The second part in our Bible101 series of short, informative videos.
Death Row Letters: To The Anti-natalists And Nihilists, Part Two
Dear Anti-natalists and Nihilists,
In my last letter to y’all I only made it as far as addressing the anti-natalists and didn’t get around to those of the nihilist persuasion. So, I’ll dedicate this letter to those of you who believe that life is meaningless and who reject all religious and moral principles – which is the definition of a nihilist.
You may be right in thinking that your life is meaningless, but that doesn’t mean that all life is meaningless. Right?
And if your life is meaningless and without purpose, well, read on.
Now to the bigger, much bigger, problem: To actually believe that the universe is empty of meaning and purpose is to deny the plain evidence directly in front of you every day.
Is there a purpose to the rain that falls? Of course there is. How about the sun that shines or the wind that blows? Of course, and I don’t need to explain or list the reasons and purposes for those things, everyone already knows and understands them.
Is there a reason behind the way our physical bodies are made to function or the way the planets and moons in our solar system move in predictable cycles? Undeniably and absolutely.
So how can you believe that there is no reason or purpose in our existence?
I’m reminded of this verse from the Book of Romans:
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”
Everything has purpose, even you. If you don’t know, believe in, or understand your purpose, then you haven’t looked hard enough or asked the right questions.
Seek, and you’ll find. Knock, and the door will open.
Until my next letter.
Sincerely,
Your fellow death row occupant
Erasing Jesus Part 3: The Lie
Here is the third installment in the ‘Erasing Jesus’ series by p.s. tryon.
Part 1
Part 2
The problem wasn’t that the tsunami of age finally reached her shore, rushing in with full impact. The problem was the constant pressure. To look younger, ageless even.
She started her new face routine, carefully dotting the bags under her eyes from a cheap bottle of hyaluronic acid, the best she could buy. Thought about movie stars’ plastic faces, plastic smiles on magazine covers. Old faces so smooth no lines not even a sparrow foot at the edge of the eye.
They make us stare at them, she thought, a taste of the hyaluronic acid on her tongue. Eighty-year-old women without wrinkles. Women with fortunes to spend on their outer appearance, the organ of skin.
My grandchildren see a real human face, and it shines with love and my eye wrinkles twinkle.
But all those whispers, filling her head when she least expected. Comments she heard from children even when she was a young adult, her own children reacting to the elderlies’ hands and faces, remarking on how folded and spotted and OLD they appeared. She had seen babies cry in fear when great grandma reached for them, scarecrow arms stretching toward them in space.
Really, what do the children see? She wondered, staring at the mirror. Maybe love in the absence of wrinkles. It’s a lie! She wanted to tell them. No one is doing them any favors, pretending a fake face is life.
The eye of society, social media, AI graphics, phone cameras that erased the details of a life lived long. And the goal? Was it to defy the odds and believe the ultimate lie: you will never die? The same one with which the sneaky serpent beguiled Eve.
What an exercise in wasted time! she thought. We earn these wrinkles. You don’t get to live this long without the battle scars to show how much you have conquered. Besides, we are all going to the same place. Sepulchres of one sort or another.
The futility of the hyaluronic acid made her laugh out loud. Who do I think I am? she asked herself. “My name is Kate,” she said aloud. “Grama Kate.” She faced herself in the mirror and tossed the bottle into the mouth of the trash.
Hegseth’s Jerusalem Cross Tattoo
Pete Hegseth has been the target of a lot of criticism and outright smears recently because he’s Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense.
One of the smears against Hegseth is that he has a tattoo that is a ‘white supremacist’ or ‘Nazi’ symbol. I call ‘bullshit’.
The Jerusalem Cross is a historic Christian symbol understood as representing the spread of Christianity to the four corners of the world or the Five Wounds of Christ.
The tattoo holds personal and spiritual significance for Hegseth, reflecting his Christian faith and connection to biblical history. It is also tied to his experiences, including his travels to Israel.
Here’s what Hegseth said about the tattoo as reported by the New York Post:
“These symbols are deeply rooted in Christian history and represent my faith and commitment to our nation’s values. The attacks on my character based on these tattoos are unfounded and represent a broader assault on religious expression.”
Interestingly, the program for former President Jimmy Carter’s memorial service had the Jerusalem Cross printed on the front.
So, was Jimmy a Nazi white supremacist too? Or is this just another glaring example of the double standard applied by the media and the left wing in American politics?
Here’s Hegseth, again in his own words, in an interview with Nashville Christian Family in 2023:
“To me, patriotism is not about love of government. It’s about love of our founding ideals that have pursued a more perfect union from the very beginning. It goes back to basics for me as a Christian: love of God and an understanding that my freedoms come from God—not from government—and that this nation was created as an experiment in self-governance and human freedom that every generation must perpetuate. Being patriotic doesn’t just mean waving the flag or cheering for Team USA. It requires teaching, instructing, and celebrating. In the most difficult times, the best thing we can do is go back to basics: faith, family, freedom—shining a light on those values—what this nation was founded on. If not America, then who? then where?”
