Once paralyzed and miraculously healed — now he's sharing the gospel with Joe Rogan



When Christian apologist and Central Canada director for Apologetics Canada, Wesley Huff, was just a child, he woke up from a nap to find his legs were paralyzed and couldn’t move.

Huff was ill with the flu, and his body’s immune system reacted by attacking the nerve endings at the base of his spine instead of the flu itself.

“The paralysis itself was instantaneous, and they said, ‘Sorry, this is just what it’s going to be, you’re never going to be able to walk,’” Huff tells Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable.” However, after installing a ramp at his family home and preparing for a life of paralysis, everything changed again.

“There wasn’t one instance that I could necessarily point to where someone prayed over me, and that’s what felt different. I think it was much more organic than that, in that I literally woke up and couldn’t feel my legs, and then I woke up, and I could feel my legs,” he explains.


Now, Huff, a firm believer in the word of God, has skyrocketed to viral fame after a conversation between him and atheist Billy Carson ended in Carson sending Huff a cease and desist letter.

“Billy was really not happy with the way that he had been debunked,” Huff tells Stuckey. “He had been pretty careful to not put himself in a situation where he could be called on the silly things that he was saying.”

Carson sent Huff a cease and desist letter, but Huff notes that it was “pretty baseless.”

“I promptly that day made a video where I screenshotted it, put it online, and basically said, ‘Losing a debate is not legal grounds to litigate, but I will comply with all of your terms and conditions if you decide to run it back, and we do this thing in person again,’” Huff explains.

This exchange caught the attention of Joe Rogan, who has had Carson on his podcast before.

“One thing led to another in a way that I could never have predicted, and Joe Rogan eventually did reach out on Christmas Eve by Instagram DM and simply said, ‘Can you be here by December 30?’” Huff tells Stuckey.

“The one part that stood out to me,” Stuckey says, “that Billy Carson claimed, ‘Oh, the crucifixion didn’t really happen, Gospel of Barnabas,’ and that was one question that Joe Rogan asked you, like, ‘Isn’t it possible if we believe that the resurrection happened, isn’t it possible that he just didn’t die and that he almost died, but then he woke up and that he walked around and everyone thought he rose from the dead?’”

“I referenced a JAMA article to Rogan,” Huff explains, “the Journal of the American Medical Association, where there was an investigation done by medical professionals and historians on looking at the description in the Gospels about coming up with a conclusion as to how Jesus may have died medically, and the conclusion was undoubtedly, ‘Well, he did die, so there’s no qualms about that.’”

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Liberals lose their minds over church's sign about open borders, vilify black pastor as a 'white supremacist'



A church in Illinois has caused a stir after putting up a sign about illegal immigration and open borders. Liberals are having a meltdown over the sign, even vilifying the black pastor as a "white supremacist."

The New Hope Community Church is located in Palatine, Illinois, roughly 30 miles northwest of Chicago.

'People are getting triggered by the word "immigration."'

On Feb. 5, the church featured a new sign that read: "Heaven Has Strict Immigration Laws. Hell Has Open Borders."

Pastor James Pittman noted that there was no controversy about the sign for the first "six days it was up" until "someone got wind of it."

Local news outlets ran stories about the sign and then CNN reportedly requested an interview.

Pittman told WLS-TV, "Immigration is a topic in the communities, so what we've been doing on our sign for quite some time is take what's going on in the community and turn it towards heaven."

Pittman said he is open to having conversations about the sign's message.

"The immigration we were talking about is very clear in the sign: heaven and hell. And our message is very clear, the scriptures are clear, not everybody makes it to heaven," Pittman stated.

Pittman addressed the alleged controversy in a 14-minute video.

The New Hope Community Church issued a statement on its official Facebook page that read:

We want to be clear concerning this sign. We did not mention nor intended this sign to be about US immigration policy. We understand that immigration is a hot topic today and wanted to use that to turn people's attention heavenward. We did not mention any country or any people group. We do not believe that all go to heaven and wanted the community to examine their relationship with Almighty God. People are getting triggered by the word 'immigration.' We took a stand on 'immigration' to heaven, not to the United States. Are we not free to use the word immigration on a church post?

However, some in the Palatine community are up in arms about the church's sign.

"Part of why we moved to Palatine was the diversity being able to show our kids that, and everyone should have opportunity, and love each other, and seeing something like this is really upsetting," said Palatine resident Katharine Huddleston.

Lisa Beth Szczupaj — president of the Palatine Elementary District 15 school board — told the Daily Herald, "It is unfortunate that a couple of phrases that some adults feel to be clever are posted in the face of many innocent schoolchildren having to ask parents, friends, and adults what they mean and why. Pulling kids into the edginess and politics of the moment is absolutely inappropriate and causes real fear for our school-age children.”

Resident Theresa Greinig added, "I couldn't quite believe that that was a message going out in my community."

Greinig told WLS that she is mobilizing the community to create "signs of positivity" to place around the New Hope Community Church.

Some critics have allegedly called Pittman a "white supremacist." Pastor Pittman is black.

Comments on the church's official Yelp business page were disabled after it was inundated with likely fake negative reviews this week.

"This business recently received increased public attention, which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news," Yelp stated on the New Hope Community Church's page.

"While we don’t take a stand one way or the other when it comes to this incident, we’ve temporarily disabled the posting of content to this page as we work to investigate whether the content you see here reflects actual consumer experiences rather than the recent events," the statement continued. "Please note that we apply this same policy regardless of the business and regardless of the topic at issue."

