CZECH REPUBLIC: Populist Billionaire Businessman Has Won Election On October 4 To Return As Prime Minister After Losing In 2021. He Campaigned On Cutting Support For Ukraine War.

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WION published October 4, 2025: Czech Republic: Billionaire Populist Andrej Babis' Party Wins Parliamentary Election. Populist billionaire Andrej Babiš is set to return as the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, his party Action of Dissatisfied Citizens or ANO won the election in early October 2025, with 35.7 per cent of the vote and is far ahead of the centre-right party Spolu in second on 22.5 per cent, but falling short of a majority. ANO promised stronger social security and increased pensions, affordable energy prices, tougher stance on immigration and criticised 'blank cheques' to Ukraine.

FRANCE 24 English published October 3, 2025: Elections in Czech Republic could end the country's solidarity towards Ukrainians. Parliamentary elections are taking place in Czechia - the EU country that has taken in the largest number of Ukrainian refugees relative to its population. Nearly 400,000 have been granted residence and work permits there. The opposition is challenging this solidarity and has made the aid provided to Ukrainian nationals one of the main themes of the election campaign. Report by Alexis Rosenzweig, Jan Gerbert and Ian Willoughby.

Reuters News

Czech president tells prime minister hopeful Babis to show how he will end conflicts of interest

written by Staff

Wednesday November 12, 2025

PRAGUE - Czech election winner, billionaire Andrej Babis, must tell the public how he will eliminate conflicts of interest stemming from his business activities before he is appointed prime minister, President Petr Pavel said on Wednesday.

Babis' populist ANO party won the October 3-4 election and is forming a government with two fringe right-wing partners.

Babis, 71, has said he would comply with a law regulating business interests of government members but has not said how.

The issue is becoming a hurdle in Babis' return to power after four years in opposition.

Appointing Babis without a clear declaration on the issue could risk violating the constitution and could eventually lead to a loss of EU subsidies, the presidential office said in a statement.

"The president continues to demand that Andrej Babis, by the time of appointment as prime minister, publicly announces how he intends to resolve his conflict of interest," the statement said.

After meeting Pavel on Wednesday, Babis said he would study materials on the matter given to him by the president but did not reveal how he would proceed.

Babis is the owner of hundreds of companies, most of them in the Agrofert group, in farming, food processing, chemicals, health and other sectors in the Czech Republic and other central European countries.

Many of his businesses receive local and EU subsidies given to farmers according to the size of their land or the number of animals they keep. They have also received subsidies for modernisation, and money from public contracts.

The corruption watchdog Transparency International has said that to make a clean break with his firms, Babis should either sell them, stop taking any public contracts, or stay out of government.

During his first term as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, Babis faced legal battles and a European probe over potential conflicts of interest. Then, he temporarily moved his assets to trust funds but a court and the European Commission found that to be insufficient.

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BBC News, UK local

Billionaire populist Andrej Babis' party wins Czech parliamentary election

written by Rob Cameron, Prague Correspondent

Saturday October 4, 2025

Billionaire businessman Andrej Babis has won parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, although his populist ANO party fell short of an overall majority.

ANO received just under 35% of the vote, earning them 80 seats in the 200-seat lower house – up from 72 seats four years ago, according to preliminary results.

Babis – who served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021 – is expected to be invited to lead talks on forming a new coalition.

"This is a historic success," Andrej Babis announced to cheering supporters at the ANO headquarters in the suburbs of Prague.

He'd entered the building holding aloft a Bluetooth speaker blasting a remix of the 1981 hit 'Sarà perché ti amo' by the Italian pop trio Ricchi e Poveri.

The same song resounded across the stage as he accepted the applause. Some colleagues – including the former finance minister Alena Schillerova – danced along to the beat.

"It's the pinnacle of my political career!" he said, adding that he and his team would now work to make the Czech Republic "the best place to live in the European Union".

But while this election has thrown up no great surprises – few had any doubt he would emerge in first place - there are still plenty of questions.

Babis has already begun talks with the two small right-wing eurosceptic parties that managed to pass the 5% threshold: the anti-Green Deal Motorists for Themselves, and the anti-immigrant Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, led by the Czech-Japanese entrepreneur Tomio Okamura.

Parliamentary maths means he will need an alliance with both to form a government that enjoys a majority in parliament - none of the other parties are likely to work with him.

After giving his acceptance speech he said he wanted ANO to govern alone, rather than create a formal coalition.

ANO will have the most in common with the Motorists. The two already sit in the same European Parliament group – the "pro-sovereignty" Patriots for Europe, which Babis founded alongside Hungary's Viktor Orban and Austria's Herbert Kickl last year.

ANO shares the Motorists' misgivings about the EU's emissions targets, and vows to modify or reject them outright.

Both parties are firmly against Czech households carrying a greater financial burden for cleaner energy, and both oppose the EU's ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars after 2035.

Relations with the SPD could be more fraught.

For a start, SPD fought this election in a formal alliance with a number of fringe parties on the far-right, meaning they will have to yield some of their seats to them. Okamura may not have full control of the MPs in his caucus – always a recipe for disaster in coalition politics.

Babis has also categorically ruled out allowing a referendum on either EU or NATO membership – a key policy priority for the SPD.

The ANO leader might have leaned heavily into anti-Ukrainian rhetoric in the final days of the campaign, lambasting the centre-right government for giving "Czech mothers nothing, and Ukrainians everything".