“Godlessness ends great nations. The one thing we can all do is get on our knees and pray.”
In my opinion, Hegseth is exactly the kind of human being, grounded in faith, that we need more of in Babylon D.C. I hope he’s confirmed as Secretary of Defense, ASAP.
Seek God
What does it mean to ‘seek God’?
Watchdogs: Holy Land Update
Understandably, U.S. news outlets are focused almost exclusively on the L.A. fires, but there is other important news going on in the world. Especially in the Middle East.
Here’s some of the latest:
‘Hell to pay…’
Israel is also planning to ramp up the IDF’s ongoing ground offensive in Gaza, expanding the operation that has largely targeted the northernmost quarter of the Strip toward central Gaza, the Israeli official said, adding that the goal is to deprive Hamas of another area where it still has some control.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-wont-say-what-he-means-by-all-hell-to-pay-but-netanyahu-has-some-ideas
Syrian and Turkish forces clash
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported on Sunday that seven of its fighters were killed in ongoing battles across northern and eastern Syria, while 23 Turkish-backed militants were also killed, according to the SDF.
https://shafaq.com/en/World/Fighters-killed-in-intense-clashes-between-SDF-and-Turkish-backed-factions-in-Northeast-Syria
Nuclear bomb for Iran?
The West’s last chance to impose UN sanctions as part of the nuclear deal will run out of time by October.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/11/will-iran-go-for-a-nuclear-bomb-while-trump-is-in-power-in-the-us
Let’s stay vigilant and watchful, fellow watchdogs.
Unsatisfactory Answers From Churchianity
It’s been pretty widely reported for some time now that Christian church attendance in America is on the decline while more and more folks are identifying as non-denominational or non-religious.
Here are a few links with some interesting information and insight on this topic:
From Gallup, March 2024: The decline in formal church membership has largely been driven by younger generations of Americans. Slightly more than one-third of U.S. young adults have no religious affiliation. Further, many young adults who do identify with a religion do not belong to a church. But even older adults who have a religious preference are less likely to belong to a church today than in the past.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/358364/religious-americans.aspx
From churchanswers.com:
From Pew Research: The decline of Christianity and the rise of the “nones” may have complex causes and far-reaching consequences for politics, family life and civil society...
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/09/13/modeling-the-future-of-religion-in-america
There’s a lot of speculation and research as to why Americans are becoming more disillusioned with traditional Christianity, but I think the core reason is simple: too many of the answers provided by churchianity to normal people’s questions about God, the Bible, and our purpose are unsatisfactory.
Check out our Creed of the Nons here.
I’ll have much, much, more to say on this topic in upcoming blog posts so stay tuned.
Are The L.A. Fires ‘The Wrath of God’
No doubt there are going to be those who claim that the current devastating wildfires in Los Angeles are God’s wrath being poured out on a sinful and wicked city and state.
And sadly, this kind of ‘hellfire and brimstone’ nonsense will be preached by so-called ‘Christians’ as it has been countless times when death and tragedy strikes a particular community or geographical area. No wonder people are abandoning traditional and Evangelical Christian churches in droves.
Let’s look at the answer Jesus gave to his questioners in Luke 13:1-5 when they asked him about Pilate slaughtering a group of Galileans:
“There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.“
Our Lord could not be more clear. Disaster, suffering, and death, natural or man-caused, are not meted out according to the level of sinfulness present in an area. Bad things don’t happen to bad people exclusively, and tragedy is NOT a sign of God’s judgement in this present age.
However, there is a time coming when God’s judgement and restoration will fall on the entire creation. The Apocalypse is real, but it is reserved for a future time, and those who have already accepted and covered themselves in the sacrifice of the Lamb are spared from that great and terrible day.
How Did We Get The Bible?
Wars, Rumors Of Wars, And Earthquakes
‘Israel at war day 457: What happened in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon?’
Some of the latest troubling news from the Jerusalem Post, including the possibility of a return to full-scale war with Hezbollah in the North and and the ongoing conflict with Hamas in the South.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/2025-01-05/live-updates-836097
Major Earthquake in Tibet
6.8 magnitude earthquake near holy city in Tibet leaves at least 128 dead and many injured.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/68-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-holy-city-tibet/story?id=117405149
Reading current news and events, especially lately, makes me think of passages like these from Matthew:
Matthew 24:6-8 – You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (NIV)
Is the current unrest and violence in and around the land of Israel an example of biblical prophecy being fulfilled? Well, yes and no.
Yes, in the sense that we have been living in the ‘end times’ since the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago.
But no, not specifically – because there have been wars and earthquakes and famine and pestilence all over the world, including in the Holy Land, on a regular basis for all of those 2000 years.
I hope to make the topic of biblical prophecy and its relevance, or non relevance, to current events a priority topic for discussion, commentary, and study on the biblerebel.com blog going forward. So stay tuned.