Before the comments were turned off, several detractors slammed the church's Yelp page with one-star reviews in the past week.

A Yelp user claimed, "The church sign on display promotes so much hate. I'm sad for our diverse community of Palatine to have read such ignorant messages."

Another user wrote, "Do NOT. And I repeat, do not go here. This is not your normal warm, welcoming, compassionate church. These people are bigots and racists against Latinos. Starting from the pastor and down to all the parishioners. Look for another church and give your donations there. Do not even step foot in there if you're undocumented or LGBTQ+. You've been warned."

A commenter said, "Not a good church! Don't come here. They do not welcome immigrants or minorities. Do yourself a favor and find a better church!"

Another added, "Church that promotes hate and racism. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place."

One review read, "DO NOT RECOMMEND. Racist, discriminatory, unwelcoming church. Not sure what type of 'God' you praise ... but God stated to love thy neighbor and your message is NOT it. SHAME ON YOU."

The church had received a total of 14 negative reviews in the past decade, nine of which were posted in the past week after the church made headlines with its sensitive sign.

A majority of the recent one-star reviews were made by Yelp reviewers who were not from Illinois, including four from liberal California and one from Washington, D.C.

Despite the backlash, Pittman declared that he is sticking to his faith and doesn't plan on changing the sign anytime soon.

"We push one man and one man only here and that's Jesus Christ," Pittman proclaimed.

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Paula White: Trump’s heretical new faith office adviser



President Donald Trump has named Paula White, prosperity gospel pastor, the head of his new White House faith office — and while Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable” isn’t surprised, she is disappointed.

As far back as 2019, Stuckey has been critical of White, writing in a post on X, “Paula White is a horrifyingly false teacher who peddles the damning prosperity gospel. Mr Pres, hit me up if you’d like some better suggestions.”

“This is still true,” Stuckey says, recalling her old post. “I don’t expect for Trump to think the same things that we do about Paula White. I do think Paula White is a conservative. I think she’s been a big supporter of President Trump. I’m sure she has said things that are true.”

However, being a conservative, supporting Trump, and saying some things that are true don’t change who she is.


“She is a televangelist. She is what’s known as a prosperity gospel,” Stuckey says, explaining that prosperity gospel preachers are “people who make you believe that if you do something for God, then he will do something for you in return.”

“If you keep these precepts, then he will reward you with financial compensation, material wealth, and health. And there’s typically some kind of tie of the charismatic movement into this, the belief that basically you are entitled to, as a Christian, access to perfect health and to financial success,” she continues.

White has also been married three times, and it’s been reported that she had an affair with the pastor of the church she and her first husband attended. She ended up marrying that pastor, before divorcing him in 2007.

She then married musician Jonathan Cain of the band Journey.

“Which is pretty cool,” Stuckey admits, noting that in 2000, White was invited by prosperity preacher T.D. Jakes to preach at a conference.

Jakes himself has claimed that “prosperity is a mindset. Whatever you say to yourself is what will manifest.”

“That’s New Age nonsense. That’s not Christianity,” Stuckey says. “God already has a plan and a purpose for your life, but it is up to you to believe in his plans.”

Jakes has also claimed, “If you obey God, you will never be broke another day in your life.”

“Which of course is not necessarily true,” Stuckey says. “Just look at the lives of the apostles. If you think about all of the Christians that exist around the world, in Yemen, in China, in North Korea, they don’t have money. Are they just not believing in God for their financial wealth? Is that why they haven’t gotten a promotion at the slave factory where they’re working in those countries?”

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Last night's (not so) Super Bowl: A review



It's a uniquely American event, so even old chicks like me sometimes tune in. And for those of us who don't care who wins, our hopes are few and simple: (1) a nice, competitive game, (2) not too many shots of Taylor Swift, (3) no woke preaching, and (4) a few entertaining commercials.

On this basis, we lost. Final score: 3-1.

We know what the He Gets Us people are really saying, which is that it's not Christian to disagree with their take on illegal immigration, LGBT issues, etc.

Taylor Swift

The one win was not having to watch T-Swift giddily hugging whoever sits up there in the fancy box with her, because there was literally nothing to cheer for. At the 3/4 mark of this game, the score was already 30-something to zero, and I think she might have slipped out to beat the traffic.

The game

The 40-22 score by definition means it was not a competitive game, and something about seeing Patrick Mahomes get sacked eleventy-million times meant he totally failed at being fun to watch (I mean, unless you're an Eagles fan, obviously). Thanks for nothing, Patrick.

The preaching

As for woke preaching ... well, the NFL did remove "End Racism" from the end zones but replaced it with two equally meaningless taglines — "It Takes All of Us" (to do what, exactly?) and "Choose Love."

Speaking of love, a segment aired where Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady yelled at each other about hate, presumably to show us that hate is bad. I don't know Tom Brady's qualifications as a non-hater, but I know that Snoop Dogg made a music video about murdering Trump, so clearly he has much to teach us about "choosing love."

The commercials

And speaking of bad teaching, the He Gets Us people were back with another message framing Jesus as a political progressive and slyly implying that non-progressive Christians don't "get" Jesus. Entitled "What Is Greatness?" it shows people helping each other in a variety of ways, including a man washing a spray-painted "Go back" message off a building and a Christian hugging a gay man at a Pride event, all set to the song (appropriately enough) "Personal Jesus."

