In recent days, President Trump has seemed to grow increasingly incensed with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump called Putin “crazy” and warned that he was “playing with fire” before Trump claimed that he was essentially the only person standing between Russia and a host of “really bad things.”

In response, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev—who stood in as surrogate for Putin during the four years the latter was technically unable to be president—responded by posting on X: “I only know of one REALLY BAD thing—WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!”

To this point, Trump has primarily attempted to coax Putin to the negotiating table and end his invasion of Ukraine by offering a series of rewards—a place back with the G8, resource deals, and lifting sanctions, to name a few. As Conner and Micah discussed on this week’s Culture Brief, it hasn’t worked.

The truth is that Putin currently has little reason to pursue peace. He is winning the war, cares relatively little about the loss of life, and stands to gain by continuing to drag the conflict out. And there is little Ukraine can do, even with additional armaments, to change that reality.

If Putin is going to seriously entertain peace, then additional pressure will have to come from Europe and the United States.

Europe took a step in that direction with additional sanctions last week, though few think they will be sufficient to force Russia to the table. For that to happen, most agree that President Trump will need to apply pressure of his own as well. Congress appears ready to pass a bill that could help him do just that.

Will Trump sign off on sanctions?

A bipartisan bill in the Senate with more than 80 cosponsors would impose new sanctions on Russia by targeting its ability to sell energy to other nations. While such sanctions are hardly a novel concept, the difference with the proposed legislation is that America would also impose a 500 percent tariff on any country that buys Russian energy.

As Marc A. Thiessen describes, the bill would “create incentive for China, India, and other countries that would be subject to secondary tariffs to press Putin to agree to peace.” Given the way Russia has resisted threats and pressure from the West, pressure from its allies could be what tips the scales.

However, Trump has appeared hesitant to take that step thus far, despite declaring in March that he would support sanctions and even additional military aid for Ukraine if it became clear that Putin was responsible for the war’s continuation.

Most of the world agrees that we reached that point a long time ago. But even if Trump is not willing to impose the sanctions at the moment, Congress could still pass the bill and hold it until he is. Doing so would allow the President to apply additional pressure on Russia without actually having to cut off trade with its allies.

The delay of those additional tariffs could weigh more heavily in the President’s thinking than you might expect given the degree to which tariffs have become a staple of his foreign policy.

Why reality is often more complex than it appears

While China and India are among the most prominent purchasers of Russian energy, they are hardly alone. In fact, as many as twelve countries in the European Union—including prominent members like France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands—would be subject to the 500 percent tariffs should the law go into effect. In total, the EU spent an estimated €23 billion on Russian fossil fuels last year, which is more than it spent on military support for Ukraine.

Moreover, five additional countries rely on Russian-made nuclear reactors, which require Russian-made fuels to operate. While the EU is attempting to phase out Russian energy by the end of 2027, those efforts still have a long way to go. As such, many in Europe find themselves in a bit of a quandary: excited by the prospect of renewed American support but fearful of what the tariffs would do to their economies.

Add in the President’s ongoing efforts to negotiate a trade deal with the EU—one that comes with a July 9 deadline—and the situation grows even more complicated. Trump would have the ability to potentially pause the 500 percent tariffs for “national security interests,” but only for 180 days, and the EU will need far longer than that to wean itself from Russian energy.

So while the proposed bill would seem like a fairly straightforward path to increasing pressure on Russia, the reality is more complex. And therein lies an important reminder for each of us today.

Our way or God’s way?

One of the most tragic characters in Scripture is King Saul. For most of his reign, or at least up to the point when he was driven to insanity by a dark spirit (1 Samuel 16:14), Saul legitimately tried his best to do what was right for his people and to follow God’s will. However, the difference between him and David (at least most of the time) was that you never really see Saul ask God how to do that.

Whether it was burning an offering to keep his soldiers from fleeing (1 Samuel 13), vowing that none of his men would eat until the Philistines were destroyed (1 Samuel 14), or a host of other examples, Saul epitomized Solomon’s warning that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Israel’s first king stands as a reminder to us all that even when we have the best intentions and make decisions that seem right to us, they can still go wrong when we rely on our wisdom alone.

The reason is that it is difficult, if not impossible, for us to fully discern every consequence of our choices. We can and should try to see each angle and make the most informed decision possible, but in the end, we will never have more than partial information when relying on ourselves.

When I first read about the potential sanctions on Russia, it seemed like a prudent path forward. It wasn’t until I was reminded of the degree to which our allies in that fight would be harmed as well that the potential problems became clear. And the truth is that there are countless other ways the sanctions could help or hurt efforts to bring an end to the war. In the end, we just can’t know.

Fortunately, we serve a God who does. His “understanding is beyond measure” (Psalm 147:5), and he sees “everything under the heavens” (Job 28:24). There is no limit to his knowledge, and his omniscient Spirit dwells within every Christian.

So while we should not trust the way that seems right to us, God stands ready to help us understand the way that seems right to him. The only question is if we will take the time to humbly seek his understanding rather than rely on our own.

Both Scripture and experience point to the problems inherent to the latter approach, and that is just as true for presidents as it is for each of us.

Whose way will you trust today?

Quote of the day:

“Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God.” —John Stott

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Denison Forum

Phil Robertson is known to millions for his role in the hit A&E reality series Duck Dynasty. But he was also known for his devout Christian faith and evangelistic passion. Just before his death on May 25 at age seventy-nine, he told his granddaughter, “Full strength ahead!”

Like Phil Robertson, you and I are facing a future we cannot control. Consider some AI-related stories in the news as examples: from autonomous weapons to the threat of a fake bioterrorist attack to proliferating scam emails, we are entering a technological world most of us do not understand and have no agency to affect.

You and I can do nothing about many of the threats we face, but we can choose courage over fear.

How do we do so?

The answer could not be more countercultural.

“I wanted to find my own God”

A recent New York Times article caught my eye: “I Searched the World’s Holiest Places for a God.” The author explained: “I wanted to find my own god,” so “I went seeking places that exuded certain energies of the spirit.” She visited “holy” sites around the world, finding them to be “places where spirits dwell,” but decided that faith is “a step into the darkness” with “the hope of a safe landing, of salvation.”

We ought not be surprised that a consumer-based culture seeks to find our “own god” as a means to our end. Thirty percent of Americans consult astrology, tarot cards, or fortune tellers in a quest to help their careers or gain greater control over their lives. Americans also collectively spend more than $2 billion a year on psychic services.

The self-reliance that beats at the heart of the American psyche is happy to seek spirituality as a transaction with God or the gods for our personal advancement. However, there is a nefarious and even deadly strategy at work here.

The pastor Tone Benedict is right: “Satan’s goal is not to get you to believe in him. It’s to get you to believe in you.”

The “Tomb of the Royal Steward”

In Isaiah 22, the prophet warned the people that the Lord “has taken away the covering of Judah” (v. 8). When he “called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth” for their many sins (v. 12), they responded with “joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine” (v. 13a) and said flippantly, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (v. 13b).

The Lord focused his judgment especially on a man named Shebna who was “over the household” (v. 15). The title is equivalent to a president’s chief of staff today; he likely had power second only to the king himself.

Accordingly, Shebna had “cut out here a tomb for yourself . . . on the height and carved a dwelling for yourself in the rock” (v. 16). However, “the Lᴏʀᴅ will hurl you away violently, O you strong man” (v. 17) and “thrust you from your office” (v. 19). In his place, God would elevate “my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah” (v. 20) and “he will become a throne of honor to his father’s house” (v. 23). This Eliakim would then serve faithfully in the king’s cabinet (cf. Isaiah 36:3, 22, 37:2).

An elaborate tomb discovered in the village of Silwan outside Jerusalem is probably the very tomb of Shebna to which the text refers. Called the “Tomb of the Royal Steward,” it was discovered in 1874, along with inscriptions in ancient Hebrew that are in the British Museum today.

Here we find further evidence for the historical reliability of God’s word, but also for the disastrous consequences of self-reliant presumption. As wise King Solomon noted, “Unless the Lᴏʀᴅ builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

Are you building tombs or mansions?

There is something in us that wants to leave a legacy, to live a life of significance, to make a mark that will last when we are gone. We inscribe the names of our deceased loved ones on their headstones, less for practical purposes (we know where they are buried) than to tell the world that they lived and that they mattered.

This quest for significance is a signal of transcendence, a sign pointing from the temporal to the eternal. However, it is best fulfilled not by carving elaborate tombs for ourselves in this life but by using this world for the world to come.

God’s word states: “Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14; cf. Psalm 39:12; Hebrews 11:13). Accordingly, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20), where “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV).

When we use the temporal for the eternal, repenting of self-reliant presumption and submitting each day to the power and leading of God’s Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), he uses us not to build tombs in this world but mansions in the world to come (cf. John 14:2 NKJV).

Which is more worthwhile?

When life isn’t fair

The story is told of a missionary couple returning to America after twenty-five years of service in Africa. They left with broken health and no pension and felt discouraged and afraid. As it turned out, President Theodore Roosevelt was returning on the same ship from a hunting expedition. Everyone on board tried to catch a glimpse of the famous man; no one noticed the elderly couple.

When their ship docked, a brass band played to welcome the president, but no one was there to greet the missionaries. The husband was discouraged and angry, telling his wife, “It isn’t fair. We have given our lives in service to God, and now we’re home, but no one seems to care.” He was so frustrated that his wife encouraged him to get alone with God to deal with his anger.

He did, and came back a different person. He was smiling and radiated the joy of the Lord. His wife asked him what happened. He explained: “I told God, ‘We served you all these years, and now we’re home, and there is no one to greet us. We’re home, and no one even knows us. It’s not fair.’”

Then the Lord touched my heart and said, “Son, you are not home yet.”

Nor are you.

Why is this reminder relevant for you today?

Quote for the day: 

“Time is short. Eternity is long. It is only reasonable that this short life be lived in the light of eternity.” —Charles Spurgeon

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Second Lt. Thomas Kelly was buried on Memorial Day in Livermore, California. Here’s why his sacrifice and that of his fellow fallen heroes eighty years ago are still so poignant today. The World War II bomber Heaven Can Wait was hit by enemy fire off the Pacific island of New Guinea on March 11, 1944. The co-pilot gave a final salute to flyers in an adjacent plane before crashing into the water. All eleven men on board were killed. Their remains, deep below the sea, were designated as non-recoverable. Among them:

Staff Sgt. Eugene Darrigan was married and had been able to attend his son’s baptism while on leave. Second Lt. Donald Sheppick and 1st Lt. Herbert Tennyson left behind pregnant wives who would sometimes write them two or three letters a day. Tennyson’s wife, Jean, lived until age ninety-six and never remarried. “She never stopped believing that he was going to come home,” said her grandson.

Twelve years ago, one of Kelly’s relatives began searching for the location of their plane. Last year, the remains of Kelly, Darrigan, Sheppick, and Tennyson were recovered. With seven other men on the plane still unaccounted for, a future mission to the site is possible.

More than two hundred people honored Darrigan as he was buried last Saturday. Tennyson will be interred beside his wife on June 27; Sheppick will be buried in the months ahead.

 “They gave up two lives”

In his 1985 Veteran’s Day speech, President Ronald Reagan noted:

It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country, in defense of us, in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our minds as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray-haired.

But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives—the one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything for our country, for us. And all we can do is remember.

President Reagan’s observation was made even more poignant to me by reading what is known to history as the “Sullivan Ballou Letter, a July 14, 1861, letter from a Civil War soldier to his wife.

Sullivan Ballou was an attorney who served as speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. He married Sarah Hart Shumway in 1855; their sons Edgar and William were born in 1856 and 1859. When war broke out in 1861, Ballou immediately entered military service and became a judge advocate of the Rhode Island militia.

His letter to his beloved wife is one of the most moving I have ever read. I urge you to read it in its entirety, but today I’ll quote this section to illustrate his willingness to sacrifice his future for his nation:

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them for so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.

Sullivan Ballou was killed a week later at the First Battle of Bull Run. His wife was twenty-four when he was killed and never remarried. She died at age eighty in 1917. Sullivan and Sarah Ballou are buried beside each other at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island.

A million Sullivan Ballous to thank

For the 1.1 million men and women who’ve died that our nation might live, who gave up their futures for ours, we are now that future. We have the burden and privilege of living the lives they could not. We are responsible for remembering them by redeeming their sacrifice.