But Okamura's call for Ukrainian refugees to be deported en masse will likely fall on deaf ears.

Czech military support for Ukraine's war effort however is likely to change significantly under a Babis administration.

He has already vowed to scrap the successful Czech ammunition initiative – which has delivered 3.5 million shells to Ukraine since 2022.

Babis claims it lacks transparency, but Czech government officials who created the scheme say it works precisely because it is not transparent.

Under the initiative, Czech arms dealers use their international contacts to procure shells for Ukraine on the global market, with the bulk of the money coming from EU and NATO partners. Some of the producers are in countries that have relationships with Russia but as the deal is arranged with Czech dealers their involvement remains private.

The ANO leader wants it moved under the umbrella of NATO instead, and again on Saturday accused Czech arms dealers of making enormous profits from the scheme.

However, he said he would have no problem negotiating the matter with President Zelensky.

Babis also laughed off claims Western allies were worried the Czech Republic would no longer be a reliable partner in the EU and NATO under his administration, and that was why he now appeared to be distancing himself from extremist parties.

"Your problem is you just copy lies from Czech journalists," he replied, answering a reporter from the New York Times in English.

"I spoke with Trump five times! I was in the Pentagon. I was in the FBI. I talked to the head of the CIA," Babis said, speaking of his first term, which overlapped with President Trump's first term in office.

"We were a very reliable partner," he went on.

"I have been prime minister. We have been in government before. And we had excellent results."

TANZANIA: First Female Re-Elected President With 98% Illegitimate Votes October 29. 1000 Protesters Killed By Police Accused Of Secretly Dumping The Bodies During 5-day Internet And Power Blackout.

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DW News published November 1, 2025: Tanzania's Hassan declared winner in disputed vote. Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the country's presidential election with nearly 97.66% of the votes, according to the electoral commission's results released on Sarturday.

Firstpost published November 5, 2025: Tanzania Election Violence: Authorities "Secretly Dumping Protesters Bodies". Tanzania faces global outrage after the opposition accuses security forces of "secretly dumping the bodies" of protesters killed during post-election violence. Following the disputed presidential polls on October 29, demonstrations erupted across Dar es Salaam and other cities over alleged vote rigging. Opposition party CHADEMA claims more than 800 people were killed, while President Samia Suluhu Hassan blames foreign interference. Human Rights Watch condemned the deaths during protests after reported excessive use of force and internet blackouts, urging accountability. Observers from the Southern African Development Community also stated the election fell short of democratic standards, intensifying pressure on the Tanzanian government.

Firstpost published November 11, 2025: Tanzania Election Violence Sparks Outrage as Church, Aid Groups Speak Out. Tanzania is reeling from deadly post-election violence that has left hundreds, possibly thousands, dead. At a prayer service in Dar es Salaam, Archbishop Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi condemned the killings, calling them a “disgrace before God” and warning that the punishment for protest cannot be death. President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s landslide 98% victory has been dismissed by the opposition as a “sham,” amid reports of ballot tampering and intimidation. Rights groups accuse security forces of firing on peaceful demonstrators, while internet blackouts have obscured the true scale of the crackdown. The African Union says the polls failed democratic standards. With opposition leaders facing treason charges and the Church demanding justice, Tanzania now stands at a critical crossroads between accountability and repression.

The Kenyan Historian published November 3, 2025: “The Making of a Dictator: How Samia Suluhu Took Control of Tanzania”. When Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan became president in 2021, she was hailed as a reformer — soft-spoken, calm, and promising change after Magufuli’s hardline rule. But four years later, her government stands accused of tightening control over elections, the media, and opposition parties. In this episode of I, The Kenyan Historian, breaksdown the playbook behind her rise — and how power in Tanzania has become more concentrated than ever.

France24 News

Tanzania politicians in shock as cabal takes over after massacre written by Staff

Wednesday November 12, 2025

Gruesome images of dead Tanzanians have flooded the internet in the wake of the October 29 elections that triggered widespread protests over government repression.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan officially won with 98 percent of the vote, but key opposition leaders were jailed or disqualified.

The opposition says more than 1,000 were killed as security forces crushed the protests under cover of a five-day internet blackout.

Two weeks on, the government has yet to give any casualty numbers.

"There are... disturbing reports that security forces have been seen removing bodies from streets and hospitals and taking them to undisclosed locations in an apparent attempt to conceal evidence," UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said on Tuesday.

A senior official in the Tanzanian government who said they were horrified by the events of the past fortnight, agreed to talk to AFP.

The official said they would end up dead if their name was published, but provided AFP with coordinates for two suspected sites of mass graves near Dar es Salaam -- at Kondo and Mabwepande. These could not be independently verified, however.

"People in the government are in shock... there's disbelief," said the official.

"Nobody has the guts to talk... that's the sad part of it. But people do whisper," they said.

AFP has spoken to multiple eye-witnesses who describe seeing people shot at point-blank range by police and unidentified armed men.

Prior to the election, the Tanganyika Law Society had confirmed 83 abductions under Hassan's rule, but said reported disappearances increased significantly in the final days of the campaign.

Some were high-profile, like former government spokesman and ambassador Humphrey Polepole, reported missing from his blood-stained home on October 6 after resigning in a letter that criticised Hassan's government.

Others were unknown individuals in small villages, seemingly targeted for minor online posts.

"Why are you abducting a 20-year-old kid just because they criticised you? You're the president, for crying out loud!" said the government official.

