Tag: culture

CONSTITUTION DAY: How the Bible and Faith of Our Founders Helped ‘Secure the Blessings of Liberty’

~ Randy Harris ~ Leave a comment

Paul Strand As a freelance reporter for CBN’s Jerusalem bureau and during 27 years as senior correspondent in CBN’s Washington bureau, Paul Strand has covered a variety of political and social issues, with an emphasis on defense, justice, government, and God’s providential involvement in our world. Strand began his tenure at CBN News in 1985 as an evening assignment editor in Washington, D.C. After a year, he worked with CBN Radio News for three years, returning to the television newsroom to accept a position as a senior editor in 1990. Strand moved back to the nation’s capital in 1995.

September 17th celebrates Constitution Day, marking that key American document’s ratification. Some question why it’s said America was founded as a Christian nation since there’s no mention of God in the Constitution. But leading Christian historian Peter Lillback explains while the Lord’s name may not appear, the Constitution is deeply rooted in God’s teachings, ways and words.

The Founding Fathers who wrote and signed the Constitution saw themselves as men of faith, and used what they learned from a lifetime of reading and studying God’s Word to help form the new nation’s law and government.

‘We Were Shaped by the Bible’

“I like to say that it’s not that we established a Christian country,” Lillback told CBN News. “But without Christian values, we would never have established THIS kind of country. We were shaped by the Bible.”

Outside the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia where the Preamble of the Constitution is displayed in huge letters on the outside of the building, Lillback showed phrase by phrase how the Preamble reflects biblical values the Founders knew well.

The Preamble begins like this: 

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…”

Lillback explained that their intention was clearly for a “more perfect Union”, not one that was already perfected. “It begins by saying ‘We the People of the United States’ come together to make a ‘more perfect union’,” this founder of the Providence Forum said. “They want to be one; they know they can’t be perfect. They want to be ‘more perfect’. That’s a biblical idea: ‘we’re trying to get better. We can progress.’”

As for that word “union,” Lillback asked, “Remember how the Bible says ‘how blessed it is when brothers dwell together in unity?’  That’s a biblical value.”

‘Do Justice, Love Mercy’

Then it says “…establish Justice…”   

Lillback quotes Micah 6:8: “‘The Lord has shown you what He requires of you, o man: that you would do justice, love mercy.’ Justice is a biblical concern. Some would say the Ten Commandments define justice.”

Next, it says “…insure domestic Tranquility…”

The Providence Forum founder commented, “That’s to make sure that we live together in peace with one another.  Paul will say in Romans chapter 12, ‘As much as lies within me, I will live at peace with all men.’ The idea of tranquility is a great biblical concern.”

Defense is a Biblical Concern

Next: “…provide for the common defense…”

“To make sure that the vulnerable are protected. We know that one of the great principles of God’s law is to defend the orphan and the widow, the stranger in the land,” Lillback pointed out “And to make sure that there’s not an unjust assault against the community by a foreign power. These are biblical concerns.”

Next: “…promote the general Welfare…”

“As much as lies within us, we should do good to all men, especially to those in the household of faith,” said Lillback who is also the president of Westminster Theological Seminary. “The idea of providing for the needy, that is a concern that’s reflected in biblical ethics.” 

‘Liberty is a Gift of God’

Next:  “…and secure the Blessings of Liberty…”

“I always like to say that the word ‘blessing’ is a word you don’t hear atheists using. The very nature of blessing is something that is being given to us from God,” Lillback explained. “And liberty is something that God has blessed us with.  In fact, we find it in the jubilee text of Leviticus 25 and verse 10 that’s on the Liberty Bell: ‘proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof.’ Liberty is a gift of God.”

Finally: “…to ourselves and our posterity.”

“Our Founders remembered God’s covenantal vision that ‘I will be your God and the God of your children to a thousand generations after you.’ When you talk about to our posterity, that’s the ring of covenantal succession. That’s right out of the scriptures,” Lillback said. “It goes back to the Abrahamic covenant.”

God’s a Lawgiver, Judge & Ruler.  We have Lawgivers, Judges & a President

Then the Constitution lays out our legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government. And all three reflect different aspects of God Himself, shown in the Bible.