Over the years, I have on occasion heard stories of soldiers who jumped on a grenade or in front of a bullet and died for a fellow soldier. In each case, the man saved by such sacrifice said that he had dedicated his life to telling the story and trying to redeem his friend’s death by the way he lived his life.

Their stories are our story. Each American is someone for whom another American died. Each one of us has a million Sullivan Ballous to thank, a million “fellow soldiers” whose stories deserve remembering and telling, a million deaths to be redeemed by our lives.

And each Christian owes such a debt of gratitude not only to those who died that we might live but to the One who died that we might live eternally.

“A commission by a Heavenly King”

Humans are typically motivated to good deeds by the fear of punishment and the quest for reward. But our most holistic and empowering motive is that of gratitude for grace. When we recognize how much our Father loves us, how much his Son suffered for us, how fully we are forgiven and how greatly we are blessed, we are moved to serve our Lord and our neighbor with passion and joy.

It is such altruistic, joyful service that sets Christians apart from our transactional culture. When we love those who hate us, serve those who cannot serve us, pardon those who harm us and sacrifice for those who do not know us, our lives are least like our fallen culture and most like our living Lord.

And when we fulfill our Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), we pay forward a debt we can never pay back as we lead those we serve to love our Lord.

David Livingstone, the famed missionary to Africa, asked:

“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?”

How will you fulfill your King’s commission today?

Quote for the day:

“The first work of the whole church is to give the gospel to the whole world.” —Oswald J. Smith

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A reflection on sacrifice, heroism, and purpose

My wife and I saw the latest film in the Mission: Impossible franchise over the weekend. Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning is filled with incredible (even terrifying) stunts and astounding cinematography. Tom Cruise succeeds once again in his iconic role. As a “summer blockbuster,” the movie deserves its accolades.

However, I am thinking today about a scene near the end of the film that captures the essence of the franchise’s message. I won’t give away the plot by quoting these lines:

Like it or not, we are masters of our fate. Nothing is written. And our cause, however righteous, pales in comparison to the impact of our effect. Any hope for a better future comes from willing that future into being. A future reflecting the measure of good within ourselves.

And all that is good inside us is measured by the good we do for others. We all share the same fate—the same future. The sum of our infinite choices. One such future is built on kindness, trust, and mutual understanding, should we choose to accept it. Driving without question towards a light we cannot see. Not just for those we hold close but for those we’ll never meet.

Here we find the essence of America’s highest ethos: character is measured by service to others. This ethos is worthy of reflection on this solemn day.

On Memorial Day, our nation rightly remembers and honors the more than 1.1 million Americans who have died in military service to our nation. Each gave what Abraham Lincoln called “the last full measure of devotion” to our country.

If you know someone who died in war or their grieving family and friends, this day is deeply personal for you. If you do not, it is about our fallen heroes across our history and the cause for which they sacrificed their lives.

What is that cause?

Why “the true soldier fights”

The British writer G. K. Chesterton noted: “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” I can testify that this was the case for my father, who fought the Japanese in World War II, and his father, who fought the Germans in World War I.

To my knowledge, neither knew any Japanese or German soldiers personally. While Pearl Harbor had grieved my father, the deaths of 2,400 Americans he did not know on an island he had never visited were not personal for him. Germany’s submarine warfare, which led America into World War I, had no effect on my grandfather as he worked his family’s farm in Kansas.

Both chose to risk their lives in service to their country, not because they hated the enemy, but because they loved America. They fought for freedom for their loved ones and for the democracy that ensured their freedom.

However, Chesterton’s statement applies not just to the cause “behind” our military heroes but to the heroes at their sides as well. Through bonds forged in the fires of conflict, many become what Stephen Ambrose called a “band of brothers.”

And so, more than a million Americans died for the cause of freedom—in the words of the movie script, “not just for those we hold close but for those we’ll never meet.”

Are we “masters of our fate”?

How can you and I serve this cause in practical ways today?

The psalmist declared, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lᴏʀᴅ” (Psalm 33:12). Then he explained:

The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lᴏʀᴅ is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death (vv. 16–19).

Here we find the biblical counter to the Mission Impossible declaration that “we are masters of our fate” and its claim that “any hope for a better future comes from willing that future into being.”

Consider America’s founding declaration that “all men are created equal.” We have enshrined this principle in our laws and defended it with our blood, but for all our efforts, we fall short of its ideals in practice. This is because humans are fallen creatures who cannot change their future simply by “willing that future into being.”

Rather, we need the “steadfast love” of a God who alone can deliver our “soul from death” and remake us into our best selves (2 Corinthians 5:17). We need the forgiveness for sin he alone can give (1 John 2:12), the character his Spirit alone can impart (Galatians 5:22–23), the selfless love for others his love for us inspires and empowers (John 13:34–35).

How to share the highest freedom

Let us renew our commitment today to the cause for which our military heroes died—the cause of freedom for those we “hold close” and “those we’ll never meet.” To do this, let us pay any price to share the highest freedom—the spiritual freedom found in the liberating grace of Christ (Romans 6:6–18)—through our words, witness, and service.

And let us measure success by the degree to which we extend the eternal “light we cannot see” to those we can.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously noted, “If a man hasn’t found something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”

Will you be “fit to live” today?

Quote for the day:

“They who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.” —Joseph Rodman Drake

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Are white farmers facing genocide in South Africa?

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s meeting with President Trump yesterday began well enough. Ramaphosa brought two South African golfers, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, to help break the ice before the conversation moved to a bit of foreign policy. However, things took a turn when a reporter asked what it would take for Trump to recognize that there was no “white genocide” in South Africa.

Ramaphosa answered for the president and said, “It will take President Trump listening to the voices of South Africans.”

Trump then responded by playing a five-minute video compilation of South African leaders calling for violence against the Boer, which means farmer in Dutch and Afrikaans, including a clip of white crosses lining a road that he claimed were part of a mass burial site for murdered white farmers.

After the video ended, Ramaphosa acknowledged that crime is a problem in his country—South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world—but pushed back on the idea that it was worse for white people than black. The degree to which that is true depends, at least to some extent, on the kind of violence in focus, and we’ll take a closer look at the reality of the situation in a moment. However, it’s important to note that the video was not as representative of that reality as Trump claimed.

The white crosses, for example, were part of a protest staged by activists to draw attention to the farm murders of which the president spoke, rather than the actual graves of those farmers. Moreover, much of the inflammatory and racist rhetoric in the video dated back nearly a decade or more and came from groups that the South African government has since denounced.

That said, the video’s errors and misrepresentations do not mean that white South Africans have nothing to worry about. The violence is real, and many have good reason to be afraid. But if we’re to understand what is really going on in that region, then it’s important to get the details correct, and the video shown by the White House was, at the very least, misleading.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the situation in South Africa, as well as how it got to the place where the leader of the free world is tossing around accusations of genocide.

Why is there so much violence in South Africa?

In South Africa, white citizens comprise just over 7 percent of the population but own more than half of the land. That imbalance is largely the result of two laws—one in 1913 and a second in 1950—that gave vast amounts of the nation’s farmland to the white, mostly Afrikaner population. These were the settlers of Dutch descent who arrived in South Africa during the seventeenth century.

To acquire the land, the government removed as many as 3.5 million of its native people from their ancestral homes. And while the post-apartheid government has made steps to bridge much of the inequality that was rampant during the days of segregation, the land disparity remains a stark reminder of how things used to be.

In response, President Ramaphosa signed a law earlier this year granting the government the ability to take private property without paying compensation. While it’s still unclear if the law will hold up under judicial review and it has yet to be used to take land from anyone, regardless of their race, it has understandably worsened an already tense situation among the Afrikaner population.

Couple the precarious legal situation with the fact that 50 to 60 farmers—most of whom are Afrikaners—are killed in an often gruesome manner every year, and it’s easy to see why many are growing concerned.

The government has claimed that much of that violence has less to do with race than with the fact that the Afrikaners are often far wealthier—and thus more attractive targets for thieves—than their black neighbors. And there’s good reason to believe that wealth explains at least as much of the violence as race.

Still, as Anthony Kaziboni, a senior researcher at the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Social Development in Africa, noted, “This does not diminish the severity of the violence or the need for enhanced rural safety.” Rather, as he goes on to add, “it highlights the importance of responding with evidence, nuance, and context.”

The sobering truth is that the Afrikaners at the center of this controversy are increasingly targeted by both rhetorical and physical violence. But to call that violence genocide, as President Trump has done on several occasions, is simply wrong. And, it’s emblematic of a much larger problem in our culture today.

When words lose their power

Words lose their power when applied without thought or consistent standards, and we can’t pick and choose when the abuse of provocative language is a problem. There are many examples of people from across the political spectrum abusing labels for their own ends—racist, communist, Nazi, etc.—but genocide is a particularly important term to use accurately.

After all, if we’re going to rightly denounce calling Israel’s actions in the war against Hamas genocide—though it’s worth noting that the South African government leveled that accusation against Israel at the International Court of Justice—then we cannot use the term to talk about what’s going on in South Africa either.

Moreover, part of the reason we shouldn’t rush to use inflammatory and inaccurate words, even if they seem to enhance our argument in the moment, is that they often aren’t necessary in the end.

What’s going on in South Africa, for example, is bad and appears to be getting worse. But labeling it a genocide when it’s not gives people license to pay more attention to the overreaction than to the very real problems that exist there. Ultimately, it’s counterproductive and, as Christians, we need to be particularly careful to avoid that mistake.

You see, God has given us the privilege of sharing the most wonderful story that’s ever been told. But if those around us feel as though they have to take what we say with a grain of salt—that our yes isn’t always a straightforward yes (Matthew 5:37)—then it shouldn’t come as a surprise if they treat the gospel we share in the same fashion.

Paul warns that unbelievers are already going to be inclined to see the notion that God would die for our sins as “folly” (1 Corinthians 1:18). As such, we need to do everything we can to avoid giving them reason to believe that first impression.

So, whether we’re talking about the violence in South Africa or the significance of something much closer to home, stick with the truth and trust that it will be sufficient. That is the best way to show a watching world that you are worthy of their trust when it matters most.

Will you prove worthy today?

Quote of the day:

“Many issues are misconstrued, not because they are too complex for most people to understand, but because a mundane explanation is far less emotionally satisfying than an explanation which produces villains to hate and heroes to exalt.” —Thomas Sowell

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President Trump announced yesterday that the US will spend $25 billion in initial funding for a “Golden Dome” hemispheric missile shield. Mr. Trump said the project will cost around $175 billion and added that it would be operational by the end of his time in office.

The shield will be designed to block hypersonic missiles, ICBMs, and other projectiles, including nuclear weapons. Crucially, it will protect the homeland from missiles launched from space.

The news comes at a time when, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the US needs to spend nearly $1 trillion over the next ten years on its nuclear forces. Here’s the frightening reason: the risk of nuclear war is higher than at any time since the end of the Cold War.

• China has doubled the size of its nuclear arsenal over the past five years.
• The next crisis over Taiwan could involve nuclear weapons.
• According to the Atlantic Council, “both China and North Korea have increasing incentives and capabilities for limited nuclear attacks.”
• Nuclear power India says it has only “paused” military action against nuclear power Pakistan.
• Russia’s new nuclear weapons doctrine states that Russia could launch nuclear weapons in response to an attack on its territory by a non-nuclear-armed state backed by a nuclear-armed one. It could therefore see an attack by Ukraine, backed by the US, as justifying a nuclear response.

Such massive threats can feel overwhelming. But there’s an antidote to such discouragement, one as close as tonight’s sky.

A million Earths can fit inside our Sun

Brian Cox is a professor of particle physics at the University of Manchester in England. He is also the UK’s Royal Society professor for public engagement in science and visiting scholar at the Crick Institute, a biomedical research center in London. He recently recorded a video for Big Think on “the incomprehensible scales that rule the Universe.”

In it, he offers these facts regarding the size and scope of the universe at large:

• A million Earths can fit inside our Sun. The Sun is so large, it would take a passenger aircraft a year to fly around it. And yet he notes that it is “quite a small star.”
• Our Milky Way galaxy contains somewhere between two hundred and four hundred billion suns and is about one hundred thousand light years across. (A light year, the distance light travels in a year, is 5.88 trillion miles.)
• The nearest galaxy to us is the Andromeda galaxy, two and a half million light years away.
• The James Webb Space Telescope can measure light that has journeyed over thirteen billion years to reach us.
• Since the universe is expanding, the place that emitted that light photon is forty-six billion light years away from us now. There’s more universe beyond it; this is just as far as we can see at present.