Of course, it would be a good thing to clean off that spray-painted message on an immigrant's home. Also, it's a good thing to show love to someone at a Pride parade.

But we're not stupid. We know what the He Gets Us people are really saying, which is that it's not Christian to disagree with their take on illegal immigration, LGBT issues, etc. And we know they're saying that because they never, ever refer to the hard things Jesus says, about the foundational need for repentance, about the way being narrow and few finding it.

And that wasn't the only bad commercial. Right out of the box, one of the very first ads was a real doozy. A heartstring-puller about beating childhood cancer — that turned out to be an ad, ironically enough, for the corporation responsible for an epidemic of turbo cancer in young people. You know, that pharma company whose name rhymes with Lies-Er.

Speaking of lies, the company implied it's interested in beating cancer with new drugs. No word from the company on existing, inexpensive drugs or protocols that are increasingly being reported as effective against all types of cancers. If you have cancer, don't wait around for Big Pharma — research all the new and exciting treatments that your Pharma-addicted oncologist won't tell you about.

Oh, and the NFL ran an ad about a black girl beating an entire team of male football players, which at least made me laugh because that’s a woke fantasy completely divorced from reality.

A few good moments

The halftime performance was unintelligible — Matt Walsh said it was comprised of songs that 90% of America had never heard of, and I guess I'm in that 90%. But there were a couple moments worth noting.

One was a commercial. And after that infuriating ad from Big Pharma, this one from Big Tech was surprisingly, beautifully ... human:

And finally, during the performance of the national anthem by Jon Batiste, the stadium screen showed President Trump, and watch what happened:


Was stadium security turning away the haters? In any event, after years of public hostility aimed at Orange Man, how refreshing to hear the Super Bowl crowd roar in approval.

In fact, it was super.

'God's blessed us very much': Eagles' Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts put their faith front and center in emotional interviews



Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts put their faith first when asked what motivated them to win Super Bowl LIX.

After a stunning 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs — and a Gatorade shower from his players — Sirianni was the first to be interviewed on the broadcast by reporter Tom Rinaldi.

"Nick, Super Bowl champions. What does the moment mean?" Rinaldi asked.

In what would become a theme with the Eagles, Sirianni immediately thanked God.

"God's blessed us very much. He gave us all the talents to be able to get here. So first and foremost, thanks to him," Sirianni said.

The 43-year-old then spoke highly of his players and emphasized greatness while maintaining a passion to win.

"We didn't really ever care what anyone thought about how we won or their opinions. All we want to do is win," he continued. "But thank God. Thank you, Jesus."

'He's greater than all the highs and the lows.'

After revealing that he's an "emotional guy," Sirianni was soon joined by his wife and children who were more than happy to join him to shed some tears.

Hurts was interviewed next by seasoned sideline reporter Erin Andrews but was immediately interrupted by Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham who told Hurts to tell the media to "get off [his] back."

Andrews humorously remarked, "Well, that's exactly what I was gonna ask."

Before any football commentary though, Hurts also pointed directly to God.

"God is good. He's greater than all the highs and the lows, and I think, personally myself, I've just been able to use every experience and learn from it."

He went on, "The good, the bad, all of it using it as fuel to pursue my own greatness, and I think I couldn't do any of these things without the guys around me."

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Hurts made his faith the focal point in multiple interviews he gave throughout the night, even after accepting the Lombardi Trophy when he told host and former player Terry Bradshaw, "God is good."

Later, during an interview with seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, Hurts said he gives "all glory to God," stating once again that he feels God is "greater than all the highs and the lows."

The recurring theme for Sirianni and Hurts showed that the continued sentiment in professional sports is an increasing acceptance of Christianity, which at times has been shunned and avoided by broadcasters. In sports moments like these, players and coaches immediately bringing their faith to the forefront has made it impossible for the world to ignore.

Along with the win, Hurts took home MVP honors after throwing for 221 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and running for 72 yards and one touchdown.

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Meek, not weak: The era of Christian loserdom is over



For decades, masculinity has been under scrutiny in the West, particularly in America, where the cultural influence of the left — bolstered by feminism — has been dominant since at least the 1960s.

However, a shift in sentiment appears to be underway in what some refer to as a “vibe shift.”

The once-unquestioned authority of leftist cultural hegemony is now being challenged, prompting a deeper conversation about masculinity’s role in society. In this changing landscape, many men are grappling with questions about their purpose and identity. For Christian men especially, the challenge is not just cultural but spiritual. How does their faith equip them to stand firm and confront the toughest battles we face?

In an article published last October for Blaze Media, Bob Stevenson took issue with a talk I gave at a men's conference my church hosted last summer, published at American Reformer.

There is much Stevenson and I agree on. Early in his article, he acknowledges the basic premise of what some have called the negative world paradigm. It is more difficult for Christians today to be public about their faith than it used to be, though there are signs that might be changing for the better with a new administration. Younger men seem to have a renewed interest in Christianity.

But as Stevenson admits, “The deck is stacked against Christians in the public square.” If people stand for the Christian faith publicly, they will likely receive pushback in our day. In fact, many Christians don’t just live under the progressive gaze; they experience progressive totalitarianism every day in their workplace. To disagree with a coworker about “gay marriage” or abortion as a Christian is to risk being fired. Heaven help them if their coworker finds out they go to church or voted for Donald Trump.

