Only in the upside-down world of elite evangelicalism could repentance look like rebellion.

David French recently made a telling admission: He is “nervous” about “something” that is “stirring in Christian America.” That “something,” French insists, is that contrary to news that a Christian revival is under way in America, what is actually happening is not revival but “religious revolution.”

Revival always looks like revolution to those who’ve made peace with decay.

The evidence? Jan. 6 (of course), a nuanced Christian debate about empathy, and Charlie Kirk’s memorial service.

Authentic revival, according to French, would be focused on the self because true revival “begins with the people proclaiming, by word and deed, ‘I have sinned.'”

But so-called MAGA Christianity, he claims, announces a different message: “It looks at American culture and declares, ‘You have sinned.'” French continues:

And it doesn’t stop there. It also says, “We will defeat you.” In its most extreme forms, it also says, “We will rule over you.” That’s not revival; it’s revolution, a religious revolution that seeks to overthrow one political order and replace it with another — one that has echoes of the religious kingdoms of ages past.

And don’t be fooled when these revolutionaries call themselves “conservative.” All too many conservative Christians are actually quite proudly radical. They want to demolish the existing order, including America’s commitment to pluralism and individual liberty, and put their version of Christianity at the center of American political life.

It’s clear that French sees the stirring of Christian faith across America — Christians re-engaging in politics, education, and culture — but instead of feeling encouraged or hopeful, he sees it as dangerous. He wants you to believe that ordinary Christians working to build communities shaped by biblical values are flirting with authoritarianism.

But what he can’t seem to imagine is that maybe this is what authentic renewal looks like: Christians waking up to the world around them, tired of pretending their convictions don’t belong in public life.

Revival, after all, always looks like revolution to those who’ve made peace with decay.

Domesticated faith exposed

French’s nervousness reveals something deeper than politics. It exposes a theology that’s been domesticated, one that treats faith as a private matter rather than a public demonstration of allegiance to Jesus Christ.

In his view, repentance is safe only when it stays inside the confines of the individual heart. But Christian faith is not individualistic. Repentance — literally meaning “turning back” or “returning” to God — is not limited to what one person can do for themselves. The Bible does not recognize the division that French asserts.

Instead, when people repent and turn back to God, hearts are transformed and households are changed. And when households change, communities change. And when communities change, culture is transformed.

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Every true revival — from King Josiah’s reforms (2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34-35) to the Great Awakenings — has looked political to those invested in the old order. That’s because repentance, by its nature of not being limited to the self, always has public consequences. You can’t toss aside sin and put on the “new self,” as the apostle Paul calls it, without eventually dethroning the idols of the city.

The gospel doesn’t just save people. It literally institutes a new Kingdom, one in which all reality is reordered around the lordship of King Jesus.

So when French frets about Christians who are “quite proudly radical,” he misses the point. He sees a problem with Christians who want to tear down the “existing order” — as if that order has borne good fruit — and assumes they’re driven by a lust for power and control. That critique is worse than lazy. It’s slanderous.

In truth, these Christians aren’t seeking power and control. They’re simply refusing to bow to the false gods of our age.

Repentance reshapes reality

The “existing order” that French defends isn’t morally neutral, working for the flourishing of all people. No. It’s an anti-God order that calls confusion “compassion,” celebrates sin, and treats moral clarity as a threat to democracy. It’s an order where drag queens read to children, abortion is called “health care,” and Christians are pushed to the margins of polite society.

Yet to French, the problem isn’t the godlessness but the Christians who dare call it out, stand against it, and seek to reform it. This brand of “respectable” faith demands silence in the face of cultural collapse. It’s the faith that turns a blind eye to societal sin over fear that conviction may be mistaken for cruelty or — gasp — power-grabbing.

But a Christianity that never offends the world will never change it. Jesus didn’t die to make the world more comfortable. He died to make you and me new people, and new people — those whose allegiance to Jesus bears conformity to his Kingdom — inevitably shape the world around them.

Call it “Christian nationalism,” call it whatever you want, but the truth is this: The existence of the Kingdom of Heaven, which Jesus inaugurated, means that Christians right now are living out obedience to Christ. Christ is reigning, and that means His people, wherever they live, make their communities and countries more Christian.