Dr. Cox adds:

The universe, for all we know, and given the accuracy of our measurements at the moment, might be infinite in extent. And that genuinely is inconceivable.

When we contemplate the size and the scale of the universe and our place within it, which you’re forced to do when you think about the distance scales and the sheer size and age of the universe, then I think it’s very natural for us to tend to come to the conclusion that we don’t matter at all.

In his view, however, we are immortal to the degree that we influence the universe and thus live beyond ourselves. Dr. Cox calls this “a very beautiful idea.”

But there’s an even more beautiful idea to which we turn next.

“Partakers of the divine nature”

The God who made all of that lives in you right now.

The Bible says of Jesus, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Paul adds: “By him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16–17).

Now comes the amazing news: “He is the head of the body, the church” (v. 18). This means that you and I are Jesus’ “body,” inhabited by his Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:27). We are “partakers of Christ” (Hebrews 3:14 NRSV) and thus “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). As C. S. Lewis noted, “The whole mass of Christians are the physical organism through which Christ acts.”

Take a moment to consider that fact. Reflect on the reality that the One who created every molecule in a universe too large for human comprehension is so omnipotent that he can reduce his infinitude to become a fetus in a mother and a baby in a manger. If you believe that Jesus came at Christmas, you should believe that he came again when you invited him to be your Lord and now lives by his Holy Spirit in you today.

This does not mean that you will be protected from the consequences of living in this fallen world. Missile shields and all the rest attest to the sinfulness of humans who would destroy humans and the finitude and frailty of our lives on this broken planet.

But it does mean that Jesus can empower us to face all that comes to us today with triumphant faith. We can testify with Paul, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, my emphasis). If we will submit this day to his Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and ask our Lord to redeem all that he allows in our lives (cf. Romans 8:28), we will discover that “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37; note the present tense).

“Instead of bondage, liberty”

So name your greatest fear today, then claim your Father’s promise: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God” (Isaiah 41:10). Pray with David, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3). And know that the God you trust is living in you right now, giving you all the strength you will receive and leading you whenever you will be led.

The great missionary Hudson Taylor testified:

“Christ liveth in me. And how great the difference—instead of bondage, liberty; instead of failure, quiet victories within; instead of fear and weakness, a restful sense of sufficiency in Another.”

Will you claim this “restful sense of sufficiency” today?

Quote for the day:

“We cannot attain the presence of God. We’re already totally in the presence of God. What’s missing is awareness.” —David Brenner

Our latest website resources:

• A birthday reflection on the providential grace of God
• Responding redemptively to President Biden’s cancer: How to have compassion for those with whom we disagree
• Could AI be the unexpected tool in spreading the gospel?
• Standing before Magna Carta: A document that changed history—a reflection on the transforming power of holistic holiness
• Reconciling the “Gods” of the Old and New Testaments: Part 2

Denison Forum

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with “aggressive” prostate cancer, according to a statement his office made yesterday. The statement added that his diagnosis included “metastasis to the bone.” Characterized by a Gleason score of nine out of ten, it is classified as “high grade” and could spread quickly. Mr. Biden and his family are reportedly reviewing treatment options, though his office added that the cancer is hormone-sensitive, meaning it likely can be managed.

President Donald Trump responded on his social media platform Truth Social that he and First Lady Melania Trump were “saddened” to learn the news and added, “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.” Numerous other political leaders voiced their support as well.

“Questions about things that matter always”

Theologian and novelist Frederick Buechner wrote:

We are much involved, all of us, with questions about things that matter a good deal today but will be forgotten by this time tomorrow—the immediate wheres and whens and hows that face us daily at home and at work—but at the same time we tend to lose track of the questions about things that matter always, life-and-death questions about meaning, purpose, and value. To lose track of such deep questions as these is to risk losing track of who we really are in our own depths and where we are really going.

There was a day when avoiding life-and-death questions was nearly impossible. Most people died at home surrounded by their families, many from illnesses that are curable today or accidents that are now preventable. World wars forced millions of people to fight in conflicts they never anticipated and hundreds of thousands to die on battlefields they never imagined.

Today, however, people more often die in antiseptic hospital rooms far removed from the rest of us. When they die, mortuary professionals prepare their bodies to render them lifelike, then families bid them farewell in cemeteries before the rest of us gather for “memorial services” where they are present only in memory.

We even speak of death in ways that shelter us from frightening realities. People do not “die,” they “pass on” or “depart.” If they die in ways that don’t seem threatening to us personally, we all too easily dismiss their reminder of our own mortality. If someone has a heart attack but I don’t have heart disease, or dies from cancer I don’t face, their death seems less relevant to me.

It is the same with tragedies in places we don’t live, from Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, to “extensive” Israeli ground operations in Gaza, to a suicide bomber who killed at least ten people in Mogadishu yesterday. There is something in us that seeks a way to reframe news of mortality to make it less relevant to us.

Then comes the announcement that a former president of the United States has “aggressive” cancer that could prove fatal. He presumably has the best health care possible. Yet his age cannot be reversed, nor can the fact of his humanity.

When we read of his diagnosis, whatever our partisan positions, we are saddened for him and his family. And we are forced to face the fact that his story is in some way our story.

“Making mud pies in a slum”

Here we find one way an all-loving God redeems death: by using it to prove our mortality and thus lead us to live this life for the life to come.

If left alone, we will try to make a paradise of this world. We will make the best we can of what we have, ignoring all that awaits God’s children in his paradise. As C. S. Lewis noted,

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

The best circumstances in this fallen world cannot begin to compare with the glories that await God’s people in the world to come. For us, death is but the door to eternity, the path out of the car into the house, the necessary means to a glorious destination.

When God has been most real to me

But why does an all-loving God allow so many people to die in pain and suffering?

The means of our deaths do not change their outcome or larger purpose. Why, then, does our Father so often permit us to suffer as we do? Across more than four decades of pastoral ministry, for every church member I have known who “died peacefully in their sleep,” many others suffered before they died, some terribly, and many have suffered as they died.

Here we find a second way an all-loving God redeems tragedy: by using it to draw us to himself in faith we would not choose if it were not so necessary.

Paul learned through his “thorn in the flesh” to trust a Power greater than his own (2 Corinthians 12:7–10). When he and Silas sang hymns to God at midnight in a Philippian jail, they were freed miraculously and their jailer was converted to Christ (Acts 16:25–34).

The times God has been most real to me have been those times when I needed his reality the most—the early death of my father, the cancer diagnoses of our son and grandson, those days of deep discouragement in the spiritual deserts and “dark nights of the soul” that Christians sometimes face.

The faith to have faith

Perhaps you are in such a “dark night” today. If so, know that Jesus feels what you feel and weeps as you weep (John 11:35). When you cannot find the strength to hold onto him, know that he is holding onto you (John 10:28). When you lack faith, you can pray for the faith to have faith (Mark 9:24) and find a peace you cannot understand that will sustain your heart and mind (Philippians 4:6–7).

If you’re not in such a “dark night,” perhaps you know someone who is. Perhaps you would pray for them right now, asking Jesus to speak to them in their pain and to be the Great Physician of their soul. Perhaps you would join me in praying for President Biden and his family as they step into their own journey with mortality, asking God to redeem their days for his glory and their good.

And when you wonder if you should trust Jesus with your suffering, perhaps you would take a moment to reflect on the unspeakable suffering of soul and body he chose for you. Tim Keller asked:

“If Jesus Christ didn’t abandon you in his darkness, the ultimate darkness, why would he abandon you now, in yours?”

Why, indeed?

Quote for the day:

“Affliction is the best book in my library.” —Martin Luther

Our latest website resources:

• Standing before Magna Carta: A document that changed history—a reflection on the transforming power of holistic holiness
• Reconciling the “Gods” of the Old and New Testaments: Part 2
• A review of Mark Sayers’ “Platforms to Pillars”: Why we all want to live like pharaohs
• Pete Rose now eligible for the Hall of Fame. Will he get in? A reflection on sin, forgiveness, and consequences
• Global deals, air traffic chaos, an NBA conspiracy theory & the Biden cover-up book

Denison Forum

A reflection on the transforming power of holistic holiness

It’s not often that you get to see a document that changed history, but such was my privilege a few years ago in England. While I was teaching a doctoral seminar for Dallas Baptist University at Oxford University, we took a day trip to Salisbury Cathedral, a magnificent structure whose construction began in 1220.

At one point, I saw a long line waiting to enter a side room. Assuming something worth viewing was there, I got in line. Before long, I found myself before one of the only four surviving copies of the original Magna Carta (Latin for “Great Charter”).

On June 15, 1215, King John affixed his seal to a document protecting the rights and property of forty barons who were rebelling against his authority. For example, it contained this pledge signed by the king: “No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised [deprived of land unlawfully], outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.”

Magna Carta inspired America’s Founders, leading the colonists to believe they were entitled to the same rights as Englishmen, rights guaranteed by the document. Our Fifth Amendment, “No person shall . . . be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” comes directly from Magna Carta’s guarantee of proceedings according to the “law of the land.”

Two other copies of Magna Carta are at the British Library, with a fourth at Lincoln Cathedral (150 miles north of London). Now, it turns out we don’t have to go to England to see it.

A copy bought by Harvard University for $27 in the 1940s turns out to be an original worth $21 million. A new analysis found that the handwriting, sizing, and elongated letters are all consistent with the original.

David Carpenter, professor of medieval history at King’s College London, said: “This is a fantastic discovery. Harvard’s Magna Carta deserves celebration, not as some mere copy, stained and faded, but as an original of one of the most significant documents in world constitutional history, a cornerstone of freedoms past, present, and yet to be won.”

Turning the Bible into a cafeteria

One of the ways Magna Carta was so revolutionary was that it guaranteed that the nation’s laws would apply to all of its people all of the time. There would not be one set of standards for the king and another for his subjects. The laws governing the land would prevail every moment of every day for every person in the nation.

This is how laws work when they work best. Imagine a world in which speed limits applied on Sunday but not on Monday, when criminals could lawfully steal your property every Tuesday and Thursday, when the laws against murder didn’t apply on weekends.

The holistic nature of such regulations is especially true of God’s laws, as the psalmist noted: “Righteous are you, O Lᴏʀᴅ, and right are your rules” (Psalm 119:137). Because God is “righteous” (the Hebrew word means one who “acts uprightly and justly at all times”), the “rules” or laws he has given us are “right” as well.

Here’s the problem: our culture and our enemy daily tempt us to partial obedience to God’s unconditional truth.

The ancient Greeks and Romans separated the soul from the body and religion from the “real world.” They had a transactional relationship with their deities, giving them the worship they required in exchange for the gods’ help with their needs and wants. But no one sought a personal, intimate relationship with Zeus and his cohort. Religion was a means to an end; its rules relevant only to the religious parts of their bifurcated culture.

You and I are tempted to approach God’s word and will in the same way, choosing which parts of Scripture to obey in a cafeteria-style buffet. Our culture makes us consumers of all things, including biblical truth. When we are tempted by sins that do not seem to lead to negative outcomes (which is a lie), we all too often believe we can do what we want without consequences.

Why I needed back surgery

By contrast, Paul applauded the Christians in Rome for being “full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another” (Romans 15:14, my emphasis). Note the order: personal integrity and then spiritual knowledge enabled them to “instruct” others (the word means to admonish, warn, reprove). Then Christ worked through them to bring others to biblical obedience (v. 18).

The more holistically we love and serve our Lord, the more holistically he can bless and use us to change the culture. It was because the early Christians loved and served Jesus so fully that they were used to “turn the world upside down” so effectively (Acts 17:6).

Now it’s our turn.

Scripture calls us the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Your body is only healthy when every part works in coordination with every other part for a unified purpose. When my back stopped functioning properly, surgery was required to stabilize it and bring it back into its proper role in my physical health. So it is with every member of our bodies, every moment of our days.

