Is your kitchen table off limits to Jesus?



Throughout the Bible, we are told that once we become followers of Jesus, we are part of God’s family. One family.

But I don’t think we are doing a good job of living like family, at least not here in the West. The problem is that we don't understand the crucial role of Christian hospitality.

A love that would be noticed

Loving one another is our primary responsibility when it comes to our fellow believers, and loving one another is a good practice for learning how to love our neighbors and the lost among us, too.

The lost must see our love for one another because, as the apostle John told us (John 13:35):

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

How did the early church demonstrate this love to the world?

Their practices included gathering together daily for fellowship, meals, prayer, and teaching. Acts 2:42-47 illustrates families “doing life together” — to use a current churchy phrase — but for them that meant daily, communal, self-sacrificial living.

My house doesn’t belong to me. Your house doesn’t belong to you. Our homes are a gift meant to be shared.

Daily? Communal? Self-sacrificial? Have you ever considered what it might look like if we tried to more closely pattern the early church in this practice?

Author Rosaria Butterfield certainly has. She is living it, in fact, as she describes in a book she wrote several years ago called "The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World."

Radically ordinary hospitality

Most nights at the Butterfield house, more than just immediate family sits around the table. The Butterfields open their home for communal dinners with their fellow church members, and meals include a time in the word, prayer, and singing. Feeding a dozen or a couple dozen people is not unusual.

Other church members help bring food as well and sometimes host such gatherings. But the Butterfields have made an ironclad commitment to hospitality and making their church family a real family, with members who are intimately aware of each others’ needs, sorrows, victories, and joys.

Just like a “real” family.

There are some small groups, within churches, that might approximate this kind of commitment to each other, if they meet regularly in each other’s homes — but I think that’s rare.

And in churches where home fellowships are not even encouraged, especially in bigger churches, it’s all too easy to pop in and out on any given Sunday without even speaking to another human, much less building a relationship with them.

This is particularly problematic for our single brothers and sisters, who literally have no family to go home to after Sunday services.

As Butterfield notes in her book:

Kent and I practice daily hospitality as a way of life because we must. We remember what it is like to be lonely. We remember the odd contradiction: to be told on the Lord’s Day that you are part of the family of God but then to limp along throughout the rest of the week like an orphan begging bread. ... We believe that the Bible’s high calling for singleness compels us to live communally when we can and to feast nightly on meals and Scripture and prayer with doors wide open.

Did I mention this is 'radical'?

There’s a lot in the above passage. Not only are the Butterfields offering communal dinner most nights, with all the work and expense that entails — but they are also advocating living “communally” as it relates to singles.

If we are family — and in light of how God teaches us to view people like the widows and the orphans — I think these are fair questions:

  • Why does anyone go home alone after church, especially singles? For that matter, why do any families go home without a chance to fellowship with another family or two?
  • Why are we so intent on protecting our privacy and/or independence? Imagine if every Christian who is currently single had the option of renting a room within a Christian family. Or even in a house with other singles! Are we as believers meant to live life day after day alone? (Hint: The answer is no. See Psalm 68:5-6.)
  • Is all this something our churches should be encouraging and perhaps even facilitating? (Hint: The answer is yes.)
  • Are these ideas we should all thoughtfully consider how we might implement? (You know the answer.)

What is Christian hospitality?

That’s the real question here. I used to envision opening my home — at carefully selected times entirely of my own choosing and convenience — to people I wished to be closer to, serving a delicious meal on nice dishes and a lovely tablecloth with vases of fresh flowers decorating my perfectly cleaned house, appropriate soft music playing in the background.

This is an “ideal” that gives most of us a severe case of anxiety, and no helpful books of hospitality tips or recipes can really make it less stressful.

But that is not what Christian hospitality is. Not at all. Really.

Butterfield says:

Our homes are not our castles. Indeed, they are not even ours.

This is the key point of the book — and the starting place for true Christian hospitality.

Our homes are a gift to be used to love others. Starting with our family — and that means our blood family and our church family. If our home is always to be used to love our family, why is it not open to all of our family more often?

Why is hospitality a once-every-so-often rare occasion requiring superhuman preparation, with exhaustion and relief once it's over?

In my view, it's nearly impossible to practice biblical hospitality regularly if both dad and mom work outside the home. A full-time homemaker can incorporate hospitality as part of her daily life rhythms. Should we not be opening our homes to each other daily as a practice?

Loving our singles

Along those lines: Why are we not encouraging singles from our church family to live in our families? God put them there! Why are we ignoring them or assuming they prefer to live alone in a sterile apartment?

Are we under the mistaken impression that this would adversely affect our children?

Surely the opposite is true, according to Butterfield:

It is good for children to have many Christian adults pouring into their lives, helping them apply faith to the facts of a hard situation.

That’s our bottom line. My house doesn’t belong to me. Your house doesn’t belong to you. Our homes are a gift meant to be shared, first with family, with the caveat that family means more than just our kids. It means our church family, and/or any believer we encounter who might need our hospitality, whether it’s around the table or in the spare bedroom.

This requires sacrifice. You might not be able to walk around the house in your underwear. You might not be able to spend hours binge-watching Netflix. You might not both be able to have full-time jobs. It will involve a sacrifice of time, effort, and money.

Did I mention that our time and effort and money also don’t belong to us?

Where Rosaria and I don’t see eye to eye

Our home is also a tool to love our neighbor (meaning both our brethren and nonbelievers), and this is where I take exception to Butterfield’s perspective on hospitality.

Throughout her book, she reiterates her view that her home is open at virtually all times to everyone — believer and nonbeliever alike, or as she calls them, “family” and “neighbor.” Her goal is that neighbors will be transformed (by Christ) into family, and that’s a mission with which I agree wholeheartedly.