“In Isaiah 33:22 where it talks about how our God is a God who is a LAWGIVER — who is in fact a JUDGE. He’s also a king or a RULER. Again, derivatives of God’s very Word, God’s very nature.”

And so the Founders who knew their Bible so well created a government that could imitate and reflect these aspects of God.

A Republic: Can We Keep It?

When a woman asked Benjamin Franklin what kind of government the Constitutional Convention has just come up with, he replied, “A republic if you can keep it.”

And how can we keep it?

Historian Lillback recalled, “Washington said ‘It is impossible for us to succeed unless we imitate the divine author of our blessed religion.’ Those are the words that he said to each of the governors as he was stepping down as a successful general. And in his farewell address as president: ‘Religion and morality are indispensable supports for our political prosperity’.”  

“Remember the logic: to have a republic, you need to have people who are moral because a republic is written on a piece of paper.  Are you going to do what it says?   You have to be committed to doing what is right,” Lillback explained.  “How do you get a moral people?  You need to have a religious people. ‘Religion and morality are indispensable for our political prosperity’.”

No Constitution has Lasted Longer

He summed up for CBN News what the Bible and religious faith did for America through our Founders.

He said, “By learning from His Word, we gain wisdom, and that wisdom creates the longest continuously used Constitution on the face of the earth.”

After Charlie Kirk’s Death: A Movement Weeping, A Rift Over Israel By Tania Curado Koenig

~ Randy Harris ~ Leave a comment

Please read prayerfully. Rh

September 11, 2025 

The assassination of Charlie Kirk has sharpened an already raw debate inside the conservative world. At the center is not only the question of who killed him, but also the deeper issue of where the American Right now stands on Israel. The Turning Point USA Student Action Summit (SAS), held July 11–13, 2025 in Tampa Bay, Florida, revealed a movement divided: some voices defending Israel with conviction, others drifting toward rhetoric that echoes classic antisemitic tropes.

As Kirk himself told Megyn Kelly on August 6, 2025 — just one month before his death: “I think I have a bulletproof résumé showing my defense of Israel. I believe in the scriptural land rights given to Israel. I believe in the fulfillment of prophecy. My life was changed in Israel. The spiritual energy is so amazing there. I want them to win.”

The Conspiracy Swirl

The circumstances of Kirk’s assassination have ignited a storm of speculation. Who ordered the killing? Was it a lone sniper, or was the act part of a wider plot to silence one of the most visible pro-Israel voices on the American Right? In the absence of clarity, conspiracy theories multiply. Some point to foreign enemies, others to domestic extremists, and still others whisper about deeper networks that want to fracture the MAGA movement from within. What is undeniable is that Kirk’s death has become a symbolic battlefield where narratives of distrust, suspicion, and political warfare now rage.

Enemies Rejoicing

While conservatives mourn, many on the radical Left and among pro-Hamas activists are openly rejoicing. For them, Kirk’s death is seen not as a tragedy but as a victory over a man who symbolized unapologetic alignment with Israel. It is not Islam as a whole, nor the billions of Muslims worldwide, but the radicalized factions—Hamas supporters, pro-Palestinian agitators, and anti-Israel extremists—who are celebrating. Their glee exposes the reality that Kirk’s murder is not just a political assassination but part of a larger ideological conflict. To them, every pro-Israel voice that falls is another step toward silencing the defense of Jerusalem.

A Prophetic Pattern

There is also a deeper spiritual pattern that cannot be ignored. Throughout history, those who stand boldly with Israel have drawn fierce opposition—whether through ridicule, political backlash, or violence. Kirk’s own words in 2025 about Israel’s biblical land rights and prophetic destiny placed him squarely in that tradition. It is no coincidence that the powers hostile to Israel—both seen and unseen—react when a defender rises. His “bulletproof résumé” was not only a political statement but also a spiritual banner. His assassination reveals once again that the conflict over Israel is not merely geopolitical, but profoundly prophetic.