On my good days, I recognize this need for holistic holiness. I understand that the cost of such spirituality is more than repaid by God’s gracious provision. I know that refusing temptation and choosing obedience is best for me and for everyone I influence. I recognize that when I wear Jesus’ “yoke,” I experience his perfect will and guidance in ways that lead to the abundant life he alone can provide (Matthew 11:29; John 10:10).

On my bad days, I segregate my soul from my body and God’s will from my own in the belief that what I want is best for me, regardless of what God says. On those days, I have learned that a renewed focus on Jesus’ atoning grace can empower a renewed focus on obedience.

Bitten by snakes 200 times

Tim Friede has allowed himself to be bitten by venomous snakes more than two hundred times. As a result, his body has developed antibodies that are being used to develop new antivenom treatments.

Now, consider what Jesus allowed the Romans to do to his body so he could atone for our sins. Remember the scourging, the crown of scalp-piercing thorns, the nails in his wrists and feet, the spear in his side. And remember that he chose all of this for you.

St. Ephrem, a Syrian theologian who died in AD 373, wrote regarding the cross:

Death trampled our Lord underfoot, but he in his turn treated death as a highroad for his own feet. He submitted to it, enduring it willingly, because by this means he would be able to destroy death in spite of itself. . . .

Death slew him by means of the body which he had assumed, but that same body proved to be the weapon with which he conquered death. . . .

Since a tree had brought about the downfall of mankind, it was upon a tree that mankind crossed over to the realm of life. . . .

We give glory to you, Lord, who raised up your cross to span the jaws of death like a bridge by which souls might pass from the region of the dead to the land of the living. We give glory to you who put on the body of a single mortal man and made it the source of life for every other mortal man. You are incontestably alive. Your murderers sowed your living body in the earth as farmers sow grain, but it sprang up and yielded an abundant harvest of men raised from the dead.

Come then, my brothers and sisters, let us offer our Lord the great and all-embracing sacrifice of our love, pouring out our treasury of hymns and prayers before him who offered his cross in sacrifice to God for the enrichment of us all.

The pastor and writer Paul Powell said it well: “Thy will, O God, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.”

Do you agree?

Denison Forum

Evangelicals like me have been on the losing side of the culture wars for decades. The sexual “revolution,” rise of LGBTQ ideology, legalization of abortion and same-sex marriage, proliferation of online pornography, legitimization of prostitution and polygamy, escalation of adultery and divorce—the list goes on.

But things are changing.

In his 2024 book The Third Awokening, Eric Kaufmann, a professor of politics at the University of Buckingham in England, described his damaging personal experiences with the liberalism and cancel culture of “woke” ideology. A year later, he is able to write a new Wall Street Journal article titled, “Welcome to the Post-Progressive Political Era.”

Dr. Kaufmann documents the retreat of DEI mandates, a “substantial rightward shift among young people from 2021–24,” and a rising backlash against transgender medicine and men in women’s sports. In addition, declining birth rates, crises in youth mental health, and rising deaths of despair show that cultural progressivism is “part of the problem rather than the solution.”

Then he asks: “We are leaving the age of progressive confidence, but what will replace it?”

The question is obviously critical to our national future. You and I can answer it in the only way that changes souls and transforms culture for the glory of God.

“America stands at the crossroads of her national destiny”

Billy Graham once warned:

Christianity to many people has faded into mere form, lost its relevance to life, and holds no central allegiance in our lives. When a nation loses its faith, it loses its character. When it loses its character, it loses its purpose for living. And when it loses its purpose for living, it loses its will to survive.

I am convinced that America stands at the crossroads of her national destiny. One road leads to destruction, and the other leads to prosperity and security. Most are going down the broad road that leads to destruction. We are going the way of Rome rather than the way of the cross.

Many will blame the Republicans or the Democrats. But it is the American people as individuals that should take the blame. We backslide as individuals before we begin to decay as a nation.

Dr. Graham wrote these words in 1958, the year of my birth. Across my lifetime, I have seen our nation slide much further down the moral slope of which he warned, as I noted earlier.

We can blame those who champion such immorality, but it’s a fact that lost people act like lost people. So did you and I. We ought not be surprised: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Suppose, however, that a group of people knows better but does not do better, that God calls them to be the “salt of the earth” but have lost their “taste” and effectiveness by compromising with what they are supposed to be converting (Matthew 5:13). Are they not significantly to blame for the demise of their culture?

If they live by the Bible and share its truth but are rejected, that’s one thing. If they do not do both, the fault is not with the message but with the messenger (or lack thereof).

“When God is all in all”

My purpose today is not to inflict guilt. Rather, it is to point to a way forward by sharing an insight I recently found to be both encouraging and empowering.

On Maundy Thursday, Jesus told his disciples, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another” (John 13:34a). The famed theologian St. Augustine (AD 354–430) asked, “Wasn’t this commandment already part of the ancient law of God, where it is written ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself?’ Why, then, is it called a new one by the Lord, when it is really so old?”

Then he notes the rest of Jesus’ statement, “just as I have loved you, you are to love one another” (v. 34b) and comments: “This is the love that renews us, makes us new men, heirs of the New Testament, singers of the new song.” When we experience Jesus’ love, we are transformed into his character (Romans 8:29) and empowered to love others “just as” he loves us.

Augustine noted that such people:

…love one another as those who belong to God. All of them are children of the Most High and consequently brethren of his only Son. They share with each other the love with which he leads them to the end that will bring them fulfillment and the true satisfaction of their real desires. For when God is all in all, there is no desire that is unfulfilled.

Imagine Christians around the world experiencing Jesus’ love in such a joyful, transforming way and then loving others as sacrificially, unconditionally, and passionately as Jesus loves us. No wonder he could promise, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

“Remember what you are saved for”

Here’s the practical response to which we are called today:

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you experience Jesus’ love so fully that you love him in return and thus love people as he loves people and hate sin as he hates sin.

We treat well those we love; we typically refuse what we hate. When we hate sin as Jesus does and love people as he loves us, how can our world be the same? How can people not be drawn to Christ in us as they were drawn to Christ incarnate (cf. Matthew 4:25)?

Oswald Chambers was adamant: “Remember what you are saved for—that the Son of God might be manifested in your mortal flesh.” Consider the difference Jesus made in the world by himself. Now imagine if the world had two billion “little Christs,” or two million, or even two dozen.

Why not you and me?

Why not now?

Quote for the day:

“The same Jesus who turned water into wine can transform your home, your life, your family, and your future. He is still in the miracle-working business, and his business is the business of transformation.” —Adrian Rogers

Our latest website resources:

• Pete Rose now eligible for the Hall of Fame. Will he get in? A reflection on sin, forgiveness, and consequences
• Global deals, air traffic chaos, an NBA conspiracy theory & the Biden cover-up book
• How to leave a legacy that matters
• Edan Alexander, last living American hostage, freed by Hamas: A meditation on courage, commitment, and purpose
• My first pastoral sermon and Pope Leo XIV’s first homily

Denison Forum

In twenty-five years of writing the Daily Article, I have never begun by asking you to click on a link, but I’ll do so today. A painting by Mark Rothko just sold at auction for $37.8 million. Please take just a moment to look at it, then we’ll proceed.

With all due respect to Mr. Rothko, do you wonder if you could have painted this yourself? Perhaps that’s the point.

When I taught philosophy of religion at various seminaries, I always included a section on art history in the belief that artists reveal our culture to us in ways we often cannot see otherwise. Rothko is Exhibit A.

The Russian-born painter emigrated to the US in 1913 at the age of ten. His father’s death a few months later left the family without financial support and led Rothko to sever ties with his Jewish religion. Fluent in four languages, he was a brilliant though erratic student who viewed art as a vehicle for emotional and religious self-expression.

In his lifetime, he experienced the Great Depression, faced antisemitism, and lived through two world wars and the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. Heavily influenced by Nietzsche’s emphasis on the tragedy and emptiness of life, the dark colors and abstract expressionism of his later work focused on transcending the individual and an almost mystical sense of the unknown.

Long preoccupied with darkness, death, and mortality, Rothko died by suicide in 1970.

When you look at the painting that just sold at auction, you see and feel what you bring to the painting, not what it brings to you. It is but a window permitting and even inviting you into your inner self. You discover the meaning that exists and, in a sense, are “painting” the painting yourself.

And that, Rothko wants us to believe, is the only meaning there is.

Warren Buffett’s three best investments

According to Jean-Paul Sartre, “Man is nothing other than what he makes of himself.” Millions of other existentialists and people who have never read him nonetheless agree. It is conventional wisdom today that truth is personal and subjective, that there are no absolute truths (which is an absolute truth claim), and that we are free (or condemned) to find our own purpose in this world.

The good news is that a new generation is coming to see this deception for the lie it is.

At a time when the American dream of affluence is falling apart, when Americans trust each other less and many do not know their neighbors, when we feel as untethered as an astronaut floating in space and struggle from chronic stress so viscerally that some adults are now sleeping with stuffed animals, many young adults are choosing a different path.

According to a Free Press profile, “zoomers” (adults under thirty years of age) are “quitting the rat race, skipping the $8 lattes, and buying homes in towns you’ve never heard of.” In choosing family over career, many are leaving cities for smaller communities and rural living.

They know what happiness research has resoundingly concluded: healthy relationships are the key to flourishing. Billionaire investment guru Warren Buffett could have told us this long ago. He still lives in the same Omaha house he purchased in 1958, calling it the third-best investment he’s ever made. The top two? His and his wife’s wedding rings.

“Gen Z is finding religion”

What young Americans are learning about meaning in life is turning many toward the Lord.

While secularism has been on the rise among younger generations for some time, we are now seeing a religious resurgence among young men, religious revivals on college campuses, and more students than ever reading the Bible. Newsweek reports a surprising rise in religiosity in their generation, along with a decline in secularism, while Vox headlines, “Gen Z is finding religion.”

Even Silicon Valley, long a bastion of millennial secularism, is witnessing a spiritual revival of surprising proportions.

None of this should surprise us. One way the Lord redeems the brokenness of our fallen world is by allowing it to show us the darkness of the human condition without Christ and resulting need for light beyond ourselves. After decades of sexual “liberation” and the plague of pornography, adultery, and broken homes it has produced, many want a better way.

Abby Laub is director of communications at Asbury University, the site of a sixteen-day, around-the-clock worship service that drew fifty thousand visitors and included students from over two hundred schools. She explained: “If you look at the world, and you look at what is going on and what Gen Z is facing, I just think they are absolutely desperate for something other than what the world is giving them right now.”

Popular atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens assured us that we don’t need God to live with meaning and purpose, but the consequences of their influence are proving them wrong. From the nihilism of abortion to the hopelessness of euthanasia, a society that commodifies and commercializes life is finding death in its place.

Mark Rothko’s art, especially his later work, is popular in large part because it holds a mirror to the bleakness and hopelessness of the culture that drove him to despair. Now it’s our turn to offer that culture a better way.

“If Jesus did it for me, he’ll do it for you”

My fear for Gen Z is that they will turn to religion about Jesus rather than experiencing a transforming relationship with him. Having faith in faith is nothing new; “the demons also believe, and shudder” (James 2:19 NASB).

As I noted yesterday, Jesus intends to make us not just better people but new people. Yet embracing the new requires us to release the old. Confessing and repenting from sin is essential to being forgiven for it. Admitting we need the transformation only Christ can make and then drawing closer to him through regular Bible study, prayer, worship, and obedience takes time and discipline.

If Gen Z and other Americans are to pay the price of transforming Christianity, you and I must lead the way. When we choose to obey our Father, his Spirit makes us like his Son (Romans 8:28). As we submit to his Spirit and live with holistic holiness (Ephesians 5:18), we become the “light of the world” amid the darkness of our day (Matthew 5:13–16). And as I often say, the darker the room, the stronger and more attractive the light.

I passed a church sign recently that declared, “If Jesus did it for me, he’ll do it for you.”

What has Jesus done for you lately?

Quote for the day:

“The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.” —Dwight L. Moody

Our latest website resources:

• Edan Alexander, last living American hostage, freed by Hamas: A meditation on courage, commitment, and purpose
• My first pastoral sermon and Pope Leo XIV’s first homily
• A letter to motherless mothers
• New reasoning Ais “lie” and “hallucinate” more: The spiritual dangers of AI
• 3 reasons why churches fail at mental health

Denison Forum

The world’s first mass-produced flying car prototype has made its public debut. It transforms from a car to an aircraft in under two minutes and will cost between $800,000 and $1 million. You can buy yours in the first quarter of next year.

