Are we tired? Then the nearness of our joy whispers patience. Are we growing weary because we do not see the harvest of our seed-sowing? Again this glorious truth cries to us, “Be patient.” Do our multiplied temptations cause us in the least to waver? Then the assurance that before long the Lord will be here preaches to us from this text, “Stablish your hearts.” Be firm, be stable, be constant, “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Soon will you hear the silver trumpet which announces the coming of your King. Be not in the least afraid. Hold the fort, for He is coming; yea, He may appear this very day.
We confess and acknowledge that baptism appertains as well to the infants of the faithful as unto those that be of age and discretion. And so we damn the error of Anabaptists who deny baptism to appertain to children before they have faith and understanding. But the Supper of the Lord, we confess to appertain to such only as be of the household of faith, can try and examine themselves as well in their faith as in their duty towards their neighbors. Such as eat and drink at that holy table without faith or being at dissension and disunion with their brethren do eat unworthily. And, therefore, it is that in our kirks our ministers take public and particular examination of the knowledge and conversation of such as are to be admitted to the table of the Lord Jesus.
When we sing worship songs about God’s love, we’re worshiping God in a way that goes straight to the heart of who he is. The Bible reveals in 1 John 4:8: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Again, in 1 John 6:16, the Bible tells us: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”
God doesn’t just give us something called love;God actually is love. Love is the essence of God’s character! Because “God’s love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8), we have a lot to celebrate when we worship God for his love. Singing worship songs about God’s love helps us notice and connect with God’s loving presence. Whenever we need encouragement, we can remind ourselves of the wonderful reality that God loves us completely and unconditionally by singing about his love. Here are 7 popular worship songs about God’s love that have become classics.
“Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God / Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99 / I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, / Still, you give yourself away.”
From a human perspective, God’s love looks “reckless” because he doesn’t weigh the cost of his sacrifice for us against how worthy we are to receive it. God simply gives, becausethere’s no limit to God’s love for us. God pursues us with an intensity that doesn’t make sense to people who think we have to earn God’s love. We can see the biblical foundation for this in the words of Jesus himself. In Luke 15:4, Jesus asks: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”
This is the heart of God’s “Reckless Love” – God is like a shepherd who is so concerned for the one who is lost that he risks everything to bring that single lamb home. Sometimes, we might feel like our mistakes have placed us outside the reach of God’s grace, or that we’ve used up our last second chance. But this song reminds us that God loves us no matter what. We don’t have to find our way back to God ourselves, because God is already on the way to find us. He “chases us down” and “fights ‘til we’re found.” Listen to it HERE.
2. “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Stuart Townend
2. “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Stuart Townend
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“How deep the Father’s love for us / How vast beyond all measure / That he should give his only Son / To make a wretch his treasure.”
This modern hymn takes us straight to the foot of the cross. It’s a song that humbles us by reminding us thatJesus made the ultimate loving sacrifice to save us from sin. “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” invites us to consider the vastness of a love that would allow God to suffer for the sake of those who turned against him. The lyrics echo the profound truth found in Romans 5:8, which tells us: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The song doesn’t shy away from the pain of the crucifixion. It points out that it was “our sin that held him there” until our salvation was accomplished. When we sing these words, we’re forced to slow down and realize the awe-inspiring magnitude of what God has done for us. It reminds us that our true identity is not in any of our own accomplishments, but in the fact that we’re God’s beloved children who were worth dying for to save. We can be confident that we’re treasured by our loving Creator and Savior. Listen to it HERE.
“All my life you have been faithful. / All my life you have been so, so good. / With every breath that I am able, / I will sing of the goodness of God.”
This song is a powerful testimony about the power ofexperiencing God’s goodness that comes from his love for us. It speaks to the God who walks beside us, the one whose “voice has led us through the fire” and whose “goodness is running after” us. Psalm 145:9 points out that “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” Throughout the Bible, we see God’s goodness in action. Even when our circumstances are difficult in this fallen world, God remains good and willing to help us. This song encourages us to look back and notice the track record of God’s faithful goodness in our own lives so far – and to let that inspire us to trust God as we move forward. It helps us to change our focus from our problems to God’s loving presence with us. Whether we’re currently dealing with good or bad circumstances, we can be confident that God’s love is “running after us”, so we’re beyond God’s loving care. Listen to it HERE.
4. “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” by Chris Tomlin
4. “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” by Chris Tomlin
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“My chains are gone, I’ve been set free. / My Savior has ransomed me / And like a flood, his mercy reigns / Unending love, amazing grace.”
This song focuses onGod’s grace and mercy that come to us because of God’s great love for us. John 8:36 declares: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” God’s loving grace sets us free from everything that’s unhealthy for us, like breaking chains that had previously held us down. In the process, God gracefully empowers us to experience the very best, because he loves us so much that he doesn’t want anything less than the best for us. If we forget about God’s grace, we can sometimes try to pick old chains back up by returning to attitudes or behaviors that aren’t good for us and that weigh us down again. So, singing this song is a powerful way to remind ourselves that we no longer have to live as slaves to sin or shame because God’s mercy reigns. This is a victory song that celebrates the reality of how God’s love can keep setting us free as we walk through our lives. Listen to it HERE.
“He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree / Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy. / When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, / And I realize just how beautiful you are, / And how great your affections are for me.”
