In a world captivated by the 24-hour news cycle and the latest political drama, it’s easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of power plays. We place our hopes in elections, pin our dreams on political leaders, and participate in endless debates about proper policies and competing visions of Christian cultural engagement. Too often we lose sight of the King and his coming kingdom. In The Return of the Kingdom: A Biblical Theology of God’s Reign, Stephen G. Dempster, professor emeritus of religious studies at Crandall University, invites us to explore the grand narrative of God’s sovereign rule over a kingdom that has been unfolding since the beginning of time and that will continue long after the political landscapes of our age have faded. Dempster offers a biblical-theological antidote to a culture that oscillates between alarmism and cold-hearted indifference. That antidote requires focusing on the biblical narrative, which tells how “the world awaits the return of the kingdom of God, and its rightful heirs—human beings crowned with glory and honor” (4). God’s Kingdom and God’s Story For Dempster, the “return of the kingdom” is the central theme of the Bible that helps believers to comprehend “the entire biblical message” (2). In this “one succinct phrase,” we can behold the grand “storyline of the Bible” (4). Biblical theology insists that God documented in his Word the way he works in the world. The biblical canon isn’t a wax model of God’s intended plan for his creation that can be shaped and molded by each new generation of readers. As we encounter its comprehensive narrative framework and its multifaceted textual world, we must allow the Bible’s contours to mold and shape us. Yet first we have to understand what God is doing in Scripture. “One way to make sense of a book is to study its beginning and its end,” Dempster argues. “In the Bible the first few chapters provide an introduction not only to the book but to the world, and the last two chapters provide a conclusion for both.” In the Scriptures, “the world and the story are intimately woven together” (5). God’s kingdom and God’s story aren’t simply parallel tracks heading to a similar destination—they’re intertwined like the strands of a DNA double helix. If we gain a better understanding of the nature of the kingdom, it’ll deepen our perception of God’s purpose for his people. As Bible readers, the theme of God’s kingdom gives us a place to stand as we navigate the unity and diversity of the whole Bible. Anticipate the Kingdom Our understanding of the Bible comes alive when the intertwining of kingdom and story is central. In the beginning, God created a good world in which human image-bearers worshiped and obeyed as representatives of God’s ruling authority. They were to rule on God’s behalf. Sin’s entrance into the world marked the beginning of a rival kingdom. The dark lord of this counterfeit kingdom warred against the Lord and his anointed King by tempting each new generation of image-bearers to reject the lordship of God’s kingdom. Our understanding of the Bible comes alive when the intertwining of kingdom and story is central. In his providence, though, God provided spaces in which his people could worship. He allows them to catch glimpses of the ultimate restoration of God’s rule over all the earth. The tabernacle, the temple, and the covenant community each enabled people to serve the Lord in their time. These spaces prefigure the joy of a coming consummation. At the end of days, God will not merely return to a previous time; he’ll establish a new heavens and a new earth with a redeemed people who gladly participate. They’ll rule with God forever. As Dempster tells this story, he explores a host of biblical texts and related theological themes. But he doesn’t get bogged down in technical details. God’s kingdom is a central theme that helps us see “the pathway from tragedy to glorious destiny” (10). Yet Dempster reminds us that this “pathway marked through the Bible is not straight ahead but more like a long winding road that goes forward, curving off to the side, tracking backward, zigzagging in another direction before advancing again” (10). We shouldn’t expect the kingdom to arrive with a smooth curve trending toward perfection. Sing to the King Dempster’s study of the kingdom throws the spotlight on King Jesus himself. As he notes, the “fourfold narrative repetition of the life of Christ is unparalleled in the Scriptures” (156). The Gospels demonstrate Jesus’s royal lineage, display Jesus’s royal works, and communicate Jesus’s royal words. The book of Acts then shows the expansion of God’s kingdom by the proclamation of the gospel about this King and his present yet coming kingdom. Christ’s dynamic story points toward the final realization of our kingdom hopes when King Jesus returns. John’s Revelation looks forward to the day when “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). Until that moment, believers are called to persevere each day in light of this ultimate reality. Yet in a world dominated by doomscrolling, Jesus gives us access to “the newsfeed of the kingdom” (200). Christ’s dynamic story points toward the final realization of our kingdom hopes when King Jesus returns. The kingdom newsfeed is full of “upside-down headlines” (200). There are everyday reminders that God’s kingdom is coming. People are oppressed, but someone is feeding the poor. Leaders are corrupt, but someone is ministering gospel truth to the lost. Fake news is everywhere, but someone is speaking truth to power and wisdom to the saints. Because Christ is King, the church is a royal priesthood of believers who aren’t beholden to the lies of counterfeit kingdoms. Dempster shows how biblical theology ignites and sustains the fire of biblical worship. If this story of God’s kingdom is true, we can live in peace even as we navigate the weariness of this world. The Return of the Kingdom celebrates the greatness of God, the bigness of the Bible’s story, and the life-giving hope that comes from focusing our gaze on the King of glory and his comprehensive kingdom.