Charlie Kirk’s Position

Kirk’s legacy is complicated but clear on one crucial point: he remained pro-Israel. Israeli leaders hailed him as a friend in the hours after his death. Yet in 2025, Kirk was also outspoken against U.S. military involvement in the Israel–Iran war. His line was blunt: “Iran is Israel’s war, not America’s.” He warned Donald Trump and Republican hawks that dragging the United States into another Middle East conflict would fracture the MAGA base. This position—pro-Israel in principle, anti-intervention in practice—defined his final months. It also underscored the generational tension on the Right: loyalty to Israel, yes, but with rising resistance to foreign entanglements.

Tucker Carlson’s Provocation

At SAS, Tucker Carlson was given the prime slot. He used it to speculate about Jeffrey Epstein, Mossad, and Israel in language many judged conspiratorial and hostile. The crowd roared with energy, but the substance rattled Jewish leaders. The American Jewish Committee even issued a rebuke after Megyn Kelly and Kirk entertained Carlson’s framing on air. Carlson’s words tapped into a generational current: a rising skepticism among Gen Z conservatives toward unconditional support for Israel. What once was an unshakable plank of the conservative movement now drew cheers when challenged.

Sidebar: Voices at the Student Action Summit

Charlie Kirk: “Iran is Israel’s war, not America’s.” — June 2025, warning against U.S. entry into the Israel–Iran conflict. Takeaway: Pro-Israel, but anti-intervention. Tucker Carlson: “Was Jeffrey Epstein working for Mossad? Why is no one asking that?” — July 2025, SAS keynote. Takeaway: Anti-Israel framing, leaning on conspiratorial tropes; drew big crowd energy but heavy backlash.

The Generational Divide

SAS revealed that Kirk had not turned against Israel—he had not. But the movement he helped build is no longer unified. Free-speech absolutism and anti-intervention instincts are colliding with older evangelical loyalties to Israel. Carlson’s framing resonated with many Gen Z attendees, while Kirk’s own testimony reminded the movement of its spiritual and prophetic roots.

What This Means Going Forward

For the MAGA movement, the task is unavoidable: to decide whether its future will carry forward Israel’s defense or drift toward voices that normalize suspicion, conspiracy, and hostility. Charlie Kirk’s assassination froze his stance in time—pro-Israel but wary of American entanglement. His platforming choices, however, handed the microphone to rhetoric that blurred the lines. The tragedy also revealed how swiftly enemies of Israel—from radical activists to terrorist sympathizers—rejoice when a defender of Israel is silenced. That response itself is a prophetic sign of the times, exposing the true nature of the conflict. The choice before the movement is the same choice before America: will it honor clarity of vision, or will it allow the loudest voices—and the darkest enemies—to redefine the terms?

Closing Note

America is in deep pain. A nation is grieving the loss of a man who shaped a generation of young conservatives and boldly testified his defense of Israel. This wound is not only political; it is personal for millions who feel shaken, disoriented, and sorrowful in this moment. Our hearts cry with Erika, his wife, who is devastated. We pray that she will be comforted by the Holy Spirit, the Comforter who ministers in the darkest hour, and that their children will be surrounded with peace and strength. We also lift America before the Lord, asking for healing, clarity, and protection in this time of mourning. May the Holy Spirit not only comfort Erika and her family but also bring consolation to a nation weeping. And above all, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, as Scripture commands: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may those who love you be secure” (Psalm 122:6).

ControllingThe Narrative

~ Randy Harris ~ Leave a comment

Leftists and progressives know that what people believe to be true shapes and controls them, whether it is true or not. In other words, people are not controlled by truth – they’re controlled by what we believe to be true! Language shapes culture. Words influence thinking, thinking forms beliefs, beliefs create actions, and actions shape the culture. Pretty simple. 

Some have said that until you hear something over and over you never really grasp the concept of what you heard.  Rehearsing in your mind.  What you think, or believe becomes a part of you.  That is why the “mocking bird media” is so effective.  It takes a strong person to not believe what a vast majority of people may be saying repeatedly.  Some have even suggested that the Viet Nam war was ok in the minds of Americans, until Walter Cronkite began to speak out against it.  Interesting, but he was a trusted news source. Unfortunately the media makes it seem there is consensus, when there really isn’t.  There is only one truth.  The Word of God

  • Murder is bad; call it “abortion.” 
  • Riots are bad; call them “mostly peaceful” protests. 
  • Reverse racism is bad; call it “DEI – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”. 
  • Taking people’s hard-earned money is bad; call it “democratic socialism.” 
  • Defunding the police is bad (and stupid); call it “reallocating funds.”