And a more Christian world requires confronting the idols of our time and tearing them down, not politely negotiating with them.

Perhaps French is right: A revolution is under way. But it’s not happening in Washington. It’s unfolding quietly in small-town homes and churches across America, where Christians are repenting, rebuilding, and reordering their lives around the Kingdom of God.

Revolution unto God

We’re now back to where we began: Only in the upside-down world of elite evangelicalism could repentance look like rebellion.

But maybe that’s exactly what real repentance is supposed to look like in a culture that is so drunk on self-worship that it has not only rejected God or tried to erase Him, but it has tried to become like God.

French sees danger where there’s actually deliverance: A generation of Christians waking up, tired of compromise, refusing to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. He mistakes courage for cruelty and conviction for control. But the truth is simple: You can’t have revival without resistance, and every age that bows to godless idols sees repentance as subversion.

If repentance and revival is returning to God, then revolution is what happens when enough people finally do.

​David french, Maga christianity, Christianity, Christian, Biblical truth, New york times, Bible, Jesus, God, Faith 

America loves to celebrate those who stand tall. Our founding ideals are built around independence, and we even set aside a holiday to honor it. We cheer for pioneers, entrepreneurs, and innovators who rise by their own strength.

But a nation’s greatness is not measured by how it treats those who can stand alone. It is revealed by how it treats those who cannot stand at all.

A nation that calls itself compassionate must prove it, not only in speeches and foreign aid but in how it treats the most vulnerable under its own roof.

Every day, millions of Americans live outside the myth of self-reliance. Some are children born with profound disabilities. Others are veterans carrying wounds long after the battle ends. They are aging parents fading into dementia and families exhausted by a loved one’s addiction or mental illness.

Alongside them are the people who care for them — unseen by most and too often alone.

Forgotten and invisible

Roughly 65 million family caregivers in this country provide more than $600 billion in unpaid care each year, nearly the annual budget of Medicare. They lift, bathe, feed, and speak for their loved ones, often sacrificing their own health and future in the process. More than half now perform complex medical procedures once handled only by professionals in hospitals. Yet too many feel invisible in the nation they help hold together.

Contrast that with the tens of billions we spend each year on health care for those who entered the country illegally. In California alone, the state spends more than $8.4 billion on care for undocumented patients, much of it routine care sought in overcrowded ERs. Meanwhile, family caregivers desperately work to keep vulnerable loved ones out of those same waiting rooms, where exposure can mean infection, pain, or worse.

If we can find billions for those who broke our laws, why do we struggle to support citizens who save our health care system hundreds of billions every year? What does that reveal about what, and whom, we truly value?

Actionable change

President Donald Trump has called family caregivers “heroes” and pledged to do more to support them. I know the president has a great deal on his plate. But so do 65 million Americans caring for chronically impaired loved ones, often with little help, no training, and few resources. Their plates are full every single day. And for most, they never get cleared.

We do not need a new bureaucracy or a 2,000-page bill to change course. Here are a few ideas the president could direct right now, and after four decades of doing this work, I have many more.

A refundable tax credit could acknowledge the value of unpaid care, for example.

Redirecting a portion of existing Medicaid dollars to follow patients home could strengthen families and reduce institutional costs. Those redirected funds would not vanish into untraceable programs; they can be monitored, audited, and measured with far greater transparency than the billions funneled into sanctuary cities, where accountability is often little more than a slogan.

Expanded respite care and flexible work policies could prevent burnout and keep caregivers in the workforce.

None of these ideas is radical. All cost far less than nursing-home care, which can often run in excess of $90,000 a year per person. Most importantly, they honor human dignity and strengthen the family, the bedrock of any stable society.

And if we are serious about making America healthy again, we must look beyond hospital beds and prescriptions. Health is not measured only by vital signs. It is also measured in how well we equip those caring for loved ones who will not get better. Many chronic conditions will not reverse. Many wounds will not heal. But how we support the people who shoulder that relentless work says as much about our nation’s health as any policy ever could.

Take care of our vulnerable

November is National Family Caregivers Month, a chance to look past speeches and slogans and ask ourselves whether our compassion is genuine or just convenient. The weakest among us strip away illusion and show us who we are. They test whether our values are convictions or just words. And those who care for them do the same.

