Sooner or later, everyone begins to ask the big questions.
Why does anything exist?
Why are we here?
Why does suffering exist?
What happens when we die?
Is the world heading somewhere—or nowhere?
For thousands of years people have wondered about these questions, and many have offered different answers.
The Bible claims something remarkable: that God has revealed the true story of the world—from the beginning of creation to the future of humanity—and that every person’s life fits somewhere within that story.
But many people have never heard the Bible’s big story explained clearly from beginning to end. And about the surprising place your life has in it.
Southern Baptist president reverses course on denomination’s abuse crisis
Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice, who previously described the SBC sexual-abuse crisis as more “hoax than reality,” is now calling abuse a serious threat requiring “constant vigilance.”
In his first address to the SBC Executive Committee, Rice told churches to establish safeguards, take every allegation seriously, report accusations immediately to law enforcement and cooperate fully with investigations. He also announced a commission on women in pastoral ministry and proposed adding explicit language about gender, sexuality and marriage to the Baptist Faith and Message. The Roys Report
Give Rice credit for changing direction, but Christians shouldn’t miss the larger lesson. When accusations threaten a church’s reputation, the temptation is:
Protect the church.
Protect the pastor.
Protect the ministry.
Protect the denomination.
That is definitely the wrong order.
So What?
Protect the victim FIRST. A church shouldn’t need lawyers, reporters and survivors dragging it toward transparency.
“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light… But he that doeth truth cometh to the light.” — John 3:20–21 (KJV)
Churches ought to be the first institutions running toward the light, not dragging their feet and covering their eyes from the light.
Here are four quotes from four different voices on themes in the Book of Matthew:
Charles Spurgeon — on Matthew’s central theme:
“Matthew’s Gospel is the Gospel of the Kingdom, and of the King.” That captures Matthew remarkably well: Jesus is presented as the promised King, announcing and demonstrating the Kingdom of Heaven. (Christian Classics Ethereal Library)
D. A. Carson, describing R. T. France’s work on Matthew:
“Well written and judicious on both critical and theological issues.” Carson’s observation points to something important about Matthew itself: the Gospel rewards both historical study and theological reflection, particularly regarding Jesus as Messiah, Israel, and the Kingdom. (Biblical Studies)
Robert H. Smith — on the radical grace displayed in Jesus’ parables in Matthew:
“People regularly understand and appreciate God’s strange calculus of grace as applied to themselves but fear and resent seeing it applied to others.” That’s a particularly sharp summary of Matthew 20’s parable of the workers in the vineyard—and of Jesus’ repeated challenge to religious assumptions about who deserves God’s favor. (friarmusings)
R. T. France — on that same parable and the surprising nature of God’s Kingdom:
“No one has been cheated; the agreement has been scrupulously observed.” France points out that Matthew 20 deliberately makes God’s generosity seem unsettling. The issue isn’t whether God is unjust, but whether we’re willing to accept His generosity toward people we think deserve less. (friarmusings)
Matthew introduces Jesus not merely as a religious teacher offering some helpful life advice, but as the King announcing a Kingdom.
Here’s a story that deserves considerably more attention than another poll showing Christianity declining. Christian Post
Biltmore Church baptized 458 people at an outdoor baptism gathering in Fletcher, North Carolina, setting a record in the congregation’s 137-year history.
The September 13 gathering included families being baptized together and people traveling from outside North Carolina. Church leaders say participants were individually contacted beforehand to confirm that baptism represented a personal decision to follow Christ, and follow-up discipleship is underway.
We’ve spent years hearing that faith is waning and young folks are more and more disillusioned with churchianity. Partly true, church attendance has been declining, and nihilism/atheism is unfortunately still a popular worldview for a lot of people.
But then one day 458 people walk into a lake to be baptized.
So What?
And while that doesn’t prove a national revival is underway it does remind us that Christianity isn’t fundamentally measured by denominations, polling percentages or political influence.
It starts the same way it did 2,000 years ago: with God’s spirit moving and individual people turning away from emptiness and seeking real meaning and light.
When John wrote about “great tribulation,” he wasn’t introducing a brand-new end-times idea. His Jewish readers already had centuries of history—and several biblical passages—shaping how they heard the word.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, tribulation usually means severe distress brought on by war, invasion, persecution, exile, or judgment. It wasn’t necessarily the official name of one future event. It was what happened when a nation or its people were squeezed to the breaking point.
Jeremiah described one such crisis:
“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” — Jeremiah 30:7, KJV
“Jacob” means Israel. In context, Jeremiah is describing national disaster, captivity, and suffering—but also promising restoration. Some modern prophecy systems move “Jacob’s trouble” entirely into a future Tribulation. Others connect it primarily to Israel’s historical exile and oppression. Either way, the verse’s central movement is easy to miss: trouble is followed by rescue.
Daniel 12:1 uses similar language, predicting “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.” The passage grew out of a world in which God’s people knew exactly what violent empires could do. Jews had endured Babylon’s destruction of Jerusalem, forced exile, and later the brutal persecution associated with Antiochus IV, who outlawed Jewish practices and desecrated the Temple.
By John’s lifetime, Rome was adding another chapter. Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple in AD 70 after a horrific siege. Ancient accounts describe starvation, bloodshed, and mass death. For Jewish families who lived through it—or lost relatives in it—that certainly qualified as great tribulation. No imagination or prophecy chart required.
