President Trump has issued an executive order to take the various state laws on Gender Transition for Minors up to the national level.
“This executive order is beautiful. The language in it is wonderful,” Family Research Council Senior Fellow Meg Kilgannon gushed. “It’s very well written. It’s very clear. And it protects parents. It protects children. It ends the reliance on junk science and will stop the promotion of using the WPATH guidelines. That’s huge. And it directs the federal government to review: what is the state of the science on this? What is the research into the effects of these treatments, so-called treatments on children?”
“This is quite extensive,” Family Research Council President, Tony Perkins agreed. “Not only does it address the issue of transgender sexual mutilation that is taking place, but it shows how much the federal government is involved in everything.” The executive order affects “institutions that get [federal] grants,” he continued, “and that’s almost every institution of higher learning that may have a hospital associated with it.” It also affects the military health care system, and it instructs the Department of Justice to treat some gender transition surgeries as female genital mutilation.
Future
Trump’s executive order also places his administration on the side of those fighting to protect children. “Now we will have the wind at our backs, instead of fighting the headwinds of the Biden administration, which was enforcing all of the opposite of this,” Kilgannon said.
“I love these executive orders — most of them,” said Perkins. “But they’re executive orders. They can be undone four years from now.” He called on Congress and state legislatures “to start seeing policy adopted into law that is anchored to truth, common sense. … Now, with the wind at our backs, this needs to be translated into public policy at the state and even the federal level.”
In fact, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) “has already introduced a bill to protect children against child abuse of these procedures,” noted Kilgannon. “It’s really a wonderful time to think about the possibilities.”
For all the labor expended in fighting to protect children from gender transition procedures, it’s encouraging to see that translate into federal policy under the Trump administration. However, the possibility that some future administration will reverse this policy is a reminder that the fight is not over until there is legislation to back up this order.
The Church, as the body of Christ, is called to be a city on a hill, a light to the nations, and the pillar of truth in a world darkened by sin. However, many denominational/institutional churches have compromised with the world on sexuality, marriage, and gender. They are the apostate church Jesus described in the Olivet Discourse as the end-times church. They are not the church God intended, as described in the Book of Acts.
The Early Church Was Hospitable
People were not only giving their resources or money but were joyfully opening their homes to hold gatherings and share meals. Church didn’t have a specific time or place, it simply was whenever the believers were together; at home or at the temple, at the dining table, or resting in the living room. They shared their lives, their homes, their food, and their time—and they did it all with glad and generous hearts. “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.” Acts 2:46
The Early Church Was Sacrificial
From their closeness and love for one another, flowed unselfishness that blessed all the church members. People were valued over money or social standing and through the church, the Lord met all the needs of the poor and needy members. They were loved and cherished to the glory of God.
“And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” Acts 2:45
The Early Church Was Joyful
And do you know what the result of living like that was? Joy. A natural, God-given, outpouring of joy. Joy despite persecution, joy despite ridicule. God gave His early church joy. They never stopped praising Him.
“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47
The Early Church Was Expanding
This radical, miraculous, and joyful lifestyle got the attention of many outsiders, and God, in His goodness, saved many during this time in church history.
The Early Church Was Gospel-Cantered
The church was made up of people who shared one very specific belief: Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life—no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). You were not part of the church unless you accepted that salvation is through Christ’s life, His death, and resurrection alone and declared this faith publicly by baptism (being fully submerged in water and then raised out again). Their unity in Christ united them as a group.
“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”Acts 2:38.41
The Early Church Was Devoted to Learning God’s Word
The early church was excited about their salvation and ready to live lives that honored God, so they devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles. They didn’t have the fully revealed Word of God the way we do today. They were taught from the Old Testament scrolls and from sermons and letters written and sent around by the apostles. This was a trait that continued until it led to the Reformation.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers“. Acts 2:42
The Early Church Was Diverse
This doesn’t seem very profound today, but we must remember that in Bible times, your culture and geographical position largely influenced who and how you worshipped. Until the beginning of the church, that is! Suddenly, at Pentecost, people from all regions with varied languages experienced the miracle of the Holy Spirit who enabled them to understand and speak in different languages that they might hear the gospel and believe. Many were then united in their faith in Jesus Christ. What a great reminder that the gospel is for all people; every tribe, tongue, and nation. The early church was certainly diverse (Acts 2:9-11)!
