Author: Rick Tryon

Watchdog Alert: What Are The Methodists Up To?

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Bible Rebel keeps a watchdog’s eye on news and events concerning denominational religion and brings that content to our readers. Here’s the latest from the United Methodist Church.

Annual Conferences voting on constitutional amendments

The UMC is currently in the process of ratifying four constitutional amendments that were passed by the 2024 General Conference of the United Methodist Church. These include: (1) regionalization of the global church structure, (2) adding “gender” and “ability” to the list of protected categories for membership, (3) a racial justice amendment, and (4) changes around clergy delegate election. wnccumc.org

The UMC’s Council of Bishops will meet in early November 2025 (Nov 3–7) to canvass the votes of the annual conferences and certify results. unitedmethodistbishops.org

Judicial Council ruling on clergy conscience and same-sex unions

The UMC’s Judicial Council (its denomination’s “supreme court” equivalent) delivered a ruling that confirms: “All clergy have the right to exercise and preserve their conscience when requested to perform any marriage, union, or blessing.” arumc.org

In effect, this ruling maintains that while the broader denomination may permit same-sex unions or other changes, individual clergy cannot be compelled to perform services they conscientiously object to.

Food-pantry and social-service pressures amid federal policy shifts

In October 2025 the UM News Digest reported that UMC ministries across the U.S. are facing increased demand for food, utilities, rent assistance amid the suspension of federal food benefits. The UMC’s mission agency (the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries) and local churches are stepping up grants and pantry efforts. United Methodist News Service

They Said It: Four Quotes On Genesis

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Here are some famous quotes about the first book in the Bible, Genesis.

Saint Augustine (354–430 AD)

“In the beginning, God created — these words are the foundation of all that we believe. The world is not eternal; it had a beginning, and that beginning was God Himself.”

C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)

“The first chapters of Genesis give the story of the human condition — not as science, but as revelation — showing us not how man came to be, but why he is as he is.”

John Calvin (1509–1564)

“The Book of Genesis is the fountain from which the whole of Scripture flows. For there we see both the origin of the world and the covenant of God with man.”

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (1948–2020)

“Genesis is not a book about beginnings alone; it is a book about relationships — between God and humanity, man and woman, brother and brother — and how the drama of freedom unfolds.”

Your Life And What Comes After (4): ‘Unfolding His Glorious Will’

Rick TryonLeave a comment

I just read a great blog article by Dan Kent from a couple of years ago titled ‘Why Did David Pick Up 5 Stones?’. Good stuff, highly recommended reading, which you can find here.

Kent’s piece is a good meditation on faith and faithfulness as well as a thoughtful discussion on how God does and does not act and respond to His people in this age and broken world.

The last two sentences in the article really hit home for me:

“Don’t stand around waiting for God to act, or for God to win your battles for you: don’t stand around watching for what God might do: rather, show God what you can do. Gain wisdom, gather knowledge, develop skills, give the Lord something to use as he rumbles through the earth unfolding his glorious will.”
Dan Kent – thatdankent.com

If you’re wondering what your own individual purpose in life might be and what it is that you should be doing day by day, it’s hard to find a better, more succinct admonition than, “…give the Lord something to use as he rumbles through the earth unfolding his glorious will.“

As I pointed out in a previous post in this ‘Your Life And What Comes After’ series, God created man not only to reflect His image and add value to His creation, but we are to work together with Him to do so.

We are helping the Creator bring about His grand plan for His creation. That is our purpose. Look for your own individual purpose there and you will be delighted and amazed at what you find.

Your Life And What Comes After: God’s Grand Plan
Your Life And What Comes After: God’s Grand Plan Part 2
Your Life And What Comes After: Called To Someone

Digging Up The Past: Biblical Archaeological Discoveries

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Bible Rebel keeps a watchdog’s eye on discoveries and news from the world of biblical archaeology and brings it to our readers.

Monumental Dam Wall in the City of David (Jerusalem)

Archaeologists in Jerusalem’s City of David uncovered a massive dam wall dating to around 805–795 BCE — the era of the kings of Judah, possibly King Joash or King Amaziah. The structure measures about 12 meters high, 8 meters wide, and over 20 meters long, making it the largest such dam ever found in ancient Israel.

This discovery supports Biblical references to Jerusalem’s advanced water systems during the First Temple period, including those mentioned in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles relating to royal construction and fortification near the Gihon Spring and the Pool of Siloam.

Sources:

5,500-Year-Old Flint Blade Workshop at Nahal Qomem (near Kiryat Gat, Israel)

A large flint-blade manufacturing workshop dating to the Early Bronze Age (~3500 BCE) was discovered near Kiryat Gat in southern Israel. The site includes hundreds of underground pits, large flint cores, and finished blades — evidence of full-scale organized production.

Although the workshop predates Israelite settlement, it reflects the advanced culture of the early Canaanite inhabitants of the land. The Bible frequently references the Canaanites as the people living in the land before the Israelites (Genesis 10:15–19; Exodus 13:5), making this discovery relevant background to the Biblical setting.

Sources:

Excavations at Sebastia (Ancient Samaria)

In 2025, archaeologists resumed excavations at Sebastia — the ancient capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. They uncovered remains including a paved street leading to the main city gate, decorative columns, and a monumental base structure, marking the first major dig there in a century

Sebastia (Samaria) became the capital of the Northern Kingdom under King Omri (1 Kings 16:23–24) and is mentioned throughout the Old Testament in accounts involving later kings and prophets such as Elijah and Elisha.