This song captures the overwhelming, unstoppable nature of God’s passionate love for us. When we sing “How He Loves,” we remind ourselves that God’s love for us is so great that it’s the greatest force of all. Romans 8:38-39 describes how nothing can stop us from experiencing God’s love for us: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God’s love is so powerful that nothing in all of creation can stand against it or tear us away from it. This song encourages us to stop viewing God as a distant or strict judge and start seeing him asour loving, affectionate Heavenly Father. When we’re going through hard times – the “afflictions” the song mentions – we can let God’s love bend us toward him, trusting that his “wind and mercy” are not there to break us, but to shape us and help us move closer to him. Listen to it HERE.
Photo Credit: Teraphim
6. “O Come to the Altar” by Elevation Worship
6. “O Come to the Altar” by Elevation Worship
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“Are you hurting and broken within? / Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin? / Jesus is calling! / Have you come to the end of yourself? / Do you thirst for a drink from the well? / Jesus is calling!”
While many songs celebrate the joy of God’s love, “O Come to the Altar” highlights how God’s love is the ultimate sanctuary for us when we’re in pain. It reminds us that when we feel hurting and overwhelmed, we cancome to God and find the healing and help we need. Jesus encourages us in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” God isn’t waiting for us to try to fix our brokenness before we come to him; he wants us to bring our brokenness to him so he can heal us. The forgiveness and new life this song mentions in the chorus are gifts God gives us freely, whenever we ask him. We can bring our pain, mistakes, weaknesses, and anything else that’s challenging for us to God’s altar and trust that “he’s waiting with arms open wide.” Whenever we feel like we’ve reached the “end of ourselves,” we can remember that when we’re no longer trying to rely on ourselves alone, we’re ready to receive God’s loving healing and help. Listen to it HERE.
7. “In Christ Alone” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
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“In Christ alone my hope is found. / He is my light, my strength, my song. / This cornerstone, this solid ground, / Firm through the fiercest drought and storm / What heights of love, what depths of peace, / When fears are stilled, when strivings cease.”
This worship song emphasizes that we can find hope only through relationships with Jesus, because God’s love is personified in Jesus. In relationships with Jesus, we can find “heights of love” and “depths of peace” that we can’t find from any other source in this fallen world. As Colossians 1:17 says about Jesus: “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” When our lives feel like they’re falling apart, we can rest in the truth that in Christ, all things hold together. His love is the “solid ground” that stays firm even when the “fiercest drought and storm” come our way. Because of Jesus’ love, “no guilt in life, no fear in death” has power over us anymore. “In Christ Alone” calls us to stop “striving” (to stop trying to save ourselves or prove our worth) and simply stand “in the love of Christ.” Singing this song gives us courage to face the future. Whether we’re facing a crisis like the end of a relationship for an illness, or just dealing with the everyday stresses of life in this fallen world, we can say with confidence that “here in the love of Christ I stand.” When we do so, we canexperience God’s peace, which is much greater than any kind of challenging circumstances. Listen to it HERE.
In conclusion, these worship songs all present the same message in their own creative ways: God’s love is the most powerful force in existence. God is love at his core, and he loves us so much that we never have to worry about anything we face in this fallen world. Singing these worship songs remind us that God’s love chases us, dies for us, stays with us, frees us, overwhelms us, heals us, and holds us together. God’s love is all we need, and we can always count on it being there for us. That’s a wonderful reality worth celebrating!
“A fascinating analysis examining the core of Christian orthodoxy; where denominations within the true Church ends…and a cult begins.
Once again, The Apologetics Group has developed a scholarly presentation addressing a vital current issue. This new production not only deals with how to identify The Marks of a Cult, but in its own right is a type of “mini-systematic theology” that will greatly benefit any individual or church group. I highly recommend it for a better understanding of cult beliefs and practice, as well as, developing your understanding of historic Christian theology.” Dr. Kenneth G. Talbot — President, Whitefield Theological Seminary
In today’s religiously diverse and relativistic culture, labeling a group a cult may seem extreme to many people, not to mention rude. Even people who believe in absolute Truth and further believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life can get confused about just what constitutes real Christianity. Just why are Baptists properly considered Christians, but Mormons are not? Or why is the Jehovah’s Witness religion classified as an anti-Christian cult while Presbyterians or Wesleyans or Pentecostals are simply seen as denominations within the Christian faith?
With the explosion of different sects that claim to honor and follow Jesus, how does one differentiate between true Biblical Christianity and an aberrant religious movement? Just what are “the marks of a cult?”
Join us for a journey into the heart of Biblical revelation and the constant struggle of truth against lies, the apostolic faith against the “doctrines of demons.”
This new documentary from The Apologetics Group does more than simply point fingers. It explains in great detail the absolute essentials of the Faith and just how and why Christians can properly and necessarily refer to certain sects as “cults.” Not only a tool for recognizing and understanding false teaching — and for reaching people held captive to it — The Marks of a Cult is also a powerful apologetic on the need for Christians to become more rooted in the Biblical historic faith, with its creeds and confessions, and to be better prepared to give “a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15)
Featuring: Dr. James R. White, Alpha & Omega Ministries — Dr. E. Calvin Beisner, Knox Theological Seminary — Dr. R. Fowler White, Knox Theological Seminary — James Walker, Watchman Fellowship — David Henke, Watchman Fellowship — Dr. Steve Cowan, Apologetics Resource Center — Craig Branch, Apologetics Resource Center — Clete Hux, Apologetics Resource Center — Jerry Johnson, The Apologetics Group“
My posting of this video is not a blanket endorsement of any of the people who appear in it nor The Apologetics Group ministry. I do not endorse or recommend any participants in the video nor the organization which produced it insofar as any of them deviate from my beliefs as stated in the Statement of Faith and Welcome tabs at the top of this page.