But I think there are problems with her approach, namely that she combines the two categories at inappropriate times. Butterfield writes:

And those who don’t yet know the Lord are summoned for food and fellowship.

This statement is part of her description of a nightly communal meal at her house, where church members and neighbors freely mingle (the neighbors know they are welcome to come any time, just like her church family).

But spiritual endeavors are never to be pursued in concert with unbelievers. That is exactly what 2 Corinthians 6:14 talks about. We can never really fellowship with unbelievers — they are from a different spiritual world.

What’s more, their presence in an environment where believers have gathered to pursue true fellowship — including sharing our most intimate prayer needs — is harmful to the growth of those family relationships. Family fellowship is by definition for family. It is the ultimate “safe place.” It is not where our unbelieving neighbor should be, generally speaking.

So as much as I admire the Butterfields for opening their home to their neighbors, I don’t believe this is a biblical approach to family (meaning our church family) fellowship.

Does our home play a role, then, in loving our neighbor? It sure does. Butterfield is absolutely right about that. And her book gives many examples of how her family is exemplary at loving their neighbors.

She’s also right that our Christian hospitality is not just for our church family — although that is where it should start. Opening our homes to our brethren is an excellent way to begin prying our grasp free of what we may have seen as our sovereign castle.

It’s time to start.

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

NY Times discovers cross necklaces — then things get predictably absurd



Only the New York Times could spot a cross and confuse it for a fashion trend.

Christians have been wearing the most important symbol of their faith — the crucifix — for more than a thousand years. But if you read the New York Times last week, you might think that adorning the historic symbol is a resurgent fashion trend.

What is going on here?

In a story titled "A Hot Accessory, at the Intersection of Faith and Culture," writer Misty Sidell observes that "cross necklaces are popping up everywhere," because government officials, influencers, and celebrities are wearing them. The story treats the apparent resurgence of the cross necklace as a groundbreaking revelation, leading readers to wonder: Did the New York Times finally discover Christianity?

Unless you've lived under a rock — or only in elitist circles — the bizarre premise of the story is obvious because Christians everywhere have always worn cross necklaces. This isn't new.

'For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.'

Not only are cross necklaces not new, but they're not a mere fashion accessory or trendy object. Christians wear them because they symbolize something important: the sacrifice, redemption, and radical love that God displayed through Jesus Christ on the cross.

In other words: Cross necklaces do not need a sociological explanation in the "Style" section of the New York Times.

Perhaps the biggest problem with the "news story" is that it never seriously considers the obvious reason why Christians wear cross necklaces, beyond a vague comment about "faith." The suggestion, therefore, that cross necklaces are now suddenly "in vogue" because they're cool (or something?) demonstrates not only a misunderstanding of fashion history but of Christian faith.

Isn't it obvious?

Here's the truth: Christians wear cross necklaces because they are Christian. No fancy explanation needed.

But that doesn't stop Sidell from straining credulity as she attempts to discover an eccentric reason for the supposed rise in cross necklace wearers.

For example, Sidell claims the "cultural meaning" of cross necklaces "can be harder to define as the symbol now seems to vary in interpretation across geography, church affiliation and even — to a growing extent — political value systems." She even quotes a theologian, Robert Covolo, who claims that "people bring their own meaning" to the cross, "which is where symbols really get their power."

And, of course, Sidell draws a connection to the Trump administration:

The Trump administration has welcomed religion into the West Wing with the establishment of a new White House Faith Office. In recent months, pastors with Christian nationalist beliefs have been invited to the White House numerous times.

Cross necklaces have, in a way, become the jewelry of choice most associated with President Trump’s second administration.

The real story here isn't that cross necklaces are suddenly making a fashion comeback.

The real story is that one of the biggest newspapers in the world is apparently surprised that the cross has enduring significance and found it necessary to use fashion as the angle to make sense of it.

It's a wasted opportunity that amounts to journalistic malpractice.

Instead of treating cross necklaces as a fashion trend, the New York Times could have investigated whythe decline of Christianity in America has plateaued. That would have made for a much more interesting story in the context of a supposed rise in cross necklace wearers.

Paul's prescient message

This "story" is yet another example proving why we cannot trust the legacy media to cover Christianity.

Instead of taking serious the deep and rich meaning behind the cross as a symbol and why Christians proudly wear them, the New York Times reduces cross necklaces to an aesthetic trend that is all about the "vibes." It's the true and time-tested way the legacy media covers Christianity: through mockery, ridicule, condemnation, and a refusal to understand.

If you could ask the apostle Paul, he might even suggest the legacy media's inability to understand Christianity — as this New York Times story demonstrates — is evidence of the media's godlessness.

Paul wrote, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Clearly, the cross is still foolishness to those who don't understand it.

That's the great irony of this story: What looks like a jewelry fashion trend to the New York Times (i.e., "those who are perishing") is, for Christians, the symbol of God's salvific power.

It's not a trend. It's eternal.

Christians adorn themselves with the cross to remember their crucified savior, the risen Christ, and to declare without shame their allegiance to Christ, an obedience that cannot be broken — no matter how much the world mocks or misunderstands.

The cross isn't "style" — but a scandal and a signpost to the greatest story the world has ever known.

Crunchy to cultish: The deconstruction of 'Rose Uncharted'



Questioning authority has proven to be generally good in the age of modern politics and health care — but sometimes those who question take it a bridge too far.

One of them, a crunchy mom influencer known as “Rose Uncharted” on Instagram, recently deconstructed from Christianity and began sharing New Age ideas and beliefs to her 165,000 followers on the social media platform.

“This is not an attack on this individual person. I’m not trying to even focus on this one individual, but the content that she has publicly produced and published on her Instagram is a really good example of false teaching that Christians need to be really aware of, especially the demographic in my audience,” Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable” explains.