However, Stevenson seems unsure if Christians should grow a spine and celebrate Christian strength in such a scenario. He asks many questions and admits that he doesn’t know what to do with modernity or men and masculinity. Stevenson perceives Christians, such as myself, who seek to reinvigorate Christian men as downplaying certain teachings (i.e., turn the other cheek) and actions (i.e., foot washing) of Jesus as if they are ignoring them or trying to give Jesus a fresh look for the challenges of our day.

The cruciform life is not merely adopting an attitude of a doormat.

He cites my article at this point, claiming I argue that we need a “muscular Jesus for a muscular Christianity,” which is a cutout of Jesus.

Stevenson is very concerned. He is concerned that some Christians seem to understand the reality of Christus Victor more in the thinking of Nietzsche than Christ. He claims that people who promote such concepts view the victory of Christ as “permissive rather than formative; it is a call to aggression rather than cruciformity.”

Ask yourself, dear reader, if you believe that Jesus was ever aggressive.

Are you willing to believe that the aggression and hostility Jesus displayed toward some (Matthew 23:13-39; Mark 11:15-18; Revelation 19:15) stands in contradiction to Christ’s death on the cross? Neither am I. I don’t believe that Jesus’ teaching, life, and death are contradictory.

Stevenson wants to have his cake and eat it, too. He wants to claim that Christ is inexplicable, for “to make him explicable is to make him smaller.” Yet, he sees Jesus as explicable for certain attitudinal dispositions that wouldn’t upset anyone (other than Christian nationalists). Rather than truly delighting in the complexity and beauty of Christ — what Stevenson might call the inexplicability of Christ — he is guilty of the rhetorical sin that he uses to accuse others: making Christ explicable.

For Stevenson, meekness is not power under control; the meekness of Christ essentially boils down to functional weakness and passivity.

Christ is the full picture of humanity in peak form. We do not need to settle for tired paradigms of Christ, which discount his dynamic life, as Stevenson does. We need to embrace the entire life of Christ.

To those who wish to understand their masculine calling in Christ in our day, Stevenson fails to provide an answer. Instead, he re-enforces the same posture that has plagued the church in a post-Christian culture.

To those pastors who wish to help men step up to the plate, Stevenson wishes to warn them of the dangers of hitting the baseball. In fact, for Stevenson, the dangers are so great that men should never step up to the plate for fear of actually doing something. They should just let the other team win because of “cruciformity.” Are you tired of this yet? One wonders what Stevenson might do in any sport — or, more likely, board games — that he plays.

Is it Christ-like to aim to win and defeat your enemies? If Stevenson beat me at Settlers of Catan, has he rejected the cruciform life?

Stevenson is right when he says, “The experience of redemption is not simply about escaping the penalty for our sin but about being remade, or reformed, into humanity as God intended.” I have written on this. Our redemption is not merely soteriological, but it’s also formational. We are to be conformed to Jesus Christ, the image of God. This conforming means we will become a display of Christlikeness in all areas of life.

But what does this mean formationally?

It means that we should have a dynamic Christian faith that is durable. The cruciform life is not merely adopting the attitude of a doormat; it is to put on the mind of Christ for any given scenario. We can discern when a situation calls for an assertive posture or when one calls for an acquiescent posture. And in all of it, we trust Christ, who is our shield. We know we will make mistakes, and even sin, so we call out to Christ for mercy and guidance.

The category Stevenson is looking for to help people is wisdom. Wisdom is the exercise of prudence in any given situation. Stevenson is concerned that the Christians in the new “Christian right,” who call men to excellence, lack prudence. He doesn’t say it that way, but he could.

This would be a fair critique if it could be proven. The church doesn’t need a vision of manhood taken from the pages of Yoder. Instead, we need a complete picture of the manliness of Christ, the God-man who had a mission and accomplished it with tactile precision. His mission did not end at the cross; it will end upon his return, when he will judge the nations. He has already put his enemies to open shame. He has disarmed them. When he comes again, he will come in power to judge the living and the dead. He will banish to hell those who have not bowed the knee to his Lordship.

Does this mean we simply “coexist” in the meantime? No, we pray the Lord’s prayer and get to work.

We exhort Christian men to enter the battlefield and stand strong, putting on the mind of Christ, exercising prudence, and boldly proclaiming the victory of Christ.

Stevenson reveals his hand at the close of the article. “But Nietzsche missed the real beauty of the gospel. My hope is that Christians trying to find their footing in this tumultuous world won’t, that they will instead see that true greatness is found in humble service. That true triumph is had through suffering. And that true power is gained through weakness.” Stevenson is using the same rhetoric that many Christian leaders use today to essentially problematize Jesus.

We cannot really be sure what Jesus would do in our culture. Except, we can be sure that Jesus would not fight back.

It’s as if Stevenson is writing a submission to the “He Gets Us” campaign. He celebrates humble service, suffering, and weakness. And, of course, on their face, all Christians should be willing to endure persecution and suffering gladly. We should not pursue persecution for the sake of persecution, but when we experience it for Christ’s name, we should glorify God. We should admit our weaknesses to the Lord and seek to grow in righteousness and the strength of the Lord.

But we should not wallow in our weakness as if our weakness is virtuous in its nature. Our weakness is an occasion for God’s power to be displayed in us. And, of course, Christians should be humble like Jesus.