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ABC News

Tanzania President Hassan wins disputed election with more than 97% of vote, official results show

written by Rodney Muhumuza, Associated Press reported from Kampala, Uganda.

Friday October 31, 2025

DODOMA, Tanzania -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the country’s disputed election with more than 97% of the vote, according to official results announced early Saturday, in a rare landslide victory in the region.

The result is likely to amplify the concerns of critics, opposition groups and others who said the election in Tanzania was not a contest but a coronation after Hassan's two main rivals were barred or prevented from running. She faced 16 candidates from smaller parties.

The Oct. 29 election was marred by violence as demonstrators took to the streets of major cities to protest the vote and stop the counting of votes. The military has been deployed to help police quell riots. Internet connectivity has been on and off in the East African nation, disrupting travel and other activities.

The protests have spread across Tanzania, and the government has postponed the reopening of universities, which had been set for Oct. 3.

Tanzanian authorities have not said how many people have been killed or injured in the violence. A spokesman for the U.N. human rights office, Seif Magango, on Friday told a U.N. briefing in Geneva by video from Kenya that credible reports of 10 deaths were reported in the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam, alongside Shinyanga and Morogoro towns.

Tundu Lissu, leader of the Chadema opposition group, has been jailed for months, charged with treason after he called for electoral reforms that he said were a prerequisite for free and fair elections. Another opposition figure, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo group, was barred from running.

At stake for the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi, or CCM, party was its decades-long grip on power amid the rise of charismatic opposition figures who hoped to lead the country toward political change.

Still, a landslide victory is unheard of in the region. Only President Paul Kagame, the authoritarian leader of Rwanda, regularly wins by a landslide.

Rights groups including Amnesty International cited a pattern of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings in Tanzania ahead of the polls.

In June, a United Nations panel of human rights experts cited more than 200 cases of enforced disappearance since 2019, saying they were “alarmed by reports of a pattern of repression” ahead of elections.

Hassan oversaw "an unprecedented crackdown on political opponents,” the International Crisis Group said in its most recent analysis. “The government has curbed freedom of expression, ranging from a ban on X and restrictions on the Tanzanian digital platform JamiiForums to silencing critical voices through intimidation or arrest.”

The political maneuvering by Tanzanian authorities is remarkable even in a country where single-party rule has been the norm since the advent of multi-party politics in 1992.

Government critics point out that previous leaders tolerated opposition while maintaining a firm grip on power, whereas Hassan is accused of leading with an authoritarian style that defies youth-led democracy movements elsewhere in the region.

But Tanzania is different, an outlier in the region.

A version of the governing CCM party, which maintains ties with the Communist Party of China, has ruled Tanzania since its independence from Britain in 1961, a streak that Hassan extends with her victory.

CCM is fused with the state, effectively in charge of the security apparatus and structured in such a way that new leaders emerge every five or 10 years. Hassan herself was able to rise to the presidency as vice president without incident when her predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli, died suddenly not long after the start of his second term.

The orderly transition sustained Tanzania’s reputation as an oasis of political stability and relative peace, a major reason for CCM’s considerable support across the country, especially among rural voters.

CAMEROON: World's Oldest Ruler 92yo Man Has Supposedly Been Re-Elected To Serve His 8th Term As President For Another 7 Years On October 27. He's Been Serving As Second President Since 1982.

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DW News published November 6, 2025: Cameroon's opposition up in arms as 92-year-old Biya sworn in for seven year term. The world's oldest head of state has been sworn in in Cameroon. President Paul Biya, who is 92, has now started his eighth term in office. Biya came to power in 1982 and won last month's presidential election with over 50% of the vote.

Deadly protests gripped Cameroon in the wake of the election, with Biya's opposition rival calling the victory "a constitutional coup." DW Correspondent Blaise Eyong reports from Yaounde.

FRANCE 24 English published October 27, 2025: Cameroon: President Paul Biya secures 8th term with 53% of vote. Paul Biya extended his 43-year rule on October 27, securing an eighth term as president of Cameroon. The country's Constitutional Council announced that the 92-year old won 53.7 percent of the vote, beating rival Issa Tchiroma Bakary who came in second with 35.2 percent. FRANCE 24's Indira Ayuk has the details from Yaounde.

africanews published October 27, 2025: Cameroon’s Paul Biya declared winner of presidential election amid deadly protests. As the dust settles, many in Cameroon are left questioning whether this election marks continuity or crisis — and whether the aging leader can still steer the Central African nation through its deepening challenges.

Al Jazeera english News

Cameroon’s Biya, world’s oldest ruler at 92, sworn in for eighth term

written by Staff, news agencies

Thursday November 6, 2025

Cameroon’s longtime leader, Paul Biya, has been sworn in for a new seven-year term following his victory in last month’s presidential election, which his opposition rival has described as “a constitutional coup”.

Addressing Parliament on Thursday, the world’s oldest president promised to stay faithful to the confidence of the Cameroonian people and pledged to work for a “united, stable and prosperous” country.

There were deadly protests in several parts of Cameroon days after the October 19 vote, followed by a three-day lockdown this week after former minister and key contender Issa Tchiroma claimed victory and alleged vote tampering.

The government has confirmed that at least five people were killed during the protests, although the opposition and civil society groups claim the figures are much higher.

The incumbent, Africa’s second-longest serving leader, took the oath of office during a session of Parliament in what residents describe as the heavily militarised and partially deserted capital, Yaounde.