“The Christian on the crunchy side mom that tends to question authority and question the government and push back against the arbitrary rules — all of those things are great,” she continues, noting that this can lead to being “attracted to certain forms of false teaching” and “perversions of Christianity.”

While these women believe it to be “thinking outside of the box,” Stuckey says that it’s “really just the work of the devil” and an “anti-Christ philosophy.”

“Rose Uncharted” became extremely popular during COVID for pushing back against many of the regulations that didn’t make sense and were clearly restricting our freedoms — like mask and vaccine mandates.

She’s also very vocal about taking a holistic, natural approach to medicine and birth, and she asks a lot of questions about typical Western medicine. Now, she’s begun to become vocal about deconstructing.

“Now, if you don’t know what deconstruction is, I would say it’s a very polite euphemism to describe the process that a Christian goes through when they no longer believe what the Bible teaches about a lot of things in general,” Stuckey says.

In her initial announcement that she was deconstructing, "Rose Uncharted" wrote, “Stepping out of religion feels like stepping out of a room that was never built for me in the first place. It was never about truth — it was about pledging allegiance to the Bible, not as something to seek and wrestle with, but as something already decided for you, imposed upon you, interpreted for you by men through the ages with a variety of intentions, good and bad.”

“I’ve come to believe Christianity is a corrupt and flawed man-made system designed to keep us afraid of ourselves, afraid of our own instincts, afraid of wanting more, afraid of our very own hearts,” she continued. “Now, the unknown is no longer a threat to me — it’s an invitation.”

“She’s saying that outside of religion she has been able to really find God, find God for herself,” Stuckey explains, noting that this February, the influencer made a Western versus Eastern comparison.

“I see this so much in progressive circles. The demonization of the Western lens and the Western mentality, as if Western civilization, because of Christianity, isn’t responsible for the concept of human rights,” she continues, adding, “I loathe that.”

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Viral Debate: Do Stay-At-Home Moms Need a Hobby? | Ep 1184
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Viral Debate: Do Stay-At-Home Moms Need a Hobby? | Ep 1184

Is Jesus a liberal? Democrat senator weaponizes Christ — then condemns himself



Does the Democratic Party have a monopoly on Christ?

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), a pastor and progressive Democrat, recently implied as much. In fact, Warnock suggested that his political views are not only aligned with scripture, but they are synonymous with the teachings of Jesus Christ. And for anyone who disagrees with him, such as Republicans, he believes they're not only wrong — but they're abusing Jesus.

Warnock said on "The View":

I think Jesus is the biggest victim of identity theft in this country. I don’t know who this Jesus is they’re talking about. The Jesus I know was born in a barrio called Bethlehem, raised in a ghetto called Nazareth. He was an immigrant, smuggled into Egypt.

In another interview on MSNBC, Warnock spewed the same message. He said Jesus is a "victim of identity theft" — suggesting that Republicans are the perpetrator — and implied Republicans are acting in cruel, anti-Christian ways when they cut government funding.

Jesus, the progressive?

Warnock's message is dangerous. It is the theological equivalence of gerrymandering: He is redrawing moral and theological boundaries so that only his side can claim righteousness.

Even worse, Warnock is using his definition of righteousness to divide between the sheep and the goats, replacing Christ's teachings with progressive policies. In his telling, only progressive policies are truly Christlike, while conservative policies are anti-Christian.

Warnock wants to baptize progressive politics, call it righteousness, and condemn his opponents into outer darkness.

Warnock describes himself as a "Matthew 25 Christian," referring to Jesus' famous teaching that Democrats love to weaponize against conservative Christians, to emphasize the Democratic Party's supposed concern for the poor and marginalized. It sounds noble. But who is opposed to caring for the needs of the poor, victimized, and marginalized? Certainly not conservative Christians. It's what Christians have done for 2,000 years!

The truth is that conservative Christians disagree on the means. They do not believe a large, centralized, power-hungry government is the best way to achieve this goal. Yet, Warnock talks as if anyone who doesn't support his preferred legislation is abandoning Christ.

In recasting his policy preferences as the only legitimate Christian action, Warnock condemns himself with the exact kind of holier-than-thou spiritual arrogance that he accuses others of.

Especially troubling is the fact that Warnock, a pastor of a historic church, would frame his political opponents as morally and spiritually compromised — and opponents of Christ Himself — rather than acknowledging the legitimate policy disagreements among his fellow Christian brothers and sisters.

It should go without saying: If you oppose government "solutions," that does not mean you oppose Christ.

Jesus healed the sick, cared for the poor, and gave hope to the marginalized. He did that because He is God — not because He is a government bureaucrat.

Warnock, guilty as charged

Not only is Warnock engaging in a rhetorical game to shame Christians for policy disagreements, but he is reducing the Gospel to progressive social policy.

It's not prophetic boldness, though it resonates with his base. It's dishonest spiritual gatekeeping.

The irony is palpable: Warnock accuses his opponents of stealing Jesus' "identity" and weaponizing Christianity, while he does exactly that. He uses Christ as a partisan mascot to gain moral leverage over his political opponents.

This game isn't new for Warnock. Ever since he entered politics, he has leveraged his Christian faith to advance the Democratic Party's agenda.

Warnock is very concerned about the victim, poor, and marginalized. But what about unborn children? Warnock, of course, boasts about being a "pro-choice pastor," and he cannot name a single abortion restriction that he endorses. This example alone proves the hollowness of Warnock's browbeating. If he were truly concerned about every marginalized person — those who do not have "power" or a "voice" — certainly he would advocate for the protection of every unborn life, each of which is formed in God's image and has neither power nor a voice.

Now, Warnock is using his political leverage to oppose immigration policies that, despite critics, aren't unbiblical. Christ never said that America has a moral and spiritual obligation to welcome with open arms every migrant who desires to live here.

The Kingdom of God is not of this world. But Warnock wants to baptize progressive politics, call it righteousness, and condemn his opponents into outer darkness.