As I stated, these traits are unobjectionable on their face. For Stevenson, however, these things are not just aspects of Christ; they are the end of Christ and the Christian life. While he opened his article celebrating Christus Victor, a medieval atonement theory emphasizing the total victory of Christ over Satan and evil, he fails to provide men with a vision other than Christus Loser. This will, of course, come as a shock to him. He might claim that we are saying that Christ was a loser.

Not at all.

With Stevenson, we admit that Christ was a humble servant, died a horrific death, and suffered greatly. What we also confess is that Jesus Christ lives today and is seated on his throne, judging the earth. We are willing to suffer greatly and live with power under control. What we will not stomach is rejecting that we have any power at our disposal, which should be used to glorify God and advance Christ’s kingdom. We are unafraid to call Christian men to excellence. We exhort Christian men to enter the battlefield and stand strong, putting on the mind of Christ, exercising prudence, and boldly proclaiming the victory of Christ.

Christian men are called to embody both strength and humility — all while relying on God's power in their weakness.

The time for Christian loserdom is over. The time for action is now. Spur one another to good works, glorify God in your lives, encourage your brothers, pray earnestly, and reject the vision of masculinity that explicates Christ as nothing more than an errand boy in the longhouse.

History is replete with such examples of courage under fire while following Christ unto death.

John Rogers, a Protestant scholar and Bible translator, was no stranger to standing firm and speaking boldly to the issues that plagued the church in his day. He did not shrink from confronting corruption in the church. He resisted when the state ordered him to wear prescribed vestments in his ministry. He displayed Christlikeness in speaking boldly and unashamedly. And yet, he was imprisoned and martyred on February 4, 1555. He was offered a pardon if he would recant, but he refused. He displayed power under control and service to the church in boldness, and he endured suffering for the cause of Christ. His life was not a contradiction of attitudinal dispositions but instead a picture of Christlikeness.

Christian men are called to embody both strength and humility — meekness, kindness, and gentleness, alongside courage and resilience — all while relying on God’s power in their weakness. They must pursue excellence and wield their power with prudence.

However, if the church diminishes Christ’s majesty by distorting his power and authority into a hollow, domesticated vision of servant leadership — one that merely seeks to keep people comfortable — Christian men will drift aimlessly in turbulent waters. Worse still, the church will fail to reach men who are longing for a bold and purposeful vision of masculinity.

If we do not speak truthfully about our faith, grounding these men in the full counsel of scripture — including humility, meekness, and service — they will seek direction elsewhere. And there will be no shortage of voices, many with harmful intentions, ready to offer them a counterfeit vision of manhood.

“Young men, to you I would honestly say that I should be ashamed to speak to you of a religion that would make you soft, cowardly, effeminate.” — Charles Spurgeon

Creating space for God: The spiritual discipline that changes everything



God — He who chose us before we existed, He who wrote our names in the Lamb’s book of life, He who loves us with an unimaginably rich love — He is the one who created space for us when He created the world.

And now this infinite, omnipotent God invites us into His very throne room, to talk and listen. He invites us to feast on His word and experience His love, guidance, wisdom — His very character.

All this is what Christians sometimes call, very inadequately, a “quiet time.” Or perhaps, even less descriptively, “devotions.” But we can be devoted to anything. We can be quiet at any time. And many non-Christians understand the benefit of taking a time of quiet contemplation. But what we are talking about here is so much more.

Our perspective is too small

Our perspective is too small on this time with God that all Christians are encouraged to undertake. It lends itself to becoming a to-do list item, and when it’s a to-do list item, our tendency is to check it off as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Read today’s devotional thought, check. Grab our prayer list, check check. Read the prescribed number of Bible verses or chapters, check check check. (Have you ever finished reading and realized you don’t know what you just read because your mind was elsewhere?)

We need a clearer picture, and the book of Hebrews provides corrective lenses to help us see better.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

The Creator God of the universe, who sent His Son to turn the world right again, who loved us while we were still sinners — that living God invites us to spend time with Him, to worship Him, to know Him better. Our God, who is a consuming fire, tenderly invites us to approach Him with confidence — so that He can pour out on us mercy (not giving us what we deserve) and grace (giving us good things we don’t deserve).

This is amazing.

There are countless good works we could be doing, that indeed He calls us to do — serving Him, sharing His gospel, loving our neighbor — and certainly a significant amount of our time and attention should be directed to that kingdom work.

But we cannot do those things properly without time with Him, the most foundational “good work” we do.

Jesus’ example

As He did for everything, Jesus of course shows us the way here. The Bible says He regularly made time to seek out His Father, sometimes at great length (all night, for example). Why did He do this?

We get a clue from the story of the woman who was healed merely by touching the hem of his garment. Remember, the crowds were pressing in on Him from all around, and yet He knew someone had been healed. How did he know?

But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I knew that power had gone out of Me” (Luke 8:46).

When Jesus met a need, it literally took something out of Him. And He met a lot of needs. A lot. We can’t even begin to imagine the toll this might have taken on His humanity, day after day, crowds all around, individuals clamoring for just a touch, just a word, just something to meet their needs.

This is surely why the gospels record Jesus withdrawing so many times, heading to a lonely place to get alone with His Father and to be filled back up.

Likewise, when you meet a need, it will take something out of you, too. If the only man who ever lived who also happened to be God — if that man needed to be filled back up again regularly with strength from the Spirit, how much more do we need it?