Priscilla Ayimboh, a 40-year-old seamstress in Yaounde, does not see a new term for Biya as likely to change anything.

“I’m tired of Biya’s rule and I no longer care whatever he does. It’s a pity. I wonder what will become of Cameroon in the next seven years: there are no roads, water, and jobs,” she said.

Munjah Vitalis Fagha, a senior politics lecturer at Cameroon’s University of Buea, told The Associated Press news agency that Biya’s inauguration was “taking place in a tense yet controlled political atmosphere, marked by deep divisions between the ruling elite and a growingly disillusioned populace”.

Fagha added: “The ceremony occurs amid calls for political renewal, ongoing security challenges in the Anglophone regions, and widespread concerns over governance and succession.”

Cameroon’s top court on October 27 declared Biya the winner of the election, with 53.66 percent of the vote, ahead of his ally-turned-challenger, Tchiroma, who secured 35.19 percent.

“The will of the Cameroonian people was trampled that day, our sovereignty stolen in broad daylight,” Tchiroma wrote on Wednesday night. “This is not democracy, it is electoral theft, a constitutional coup as blatant as it is shameful.”

Biya came to power in 1982 following the resignation of Cameroon’s first president and has ruled since, following a 2008 constitutional amendment that abolished term limits. His health has been a topic of speculation as he spends most of his time in Europe, leaving governance to key party officials and family members.

He has led Cameroon longer than most of its citizens have been alive – more than 70 percent of the country’s almost 30 million population is below the age of 35. If he serves his entire term, Biya will leave office nearly 100 years old.

The results of his nearly half-century in power have been mixed; armed rebellions in the north and the west of the country, along with a stagnant economy, have left many young people disillusioned with the leader.

JAPAN: Japanese Elected Their First Female To Become Their Prime Minister On October 21. She Is Nicknamed The "Iron Lady" For Her Admiration Of Thatcher.

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BBC News published October 21, 2025: Sanae Takaichi becomes Japan's first female prime minister. Sanae Takaichi has been elected Japan's prime minister by parliament, making her the first woman to hold the office.

She won a clear majority on Monday - 237 votes in the powerful Lower House and another 125 in the Upper House - as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The 64-year-old is known as Japan’s “Iron Lady” - she’s an admirer of the UK's former PM Margaret Thatcher and is known for her staunch conservatism.

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BBC News, UK local

Sanae Takaichi makes history as Japan's first female prime minister

written by Shaimaa Khalil, Japan correspondent and Yvette Tan, in Singapore

Tuesday October 21, 2025

Sanae Takaichi has been elected Japan's prime minister by its parliament, making her the first woman to hold the office.

The 64-year-old won a clear majority on Tuesday - 237 votes in the powerful Lower House and another 125 in the Upper House - as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

A staunch conservative and admirer of the late former UK PM Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi takes over at a challenging economic moment as Japan grapples with a rising cost of living and a frustrated public.

It's also been an uncertain time for the world's fourth-largest economy. She is the fourth PM in just five years, after her predecessors' terms were cut short by plunging ratings and scandals.

Although she defeated four men to win the LDP race in early October, her path to the top job appeared to be blocked when the LDP's long-time coalition partner, the Komeito party, withdrew support.

But a last-minute deal with another opposition party - the right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (JIP), known as Ishin - saved her. She and the LDP will face voters next in 2028.

Meanwhile, aside from domestic challenges, she faces tricky relationships abroad. South Korea, which had started to mend historically delicate ties with Japan, is wary because of her right-wing politics, which lean nationalist. And, like some of her predecessors, including the late former PM Shinzo Abe, she is seen as hawkish when it comes to an increasingly powerful China.

But the most important relationship is with the US and a test is around the corner - a meeting with US President Donald Trump next week.

While both sides have reached a tariff deal, Trump's past comments questioning the value of a security treaty between them and demanding Tokyo pay more for defence have raised concerns - Takaichi must navigate these issues with an unpredictable US administration.

At the age of 64, Takaichi is no stranger to Japanese politics.

A known ally of Abe, she has held several ministerial roles over her career and has run for the job of PM before.

She was elected LDP leader after its former leader and PM Shigeru Ishiba resigned following major losses in midterm elections.

Nicknamed the "Iron Lady" for her admiration of Thatcher, Takaichi is known for conservative views, including her opposition to same-sex marriage and a growing demand to allow married women to keep their maiden surnames.

This has made some young women sceptical of the significance of her win.

"Everyone's like, 'Wow, she's the first female prime minister in Japanese history and that's a great opportunity for women's empowerment'," said 21-year-old student Ayda Ogura.

"[But] if you look into her political beliefs and what she stands for, you realise that some of the things are very traditional. Instead of creating structural change, she rather perpetuates the patriarchal system."

During her recent campaign, Takaichi proposed expanded hospital services for women's health and giving household support workers greater recognition.

She still has a major task ahead of her - to rebuild the trust of the public in the LDP.

The party has governed Japan for most of the past seven decades, but under Ishiba it lost its majority in the lower house for the first time in 15 years. Then it lost its majority in the upper house in July, amid public anger after a fundraising scandal.

In electing Takaichi, the LDP had hoped to win back conservative voters, many of whom had gravitated towards the far-right Sanseito party after being disillusioned with the usual options.

But first Takaichi has to turn her attention to public anger as prices continue to soar. An ongoing rice shortage, for example, has resulted in record prices for the Japanese staple.

