A group of Senate Democrats reached an agreement last night with congressional Republicans, the first in a series of votes that would lead to reopening the US government. The negotiated deal reverses federal layoffs, promises a future vote on expiring Obamacare subsidies, and fully reopens the government through January 30. The Senate and the House still require a final vote, then the continuing resolution would head to President Trump for his signature.

Healthcare benefits have been at the heart of the longest-ever government shutdown, which raises the question: How much of our lives are spent managing our mortality? Americans spend $265 billion each year on physical activity, $70 billion a year on weight-loss plans, and $100 billion on prescription drugs.

Nearly a million people have evacuated in the Philippines ahead of a deadly typhoon that struck yesterday. Paris residents are entering a lottery to share cemetery space with Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde. The plastic surgery industry is now booming in the US.

It is human nature to seek to mitigate human finitude, but the mortality rate is still 100 percent. In a world where death comes to all (Hebrews 9:27), why should we believe that “God is love” (1 John 4:8)?

 “Let death do its work in us”

I spent the weekend grappling with a sinus infection, the details of which I won’t share as you begin your Monday. However, I would wager that, like me, you can name something (or several somethings) about your health you’re glad you won’t have to endure forever. And every day you tire of the news with its never-ending cycles of doom and gloom, you can take heart that your world will not always be like this.

St. Ambrose of Milan (339–97) is best known for his influence on St. Augustine, but he was a brilliant theologian in his own right. He encouraged us:

Let death do its work in us . . . so that life may do its work also: a good life after death, that is, a good life after victory, after the battle is over, when the law of the flesh is no longer in conflict with the law of the mind, when we have no more battles with mortal flesh but in mortal flesh we have victory.

He understood that for Christians, dying is not the final battle but the final victory. Our death is but the doorway into a life without death, a world in which “death shall be no more” (Revelation 21:4) and, as John Donne warned our old foe, “Death, thou shalt die.”

Max Lucado is right:

Though you and I may wish for a longer life for our loved ones who have gone before us, they don’t. Ironically, the first to accept God’s decision of death is the one who dies. You see, while we’re mourning at a grave, they’re marveling in heaven. While we’re questioning God, they’re praising God!

As I often said at funerals, when we take our last breath here, we take our first breath there. We close our eyes in this world of death and open them in that world of life. We step out of the “car” and go into the “house.” We are well, and we are home. And we discover for ourselves the truth of Jesus’ promise: “Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:26).

“No different from being unborn”

Here’s our problem: we cannot prove that it is so.

When we die, we obviously have no agency to save ourselves from death. Like a patient under anesthesia, we are completely dependent on someone besides ourselves to bring us back to life. But unlike those facing anesthesia, we cannot interview someone who has come back from the other side, so we have no way to prove that the other side even exists, much less that we will go there upon our death.

Every position we take on the afterlife is, therefore, a faith position.

The atheist Richard Dawkins is sure that “being dead will be no different from being unborn,” but he has absolutely no way to prove that he’s right. He has faith that there is no God, judgment, or afterlife, just as I have faith that all three are real.

Faced with a faith decision we cannot avoid—and no one can avoid death—we do well to examine the evidence and then make our decision on its basis as best we can. Here’s the evidence upon which I base my hope of eternal life: the fact of Jesus’ empty tomb.

The fact that beckons when I doubt

I can prove to you without opening a Bible that Jesus of Nazareth existed, was crucified, and was believed by his followers to have been raised from the grave. When they began proclaiming the resurrection, the easiest response by the authorities would have been to produce Jesus’ corpse. This would have ended the Christian movement before it began.

But they did nothing of the sort. They fabricated the lie that the disciples stole the body only because they had no body to display (Matthew 28:11–15).

From then to now, the fact of Jesus’ empty tomb beckons to me every time the inevitable doubts of faith begin to find me. There is no logical explanation for it:

• If the disciples stole the body, they kept the secret better than any secret has ever been kept and then died tortured deaths for a lie.
• If the disciples went to the wrong tomb, the authorities would have shown them to the correct tomb.
• If Jesus had somehow resuscitated himself after his death, despite the spear that pierced the pericardial sac around his heart and the mummified airtight shroud in which his corpse was wrapped, he could not have performed the miracles that proved his resurrected divinity and sparked the Christian movement.

