Author: Rick Tryon

They Said It: Charlie Kirk On Faith

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Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a rally in Utah on Wednesday, September 10, 2025. He was 31 years old.

Here are some quotes from him on his Christian faith.

“I’ve been a Christian basically my whole life … It means more this year than it did last year, it means more this year than it did when I was 20. It’s almost a gift that grows sweeter with time. The more I read, the more I live, and the more it actually — I’m completely able to admit I’m a total, absolute sinner and I fall short from the grace of God.”
Faithwire

“We have to get back to kind of what being saved means. It means that I was drowning in an ocean and I happened to get picked up by a lifeboat, and that’s about it. It’s not like I earned it or that I swam better than anyone else.”
Faithwire

“Freedom is not sustainable if you remove religion … I’ll be even more specific, freedom is not sustainable if you remove Christianity.”
MovieGuide

“I love Jesus, love liberty, and love America.”
ChurchLeaders

“I realized that there is a desire for revival in this country, that there is a yearning for a different type of Christianity. It is about preaching a hot gospel and bringing a nation to repentance, which will then lead to revival.”
NPR

“Young men are returning to church … They want something that is lasting. They want something that is ancient, that is beautiful, something that has stood the test of time, something that’s not going to change, something that’s all of a sudden not going to … just flip around and have some sort of … transgender story hour.”
Christianity House

Watchdog Alert: LGBTQ+ Catholics Join Jubilee Pilgrimage, But…

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Photo via Julius Silvers, pexels.com

According to LGBTQ+ Nation, “In a historic first this weekend, LGBTQ+ Catholics joined the church’s Jubilee Year pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, a once-every-25-year ritual that grants a “plenary indulgence” to participants.”

Some Mixed Signals and Leadership

The pilgrimage was included in the Vatican’s official Jubilee calendar, sparking a notable shift in visibility for LGBTQ+ Catholics—but the Vatican continued to clarify that the inclusion did not equal formal endorsement.

“While the LGBTQ+ pilgrimage is not explicitly endorsed by the Vatican — nor will participants receive a dedicated papal audience as other groups have — organizers and attendees say the event nevertheless represents a historic form of ecclesial engagement with a long-marginalized group of Catholics.” – National Catholic Register

Pope Leo XIV did not publicly acknowledge the group during Jubilee events but privately gave his blessing for Bishop Savino to conduct the Mass, signaling a discreet but meaningful continuity of Pope Francis’s inclusive approach.

“Pope Leo XIV celebrated a special Jubilee audience Saturday at the Vatican for all pilgrim groups in Rome this weekend, but made no special mention of the LGBTQ+ Catholics.” – Coeur d’Alene Press

Some Pushback and Continued Tensions

There were also institutional frictions—initial removal of the pilgrimage from the Jubilee calendar, followed by reinstatement, triggered by media leaks and internal disagreements over how public the recognition should be.

Some conservative voices sharply criticized the pilgrimage. Roberto de Mattei of the Lepanto Foundation labeled it “provocative and irreverent,” questioning whether it contradicted Church teachings on sin and redemption.

“The participants sparked outrage among some Catholics, who took note of the placards and T-shirts carrying slogans (in at least one case, crudely obscene) critical of Church teaching on sexuality, and the irreverent behavior of activists.” – Catholic Culture

They Said It: In Support Of Premillennialism

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Here are four famous quotes that express or support Premillennialism (the belief that Christ will return before a literal 1,000-year reign on earth, as described in Revelation 20):

Justin Martyr (100–165 AD) – Early Church Father

“But I and every other completely orthodox Christian feel certain that there will be a resurrection of the flesh, followed by a thousand years in the rebuilt, embellished, and enlarged city of Jerusalem, as was announced by the prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah, and others.”
— Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 80

Irenaeus of Lyons (130–202 AD) – Early Church Father

“For in as many days as this world was made, in so many thousand years shall it be concluded. And for this reason the Scripture says: ‘Thus the heaven and the earth were finished, and all their adornment. And God brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works that He had made; and God rested upon the seventh day from all His works.’ This is a history of the things formerly created, and a prophecy of what is to come. For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days created things were completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the six thousandth year.”
— Against Heresies, Book V, Chapter 28

George Eldon Ladd (1911–1982) – Evangelical Theologian

“Premillennialism is based on the exegesis of Revelation 20:1–6, which, if interpreted literally, teaches that Christ will come again before the millennium and will reign on earth with His saints for a thousand years.”
— The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views

John F. Walvoord (1910–2002) – Dispensational Premillennialist

“The premillennial interpretation is the only view that does justice to the plain statements of Scripture. When taken in their ordinary meaning, the promises of the Old Testament to Israel and the prophecies of the kingdom of God find their fulfillment only in a future literal reign of Christ on earth.”
— The Millennial Kingdom