With the way things are going at the nation’s airports, you may want one.

Flights to Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed yesterday by as much as seven hours. The airport’s problems first made headlines on April 28 when a technical outage caused more than a thousand flights to be canceled or delayed. Radios went dead for thirty seconds during the outage, giving air traffic controllers no way to tell pilots how to avoid crashing their planes into one another. More disruptions are expected, causing officials to reduce the number of flights in and out of Newark for the next several weeks.

In related news, hundreds of flights were delayed Sunday at Atlanta’s airport because of a runway equipment issue. In recent months, airplanes have bumped wings in San Francisco and Washington, DC. A number of commercial flights have aborted landings at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as well.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced plans for a new air traffic control system, which will take three to four years to build and cost billions. In the meantime, unless we own a flying car, those of us who fly will have little choice but to trust people we don’t know and never see. When we step onto a plane, we abandon all personal agency. We are in the hands of pilots who fly the plane, controllers who direct them, and those who maintain the equipment upon which we risk our lives.

There’s a principle here that applies not just to air travel but to every dimension of our lives.

“I do not do the good I want”

Why do I so readily trust people I don’t know with my life and yet struggle to trust the God I do know?

Lost people who don’t believe God exists would obviously not trust him any more than you and I would pray to Zeus for help. But I’m thinking of all the times I know the living Lord Jesus wants me to do something—or not do something—but I struggle to choose his will over my own.

Today’s article is motivated by a verse in Numbers 15 that struck me recently: “Remember all the commandments of the Lᴏʀᴅ, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after” (v. 39, my emphasis). When I “follow” my “heart” (internal inclinations) and “eyes” (external appearances) more than God’s loving heart and omniscient knowledge, he considers my decision to be spiritual adultery.

It’s not hard to see why.

The Bible says Christians are “married” to Christ as his “bride” (cf. Revelation 19:7; 21:2). Any time we choose to trust and serve someone else, it’s as if we have made them our spiritual spouse instead of Jesus. Imagine your feelings if someone were to treat you in this way. Now imagine if you gave up a heavenly throne to die on a Roman cross for them and they still rejected you for another.

Our problem is not that we don’t already know all of this. When we’re tempted, you and I know our sins will grieve our Savior. Why, then, are we sometimes “inclined to whore after” our desires rather than our Lord’s perfect will?

It’s as if the FAA has warned us that the airplane we’re about to board is going to crash, but we take our seats anyway. We would rather go down with the plane we choose than flourish on the flight God intends for us.

Paul understood our dilemma (Romans 7:14–23) and asked, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (v. 24).

Why we are “more than conquerors”

Now comes the good news: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (v. 25). Why? Because “the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).

Christians have the indwelling power of the Spirit to free us from our own fallen inclinations and the sins into which they would lead us. Now we are “more than conquerors through him who loved us” (v. 37).

How do we experience this spiritual victory?

Paul explains: “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (v. 6). We “set the mind on the Spirit” when we begin the morning by submitting to him (Ephesians 5:18), “long for the pure spiritual milk” of God’s word (1 Peter 2:2), commune with him in prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and live in community with God’s people (Hebrews 10:25).

Then the Spirit changes the inclinations of our hearts, and we become the change our fallen culture desperately needs to see.

When God produces a “new kind of man”

In his first homily as pope, Leo XIV rightly noted that “there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.” He added that even many baptized Christians do not experience the risen Christ in transforming ways and thus “end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism.” (For more, see my website article, “My first pastoral sermon and Pope Leo XIV’s first homily.”)

If we want our skeptical post-Christian culture to believe Jesus makes a real difference in those who trust in him, we must demonstrate that difference in obvious ways. It’s not enough to be nicer and more moral than others. C. S. Lewis was right:

Mere improvement is not redemption, though redemption always improves people even here and now and will, in the end, improve them to a degree we cannot yet imagine. God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man.

This “new kind of man” does not merely try harder to do better—he has a “new heart” and a “new spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26). The Spirit molds us into people who want what God wants more than what we want. Then we choose godliness because our hearts yearn for it. We love Jesus more than we love sin. And we manifest the living Lord Jesus as his “body” in the world and draw the world to him (1 Corinthians 12:27).

Jesus promised,

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Will you “see God” today?

Quote for the day:

“I want to change my circumstances. God wants to change me.” —Rick Warren

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Denison Forum

Today’s news, like every day’s news, fits into two categories.

First, there are stories that are relevant to everyone reading this article. This morning’s announcement that the US and China will suspend most tariffs is an example. After weekend talks in Geneva, the US will drop its tariff on China from 125 percent to 10 percent; China will do the same. The reductions will last for ninety days as the two sides begin further negotiations.

At this writing, stocks are surging around the world on the announcement. Since the economy obviously affects all of us, this news is significant for all of us.

Second, there are stories that are only relevant to a portion of us. Some examples:

• A Soviet spacecraft crashed back to Earth Saturday. Because it plunged into the Indian Ocean and not on your house, you are likely reading this news with only passing interest.
• America’s largest cities are sinking due to groundwater extraction. You probably want to know if your city is on the list before deciding how much you care.
• A supercomputer has predicted the exact year life on our planet will end. Unless you plan to be living on Earth in the year 1,000,002,021, you are presumably not alarmed.

However, there’s a forgotten third category in the news, one that you and I overlook to our peril and that of our nation.

Those who “call evil good and good evil”

I was reading Isaiah 5 over the weekend and found some statements that seemed as relevant to our culture as if they were written yesterday.

For example, the Lord pronounced “woe” on greedy people “who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room” (v. 8) and on those “who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink” (v. 11) but “do not regard the deeds of the Lᴏʀᴅ” (v. 12).

A few verses later, this warning especially caught my eye: God pronounces “woe” on those “who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (v. 20) and on those “who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (v. 21).

In response, the Lord will remove his “hedge” of protection from Judah and “it shall be devoured” and “trampled down” (v. 5). His prophetic warning came to pass when the Babylonians destroyed the Jewish temple, pillaged the country, and took many of its people into captivity (vv. 13, 26–30).

God is “not wishing that any should perish”

When the sins of the nation brought divine judgment, every inhabitant was affected, not just those who committed these sins. This is because the consequences of sin always affect the innocent, which is one reason Satan tempts us as he does.

I do not know when God will bring judgment on America for our sins. But I do know that because his nature does not change (Malachi 3:6), he must judge sins today as he has judged sins in the past. For example, Peter reminded us that God turned “the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes” and “condemned them to extinction” so as to make them “an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:6).

I also know that our present prosperity, like that of Judah in Isaiah’s day, is no guarantee of God’s future blessing. As he warned Judah, “Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant” (Isaiah 5:9). On that day, “the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude will go down . . . and the eyes of the haughty are brought low” (vv. 14–15) while “nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich” (v. 17).

And I know that God delays his judgment only because he is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). However, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief . . . and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (v. 10).

Three biblical responses

How should we respond biblically?

First, resolve to be part of the solution rather than the problem:

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires (Romans 13:12–14).

How much “provision for the flesh” will you make today?

Second, speak biblical truth to the immorality of our day:

Is not my word like a fire, declares the Lᴏʀᴅ, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29).

You and I cannot convict a single sinner of a single sin or save a single soul. But when we declare God’s word, his Spirit uses his truth to change hearts and transform nations. From Jonah in Nineveh to spiritual awakenings stirring in surprising ways today, his word always accomplishes his purpose (Jonah 3; Isaiah 55:10–11).

How will you use your influence to share biblical truth on the crucial issues of our day?

Third, point people beyond ourselves to our Savior.

Like modern-day John the Baptists, our motto should be simple: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). In Leo XIV’s first sermon after becoming pope, he closed his homily by describing his new role as leader of a congregation of over 1.4 billion people:

It is to move aside so that Christ may remain, to make oneself small so that he may be known and glorified, to spend oneself to the utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and love him.

For what purpose will you “spend” yourself “to the utmost” today?

“God’s grace is not infinite”

I know that today’s article is not easy to read. It was not easy to write.

However, I am convicted that too many of us are too unconcerned about the sins of our culture, “at ease in Zion” in the belief that if we don’t commit such sins, we are safe from their consequences (Amos 6:1). I hope today’s article has convinced you that this is not true, that we need to pray and work for moral transformation and spiritual awakening with passionate urgency before it is too late for our nation and God’s judgment affects us all.

The noted theologian R. C. Sproul observed:

“God’s grace is not infinite. God is infinite, and God is gracious. We experience the grace of an infinite God, but grace is not infinite. God sets limits to his patience and forbearance. He warns us over and over again that someday the ax will fall and his judgment will be poured out.”

How will you respond to this warning today?

Quote for the day:

“When the day of recompense comes, our only regret will be that we have done so little for him, not that we have done too much.” —George Müller

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Denison Forum

When President Trump officially announced the tariffs his administration would place on countries around the world just over a month ago, he warned that there would be a painful adjustment period. But he also claimed that it would be worth it in the end. And while it is still far too early to know if he was correct, the trade deal he announced with the United Kingdom yesterday morning could offer a glimpse into what’s to come.

As of yesterday, leaders from both nations continued to emphasize that the details of their agreement were still being finalized, but the broad strokes appear to be set:

• The 10 percent tariff that the Trump administration imposed on most nations will remain in place for England as well. However, Britain will be able to send 100,000 cars annually into the United States without further cost—reduced from the 25 percent that was previously placed on British vehicles. America is the largest market for English cars.
• The UK will join the US in imposing 25 percent tariffs on all foreign steel and aluminum, though those materials will be traded freely between the two countries. Considering that Britain sent roughly $492 million worth of steel to the US last year, the lack of tariffs here is a significant development. In addition, pharmaceuticals are similarly exempt from any tariffs.
• In return, American beef, ethanol, and other agricultural products will be newly available in England and will be allowed to enter the country through a streamlined process. Together, they are expected to account for roughly $5 billion worth of exports.
• The US already runs a trade surplus with the UK, which made negotiations simpler. That said, Trump also noted in his press conference announcing the deal that “The UK was largely closed, very much closed to trade, and now it’s opened,” which could have further implications for American exports to the country down the line.

While the trade has given some reason for optimism that future deals will be similarly successful, there is reason to doubt that the agreement with England will prove to be a model for other nations.

Of the governments with which the US is negotiating, Britain was among the most motivated. In fact, the deal was the culmination of nearly a decade of work by the nation’s leaders to reach a bilateral trade agreement with the US. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke of a future trade deal with America as one of the motivations for Brexit back in 2016 but, until yesterday, it had yet to happen.

As Trump’s administration continues its talks with other countries, it’s unclear to what degree these negotiations will mirror what happens going forward. And while some economists expect trade deals with Japan and India to come next, the situation with China will continue to loom largest until some resolution is achieved. Fortunately, it appears steps are being taken to do just that.

Is China next?

China recently announced that it would meet with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Switzerland this weekend. The talks will be the first steps toward a more substantive negotiation since mutually escalating tariffs essentially shut down all trade between the world’s two largest economies.

Both sides have attempted to convey a position of strength heading into the talks, but the truth is that each is suffering from the current economic environment. Chinese factories, for example, experienced their steepest slowdown in over a year, while the American economy has been marred by unpredictability and fear.

Again, none of this should come as a surprise. Charging more to bring a product into a country than you can charge to sell it—the reality in both the US and China—is not exactly a great way to make a profit.

However, there is reason for hope. While this week’s negotiations are unlikely to lead to a deal, President Trump did sound open to a significant de-escalation if the talks go well. Some expect the rates to drop to as low as 50 percent while discussions continue, though it’s unclear if the administration would really be willing to reduce them by that much.

The mere hope that the deal with England and the talks with China could result in a more stable and profitable economy was enough to send markets soaring in the US, though.

And that reaction, based on little more than educated guesses and hope about the future, offers an important reminder for each of us today.

The only one not guessing

One of the primary reasons markets have fluctuated so much in recent weeks is that the Trump administration’s tariff policies, as well as the response from other nations, have removed much of the predictability people used to believe was built into the marketplace. Such volatility is why it’s important not to take promises of better days or imminent doom too seriously.