The Early Church Was United
Something that really stands out about the early church is their intentional devotion to one another. The gospel not only saved their eternal lives (souls) but also drastically changed their everyday, earthly lives, and relationships too! There were no isolated groups within the church, there was no room for pretenders and hypocrisy, they were physically and emotionally close and shared everything they had with each other.
“And all who believed were together and had all things in common.” Acts 2:44
The Early Church: a Reminder for Today’s Christians
As Christians, we are to love God, hold fast to His Word, and serve each other with the same zeal and love that the first Christians had for each other. We’re quick to get comfortable in our neat, quiet lives but the gospel calls us to step out, love hard, make sacrifices, and share ourselves with others. We are His church, He has called us. And He will meet our needs as we serve Him and seek to edify our own churches, particularly in our region, city and nation.
How will you respond?
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 5:12-13
The Ten Commandments: A Path to True Freedom by Christian Kahnt.
A Loving Gift, not a Restriction
The Ten Commandments were given by God as an expression of His love for humanity. Like a parent https://youtu.be/NWcKMQqAZ9Y?si=X0r9k_P6weov5diqgiving guidance to a child, these commands are designed to protect us, bless us, and keep us from harm. They are road signs on life’s journey, pointing us away from danger and toward a life of peace and fulfillment.
2. Freedom Through Boundaries
True freedom isn’t about doing whatever we feel like – it’s about living without the weight of guilt, broken relationships, or consequences that harm ourselves and others. The Ten Commandments show us how to live in harmony with God, others, and even our own hearts. They free us from the chaos that comes when we disregard what is good and right.
3. A Blueprint for Relationships
The Commandments focus on two essential relationships:
Loving God (the first four Commandments): They teach us to honour and connect with the One who made us.
Loving others (the last six Commandments): They guide us in building healthy, respectful relationships with the people around us.
Jesus Himself summed this up when He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind” and “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39).
4. Protecting What Matters Most
Each Commandment isn’t just a prohibition but a safeguard for something precious:
“You shall have no other gods before Me”: Keeps our hearts anchored in what is eternal and unchanging, rather than fleeting pursuits.
“You shall not make idols”: Protects us from investing in false hopes that will ultimately disappoint.
“Do not misuse God’s name”: Calls us to honour God in our words and actions.
“Remember the Sabbath”: Encourages rest, reflection, and restoration in a fast-paced world.
“Honor your father and mother”: Instils respect for family and wisdom.
“Do not murder”: Safeguards life and peace in our communities.
“Do not commit adultery”: Protects trust and love in relationships.
“Do not steal”: Upholds fairness and integrity.
“Do not lie”: Builds trust and truthfulness.
“Do not covet”: Promotes contentment and gratitude.
5. A Path to Flourishing
Far from being a heavy burden, the Ten Commandments are a path to flourishing. They invite us to live as God designed us to live—in harmony with Him, with others, and with ourselves. When we follow them, we experience peace, joy, and a deeper sense of purpose.
The Gospel and the Commandments
The Commandments show us God’s standard for holy living, but they also reveal our inability to meet that standard on our own. This is where the gospel shines brightest.
Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He offers us forgiveness for our failures and the power to live transformed lives. In Christ, the Commandments are not burdens but blessings. We obey not to earn God’s love, but because we’ve already received it.
Sharing the Good News
As we reflect on the Ten Commandments, let’s embrace them as a positive, life-giving framework. Share this perspective with those around you – on social media, in conversations, and in prayer groups. Remind others that God’s commands aren’t about restriction but about love, protection, and freedom.
By choosing to live within the wisdom of God’s guidelines, we step into the abundant life He desires for us – a life marked by love, peace, and true freedom.