Creating space for the living God to fill

I love the way author Kristi McLelland puts it in her Bible study "The Gospel on the Ground." She says she intentionally “creates space for the living God to fill” during her first-thing-in-the-morning daily walks with her dog.

“Creating space in your life for the living God to fill” — it’s a bit longer than the phrase “quiet time,” but it so much more effectively captures the reality of the invitation from our King to His beloved children. Perhaps “God time” would be the best shortcut. God time. What a privilege! What an honor! What joy!

To create this space, you need intentional time and place, a bit of planning, and a commitment to immerse yourself in His Word.

Here are some suggestions.

1. Start well to end well.

Give Him the first moments upon waking, even if that means it’s just a tiny sliver of time to start.

Pro tip: Do not pick up your phone until you’ve thanked God for granting you another day. And how much better is it, do you think, to start with His word, as opposed to doom-scrolling news and checking email, messages, or social media?

So if that phone does get picked up, are you disciplined enough to only open your Bible app and save all that other stuff for later?

Also, the heavens declare the glory of God. It’s amazing to experience sunrise while mindfully worshipping Him.

2. Encounter God in Scripture.

If you appreciate the feel of a Bible or book in your hand, consider author Sally Clarkson’s recommendation to create a container or basket for your God time with your Bible, notebook, commentaries or other Bible tools, and various devotional books or other spiritually oriented books you want to read.

Each day you can decide what to focus on — it doesn’t have to be the same thing each day.

However, it is helpful to our goal of gaining biblical knowledge and literacy to always be working your way through a book of the Bible, so that you’re absorbing Scripture in context. And if your church is studying one of the Bible books on Sunday mornings or in a weekly Bible study, you should certainly be reading that one in your time, too. Mindful, repetitive reading helps you really grasp a book’s message and provides necessary context, as opposed to little snippets or verses taken on their own.

3. Schedule specific times.

It can be all first thing in the morning, or you can schedule “God time” throughout your day.

For example, you could have a morning time and an evening time, even a midday break time, with different emphases on each. Perhaps your morning time is focused on prayer and meditating on His attributes. This might also lend itself to a morning walk, like Kristi McLelland described. A second time could be digging into His word. You could have a time each day when you simply meditate on one Psalm.

Ask Him how he wants you to create this space in your life right now. Build it into your schedule and routine.

4. Ask Him where this time should be.

Should some of it be physically on the move? For when you’re not on the move, you need to create or find a place where you will be undisturbed and as free of distractions as possible.

This could be inside your home, outside, in a coffee shop — whatever works for you and Him. I do think it’s particularly uplifting to be outside surrounded by God’s glorious creation when you’re spending time with Him. How wonderful if you’re near a beach or forest, but a park or your back patio is great, too!

If some of your God time is physically active (like a walk or riding an exercise bike), you can pray, meditate on Him, listen to Him, or (thank you technology) listen to His word, worship music, Bible teaching, or memory verses.

When you’re not moving, say "no, thank you" to technology. I love a good Bible app; I do a lot of reading of any kind on my phone. And I certainly prefer writing on my computer to paper and pen. But for this God time, a physical Bible and a notebook and pen may be best. Distractions are the devil’s favorite tool to derail this time, so protect it with good practices that work for you.

How about a short walk or sitting outside at sunset to thank Him for the day He gave you?

It’s wonderful if the last thoughts you have each day can be centered on Him, before you drift off to sleep.

Embrace God’s blessing

Above all, those good practices include reminding ourselves — often — of the bigger picture of what this time is. It is a privilege. It is a blessing. It is sacred. Don’t let it devolve into a checklist item.

Renew your mind regularly to the truth that our Creator God, who sent His Son to turn the world right again, who loved us while we were still sinners — that living God invites us to spend time with Him, to worship Him, to know Him better. Because this time is not about reading a verse and hoping for a divine zap of “how this applies to ME” — but it is about knowing Him, a little better every day.

May the Holy Spirit ignite our hearts to eagerly accept this unfathomably gracious invitation.

This article was adapted from an essay originally published on Diane Schrader's Substack, "She Speaks Truth."

A radical invitation: Why Jesus calls us to become like children



Among all the people of the first-century Mediterranean world — from Praetorian guards to peasant farmers — the child was the most powerless, and this is the main reason that Jesus uses children as exemplary disciples.

No doubt childhood 2,000 years ago was very different from childhood today. (In truth, even the concept of childhood is a social and cultural development that varies across the world.) Nevertheless, amid all our modern developments, one aspect of childhood remains true across the years: vulnerability.

Children are extraordinarily vulnerable because they are weak, needy, and defenseless, and this is one of the major reasons why, even in the 21st century, children still occupy the lowest rung of the social ladder.

Of course, all human beings are vulnerable. Clad in fleshy bodies that can be fatigued, struck, and broken, sometimes beyond repair, humans are quite defenseless compared to other creatures. It’s not just our bodies, though. Our minds, hearts, and souls are delicate, too, able to withstand much, but also irreparably changed by what we are forced to endure. In truth, humans are perpetually needful. We need things like food and water, protection from the elements, sleep, physical touch, and intimacy with others.

After my oldest child was born, I bought a little sign for his room in a moment of sleep-deprived humor. In curling blue script on a white ceramic background, it read: “Bottomless pit of needs and wants.” I hung it over his crib and smiled wryly about it every day, but it’s a sign all of us could hang over our beds.