Local media report that she may apppoint Satsuki Katayama as finance minister, yet another historic first for a woman. Like Takaichi, Katayama too is a protege of Abe.

While concerns over Japan's rising debt and lacklustre growth have been worrying investors, Takaichi's win seemed to have offered some optimism for the markets.

Good Morning Everybody, HAPPY Monday! 😎 Hope You Have A Wonderful Day. 😊🐱‍🏍⭐

🚨👇 BONUS 👇🚨

I've Got The Power (Official Video) by SNAP!

HAPPY Sunday Night Everybody! Let Your Cares Fall To The Wayside, Loosen Up, And Dance. :D Sharing Melody Of Love ❤ by Donna Summer ❤

I have always LOVED Donna Summer, who is known as the Queen of Disco! I grew up listening to her music since I was child. My mom was a huge fan of her music and always took me with her to all of her concerts. The tables turned when I became an adult. I was the one surprising my mom with concert tickets for both of us to enjoy Donna Summer perform live. Great memories. We'll no longer get to enjoy seeing Donna Summer perform in person because Donna Summer sadly passed away in 2012. I'm just grateful that my mom and I have so many memories together seeing her perform live. Those are memories I will always treasure.

This song starts off slow for the 1st minute, then picks up to a great dance tune with AWESOME lyrics! A message I can relate to. This is how Jesus came into my life. Let this music permeate every fiber of your BEING! ❤

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend doing whatever it is that puts a great big smile on your face! Always remember to not sweat the small stuff. What is the small stuff you ask? EVERYTHING! Life is good. No matter what it looks like right now, remember life is always good.  Just knowing you're above ground should be enough to snap you out of your negative thinking. Change your perspective about your situation. I have found that prayer helps me do that. Prayer keeps my heart and mind on God's promises for me and while I pray, I feel the Holy Spirit giving me a great big spiritual hug inside. It's an amazing feeling. One that makes you keep wanting to come back to the Holy Spirit for more. The kind of feeling you want others to feel. Prayer is a very personal experience. If you have a partner that believes in the same, that's wonderful for you to share this profound experience with another soul. But for the most part, prayer is you drawing close to God, the source of all living things. Which causes you to heal and grow and expand as a result on a personal level.

I've shared some prayers with you on the top right side of my blog. Sending you lots and lots of love. You will get through this. Whatever it is you're going through. The key word is "through". God is saying "Be still and know that I am with you. I will give you strength, courage and wisdom to see you through." Put your trust in God that everything is going to be okay in the end. Trust and Believe that victory is already yours because of the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross. Have FAITH in God's Supernatural Divine intervention in your situation you need help with. It is very real. :)

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is LOVE." [1 John 4:7-8 NLT] ❤

Melody of LOVE ~ by Donna Summer

I always

Stayed away from love

Afraid of what might

Might happen

Till I thought

I heard a sound above

Singing through my very

Own heart

Was a melody

I never heard

Like birds singing loud

To the sky

Never dreamed that

True love would help me

Find my way

Didn't know how deep I'd fallen

Until you rescued, rescued me

Suddenly

Strings began

I heard the melody again and again

The sound of music

Flowing through my head

So rare

I'm walking on air

Melody of LOVE

Sing that song for me yeah

I want to hear somebody sing

Melody of LOVE

Oh take me away

One lonely night

You up and danced into my dreams

Baby you set my heart on fire

So I've been burning

Burning ever since yeah

Suddenly

Strings began

I heard the melody again and again

The sounds of trumpets

Flowing through my head

So rare I'm walking on air

Melody of LOVE

Sing that song for me yeah

I want to hear somebody sing

Melody of LOVE

Oh take me away

Melody of LOVE

Oh set me free yeah

I want to hear somebody sing

Melody of LOVE

Oh take me away

Oh melody

Oh melody

I can really feel it

You can feel it too

Oh melody

Oh melody

Melody of LOVE

Sing that song for me yeah

I want to hear somebody sing

Melody of LOVE

Oh take me away

Melody of LOVE

Oh set me free yeah

I want to hear somebody sing

Melody of LOVE

Oh take me away

Jesus Explains God's Kingdom In The Parables. Birds Among The Branches; The Parable Of The Leaven.

I added the picture above to the message I shared below.

God's Kingdom in the Parables (excerpt)

written by David C. Grabbe

Those with this faith are “bought at a price” (I Corinthians 6:20; 7:23); they are of “the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). Peter writes that God redeemed us “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:19). Truly, Christ sold all He had to purchase this pearl He found so valuable.

I added the picture above to the message I shared below.

Parable of the Mustard Seed

written by David C. Grabbe

Matthew 13:31-32

The Mustard Seed parable describes a plant with the humblest of beginnings, representing the Kingdom's beginning with Abraham by faith. Its growth relative to its initial size sets it apart from other plants.

Hebrews 11:12 describes the same effect but with a different metaphor: “Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.” A mighty increase occurred from what God began with Abraham. However, the parable concludes with birds—used as a symbol of Satan and the demons (see Matthew 13:4, 19)—nesting in the branches, which shows the spiritually unclean state of the Kingdom at the time of Jesus' teaching.

I added the pictures above to the message I shared below.