Watchdog Alert: Israeli-Hamas Conflict

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Photo via cottonbro studio at pexels.com

Here is Jesus, in Matthew 24:6-7, teaching his disciples about the end times. But also encouraging them to ‘see that ye be not troubled’.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” (KJV)

Recent news from the Middle East:

“Israel kills 62 today as Gaza aid seekers, ‘safe zones’ attacked” – Al Jazeera

  • Summary: Israeli forces targeted a residential building in Gaza City—housing dozens of displaced Palestinian families—after issuing forced evacuation orders. At least 37 of the 62 fatalities occurred in Gaza City as the assault continued into the early hours.
    Al Jazeera

“Israel expands operations in Gaza City; tells famine-stricken residents to move to safe zone” – CBS News / AP

  • Summary: As operations intensify in Gaza City, Israel urged starving residents to relocate to a designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza—Muwasi—equipped with field hospitals, water, food, and tents. Aid groups warned that mass evacuation would only deepen the humanitarian crisis.
    CBS News

“Escalating Israeli offensive in Gaza City will have catastrophic and irreversible consequences for Palestinians” – Amnesty International

  • Summary: Amnesty condemned Israel’s full-scale assault on Gaza City, warning it will devastate civilian life and exacerbate a famine largely caused by Israel’s blockade. Displacing hundreds of thousands, Amnesty called the campaign a likely war crime under international law.
    Amnesty International

“More than 7,000 under-fives in Gaza put in malnutrition recovery in two-week period” – The Guardian / UNICEF data

  • Summary: Over 7,000 children under five were admitted to UNICEF malnutrition recovery programs in just two weeks in August; projected numbers for the month may exceed 15,000—more than seven times higher than February figures. A famine has been declared in Gaza City and is spreading south. Families survive on minimal food, and overcrowded designated zones lack basic services.
    The Guardian

They Said It: Alva McClain On The Kingdom Of Heaven

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I’m finishing reading and studying The Greatness of the Kingdom by Alva McClain. Highly recommended as a master class on what Yeshua meant when he repeatedly said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

It’s not possible to understand the ministry of Yeshua, the plan of God, the role of Israel, or the overall theme of God’s Word and plan for His creation if you don’t understand what the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” means.

Here are some quotes from McClain on the topic:

The Universal Kingdom

“In the universal and providential sense, the kingdom of God has already come and the will of God is being done on earth. This rule of God, in fact, has always existed and has never been abrogated or interrupted. … On the basis of blood-redemption it will put down at last all rebellion with all its evil results, thus finally bringing the kingdom and will of God on earth as it is in heaven. When this purpose has been accomplished, the mediatorial phase of the kingdom will finally disappear as a separate entity, being merged with the universal kingdom of God.” From LifeCoach4God

Biblical Continuity with Prophecy

“In announcing the approaching advent of ‘the kingdom of heaven,’ Jesus had in view the very kingdom which the prophets had foretold.”
From LifeCoach4God

Present and Spiritual Expression

“Thus, as Christian believers, we actually enter the kingdom prior to its establishment on earth, something so remarkable that it is spoken of as a translation (Col 1:13).”
From LifeCoach4God

Restoration to Israel

“Therefore, until Israel is where he ought to be, both religiously and politically, there can be no thorough and permanent solution of the international problems.”
From Goodreads

Rethinking The Rapture: Historical Origins Of Rapture Theology

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Just a reminder – John Nelson Darby was not an author of scripture, and Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth (1970) and Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series are not books of scripture.

The doctrine of the Rapture—the belief that Christians will be suddenly “caught up” to meet Christ in the air before a time of tribulation on earth—has a complex history. Its origins are more recent than many assume. Here’s the breakdown:

Biblical Roots (1st Century)

  • The idea comes mainly from 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, where Paul says believers will be “caught up” (harpazō in Greek, later translated in Latin as rapiemur, “we shall be snatched up”).
  • Early Christians saw this as part of the Second Coming of Christ, not as a separate secret event. The expectation was one climactic return of Christ, not two stages.

Early Church & Medieval Period

  • Church Fathers like Irenaeus, Augustine, and Chrysostom interpreted these passages within the framework of a general resurrection and final judgment, not a pre-tribulation rapture.
  • The dominant view for centuries (Catholic, Orthodox, and later Protestant Reformers) was amillennial (symbolic millennium) or postmillennial (Christ returns after a golden age), with no idea of a sudden, secret removal of believers.

Rise of Premillennialism (17th–18th Century)

  • In the wake of wars, plagues, and upheavals, some Protestant groups revisited literal interpretations of Revelation and Daniel.
  • Joseph Mede (1627) was influential in reviving premillennialism in England, but still didn’t propose a two-phase coming.
  • Some fringe sects speculated about believers escaping tribulation, but it wasn’t mainstream.

