While the U.S. continues to outline peace plans with Ukrainian officials, Russian Armed Forces is pressing forward in the war regardless. According to recent reports, Russian troops have captured key frontline towns and are launching further advances toward supply hubs and contested cities. So what is the U.S. up to in Florida with Ukrainian delegates? And why is the President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner there? According to the Wall Street Journal, Ukraine wants the U.S. to offer “security guarantees” and that is the sticking point. The U.S. also discussed “possible elections” with Ukrainian officials. As in, President Zelensky’s days are numbered. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff now heads to Russia to meet with President Putin on Tuesday. Is there any reason to think this effort will bear fruit towards a peace deal? The post Does Diplomacy Even Matter Anymore? appeared first on Redacted.

Israel claims that two Palestinian “terrorists” in Gaza violated the ceasefire agreement by “crossing the yellow line in northern Gaza, posing an immediate threat to” IDF troops. These are the ferocious terrorists in question: Brothers Juma and Fadi Abu Asi were 11 and 8 years old. They were reportedly gathering firewood to help their wheelchair-bound father. Is this why President Trump has invited Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to visit the United States for the fifth time since he took office in January? What could be so important that these two leaders have to keep meeting in person? On Truth Social, President Trump said that he is really happy with the progress of Syria but “it is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous State.” That’s a joke right? The United States and Israel are the very actors that have interfered with “Syria’s evolution into a prosperous State” since at least the 1960s. If you don’t believe me, read a book. The post Who Are the Real Terrorists? appeared first on Redacted.

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Baffling. The post When Tom Watt from ‘EastEnders’ bizarrely joined forces with New Order to cover ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Throughout history, numerous individuals have risen from humble beginnings to become infamous figures, their actions leaving indelible marks on the world. This article explores 15 such individuals whose ordinary origins make their later actions all the more startling. Their stories serve as a testament to the complexities of human nature and the unpredictable paths that ...

During his three years in Ephesus, the apostle Paul invested deeply in people’s lives. He taught them God’s Word, trained leaders, and modeled faithful obedience. He wept with them, prayed with them, and warned them about false teachers who would distort the truth. His goal wasn’t entertainment but transformation—bringing men and women to repentance and faith in Christ. Without intentional discipleship, Paul knew the church would drift. He warned that “fierce wolves” would come, even from among their own number, to draw people away (Acts 20:29–30). The same danger exists today. Churches that replace biblical discipleship with motivational speeches, entertainment, or cultural trends may still draw a crowd—but they lose their spiritual engine. The result is eventual decline, maybe not in numbers but in true spiritual transformation by the gospel’s power. Without biblical teaching and guidance, believers become vulnerable to false doctrine, shallow faith, and moral compromise. So what does biblical discipleship look like in practice? In Acts 20, Paul’s words and actions highlight six essential qualities every church must practice if we’re to remain faithful to Christ. 1. Discipleship requires presence. Paul reminds the elders, “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time” (v. 18). He wasn’t distant but present, living among them, teaching both publicly and from house to house (v. 20). Discipleship is more than sermons or lectures—it’s life shared. Just as God sent his Son to be present with us, so we must be present with one another. True discipleship happens when we enter into each other’s lives, walking together through joys and struggles. The problem with this approach today is that it takes too much of our time, isn’t “scalable,” and doesn’t grow our platform. It’s easier to record a video or stand onstage in front of thousands than to be a meaningful part of someone’s life. If you want to take part in biblical discipleship, you must limit yourself to discipling a few people. Jesus discipled 12 people, and I doubt any of us could do more than that at any given time. 2. Discipleship requires teaching. Paul didn’t hesitate to declare “the whole counsel of God” (v. 27). He preached repentance, faith in Christ, and the grace of God. Teaching was at the heart of his ministry. It’s great and necessary to “do life together,” but that on its own will never constitute true biblical discipleship. Discipleship requires consistent, clear teaching that shapes both belief and behavior. Every Christian needs to be both a learner and, in some capacity, a teacher of God’s Word. This means investing time into personal Bible study. It also means reading and studying God’s Word together. 3. Discipleship requires consistency. Paul spent three years teaching in Ephesus, and he “[didn’t] cease night or day to admonish every one with tears” (v. 31). His ministry was marked by perseverance. Discipleship isn’t a quick program or weekend seminar. It requires steady investment over time, like physical training does. Spiritual growth comes through repeated exposure to God’s Word and ongoing encouragement to obey it. At times, we’ll fail in our discipleship efforts, but we mustn’t give up. With regularity and consistency, we’ll see fruit over time. 4. Discipleship requires humility. Paul served “with all humility and with tears” (v. 19). Humility is the soil in which discipleship takes root. Without humility, we resist correction, ignore conviction, and attempt to point others to ourselves rather than to Christ. As a discipler, I must be quick to admit my mistakes, confess my sins when appropriate, and provide a humble example of a servant of Christ. This will ensure I’m not pointing people to myself but rather to my Savior. A proud teacher may impress people, but only a humble disciple-maker will truly lead others closer to Jesus. 5. Discipleship requires patience. Paul endured hardships, opposition, and tears as he ministered (v. 19, 31). Yet he didn’t give up. Discipleship is often slow and frustrating. People stumble, resist, and sometimes walk away. But our patience reflects trust in God’s power to save and transform. By persevering through difficulties, we display the same long-suffering love that Christ shows toward us. 6. Discipleship requires attentiveness. Paul urged the elders to “pay careful attention to [themselves] and to all the flock” (v. 28). He knew spiritual dangers were real. Wolves would come to deceive and destroy, and the only defense was vigilant shepherding. If you’re going to engage in discipleship, you can be sure that sooner or later, Satan will be looking for a way to discourage, distract, or tempt. Discipleship means being alert—not only to your own spiritual condition but also to the needs and vulnerabilities of those you’re discipling. Regular accountability, prayer, and fellowship help keep us awake to the Enemy’s schemes. Cost of Neglecting Discipleship Paul’s words in Acts 20 remind us that discipleship isn’t optional. It’s the very heartbeat of the church. When discipleship is neglected, the church inevitably drifts. Unfaithfulness in teaching leads to unfaithfulness in conduct, and sin is soon justified rather than confessed. This downward spiral doesn’t usually happen overnight. It begins with small compromises—replacing biblical preaching with entertainment, neglecting personal accountability, softening calls to repentance. Over time, truth is lost. Paul’s vision for discipleship requires presence, teaching, consistency, humility, patience, and vigilance. Yet when these qualities are embraced, the church remains faithful to its true mission—the gospel of Jesus Christ at work in transformed lives.

