Month: May 2026

Saturday Watchdog Alert: The Death Of Common Sense?

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Two recent headlines point to a growing trend in American culture: people are losing confidence that objective truth even exists.

A recent article from the George Barna, of the Barna Group, found that many Americans now believe truth is personal and self-defined rather than something that exists outside themselves. At the same time, educators and commentators continue debating whether facts should take a back seat to personal experience and individual identity in shaping beliefs.

That’s a dangerous game because if everyone gets their own truth, then nobody gets the truth.

Imagine playing football where every player makes up his own rules. The game would last about three minutes before somebody got tackled by a guy carrying a lawn chair.

Yet that’s increasingly how many people approach life. But the Bible takes a radically different view. Truth is not something we invent. Truth is something we discover because it comes from God.

Jesus said:

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” — John 17:17

When a culture disconnects itself from truth, confusion follows. Relationships suffer. Institutions weaken. People become anxious because they are forced to invent their own meaning, morality, and purpose.

Common Sense And Truth Are Both Victims

Strange times we’re living in.

The far left has gone so far left and the far right has gone so far right that they converged at the junction of antisemitism, “everyone I disagree with is a pedophile or pedophile protector”, and extreme libertarianism/anarchism.

I guess common sense is no longer cool enough and doesn’t get some folks the attention they so desperately crave.

Come, Lord Jesus.

They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Ezekiel

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Ezekiel.

Matthew Henry — on Ezekiel’s call to faithfulness

“Ezekiel stands as a watchman to remind us that God warns because He loves, and He calls because He seeks to restore.”

A. W. Tozer — on Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory

“The opening vision of Ezekiel shows that God’s majesty is never diminished by human rebellion; His glory remains unshaken.”

Eugene Peterson — on Ezekiel’s message of renewal

“Ezekiel refuses to let despair have the last word. He teaches us that God can breathe life into any valley we stand in.”

Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) — on Ezekiel’s symbolic actions

“The prophet’s signs and enactments are God’s way of making the unseen visible, so Israel might understand the seriousness of their path.”

Thursday Watchdog Alert: Prophecy Junkies

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Iran. Israel. Hezbollah. Gaza. Houthi missiles. “Wars and rumors of wars.” Sound familiar?

This week alone, headlines focused on escalating Iran-Israel tensions, renewed Hezbollah activity, and political leaders openly using end-times language while discussing war in the Middle East. – The Guardian

And yes — many Christians immediately start flipping to Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation.

But the Bible never told believers to panic. It told us to pay attention.

Jesus said:

“See that ye be not troubled.” — Matthew 24:6

That’s the part many prophecy junkies conveniently skip while trying to turn every missile launch into a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

Could current events connect to biblical prophecy? Maybe. The Middle East has always mattered in the biblical storyline, and nations like Persia (modern Iran) do appear in prophetic passages Christians have debated for centuries.

But prophecy isn’t meant to turn Christians into bunker-dwelling doom addicts. It’s supposed to wake us up spiritually.

The real issue is this: while nations rage, millions of ordinary people — including Christians trapped in conflict zones — are suffering, afraid, and searching for hope.

So instead of obsessing over timelines and hashtags, let’s try this:

Pray for persecuted believers. Open our Bibles instead of rage-scrolling. And shine light into a world addicted to darkness and chaos.

Because whether Christ returns tomorrow or 100 years from now, our mission today remains exactly the same.

Wednesday Focus: Our Armchair Apocalypse Series

Rick TryonLeave a comment

There are lots of novels and movies about the end of the world, and some of those stories use the images and words from the Bible’s Book of Revelation.

But let’s not get all worked up and frightened by novels, movies, or other forms of apocalypse fiction. Instead, let’s look at what Revelation actually says — and doesn’t say — rather than what others say about it.

That is what this new series, “Armchair Apocalypse,” which will appear every Wednesday on the Bible Rebel blog, is all about.

My goal in this series is not to do a verse-by-verse commentary or a scholarly study of Revelation, but rather to try to answer the common questions that come up when the last book of the Bible is considered. I will try to answer those questions in simple, plain language that makes sense to everyday folks.

I look forward to having you along for the journey.

Tuesday Watchdog Alert: The Weak Glow Of Religion

Rick TryonLeave a comment

The World Hates The Light, Burn Brighter

While American Christians argue online about worship styles and coffee flavors, believers in places like Nigeria, North Korea, and Syria are risking prison, kidnapping, and death just for owning a Bible. Recent reports estimate more than 388 million Christians worldwide face persecution or discrimination for their faith — the highest number ever recorded. – Vatican News

Should we assume we’re not persecuted like that for our Christian faith here in America because we’re such great believers? Not on your life!

In fact, we should be asking some serious questions about why our brand of Western churchianity is many times so milquetoast and inconsequential that the Adversary doesn’t waste his time trying to destroy us or even silence our too often watered down message.

Tradition and the doctrines of men disguised as God’s truth are not a threat to darkness. As the world gets darker, people start looking for actual light, not the synthetic, weak glow of religion.

