They burned Jan Hus. But they did not get this sermon. For over 6 centuries his sermons have been removed from the English speaking world. Revived Thoughts is releasing the second sermon of his and it is amazing! He describes the persecution they were under and gives an answer to one of the toughest questions for Christians: Why does God leave the tares with the wheat? Why does God leave false teachers within the church?

I'm terms of church history we talk about the antichrist far less than any previous generations did. Why do you think that is?

If you were to tell me Atheists sent Brian, Joel, and Ben undercover to make Christians look bad... Well, it would explain a lot at least.

Pepper spray is hard to breathe when you walk through a cloud of it your daughter just sprayed into the air but you had no idea because you were coming home from work. Ask me how I know.

Healthcare overseas can look like: At 11 in the morning we take my son to get an X-Ray. Find out his arm is broken. We are told he needs a surgery. We tell some friends who live here what we were recommended. They WARN us not to get the surgery. Definitely don't do it. It's dangerous. Doesn't go well. One friend called and said he'd pay to send us OUT of the country to make sure we didn't get that surgery. My son's X-Rays get messaged around the world because of friends who want to make sure we get good doctor recommendations. A doctor from Oxford and a doctor serving in Kenya very adamantly tell us he just needs a regular cast. Do not get the surgery. Long discussions happen about are we going to have to fly out of the country to get my son's arm fixed but we think it can be done here. We don't have access to a car but a friend lends us there's so we can make the drive to a hospital. We drive to a nearby town where we are told the hospital is the "best at fixing bones." We arrive and are immediately asked to get a surgery and told to give my son anesthesia for the operation. We insist we just want a cast. They're confused. This "goes against standard operating procedure." We hold our ground. We are in a large room, no privacy. Next to us the curtain has old blood stains. I kid you not a guy drives a motorcycle past us to his desk (I have the photo). Eventually, after hours, they say it's okay, we can get a cast. They say it has to be a cast up to the top of his arm. "For a wrist break?" We once again have a long battle ensuing. "That may work in England but it's not what we do here. We have different traditions." The environment is strange. There's a saw going off somewhere nearby in the room we are in, a baby crying, and a very loud cocomelon playing for hours. Gives off a bizarre vibe. The bathroom is out of toilet paper. And paper towels. And is right next to a door labeled "infections". Thankfully no one was in there? They finally agree. A small cast. At one point we are waiting, it's been 3.5 hours, and I walk over to the front desk to find everyone just... sitting there on their phones. A large huddle. I ask when can my son get his cast? "Ten minutes?" Sure... Finally, my son gets pulled over to get his cast on. As they start my wife asks, "Can you clean it first?" So they kind of annoyedly clean his arm. The cast goes on smoothly it actually looks great now. But it was... Exhausting. We did not get home until 11:00 PM. And that's what it takes to get a small cast on a broken bone. If it's more serious? It usually requires leaving the country. We know people who have almost died because of the healthcare from simple mistakes. We know people who have passed because of the healthcare just wasn't able to fix a really curable thing. My son got his cast though and today we are thanking God. And I am going to bed. Pray for your friends overseas!

Please be praying! My son broke his arm and we are at the hospital now. Broken bones overseas are always scary. We've already been recommended a surgery and people with good experience have warned us to NOT get the surgery's under any condition. Just pray for my son!

There's a blood stain on the curtain next to us...

This guy just drove by inside the hospital.

Christians chose death by gladiators in front of an angry crowd rather than simply bowing to a statue. Now we debate how long a pastor who cheated on his wife and destroyed his ministry in a terrible scandal should wait before he starts selling his book about the experience.

Give this a read! Jon is making very good points here that I worry people are glossing over.

I live inside this circle on the most crowded island in the world. Sometimes I don't notice it and even forget it. But today I had to drive to a local big city to get groceries. When you're on the roads passing through traffic, you definitely "feel" how crowded it is.

This was predicted. And shouldn't surprise you. This has happened in the past. Christian progressives thought they could use the power of government a hundred years ago to create a perfect government. They were also obsessed with race and racial purity like today's Christian Nationalists have been. This led to a resurgence of the KKK, a segregated federal government, and the worst expansion of government power of all time under Woodrow Wilson, a supposed Christian. He claimed Christianity but his actions caused immense damage to the country. He had let politics and the idea of control and power overcome his view of the Gospel. One hundred years later we have Christians obsessing over race and trying to create a Christian utopia on Earth through government power again. It was only ever going to go the way it did in the past. Step back from the ledge. Woodrow Wilson damaged the country in ways we are still dealing with. It won't be better because it's "our side" this time. This will always be destined to fail because it is not how the Lord called us to live and to behave. The premise itself is wrong that we need to use government power to enforce our beliefs. If this was the way to extend the Gospel into the world, why is it not mentioned in the texts? Why doesn't Jesus ever command His followers to grab as much power as possible? Why does He instead say that they need to be HUMBLE? Why does He call us to lead by being servants? Why didn't He leave us a political manual like so many other leaders have? Should Christians be involved in politics and government? OF COURSE! Just as we should be involved in art, academia, military, and any other role that impacts this world as much as we can be. Use your God-given talents to glorify the Kingdom. But don't mistake Christians operating government for the growth of God's kingdom. God's Kingdom is "not of this world," and it comes through lives changed by the Gospel. He writes His laws not in congress but in the hearts of man through His Holy Spirit. He is so much greater than a gavel slapped by a judge or a glinting crown on a king. Holy Roman Empire's have come and gone, colonial christians have risen and fallen, and even Christian absolute monarchs had their day. Yet through it all the true Gospel work has been done through His people in pulpits, in prayer rooms, and in the pews. Whether those pulpits were underground escaping persecution, or those pews were in fancy churches, His Word has been fruitful in the fields of His people. Friedrich Engels, co-author of the Communist Manifesto, once listed the "character he most disliked". He only had one name: Spurgeon Why? Because Spurgeon loved the poor, cared for the orphans, and preached hope to the people. The exact opposite message that those who wish to upend the world want. Socialism and Christianity do not mix. Christians who compromise on the Gospel and make it about political power will always begin to see the government as the answer to their problem. And they will be wrong.

I'm a simple man. I believe that when you sin and destroy decades of ministry you shouldn't start selling a book about it. And people should be encouraged not to buy that book if you do. And none of this should be particularly controversial.