Pastor Christian Kahnt is the Assistant Pastor at the Parramatta Christian Church NSW Australia
“The Head over every ruler and authority.”Colossians 2:10
Not many denominations hold to Jesus ruling and reigning on this Earth for 1000 years before God destroys this Earth with fire, and yet many great historians and churchmen can be cited in affirming the early dominance of Premillennialism. Among them is the celebrated church historian Philip Schaff. He penned this oft-quoted passage:
“The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasm or millenarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgment. It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion, but a widely current opinion of distinguished teachers, such as Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactantius” History of the Christian Church Vol 11, p. 614 PhilipSchaff.
Justin Martyr was an overtly premillennial ante-Nicene church father. Justin gave his most famous statement on the Millennium: “For if you have fallen in with some who are called Christians, but who do not admit this [truth] and venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who say there is no resurrection of the dead, and that their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven; do not imagine that they are Christians . . . But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousandyears in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, [as] the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare.” Dialogue with Trypho LXXX, p.239
Two of the greatest ante-Nicene fathers were Irenaeus and Tertullian (AD 160-230). Irenaeus grew up in Asia Minor and was discipled by Polycarp, who knew the Apostle John.
Irenaeus had a very extensive view of Bible prophecy in his last five chapters of Against Heresies, which were suppressed throughout the Middle Ages by anti-premillennialists and rediscovered in 1571. The restoration of a more literal interpretation and reading of the early church fathers by many post-reformationists led to a revival of premillennialism in the early 1600s. Irenaeus’ writings played a key role because of their clear premillennial statements. “John, therefore, did distinctly foresee the first ‘resurrection of the just,’ and the inheritance in the kingdom of the earth,” he says, “and what the prophets haveprophesied concerning it harmonize [with his vision].” Again, Irenaeus declares, “But when this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom.”
Tertullian, who gave us the Latin word “Trinity” was also a strong premillennialist. He makes his premillennialism clear when he says the following: “But we do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem, ‘letdown from heaven,’ which the apostle also calls ‘our mother from above;’ and, while declaring that our citizenship is in heaven, he predicts of it that it is really a city in heaven.’’ This both Ezekiel had knowledge of, and the Apostle John beheld.”
Another outstanding premillennialist of the early church was Lactantius (AD 250-330) of North Africa. He wrote an important defence of Christianity that was the first systematic expression of Christianity called The Divine Institutes, which included a section on prophecy. Lactantius said: “But when the thousand years shall be completed, the world shall he renewed by God, and the heavens shall be folded together, and the earth shall be changed, and God shall transform men into the similitude of angels, and they shall be white as snow; and they shall always be employed in the sight of the Almighty, and shall make offerings to their Lord, and serve Him for ever.”
The death of Lactantius in AD 325 marked the end of Premillennialism as a commonly held belief in the church until after the Reformation of the 16th century. No doubt there were some saints that read the Scriptures and believed what they said about the Messianic Age, though their teachings on the matter are few.
Origen and Allegory: It is difficult to overestimate the level of influence Origen and his allegorical hermeneutic had in shaping much of the Christian world’s approach to Scripture. One of his students, Dionysius, strongly opposed the promotion of Premillennialism through exegesis by the Egyptian church bishop Nepos. On what followed, German Lutheran Theologian, Adolf von Harnack (1851-1930) recounted: “Dionysius became convinced that the victory of mystical theology over “Jewish” chiliasm would never be secure so long as the Apocalypse of John passed for apostolic writing and kept its place among the homologoumena (those considered authoritative) of the canon . . . During the 4th century, it was removed from the Greek canon, and thus the troublesome foundation on which chiliasm might have continued to build was got rid of . . . late in the Middle Ages, (God ensured) the Book of Revelation did recover its authority; however, the church was by that time so hopelessly entangled by a magical cultus as to be incapable of fresh developments.” Harnack’s explanation reveals that Dionysius was also motivated by a distaste for Judaism.
Theologian Renald Showers elaborated on the influence of antisemitism of the time. “Gentiles who professed to be Christians increasingly called Jews “Christ-killers” and developed a strong bias against anything Jewish. Because the premillennial belief in the earthly, political Kingdom rule of Messiah in the future was the same hope which had motivated the Jews for centuries, that belief was increasingly “stigmatized as ‘Jewish’ and consequently ‘heretical’” by eastern Gentile Christians.”
