Approaching Christ’s Passion Week with Purpose

Send us Fan MailGUEST: PASTOR TRAVIS ALLENWe are entering Easter Week. Or as it is sometimes called, Holy Week or Passion Week, commemorating the final week of the earthly life of Jesus Christ that culminated in His crucifixion on this coming Friday and resurrection next Sunday.Many significant events occurred in the days leading to His crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus made what’s called “The Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem this weekend on Sunday, also know as Palm Sunday, when he presented Himself to Israel as their promised Messiah and King, His followers waving palm branches and laying their coats on the road as Jesus rode in on the colt of a donkey.On Monday, He came back into Jerusalem and cleansed the temple for the second time. On Tuesday and Wednesday, he taught in the temple and contended with unbelieving religious leaders of the Jews. He also instructed His own disciples about what was to come in the future.And then on Thursday began the more familiar events with His Last Supper with His disciples, His betrayal by Judas, His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His sham trials by the Jews and the Romans, leading to His crucifixion on Friday.Next weekend on the program, we will air a special program focusing on the person and work of Christ.This weekend, pastor Travis Allen of Grace Church in Greeley, CO, a long-time, favorite guest, joins us to discuss the significance of the events that occurred during Passion Week leading to Christ’s death and resurrection.PROGRAM NOTES:Pastor Allen’s Podcast: Pillar of TruthGrace Church, Greeley, CO

Send us Fan MailGUEST: Chris Katulka, host, Friends of Israel Today RadioLast week in part 1, we discussed the widening division among conservatives and Christians over Israel and the Jewish people. A lot has changed since Oct 7, 2023 when the Islamic group Hamas in Gaza crossed the border into Israel, executing a barbaric attack, killing about 1200 Israelis (including dozens of Americans) and kidnapping and torturing hundreds more.One might think Israel’s military response in Gaza to dismantle Hamas would be widely supported but the opposite occurred. Demonstrations all over the world and alarmingly on American college campuses against Israel and in favor of Hamas and Palestine took place.While the left is almost entirely anti-Israel, many prominent influencers on the right like Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Nick Fuentes, Marjorie Taylor Green, Megyn Kelly and many, many more have come out loudly against Israel. What is more troubling is the turning against Israel from professing biblical Christians, those who believe things like justification by grace through faith in Christ and other key doctrines. You’ll see lots of these Christians on social media, such as pastor Joel Webbon posting things like this:“Israel is not America’s Greatest Ally. Israel is the world’s Greatest Enemy.”This week in part 2, Chris Katulka, Vice President of North American Ministries for Friends of Israel, joins us to discuss how the Middle East may be reshaped through the war in Iran and what he understands the Bible to teach about the future for Israel, the Jewish people, and the return of Christ.------------------------------PROGRAM NOTES:Friends of Israel Today Radio

Send us Fan MailGUEST: CHRIS KATULKA, host, Friends of Israel Today RadioHostility or hatred of the Jews and Israel is an age-old scourge of mankind. And it always ends badly for those who get seduced into it.The Egyptian Pharaoh attempted to kill male Jewish babies, and his country was destroyed by God’s plagues. Haman in Persia (modern-day Iran) plotted to exterminate all Jews in the kingdom, and he and his 10 sons were executed. In the 20th century, Hitler launched an attempt to annihilate the Jewish people. He died, and Germany lost World War II.There have been many more examples of enmity toward the Jews throughout history and yet the Jewish people continue to survive and even prosper.Anti-Israel, anti-Jewish hostility is inspired by Satan. How so? Satan is driven to thwart God’s plan. So to exterminate the Jews before the coming of Jesus Christ, Himself a Jew, would be to foil God’s promise of a Savior. To destroy Israel now would be to derail God’s promise to save Israel and the return of Christ.Fundamentally, the lack of peace in the Middle East is about Israel’s neighbors open hostility toward the Jewish people’s presence. The Jews did not take back Israel through force of arms in 1948 but through declarations by Britain and the United Nations. No matter, the newly established State of Israel was attacked immediately by her Arab neighbors.This helps explain why Iran and its proxies across the Middle East, like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, who although holding differing Islamic beliefs, are united by an unquenchable hatred and motive to destroy Israel.But it’s not just the Middle East. The spiritual contagion of enmity toward the Jews and Israel has infected many in the West. The political and theological left, which are basically one and the same, are characterized by this. But what is troubling is that the political and theological right (i.e. conservatives) are succumbing as well. Notable influencers like Tucker Carlson, Candance Owens, and Nick Fuentes, along with many others, openly and loudly deride Israel and the Jews, asserting:The modern-day people in Israel aren’t JewsThe Jews control America and the U.S. does Israel’s bidding in the Middle EastThe Jews are the great corruptors in the world and seek global dominionIsrael is a genocidal oppressorEven if there was any truth to these defamations, none of it would cancel God’s unbreakable promise: “God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! … From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:1, 28-29).This weekend on The Christian Worldview, Chris Katulka, host of Friends of Israel Today radio program and Vice President of North American Ministries, joins us to discuss The Dark Spiritual Contagion of Anti-Israel, Anti-Jewish Enmity.Be sure to join us for this important topic that explains much of what is taking place in the world.