7 Conduct, peaceful. A lifestyle pleasing to God disarms social hostility. This verse uses formal parallelism with a protasis and an apodasis. The subject matter of the verse is “a man’s ways” (darkê-ʾîš) that are “pleasing” (birṣôt) to the Lord. The question is who is the subject of the second clause, “he makes even his enemies live at peace [yašlim] with him”? The appropriate choice is the “man” and his “ways”; it is his lifestyle that disarms the enemies. McKane, 491, comments that the righteous have the power to mend relationships (see also 10:13; 14:9; 15:1, 4, 18; 25:21–22). The life that is pleasing to God is above reproach and finds favor with others. This is part of God’s plan for rewards. But we must remember that this proverb, as well as 2 Timothy 3:12, must not be pressed to universal application.
Ross, A. P. (2008). Proverbs. In T. Longman III, Garland David E. (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Proverbs–Isaiah (Revised Edition) (Vol. 6, p. 147). Zondervan.
Ver. 7. When a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.—Our ways:— These words contain two blessed fruits of a gracious conversation. The one more immediate and direct, acceptance with God; the other more remote, and by consequence from the former, peace with men. I. THE SUBJECT. “A man’s ways.” His whole carriage in the course of his life, with all his thoughts, speeches, and actions, good or bad. When a man walketh in the beaten track of the world, without ever turning his feet unto God’s testimonies, neither that man nor his ways can please the Lord. When a man walketh conscionably and constantly in the good ways of God both the man and his ways are well pleasing unto God. When a man in the more constant course of his life walketh uprightly, and in a right way, but yet in a few particulars treadeth awry, the man may be accepted, though his ways are not altogether pleasing. II. THE ACT. “Pleasing.” This hath reference to acceptation: wherein the endeavour is one thing, and the event another. A man may have a full intention, and make due endeavour, and yet fail of his end. This is apparent when we have to deal with men. To please signifieth rather the event in finding acceptance than the endeavour in seeking it. In a moral sense, however, not so much the event as the endeavour and intention. But there may be a good assurance of the event where the desire of pleasing is unfeigned and the endeavour faithful. III. THE OBJECT. All men strive to please; but some to please themselves; some to please other men; and some to please the Lord. We should endeavour so to walk as to please God. For He is our Master, Captain, Father, and King. There is one great benefit attached to pleasing the Lord in the text—“He will make our enemies to be at peace with us.” We may add, He will preserve us from sinful temptations. He will answer our prayers. He will translate us into His heavenly kingdom. The wicked man, who displeases God, strengthens the hands of his enemies; exposes himself as a prey to temptations; blocks up the passage against his own prayer; debars himself from entering the kingdom. How can pleasing the Lord be done? By likeness and obedience. The godly love what God loveth. They desire and endeavour to be holy as He is holy; perfect as He is perfect, merciful as the heavenly Father is merciful. Obedience is the proof of our willing and cheerful subjection to His most righteous commands. It is vain to think of pleasing God by the mere outward performances of fasting, prayer, almsdeeds, hearing God’s Word, or receiving the Sacrament. How comes it about that such poor things as our best endeavours are should please God? Our good works are pleasing to God upon two grounds.
Because He worketh them in us; and—
Because He looketh upon us and them in Christ. In the consequent of pleasing God there are three things observable. The persons—a man’s enemies. The effect—peace. The author—the Lord. The scope of the whole words is to instruct us that the fairest and likeliest way for us to procure peace with man is to order our ways so as to please the Lord. The favour of God and the favour of men is joined together in Holy Scripture, as if the one were a consequent of the other. (Bp. Sanderson.) The true way of pleasing God and being at peace with men:— I. THE SUBSTANCE. “When a man’s ways please the Lord.” All the Lord’s ways are concentred ways, and they concentre in Christ Jesus. Then, in order to please the Lord, we must be found in those ways, and as those ways are in Christ, we must also be in union with Christ.
In what way has the Lord fixed the love of His heart upon man?
The Lord brings His people to desire eternal life in the same way that He has designed it.
In what way has the Lord made us holy?
In what way does the Lord regenerate His people? II. THE NEGATIVE; or what the text does not mean. The latter part of the text appears to be negatived by the conduct of the enemies of the Lord’s people in all ages. III. THE POSITIVE; or what the text does mean. Refer to a Scripture passage, “The wrath of man shall praise Thee; the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain.” Illustrate by circumstances in the stories of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, Nehemiah, Jews when building the second temple. IV. THE IMPLICATION.
That the Lord has some specific purpose and end in view.