If Christ rose from the grave, he must be God. His word must be true. Trusting him must be the most reasonable decision to make. Sharing his hope must be the greatest gift we can give. And death must be the door to eternal life.

“The funeral of all his sins”

The Puritan Thomas Brooks (1608–80) noted:

“A Christian knows that death shall be the funeral of all his sins, his sorrows, his afflictions, his temptations, his vexations, his oppressions, his persecutions. He knows that death shall be the resurrection of all his hopes, his joys, his delights, his comforts, his contentments.”

Why is this reminder good news for you today?

Quote for the day:

“He whose head is in heaven need not fear to put his feet into the grave.” —Matthew Henry

Our latest website resources:

• If spreading the gospel was as easy as ‘67’
• Tariffs on trial, Nigerian Christian persecution, Dick Cheney, Mamdani and Dems win big & NFL trades
• How can Christians respond to persecution and defend religious freedom?
• Washington walks back attempts to single out Catholic clergy
• Trade deals, East Wing destroyed, NBA gambling scandal, election day preview & scented stamps

Denison Forum

Toward the end of President Trump’s first term in office, his administration designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC). The label is given to nations that “engaged in severe violations of religious freedom” as understood under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. While the label was removed the following year by President Biden’s Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, Trump reinstated it this past weekend in response to increased scrutiny of the government’s failure to protect the Christians within its borders.

Designating a country as a CPC doesn’t lead to immediate sanctions or require the administration to follow through on Trump’s threats of military action and withheld aid. However, it does necessitate that Congress look into the matter, and representatives from the House Appropriations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee are preparing to do just that.

But while President Trump is the most powerful voice to raise concerns over the treatment of Christians in Nigeria, he’s far from the first. Senator Ted Cruz introduced legislation in August proposing sanctions against the country for violations of religious freedom. And the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has advocated for intervention for years.

The Commission’s report from August of last year describes in detail the myriad ways in which Christians have suffered at the hands of terrorist organizations and bandits, as well as at the hands of the government at the state and local levels. Despite the country’s constitution officially prohibiting the adoption of an official religion, it does permit the use of Sharia and blasphemy laws. Citizens are not supposed to be compelled to abide by them, but that hasn’t stopped local and state governments from using them to imprison, beat, and even stone those who fail to abide by their codes of conduct.

However, Nigeria’s Christians are not the only ones to suffer such treatment, and the reality of the situation is more complex than the headlines make it seem.

Boko Haram and violence in the North

As Conner Jones described on this week’s episode of Culture Brief, part of what makes the situation in Nigeria so complicated is that the nation has a population of nearly 240 million people, and it’s split relatively evenly between Christians and Muslims. Most of the country’s Christian population resides in the southern half, while the northern half is predominantly Muslim.

The vast majority of the violence is located in the northern and central parts of the country. In major southern metropolitan areas, like Lagos, Christian persecution is relatively low. In the north, however, militant groups like Boko Haram target both Christians and Muslims who will not go along with their brand of radicalized Islam. While followers of Jesus are 6.5 times more likely to be killed than Muslims, these terrorist armies have killed tens of thousands of their fellow Muslims as well.

To their credit, the government has tried to intervene at times, only to find that its forces are often outmatched. Just last month, Boko Haram overran a military barracks along Nigeria’s northern border and forced the soldiers to flee, leaving behind their weapons.

Yet, as bad as the violence is in the north, central Nigeria is even worse.

Fulani Herdsmen and a more complicated conflict

Isa Sanusi, the executive director of Nigeria’s branch of Amnesty International, said in May that 93 percent of the roughly ten thousand people killed by bandits in the last two years came from two states in the central part of the nation. But while there is undoubtedly a religious component to the violence in this region, economics play an important role as well.

The primary perpetrators of the attacks in central Nigeria are the Fulani Herdsmen. For generations, they raised their cattle and other livestock in a nomadic way of life. However, as the country’s population increased, more and more of that land was converted to farms, most of which are owned and operated by Christians.