The Scriptures confirm this. Consider the verse from Proverbs 23:7, which tells us that “as a person thinks within himself, so is he.” Some translations say that as a person thinks in his “heart,” so is he. The Hebrew word is nephesh, the word for “soul” – the mind, emotions, and will. As your soul thinks, so are you.  Opening our mind to dwell on the wrong ideas is a dangerous game to play.  Once that thought gets inside our mind, it can be difficult to turn away from it.  

Don’t misunderstand, I am not talking about positive thinking, but truly accepting that there is truth and it is the Word of God.  Thinking and putting Biblical principles in our mind makes a difference. (see scriptures below)

  2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down arguments (thoughts) and every high thing (prideful; do our own thing) that exalts itself against the knowledge God for pulling down strongholds (thoughts become strongholds) they shape us and give us a habit that can destroy us.  Or at best we become double minded unable to discern good from evil.   

Romans 12:2 transformed by the renewing of our mind

Ephesians 4:23-24  be renewed in the spirit of your mind

  • That marriage doesn’t have to be between a man and woman; all that matters is love.
  • That marriage isn’t really necessary at all; just live together until the excitement ends, then find another mate. 
  • That children are a nuisance, an inconvenience, and unnecessary interruptions in one’s career.
  • That sin and Satan are fun, while God and righteousness are boring. 
  • That absolute truth doesn’t exist; all is relative and to be determined by ever-changing standards. And many more lies.

Educators in America have indoctrinated and poisoned the minds of a generation that there is no God. If there is no God or Creator, then there is no purpose, destiny, or design; all is by accident and happenstance. This allows one to believe their body is a mistake: they have the body of a male, when they’re actually a female trapped in the wrong body. Or vice versa. The answer? Go to work changing it: take pills to kill the male parts. Better yet, cut them off.

Don’t believe the lie.  Going against God’s order will only cause chaos and destruction for ourselves and our nation.  God bring back Godly values and a great move of the Holy Spirit to transform our nation before we go off the proverbial cliff.  

Why Silicon Valley Will Talk About The Antichrist-But the Church Won’t

~ Randy Harris ~ Leave a comment

Please read the article below, it is a sign of the times we live in that Churches and Pastors will not preach on Biblical prophecy, but a tech billionaire with conflicting “spiritual” ideas would convene a private conference to talk about the anti-christ. When people search for truth, the Church must respond with Biblical truth not a hodgepodge of various unproven intellectual theories. Sign of the times! Rh

When a man like Peter Thiel announces a four-part lecture series on the Antichrist, it’s not just another tech mogul musing about the future–it’s a cultural moment. Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, investor in Facebook, and long-time power player in conservative politics, is no stranger to controversy. 

He’s been at Trump’s side as a trusted adviser, helping shape a recent executive order that critics warn opens the door to mass surveillance. He’s a contrarian’s contrarian: libertarian and conservative, gay and yet drawn to Christianity, immersed in Silicon Valley but increasingly fascinated by scripture.

Now, beginning September 15 at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club, Thiel will deliver four off-the-record lectures on the Antichrist–closed-door, no transcripts, no recordings. Organized by the Acts 17 Collective, the talks promise to explore the “theological and technological dimensions” of this apocalyptic figure, drawing on everyone from René Girard to Carl Schmitt.  

A major lecture series in Silicon Valley touching on prophecy, AI, and even the concept of an Antichrist figure sold out almost instantly. Tech leaders and cultural influencers are lining up to hear speculation about humanity’s end, yet the pews remain quiet.

And here’s the question every Christian should be asking: Why is Peter Thiel talking about the Antichrist when so many pastors won’t?

Why Thiel, why now?

Thiel has always been fascinated by the intersection of faith, politics, and technology. In interviews, he has speculated that the Antichrist might rise to power not through brute force but by constant talk of peace and safety–language eerily familiar in a world teetering between global wars and technological upheaval.