It isn't Christianity. It's pure political and spiritual manipulation.

Christians must reject Warnock's attempt to conflate his progressive gospel with the good news that Jesus preached. Christ seeks not political conformity but repentance and disciples.

The Son of God doesn't take marching orders from the Democratic Party. He is Lord, and He won't be used.

The art of prayer: How to unleash its power



As Christians, we should know what we owe to our fellow Jesus followers — “one another” as the Bible calls us.

Before we can effectively love our neighbor — “neighbor” in this context meaning those not yet a part of the family of God — we need to understand the importance of how we interact with our brethren in Christ.

Paul’s prayers center on one thing: that believers may become more and more like Christ, growing into spiritual powerhouses.

Obviously, we are to love one another. We are to model the early church as it is described to us in Acts. We are to mindfully learn and apply all the “one anothers” the Bible gives us. We are to speak truth in love to one another (and others, as well).

One of the most powerful ways to love one another is to diligently pray for one another (James 5:16). And one of the most powerful ways to accomplish that is to pray scripture for them.

This is nothing new. After all, many of us have been praying the Lord’s Prayer, which is straight out of scripture, for much of our lives. Many psalms also lend themselves to prayer and worship. Much scripture has been set to music so that we can pray in song, as well.

But when it comes to powerfully praying for our brethren, the apostle Paul was a master. In God-breathed letters to at least three churches — the Colossians, the Philippians, and the Ephesians — he tells his flock exactly how he’s praying for them.

Paul’s prayer for the Colossians

Colossians 1:9-12:

For this reason also, since the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

What a magnificent prayer! In a few short lines, Paul asked God that the Colossians might:

  • Be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding: This is a wonderful starting place for praying for your fellow believers — that they understand and wisely follow God’s will for their lives.
  • Walk worthy of God, pleasing Him in every way

And then he prayed specifically for how they could do that:

  • Bear fruit in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God: These two categories are what should comprise our day-to-day existence! Knowing Him and making Him known. Sitting at His feet daily, and serving Him wholeheartedly.
  • Be strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might, to attain perseverance and patience: Paul recognized that persevering and being patient only come through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit within us and are important enough to merit their own mention in his prayer.
  • Joyously thank the Father, who has qualified us to share in His inheritance of our fellow saints in light: Here, he prays for his fellow believers to be filled with joy and gratitude, looking up to what lies ahead.

If you’re praying for the believers in your life to understand God’s will, walk worthy and please Him, bear fruit and know Him better, be strengthened In God’s power, and joyously give thanks — you’re on target.

Again, this was a prayer for a specific group of people from Paul. But because it is recorded in holy scripture, we know this prayer is God-breathed. What a privilege to be able to pray this exact prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can do that in general, praying for all our fellow disciples this way.

But it is perhaps more meaningful to actually write out this prayer for a specific brother or sister, by name.

For example:

Lord, I continually ask You to fill Anna with the knowledge of Your will in spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that she will walk worthy of You and please You in every way — bearing fruit in every good work and growing in her knowledge of You. Please strengthen her with all power, according to Your glorious might, so she may obtain great perseverance and patience. And help her joyfully thank You, who has qualified us both to share in the inheritance of Your saints in the kingdom of light.

Praying this way ignites my spirit. We know that when we pray in alignment with God’s will, He acts. How amazing that He’s given us scripture like this that demonstrates, in a very practical way, how He would have us pray for the “one anothers” with whom He has blessed us.

Bonus question: How might you adapt this prayer for your unbelieving friends?

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians

Another rich prayer is recorded for us in Philippians 1:3-6:

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.

This is a good reminder to thank God for the Jesus followers He’s brought into our lives — and to start any prayer for them by expressing our gratitude for the blessings they bring to us.

Note also the attitude he brings to his prayer time for them. He is mindful of their “participation in the gospel” — he is mindful that they are walking the same path as he is — and this brings him joy.

His next thought is a verse we often quote as a reminder that “God isn’t finished with us yet.” Isn’t it interesting that he put it right here in a prayer for them? Almost like he wanted to remind himself that no matter what mistakes and stumbles he might have to address, these beloved friends were a work in progress, in the process of being sanctified.

In other words, they were people deserving of his grace, too. Another good reminder.

But the real meat of his prayer for them is found in verses 9-11:

And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.

That our love may overflow ... in real knowledge and discernment. What do those two things have to do with love?

As for knowledge: Our agape love for our brothers and sisters does not spring from some sort of flowery sentimentality. It springs from scriptural truth. Scripture is what defines love, so we can’t love well without that knowledge. Again, we speak the truth in love and love others well with truth — always.

As for discernment: It turns out love is not blind, after all. The Greek word used here for "discernment" is where we get our English word “aesthetic,” which as John MacArthur notes, speaks of moral perception, insight, and practical application of knowledge. “Love is not blind,” he says, “but perceptive, and it carefully scrutinizes to distinguish between right and wrong.”

That biblical, perceptive love is what Paul wants overflowing in believers. Why?

So that we can discover what things are excellent. This is about developing keen perception, distinguishing between which things are worthy of our time and which are hindrances. And what does this pursuit of excellent things net us?

It means we are sincere and blameless as we transition out of this world and into our heavenly reward in glory with Jesus. It means that in this life, we are filled with thefruitof righteousness, again as a result of Jesus’ work. And what is the purpose of those results? The glory and praise of God.

Don’t we all want someone praying these things for us? So let us pray them for one another — wholeheartedly and personally.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians

Ephesians 1 is a magnificent chapter, and I encourage you to read it right now. Paul’s first prayer for the Ephesians comes toward the end of that chapter:

Ephesians 1:15-19a:

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe.

This is such a rich passage. Paul is telling the Ephesians that when he mentions them in his prayers, he does so with continuous gratitude for them — due to their exemplary faith, evidenced by their love for one another.