Sources:

Watchdog Alert: Israel-Hamas War News

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Bible Rebel keeps a watchdog’s eye on events from the Middle East and around the world of interest to people of faith and brings that content to our readers. Here’s the latest from the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Targeted Israeli strike in central Gaza

On 25 October 2025, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced a strike in central Gaza targeting a member of Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine who was allegedly planning an attack on Israeli troops. The strike took place despite the cease-fire in place since earlier this month. Eyewitnesses reported a drone attack on a car injuring four people, and shelling by Israeli tanks in eastern Gaza City.
Reuters

Nearly 100 Palestinians killed in Gaza since the cease-fire began

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 93 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip by Israeli attacks since the cease-fire went into effect on 10 October 2025. Reports also mention Israeli forces shot and wounded at least six Palestinians in various parts of Gaza.
Al Jazeera

U.S. and Qatar engage in Gaza peacekeeping / mediation roles

On 25 October 2025, during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar expressed willingness to contribute to a peacekeeping force in Gaza. This comes amid U.S. diplomatic efforts to shore up the cease-fire and define post-conflict governance in Gaza.
The Times of Israel

Unexploded ordnance injures children in Gaza as families return home

In Gaza City, six-year-old twins Yahya and Nabila Shorbasi were critically injured when they mistook unexploded bombs for a toy in rubble from their damaged home, following the cease-fire. Health officials say hundreds more children have been wounded in similar accidents. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) reports over 560 unexploded items found during the cease-fire in Gaza, with many more likely hidden under debris.
AP News

They Said It: Famous Quotes About The Book Of Ephesians

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Here are some famous quotes from influential faith leaders about Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians.

John Stott (Christian theologian)

“The Letter to the Ephesians is a marvelously concise, yet comprehensive summary of the Christian good news and its implications. Nobody can read it without being moved to wonder and worship.”
— John Stott, “The Message of Ephesians”

Watchman Nee (Chinese church leader)

“Ephesians tells us what the Church is in Christ. God’s greatest work is not the creation of the universe, but the creation of the Church.”
— Watchman Nee, “Sit, Walk, Stand”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (English preacher)

“There is no book more full of doctrine and experience than this brief epistle. He who would understand the mystery of the Church, let him read Ephesians.”
— C.H. Spurgeon, Sermon on Ephesians

Warren Wiersbe (Bible teacher and commentator)

“Ephesians is the believer’s bank book. In it, Paul explains the wealth we have in Christ and how to use it for God’s glory.”
— Warren Wiersbe, “Be Rich: Ephesians”

Free Bible Rebel Newsletter And YouTube Channel

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Please take a minute to subscribe to the Bible Rebel monthly newsletter – it’s free and will keep you up to date on all our articles, videos, and features.

Our Mission at Bible Rebel

  1. To monitor current news and events related to faith and culture.
  2. To provide an alternative viewpoint to the world’s pervasive climate of darkness, nihilism, and hopelessness for those seeking truth, light, and purpose.
  3. To examine and question the assumptions of religious tradition and provide a resource for information and inspiration for people of faith who have become dissatisfied with an increasingly lifeless and empty ‘churchianity’.
  4. To present the Biblical truths which reveal God’s nature and purposes and proclaim the lifechanging, world-altering, radical message of Yeshua the Messiah – Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior.

At Bible Rebel, this is our one and only creed:
Our living God is a loving God and the Bible is His revealed word and will.
Our hope and eternal salvation relies entirely on the work of God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.

So, expect some controversial viewpoints and uncomfortable ideas in some of the coming content from Bible Rebel.

Coming in October/November

More in our “Your Life and What Comes After” series.

More in-depth content on deeper biblical studies and theological issues.

You can find all of the current Bible 101 episodes and One-Minute Mini Messages here on our YouTube Channel, and you can subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

We’ll also be continuing our regular features, guest articles, and series:

  • Biblical Literacy: What the Bible does and doesn’t say
  • 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.

Thanks, and stay tuned for our next newsletter.

Oh, and please go over and give us a follow on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

Biblical Literacy: 3 Kings For Baby Jesus?

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Kings or Magi?

The Bible does not actually say that three kings brought gifts to baby Jesus.

In Matthew 2:1–12, the Bible tells us that “wise men from the east” (Greek: magoi, meaning “magi” or scholars/astrologers) came to visit Jesus after His birth. It mentions that they brought three gifts — gold, frankincense, and myrrh — but it never specifies how many magi there were, nor that they were kings.

Here’s the key verse (Matthew 2:11, KJV):

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

The Bible mentions magi (wise men), not kings.

It mentions three gifts, but not the number of visitors.

The idea of “three kings” likely came later from tradition and song (like “We Three Kings”), probably because there were three types of gifts.

Also, according to the Bible, the wise men (Magi) did not arrive at the same time as the shepherds. The shepherds came the night Jesus was born, but the Magi came later, possibly months — or even up to two years — afterward.

The Shepherds

Found in Luke 2:8–20.

The shepherds were in the fields nearby when the angel announced Jesus’ birth.

They immediately went to Bethlehem and found “the babe lying in a manger.”
This clearly happened the night of Jesus’ birth.

The Wise Men (Magi)

Found in Matthew 2:1–12.

They came “from the east” after seeing a special star that signified a new king.

When they arrived, they entered a house (not a stable) and saw “the young child with Mary his mother” (Matthew 2:11).

King Herod asked when the star appeared and later ordered the killing of boys two years old and under (Matthew 2:16), suggesting Jesus could have been as much as two years old by the time the Magi visited.

Summary

GroupWhen They ArrivedWhere They Found JesusBiblical Source
ShepherdsThe night of His birthIn a mangerLuke 2:8–20
Wise MenWeeks or months laterIn a houseMatthew 2:1–12

So, while Christmas pageants often combine the two groups for simplicity, the Bible clearly describes two separate visits — first by shepherds, then later by the Magi.