Send a textAfter weeks of a massive U.S. military buildup in the Middle East, and after several rounds of failed negotiations with the Islamist Iranian regime to abandon their nuclear weapons program, Americans woke up on Saturday, February 28 to learn that their country and Israel had begun a joint war against Iran.President Trump delivered a message in the middle of the night outlining the justification and purpose for attacking Iran, which centers around eliminating the regime’s ability to construct nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.The first day of the war had the stunning result of killing Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayotollah Ali Khamenei and 50 high-level leaders through an airstrike as the regime gathered to meet in the capital city of Tehran.In just one week, the U.S. and Israel have systematically degraded Iran’s military leadership and infrastructure, even as Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel and American naval ships, military bases, and other U.S. interests in the region. There have been six American casualties so far.While many Americans support the demolishing of Iran’s capability to follow through on its long-time objective of “Death to America, Death to Israel,” others, including almost all on the political left and many on the political right, are against this war for a variety of reasons, asserting:The U.S. is fighting another war for IsraelThere is little strategic interest for America in Iran halfway across the worldThis is illegal without a Congressional declaration of warTrump promised to not get us into wars and we have bigger problems at homeThere is no way to bomb our way to peace in the Middle EastFrom a biblical standpoint, this is not just another war between nations at odds with each other. This is a war between two of the nations—Israel and Iran (historically called Persia)—who are explicitly referenced in Scripture to face off in the lead up to the return of Jesus Christ to earth.This weekend on The Christian Worldview, we will discuss the significance and ramifications of this war and why Christians should be paying very close attention.

Send a textGUEST: ALEX NEWMAN, president, Liberty Sentinel MediaFor a man who was a convicted sex offender and shady financier, Jeffrey Epstein sure had tight connections with many of the world’s rich, famous, and powerful, like former president Bill Clinton, billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and the King of England’s brother, Prince Andrew, to name just a few.Jeffrey Epstein is most known for owning Little Saint James, a small private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands directly to the east of Puerto Rico, to which he would fly in rich and powerful men to engage in sexual immorality with underage women. Now through the recent release of the immense Epstein files, the world is finding out that the iniquity taking place there and other places owned by Epstein was unspeakably depraved.But there’s far more to this sordid affair than egregious sexual sin that pulls back the curtain on the world’s elite and their mission for mankind.Columnist Andrew Muller writes, “The files confirm that Jeffrey Epstein was far more than a playboy blackmailer. He did traffic underage children; he lured politicians, businessmen, and academics to his island to commit debauchery; he did possess leverage on elites. But he was also at the heart of the Insider’s operation in a big way, serving as an advisor, confidant, networker, and consultant for outfits that exist to destroy Americanism and usher in a global gulag.”Did you know that Epstein was on the globalist Trilateral Commission, closely associated with the Rothschild banking family, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and some of the top institutions of higher education, and was on the front lines of transhumanism, genetic engineering, and eugenics? In short, Epstein was connected to the Deep State cabal that seeks to rule and enslave the world in rebellion against God.One might think that with Jeffrey Epstein’s death in a New York jail cell in 2019 that his dastardly life and legacy would fade from memory. But the opposite is happening— calls for transparency and justice are growing.Alex Newman, author and award-winning international journalist and founder of Liberty Sentinel Media, joins us to explain why the Jeffrey Epstein scandal is about far more than salacious secrets on a Caribbean island and what Christians need to know.---------------------PROGRAM NOTES:Alex is president of Liberty Sentinel Media and host of the podcast Conversations That MatterAlex is a foreign correspondent and senior editor for The New American