Remember, Jesus never promised that following him would make us popular. He promised truth.

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” — John 15:18

Here’s the Bible Rebel reality check:
The modern world offers endless distraction but very little hope. Christians in persecuted nations know following Christ costs something. Many American Christians barely let it inconvenience their Sunday schedule. Ouch.

So What?

Today, pray for persecuted Christians by name if you can. Check your own faith – is it salty and full of light, or bland and ho-hum? Ruffle some feathers, speak the truth, and be a force for God as He moves through this time and place bringing His grand and awesome plan to it’s conclusion.

Saturday Watchdog Alert: Something’s Broken

Rick TryonLeave a comment

One recent headline reported that AI companion apps are exploding in popularity because people are lonely, anxious, and emotionally disconnected. Another explored how some users are now treating AI chatbots almost like spiritual guides or romantic partners.

Think about that for a second.

God created human beings for real relationship — with Him and with each other. Now people are asking algorithms for emotional comfort, life advice, and fake intimacy. We built machines to answer questions, and now some people are asking them to fill the hole in their soul.

But spiritual hunger can’t be sated by wearing a Bluetooth headset and chatting with digital algorithms.

The culture keeps promising salvation through screens:
More apps and followers. More digital therapy from a robot that learned empathy from the internet. What could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, depression, loneliness, and confusion keep climbing. Because the human soul was never designed to run on artificial connection.

“And my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.” — Jeremiah 2:11 (KJV)

Here’s the truth: we do not need a synthetic god, a chatbot therapist, or a digital soulmate. We need truth and purpose. We need a relationship with our heavenly Father through His son, Jesus Christ — the only relationship that is fully real, fully loving, and fully eternal.

Today, replace 20 minutes of scrolling with 20 minutes of actual human connection. Call someone. Pray with someone. Read Psalm 139 out loud. The cure for isolation isn’t better technology. It’s restored relationship with God and people.

They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Lamentations

Rick TryonLeave a comment

“There is no voice in the Bible that gives such sorrow words to speak as the Book of Lamentations. Yet even here, hope flickers in the dark: ‘Great is thy faithfulness.’” — Charles Spurgeon

“Lament is not the opposite of faith. It is one of the purest expressions of faith. The Book of Lamentations teaches us that God’s people are allowed to grieve honestly before Him.” — N. T. Wright

“The tears of Jeremiah in Lamentations remind us that holiness does not make a man cold. The closer we are to God, the more deeply we feel the tragedy of sin and suffering.” — A. W. Tozer

“Lamentations is the cry of a broken heart that still believes God reigns. It shows us that even in judgment, God’s mercy has the final word.” — Tim Keller

Thursday Watchdog Alert: Headlines, Missiles, and the Search for Meaning

Rick TryonLeave a comment

The Middle East is once again lighting up the world’s headlines. Iran is threatening “new fronts” of war, Israel remains on high alert, and global leaders are openly talking about prophecy, Armageddon, and end-times language. (The Guardian)

Meanwhile, Christians across the region are stuck in the middle — caught between radical Islam, political chaos, and global powers playing geopolitical chess with real human lives. Churches in conflict zones continue to face fear, instability, and persecution while much of the world scrolls past it between cat videos and coffee reels.

So… is this biblical prophecy?

Maybe parts of it point in that direction. Jesus did say:

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars… see that ye be not troubled.” — Matthew 24:6

But here’s the mistake many people make: they become obsessed with decoding headlines while ignoring the condition of their own life, their own household, their own community.

Bible prophecy was never meant to make Christians panic. It was meant to wake people up.

The world keeps promising peace through politics, power, and hashtags. The believer’s hope and purpose are something different: truth, real meaning, and a coming Kingdom in a restored creation that does not collapse every election cycle.

Is That Thief In Heaven?

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Most of us are familiar with this passage in Luke about the others crucified with Jesus:

Luke 23:40–43 (KJV)
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Many use this as a proof text that believers go immediately to heaven—or somewhere—when they die.

But is that really what this passage is about? Or is there something else going on here?

Let’s start by asking what should be some obvious questions if we are to assume the traditional theological narrative about Luke 23:40–43.

Is saying a few words, sticking up for Jesus, and asking to be remembered by him all that is required for thieves and malefactors to get into “heaven”?

Is being in “paradise” the same thing as “going to heaven”?

Did Jesus come into his kingdom on the day of the crucifixion?

Did the malefactor go immediately to “heaven” with Jesus after they died?

Did the malefactor miss Jesus for the 40 days or so that Jesus was carrying out his post‑resurrection ministry on earth?

Is the malefactor in heaven right now with Jesus?

What was the point of Jesus being raised from the dead after three days if he and the malefactor crucified with him were already alive together in paradise or heaven on the very same day they died on crosses?

We should all be asking questions like this, and many of the other things we’ve been taught from religion and churchianity, to see if they make sense and if they are actually biblical.

Stay tuned as we start examining the questions raised here in detail.