That said, what started as a land dispute has since morphed into something else.

These radicalized groups have learned that it is often far easier to find support for their cause when they can claim it is motivated by religion. Moreover, at least in central Nigeria, they receive less pushback by targeting Christians than they would by attacking those who share their spiritual perspectives.

And while government officials claim that “both sides have been perpetrators and victims,” Zayiri Yusuf—a Nigerian political analyst—notes that “I am yet to find any Muslim community where people have been sacked and others came in to occupy those places.”

At the end of the day, even if the violence is motivated by more than religion, religion is still at the heart of the death and destruction that has turned Nigeria into “The deadliest country for Christians.”

So, what can we do about it?

How to pray for the persecuted

When faced with the reality of persecution to the extent seen in Nigeria, we have to start with prayer. However, we can intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ more effectively when we know enough about them to better empathize with what they’re going through. That means reading beyond the headlines and talking points to truly learn about their situation and the dangers they face.

So, while we pray for those who go to bed each night unsure of whether they’ll see the morning, we must also pray for those in the government who are genuinely trying to help but lack either the strength or resources to make a significant difference. And we need to pray that God would protect the Muslims who are being persecuted as well, understanding that those who perpetrate this violence do not represent the entire religion.

Taking the time to research the events and people for whom we pray will add depth to our intercession and help them remain on our hearts and minds far longer than if we simply offer a short prayer before moving on with our day.

Then, once you’ve prayed for those facing the threat of persecution, take some time to ask the Lord if he would ask anything else of you as well.

Wissam al-Saliby, the President of 21 Wilberforce, joined Dr. Mark Turman on this week’s Faith and Clarity podcast to discuss the persecution in Nigeria and around the world, as well as some of the more tangible ways that people can help. Organizations such as Open Doors, The Voice of the Martyrs, and others are also worth exploring.

We are all called to help

God is not going to ask most of us to share the gospel in areas where we might lose our lives for doing so. That may be his will for some, but even if it’s not your calling to go, we are all called to help.

So, before you close this article or pause this podcast, take some time to ask the Lord where he wants you to help. It could be as simple as setting reminders in your phone or on notes around your bedroom to help you remember to pray more frequently for those facing persecution. Perhaps he would have you donate your time or resources to one of the organizations trying to help those same people. Or maybe his calling for your life is to take the step of becoming more directly involved in taking the gospel to some of the world’s darkest places.

Whatever the case may be, know that he has a role for you to play in helping the lost come to know Jesus and in supporting your fellow believers as they attempt to do the same.

What is your role today?

Quote of the day:

“Every Christian a missionary; every non-Christian a mission-field.” —Winkie Pratney

Our latest website resources:

• Nigeria is becoming a “mass grave” for Christians
• Tariffs on trial, Nigerian Christian persecution, Dick Cheney, Mamdani and Dems win big & NFL trades |CB Ep. 44
• How can Christians respond to persecution and defend religious freedom?
• If spreading the gospel was as easy as ’67’
• Washington walks back attempts to single out Catholic clergy

Denison Forum

This week’s elections have been framed by many, especially those critical of President Trump, as a negative referendum on his second term. Some are even predicting that the Democrats’ victories portend a “blue wave” in next year’s midterms. By contrast, others suggest that Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race is a political “gift” for Mr. Trump, so long as he understands voters’ frustrations that led to Mr. Mamdani’s ascension.

While I would not offer partisan advice to Mr. Trump as he responds to these partisan views, I have been reflecting on his approach to a far more significant election in his future.

The president dialed into Fox & Friends a few weeks ago to discuss the war in Ukraine. During the conversation, he explained his motivation for trying to broker an end to the conflict: “I want to try and get to heaven, if possible,” he said. “I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”

Prodded recently by a reporter to elaborate, he said, “I’m being a little cute. I don’t think there’s anything that’s going to get me into heaven. I think I’m not maybe heaven-bound.” He added, “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to make heaven, but I’ve made life a lot better for a lot of people.”