Some of the same people who claimed to worship a Jew as God in the flesh and hold up the Scriptures that were written by Jews (cf. Rom 3:1–2), were at the same time eager to separate themselves from what was Jewish. What absurdity! Unfortunately, this attitude is still commonplace in much of the Christian world to various degrees today.
In his first public address since Inauguration Day, Vice President J.D. Vance assured attendees at the March for Life that the Trump administration has their back and will work to make it easier for families to raise their children. Vance’s address makes him the second sitting vice president to appear at a March for Life. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who served during the first Trump administration, became the first sitting vice president to address the annual event in 2017.
Vance addressed the crowd gathered at the 52nd annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., Friday. His speech comes less than a week after he took office as the 50th vice president of the United States.
Vance reflected on the state of the pro-life movement and the importance of working to “defend the unborn” and be “pro-family and pro-life in the fullest sense of that world possible,” telling the massive crowd that “our country has not yet stepped up in the way you have.” “We failed a generation not only by permitting a culture of abortion on demand but also by neglecting to help young parents achieve the ingredients they need to live a happy and meaningful life,” Vance asserted. “A culture of radical individualism took root, one where the responsibilities and joys of family life were seen as obstacles to overcome, not as personal fulfillment or personal blessings. Our society has failed to recognise the obligation that one generation has to another is a core part of living in a society, to begin with.”
“I want more babies in the United States of America,” he proclaimed. “I want more happy children in our country, and I want beautiful young men and women who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them. And it is the task of our government to make it easier for young moms and dads to afford to have kids, to bring them into the world and to welcome them as the blessings that we know they are.”
He also brought up President Donald Trump’s pardon of 23 pro-life activists convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act during the Biden administration for blocking the entrances to abortion clinics. “No longer will our government throw pro-life protesters and activists, elderly grandparents or anybody else in prison,” he stated.
“It stopped on Monday and we’re not going to let it come back to this country,” he insisted. “This administration stands by you, we stand with you, and most importantly, we stand with the most vulnerable and the basic principle that people exercising the right to protest on behalf of the most vulnerable should never have the government go after them ever again.”
Vance concluded his speech by thanking the pro-life movement for their work and maintaining that because of their efforts, “America is fundamentally a pro-baby, a pro-life and a pro-family country.”
Gen Z
1997 – 2012
13 – 28
Millennials or Generation Y
1981 – 1996
29 – 44
Generation X
1965 – 1980
45 – 60
Sadly, all three generations, X, Y and Z, have been brought up being taught evolution and the Big Bang, not creation, as the origin of the Cosmos. Also, prayer in the United States, if organised by the school, was banned from public elementary, middle, and high schools by a series of Supreme Court decisions since 1962. Moreover, we now find that due to the woke and transgender curriculum, one-third of children in the USA are racist and not sure of their gender. Even more devastating is the fact that most denominational/institutional churches, including the Episcopal, Anglican, United Methodist, Presbyterian and even the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran church body in the United States, allow for LGBTQ+ marriage and ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy. Hence, the apostate state of the church and the younger generations gives us little hope for revival.
Those who study their Bibles know that we are fast approaching the Biblical end-time prophecy of a one-world government and its ruler, the Antichrist. America is not featured at all among the nations that play a role in end-time events.
In an era where spiritual exercises are increasingly overlooked, Pastor Ronnie Floyd is urging Christians to rediscover the transformative power of fasting — and how to overcome both the physical and spiritual challenges that inevitably come with the practice.
Floyd, former lead pastor of Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas and the 61st president of the Southern Baptist Convention, recently released his latest book, The Supernatural Power of Prayer and Fasting. He offers a biblical and practical guide to a practice he believes is critical for addressing both personal and communal challenges.
“Fasting makes you much more sensitive to the Holy Spirit the longer you go,” Floyd told The Christian Post. “Do I understand all that? Absolutely not. I think it’s a mystery. I think that’s where the supernatural power of God steps in and begins to speak to you in a way that most often is not done.“
Though rarely highlighted from the pulpit, Floyd noted that the Bible references fasting 57 times, with 69 mentions of the practice. “The very word means, ‘shut mouth, not eat,'” he explained.