Parable of the Mustard Seed

written by Martin G. Collins

Matthew 13:32

Birds are naturally attracted to the taste of the mustard seed. Matthew identifies the birds of the air as "the wicked one" (Matthew 13:4, 19). Mark connects them with "Satan" (Mark 4:4, 15), and Luke links them to "the devil" (Luke 8:5, 12). In Genesis 15:11, fowls swoop down on Abraham's sacrifices, and he has to drive them away (see Deuteronomy 28:26). The end-time Babylon becomes "a habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird" (Revelation 18:2).

In the parable, Jesus predicts the birds of the air would lodge in the branches. These "birds," demons led by "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), have continually tried to infiltrate the church. Upon the unsuspecting early church, Satan moved quickly to implant his agents in it to teach false doctrine while appearing to be true Christians. Just as God permitted Satan to tempt Job intensely (Job 1:12; 2:6) and to sift Peter as wheat (Luke 22:31), He has allowed antichrists to lodge within His church (I Corinthians 11:18-19).

God's Kingdom in the Parables

written by David C. Grabbe

[source: BibleTools.org]

Birds Among the Branches

A third element is that the final state of the mustard tree is as a host to birds. This third point is central because Jesus uses birds as a symbol for Satan and his demons in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:19; Mark 4:15; Luke 8:12). The humble mustard plant, with its faithful beginning and dramatic growth, in time became a place where the demons felt at home.

The Old Testament contains few mentions of demons, though enough to record that the Israelites had sacrificed to demons in Egypt (Leviticus 17:7) and that the practice picked up again as Israel rejected God (II Chronicles 11:15; Psalm 106:37). The law also contains prohibitions against having anything to do with familiar spirits (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27).

In stark contrast, the gospels highlight demon possession as a major problem in Judea and Galilee during Christ’s short ministry, and casting out demons was a significant part of His and the disciples’ work (Matthew 4:24; 8:16, 28-34; 9:32-33; 10:1, 8; 12:22-28; 15:22; 17:18; Mark 1:23-27, 32-34, 39; 3:11, 15; 5:1-17; 6:7, 13; 7:25-30; 9:17-29, 38; 16:9, 17; Luke 4:33-36, 41; 6:18; 7:21; 8:2, 27-38; 9:1, 37-42; 10:17, 20; 11:14-23; 13:32; Acts 10:38). Because of Israel’s unfaithfulness, God had removed His protection, and demons were “nesting” everywhere in the kingdom.

As we saw in Part One, this parable formed part of Christ’s preaching to the multitudes after He performed an exorcism, for which the Pharisees criticized Him (Matthew 12:22-30). Rather than give God glory for the man’s deliverance from the power of Satan, they mistook the power of God for the work of the wicked one! The parable thus immediately describes the nation’s then-current satanic state rather than, as many commentators hold, the growth of the then-future church.

Moses foretold what would happen when Israel -often referred to as "Jeshurun" became large and prosperous:

But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; you grew fat, you grew thick, you are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, and scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation. They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger. They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they did not know, to new gods, new arrivals that your fathers did not fear. (Deuteronomy 32:15-17)

God inspired Moses to write that when Israel grew large through His increase, she would also fall into idolatry, which involves demonism, an exact parallel to what Jesus describes in the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Moses knew that Israel would “become utterly corrupt,” warning them that “evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands” (Deuteronomy 31:29). Israel’s corruption is a consistent Old Testament theme (Psalm 14:3; 53:3; Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 7:11; 10:21; Ezekiel 16:47; 23:11). Without the new heart and Spirit available under the New Covenant, she followed the world’s course into spiritual uncleanness and demonic activity.

The Parable of the Leaven

The Parable of the Leaven follows a similar theme: “Another parable He spoke to them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened’” (Matthew 13:33).

The “three measures of meal” first show up in Genesis 18:6: “So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, ‘Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.’” The occasion was God’s meeting with Abraham and Sarah to promise them a son, the next step—a miraculous one—in the growth of the family/kingdom. The meal symbolizes the fellowship between God and the family of Abraham.

The Jews in Jesus’ audience were quick to claim Abraham as their father (John 8:39), and the “three measures of meal” refers to something easily recognizable in their history. But then Jesus introduces a subversive element into the story. Over time, something happened to the fellowship between God and the expanding house of Abraham—the kingdom became “all leavened.” Many commenters hold that this parable teaches that the gospel will spread over all the earth in the same way that leaven spreads, but this interpretation overlooks both the context and the fact that God’s Word never uses leaven positively. Instead, leaven is universally a symbol of corruption, especially of apostate doctrine and practice (Matthew 16:11-12; Luke 12:1; I Corinthians 5:8; Galatians 5:7-9).

The parable indicates, then, that the covenantal relationship between God and Abraham’s family had completely degenerated. Israel “took” of pagan belief systems from the nations around her and introduced those corrupting ways into her relationship with God. The Judaism that Jesus encountered was a noxious blend of some Scripture with beliefs and practices picked up during the Babylonian captivity and flavored with Hellenism and the hardened traditions of previous generations. When Jesus delivered the parables, the major problem within the kingdom was not the idolatry of graven images as before the captivity, but one of false beliefs. He did not have to contend with pagan temples and high places, but with hearts hardened by anti-God doctrines and practices.

The beliefs and practices that Jesus encountered suggested a thoroughly leavened covenantal relationship, such that “He came to His own”—the descendants of Abraham, in particular—“and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). Therefore, as He later informed the religious leaders, God would take the kingdom from its current caretakers and give it to a spiritual nation—the spiritual seed of Abraham, those who are Israelites because of their faith in Him rather than their physical lineage.