RELATED: When the soul flatlines, call a ‘Code Grace’

Photo by Bevan Goldswain via Getty Images

A nation that calls itself compassionate must prove it, not only in speeches and foreign aid but in how it treats the most vulnerable under its own roof. Scripture reminds us that we will be judged by how we care for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Caregivers live that command daily, bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and reflecting the heart of God in the most ordinary, extraordinary ways.

As I often remind fellow caregivers, healthy caregivers make better caregivers. Our terms do not expire. Our loved ones do. But we must make sure we do not — not emotionally, not spiritually, not physically, and not fiscally. Strengthening those who bear this work strengthens families.

Strong families build stronger communities, and stronger communities sustain a strong nation. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.”

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Caretaker, Caregiver, Vulnerable, Illegal aliens, Illegal immigrants, Healthcare 

Artificial superintelligence is still a hypothetical, but we’re inching closer every day. What happens when we finally create a digital beast that vastly surpasses human intellect in all domains?

MIT physics professor Max Tegmark warns that if that day comes, we’ll be in deeper trouble than we can imagine.

Despite the evident dangers and widespread hesitation, people like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, a leading figure in the AI boom, are determined to see it happen at any cost.

“Sam Alman believes he’s creating God. … There’s a lot of people in Silicon Valley that want to meet God of their creation,” says Glenn Beck, who’s been warning for years about the dangers of an artificial intelligence takeover.

Tegmark is equally disturbed by Altman’s dystopian tech dreams, which go even beyond creating artificial superintelligence. In his 2017 essay “The Merge,” Altman describes the fusing of man and machine as a necessary step to keep up with superhuman AI. He even suggests that we will be able to “design our own descendants.”

Most people, however, want nothing to do with this transhumanist, cyborg future, but it’s looking like Altman and other tech billionaires are set on pushing humanity in that direction anyway.

“So how do you stop it?” Glenn asks.

On this episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Tegmark outlined four ways we can push back against the AI revolution.

1. Reject the ‘inevitable’ AI myth

“Lobbyists from these companies keep trying to convince us that it’s unstoppable,” Tegmark says. “That’s the number one psy-op trick in the book.”

Just because a technological advancement is possible doesn’t mean it will come to fruition, he explains. He gives the example of human cloning, which is technically feasible today but not practiced due to ethical, legal, and practical obstacles.

“The consensus around the world was we could lose control over our species if we start messing with ourselves in that way, and it became so stigmatized it just didn’t happen,” he says. There’s a chance ASI and cyborgs will be viewed similarly — technically possible but too risky to try, especially if people at large start rejecting the notion that these advancements are inevitable.

2. Control > chaos

Some will argue that the United States has to trudge forward in the AI race because we’re competing against China, but Tegmark reminds that ASI is a “suicide race” because once we reach superintelligence heights, humans will become slaves to a digital master.

But China values only one thing more than technological dominance: control.

The United States, finally back on top as a global superpower thanks to President Trump, isn’t interested in losing control either. “The way the U.S. or China will compete for dominance is not by doing something that’s going to take away the power from both countries,” Tegmark says.

3. Call for government regulations

Glenn is still concerned about people like Sam Altman, who have unlimited money and resources, continuing to push AI to new heights, but Tegmark says they’re biding their time as unrestricted tech pioneers.

“Once upon a time, there were no regulations on biotech. They could sell any medicine they wanted in the supermarket, and sometimes this caused tragedies,” Tegmark says.

He points to the 1950s and ’60s sedative thalidomide, which was prescribed to pregnant women to treat morning sickness. The medication proved so harmful — over 100,000 severe birth defects — that the drug was not only banned, but the government began regulating the biotech industry as a whole to prevent future devastations.

“We’ve done the same thing with every other industry,” Tegmark says.

“So saying that AI companies should be the only companies in America that don’t have to meet any safety standards is really just asking for corporate welfare for AI companies,” he adds.

4. Amplify the public voice

Many people don’t voice their opposition to the AI race because they think either they’re powerless to stop it or that they’ll be condemned as Luddites. But Tegmark says neither is true.

“Less than 5% of Americans actually want a race to superintelligence,” he says.

And now our voices can be heard. Through his Future of Life Institute, Tegmark has created a petition aimed at holding AI developers accountable for the risks of advanced AI. Many high-profile people from both sides of the political spectrum have already signed it, including Glenn.