Saved by grace but living by works

Mr. Trump’s soteriology (doctrine of salvation) needs a significant biblical corrective. We are saved by grace and not works, by what Jesus has done rather than by anything we can do (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 11:6). If Donald Trump has trusted in Christ as his Savior, he is a child of God and has eternal life now (John 1:12; 3:16). If he has not, he urgently needs to make this commitment (2 Corinthians 6:2).

But I am focusing today less on the president’s soul and more on yours and mine.

My assumption is that you have already trusted in Jesus as your Savior and Lord. (If you have not, I encourage you to read my article, “Why Jesus?”, make the commitment I explain at its end, then reach out to a Christian friend who can help you grow in your new faith.)

My point is this: We know we are saved by grace, but many of us live by works.

We agree with St. Augustine that God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. We’ve heard pastors assure us that Jesus would die on the cross all over again just for us. But in every other dimension of our lives, we are what we do. Imagine appealing to grace when you undertake your next assignment at work, take your next test at school, or owe your next mortgage payment to the bank. Even marriage and family have performance-based conditional limits relative to adultery and abuse.

The same is true in a sense with our souls. As we have been discussing this week, we are commanded to love our Lord and our neighbor holistically and unconditionally (Matthew 22:37–39). This takes discipline and devotion: we go to church on Sunday, pray and read the Bible during the week, devote significant time and resources to Christian causes, and even read (and write) articles like this one.

But it’s not enough.

If you’re like me, you live with the knowledge that you don’t always love God holistically or your neighbor unconditionally. In fact, we fall short on both counts—sometimes far short—every day. And working harder to do better seems to be a path not to progress and holiness but to discouragement and burnout.

The supermoon and our sanctification

Last night we saw the brightest supermoon we will see this year. If we didn’t know better, we would think that this was because the moon itself became larger and more luminous.

However, astronomers inform us that the moon’s “light” is a reflection of the light of the sun and that the moon was closer to our planet and thus appeared to be larger and more luminous. I would not know any of this to be true if someone who knows more than me had not told me. My part is to trust their scientific expertise rather than my flawed observation.

So it is with our souls. Trying harder to be more godly doesn’t make us more godly, at least not in the long run. We need a source of light and wisdom beyond ourselves. And we need to trust that source even—and especially—when it contradicts our self-reliant culture.

What does God’s word tell us about spiritual progress?

• When facing temptation: “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).
• When facing decisions: “Trust in the Lᴏʀᴅ with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6).
• When facing difficult circumstances: “We felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9).
• When facing death: “He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

In short, God alone is “able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 24).

As with astronomical wisdom, our role is to believe that this is so. As with the moon and the sun, we are to receive what our Source offers by grace and then to reflect that grace to a graceless world.

This means that we read Scripture, pray, worship, and serve, not so God will love us but because he already does. We practice spiritual disciplines not to grow spiritually but to position ourselves to experience the sanctification only the Spirit can effect in our lives.

“The best thing we will ever know”

First15, our ministry’s devotional resource, noted recently:

Of all the wonders our Creator provides us, boundless and unadulterated relationship with Jesus vastly exceeds them all. Jesus is the best thing we will ever know. His love restores, satisfies, transforms, and heals. His grace empowers and brings transcendent peace. His nearness resolves the great fears of our hearts. And his Kingship calls us to a right relationship of living for heaven rather than a pursuit of that which is worldly and fleeting.

Tim Keller was right:

“To be loved but not known is superficial. To be known and not loved is our nightmare. Only Jesus knows us to the bottom and loves us to the sky.”

When last did his love change your life?

Why not today?

Quote for the day:

“For breadth the love of Jesus is immensity, for length it is eternity, for depth it is immeasurability, and for height it is infinity.” —Charles Spurgeon

Our latest website resources:

• If spreading the gospel was as easy as ‘67’
• How can Christians respond to persecution and defend religious freedom?
• Washington walks back attempts to single out Catholic clergy
• Trade deals, East Wing destroyed, NBA gambling scandal, election day preview & scented stamps
• What does the Bible say about transhumanism?

Denison Forum