That He is sure to accomplish that purpose. (James Wells.) The charm of goodness:— Not that the enemies are simply kept quiet through their knowledge that the good man is under God’s protection, but that goodness has power to charm and win them to itself. (Dean Plumptre.) God’s control over His people’s enemies:— I must see that my ways please the Lord. Even then I shall have enemies; and, perhaps, all the more certainly because I endeavour to do that which is right. But what a promise this is! The Lord will abate the wrath of man to praise Him, and abate it so that it shall not distress me. He can constrain an enemy to desist from harming me, even though he has a mind to do so. This He did with Laban, who pursued Jacob, but did not dare to touch him. Or He can subdue the wrath of Esau, who met Jacob in a brotherly manner, though Jacob had dreaded that he would smite him and his family with the sword. The Lord can also convert a furious adversary into a brother in Christ, and a fellow-worker, as He did with Saul of Tarsus. Oh, that He would do this in every case where a persecuting spirit appears! Happy is the man whose enemies are made to be to him what the lions were to Daniel in the den—quiet and companionable! When I meet death, who is called the last enemy, I pray that I may be at peace. Only let my great care be to please the Lord in all things. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Exell, J. S. (n.d.). Proverbs (pp. 417–418). Fleming H. Revell Company.
16:7 Like so many of the proverbs, this is a general rule, but it does have exceptions. “A righteous life disarms opposition.” Or, as Barnes put it, “Goodness has power to charm and win even enemies to itself.” Stanton treated Lincoln with utter contempt. He called him a “low cunning clown” and “the original gorilla.” He said there was no need to go to Africa to capture a gorilla when one was available in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln never retaliated. Instead he made Stanton his war minister, believing that he was the best qualified for the office. Years later when Lincoln was killed by an assassin’s bullet, Stanton looked down on his rugged face and said tearfully, “There lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever seen.”
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.; pp. 831–832). Thomas Nelson.
“We are either a United people, or we are not. If the former, let us, in all matters of general concern act as a nation, which have national objects to promote, and a national character to support. If we are not, let us no longer act a farce by pretending to it.” —George Washington (1785)
Government reopened: By a vote of 217-214, the House passed the Senate-modified funding package on Tuesday, which President Donald Trump quickly signed, thereby reopening the federal government that had been in a partial shutdown since Friday. The legislation passed with bipartisan support, as 42 lawmakers defected from their parties. A group of 21 Republicans rejected the legislation in objection to the removal of DHS funding from the original spending package, as well as wanting to include the SAVE Act. Meanwhile, 21 Democrats voted with the Republican majority to pass the funding package. Over the next two weeks, lawmakers will seek a compromise on DHS funding, with Democrats aiming to limit ICE’s immigration enforcement authority.
Iranian drone destroyed: The Iranian regime agreed to engage in nuclear and missile talks with the U.S., with a meeting scheduled for Friday in Turkey. Yet Iran continues its provocations. On Tuesday, the USS Abraham Lincoln shot down an Iranian drone that was targeting the carrier, and an American-flagged ship was chased by an Iranian gunboat, which failed to catch it after a U.S. destroyer intervened. Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House in London, surmised that Tehran’s incongruent actions indicated significant disagreement within the Iranian government, observing, “When they are under attack, all political sides in the regime work together. When there is a mediation, they sabotage each other.” The question is how much patience President Trump has with the Iranian regime if it continues this aggressive behavior.
Trump admin tries to keep families together: The Department of Health and Human Services announced this week that three drugs used to combat opioid abuse will now be subsidized for families where children are at risk of entering foster care. The HHS Administration for Children and Families announced that it is expanding access to buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone to stop the breakup of families. Using Title IV-E funding, states can now receive a 50% federal match on the cost of these drugs for families where untreated addiction may lead to the separation of children from their parents. This is just one step the administration is taking to address the opioid epidemic.
Anti-ICE agitators set up checkpoint, border: Minnesota anti-ICE protesters are stopping out-of-state vehicles at checkpoints, demanding IDs, and individually clearing them for entry into a protected community. Astute readers may notice the striking similarity between this behavior and the existence of national borders. Leaving aside the blatant illegality of their actions, the irony is palpable. Protesters are so intent on protecting illegal immigrants in their communities that they’re enforcing secure borders and even building blockades similar to a border wall. The secure border appears to run from 32nd to 34th on Cedar Ave. in south Minneapolis. The Left’s ability to reinvent law and order from first principles is impressive.
Jeanine Pirro perplexes: In an interview on Fox News, U.S. Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro made a significant Second Amendment faux pas: “I don’t care if you have a license in another district, and I don’t care if you’re a law-abiding gun owner somewhere else. You bring a gun into this district, count on going to jail.” Granted, Pirro was talking about how DC has gone three weeks without a homicide because authorities have gotten guns out of the hands of criminals. But that doesn’t excuse her statements regarding those who have a license to carry. DC has a concealed carry permit for non-residents, and Second Amendment rights don’t vanish upon entering the district. She attempted to walk it back, but if she is a “fellow gun owner,” she should stick to facts and not lump law-abiding citizens in with criminals.
Trump bans DEI in foreign aid: The State Department, in keeping with President Trump’s order to eliminate DEI policies from the federal government, is implementing new rules that expand Ronald Reagan’s 1984 “Mexico City” policy, which bans U.S. federal funding of non-governmental organizations that “perform or actively promote abortion.” Every Republican administration has renewed the policy ever since, and the Trump administration is now broadening it to exclude funding for U.S.-based NGOs, international organizations, foreign governments, and foreign companies from receiving U.S. aid if they promote abortion or DEI initiatives. The State Department estimates that this policy change will initially affect roughly 2,500 organizations, though Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau expects “that many organizations that are current recipients of foreign assistance will come into compliance.”