“I believe that fasting is abstinence from food with a spiritual goal in mind. When God places something on your heart, whether it is a burden, whether it is a decision, whether it is a real problem going on right at your job or your family or finances, or whatever it may be, there may be three or four things God has on your heart, and He may choose to use fasting to call you into addressing those things.”
Fasting, the pastor stressed, is an oft-overlooked spiritual discipline that has profound relevance today. He challenged churches and pastors to embrace fasting as a response to societal and spiritual crises.
“In this day and time, I’m convinced, personally, that one of the greatest ways the Church can answer this moment in American history is to pray and to fast and to be the salt and light,” he said.
“We know we should pray for our country, but we also … need to fast in our country. I would urge every church, every pastor, every church leader to consider your involvement personally, but also your involvement, collectively as the Church of Jesus Christ.”
The 69-year-old has seen the power of fasting first-hand. His commitment to fasting began during his college years and deepened as he faced significant life challenges, including his wife Jeana’s battle with cancer in 1990.
“We had two little boys, and Jeana was diagnosed with cancer, and the initial reports of that were really, really difficult for us to understand and very challenging into what may be lying ahead,” he recalled.
“God put on my heart to pray and fast the very week she was diagnosed, for my wife and for her healing. … I would carry an index card with me, and I would write that Scripture on an index card, and that’s what I would look at every time I was very frightful, every time I was pursuing God. I would just go to my knees, and I would ask God to heal my wife. Through God’s grace, through God’s favour, He chose by His sovereign and providential will, to heal Jeana.”
A turning point in Floyd’s ministry came in 1995 when he undertook a 40-day fast for personal revival, revival in his church and revival in America. The experience, he said, profoundly changed him and his congregation.
“That day, God moved so profoundly that the church got a new pastor, and the pastor got a new church, and neither one of us changed our geographical location because God can do more in a moment than we can ever do in a lifetime,” Floyd said.
Floyd said fasting can seem intimidating or even strange to those unfamiliar with it — “people think you’re a little weird when you do it,” he said.
However, he distinguished between cultural trends like intermittent fasting and spiritual fasting.
“Our goal is not to lose weight on a spiritual fast,” he stressed. “Your goal is to pursue God in Heaven. … Someone who is walking with Christ could even use intermittent fasting … but make it a spiritual journey for yourself by looking at it in relationship to self-control.“
He also emphasized the practicalities of fasting, encouraging people to start small and seek medical advice for extended fasts. His book includes 40 devotionals and five appendices designed to guide readers through their fasting journey.
Beyond personal transformation, Floyd emphasized that fasting can unify and strengthen communities, particularly in times of crisis.
“When we face natural disasters or tragedies, we can call a fast for a day, join together in agreement, and pray over these things as we fast.”
In his book, the pastor describes fasting as both a spiritual and physical battle. He uses Ezra as a biblical example of prayer and fasting.
In Ezra 8:21–23, Ezra exemplified fasting and praying as a powerful spiritual response to dire circumstances, demonstrating humility, dependence on God and faith in His guidance and protection.
“The enemy is doing everything he can to keep this powerful weapon hidden,” he said. “You’re going to literally be battling with evil in your life over those issues. Let’s say that somebody fasts and prays to save their marriage or fasts and prays because they have a child away from God, and they really need God’s intervention. Some things are so heavy out here that people carry. … But listen, God is with you if you’re pursuing this in a biblical way.”
With The Supernatural Power of Prayer and Fasting, Floyd said he hopes to inspire Christians to embrace fasting as a vital spiritual discipline.
“Fasting in prayer doesn’t mean that God always is going to answer your prayer in the way that you want that answered,” he said.
“Fasting and prayer put a peaceful resolve in your heart. Fasting and prayer transform your heart so that you trust in God’s sovereign and providential will for your life; ‘I’m good with whatever God does that I’m fasting and praying about.’ That’s where the peace is, and that’s what fasting and prayer can do.”
I have just discovered John Bevere’s teaching on the end times. I have posted many videos by Nelson Walters, Jonathan Cahn, and others on the end times, but it is always good to find somebody new preaching a Biblically based message.