Would you guess that compared to the 20th century, dads in the 21st century spend more time with their kids? You probably know moms work more hours outside the home. But do you know that moms still spend more time with children than before, even though they work more and family size has shrunk? Timothy Carney is right: Something is wrong. In his new book, Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be (Harper), he writes, “Somehow Mom and Dad have become full-time chauffeurs, Secret Service agents, and playmates—while both parents work full-time jobs.” He wants us to know that today’s maximum-effort, high-anxiety, low-trust parenting hasn’t produced high-quality parenting. He writes, “Our culture expects a person more and more to handle life on his own, stripped of the support, guidance, expectations, and meaning traditionally provided by religion, community, and extended family. This supposedly ‘liberating’ modernity makes life a lot harder.” Carney is a father of six children, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and columnist at the Washington Examiner. He wants to show us a “way of life that makes family easier, makes parents less anxious, and makes kids happier.” Who doesn’t want that? But first, we need to see why American civil society has collapsed in the past two generations. We did just that in this episode of Gospelbound.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. In a new episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Elon Musk shared insights into his motivations for acquiring Twitter (now X) and the implications for free speech, calling the platform’s previous approach “insane” and highlighting its shift under his leadership. Musk said he felt a duty to buy Twitter, suggesting that without his intervention, “we’re screwed.” Rogan praised Musk, expressing gratitude for what he saw as a stand against censorship. He credited Musk’s decision as a “fork in the road” for free expression, allowing more transparency into practices of “suppressing information.” Musk echoed this, noting he had been “attuned” to suspicious shifts in the platform’s operation long before the acquisition. “I was the most interacted-with user on Twitter… If they change the system, I can tell immediately,” he said, adding that the platform’s decision to deplatform then-president Donald Trump was “insane.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/elon-twitter.mp4 Musk also detailed the extent of the FBI’s involvement in Twitter’s past operations, revealing startling practices that he believes violate constitutional principles. He described a “magic portal” that the FBI had into Twitter’s system, allowing federal agents to communicate directly with the platform’s moderators and request content be removed or suppressed. Even more concerning, Musk added, was that all communication through this portal was automatically deleted after two weeks, in violation of federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations. “It’s flat-out illegal,” Musk asserted, stressing that such erasure of communication prevented public oversight and accountability. He argued that the FBI’s covert access exemplifies the overreach and manipulation of information that he sought to end by taking ownership of the platform. Musk delved into the government’s role in content control, mentioning the “Twitter Files” exposé, which shed light on government requests to remove certain posts or reduce their visibility on Twitter. “There was massive government interference in Twitter,” Musk noted. He explained that Twitter, at the time, had welcomed this influence, even receiving payments for content moderation services. Musk criticized this as “unconstitutional,” calling it a significant threat to open discourse. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/elon-twitter-files.mp4 Discussing advertiser boycotts, Musk explained that X continues to face financial struggles, largely due to organized boycotts from activist organizations. “We had and still have a massive advertiser boycott,” he said, lamenting how “a bunch of left-wing NGOs” pushed for companies to halt their ad spending on the platform. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/elon-attacks.mp4 “One of the most important forms of journalism is exposing government corruption,” Rogan stated, underscoring his stance that no entity—government or corporation—should have unchecked control over the flow of information. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post “We’re Screwed Without It” Elon Musk Defends His Free Speech Twitter Takeover on Joe Rogan’s Podcast appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Election Day is upon us. But there is one more evening left of propaganda passing as analysis left to air on the Regime Media’s premier outlet, MSNBC. A Trump-deranged opening editorial from Joy Reid signals both the end and an as-yet undetermined beginning. WATCH as Reid sets the tone for her viewers by dispensing with such concepts as facts, truth, and reasonable discourse, instead going for the inflammatory and borderline defamatory: ELECTION DISINFORMATION: In bizarre and Trump-deranged opening monologue, MSNBC's @JoyAnnReid informs viewers that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is of the "far right". North Korea called and said to dial it down a notch. pic.twitter.com/ENxXv2IT86 — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) November 5, 2024 JOY REID: And we begin our final sprint having arrived at that point in the election season where, basically, we on this side of the TV screen have said all we can. We’ve laid out the stakes in this crucial election where one side stands for freedom, while the other meets the textbook definition of fascism. Namely, a far right dictatorial regime like Hitler's Germany or Franco's Spain or Mussolini's Italy, but also white-ruled South Africa before Mandela and the black majority took control, or Vladimir Putin's Russia, Viktor Orban's Hungary, or Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela today, that suppresses the rights of women and minorities, uses the military to execute the whims of a strongman dictator and controls and suppresses the press, education, the arts- rewrites history to suit a favored and dominant racial class, and foments extravagant corruption in order to enrich the dictator and his friends.  Reid holds nothing back in her bilious open, spewing equal parts disinformation and defamation. Reid goes so far as to reinvent Venezuelan narcocommunist dictator Nicolás Maduro as “far right” in order to add him to the fascist parade of comparable horribles to former President Donald Trump, while in the process tickling MSNBC’s dozens of viewers in Miami-Dade County. The rant, which runs over 7 minutes, breathlessly and in interminable sentences, plays like an abridged summary of Reid’s deranged rants during the time that Trump has been on the national scene. Like a box of chocolates, there is something for everyone. Reid then makes sure to squee over the FCC rule-breaking Saturday Night Live skit performed by Maya Rudolph and Kamala Harris. And during her close, Reid made sure to make known her contempt for voters prioritizing their own economic self-interests: REID: If the worst happens, don't leave yourself wondering what if you’d made that one last phone call or bugged that last family member who might not vote or planned to vote for the would-be Dictator on Day One because they thought, I don't know, maybe eggs would be a little cheaper.  The Regime Media hates you. And, as Reid makes crystal clear over the course of this insane rant, their contempt for the American public shall continue, regardless of the outcome of the election. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned segment as aired on MSNBC’s The ReidOut on Monday, November 4th, 2024: JOY REID: And we begin our final sprint having arrived at that point in the election season where, basically, we on this side of the TV screen have said all we can. We’ve laid out the stakes in this crucial election where one side stands for freedom, while the other meets the textbook definition of fascism. Namely, a far right dictatorial regime like Hitler's Germany or Franco's Spain or Mussolini's Italy, but also white-ruled South Africa before Mandela and the black majority took control, or Vladimir Putin's Russia, Viktor Orban's Hungary, or Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela today, that suppresses the rights of women and minorities, uses the military to execute the whims of a strongman dictator and controls and suppresses the press, education, the arts- rewrites history to suit a favored and dominant racial class, and foments extravagant corruption in order to enrich the dictator and his friends. We’ve warned you about Donald Trump's profound unfitness for office, from his theft of classified documents and attempted insurrection, to his clear cognitive and physical decline, to what he plans to do if he returns to power. Threatening to lock up or even execute his political opponents. Increasing federal capital punishment and unleashing the police unrestrained. Using the military to suppress protests, banning abortion nationwide by enforcing the Comstock Act. Persecuting LGBTQ Americans, spiking prices and crashing the economy with across-the-board tariffs that amount to a giant Trump tax on everything you buy that's imported from overseas. Firing tens of thousands of dedicated civil servants and putting people in charge of our government like Elon Musk, who has essentially purchased Trump for $75 million. Peter