And then he goes on to tell them what he asks God for, on their behalf:

  • Wisdom: The ability to take knowledge and put it into action, or in other words, how to live well in God’s world. This is an attribute we should diligently seek always. The first nine chapters of Proverbs make a powerful argument for this pursuit.
  • Revelation in the knowledge of Him: This is the continuing learning process (“revelation”) that we undergo as we learn more about God through immersion in His Word.
  • Enlightened “eyes of the heart”

That last one means seeing God clearly with a spiritually enlightened mind, which results in knowledge of three life-changing truths:

  • The truth of the hope of His calling: a confident understanding of the hope He provides His children, and a grasp of what awaits us.
  • The truth of the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints: again, starting to grasp the immense and glorious riches that are ours as His saints.
  • The truth of the boundless power of His greatness toward us who believe.

I love what John MacArthur says about this last point:

God’s great power, that very power which raised Jesus from the dead and lifted Him by ascension back to glory to take His seat at God’s right hand, is given to every believer at the time of salvation and is always available. Paul therefore did not pray that God’s power be given to believers, but that they be aware of the power they already possessed in Christ and use it. — MacArthur Study Bible (notes)

That’s really the point of Paul’s prayer for enlightened eyes of the heart: that we be aware of what God in Christ has already given us — and then we use it.

This is indeed an immensely powerful prayer that we can personalize for our brothers and sisters. And there’s nothing wrong with asking our brothers and sisters to pray this for us, too.

But Paul had one more spectacular prayer for his beloved Ephesian church. It is one of the most beautiful passages in all his letters (and there are a lot of beautiful passages, to be sure):

Ephesians 3:14-19:

For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.

Praying this sublime language is an act of worship in itself, since it includes such a marvelous depiction of God’s unquestioned authority.

But let’s look at what Paul is asking God to grant the Ephesians here “according to the riches of His glory,” which again are available to every Christ-follower:

  • That God would grant them strength, derived from the power of the Holy Spirit within each individual, so that Christ dwells in their hearts through faith. In other words, that we would please Him by keeping our hearts clean through the power of His Spirit as we submit to His lordship.
  • That God would grant them the state of being rooted and grounded in love — the self-sacrificial agape love given for us by Him, that we are to freely share.
  • That God would grant them comprehension (awareness and understanding), along with all the other saints, of the vast immensity of the love of Christ, which surpasses simple head knowledge. We can’t know this kind of love without being His children.

Knowing all of this leads to being filled with the fullness of God. It leads to spiritual strength as we discipline our minds and spirits to study, understand, and live by God’s word through His Spirit’s power — increasingly, as we mature in Him.

Quoting my friend Dr. MacArthur one more time:

Although the outer, physical person becomes weaker with age, the inner, spiritual person should grow stronger through the Holy Spirit, who will energize, revitalize, and empower the obedient, committed Christian.

But wait — there’s more

Here are a few more of Paul’s prayers that you can personalize for those you are bringing to God’s throne room:

Paul’s prayers center on one thing: that believers may become more and more like Christ, growing into spiritual powerhouses. That is why these passages are so powerful when we pray them for each other, by name, specifically.

Let’s love one another by praying this way.

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

Here's the proof: Trump makes good on promise to defend Christians



President Donald Trump is taking more action on behalf of Christians, making good on his promise to defend the faith.

On Tuesday, prominent Christians and members of the Trump administration convened for the first meeting of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. Trump established the task force to correct the "egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians, while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses" that he said occurred in the Biden administration.

The Trump administration is exposing the rotten fruit of the negative world.

Shocking evidence to prove those allegations was presented at this week's meeting.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for example, presented evidence of bias against Christian foreign service officers who homeschool their children. Rubio said the Biden administration threatened the officers with allegations of child abuse or IRS investigations if they insisted on homeschooling. He also said Christians in the Biden administration were discriminated against for opposing DEI and LGBTQ ideology, stigmatized for opposing the COVID-19 shot, and had their religious holidays downplayed while non-Christian holidays were openly celebrated.

This is what other officials testified to:

  • FBI Director Kash Patel spoke about the anti-Catholic memo the FBI, under then-President Joe Biden, issued.
  • HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke about how the Biden administration targeted a Catholic hospital and exposed "progressive rules" the administration enacted against Christians hoping to become foster parents.
  • Education Secretary Linda McMahon spoke about discrimination against Christians who oppose the LGBTQ agenda in education policy.
  • Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender discussed "financial surveillance" of Christian organizations under the Biden administration, which allegedly included weaponization of tax classification statuses, de-banking, and labeling certain organizations as "hate groups."
  • Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins revealed how the Biden administration allegedly punished a chaplain for preaching from the Bible.
  • Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley spoke about the Biden administration's campaign to advance anti-Christian gender ideology on children.
But that's not all.

The task force also heard allegations that the IRS under Biden targeted churches under the guise of the Johnson Amendment and claims that Liberty University and Grand Canyon University were targeted for fines over their Christian worldview.

"As shown by our victims' stories today, Biden's Department of Justice abused and targeted peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses," Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

Michael Farris, a celebrated attorney, said he thought the meeting would be "small" and "informal." But he was surprised when he learned just how serious the Trump administration is about defending Christians.

"I have been in a lot of high ranking meetings in my 40+ years in DC but this was over the top," Farris said.

"I was absolutely blown away. We heard frank stories of terrible treatment of Christians by the prior administration. In the military, by the FBI, by the State Department, by the Justice Department, the Education Department and more. And the solutions were swift, real, and incredibly inspiring," he continued.

"I have chaired meetings in the past where the top Christian litigators shared our most outrageous cases and where we were making plans to fight back," Farris explained. "Today’s meeting had that same spirit but with one major difference. These people actually run our government and were swiftly taken the kind of action that for a long time Christians have believed were demanded by justice. I was amazed and encouraged deeply in my soul."