In this episode, John and his son, Arden Bevere, explore Jesus’ second coming, proving through Scripture that we are in the generation of the end. They unpack prophetic signs, the dangers of deception, and the importance of enduring with a love for truth. This conversation also dives into Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy and how it connects to Jesus’ first and second coming. Don’t miss this eye-opening episode that will deepen your understanding of the end times and strengthen your faith!
Half of the nuclear power stations under construction in the world are in China. Eleven more were signed off by Premier Li Qiang at a single meeting in August. Many analysts forecast that China will likely approve and construct them at that rate – 10 or so a year — for the next three decades. It must also be remembered that China is the world’s biggest carbon emitter and it is approving two new coal plants per week. You read that correctly, two new coal plants are approved each week.
Dutton’s nuclear power plan calls for building seven nuclear power stations over the same three-decade period.
An important part of Dutton’s plan is to have its nuclear plants located at or near existing power plant sites. This eliminates the need for a huge new transmission grid. Also, nuclear provides ‘always-on’ power needed to back up renewables, stabilising the grid and keeping energy affordable.
The Coalition’s approach integrates zero-emissions nuclear energy alongside renewables and gas, delivering a total system cost significantly lower than Labor’s. This means reduced power bills for households, lower operating costs for small businesses, and a stronger, more resilient economy.
Jon Mark Baker is the Director of Evangelism and Discipleship at Roots Church in Metro Detroit. He recently wrote an article in The Christian Post on January 29th, 2025, entitled “The Charismatic movement has a systemic problem: We tend to protect our leaders“. It is a revealing article in which he shares his own experience in the movement.
The silence of the shepherds
When the Lakeland Outpouring imploded, I was sad, but not devastated. “People fall sometimes,” I told myself. Todd Bentley seemed like a gifted man who needed maturity. I trusted Bill Johnson and Rick Joyner to handle the matter with wisdom. “Maybe Todd could actually be restored?”
Then in 2019 news broke that Todd Bentley had returned to ministry and had carried on with horrific abuse and sin that a panel of Charismatic leaders (people that I had never heard of) deemed to be disqualifying. But the big-name leaders of this movement that had so inspired me, the ones I knew and trusted were completely silent.
I was furious. Why the silence? Shouldn’t victims of abuse hear the voices of their ostensible shepherds rebuking wolves on their behalf? The very ones who took responsibility for “restoring” Todd Bentley after 2008, the very men who had laid hands on him that same year and appointed him as an apostle and authority figure within this movement are silent as church mice except to provide a rebuke to the whistleblower who had exposed things in the first place.
I have wept much in prayer over the last year. I pray for the saints whose faith may have been rocked by these scandals. But it seems painfully obvious to me that in our desire to experience God, we have forgotten to obey Him.
Amos’ rebuke to Israel (and to us):
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:21-24 NIV).
In the charismatic movement, much attention is given to praise, worship, contemplative prayer, and the types of disciplines that lead to spiritual experience. These are good. But the Lord says these practices are a stench to Him if while doing them, we have neglected justice. When the shepherds and sheep are silent in the face of the accusations against Mike Bickle, Robert Morris, Daystar Television, Todd Bentley, Chris Reed, Bob Hartley, and many more; when we merely shut our ears and sing our songs hoping for the next personal encounter, the Lord says He despises it because while we praise Him with our lips we neglect justice for the victims of these predators. I wonder if we have loved the experience of praising God more than we have loved the God of our praise?
To love God is to love what He loves, and to hate what He hates. Our God is the avenger of the abused and the punisher of the wicked. Our God is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. He leaves the 99 to find the 1. Our God sides with the oppressed.
Seek God, not the structures we have built around God
The charismatic movement is filled with people like me who long for a deep, experiential walk with God. When we discovered places like Bethel and ministries like it, we felt as though we “found our tribe.” And many, like me, began to trust these leaders and even outsource our discernment and walk with God to those who had seen more than we had.
But the prophet Amos has a rebuke to us as well:
“This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing” (Amos 5:4-5 NIV).
Resist the temptation to eisegete here.