Project Vault: The Trump administration has announced Project Vault, a public-private partnership to establish the U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve similar to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This partnership has already secured $12 billion in funding, with a $10 billion loan coming from the Export-Import Bank and nearly $2 billion in private funding. Private partners, including General Motors, Stellantis, Boeing, and others, will commit to purchase a specified quantity of materials for the reserve at a set price and repurchase those minerals at the same price in the future. The U.S. already has a reserve of rare minerals for national defense, but this will establish a similar stockpile for private use. Investors will be able to draw on the stockpile so long as they replenish what they take. In the event of a severe supply-chain disruption, the entire stockpile will be made available.
House GOP forms caucus against Sharia: A number of House Republicans concerned about the spread of Islam in America have formed a caucus with the goal of keeping Sharia law out of the country. Dubbed the Sharia Free America Caucus, it is led by Texas Reps. Keith Self and Chip Roy. Self warned of the spread of Sharia law, which is fundamentally antithetical to the authority of the Constitution and U.S. law. “Here’s what’s happening right now. In the Lone Star State, there are multiple Muslim-only housing developments that already exist or in the planning stages, including the Meadows, Epic City right there in my district,” Self noted. “The spread has gotten so serious that on March 3, a proposition to ban Sharia will appear on the Texas primary ballot, and I encourage all Texans to go to and vote for that proposition.”
Jill Biden’s ex charged with murdering wife: Celebrity gossip — or in this case, political gossip — is always popular. That’s the reason Will Stevenson’s murder charge is national news. Will Stevenson of New Castle County, Delaware, was taken into custody Monday following a weeks-long investigation into the death of his wife, Linda. On December 28, police were called to the Stevenson home due to a domestic dispute, where they found Linda unresponsive. Ordinarily, spousal murder, while tragic, is not national news, except when the alleged murderer was formerly married to a woman who later became first lady. In 1970, Stevenson married Jill Jacobs. Five years later, they divorced. Two years after that, Jill married Joe Biden, with whom Stevenson said she had an affair.
Headlines
Clintons to appear for Epstein depositions, Comer confirms (NY Post)
Border czar Tom Homan says 700 federal agents will leave Minnesota (NY Post)
Threat of new AI tools wipes $300 billion off software and data stocks (WSJ)
Plastic surgeon group disavows transgender surgery for those under 19 (Washington Examiner)
Bitter cold exposes the limits of Mamdani’s approach to homelessness (City Journal)
The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.
It increasingly seems like there are two NFLs: one for the players and one for those in charge. No, I don’t mean the economic divide that left-wingers perpetually gripe about. I mean the divide between the faithful and those who care much more about other cultural things.
We’ll consider several strands of pre-Super Bowl news. My Kansas City Chiefs didn’t even make the playoffs this year, so I don’t really care who wins this Sunday. Having been a fairly regular NFL fan since the 1980s, though, I’m intrigued by the sport and its tangential controversies.
Let’s start with the faith angle. “Faith takes center stage ahead of Super Bowl 60,” reports NewsNation in an article about the increasing number of players sharing their faith with interviewers. It’s not new to see players point to heaven when scoring a touchdown, or to hear them thank God after a victory (or even a loss). However, it seems an increasing number of leading quarterbacks and other prominent players are becoming more vocal about their personal faith.
“I thank the good Lord” for the opportunity, said New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye after winning the AFC Championship last week. Maye regularly speaks of his faith, and his social media bio includes the name of Jesus. It’s refreshing when someone uses that name reverently instead of — like most of Hollywood — as a curse word.
Similarly, after winning the NFC Championship, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said, “I just want to give all glory to God. … Win or lose, I wouldn’t be here without him.” His social media bio says he’s a “follower of Christ.”
A number of other NFL quarterbacks are outspoken about their Christianity — Bo Nix, Josh Allen, Brock Purdy, C.J. Stroud, Lamar Jackson, Trevor Lawrence, and (my personal favorite) Patrick Mahomes are among them. Plenty of other key players are faithful, too. It’s pretty normal to see players gather for prayer before and after games. Perhaps there’s something about the somewhat war-like nature of football that reminds players of their frail humanity.
It’s very good news when so many people embrace The Good News.
What’s remarkable to me is the utter disconnect between the men on the field putting on a great show and the men in control behind the scenes. The players are the ones earning the league and the owners tons of money, generating fans. No one goes to see a game because Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones or even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell might be lurking in the suite above. (Taylor Swift, maybe, but that’s another discussion.)
But speaking of Goodell, what does he care about most in the lead-up to Super Bowl LX? It might be Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion among NFL coaches.
“We still have more work to do,” Goodell lamented after none of the 10 teams looking for a new coach hired a black one. Maybe Goodell is unaware that roughly 70% of NFL players are minorities.
The NFL’s Rooney Rule includes these requirements: “Clubs must conduct an in-person interview with at least two external diverse — minority and/or female — candidates for any GM or head coaching interview. Clubs must interview at least two minorities and/or women for all coordinator positions.”
Seriously? A female?
With all due respect, given that women don’t generally play football, it’s going to be challenging to find many who are interested in coaching it. Not unheard of, but challenging. That’s to say nothing of the challenge of her earning the respect of players.
As for color, no one goes to or skips a game because of the color of one guy’s skin on the sidelines. Fans attend because, as Martin Luther King Jr. extolled, we care about the “content of their character” — i.e., how well they play.
What else does Roger Goodell want to make sure everyone knows? That Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny “understands” that “this platform is used to unite people and to be able to bring people together.”