Yet the secrecy of these lectures raises another layer of intrigue. Why keep them closed-door? Why not livestream them if the goal is spiritual exploration? The answer, perhaps, is that Thiel isn’t trying to hold a Bible study. He’s staging an intellectual salon, where theology, power, and politics are blurred. Some see it as honest searching; others, as elitism dressed up in religious language.

Who’s shaping Thiel’s thinking?

The Acts 17 Collective, the nonprofit behind the event, brands itself as “Acknowledging Christ in Technology and Society.” It was co-founded by Michelle Stephens, who has explained that their mission is to create spaces for deep discussion among people who might never set foot in a traditional church. In many ways, Acts 17 reflects Silicon Valley’s new fascination with Christianity–not as humble faith, but as a cultural and intellectual wellspring to be mined.

Thiel’s religious inspirations are eclectic. René Girard, the French Catholic thinker, is his intellectual lodestar. Add Francis Bacon, Jonathan Swift, Carl Schmitt, and John Henry Newman, and you get a strange mix: a blend of literature, philosophy, political theology, and fragments of Catholic and Protestant thought. But absent in this list is the plain, straightforward teaching of scripture.

And that’s the problem. Thiel may be sincere, but sincerity does not equal orthodoxy. As many Christian observers have already warned, when theology is shaped more by philosophers than prophets, the result is often distorted.

Where does this line up with scripture?

Let’s be blunt: it doesn’t. Thiel is an openly gay man whose worldview is a hybrid of cultural Christianity, intellectual philosophy, and Silicon Valley futurism. That alone puts him at odds with historic Christian orthodoxy. Yet he speaks on the Antichrist–a figure central to eschatology–while countless pastors dodge the subject.

In one sense, it’s commendable that Thiel is willing to ask these questions. But it also exposes the failure of the American church. Why are we letting a tech billionaire take the stage on biblical prophecy while pastors–the shepherds of God’s people–remain silent?

Why pastors won’t touch the Antichrist

This is the most stinging indictment. The reason Silicon Valley talks about the Antichrist while pulpits stay quiet isn’t because the subject is unimportant. It’s because the church has grown timid.

Many pastors don’t preach on the Antichrist, not because scripture is unclear, but because they themselves don’t know what they believe. Seminary trained them to doubt prophecy. Some dismiss Revelation as allegory. Others treat Daniel and Thessalonians as culturally irrelevant. In countless pulpits, prophecy is written off as “too divisive,” “too speculative,” or “not practical for everyday life.”

The result? A generation of Christians starving for answers in an age of global chaos–and instead of hearing from their pastors, they hear from Peter Thiel.

Isn’t it remarkable? The man who co-founded a surveillance giant like Palantir is willing to speculate on the Antichrist, while shepherds of God’s people pretend the subject doesn’t matter. Many churches, fearful of sensationalism, have abandoned eschatology altogether. The irony is devastating.

What Christians should take from this

Thiel’s lecture series is a flashing neon sign. It says: The world is interested in prophecy, even if the church is not.

Christians should not hand over the conversation about the Antichrist to billionaires, philosophers, or nonprofits mixing DJ parties with theology. If anything, this moment should awaken the church to reclaim the teaching of prophecy–not with wild speculation, but with biblical clarity.

We must discern motivation. Is Thiel trying to honor Christ, or is he reinterpreting Him through a Silicon Valley lens?

We must return to scripture. Not Girard, not Schmitt, not cultural Christianity. But Daniel, Paul, John, and Jesus’ own words about the end of the age.

We must confront cowardice. Pastors who avoid prophecy out of fear or ignorance are failing their flocks.

Who will speak with authority?

The irony is almost unbearable. A gay billionaire, steeped in power politics and tech culture, is willing to wrestle with the Antichrist. Meanwhile, many churches either avoid prophecy altogether or sneer at those who take it seriously.

This moment demands a decision. Will the church continue to abdicate the prophetic conversation to Silicon Valley elites, or will pastors rediscover their courage to preach the whole counsel of God–including the parts about judgment, deception, and the return of Christ?