Bethel was the city of the King of Israel, Jeroboam. It was the seat of his power. Bethel was likely chosen because of its history of being a place where people met with God. After all, that’s where Jacob encountered the Lord and how the place got its name. (Bethel means “House of God.”) Bethel is where Eli judged Israel and facilitated the sacrificial system of worship to the Lord. Bethel became a place of power and safety for the Northern Kingdom and represented military might in which Israel could place their trust if an invading army came.
But in this passage, Amos is rebuking Israel for putting their trust in the structures that they had built around their history with God rather than in God Himself. God is saying through Amos, “Stop seeking the institutions that supposedly represent Me. Seek Me and live!”
Many charismatics have substituted the structures that surround their history with God for a genuine relationship with the Lord Himself. Many charismatics have forgotten what got them into this movement in the first place: a desire to love and experience God. Instead, many became infatuated with the personalities and institutions that have been built up around these encounters. They put their trust in the curators of “revival” and outsourced their discernment and more to those they considered to be fathers in this movement. They began to seek Bethel and not God, and the Lord was displeased.
Let’s return to our first love. Let us seek to know and love Him. Let us seek to please Him by speaking for the voiceless and holding to account those who have abused the vulnerable. “Let justice roll on like a river.”
Listen to John Mark Baker interview Lydia Marrow on Worship, The Bay revival and Revival as a lifestyle.
According to Chinese media, The Economic Observer, the CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, arrived in Beijing on January 19th 2025, for Nvidia’s branch annual meeting, where he dined with Xingxing Wang, CEO of humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics, and He Wang, founder of Galbot (Robotics). Both are representatives of a younger generation of Chinese tech entrepreneurs born in the 1990s, now in their early 30s.
Chinese media China Star Market also reported that Xingxing Wang shared a photo with Huang on social media, captioned: “New year, new beginning, let’s go!” The report highlighted that Huang held meetings with high-level representatives from several leading Chinese robotics companies during his time in Beijing. Aside from Unitree Robotics and Galbot, attendees included executives from LimX Dynamics, Booster Robotics, and Kecheng Huang, co-founder of Emerging AI.
Another media outlet China Entrepreneur noted that Huang and Unitree’s Wang are not strangers to each other. In March 2024, during the GTC conference, Huang showcased nine humanoid robots, including those from Unitree. At CES 2025, Nvidia also announced its partnerships with Chinese robotics companies such as Unitree Robotics and XPeng Robotics.
We should not be surprised that China has many companies making robots as it is the largest market for robots, followed by Japan, and America third. This seems strange in a country with so much cheap labour compared to the rest of the world.
Peter Diamandis, a serial entrepreneur, futurist, technologist, and New York best-selling author, says that by 2026, we should have humanoid robots in private homes helping with laundry, vacuuming, and dishes, at least in beta testing. By 2040, there could be as many as 10 billion globally in all areas of the economy, and their labour might be as cheap as $10 a day.
In the future, they’ll be everywhere in our economy, Diamandis says: in healthcare, manufacturing, the service industry, public and urban spaces, transport, and even entertainment. This is such a transformational change that analysts don’t yet really understand how to estimate its value: Goldman Sachs says selling humanoid robots will be a $38 billion space by 2035, while Ark Invest says the resulting economic value of their labour could be as high as $24 trillion.
Judging by the debt levels of most governments in the Western world, they are out of control and unable to manage effectively. Imagine the impact of massive job losses due to companies replacing employees with robots. Currently, Amazon’s warehouses are already set to replace human workers with 100,000 robots. This is just one more reason governments will accept giving over governance to the Biblical prophesied one-world government. In September 2024, world leaders adopted the U.N.Pact for the Future, a landmark declaration pledging concrete actions towards a safer, more peaceful, sustainable and inclusive world for tomorrow’s generations. The Pact’s five broad focus areas include: sustainable development, international peace and security, science and technology, youth and future generations, and transforming global governance.
We are fast approaching the last seven years before Jesus returns first to rapture His church and then to pour out His wrath upon an unrepentant world. The speed with which end-times Biblical prophecies are being fulfilled is exciting and proof that the Bible is the inspired word of God.
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 