John Nelson Darby & Dispensationalism (1830s)

  • The modern Rapture doctrine, especially the pre-tribulation Rapture, is most closely tied to John Nelson Darby (1800–1882), leader of the Plymouth Brethren movement in Britain.
  • Darby developed dispensationalism, which divided biblical history into ages (dispensations). He taught that the church would be secretly taken before the Great Tribulation, leaving Israel and the world to face judgment.
  • His views spread widely in Britain and North America.

Popularization in America (Late 19th–20th Century)

  • The Scofield Reference Bible (1909) systematized Darby’s dispensational teaching, embedding the Rapture into evangelical theology in the U.S.
  • Bible conferences, prophecy seminars, and later mass media (books, radio, film) spread the idea.
  • The Cold War era (1940s–80s) fueled Rapture expectations amid fears of nuclear war and global unrest.

Modern Influence

  • Best-selling books like Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth (1970) and Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series (1995–2007) brought the Rapture into popular culture.
  • Today, it remains central in many evangelical and Pentecostal traditions, though Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Reformed traditions largely reject it as unbiblical or a modern innovation.

In summary:
The concept of believers being “caught up” comes from Paul’s letters, but the specific doctrine of a pre-tribulation Rapture as a distinct, secret coming of Christ originates with John Nelson Darby in the 1830s. It spread through dispensationalism, the Scofield Bible, and American evangelical culture.

Rethinking The Rapture: Introduction

Rethinking The Rapture: Questions

Rethinking The Rapture: More Questions

Rethinking The Rapture: N.T. Wright’s ‘Farewell to the Rapture’

Rethinking The Rapture: What 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Doesn’t Say

Rethinking The Rapture: Millions Of Christians Were Not Delivered From Wrath

Rethinking The Rapture: What Does ‘Delivered From Wrath’ Mean?

Rethinking The Rapture: What Does ‘Delivered From Wrath’ Mean? Part 2

Rethinking The Rapture: In The Twinkling Of An Eye

Rethinking The Rapture: Matthew 24:40-42

Rethinking The Rapture: N.T. Wright’s ‘Farewell to the Rapture’ Redux

Rethinking The Rapture: Send In The Clouds?

Rethinking The Rapture: Another Look At N.T. Wright

Watchdog Alert: News About Islam

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Bible Rebel keeps a watchdog’s eye on news and events from the world of faith and religion and brings that content to our readers.

Mob Burns Nigerian Woman to Death Over Blasphemy Claim

In central Nigeria, a mob burned a food vendor named Amaye to death after accusing her of making comments deemed blasphemous toward the Prophet Muhammad. The incident occurred over the weekend and was confirmed by police in Niger State.
From Arab News

Palestinian Journalist Islam Abed Killed by Israeli Forces

Islam Abed, a reporter working for Al-Quds Today TV, was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on Sunday. His death adds to the growing number of media workers who have lost their lives covering the conflict.
From The New Arab

LGBTIQ+ Muslims Find Safe Spaces in Indonesia

In Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the Pondok Pesantren Waria Al-Fatah, an Islamic boarding school serving LGBTIQ+ Muslims, opened a new location. It provides a rare, affirming religious environment that embraces both Islamic faith and diverse gender identities.
From ABC

Moroccan Feminist on Trial Denied Release Amid Health Crisis

Moroccan feminist and LGBTQ+ activist Ibtissam Lachgar, facing blasphemy charges for wearing a T-shirt with messages seen as insulting to Islam and the monarchy, was denied provisional release despite her serious health condition—she has cancer and needs urgent surgery. Her detention is drawing criticism from human rights advocates.
From AP News

The Bible Rebel Creed And Mission

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Anyone who knows even a little bit about the Bible and the history of Christianity knows that it was the religious leaders of the time, along with their secular allies, that were responsible for the killing of the prophets, the reformers, and even the Son of God himself, Yeshua our Messiah.

The religious leaders. The wolves in sheep’s clothing. The whited sepulchers. The vipers. The religious leaders.

There is no new thing under the sun. Fallen human nature and the rot of man-made religion hasn’t changed since they murdered the prophets, burned the ‘heretics’, and tortured and crucified our Lord.

That is part of the reason why I do not subscribe to a modern denominational creed of set of doctrines. I don’t think that modern day Evangelicals, or Baptists, or Lutherans, or Catholics are going to burn anyone in the town square – it’s just that I don’t trust organized religion.

I’m non-denominational. I’m a ‘Non’. And there are a lot of others just like me, in fact more and more folks are fleeing traditional ‘churchianity’ every day. Why? More on that in future posts.

Here’s my one and only creed, which I’m happy share with my brothers and sisters in The Fellowship of the Nons:

Creed of the Fellowship of the Nons

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.

A huge part of the purpose and reason for the Bible Rebel blog is stated in our mission:

“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’.”