That doesn’t mean you should stick your head in the sand or act as though what goes on in the rest of the world won’t impact you. But remember that even the experts are guessing on this stuff. They’re hopefully making educated guesses, but they’re still just guesses.

And that’s the case for far more than the economy.

One reason Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow is that we can’t know what tomorrow will bring (Matthew 6:34). It’s alright to plan, and we should exercise wise stewardship over the gifts he’s given us. But, at the end of the day, God is the only one who knows the future. He’s the only one who is not guessing.

As such, the most logical response we can have to the volatility and unpredictability of our current circumstances is to trust God and follow his lead.

Doing so doesn’t mean we’ll never struggle or that there will never be situations where we’re taken by surprise. But if we’ve placed our faith in Christ and truly handed our lives over to him, then even when the unexpected and painful happen, it doesn’t have to rob us of the peace and joy found in our relationship with him (Galatians 5:22).

And one of the best ways to help people see the power of Christ is to exude his peace and joy at a time when he is the only logical explanation for them.

So the next time you see the markets stumble, come across some other troubling story in the news, or encounter a hardship that reminds you of just how little control we really have in this world, take your fears and anxieties to God. Then embrace the peace and joy that only he can give.

Let’s start right now.

Quote of the day:

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” —Corrie Ten Boom

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Denison Forum

At 11:08 a.m., Dallas time, white smoke emerged from above the Sistine Chapel, announcing to the world that a new pope has been elected to lead the Roman Catholic Church. A long list of candidates had been in speculation for days. Betting platforms had an Italian cardinal in the lead, with a Filipino candidate second. None had an American high on their list, as no American has ever been selected as pope.

Until today.

Robert Francis Prevost has been elected the 267^th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. It was stirring to watch his introduction to the massive crowds in St. Peter’s Square and to hear the Chicago native speak in perfect Italian and Spanish.

Prevost was previously a missionary in Peru, working as a teacher and parish priest. In 2023, Pope Francis brought him to the Vatican to head the powerful office that vets bishop nominations from around the world. As a result, he was highly prominent going into the conclave. But as an American, he was thought to be a long shot for the papacy at best.

What kind of pope will he be?

Pope Leo was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He is also a citizen of Peru, where he served as a missionary and then an archbishop.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977, then took his solemn vows and studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago in 1982. He earned degrees in divinity and canon law, including a doctorate from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

Pope Leo told the Vatican News in October 2024, “A bishop is called to serve. His authority is service.” He added that a bishop “is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom, but rather called authentically to be humble, to be close to the people he serves, to walk with them, to suffer with them, and to look for ways that he can better live the gospel message in the midst of his people.”

He is seen as a centrist overall. Like Pope Francis, he has long embraced marginalized groups. However, he also opposes ordaining women as deacons and is considered to be conservative regarding church doctrine.

What could his name signify?

When a cardinal is elected pope, he takes a papal name. In this case, the new pope chose Leo XIV.

The first pope by this name, known today as Pope St. Leo I (the Great), reigned from AD 440–61. His chief aim was to sustain the unity of the church in the face of heresies threatening her future.

Another notable pope to adopt the name was Leo X (1475–1521), the Medici pope who led the church when Martin Luther began his reform efforts and declared Luther a heretic before dying that same year. He also financed the building of St. Peter’s Basilica through the selling of indulgences, which prompted Luther to post his 95 Theses and sparked what became the Protestant Reformation.

However, the new pope’s choice of name seems to be a clear nod to Pope Leo XIII, who was known for his traditional doctrine combined with intellectualism. He was pope from 1878 to 1903, helping the church engage with the culture with less defensiveness but without compromising biblical authority and compassion.

What is his message to the world?

Watching the new pope speak, I was moved by the thought that no other person in human history has been able to engage as much of the world as the new pope did today.

His leadership encompasses 1.4 billion Catholics, a larger number than ever before, and a population that rivals China and India as the largest “nations” on earth. But unlike them, his congregants live in nearly every country on the planet, and his political and cultural significance circles the globe in ways that far transcend even the church he now leads.

If you include the technological platforms of our day by which his election was broadcast, it seems likely that Pope Leo XIV is more visible as a leader than any leader has ever been.

But to what end?

In his first remarks to the world, the pope declared:

God loves us. God loves you all. And evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God.

Therefore, without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us go forward.

We are disciples of Christ. Christ precedes us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as the bridge to be reached by God and his love.

Help us too, then, each other, to build bridges—with dialogue, with encounter—uniting all of us to be one people, always in peace.

Then he called the church to be united, “always seeking peace, justice, always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the gospel, to be missionaries.”

How people will know we are Jesus’ disciples

An American who served as a missionary in Peru and then as a leader in the Vatican before ascending to its highest post calling for unity in proclaiming the gospel is a metaphor and invitation to us all.

The night before he died for humanity, Jesus prayed to his Father that his followers across all time would “be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:22–23). Earlier that night, he taught his disciples, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

Partisan divisions plague the politics of much of the West today. Geopolitical conflicts extend around the world, from India and Pakistan to Iran and the Middle East, China and Taiwan, and Russia and Ukraine. In a time when people yearn for unity and community, fighting between Christian denominations and in Christian churches pushes them further from the Savior they need so desperately.

Pope Leo XIV’s first message is therefore timely and urgent. These are days for God’s people to unite as missionaries to our culture as we proclaim the gospel in peace.

Whatever our differences with Catholics and other Christians, let us unite in praying for the new pope, asking God to give him wisdom, courage, and direction. And let us find our own way to be “always seeking peace, justice, always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ.”

Jesus modeled the servant love he called us to emulate by washing the feet of his disciples (John 13:1–17). When we stand before him one day, he will not ask any of us—including the new pope—about our title. But he will want to examine our towel.

How dirty will yours be?

Denison Forum

The papal conclave that begins today will be the most geographically diverse in the church’s two-thousand-year history, with clerics from seventy countries participating. They have been meeting at the Vatican nearly every day since April 22, the day after Pope Francis’s death, to discuss matters facing the global church.

This afternoon, one of the most famous and yet secretive traditions in history will officially begin as the cardinals meet to elect the church’s 267^th pope. Here’s what you need to know and why it matters to us all.

What is a “conclave”?

In 1268, cardinals gathered to elect a new pope. They became deadlocked and continued meeting for almost three years. Local magistrates and residents became so frustrated that they locked the cardinals into a room until a decision was reached.

This is where the term conclave originates, meaning “with a key” in Latin.

The cardinals were fed only bread and water passed through a window. When this did not expedite the process, the magistrate removed the roof of the room to “let the Holy Spirit in.” This led to the election of Pope Gregory X, who laid the foundation for the conclave process still used today.

The first conclave to be held in the Sistine Chapel was in 1492. However, the chapel did not become the sole location for papal elections until 1878. Interestingly, the chapel, which was completed in 1481, was purportedly designed to match the dimensions of Solomon’s Temple.

The tradition of burning the ballots dates back to at least the year 1417. However, the iconic black and white smoke—the former when no pope is elected and the latter when a new pope is chosen—was not introduced until 1914. The appropriate smoke is produced by burning the ballots with a mix of chemicals. Bells also chime once a new pope has been elected, a practice that began in 2005.

Who is eligible?

Catholics believe that Peter was the first pope and that his remains are buried beneath the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica. I was privileged some years ago to tour the catacombs and stand within twenty feet or so of the grave; archaeological evidence supports the claim that it is his.

Over the centuries since, popes have included laymen and deacons, along with many bishops. In fact, any unmarried, male, baptized Catholic is canonically eligible.

However, the last non-cardinal to be elected pope was Pope Urban VI in 1378. Since his time, only cardinals have been elevated to the papacy.

How does the process work?

Only cardinals under the age of eighty are eligible to vote; they are known as cardinal electors. At 4:30 this afternoon, Vatican time, the 133 electors will gather and process to the Sistine Chapel. They will take an oath of absolute secrecy, then the doors will be sealed.

They vote through secret ballots reading Eligo in summum pontificem, “I elect as supreme pontiff,” followed by a name. The cardinals then approach the three scrutineers (cardinals chosen by a random drawing from the electors) in front of Michelangelo’s Last Judgment fresco. They fold their ballots twice and drop them in an urn. The scrutineers tally them and announce the results to all the cardinals. The ballots are then burned.

One round of voting will occur today. If a candidate does not receive two-thirds of the votes, voting will continue up to four times a day, twice in the morning and twice in the evening, until a candidate receives the necessary votes. (The 2005 and 2013 conclaves each lasted two days.) The public will be notified of each vote through the black and white smoke signals.

Once the conclave elects a pope, the dean of the College of Cardinals will ask him if he accepts the title. If he does, he will then select his papal name, a practice that began in AD 533 when a priest named Mercurius was elected pope. Because he was named after a pagan Roman god, he selected a new name after a previous pope. Since then, most popes have chosen a new name, usually connected to a previous pope or figure in church history they wish to emulate.

The new pope will then be led to the “Room of Tears” in the Sistine Chapel (named for the overwhelming emotion past pontiffs have experienced). There, he will dress in white robes and receive a new pectoral cross and white zucchetto (head cap). The cardinals will greet the new pope and pledge their obedience to him.

He will then walk out to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. The senior-most cardinal deacon will announce to the crowd assembled below, Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habermus Papam (“I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope”) and introduce the church’s new leader by the title he has selected. The new pope will then deliver a blessing to the crowd.

Why is the conclave relevant to us all?

For those of us of who are not Catholics, all of this may be interesting but seem less than relevant. However, as the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, the pope is the most influential Christian leader in the world, with cultural significance far outside the church. Pope St. John Paul II, for example, helped end the Cold War and advance human rights around the globe.

However, we have an even more fundamental reason to pray for the conclave as it begins.

Jude wrote his canonical letter “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (v. 3). He did so to counter those who “pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (v. 4).

You and I face such times today. Churches and entire denominations are endorsing abortion, same-sex marriage, LGBTQ ideology, and euthanasia. Many dismiss biblical authority as outdated and even dangerous. While I disagree with the Roman Catholic Church on many topics, I am deeply grateful for its courageous commitment to the sanctity of life and marriage and its steadfast ministry to the impoverished and others in need.

I have spoken on several panels over the years alongside clergy from various denominations. Almost without fail, it was the Catholic priest more than anyone else who agreed with my position on biblical truth, Jesus’ bodily resurrection, the necessity of faith in Christ, and the relevance of biblical morality today. As a medical ethicist, I can testify that Catholic healthcare systems are some of the finest in our country and among the most aligned with biblical morality.

So, I am praying for the next pope to be a courageous and stalwart defender of biblical truth in the face of encroaching secularism and a voice for Christian unity and global mission. And I am recommitting myself to “contend for the faith” in my own sphere of influence by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

Will you join me today?

Quote for the day:

“The most beautiful and stirring adventure that can happen to you is the personal meeting with Jesus, who is the only one who gives real meaning to our lives.” —Pope St. John Paul II

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• An Israeli’s view on the future of Gaza: The only path to a lasting freedom for the people of Gaza
• Reconciling the “Gods” of the Old and New Testaments
• A review of Michael Heiser’s “The Unseen Realm”: Understanding the Old Testament’s most confusing passages
• Meta and Apple fined nearly $1 billion and an exposé of Meta: Why stories matter

Denison Forum

Antisemitism at Harvard and the power of ideas

Police in England arrested five men, including four Iranian nationals, over the weekend in what is being described as one of the largest counter-terrorism operations in recent years. Authorities report that the “Iranian terror attack” was foiled with just hours to spare. Speculation mounted that the target may have been a synagogue or another target linked to the Jewish community.

If so, we can only wish to be surprised.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have announced a “comprehensive” aerial blockade repeatedly targeting Israel’s airports. This after a missile strike Sunday hit near Ben Gurion Airport, the latest in a string of attacks. In response, some twenty Israeli fighter jets struck targets in Yemen last night.

Closer to home, the New York Times reported recently that a task force at Harvard University found antisemitism has “infiltrated coursework, social life, the hiring of some faculty members, and the worldview of certain academic programs.” The rabbi and theologian David Wolpe recently spent a year as a visiting scholar at Harvard, where he saw personally how the October 7 massacre of Jews by Hamas “intensified hatred against Jews on an already hostile campus.”

He reports that Jewish students “were insulted, shunned, harassed, and hounded in a hundred different ways.” One student, having walked through Harvard Yard while being screamed at by protesters, said to him, “They don’t just hate what I believe. They hate me.”