Who is Bad Bunny? His real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and he’s the Puerto Rican, Trump-deranged, pro-illegal-immigration homosexual activist who represents the NFL’s big middle finger to the rest of us. He raps in Spanish.
Accepting the Album of the Year Award at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, Bad Bunny declared, “ICE out” — a reference to his objection to enforcing immigration law. Goodell thinks that “unites people”?
All the unity must be why Turning Point USA felt compelled to put on an alternative halftime show for normal Americans, featuring Kid Rock of shoot-the-Bud-Light fame. The TPUSA show — put on by the organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, a strong Christian — aims to celebrate “American faith, family, and freedom.” That’s much more in line with the trend of leading players on the field. You can find it on TPUSA’s YouTube channel beginning at 8 p.m. Sunday.
“We’re approaching this show like David and Goliath. Competing with the pro football machine and a global pop superstar is almost impossible … or is it?” Kid Rock said in a statement issued through Turning Point. “He’s said he’s having a dance party, wearing a dress, and singing in Spanish? Cool. We plan to play great songs for folks who love America.”
The NFL has “more work to do,” alright. Just not the work that preoccupies a wokie like Roger Goodell.
Emmy Griffin: Democrats Flip-Flop on Haiti — Haiti is beautiful if President Trump calls it a dump, but the pits of despair if he wants to send Haitians back home.
Thomas Gallatin: Surprise — NPR and PBS Still Exist — Despite Congress cutting funding to public broadcasting six months ago, almost no NPR or PBS affiliate stations have closed.
Michael Smith: 13 Rules for Rationals — Left-wing radical Saul Alinsky organizes anger. Classical liberalism organizes civilizations.
Lind Moss Mines: America 250: The Separation Begins — The French and Indian War is one of the most significant events in our country’s history. The discontent following that armed engagement directly led to the American Revolution.
“Donald Trump is in the Epstein files thousands and thousands of times. In those files, there’s highly disturbing allegations of Donald Trump raping children, of Donald Trump threatening to kill children.” —Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA)
“The SAVE Act is an abomination. It’s Jim Crow 2.0 across the country.” —Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Non Compos Mentis
“What is really the major problem in this country today is the fascism in our streets. The attacks on American citizens by masked hoodlums. If you were attacked by a masked person, you might think you were being kidnapped. You’d be justified in shooting the person to protect yourself.” —Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY)
Huh?
“You bring a gun in the district, you mark my words, you’re going to jail. I don’t care if you have a license in another district, and I don’t care if you’re a law-abiding gun owner somewhere else. You bring a gun into this district, count on going to jail, and hope you get the gun back.” —U.S. Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro
Reality Check
“Look, I got all this polling on the screen going back since 2018. You’ll notice on all of it, it’s all north of 75% … and then 83% in the last year of Americans agree with Nicki Minaj. They favor photo ID to be able to vote. … We’re talking about seven in 10 Democrats agreeing with Nicki Minaj that you in fact should show a voter photo ID to vote.” —CNN’s Harry Enten
Observations
“To sum up public opinion, the proverbial people want all criminal illegal aliens deported as soon as possible, and they may even support the deportations of all 10-12 million illegal aliens who came en masse, unaudited, and with the de facto blessing of the Biden administration. But that said, they want the act of deportation of the non-criminal to be out of sight, out of mind — as if magically they can simply disappear and thus either self-deport or assemble at ICE stations eager to be sent at no cost home.” —Victor Davis Hanson
“If celebrity clown Billie Eilish believes ‘no one is illegal on stolen land,’ then she should return her $3 million home to the Gabrieleno Tongva tribe on whose ancestral land it sits.” —Mark Alexander
Re: The Left
“The new governor of Virginia, the ‘moderate’ Democrat Abigail Spanberger, has proposed a tax hike on services such as dog walking and grooming. … There is no economic reason for raising taxes in Virginia. When his single term expired last month, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin left behind numerous successes, including a large budget surplus of $572 million, above the projected forecast.” —Cal Thomas
“The Democrats circa 2026 have almost become tax-and-spend parodies of themselves. They used to pretend that raising taxes was a last resort. Now, the leftwing base regards raising taxes as a badge of honor. … When will Democrats in blue states learn you can’t tax millionaires and billionaires if they live in Palm Beach or Dallas?” —Stephen Moore
Political Futures
“The GOP isn’t just lazy, it’s scared. Keeping social and economic conservatives together in a single coalition is hard enough; why complicate it by trying to squeeze in populists as well? Trump, of course, has answered that: because it’s what’s necessary to win nationwide.” —Daniel McCarthy
ON THIS DAY in 1789, as the newly ratified Constitution shaped the federal government, the Electoral College chose George Washington to serve as the nation’s first president.
FIRST ON FOX: A comprehensive new briefing document from a prominent nonpartisan research and policy group is sounding the alarm on “serious ethical and national security concerns” related to Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib and her affiliations with individuals and organizations linked to designated foreign terrorist entities.
“The conduct of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, including her rhetoric, affiliations, campaign infrastructure, and ideological alignment with certain individuals and organizations, raises serious concerns about potential risks to the ethical and institutional integrity of the United States government,” the report, released by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy’s advocacy and policy-oriented arm, states.