Jewish teaching also came to speak of intense suffering before God’s deliverance as the “birth pains of the Messiah.” The image came from the prophets: war, fear, and upheaval were compared to a woman in labor. Labor is painful, but it moves toward something—the birth of a new reality.
So What?
That background helps us understand Revelation. John’s images of beasts, war, famine, persecution, and judgment were not random scenes from a supernatural disaster movie. They drew upon Israel’s long experience of suffering under kingdoms that acted as though they were untouchable. Yet those kingdoms always fell.
For John’s Jewish readers, tribulation meant real suffering, but it did not mean God had lost control. It was the darkness before deliverance, the labor before birth, and the pressure through which faithfulness was tested.
Next, we’ll look at what Jesus meant when He warned His disciples about “great tribulation” in Matthew 24.
Cindy Clemishire has asked the Supreme Court of Texas to revive most of her defamation lawsuit against Gateway Church, disgraced founder Robert Morris and former church elders.
An appeals court dismissed most of her claims under the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, which limits civil courts from interfering with church doctrine, governance and internal affairs. Clemishire’s lawyers argue the court stretched that protection too far because the dispute concerns public statements about abuse—not theology. Morris pleaded guilty in 2025 to five counts involving sexual abuse of Clemishire when she was a child.
Religious liberty is essential, but religious immunity isn’t.
Government shouldn’t decide whether your church believes in predestination, speaking in tongues, the Trinity or Saturday worship.
However, allegations involving sexual abuse, concealment or publicly defaming a victim aren’t theological doctrines.
So What?
Jesus didn’t tell churches to protect institutions, and He had some extraordinarily severe words about harming “little ones.”
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
The Texas Supreme Court now has a chance to clarify where the line between church doctrine and criminal behaviour belongs, and it should be a no-brainer.
This book isn’t written for scholars or theologians. It’s written for ordinary people who are curious about life, about God, and about what the Bible actually says about the future.
You don’t need a religious background or special training to follow along. The goal here is simple: to walk through the Bible’s big story in clear, everyday language.
The book is divided into three parts. Part One explains the big picture of God’s plan and how people throughout the Bible connected their lives to that plan. Part Two explores what the Bible says about heaven, hell, the end of the world, and what comes after this life. Part Three focuses on the most practical question of all: how do you and I plug into God’s forever plan right now in everyday life?
The paperback version is $10.99 and the e-book is $2.99.
A new national political debate is emerging around candidates such as Texas Democrat James Talarico, Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon and Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed, who are explicitly incorporating faith into their campaigns. Detroit pastor Lorenzo Sewell accused progressive candidates today of “virtue-signaling” to Christian voters rather than authentically representing biblical Christianity. See story here.
For decades, Republicans have enjoyed something close to ownership of America’s public Christian vocabulary. That may be changing, and that would be a good thing.
Let Republicans quote Jesus. Let Democrats quote Jesus.
Phillipians 1:15-18
Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
Listen to them all then open the Bible and check them all.
Jesus isn’t Republican or Democrat, and Scripture shouldn’t be retrofitted to whichever political platform we already support.
We’ll also be continuing our regular features, guest articles, and series:
Your Life And What Comes After: Plugging Into God’s Forever Plan Now
Armchair Apocalypse
They Said It: Poignant quotes on a variety of topics
Guest articles
And more…
Watchdogs
As always, we’ll be keeping a watchdogs eye on all of the latest political, religious, biblical archaeology, and cultural news and events from around the world and bringing to you in bite-size chunks to keep you informed.
Finally, are you interested in contributing content to Bible Rebel?
Bible Rebel is always looking for interesting, compatible content for our biblerebel.com website/blog. We are accepting writing and video submissions for review and possible publication on our platform.
If you have a teaching series, opinion piece, research piece or other content that fits with the Bible Rebel mission we’d like to see it!
If your content fits our mission and creed, included below, then email it to us at in**@********el.com. Written pieces should be no more than 500 words and video content no longer than 7 minutes – either can be submitted as part of a longer series for consideration.
Here are four quotes from four different voices on themes in the Book of Malachi:
G. Campbell Morgan — on empty religious ritual:
“I am more afraid of the profanity of the sanctuary than I am of the profanity of the street.”
Charles Spurgeon — on Malachi 3:17 and God’s “jewels”:
“Our God, who regards quality more than quantity…”
Matthew Henry — on Malachi as the final prophetic voice of the Old Testament:
“Though he be the last… the Spirit of prophecy shines as clearly, as strongly, as brightly in him as in any that went before.”
Dwight L. Moody — paired with Malachi’s criticism of weary, halfhearted worship:
“I get tired in the work, but I never get tired of the work.”
Malachi’s target isn’t atheism. It’s comfortable, going-through-the-motions religion—people who still show up, still perform the rituals, and still use God’s name, but whose hearts have checked out. That’s probably one reason this 2,400-year-old little book can still hit uncomfortably close to home.
The commission specifically highlights imprisoned Christians along with Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and others targeted by Beijing’s religious controls.
A Washington briefing yesterday brought together representatives of several persecuted religious communities to discuss Chinese Communist Party repression and concerns that intimidation extends into the United States.
So What?
Christians should absolutely demand freedom for imprisoned Christians in China.
But will we also demand freedom for the Muslim, Buddhist or Falun Gong prisoner? We should, because religious liberty isn’t Christianity asking government for preferential treatment.