Such sentiment illustrates the warning of French philosopher Emile Chartier, “Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have.”

How Freud explained antisemitism

Four days of celebrations in the UK began yesterday to commemorate eighty years since Sir Winston Churchill declared victory over Germany in World War II. King Charles III and the royal family took part, along with huge crowds and a military parade.

An estimated fifteen to twenty million people in Europe—six million of them Jews—died in the war because of the horrific idea of one man. A historian said of Adolf Hitler: “No other political leader of the era would have harnessed national passions or driven an anti-Semitic, pure-race agenda with such ferocity or tragic consequence, resulting in the deaths of millions of European Jews as well as gypsies, homosexuals, the weak, and disabled.”

Hitler’s maniacal commitment to the genocide of the Jews was fueled by eugenic theories, popular in the day, that claimed some people were genetically superior to others and sought to purify races accordingly. Charles Darwin’s cousin, Francis Galton, was a key early figure in this movement, building on Darwin’s “natural selection” theory to advance “race betterment.” Nietzsche’s advocacy of the “overcomer” additionally prompted Hitler’s elevation of Aryans to “super-race status” and reinforced his hatred of the Jews as their enemies.

Ideological prejudice against the Jews has tragically been the norm across much of their history. Sigmund Freud, who was born on this day in 1856, identified several such sources of antisemitism:

• The Jews are hated because they survive and thrive.
• They are forced to live differently, which provokes hatred against them.
• They are excluded and then seen as holding themselves separate.
• They are objects of fascination, but this creates envy.
• They are allowed only the currency of intellectuality, but their fantasized “cleverness” is then feared.

To this we can add claims by critical theory advocate and Columbia scholar Edward Said, who believes like many others that Israel is a “colonialist occupier” of Palestinian land and “oppressor” of the Palestinian people. Unsurprisingly, the BBC is reporting today that support among Americans for Israel is at its lowest level since Gallup began tracking it twenty-five years ago. Antisemitism continues to rise in the West even as teenage terrorists being radicalized online threaten our security and our future.

“We are remade in the likeness of his Son”

I have taught and published widely on Israel and Judaism for many years and have led more than thirty study tours to the Holy Land. In my work as a seminary professor, pastor, and philosopher, I have often reflected on sources of antisemitism. In my mind, jealousy and fear of the Jews’ success and uniqueness fuel much of the persecution they continue to face.

Their enduring significance can be traced to their commitment to this foundational text in the Hebrew Bible:

God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).

They genuinely believe that each person bears the image of God and is thus able and obligated to worship and serve the Creator according to the laws he has given us. Their passion for literacy stems from their commitment to reading and following the Torah; their drive to improve their land and the world at large stems from their partnership with God in stewarding his creation (cf. Genesis 2:15).

The only idea more transformative than the Jews’ commitment to the imago Dei is the gospel proclamation that this “image” can be restored and redeemed in Christ. As the great theologian Athanasius (ca. AD 298–373) wrote:

We were made “in the likeness of God.” But in course of time that image has become obscured, like a face on a very old portrait, dimmed with dust and dirt.

When a portrait is spoiled, the only way to renew it is for the subject to come back to the studio and sit for the artist all over again. This is why Christ came—to make it possible for the divine image in man to be recreated. We were made in God’s likeness; we are remade in the likeness of his Son.

To bring about this re-creation, Christ still comes to men and lives among them. In a special way he comes to his Church, his “body,” to show us what the “image of God” is really like.

What a responsibility the Church has, to be Christ’s “body,” showing him to those who are unwilling or unable to see him in providence or in creation! Through the word of God lived out in the body of Christ, they can come to the Father, and themselves be made again “in the likeness of God.”

“All right knowledge is born of obedience”

If all Christians were to reflect the “image of God” as the body of Christ today, what steps would we take to combat antisemitism and encourage Jews to know their Messiah? How powerfully would we reveal Christ to those who are “unwilling or unable to see him in providence or in creation”?

For us to reflect this “image,” as Athanasius noted, the word of God must be “lived out in the body of Christ.” In his May 5 devotional, my friend Dr. Duane Brooks quoted John Calvin: “All right knowledge is born of obedience.” Then Duane commented:

“God’s next work in our lives begins with his grace and comes to fruition when we obey.”

Will you experience your Father’s “next work” in your life today?

Quote for the day:

“We can’t take the next step with God until we do the last thing he told us to do.” —Dr. Duane Brooks

Our latest website resources:

• An Israeli’s view on the future of Gaza: The only path to a lasting freedom for the people of Gaza

• Reconciling the “Gods” of the Old and New Testaments
• A review of Michael Heiser’s “The Unseen Realm”: Understanding the Old Testament’s most confusing passages
• Meta and Apple fined nearly $1 billion and an exposé of Meta: Why stories matter
• Pope Francis on five ways to engage a hostile culture

Denison Forum

The only path to a lasting freedom for the people of Gaza

News broke over the weekend that Israel is calling up tens of thousands of reservists as it prepares to continue its latest push into Gaza. The stated hope is to pressure Hamas into renewed negotiations to return the fifty-nine remaining hostages, with the clear message that their opportunity to do so is running out before IDF forces go in to get them.

In Gaza, there are signs of an uprising by civilians against Hamas. While not yet in significant numbers—and Hamas has been public in their persecutions of those who have spoken out—it’s happening.

I know the Gaza area quite well, and even used to take groups to tour around it.

More than 3000 years ago, Gaza was a large and important city. Its importance stemmed from its location on the “Via Maris,” which connected the southern empire in Egypt with the northeastern and eastern empires (Babylon, Assyria, Persia, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria). It served the spice traders on their journey from the east to Europe and back.

Gaza is also a prominent area in the Bible, with both the Old and New Testaments mentioning it.

The region appears 22 times in the Old Testament, such as in Judges 1:18, where it describes how “Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.” The story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:26 also takes place in this region: “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

My time in Gaza

An archaeological construction from the Byzantine period (5th century BC) was discovered by the Egyptians who ruled the Strip in 1965, when they wanted to build a casino there. Hebrew names in the mosaic, an image of King David perched on a harp, and the direction of prayer facing Jerusalem are all evidence of an ancient synagogue.

But for as much history as we find in Gaza, I wouldn’t recommend visiting anytime soon. Much of it looked terrible even before the war devastated the region, and that is still the case today.

For years, I did my army duty in the Gaza area, mainly at the border between Israel and Egypt. The border is divided by a tall fence with army positions on both sides.

When we signed a peace agreement with Egypt, both sides were very generous to each other: “You take Rafah,” we said to the Egyptians. “No, no, you can take it,” the Egyptians answered. Ultimately, the Palestinian city of Rafah was divided in the middle, and this remains true to this day.

In my Army base, we had the keys to the Palestinian mayor’s house in Rafah. He frequently needed our protection from his own people. I never understood what the mayor did, considering the sewage ran in the streets while garbage and terrible smells penetrated everything. It was the “ best” way to lose weight, as it was impossible to erase the smell for two months.

That said, it’s difficult to understand Gaza’s current state without knowing a bit more about its history.

How Gaza became what it is today

In Israel’s 1948 war for independence, we were attacked by five Arab countries. After the war, the Gaza Strip remained under Egyptian control. 250,000 Palestinians fled to Gaza, where the existing population was 80,000. To house everyone, Egypt built refugee camps for the new population.

After the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel gained control of Gaza among other areas.

The area remained under Israeli control until 2005, when Israel evacuated the Gaza Strip completely. It was the end of a process that began with the Oslo Agreement, where the Gaza Strip became a Palestinian autonomous area.

Today, the population of Gaza is about 1.9 million, 1.3 million (68 percent) of whom are considered refugees. That is an incredibly high number, and so many remain due primarily to the work of a UN organization called UNRWA.

The following description is taken word by word from the official page of this UN organization:

UNRWA is unique in terms of its long-standing commitment to one group of refugees. It has contributed to the welfare and human development of four generations of Palestinian refugees, defined as “persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period June 1, 1946, to May 15, 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 War.”

The “unique” way in which the UNRWA has “contributed” to the state of Gaza has resulted in one of the biggest failures I can think of.

Palestinians are the only people to retain refugee status generation after generation as a result of United Nations support. It made them completely passive.

A combination of UN support and the thought that “Allah will provide” makes it difficult to see how they will ever move beyond their challenging situation. That said, a good first step would be to stop enabling 5.9 million Palestinians to live as refugees.

I do not see a way for the people of Gaza to escape domination by Hamas unless they take responsibility for their lives. As plans are made to rebuild Gaza, working to ensure that its people can—and must—try to move beyond their refugee status is a crucial step in ensuring that the region can have a chance at sustainable peace going forward.

Do your part

We Jews were refugees more times than I can count across our history, but we always fought to move on. We did everything to improve our lives and to have a better future.

Scripture teaches that God is omnipresent, meaning He exists everywhere and at all times. This belief is central to the Jewish understanding of God’s nature, as expressed in prayers like the Shema, which affirms God’s unity and universality. However, Judaism also emphasizes human responsibility and free will in shaping one’s life.

Judaism encourages trust in God while actively engaging in efforts to improve oneself and the world, reflecting a balance between divine presence and human initiative.

I don’t know how to solve the Gaza problem, but I do know that the situation there will never really improve until the human initiative to take responsibility for that improvement is valued by the people living there.

And the same is true in our lives as well. Sitting back and waiting on God to make us better will never result in the kind of transformation the Lord longs to create in us. He has blessed us to have a part in that growth.

Will you do your part today?

Denison Forum

The power of predictions and the urgency of revival

Warren Buffett is retiring at the end of the year. This is the headline news from his company’s annual shareholders meeting Saturday, but there’s more to know.

According to Forbes, Buffett is worth $168.2 billion. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, ended March 2025 with $347.7 billion on hand. Over the last year, his company’s stock rose 33.9 percent, compared with 12.3 percent for the S&P 500. All that to say, when Buffett discusses the economy, people listen.

Tens of thousands of them, in fact.

At Saturday’s annual meeting in Omaha, people came from around the world to hear the ninety-four-year-old investment guru. He stated that “balanced trade is good for the world” and that “trade should not be a weapon,” but he also urged patience to investors worried about the future. “People have emotions,” Buffett said. “You’ve got to check them at the door when you invest.”

Nothing happening today has changed his long-term optimism about the US. He observed that “we’re always in the process of change” and added, “If I were being born today, I would just keep negotiating in the womb until they said, ‘You could be in the United States.’”

Following this story over the weekend prompted me to reflect on the power predictions have to become reality and the significance of this power for our souls and society.

Why yesterday was Star Wars Day

In case you missed it, Sunday was Star Wars Day (“May the Fourth be with you”), bringing us a host of quotes from the iconic film series. One of the most memorable comes from Return of the Jedi, when Obi-Wan Kenobi famously told Luke Skywalker, “Many of the truths that we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”

While I disagree strongly with the underlying postmodern claim that there are no absolute truths (which is an absolute truth claim, by the way), Obi-Wan was right: when we act on our perceptions, we thus turn them into reality.

For example, when an investor like Warren Buffett encourages us to have faith in America and we therefore continue to invest in the country, our economy improves and our belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Of course, it helps when the object of our faith is worthy of it. You can sincerely take the wrong road and become lost, or take the wrong medicine and die.

Churches so full they turned people away

Consider Gen Z (adults ages eighteen to twenty-seven), in many ways the future of our society. Many have sincerely placed their faith in secularism, which contributes to their lack of flourishing today. A new study found, as the New York Times reports, that young adults are struggling “not only with happiness, but also with their physical and mental health, their perceptions of their own character, finding meaning in life, the quality of their relationships, and their financial security.”

However, in response to the loneliness epidemic and a loss of trust in the establishment, large numbers of young adults—and young men in particular—are turning to the Savior rather than secularism. In the UK, the number of young men attending church services has increased fivefold, and fourfold for young women. Gen Z adults are the most likely group to report an increase in Bible reading.

This trend is continuing across all demographics. Many churches in Great Britain were so full on Easter Sunday that they had to turn people away. Seventeen thousand people were baptized in France over the Easter weekend.

Once again, we are learning to pray with St. Augustine, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

“You have been set free from sin”

The key to experiencing genuine revival in our souls and our society is making the right spiritual decisions that become reality when we choose them.