The Context of Luke’s Versions

Luke also records the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Parable of the Leaven (Luke 13:18-21), and the setting in his gospel underscores Christ’s object in giving them: as a testimony against the kingdom’s condition and particularly its leadership. The context begins in Luke 13:10, with Jesus healing a woman with “a spirit of infirmity” on the Sabbath. Later, He describes the woman as being bound by Satan (verse 16), which again stresses the nation’s problem with “birds” (demons). The healed woman glorified God, but the ruler of the synagogue was incensed:

But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day” (Luke 13:14).

The Jews’ beliefs and practices had become so perverse that, even though they believed they were keeping the fourth commandment (the breaking of which was a major cause of their captivity; see Ezekiel 20:10-24), they completely misunderstood the liberating intent of God’s law. Their worldview was so warped that they could feel only indignation at divine deliverance from spiritual bondage, showing how far their hearts had turned from their Creator and how aligned they were with their spiritual captor.

As in Matthew 13, Jesus spoke the two parables to “the multitude” (Luke 13:17) in response to their skewed practices rather than to foretell the future growth and influence of the yet-to-be-established church. In reading through the whole passage, the concept of future church growth is wholly incongruous. In Luke 12:32, our Good Shepherd refers to His followers as a “little flock,” and He says God calls many but chooses only a few (Matthew 20:16). Likewise, James 1:18 calls us “a kind of firstfruits,” implying that the church is limited in number, a remnant (Romans 9:27; 11:5), while the more abundant main harvest will come later.

Using a different metaphor, Paul writes in I Corinthians 12:18, “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.” God alone adds individuals to the spiritual Body, so numeric growth is entirely in His hands—it will never expand beyond the limits He places on it. Paul also writes to Christians at Corinth that, because of Christ’s sacrifice, “You truly are unleavened.” His statement does not mean they were without sin but that God imputed righteousness to them based on Christ’s work. These scriptures contradict the interpretations that the true church will become either exceptionally large or “all leavened.”

Christ delivers the last four parables of Matthew 13 to the disciples—those to whom God would give an understanding of the mysteries of His Kingdom—and thus, the “kingdom” in those parables has a different emphasis. They do not primarily concern the physical nation, but the spiritual one. Jesus has a different audience, and thus, a different purpose and perspective. Interestingly, though, the two parables in the first group that Jesus explains to the disciples are ones in which we can glimpse the church: in the good soil (Parable of the Sower) and in the “sons of the kingdom” (Parable of the Wheat and Tares), who have faith.

Jesus Christ The True Shepherd; The LORD Is My Shepherd. Who Are You Following? How Has That Turned Out For You? Talk To Him, Find Out Who He Is For Yourself.

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John 10 NKJV

[source: Biblegateway]

Jesus the True Shepherd

1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Jesus the Good Shepherd

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (have it abundantly).

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”

21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

The Shepherd Knows His Sheep

22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus

31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” 39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

The Believers Beyond Jordan

40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.

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Pslam 23 (KJV)

[source: Biblegateway]

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever and ever. In Jesus mighty name. AMEN!

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Luke 15 (New Living Translation)
[source: BibleGateway]

Parable of the Lost Sheep

1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents (asks God for forgiveness) and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Did You Know That For Christians And Messianic Jews, Jesus Christ Is Our Sabbath Rest? Find Out Why. Christians Have NO REASON To Be Going To A Synagogue To Observe The Sabbath To Please Jews.

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Jesus Christ is the living breathing Word of God who was made flesh to walk among us.

John 1:1-5 KJV: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Matthew 1:23 AMP: “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet [Isaiah]: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel”—which, when translated, means, “God with us.”.

Google AI summary: QUESTION: I asked, was Mary a Levite? ANSWER: It is not explicitly stated in the Bible that Mary was a Levite, but it is a strong possibility based on her close relationship to Elizabeth, who was from the tribe of Levi. The biblical texts do not provide Mary's full lineage, but the connection to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who is described as a daughter of Aaron the Levite, suggests Mary may have had a Levite mother or was a close relative through her mother's side. This theory would make Jesus both a king through his paternal (Joseph's) lineage from the House of David and a priest through his maternal (Mary's) lineage from the tribe of Levi, fulfilling prophecy. (emphasis mine)

What does it mean that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath?

[source: GotQuestions.org]

QUESTION: What does it mean that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath?

ANSWER: The phrase “the Lord of the Sabbath” is found in Matthew 12:8, Mark 2:28, and Luke 6:5. In all three instances Jesus is referring to Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath or, as Mark records it, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). In these verses, Jesus is proclaiming that He is the One who exercises authority even over the rules and regulations that govern the Sabbath day.

As such, Jesus was proclaiming to the world, especially to the legalistic Pharisees, that He was greater than the Law and above the laws of the Mosaic Covenant because, as God in flesh, He is the Author of those laws. Unable to keep the Law, however, the Pharisees had instituted a complex and confusing system of Sabbath laws of their own that was oppressive and legalistic. They had set up strict laws regarding how to observe the Sabbath, which included 39 categories of forbidden activities. In essence, these religious leaders had made themselves lords of the Sabbath, thus making themselves lords over the people.

As Creator, Christ was the original Lord of the Sabbath (John 1:3; Hebrews 1:10). He had the authority to overrule the Pharisees’ traditions and regulations because He had created the Sabbath—and the Creator is always greater than the creation. Furthermore, Jesus claimed the authority to correctly interpret the meaning of the Sabbath and all the laws pertaining to it. Because Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, He is free to do on it and with it whatever He pleases.