Infants aren’t the only needy, wanting ones. Whether we like it or not, human beings are born in neediness, live our lives in neediness, and die in neediness. It’s just who we are.

Whoever takes the path of the child is the greatest in the kingdom.

At the same time, there are few humans as naturally vulnerable as children. Their needs vary depending on their age and physical, neurological, or psychological makeup. While most will grow in independence over time, children often remain dependent on their families and other institutions well into what is now called emerging adulthood. If children find themselves victims of neglect, mistreatment, or exploitation in one or more of such settings, the consequences can be dire.

This is even more so if they find themselves living in perilous places: a country torn apart by war, a region hit by a tsunami, or a school targeted for a mass shooting.

While the treatment of children has generally improved over the centuries, their natural dependency means there is an unavoidable imbalance of power between children and adults.

I have a friend whose toddler son used to try to run out the front door when it was bath time. Stark naked and giggling mischievously, Malachi would race down the hall on his tiny legs and pull wildly at the doorknob. Once or twice, when the door was not bolted, he managed to get it open just before my friend caught him. Each time, she’d scoop him up laughing and carry him back to the waiting tub. Through his squeals of delight, she would say, “Where do you think you’re going? What exactly is your plan?” Malachi was blissfully unaware of the absurdity of his attempted escape or the danger he might be in if he made it out the door.

Compared to adults, children are quite defenseless, especially within private homes.

I am haunted by the image of 5-year-old Omran Daqneesh of Aleppo that was captured by photographer Mahmoud Raslan in 2016 after a Russian airstrike destroyed his home during the Syrian civil war. (The photo was ubiquitous online in 2016, but you can see it in one location here.) Slight in frame, Omran sits in a bright orange ambulance seat wearing a stunned, vacant expression. His hands rest forgotten on his thighs. He seems entirely dissociated from his body, which is covered head to toe in thick gray ash. His large black eyes stare blankly into space with one almost swollen shut. A deep red smear of blood runs down the length of his face, and one ear looks torn. His long dark hair, which you can imagine his parents tousling playfully, is a mess and covered with the gray powder of concrete debris.

Omran’s home was destroyed, and his life ruptured by a war waged by adults. Adults created the political and socioeconomic conditions that led to the violent conflict. Adults designed, manufactured, distributed, and deployed the weaponry that enabled the war. Adults recruited, signed up for, and served as soldiers to wage and perpetuate the war, and adults launched the missile that annihilated Omran’s neighborhood. He has his own personhood and story, which I won’t presume to tell, but I think of him now because he illustrates vividly the vulnerability of children whose lives are determined almost entirely by the decisions of people bigger, stronger, and more powerful than they. Omran is one of 2.3 billion children worldwide.

I think Jesus understood children’s vulnerability and the multitude of ways families and organizations fail them, which is one reason why he has dire words for those who would hurt children: “If anyone causes one of these little ones — those who believe in me — to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).

But there’s more.

It’s not just that Jesus knows about the vulnerability of children. Jesus identifies with their vulnerability in a personal, sacramental way: “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5). When you receive the vulnerable, socially marginalized, and politically disempowered child, he says, you also receive me.

The only other place Jesus speaks like this is in the parable of the final judgment where he says that those who minister to “the least of these” are, in fact, ministering to him (Matthew 25:31‑46).

The eternal Son of God took upon himself the helplessness, ignorance, and vulnerability of children. Our conduct with children — how we think of them, speak of them, and work with them — must be informed not only by Jesus’ teaching but also by his own life as a child. By joining divinity to humanity in the person of Jesus Christ, God has blessed infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood with their own meaning and dignity.

At the very least, Jesus the child helps us to see that children have their own agency and purpose before God.

One of the challenges is that there’s profound disparity of power between children and adults, especially within private homes. The child’s vulnerability calls for adult protection, but not everyone heeds, or is capable of heeding, that call. And when families are severely stressed, under resourced, or isolated, they can become malignant places.

Still, amid the chaos and confusion, the struggle and hypocrisy, Jesus comes to us, his baffled and bickering disciples, and he comes to us with the child. He places the child in our midst and offers us an invitation. Unless you change and become like children, you won’t enter the kingdom.

Whoever takes the path of the child is the greatest in the kingdom, and whoever welcomes one such child in Jesus’ name welcomes Jesus himself. In fact, as Mark’s Gospel says, “The kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14).

Adapted from "Households of Faith" by Emily Hunter McGowin. ©2025 Emily Hunter McGowin. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press.

Trump takes powerful stand for Christians — something Biden refused to do



Hours after vowing Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast to "protect Christians in our schools and our military, and our government, in our workplaces, hospitals, and in our public squares," and to bring the country "back together as one nation under God with liberty and justice for all," President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to "eradicate anti-Christian bias" in the federal government.

Leftists and other radicals apparently keen to ignore the past four years of abuse rushed to condemn the order, suggesting that Christians — 380 million of whom suffer high levels of persecution worldwide — have not been subjected to any form of bias in America.

After noting that the Constitution guarantees the right to religious liberty and that federal laws both prohibit religious discrimination and government interference with Americans' right to exercise their faiths, Trump noted that the Biden administration "engaged in an egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians, while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses."

Trump provided as an example the Biden administration's weaponization of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act against peaceful pro-life protesters, dozens of whom the 47th president pardoned after taking office.

'My Administration will not tolerate anti-Christian weaponization of government or unlawful conduct targeting Christians.'