The report details a “recurring pattern” of behavior that it says suggests an ideological affinity for radical movements, ranging from participation in conferences featuring convicted terrorists to significant campaign payments made to activists linked to Hamas and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-aligned networks.
The briefing covers Tlaib’s financial history and says her campaign apparatus poured large sums of cash to anti-Israel activists, including almost $600,000 between 2020 and 2025 to Unbought Power, a consulting firm headed by Rasha Mubarak.
Mubarak has faced scrutiny for her past affiliations with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2009 Holy Land Foundation terror-financing trial, and the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), which has been investigated for ties to the PFLP-linked group Samidoun.
Tlaib, according to the briefing, has shared the stage with a variety of questionable figures highlighted by a conference alongside Wisam Rafeedie, a convicted PFLP operative, who defended the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack as “resistance.”
“Through public endorsement, co-sponsorship, and amplification, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has consistently engaged with a range of organizations known to maintain operational or ideological ties to terrorist networks,” the briefing states. “Tlaib has engaged with and disseminated the messaging of these groups and has shared related content on social media platforms, has participated in events organized by these groups, and has referenced their terminology and conceptual frameworks in official congressional communications.”
Tlaib is no stranger to being accused of promoting hostile foreign actors, and the House of Representatives has already taken formal action against the Michigan Democrat twice.
She was first censured in November 2023 for promoting alleged false narratives regarding the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. A second resolution was introduced in September 2025 following her appearance at the “People’s Conference for Palestine,” where speakers allegedly “whitewashed” convicted Hamas financiers.
Tlaib’s language made another appearance in the briefing as ISGAP Action described antisemitic “tropes” used by the Michigan congresswoman on multiple occasions.
The report cites an August 2021 event where Tlaib referenced “people behind the curtain” making money off “racism” from “Gaza to Detroit.”
The briefing goes further than issuing warnings about Tlaib’s record and calls on government agencies to take specific action.
The briefing calls for a formal congressional inquiry into Tlaib’s conduct that specifically reviews her public statements that allegedly align with terrorist organizations, her attendance at events honoring convicted terrorists and a thorough review of her campaign fundraising sources.
Additionally, the briefing asks the Department of Justice’s National Security Division to conduct a legal review to determine if Tlaib or her affiliates have violated 18 U.S. Code §2339B, which prohibits providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations.
The Federal Election Commission, according to the briefing, should perform a forensic audit of Tlaib’s campaign finances focusing on donations from individuals tied to terror networks.
“Tlaib’s conduct demonstrates how extremist ideologies can infiltrate mainstream democratic institutions,” the report concludes. “If left unchecked, her actions will continue to legitimize hate.”
Last year, Tlaib’s name came up in another ISGAP Action report that highlighted what it called a multi-generational campaign by the Muslim Brotherhood to “transform Western society from within” and covertly infiltrate the United States.
“The election and re-election of congresswomen such as Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who have openly defended positions aligned with Brotherhood perspectives on Israel, counterterrorism, and international relations, demonstrates the intersection of identity politics and Brotherhood narratives,” the report stated.
“While neither congresswoman has a documented formal affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, both have appeared at events organized by Brotherhood-aligned organizations, have received campaign support from Brotherhood-aligned donors, and have consistently advocated positions aligned with Brotherhood objectives.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Tlaib’s office for comment.
Fans of family movies won’t be lacking options in 2026. In fact, there are so many films geared toward kids and families this year that nearly every month brings a new big-screen adventure. From original movies to new installments in major franchises to long-awaited sequels, this year promises to be a banner year for family entertainment. Here are 15 new family films that are coming this year to a cineplex near you:
U.S. negotiations with Iran are back on after nearly collapsing, with nuclear talks now set for Friday in Oman. As President Trump ramps up pressure and warns Tehran not to test American resolve, Iran is insisting the talks stay narrowly focused — excluding sanctions, terrorism, and its violent crackdown on protesters. Meanwhile, new IDF drone footage shows Hamas using ambulances to transport weapons in Gaza, underscoring ongoing violations of international law.
0:11 U.S. and Iran to Begin Talks in Oman on Friday
0:46 Rhetoric from @WhiteHouse Continues to Heat Up
1:33 Revelations of Hamas Violations in Gaza
2:18 Iran Nuclear Talks Continue. Alex Traiman with @JNS_TV Explains
3:25 Iran Limiting Talks to Their Nuclear Program
4:26 Are These Negotiations Different from Past U.S. Presidents?
5:14 What Will be the Outcomes of the Talks?
After appearing to fall apart at the last minute, U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations are back on track, with both sides now preparing to meet in Oman. Originally expected to take place in Istanbul, the quiet change in location highlights just how fragile and unpredictable the diplomatic process has become.
Iran says the renewed talks will focus exclusively on its nuclear program, deliberately excluding issues such as sanctions relief, its support for terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, and the regime’s violent response to domestic protests. The narrow scope has raised questions about whether Tehran is genuinely seeking an agreement or simply buying time.
The renewed diplomacy comes as President Donald Trump continues to sharpen his rhetoric toward Iran. Asked whether the regime’s supreme leader should be worried, Trump asserted that U.S. military action has already wiped out Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, struck a more measured tone, making clear that any credible deal must also address Iran’s ballistic missile program, terrorism, and human rights abuses.
At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces released drone footage from Gaza showing Hamas operatives transporting weapons inside ambulances. The IDF says the footage exposes yet another violation of international law and the ceasefire, accusing Hamas of exploiting medical vehicles for military purposes.