One thing is certain: if the pulpit remains silent, others will fill the void. And as Peter Thiel’s lecture series shows, those voices will not always lead people closer to the truth. Prophecy News Update

Moral Values

~ Randy Harris ~ Leave a comment

Righteousness exalts a nation, 

But sin is a disgrace to any people. Proverbs 14:3

The founding of America was based on Judeo-Christian values.  Morality, acknowledgment of an Almighty God.  Our founders thought morally, with a Biblical worldview.  Edmund Burke (1729-1797) put the matter well in his famous statement: ”All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”  Most Christians understand that America is in a serious state of moral, social, cultural, and especially political decline.  This implies that America has fallen from a better situation to a worse situation.  As Christians we recognize a connection between a country’s religious faith and its adherence to the Word of God.  We have fallen because we have turned our back as a nation from Almighty God to a god of our own making. Let me share a warning before I go further, “The wicked will return to Sheol; Even all the nations who forget God” (Psalms 9:17).

Previously I stated we have made our own gods, (small g) which are not gods at all but we place them just as Israel did, before our worship and recognition of the Lord.  We have chosen the god of self.  We do as we please, following “our heart”, except the Bible says our “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9.  We worship the god of prosperity and pride.  We worship the god of pleasure, if it feels good we do it.  Morality is not an absolute, but just merely a suggestion on how to live.  Today we aren’t even sure if the Bible is true, or If it even matters since many don’t believe in the Lord, except the one that gives them freedom to live as they wish.

Climate change is also a religion that puts the creation above the creator.  Mankind destroying the environment is not settled fact, however we must tax and buy carbon credits (penance) to escape our doom.  I could go on forever.  Let’s not forget evolution, a baby is a fetus etc.  

We can look back on our history and realize that we have been greatly influenced by our Christian faith.  We have never officially been a Christian Republic, but those roots run deep in our past prosperity.  Unfortunately, our national situation is much different today.  Barack Obama (while Senator and later as President) has repeatedly sought to distance America from its Christian heritage.  In 2006, he stated that “whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation.”  In 2007 in Turkey of all places, he stated ”we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.”  This might be the only statement BHO ever said that I could agree with, sadly.

We are in trouble until we accept the truth that we have sinned and turned our back on Jesus Christ.  Repentance and a turning away from sin is mandatory to renew morality in America.  God be merciful to us.

Qatar Spends Billions To Shape Opinions

~ Randy Harris ~ Leave a comment

The tiny Gulf nation has spent almost $100 billion to establish its influence in Congress, universities, newsrooms, think tanks, and corporations. What does it want in return? 

By Frannie Block and Jay Solomon

The question is: How did a refuge of Islamist radicalism, a country criticized for modern-day slave labor, become the center of global politics and commerce? How did this tiny peninsular country of 300,000 citizens and millions of noncitizen migrant workers manage to put itself smack-dab in the center of global diplomacy—and so successfully ingratiate itself within the Trump administration?

Over the past few months, The Free Press investigated these questions. What we found is that no obstacle, no history, no bad headline is too big for Qatar’s money.

Qatar has spent almost $100 billion to establish its legitimacy in Congress, American colleges and universities, U.S. newsrooms, think tanks, and corporations. Over the past two decades, it has poured those billions into purchases of American-made weapons and business investments ranging from U.S. real estate to energy plants. It built—and still pays for—the Al Udeid Air Base, even as the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have ended. Doha finances research and campuses at prestigious American universities. And its lobbyists have the connections needed to open all the right doors in Washington. Since 2017, it has spent $225 million on lobbying and public-relations efforts in the nation’s capital.

The Free Press reviewed thousands of lobbying, real estate, and corporate filings. We interviewed dozens of American, European, and Middle Eastern diplomats and defense officials. We also analyzed secret intelligence briefings and previously undisclosed government documents. Together, they explain how Qatar has amassed so many loyal allies in America.