In Romans 6, Paul taught that “the death [Jesus] died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God” (v. 10). Consequently, “you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (v. 11). Consider translates a Greek word meaning to “appraise, reckon, believe to be true.”

When we make this determination that we are “dead to sin,” we are empowered to make these choices as well:

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (vv. 12–14).

We can choose godliness over sin because “you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God” (v. 22a). You have been set free describes a completed action. The consequence of this fact “leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life” (v. 22b).

As St. Augustine observed, because of the Fall we were non posse non peccare, “not able not to sin.” But because of the transforming grace of Christ, we are now posse non peccare, “able not to sin.” The choice is ours.

If we believe Satan’s lie that we are sinners doomed to sin, we make his deception our reality. If we believe God’s assurance that we are “dead to sin” and can choose godliness with the help of God, we make his promise our reality.

There is no sin we must commit. To the contrary, “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Paul testified, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). You have the opportunity and ability to choose the same reality today.

“The only reason we don’t have revival”

Imagine the impact on our souls if each of America’s Christians chose to see ourselves as “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” and lived with true godliness by the help of God. Imagine the impact on our broken society. Imagine the revival that would come to our families, churches, and culture.

You can choose this reality for yourself today.

Leonard Ravenhill observed,

“The only reason we don’t have revival is because we are willing to live without it!”

Are you?

Quote for the day:

“Revival will come to us and within us when we really want it, when we pay the price.” —A. W. Tozer

Our latest website resources:

• Reconciling the “Gods” of the Old and New Testaments
• A review of Michael Heiser’s “The Unseen Realm”: Understanding the Old Testament’s most confusing passages
• Meta and Apple fined nearly $1 billion and an exposé of Meta: Why stories matter
• Pope Francis on five ways to engage a hostile culture
• Deion Sanders’ advice to his son Shedeur after draft slide

Denison Forum

What the contrast says about our nation and our souls

Thousands of people took to the streets across America yesterday in May Day protests against the Trump administration. The protests were organized under the banner of the 50501 movement, which stands for “fifty protests, fifty states, one movement,” which seeks to “uphold the Constitution and end executive overreach.” More than a thousand protests were organized in cities and towns across the country.

Like the US, Israel has seen large anti-government protests in recent years—first against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reforms and then to demand the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza. This past March, more than one hundred thousand people turned out at such protests.

But there is a key difference between the two nations, one that reveals a principle vital to our future and the flourishing of our souls.

“Trump’s Single Stroke of Brilliance”

Columnist David Brooks, a longtime critic of Donald Trump, wrote a recent New York Times article surprisingly titled, “Trump’s Single Stroke of Brilliance.” His column is as critical of the president as we would expect. However, Brooks credits the administration for its energy: “It is flooding the zone, firing on all cylinders, moving rapidly on all fronts at once. It is operating at a tremendous tempo, taking the initiative in one sphere after another.”

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In his view, those opposed to Mr. Trump need to match his “clarity of purpose” with a “one-sentence mission statement” and a clear strategy for implementing it.

By contrast, historian Gil Troy writes in Jewish News Service that by the start of their May 1 Independence Day, “Israelis will have been bonding culturally, patriotically, and existentially for eighteen intense days already.” I have been in Israel on this day many times over the years. It is deeply moving to see Israeli flags decorating the nation’s balconies and cars. Families gather at beaches, parks, and other spots for picnics, concerts, and parades celebrating the nation, its history, and its future.

Troy notes that 96 percent of Israeli Jews participated in the Passover seder on April 12; some 71 percent avoided bread throughout Passover week. On April 24, the country stood in place for two minutes at 10 a.m. as sirens sounded for Yom Hashoah—Holocaust Remembrance Day—memorializing six million Jews murdered by the Nazis. Then came Wednesday’s Memorial Day, when Israelis honored their war dead and terrorism victims.

On these memorial days, as Troy notes, “regular television programming stops. Cafes, restaurants, theaters, and sports arenas close. Millions light memorial candles.”

Troy reminds us that these annual observances reflect biblical rhythms and are intended “to consecrate, to commemorate, to connect.” They “personalized, popularized, and democratized—and thereby immortalized—ideas, values, and historical events.”

Everything Israelis observed across these weeks centered on their national mission: “to live as a free people in our homeland, the land of Zion.”

What is our national mission?

If you ask five Americans to define our national mission and strategy for fulfilling it, how many answers do you think you’d hear?

What would be your answer to the question?

For America’s Founders, our mission is to advance the “self-evident” truth “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Our strategy fulfills this mission: “To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the government.”

Like Israel’s recent memorials and celebrations, America’s founding mission and strategy are derived from biblical principles. Our mission protects and promotes the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness “endowed by [our] Creator.” Our strategy creates a government by consent of the governed, reflecting the sanctity of all life as created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

In both cases, the Founders were adamant that our flourishing depends on the blessing and providence of our Lord. For example, as Dr. Ryan Denison noted in his Daily Article yesterday, the National Day of Prayer observed by many across the country has its antecedents in a congressional appeal in 1775 for the colonies to join in “a Day of public Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer” for God’s blessing on their revolution for independence.

The modern state of Israel has not lost sight of its founding mission and strategy across its seventy-seven years of existence.

As America approaches our 250^th anniversary, have we?

How to find “rest for your souls”

America’s Founders could conceive of such a biblical mission and strategy because America’s first “Great Awakening” unified the colonies, elevated the humanity of all people (including African slaves), and inspired Americans to deep repentance and personal godliness.

How can you and I experience and catalyze such an awakening for the sake of our nation and our souls?

In Matthew 11, Jesus invites us,

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (vv. 28–30).

In Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did, pastor and author John Mark Comer notes that the “yoke” was a Hebrew idiom used by a rabbi for “his set of teachings, his way of reading Scripture, his take on how to thrive as a human being in God’s good world.” To “take my yoke upon you” means to live holistically by Jesus’ teaching as our life mission. To “learn” from him is the strategy by which we fulfill this mission as we seek his guidance in every dimension of our lives.

When we do this, we discover that our Lord is “gentle and lowly in heart,” meaning that he is kind and humble, wanting only our best in every dimension of our lives. The more we live by his word and will, the more we find “rest for [our] souls,” a peace that transcends all circumstances. This is because Jesus’ yoke is “easy,” a word meaning to be useful and best for us, while the “burden” or work he intends for us is “easy to bear” in his power and purpose.

So I’ll close by asking:

• When last did you consciously and intentionally choose Jesus’ “yoke” and no other?
• When last did you determine to live by his word and will alone?
• When last did you seek his help in wearing his yoke and bearing his burden?
• When last did you find “rest for your soul”?

Why not today?

Quote for the day:

“The command of Jesus is hard, unutterably hard, for those who try to resist it. But for those who willingly submit, the yoke is easy, and the burden is light.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

Our latest website resources:

• Meta and Apple fined nearly $1 billion and an exposé of Meta: Why stories matter
• Pope Francis on five ways to engage a hostile culture
• What Christians believe—and why it matters
• 100 days of Trump, Shedeur Sanders draft drama, global tensions & an oil change story
• Deion Sanders’ advice to his son Shedeur after draft slide

Denison Forum

America’s primary abortion pill causes serious complications for 1 out of 10 women

Mifepristone, one of two pills used in facilitating chemical abortions, gained FDA approval twenty-five years ago after a study of just under thirty-one thousand participants showed that less than .5 percent experienced serious adverse reactions. That statistic has since been cited to defend not only the use of the pill but also the removal of almost every safeguard that was put in place when it was first introduced to the public.

Initially, women could not obtain the drugs until going to three in-person visits, after which only a physician could prescribe and dispense the pills, which had to be taken in the doctor’s office. An in-office follow-up visit was also required, and any adverse events that resulted from the pills had to be reported.

Now none of what I just described is still the case. All that is required today for a woman to receive the pills necessary to end a pregnancy is a Teladoc appointment and a mailing address. So, perhaps it should not come as a surprise that mifepristone is not nearly as “safe and effective” as originally thought. And the reality is far worse than you might imagine.

A recent analysis by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) of more than 865,000 cases since 2017 has shown that “10.93 percent of women experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days following a mifepristone abortion.” That means serious complications are twenty-two times more likely to occur than either the FDA or the pill’s makers have claimed.

How the EPPC study was done

The EPPC came to these conclusions by analyzing “real-world insurance claims data for 865,727 prescribed mifepristone abortions, broadly representative of women who obtain mifepristone abortions in the US today.” As such, where the initial study revolved around a closely monitored and selected group of women who took the pills under the care of a doctor, this latest study is far more representative of how this kind of abortion is actually obtained and administered today.

Considering that chemical abortions account for roughly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States, an accurate assessment of the risk they pose to those who choose to take them is essential. And, if anything, the EPPC study undersells the problem.

The folks behind the research were intentionally conservative in their approach to the study. Where the FDA uses a 72-day timeframe for tracking adverse events, they limited the scope of their findings to 45 days. Moreover, by relying on insurance claims to form their data set, they could not capture statistics for women who purchased the pills through cash pay transactions, which “are disproportionately common for abortion.”

As such, while the rate of serious complications in nearly 11 percent of cases is likely accurate for women who were not part of their study, the raw numbers are much higher.

So, where are we likely to go from here? Will the new research lead to real change or fall on deaf ears?

Fortunately, there could be some good news in this regard.

Where do we go from here?

In a conversation with Amna Nawaz of PBS News last week, Dr. Marty Makary, the new commissioner of the FDA, was asked about mifepristone and if the FDA might move to impose new restrictions on the drug. In response, Makary stated, “I have no plans to take action on mifepristone.” But while that statement is not exactly encouraging, he didn’t stop there. Malkarky went on to add that:

“I believe as a scientist, you got to evolve as the data comes in. And, as you may know, there is an ongoing set of data that is coming into FDA on mifepristone. So if the data suggests something or tells us that there’s a real signal, then I—we can’t promise we’re not going to act on that data that we have not yet seen.”

In the wake of EPPC’s report, Senator Josh Hawley, who sits on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, penned an open letter to Dr. Makary urging him “to follow this new data and take all appropriate action to restore critical safeguards on the use of mifepristone.” He gave the FDA commissioner until May 15 to respond, with the clear expectation that the data from EPPC should lead to fundamental changes in how mifepristone is administered.

Moreover, when the Supreme Court heard a case on the ongoing legality of the drug last June, it ruled against a challenge that would have made it more difficult to receive it. However, it did so because the group that brought the case before them lacked standing rather than because the case itself was without merit. As I wrote at the time, Justice Kavanaugh—who wrote the majority opinion for the Court—strongly intimated that any group that brought a similar case with standing in the future might expect a different and more positive outcome.

It is possible that the latest data on just how much the FDA and the makers of mifepristone have misrepresented its safety could give additional grounds for such a case to be brought again.

Celebrating each victory

Ultimately, it’s too soon to know what impact the EPPC study will have on abortion pills and their availability, but any additional limitations and safeguards around who is eligible to receive them could help save tens of thousands of lives, both among the unborn and their mothers. And that is a possibility worth celebrating, even if it falls short of the complete removal of abortion pills from the marketplace.

You see, one of the most challenging aspects of being pro-life in our culture today is the knowledge that we are unlikely to ever see abortion removed as an option for those who wish to end their pregnancy. While we can and should work to that end, both by changing laws and—more importantly—changing hearts, we can’t afford to become so fixated on that goal that we fail to appreciate the smaller wins along the way.

Just as heaven rejoices when a single soul is saved, we too should rejoice every time a mother chooses life (Luke 15:7). If the EPPC study leads to changed laws and greater protection for both the unborn and their mothers, then that is a win and should be celebrated as such.

Will you join me in praying for that outcome today? Will you pray that this study finds its way to the right people and that laws are changed to reflect reality on this issue? And, lastly, will you pray that God works in the hearts and minds of every person considering abortion today and helps them choose life, both for themselves and for their child?

These are prayers our heavenly Father longs to answer, and we should rejoice with him every time he does.

Let’s start today.

Quote of the day:

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” —Cicero

Our latest website resources:

• A review of Michael Heiser’s “The Unseen Realm”
• Deion Sanders’ advice to his son Shedeur after draft slide
• Trump’s first hundred days and Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest
• Massive crowds fill St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’s funeral

Denison Forum