The task force, Farris added, is proof that the Trump administration is following through on campaign promises "quickly" and "vigorously."

"If every believer could have seen this in person their hearts would be overflowing tonight," Farris said.

Not only is the Trump administration exposing instances of anti-Christian bias that happened in the Biden administration, but it is taking proactive measures to prevent such discrimination from continuing.

Earlier this month, the State Department and VA deployed memos to employees asking them to report incidents of anti-Christian bias. The goal is to completely eliminate all forms of anti-Christian discrimination from the federal government.

For a generation, American Christians have existed in a "negative world." Aaron Renn, who coined the phrase, explains:

Society has come to have a negative view of Christianity. Being known as a Christian is a social negative, particularly in the elite domains of society. Christian morality is expressly repudiated and seen as a threat to the public good and the new public moral order. Subscribing to Christian moral views or violating the secular moral order brings negative consequences.

Our faith has been mocked. Our values have been eroded and stigmatized. In a progressive world, faithful Christians have increasingly become an "other," the target of scorn and public ridicule.

But now, the Trump administration is exposing the rotten fruit of the negative world.

Clearly, Trump means business. The task force is more than a nod or gesture; it's a signal that anti-Christian bias will no longer be tolerated in the federal government. More importantly, Trump is sending a message to Christians everywhere: I see you. I hear you. I am willing to fight and to defend you.

Christians should celebrate this moment. Not because our hope is found in Washington, but because faithful Christians and biblical values have increasingly become stigmatized in the halls of powerful institutions. And now, that is changing.

Perhaps we are finally witnessing a reversal of the negative world.

Tim Walz's daughter says Trump would have deported Jesus Christ for being an MS-13 gang member, calls right-wingers 'dumb'



The daughter of Minnesota Democrat governor and failed vice presidential candidate Tim Walz declared that if Jesus Christ were living in the United States today, President Donald Trump's administration would claim he was part of the deadly MS-13 gang and deport him.

Hope Walz, the 24-year-old daughter of Tim Walz, posted a controversial video on TikTok, where she alleged that the Trump administration would claim Jesus Christ was an MS-13 gang member as a way to deport him.

Hope called people who lean right 'dumb' and described President Trump as the 'king felon in chief.'

"If Jesus were alive today and in the United States, this administration would have already taken him and removed him from this country without due process," Hope Walz said.

Hope Walz added that the Trump administration would have "claimed he was a member of the MS-13 gang as a way to try to justify not giving him due process, as if there's any justifiable reason for not giving anybody due process."

"But yeah, people don't want to talk about that," Hope added. "Some people don't want to talk about that. It truly is baffling how clear and laid out everything is, and there are still people standing by it."

"I believe in the good of people and like humanity, humans, you know ... deep down at our core. Like, we care about each other ... but that's really being tested," the daughter of the Minnesota governor continued. "Because how anyone is okay with this is terrifying to me."

Walz seemed to be referring to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old illegal alien who was deported to El Salvador and is suspected of being a member of the violent MS-13 gang.

Democrats have been up in arms over Garcia's deportation, arguing that the alleged gang member wasn't provided with due process.

As Blaze News reported, four congressional Democrats arrived in El Salvador on Monday in an effort to pressure the return of Garcia to the United States.

Members of Trump's administration have been ardently defending the polarizing deportation.

At a press conference at the White House earlier this month, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele proclaimed that he would not be returning Garcia.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a recent statement, "The mainstream media has peddled a sob story about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The facts are that he is an illegal alien from El Salvador, an MS-13 gang member, and has a history of violence."

DHS records show that the Salvadoran national was suspected of human trafficking in 2022 and has been accused of domestic violence against his wife.

"Jennifer Vasquez, Garcia’s wife, petitioned for an order of protection against him," the DHS said. "She claimed he punched her, scratched her, and ripped off her shirt, and bruised her."

The Department of Homeland Security stated that two judges found that Garcia was a member of MS-13. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement noted the "extreme violence" committed by MS-13.

“One of the largest and most violent criminal organizations in the United States is MS-13, which has over 10,000 members in as many as 40 states,” ICE states. “The gang is known for its extreme violence, including its brutal initiation rituals and acts of intimidation and retaliation against rival gangs, law enforcement officials, and community members.:

In another recent TikTok video regarding deportations of illegal aliens, Hope Walz called people who lean right "dumb" and described President Trump as the "king felon in chief."

Hope then claimed that if the government deported illegal immigrants, it could also round up American citizens.

Hope lashed out, "I understand that some people lack empathy, which is f**king terrible, but what's bizarre to me is the fact that they're doing this to some people right now means that they could do it to all people."

"Okay, don't care about another human being, your time of judgment will come regarding that, but care about your f**king self because this could happen to anybody." Hope ranted. "And it's f**king horrible!"

Hope Walz has nearly 440,000 followers and more than 5 million views on her TikTok account.

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Jesus didn't die for this: Paula White's prosperity lie hijacks Holy Week



The apostle Peter describes false teachers: "And in their greed they will exploit you with false words" (2 Peter 2:3).

The Bible describes false teachers in several ways, but one of the most consistent characteristics of a false teacher is that his or her life is marked by greed.

In the prosperity gospel, Christ is not the end, but merely a means to an end: the accumulation of more and more wealth.

Serving as the head of the recently established White House Faith Office, “pastor” Paula White is one of the leading proponents of Word of Faith theology, otherwise known as the "prosperity gospel." The Word of Faith movement is an aberrant form of Christianity. It asserts that all Christians should enjoy financial prosperity and physical healing provided they have sufficient faith and sow enough “seed” (i.e., monetary offerings) in a preacher’s ministry. Sow enough "seed" to reap a "harvest."