Thiel, who already owns Trump's would-be woman hating vice president JD Vance. Tom Homan, who vows to deport whole families of immigrants that could include U.S. citizens. Stephen Miller, who seems to dream of the return of internment camps to U.S. soil along with mass deportation to make America white again. RFK Jr., who Trump has vowed to put in charge of not just women's health but all of our health. And who this weekend announced that the first order of business will be to end the fluoridation of our water supply. Taking us back to an era when childhood cavities and oral disease were rampant. You know, I guess that's before he ends childhood vaccination to, quote, “Make America Healthy Again”, by allowing measles, mumps, and polio to make a comeback alongside the coronavirus, and hell, why not bring back the bubonic plague. And, of course, there's Trump himself. Who this weekend topped his previous insanity by questioning whether a Greek NBA player whose parents were Nigerian immigrants to that country is really Greek. Presumably because he isn't white. And boasted about his own beautiful white skin. DONALD TRUMP: I would say the Greek is a seriously good player. Do you agree? And tell me, who has more Greek in him? The Greek or me? I think we have about the same. Right? That white, beautiful white skin that I have would be nice and tan. I got the whitest skin because I never have time to go out in the sun, but I have that beautiful white, and you know what, it could have been beautiful tan, beautiful. REID: Trump also did something to a microphone that I actually couldn't post on TikTok without the video getting pulled down for violating their community standards. But you know, since we're on cable, I will show it to you now. (TRUMP GESTURING) REID: People had children in that audience, by the way. And he closed out his Pennsylvania rally on Sunday by saying he shouldn't have left The White House in 2020. He should have just stayed forever. And then, he invited whoever felt the urge to shoot members of the press. TRUMP: I have a piece of glass over here. And I don't have a piece of glass there. And I have this piece of glass here. But all we have really over here is the fake news. And to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the Fake News, right? And to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the Fake News. And I don't mind that so much. I don't mind. I don't mind that. REID: At this point, what more do you need to know? Meanwhile, also this weekend but on Earth One, SNL fans finally got the moment they have been waiting for ever since Maya Rudolph debuted her spot on impersonation of Kamala Harris. MAYA RUDOLPH (AS KAMALA HARRIS): Now Kamala, take my palmala. The American people want to stop the chaos -- KAMALA HARRIS: And end the dramala. RUDOLPH: With a cool new stepmamala, kick back in our pajamalas, and watch a Romcomala. HARRIS: Like Legally Blondeala. RUDOLPH: And start decorating for Christmas, falalala. Because what do we always say? HARRIS: Keep Calmala and carry onala. REID: Keep Calmala, carry onala, and end the dramala. That sounds like a mantra we could all use as we prepare to make a crucial choice: who we want to be in the world and who we want to lead us. A first woman president leading with hope, or a fascist leading with fear. And while no one can tell you in advance what the outcome of the election will be, the best advice I can give you all tonight is to take deep breaths over the next 24 hours. Get good sleep, tune out the politics from time to time to restore your sanity, but make sure that on the morning of November 6th, you can say that you are proud of what you did in this moment. That you didn't sit out what could be our last election. If the worst happens, don't leave yourself wondering what if you’d made that one last phone call or bugged that last family member who might not vote or planned to vote for the would-be Dictator on Day One because they thought, I don't know, maybe eggs would be a little cheaper. If your daughter or your wife has a crisis pregnancy a year from now, and can't get treatment because abortion is banned, or the doors start getting kicked in from the mass deportations, don't leave yourself feeling less than proud of what you did in this election. Because if this thing goes south, there won't be time to ask for forgiveness. The way autocracy works is that by the time you realize what you have lost, it's usually already too late. But there is still time. And still a lot of hope and excitement and possibility. Election Day is tomorrow. If you haven’t voted yet, or if your friends and family haven’t voted yet, there is still time.  

Joe Rogan Wrecks John Fetterman in Border Debate, Leaves Him Sputtering

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