Send a textGUEST: PASTOR JOE RIGNEY, author, Leadership and The Sin of EmpathyHave you ever wondered why so many feminists support biological boys who identify as girls being able to compete against and defeat biological girls in girls’ sporting events?Or why is nary a peep uttered by those on the left against Somali Muslim immigrants in Minnesota who defrauded taxpayers of over $9 billion? But in the next second these same people are out on the streets screaming and interfering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who are tasked with finding and deporting illegal immigrants, many of whom having committed additional crimes while here?The animating motivation behind these scenarios and countless more is a misguided form of empathy.Empathy means “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” It has some crossover with sympathy and compassion, which are biblical qualities. God is compassionate. Christ understands and sympathizes with our weaknesses and sufferings and believers are to be like Him.Hebrews 4:15 confirms this: “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”Colossians 3:12-13 extols that we show compassion: “as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”So while sympathy and compassion are biblical virtues, there is a corrupted form of empathy today which serves as a sacred virtue of the left that is blind to moral truth and negative consequences because the object of their empathy holds an idolized status of being oppressed.So going back to the aforementioned examples, girls missing opportunities in sports or getting injured or defeated by biological boys is ignored for the greater good of helping the purportedly oppressed “trans community” feel accepted.It’s more important to be welcoming to our Somali Muslim neighbors than to worry about billions in taxpayer fraud. And the illegal immigrants in the shadows among us need protection, never mind that they broke the law to enter and many have committed serious crimes, all the while taking advantage of our taxpayer funded social services like welfare, education, and health care.Our guest this weekend, Joe Rigney, author of Leadership and The Sin of Empathy and associate pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, will explain how untethered empathy goes far beyond the biblical call for compassion and instead is used to manipulate people into supporting leftist power and policies. Because how cold, bigoted, hateful, racist, and homophobic must you be to not share in their so-called empathy?When you begin to see this emotional blackmail taking place in our society and the church, you will see how important it is for Christians and pastors to speak clearly and boldly with truth and grace.--------------------------------PROGRAM NOTES:Leadership and the Sin of Empathy

Send a textGUEST: PASTOR JARED MOORE, author, 33 Days to Freedom from LustThe world is energized by lust, which is sinful desire contrary to God’s will. The apostle John wrote:“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (1 John 2:16).“All that is in the world” is pretty all-encompassing, and lust is the internal motivator to get what we want in opposition to what God wills. Lust is typically associated with the craving for sexual satisfaction outside marriage. Think about what drove the world’s elite to visit Jeffrey Epstein’s island with the lure of young girls. Lust. Think about the secular movie and music industries and what they are promoting. Lust. Think about the porn industry in the U.S. generating $13 billion annually and what they are stoking. Lust.But lust can also apply to an unending list of other sinful desires such as power, status, success, money, material things, standard of living, personal network, and the list goes on.The bottom line is the sinful human heart has a strong bent to please itself rather than please God. So is there any hope? The answer is a resounding YES!Our guest this weekend, Pastor Jared Moore of Homesteads Baptist Church in Crossville, TN, has written an excellent and practical devotional book titled 33 Days to Freedom from Lust. He presents a different approach to overcoming lust than the more common advice to set up guard rails like device filters and accountability partners (both of which are good). Pastor Moore targets the root of lust—the sinful heart that needs to repent and to know and love God more deeply so that the lusts of the flesh pale in comparison.If you struggle with wandering eyes for others who aren’t your spouse, if you are enslaved to pornography or sinful sexual thoughts, or if there is something non-sexual in this life you lust for, we hope you will listen to the wise, biblical counsel of Pastor Moore on the program today and perhaps order his book.PROGRAM NOTES / LINKS for Dr. Jared Moore33 Days to Freedom from LustSubstack / PatreonYoutube channelSpotify podcast: All Truth Is God’s Truth