I urge you to sign this,” Glenn says.

“This is the end of humanity if we lose control of our technology,” he adds.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Max tegmark, Mit, Ai, Artificial intelligence, Asi, Artificial superintelligence, Cyborg, Sam altman, Blazetv, Blaze media 

Every October, some Christians wrestle with how to handle the season of ghosts and goblins. The evening before All Hallows’ Day — meant to honor the saints — has long since been hijacked by darker themes.

As the Babylon Bee recently joked, the parental mood this time of year can swing between cautious curiosity and comic dread. Its headline read: “Mom Can’t Decide Between Allowing Her Kids to Dress Up for Halloween or Having Them Get to Heaven.”

Plenty of kids and parents still favor clever over creepy — even if most Halloween events these days lean more toward horror-movie grotesque than good-natured fun.

Halloween may have gone off the rails since my childhood, but families can still enjoy the “scary stuff” without getting cozy with the occult.

Between church services that mark the feast of All Saints and wholesome fall festivities, there’s room for fun without flirting with the demonic. I’ve seen it firsthand.

A nod to more innocent times

When I was growing up in Pittsburgh, my siblings and I spent many happy hours at the Sarah Heinz House, a youth club sponsored by the H.J. Heinz Company. Think of it as a hometown version of the YMCA — a place where kids could swim, play, and learn, without a screen in sight. Sadly, the complex was turned into apartment loft space in the early 2000s after more than a century of serving the community.

Every Halloween, the club hosted a costume party. Back in the mid-1960s, devil horns and fake blood were still frowned upon, so creativity mattered. One year, I cut arm and neck holes in a 13-gallon black trash bag, slipped it on, and topped it with a bamboo rice hat.

I went as a “Chinese Garbage Bag.” Somehow, I won “Most Original Costume.” (No, the prize wasn’t a bottle of Heinz ketchup.) Today, that outfit would probably get me thrown out before I reached the door for “cultural appropriation.”

Even so, the spirit of ingenuity survives. Plenty of kids and parents still favor clever over creepy — even if most Halloween events these days lean more toward horror-movie grotesque than good-natured fun.

Some families simply skip the whole thing. They hand out candy at the door and call it a night. That’s fine too.

New York’s Halloween capital

Here in my current corner of the world — Tarrytown, New York — avoiding Halloween takes real effort. The town goes all in. It’s bigger than Christmas.

Washington Irving, America’s first literary celebrity, rests behind the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, made famous by “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The story comes alive every October with parades, tours, and re-enactments.

At the end of the annual parade, the Headless Horseman rides through town, pumpkin in hand, to the crowd’s delight. The celebration owes more to folklore than witchcraft — this isn’t Salem, after all — and it gives locals a fun, spooky way to honor a beloved American story.

Not everything hits the right note, though. Some newer attractions in the nearby Rockefeller Preserve have turned too gruesome, especially in 2023, when organizers displayed gore-soaked scenes just weeks after the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. Even Halloween should have limits.

Scary, but silly

For families who prefer their frights with a laugh, I recommend a few old-school classics. Start with Disney’s 1949 animated “Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” narrated by Bing Crosby. It’s a perfect mix of charm and chills.

My personal favorite — any time of year — is “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken” (1966), starring Don Knotts. It’s delightfully corny and just spooky enough. “Atta boy, Luther!”

And if you’re in the mood for something truly obscure but delightful, you can find my own 1992 amateur film “The Chartreuse Goose” in two parts on YouTube. Think of it as my humble homage to Don Knotts, made with more enthusiasm than budget.

RELATED: Vampires, werewolves, and the very real evil stalking our souls

Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Books for the brave

For those who like their autumn reading with a hint of the supernatural, Jonathan Cahn’s “The Avatar” fits the season. It builds on his earlier book “The Return of the Gods” and offers a sobering look at modern spiritual forces disguised as politics.

For little ones wrestling with nighttime fears, my children’s book “Hamster Holmes: Afraid of the Dark?” might be a gentler companion — no ghosts required.

The light beyond the lanterns

Whatever your family’s approach, October doesn’t have to be a tug-of-war between faith and fun. You can honor the saints, roast a few marshmallows, and maybe laugh at Don Knotts along the way.