To analyze the renewed negotiations, Joshua Swanson was joined by Alex Traiman, CEO and Jerusalem bureau chief of the Jewish News Syndicate. Traiman described Iran as a seasoned negotiating power that prefers drawn-out talks over confronting the threat of military action, particularly under President Trump’s leadership.
Traiman argued that Iran’s strategy is to stretch negotiations for as long as possible, hoping to delay or avoid decisive U.S. military intervention. He contrasted Trump’s approach with past administrations, saying maximum pressure — rather than concessions — is the only tactic Iran responds to.
Looking ahead, Traiman predicted the talks are unlikely to produce a meaningful outcome. He suggested negotiations may instead serve as a final diplomatic off-ramp, allowing the United States to demonstrate it pursued every option before military action becomes the last resort.
Ask almost any parent or grandparent and you’ll hear the same concern: kids today seem glued to their phones. Screens dominate everything from entertainment to social life, and for older generations who grew up riding bikes until sunset or talking face-to-face, the shift can feel alarming. The good news is that kids haven’t lost their desire for real connection or meaningful experiences. It just takes a different approach to draw them out.
The first step is understanding that phones aren’t the enemy; boredom is. For many kids, screens fill empty time because they’re easy and endlessly stimulating. If the real world feels dull by comparison, phones will always win. The goal isn’t to lecture kids about screen time, but to make real-world experiences more appealing than what’s on their devices.
One of the most effective strategies is modeling behavior. Kids notice everything. If adults are constantly scrolling, answering texts during conversations, or watching TV while half-listening, children learn that screens are the default. Setting the phone aside during meals, conversations, or shared activities sends a powerful, unspoken message. When kids see adults fully present, they’re more likely to follow suit.
Creating tech-free zones and times can also make a difference. This doesn’t have to feel like punishment. Family dinners, game nights, Sunday afternoons, or short daily windows where phones are put away can become something kids actually look forward to. The key is consistency and warmth, not rules barked out of frustration. When tech-free time is paired with something enjoyable, resistance fades quickly.
Real-world engagement often starts with shared experiences rather than forced participation. Cooking together, working in the yard, building something, or even tackling a small home project gives kids a sense of purpose. These moments naturally spark conversation and cooperation without the awkwardness of being told to “go play outside.”
Physical activity remains one of the most reliable ways to pull kids away from screens. It doesn’t need to be organized sports. Walks, bike rides, fishing trips, or simple backyard games reconnect kids with their bodies and surroundings. For grandparents especially, these activities can double as memory-making opportunities that kids carry with them long after the day ends.
Another powerful but often overlooked tool is storytelling. Sharing personal stories about growing up, challenges faced, or adventures had invites kids into a world they’re curious about but rarely hear in depth. When stories are genuine and not preachy, kids listen. These conversations help bridge the generational gap and show that life offline is rich, unpredictable, and worth engaging in.
It’s also important to give kids ownership. Let them help plan an outing, choose a family activity, or decide how tech-free time is spent. When children feel heard and involved, they’re far more willing to participate. Engagement grows when it feels like a choice rather than a command.
Finally, patience matters. Phones offer instant gratification, while real-world engagement builds slowly. There will be eye-rolling, occasional pushback, and moments when screens sneak back in. That’s normal. What matters is maintaining a steady, calm presence and continuing to offer meaningful alternatives.
Kids today aren’t broken or unreachable. They’re simply growing up in a world where digital noise is constant. With intention, consistency, and genuine connection, adults can remind them that the real world is still where laughter lasts longer, relationships run deeper, and memories truly take shape.
Few issues contribute to the culture war today more sharply than immigration. Minnesota has proved that…
Are certain cultures compatible with the US? Does the government need to “protect jobs” of American workers? Or can business owners hire whomever they wish? Can free people travel wherever they want to?
Tonight at 7pm ET, ZeroHedge hosts a debate between two think tanks: the Reaganite Heritage Foundation vs the libertarian Cato Institute on those questions.
🚨 CHAOS IN LA RIGHT NOW 🚨
Drone footage shows thousands of rioters completely overrunning the ICE detention center in downtown Los Angeles. Barriers smashed, crowds surging forward, property trashed — and police nowhere to be seen.
Joining will be Simon Hankinson (Heritage) and David Bier (Cato), representing two fundamentally different frameworks for understanding immigration policy, Bier supporting open borders while Hankinson believes we must go even further than “net zero immigration”, meaning more immigrants must leave the continental US than are admitted each year.
Hankinson argues that immigration is not merely an economic question but a sovereign one—insisting that borders, citizenship, and democratic legitimacy require firm limits, credible enforcement, and cultural cohesion. He contends that without control, immigration policy becomes an elite-driven project imposed on the public rather than a consensual national choice.
Bier, by contrast, approaches immigration from a freedom-of-movement perspective centered on individual liberty and market efficiency. He argues that restrictive legal pathways fuel illegal crossings, empower criminal networks, and undermine the rule of law, while expanded legal migration would reduce chaos and align policy with economic reality.
The debate will explore:
The morality of immigration.
Historical examples where ethnic hordes overrun societies.
The tenability of the status quo.
How much control a republic that enshrines individual liberties can exercise over employment, movement, etc.
See you tonight at 7pm ET, on ZeroHedge homepage and X feed. Also watch on the ZH YouTube channel.
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