The FACE Act was used almost exclusively against pro-life activists during the Biden administration, even when the nation saw a massive uptick in attacks by abortion radicals on churches and pro-life pregnancy centers following the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision.

The president noted further in his order that the Biden DOJ "largely ignored" multitudes of attacks against Christian churches, charities, and pro-life centers.

According to the Family Research Council's 2024 Hostility Against Churches report, there were 915 acts of hostility against American churches, such as vandalism, arson, gun-related incidents, and bomb threats, between 2018 and 2023. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) noted during a hearing in December that the Biden administration did not appear particularly concerned about such anti-Christian attacks.

Extra to the Biden administration's imbalanced application of the law, Trump highlighted in his order:

  • the Biden FBI's characterization of conservative Catholics as potential domestic terrorists and proposal to infiltrate Catholic churches as "threat mitigation";
  • the Biden Department of Education's efforts to rescind religious-liberty protections for religious student groups;
  • the Biden Equal Employment Opportunity Commission attempt to force Christians to pay for employees' sex-change mutilations;
  • the Biden Department of Health and Human Servicesattempt to effectively bar Christian providers who hold biblical and scientifically grounded views about sex and marriage from the foster-care system; and
  • the Biden administration's official proclamation honoring a "Transgender Day of Visibility" on Easter Sunday.

"My Administration will not tolerate anti-Christian weaponization of government or unlawful conduct targeting Christians," wrote Trump. "The law protects the freedom of Americans and groups of Americans to practice their faith in peace, and my Administration will enforce the law and protect these freedoms. My Administration will ensure that any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified."

Trump has tasked Attorney General Bondi with forming and chairing the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, which will engage in a systematic review of the activities of all executive departments and agencies and "identify any unlawful anti-Christian policies, practices, or conduct by an agency contrary to the purpose and policy of this order."

The president's order calls for the revocation or termination of all violative policies or practices, as well as for the task force to "identify deficiencies in existing laws and enforcement and regulatory practices that have contributed to unlawful anti-Christian governmental or private conduct."

Rachel Laser, the CEO of the left-leaning advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, condemned Trump's initiative to stop anti-Christian bias, stating, "This task force will misuse religious freedom to justify bigotry, discrimination, and the subversion of our civil rights laws. We've seen Christian Nationalists do this already, turning the sacred concept of religious freedom on its head and into a license to harm others."

'All Americans should be free to exercise their faith without government intrusion.'

Laser suggested further that the effort to protect Christians, who make up an estimated 68% of the American population, is "part of the Christian Nationalist crusade to remake our country."

USA Today columnist Chris Brennan suggested that Trump's suggestion that Biden and the Democratic Party harbored an anti-Christian bias was a lie, stating he was trying to frame "the faithful [as] faithless oppressors of religion."

Unsurprisingly, the Freedom from Religion Foundation similarly expressed outrage, stating, "Christianity is not under attack in this country — if anything, it enjoys overwhelming privilege. We stand ready to fight back against this attack on our secular democracy and the rights of non-Christians."

Whereas various groups that reflexively antagonize Christians condemned the order, conservatives and Christian organizations alternatively expressed their delight.

National Religious Broadcasters, an association of evangelical communicators, thanked Trump for his "leadership on this issue."

Kelly Shackelford, the CEO of the First Liberty Institute, said in a statement, "We are thrilled that President Trump recognizes that religious liberty is foundational to all of our Constitutional freedoms and plans to do all he can do to protect our first freedom."

"All Americans should be free to exercise their faith without government intrusion in school, in the military, in the workplace, and in the public square," continued Shackelford. "We are ready to stand with President Trump to ensure that the religious liberty of every American is safe and secure."

At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump also announced the creation of a commission on religious liberty, noting, "If we don't have religious liberty, then we don't have a free country."

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Trump remarks on the importance of faith: 'Let's bring God back into our lives'



President Donald Trump delivered hopeful remarks during his Thursday speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, a decades-long bipartisan tradition, with Washington's most prominent politicos in attendance.

During the speech, Trump spoke about reigniting religion in America, reminding attendees of the Christian foundation our country was built upon.

'People of religion are going to be happy again. And I really believe you can't be happy without religion, without that belief.'

"America is, and will always be, one nation under God," Trump said. "At every stage of the American story, our country has drawn hope and courage and inspiration from our trust in the Almighty," Trump added. "Deep in the soul of every patriot is the knowledge that God has a special plan and a glorious mission for America."

"It's His hand that guides us every single step of the way," Trump continued.

"And the things we have to do is to see the defining role that faith and prayer played in the life of our nation."

Trump reassured Christians nationwide during his speech that he will work to reinvigorate religion in America. In the first weeks of his presidency, Trump has already signed executive orders ending the weaponization of government against American Christians and has pardoned pro-life protesters who were targeted by President Joe Biden's administration.

"People of religion are going to be happy again," Trump said. "And I really believe you can't be happy without religion, without that belief. I really believe that. I just don't see how you can be."

"So, let's bring religion back," Trump continued. "Let's bring God back into our lives."

Since Trump has taken office, faith has become a focal point in many of his speeches. During his inaugural address, Trump notably attributed his historic re-election to divine intervention.

"Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and, indeed, to take my life," Trump said during the speech. "Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin's bullet ripped through my ear, but I felt then, and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason."

"I was saved by God to make America great again," Trump said.

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