Send a textGUEST: GREG GIFFORD, author, Lies My Therapist Told MeThe statistics are staggering: one in five people in America have been diagnosed with a “mental illness.” One in six people are taking powerful psychotropic medications, such as anti-depressants, anti-anxieties, and stimulants. Many Christians have been trapped in the vortex of the “mental health industry” as well.And here’s the troubling part in the majority of the cases: wrong diagnoses lead to wrong and harmful treatments.Our guest this weekend is Greg Gifford. He is the chair of the School of Biblical Studies at The Master’s University, a fellow at the Fortis Institute, and author of the compelling new book, Lies My Therapist Told Me: Why Christians Should Aim for More Than Just Treating Symptoms. He will explain the important distinction between the immaterial mind and the material brain and how God’s Word is all-sufficient to renew the mind to think and live for God’s glory.---------------------------------Lies My Therapist Told Me - From beloved Christian counselor, professor, and podcaster Greg Gifford comes a bold critique of the mental health establishment. Therapy can backfire and fail, but Christ offers more.336 pgs, hardcover

Send a textGUEST: GREG KOUKL, founder and president, Stand To ReasonScripture says, “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15).Apologetics is a sophisticated sounding word for something quite simple: providing reasons or making a defense to questions about the Christian faith. Important questions like:What is the evidence that God actually exists?How did the universe come into existence?Is the Bible really the word of God?Do the laws of the Bible apply to all people?How can God be loving and good considering all the suffering and evil in the world?Are you able to provide good answers to these questions? That’s what apologetics aims to do, all the while realizing the best evidence won’t necessarily convince an unbelieving, unwilling heart and also realizing that God doesn’t provide every last answer for any given question. Yes, the Christian life requires faith in what God has revealed but it is a very reasonable faith.Greg Koukl, author and president of Stand To Reason, one of the leading apologetics ministries, joins us this weekend to answer some of the most common objections to the Christian faith. We hope you join us to sharpen and deepen your faith in God and His ways.Books by Greg Koukl on Amazon:TacticsThe Story of Reality

Send a textGUEST: Guest: Jan Markell, founder and president, Olive Tree MinistriesIn some of his final words, the apostle Paul wrote to the younger pastor Timothy saying, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come” (2 Timothy 3:1).Paul then described what men will be like in these perilous times: “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:2-5).The “last days” in Scripture is the period of time between the first coming and second coming of Christ. But reading the book of Revelation, the ungodliness intensifies in the last of the last days.While there is certainly room to descend further, what we are seeing today, for example in Minneapolis with protestors taking to the streets day after day to scream obscenities at officers and block them from arresting criminals and illegal immigrants, and then entering and disrupting Cities Church in St. Paul this past Sunday, claiming to be like Christ cleansing the temple, as they yelled and shamed churchgoers for “doing nothing to help their immigrant neighbors” could aptly be described as “perilous times.” All this lawlessness has the support or sympathy of state leaders.But it’s not just in my home state of Minnesota. There is massive deception and delusion across the country and world rebelling against God and His ways and ranting against Israel, even within the church.Our guest this weekend, Jan Markell, has watched it all over her lifetime. The daughter of an orthodox Jewish father, Jan was changed forever when she heard and believed the gospel as a young girl. She would go on to found Olive Tree Ministries, a ministry that for decades has exhorted the church, through her radio program heard across the country and world called Understanding the Times, conferences, and written and video resources, to be faithful and discerning and to look for to the return of Christ and God fulfilling His promises to Israel.