Prosperity preachers misuse biblical texts to promise parishioners as much as a “hundredfold return” on their offerings. Mark 4:8, for example, states, “And other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they were yielding a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

Just a little logic makes the prosperity interpretation laughable.

If you give $100 and receive $10,000 in return, then sow that $10,000 and receive $10,000,000 in return, it would not take many "harvest" cycles before you could pay off the national debt. The seed mentioned in Mark 4:8 is not even about money. The seed is the word of God that yields a spiritual harvest in the hearts of those prepared to receive it. But Word of Faith preachers never let the Bible get in the way of their lucrative theology.

Paula White is no stranger to such manipulative Bible twisting.

In videos posted before her recent appointment, White has told people to sow $133 based on Proverbs 1:33 and $91 based on Psalm 91 or even $1,144 based on John 11:44. She promises her followers that if they sow these specific dollar amounts in her ministry, they will receive the corresponding blessings mentioned therein.

This is utter foolishness. Chapter divisions and verse numbers were not added to the Bible until the Middle Ages to facilitate easy navigation of the scriptures. The written text is inspired, but the chapter divisions and verse numbers are not. Besides Paula White and countless other prosperity preachers using them to fleece their followers, they have no spiritual significance whatsoever.

One might think that Paula White’s elevated profile from her appointment by President Donald Trump might cause her to be more cautious about shamelessly exploiting people for money.

But one would be wrong.

In late March, White generated controversy once again because she appeared to promise followers the “7 Blessings of Passover.”

These seven blessings are:

  1. An angel assigned to you.
  2. God will be an enemy to your enemies.
  3. Financial prosperity.
  4. Healing from sickness.
  5. A long life.
  6. Increase.
  7. A special year of blessing.

She suggested sowing varying dollar amounts: a minimum of $50 and a maximum of $1,000.

Though White never explicitly said that these seven blessings would be yours in exchange for money, it was certainly implied. At one point a narrator quotes Deuteronomy 16:16, “None shall appear before the Lord empty-handed,” before urging viewers to sow their “best Passover offering.” The narrator then states, “Don’t miss your moment to release seven supernatural blessings and provision into your life.” White follows up, saying, “I believe when you honor God on Passover … you can receive these seven supernatural blessings for you and your house.”

Despite White receiving significant backlash on social media for her video, she posted an almost identical one on April 13. “I believe God for miracles during this time because God is faithful to His word. So get ready to experience the supernatural blessing of this time as we honor God," she says in the video.

In other words: You “honor God” by giving money to Paula White.

If you sow financial seed to Paula White, God will give you these seven blessings. Need money? Give what you have to Paula. Need healing? Give your money to Paula. Do you or a family member — possibly one of your own children — have a serious physical condition like cancer? Well, you’ll need to sow a big seed for that. The bigger miracle you need, the bigger monetary seed you better sow.

Like all Word of Faith and prosperity gospel preachers, Paula White tries to disguise her greed. She says, “Now we’re not buying a miracle; we’re not doing any of that ‘Jesus junk.’” But her attempt is in vain. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is obvious to everyone observing that it is still a pig.

The Bible says much about how we should care for the poor and the widows. Prosperity preachers like Paula White exploit them and, to add sin upon sin, do so in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus reserved His most blistering rebukes for false teachers who distort scripture and “devour widows’ homes” (Luke 20:46-45).

Paula White takes the most sacred Christian holy day, Resurrection Sunday, and turns it into an opportunity for her to stuff her already bulging coffers.

In the prosperity gospel, Christ is not the end, but merely a means to an end: the accumulation of more and more wealth.

Please do not misunderstand: There is nothing inherently wrong with being wealthy, nor is there anything inherently honorable in being poor. There is nothing wrong with adequately compensating men who serve as pastors — this, in fact, is biblical (1 Timothy 5:17-18).

But it is completely wrong to twist scripture and exploit the poor and the sick to fund a lifestyle of luxury. It is wrong when Paula White tells people to give her money before they even pay their light bill because you can’t expect the electric company to heal your child.

Jesus did not come to this earth to put an end to financial poverty. He plainly stated, “The poor you will always have with you” (Matthew 26:11). Jesus did not even come to put an end to sickness and disease — that will only be realized for believers on the other side of heaven, not here. Jesus came to this earth to put an end to sin and the wrath of God that it incurs.

God the Son, uncreated and fully God from eternity past, took on a human nature at Bethlehem. Jesus Christ was one person with two distinct natures: He is truly God and truly man. As the God-man, Jesus gave His perfect life on the cross as a perfect sacrifice to perfectly satisfy God’s wrath that burns against sin.

Jesus did not die on the cross so that we can have a perfect life, but so that we can be saved from God’s perfect wrath (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10). Then on the third day, He was bodily raised from the dead, proving Himself to be who He said He was: God in human flesh. The only way to have the wrath of God removed is to turn (i.e., repent) from sin and place your full trust in Christ and what He accomplished with His one-time, never-to-be-repeated sacrifice on Calvary’s tree (Hebrews 10:10, 12).

False teachers have been a problem in the church since its inception. In fact, of the 27 books in the New Testament, 26 of them directly warn about false doctrine and/or false teachers. Not only are false teachers marked by greed, but scripture also describes them as “caring only for themselves” (Jude 12).

Greed combined with a lack of care for others is a dangerous combination indeed.

Greater Exodus: How Jesus is revealed as the ultimate Passover lamb



The Gospel of John can be seen as a “New Book of Exodus,” emphasizing Jesus’ ministry and its profound connection to the Passover. While the synoptic Gospels highlight the Passover meal at the Last Supper to frame Jesus’ crucifixion, John’s Gospel uniquely ties Jesus’ death and mission to the themes of Passover and the Exodus.