Whether we admit it or not, one of the central desires of every human heart is to come before God and be approved by him. That’s the root of the psalmist’s questions: “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?” (Ps. 24:3–4). It’s the same question David asks in Psalm 15: “Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” His answer is weighty: “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart” (vv. 1–2). We can’t simply prance into God’s presence. We have to be holy and righteous. That creates a real problem for every human, because none of us meets those conditions. We need some way to be atoned with God before we can meet him face to face. In Enacting Atonement: The Narrative Logic of Sacrifice and Sonship in Leviticus, Roy McDaniel—assistant pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama—shows how Leviticus depicts the process of being made right with God. McDaniel’s goal is to offer “a theological exegesis of Levitical sacrifice, specifically the burnt offering (as prescribed in Lev 1:1–9)” (xviii). He breaks down the features of this specific offering to analyze it exegetically in light of its context in Leviticus and theologically in light of its place in the whole of redemptive history. This book is a tour de force in theological exegesis. McDaniel never departs from close attention to the text and its contextual features. Nevertheless, he also has a strong grasp of typology. He recognizes the Old Testament as Christian Scripture. Accordingly, he sees Christ as the reason that God established the Levitical sacrificial system in the first place. It was always meant to lead us to Christ. Sacrifice in a Biblical Framework The burnt offering takes place within a narrative framework that points to Christ’s full incarnate ministry. This typological content includes penal substitutionary atonement. Yet it goes beyond substitution to include Christ’s obedience and even his ascension as a necessary part of full-fledged atonement. McDaniel focuses on a deep reading of Leviticus 1:1–2: “The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.’” The burnt offering takes place within a narrative framework that points to the full incarnate ministry of Christ. The strength of McDaniel’s argument lies in his grasp of the broader biblical theology that shapes his understanding of the offerer in the burnt offering. He breaks down Leviticus’s teaching about the burnt offering into its smaller components. In this respect, McDaniel demonstrates exegetical savvy in situating small details of this text in a wider canonical framework. As he analyzes each aspect, he considers God’s address, the offerer’s identity, the kind of offering that must be brought, and the offering’s significance. These verses in Leviticus might seem to be passing details at the outset of a long biblical treatment of ceremonial law. McDaniel shows how, taken together in full biblical significance, they’re pointers to Christ’s person and work. Fuel for Doctrinal Development As a more specific part of his exploration of the Levitical burnt offering, McDaniel recognizes a creational and covenantal framework wherein a faithful and obedient son was always meant to bring a satisfying offering before God. As he argues, “The burnt offering preaches the good news of atonement through the entire sequence of events that constitute the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ” (183). These exegetical pieces provide material fit for reassembling into a fuller theological puzzle. McDaniel’s case that obedience was a key component of the burnt offering adds new exegetical support for the traditional Reformed distinction between Christ’s active and passive obedience. The creational and covenantal context for this Levitical offering shows how this sacrifice was about satisfying debts we owe to God from creation as well as on account of sin. The creational and covenantal context for this Levitical offering shows how this sacrifice was about satisfying debts we owe to God from creation as well as on account of sin. This view of atonement then provides fruitful new consideration for the Reformed doctrine of the covenant of works. This doctrine is about God covenanting with Adam to reward his perfect obedience with glorified life. McDaniel’s emphasis on the burnt offering as pointing to obedience as well as sacrificial death highlights the basic idea of the covenant of works with its terms of obedience as well as its consequence of death. Redemptive-Historical Question One area for potential confusion centers on how McDaniel relates the burnt offering to creational structures, specifically concerning its demand for death. I wonder if he has drawn the lines clearly enough regarding the redemptive-historical pattern of creation-fall-redemption. McDaniel affirms the standard reformational account of death as he articulates the significance of Christ’s death for our sin. However, there are a few points where the argument could have been clearer. In chapter 2, for example, McDaniel argues that the “plot” of the Levitical burnt offering is grounded in creational, covenantal structures of filial obedience. These structures were then part of God’s purpose to create us so we would return to him. Was death part of a creational demand for atonement? Traditional theology, especially of the Augustinian and wider Reformed varieties, has never accepted death as a natural part of the human experience. Adam and humanity owed God obedience simply by their nature. Death was an intrusion on account of sin. The potential confusion comes when McDaniel locates the necessity of death within this plot of creational, covenantal return to God. He gives the impression that the death involved in sacrifice is a necessary part of the story of the creature’s obedience. McDaniel could have strengthened this part of his argument by clarifying how death functions as a contingent requirement God places on sinners within the creational and covenantal structures for returning to him. This is a subtle but important point. Above all, McDaniel makes a powerful exegetical case for the nature of substitution involved in Leviticus’s burnt offerings. This book prompts readers to more thoughtful, rich, and deep readings of complicated but overlooked features of the sacrificial system. As questions about the nature of the atonement abound, Enacting Atonement will help pastors and scholars see Christ’s glory more fully and articulate it more clearly.