For the rest of the comprehensive 31 page article, click here: The Free Press

‘Protect Our Children’: Advancement Of Dangerous California Bill Halted After Thousands Rally In Sacramento – Harbinger’s Daily

~ Randy Harris ~ Leave a comment

Thousands of common-sense conservatives swarmed the California capital Tuesday, along with tens of thousands more online. Jack Hibbs, Pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and founder of the Real Life Network, encouraged all those opposed to child trafficking to keep praying and keep fighting to protect children.
— Read on harbingersdaily.com/protect-our-children-dangerous-california-bill-placed-in-suspense-after-thousands-rally-sacramento/

Laugh All You Want, The Rapture Is Not Escapism Or Fantasy… It’s Biblical

~ Randy Harris ~ Leave a comment

ByGreg Laurie

August 21, 2025

Let’s start with the obvious: the Rapture sounds crazy. Jesus descends from Heaven, dead people rise from their graves, and living believers are suddenly caught up into the sky—like the world’s strangest episode of “Stranger Things.” Sounds like the stuff your uncle mutters about after three cups of church coffee. Except—it’s right there in Scripture. Paul says it. John says it. Jesus says it. The only ones who don’t are usually the skeptics writing editorials dismissing the very faith that gives us hope.

Opposing Views on the Rapture

Now, critics like to pounce: “But the word Rapture isn’t even in the Bible!” Congratulations, Sherlock. Neither are the words Trinity or even Bible. And yet, here we are, still believing in all three. The word comes from the Latin rapturus, which translates the Greek word harpazo—meaning “to snatch up, grab by force.” Imagine a parent reaching out and pulling their child away from danger just in time. That’s the picture Scripture gives us of the Rapture.

Some say, “Oh, the Rapture is just a modern invention, some 19th-century gimmick.” Nonsense. Yes, J.N. Darby helped popularize it in more recent times, but long before him, the early Church Fathers like Irenaeus and Cyprian wrote about believers being “snatched up” before judgment. It’s not new—it’s biblical. We also hear about the Rapture straight from Paul, Peter, James, and most importantly, Jesus Himself: “I will come again and receive you to myself.”

The most familiar passage on the Rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together (Greek word: harpazo, meaning ‘snatched up’) with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

And if that sounds far-fetched, remember Enoch—who literally walked off the face of the earth into God’s presence—and Elijah, who rode to Heaven in a fiery chariot. The prototypes are already in the Old Testament.

Why This Matters

Here’s why this isn’t just a fun theological parlor game: the Rapture gives hope. Paul calls it the “blessed hope.” When you’ve buried a loved one, you don’t need vague talk about them being “in a better place.” You need the solid promise that in one split second, you’ll be with them again. Parents reunited with children. Husbands with wives. Brothers and sisters together again. And at the center of it all—Jesus Christ Himself.

And it does more than comfort grief. It motivates godliness. If you really believe Jesus could return at any moment, maybe don’t binge sin like it’s Netflix. You wouldn’t invite your best friend into a house piled with dirty laundry and Taco Bell wrappers. Don’t greet your Savior that way either. You want to be ready—walking with Him, keeping your spiritual house in order.

Of course, there’s always the circus clowns with their calendars: “88 Reasons Jesus Will Return in 1988!” They were wrong, just like every other date-setter before or since. Jesus made it pretty clear: “No one knows the day or the hour.” Which, funnily enough, includes you, me, and that guy on YouTube with the chart and the whiteboard. The Rapture isn’t about prediction—it’s about preparation.

The Takeaway

So, what do we do with all this? We wake up. We stay alert. We stop living like the world is a Vegas buffet that never closes. Paul said: “The night is almost gone, the day of salvation is soon here.” Translation: time is short. Knock it off. If you’re a believer, live clean, live holy, live hopeful. If you’re not—well, get right or get left.

Because one day, maybe in our lifetime, maybe tonight—in a blink, in the twinkling of an eye—everything changes. Loved ones raised. The Church caught up. Judgment delayed until after the Bride has been rescued.

It’s not escapism. It’s not fantasy. As C.S. Lewis reminded us, looking forward to the eternal world is one of the things a Christian is meant to do.

So, laugh if you want. Roll your eyes. Write your snarky post. But when it happens—when the shout comes, when the trumpet blows—mockery won’t matter. Only hope will.