These eight points illustrate how John presents Jesus as the true Passover lamb and the fulfillment of the Exodus story.

1. Barabbas and the cross as a vicarious sacrifice

All four Gospels link Jesus’ death with the sparing of Barabbas, but John presents this act with deeper theological implications. Barabbas, whose name means “son of the father,” was spared execution, while Jesus, the true Son of the Father, took His place on the cross. This exchange vividly portrays the cross as a vicarious sacrifice of atonement.

The sparing of Barabbas parallels the Passover, where the blood of a lamb on the doorposts caused the angel of death to pass over the firstborn sons of Israel.

Just as Barabbas was spared through Jesus’ substitutionary death, humanity is spared from judgment through the atoning sacrifice of Christ.

2. The centrality of Passover in John’s Gospel

John’s Gospel emphasizes the Passover more than any other New Testament book, mentioning it repeatedly to frame Jesus’ ministry and mission. Passover is referred to in John 2:13, 2:23, 5:1, 6:4, 11:55, and 13:1. These mentions underscore the centrality of Passover to understanding Jesus as the fulfillment of its themes.

For instance, John 6:4 introduces the feeding of the 5,000 within Passover, foreshadowing Jesus as the true bread of life, whose flesh provides eternal sustenance. Similarly, the events leading to His crucifixion are explicitly tied to Passover, reinforcing Jesus’ role as the lamb, whose sacrifice brings redemption.

3. Jesus, the lamb of God

John introduces Jesus with a profound declaration by John the Baptist: “Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

This identification of Jesus as the lamb of God ties directly to the Passover lamb, whose blood spared Israel’s firstborn in Egypt. The imagery of Jesus as the lamb is later echoed in Revelation 5, where He is worshiped as the lamb who was slain and worthy to receive power and glory.

John’s Gospel thus bridges the Old Testament Passover lamb, Jesus’ crucifixion, and the ultimate victory of the lamb in Revelation, presenting a cohesive vision of redemption.

4. His bones were not broken

John 19:31-37 notes that the soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs, fulfilling the requirement of the Passover lamb: “You shall not break any of its bones” (Exodus 12:46). This detail is unique to John and serves to confirm Jesus as the perfect Passover lamb.

The unbroken bones also symbolize Jesus’ unblemished sacrifice. Unlike the animal sacrifices of the old covenant, Jesus’ sacrifice was once for all, perfect, complete, and sufficient to atone for sin.

This fulfillment of the Passover law for John underscores Jesus’ divine purpose as the lamb of God.

5. The timing of the crucifixion and the Passover lambs

John carefully sets the timing of Jesus’ crucifixion to coincide with the slaughtering of the Passover lambs. According to John 19:14, Jesus was crucified on the Day of Preparation, just as the Passover lambs were being sacrificed.

This timing is not coincidental; it reveals the theological significance of Jesus’ death. Just as the blood of the lambs protected Israel during the first Passover, Jesus’ blood provides eternal protection and deliverance from sin.

John’s emphasis on this timing reinforces Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the Passover sacrifice.

6. The mention of hyssop

In John 19:29, Jesus is offered sour wine on a hyssop branch during His crucifixion. This detail carries significant Passover symbolism. In Exodus 12:22, hyssop was used to sprinkle the lamb’s blood on the doorposts, marking the homes of Israel for deliverance.

John connects Jesus’ crucifixion to the original Passover by including this detail. Just as hyssop was used to apply the lamb’s blood in Egypt, it is present at the cross, where the blood of Jesus is applied to the doorpost of the heart of believers.

This imagery underscores Jesus as the true Passover lamb, whose blood brings deliverance.

7. Eating the Passover lamb and Jesus’ zeal for God’s house

In John 2:17, Jesus is described as having a zeal for God’s house, a reference to Psalm 69:9: “Zeal for Your house will consume me” (consume is literally “eat”).

The context of this statement in John’s Gospel is cleansing the Temple, which occurs during Passover (John 2:13). This timing ties Jesus’ zeal to consuming the Passover lamb in Exodus 12.

In the original Passover, the lamb was sacrificed and eaten as a sign of covenant participation. Similarly, Jesus calls His followers to partake of His body and blood, symbolized in the Eucharist, as a means of entering into the new covenant. This connection highlights the participatory nature of redemption through Christ, the true Passover lamb.

8. The Passover reinforced by allusions to the Exodus

Throughout John’s Gospel, numerous allusions to the Exodus reinforce Jesus’ role in a new and greater deliverance. For instance:

  • Water into wine (John 2:1-11): This miracle echoes Moses turning water into blood in Exodus 7:14-24, but instead of a sign of judgment, Jesus’ miracle signifies blessing and the inauguration of a new covenant.
  • Jesus’ “I am” statements: Jesus repeatedly declares “I am” (e.g., John 8:58), identifying Himself with Yahweh, the God who revealed His name to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14).
  • Manifesting God’s name: In John 17:6, 11-12, Jesus says He has manifested God’s name to His disciples, paralleling the Exodus theme of God revealing Himself to Israel.
  • The deliverance of the Jews from Egypt through the Red Sea coincides with the Exodus of believers from sin through the sea of Jesus’ (red) blood.

Just as the Exodus revealed God as redeemer, the new Exodus through Christ reveals God as Father. The Gospel of John masterfully portrays Jesus as the fulfillment of the Passover and the Exodus.

Through vivid imagery and theological insights, John reveals Jesus as the lamb of God, the ultimate Passover sacrifice, whose blood brings deliverance and redemption. Moreover, John’s allusions to the Exodus remind us that Jesus’ mission is to deliver Israel and to inaugurate a new and greater Exodus for all humanity.

During this sacred season of remembering Jesus’ passion, let us realize that Passover is not merely an event to remember; it is a reality to live as we partake in the redemption offered through the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

This article was originally published on Joseph Mattera's website.