Then, as Halloween fades and November begins, we move toward the true seasons of joy — Thanksgiving and Christmas — where the light always wins out.

Editor’s note: A version of this article appeared originally at American Thinker.

​Opinion & analysis, Halloween, Don knotts, Sleepy hollow, Spooky story, Scary, Family friendly, Books, All saints day, Sarah heinz house, Children, Occult, Candy, Scary stories 

As a car enthusiast who’s spent decades wrenching on everything from classic muscle cars to modern vehicles, I love gadgets that deliver real results without voiding warranties or requiring a trip to the shop.

That’s why the Pedal Commander caught my eye — it’s a plug-and-play throttle controller that promises sharper acceleration, better fuel efficiency, and customizable modes, all without touching your engine.

I clocked a solid 0-60 improvement of about 0.8 seconds using a simple app timer, though your mileage will vary by vehicle.

I installed one on my daily driver, a 2016 Porsche Cayenne Diesel, and tested it over 500 miles of city, highway, and spirited backroad driving. Spoiler: It lives up to the hype for most drivers, but it’s not a magic bullet for everyone.

Installation: easier than an oil change

Right out of the box, the Pedal Commander feels premium — compact aluminum unit with a wired controller and a mobile app. Hooking it up took me under 10 minutes: Unplug your stock throttle connector under the dash, plug in the device, and mount the controller wherever it’s handy (I stuck mine near the steering column on the carpet). No tools, no cutting wires, and crucially, no permanent mods to your car.

The included app (iOS/Android) pairs instantly via Bluetooth, letting you tweak settings on the fly. For tech-averse folks, the physical buttons on the controller handle 90% of adjustments or use the phone app — it’s simple.

Performance punch: bye-bye throttle lag

The star of the show is how it eliminates that infuriating “dead pedal” delay you get in so many modern drive-by-wire cars. Hitting the gas in my Cayenne used to feel like mashing a soggy sponge; now, in Sport+ mode, it’s like flipping a switch — immediate torque surge without drama.

Merging onto highways? Effortless. Overtaking slowpokes? Pure grin-factor. I clocked a solid 0-60 improvement of about 0.8 seconds using a simple app timer, though your mileage will vary by vehicle.

On the flip side, it’s not adding actual horsepower — it’s just optimizing what your ECU already delivers by remapping throttle sensitivity. It gives a one-to-one pedal response. If you’re chasing dyno-proven gains, look elsewhere (like a tune). But for stock cars, this is a low-risk way to wake up your ride.

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Lauren Fix

Fuel economy boost: ECO mode delivers (mostly)

Here’s where it shines for efficiency chasers: Switch to ECO mode, and it smooths out aggressive throttle inputs, encouraging gentler acceleration that pays off at the pump. Over my test loop (mixed 60/40 city/highway), I saw MPG jump from 32 to 34 — that’s a legit fuel savings, especially noticeable in stop-and-go traffic. The app’s real-time data graphs helped me dial in habits, like easing off sooner for coasting.

That said, gains aren’t universal. If you’re a lead-foot who ignores the modes, don’t expect miracles — especially if you live in Sport mode. Pedal Commander’s no substitute for proper driving technique or maintenance.

Modes and customization: tailored to your drive

With eight modes (ECO, City, Sport, Sport+, and its plus variants) plus fine-tuned sensitivity sliders, it’s incredibly versatile. I toggled between ECO for commutes and Sport+ for fun runs via the app’s clean interface — think drag-and-drop sliders and mode presets.

The verdict — a must for pedal lag-haters

If throttle lag bugs you and you want snappier response plus bonus MPG without drilling holes or flashing your ECU, grab a Pedal Commander. It’s transformed my Cayenne from appliance to enthusiast tool, proving you can get more pep and efficiency stock. Perfect for hybrids, crossovers, diesel-powered, or any drive-by-wire daily.

Just drive responsibly — this thing makes power feel addictive. Highly recommended for anyone tired of waiting for their car to wake up.

The company profiles and product recommendations that Align publishes are meant solely to inform and edify our subscribers. Unless explicitly labeled as such, they are neither paid promotions nor endorsements.

​Pedal commander, Throttle lag, Lifestyle, Cars, Porsche cayenne, Mods, Align cars