As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus had the right, power, and authority to dispense it in any way He pleased. The Lord of the Sabbath had come, and with His death and resurrection He became the fulfillment of our “Sabbath rest.” The salvation we have in Christ has made the old law of the Sabbath no longer needed or binding. When Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), Jesus was attesting to the fact that, just as the Sabbath day was originally instituted to give man rest from his labors, so did He come to provide us rest from laboring to achieve our own salvation by our works. Because of His sacrifice on the cross, we can now forever cease laboring to attain God’s favor and rest in His mercy and grace in Christ Jesus.

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How is Jesus our Sabbath Rest?

[source: GotQuestions.org]

QUESTION: How is Jesus our Sabbath Rest?

ANSWER: The key to understanding how Jesus is our Sabbath rest is the Hebrew word sabat, which means "to rest or stop or cease from work." The origin of the Sabbath goes back to Creation. After creating the heavens and the earth in six days, God "rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made" (Genesis 2:2). This doesn’t mean that God was tired and needed a rest. We know that God is omnipotent, literally "all-powerful." He has all the power in the universe, He never tires, and His most arduous expenditure of energy does not diminish His power one bit. So, what does it mean that God rested on the seventh day? Simply that He stopped what He was doing. He ceased from His labors. This is important in understanding the establishment of the Sabbath day and the role of Christ as our Sabbath rest.

God used the example of His resting on the seventh day of Creation to establish the principle of the Sabbath day rest for His people. In Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15, God gave the Israelites the fourth of His Ten Commandments. They were to "remember" the Sabbath day and "keep it holy." One day out of every seven, they were to rest from their labors and give the same day of rest to their servants and animals. This was not just a physical rest, but a cessation of laboring. Whatever work they were engaged in was to stop for a full day each week. (Please read our other articles on the Sabbath day, Saturday vs. Sunday and Sabbath keeping to explore this issue further.) The Sabbath day was established so the people would rest from their labors, only to begin again after a one-day rest.

The various elements of the Sabbath symbolized the coming of the Messiah, who would provide a permanent rest for His people. Once again the example of resting from our labors comes into play. With the establishment of the Old Testament Law, the Israelites were constantly "laboring" to make themselves acceptable to God. Their labors included trying to obey a myriad of do’s and don’ts of the ceremonial law, the Temple law, the civil law, etc. Of course they couldn’t possibly keep all those laws, so God provided an array of sin offerings and sacrifices so they could come to Him for forgiveness and restore fellowship with Him, but only temporarily. Just as they began their physical labors after a one-day rest, so, too, did they have to continue to offer sacrifices. Hebrews 10:1 tells us that the law "can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship." But these sacrifices were offered in anticipation of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross, who "after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God" (Hebrews 10:12). Just as He rested after performing the ultimate sacrifice, He sat down and rested—ceased from His labor of atonement because there was nothing more to be done, ever. Because of what He did, we no longer have to "labor" in law-keeping in order to be justified in the sight of God. Jesus was sent so that we might rest in God and in what He has provided.

Another element of the Sabbath day rest which God instituted as a foreshadowing of our complete rest in Christ is that He blessed it, sanctified it, and made it holy. Here again we see the symbol of Christ as our Sabbath rest—the holy, perfect Son of God who sanctifies and makes holy all who believe in Him. God sanctified Christ, just as He sanctified the Sabbath day, and sent Him into the world (John 10:36) to be our sacrifice for sin. In Him we find complete rest from the labors of our self-effort, because He alone is holy and righteous. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). We can now cease from our spiritual labors and rest in Him, not just one day a week, but always.

Jesus can be our Sabbath rest in part because He is "Lord of the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:8). As God incarnate, He decides the true meaning of the Sabbath because He created it, and He is our Sabbath rest in the flesh. When the Pharisees criticized Him for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus reminded them that even they, sinful as they were, would not hesitate to pull a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath. Because He came to seek and save His sheep who would hear His voice (John 10:3,27) and enter into the Sabbath rest He provided by paying for their sins, He could break the Sabbath rules. He told the Pharisees that people are more important than sheep and the salvation He provided was more important than rules. By saying, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27), Jesus was restating the principle that the Sabbath rest was instituted to relieve man of his labors, just as He came to relieve us of our attempting to achieve salvation by our works. We no longer rest for only one day, but forever cease our laboring to attain God’s favor. Jesus is our rest from works now, just as He is the door to heaven, where we will rest in Him forever.

Hebrews 4 is the definitive passage regarding Jesus as our Sabbath rest. The writer to the Hebrews exhorts his readers to “enter in” to the Sabbath rest provided by Christ. After three chapters of telling them that Jesus is superior to the angels and that He is our Apostle and High Priest, he pleads with them to not harden their hearts against Him, as their fathers hardened their hearts against the Lord in the wilderness. Because of their unbelief, God denied that generation access to the holy land, saying, “They shall not enter into My rest” (Hebrews 3:11). In the same way, the writer to the Hebrews begs his readers not to make the same mistake by rejecting God’s Sabbath rest in Jesus Christ. “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:9–11).

There is no other Sabbath rest besides Jesus. He alone satisfies the requirements of the Law, and He alone provides the sacrifice that atones for sin. He is God’s plan for us to cease from the labor of our own works.