September 18, 2025

Hey there, Friend,

It’s the Smart Edit!
The Kingdom is not someday—it’s breaking in now.

This issue—hearing the Father’s voice through the thunder, where are these young men coming from?, higher thoughts.

P.S. — Now you know. The little-known history of the Apple Cider Donut.

Through the Thunder ➡️ Hearing the Father’s Voice

Each week, we highlight a Kingdom Dynamic, a key insight into how God’s Kingdom works in real life …

When Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify Your name,” heaven answered.

Some said it was thunder. Others thought an angel spoke. But only a few discerned it as the Father’s voice (see John 12.28–29).

That glorification of the Father’s name echoes through history. Our world rumbles with events that sound like noise to most—random, tragic, or political.

Last week, America was shaken by the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the heart-wrenching murder of a young Ukrainian woman in Charlotte, NC.

Over the weekend, Great Britain surged with record-breaking protests, a populist wave swelling in the London streets. Young adults in Nepal rose up, burned the Parliament building, and triggered a change in government.

To many, it’s thunder. Loud. Unsettling. Confusing.

Isaiah reminds us that when nations rage, it’s like the sea stirred up by God Himself (Isaiah 17:12–13). Beneath the roar is a deeper reality: heaven is speaking.

Can we hear it? These are not just headlines. They’re signals.

Many of these events are beyond our ability to fully process or control, yet God is at work through them. He is calling His people to …

• Repentance

• Alignment

• Readiness for more of His Kingdom

He is shaking the nations, not for destruction. But to reveal His unshakable purpose and to awaken His people to prayer, discernment, and action.

The question is not whether God is speaking. He is. The question is: will we hear thunder … or the voice of the Father? Will we please him in this time?

Father, help me to discern your voice through the thunder. Glorify your name and fame via everything! Fill all things with the presence of your Son and your agenda. That’s what I want. Amen.

SIgn up for the Smart Edit here.

Signals & Shifts

Quick hits from around the world and under the radar—where faith, culture, and global currents intersect. Curated to help you see, pray, and act with Kingdom clarity.

🚫 Health impact of energy drinks. Both short-term adverse health consequences and long-term risks.

🛡️🤖 OpenAI introduces parental controls and age-verification features for ChatGPT. Why? Federal investigation into AI's impact on minors.

🇬🇧 📣 Britain’s populist moment. Is Great Britain on the brink of a political revolution? Keir Starmer's progressive government is tottering.

🌎️ Brazilian Christians are blazing a bi-vocational, global missionary revolution. Second only to the U.S. in sending missionaries.

⛪🌐 Charlie Kirk killing prompts wave of faith and social media sharing.

👀 Watchword. “I pray that our Heavenly Father will enable Americans to come to the realization that the only agenda that can save this nation is not the Donkey or the Elephant, but the Lamb.” —Samuel Rodriguez (Brian—I actually like the ‘Lion’ better! More descript of our times and the Lord’s return.)

🔄 Surprising … where are these young men coming from?

Since the pandemic, church attendance has flipped: men now report higher weekly attendance (45%) than women (36%), the largest gender gap Barna has ever seen. Women have been steadily attending less over the past decade-plus, especially young women—with many drifting toward “no faith.”

Meanwhile, younger men are leading a post-pandemic surge in commitment to Jesus and church participation.

Does this surprise you? Why is this happening?

Brian—Barna Research says 75% pray weekly, 70% self-identify as Christians, 69% say they have a personal commitment to Jesus, and 27% volunteer at church. A few of these numbers may be more generous than reality. And yet, a meaningful commitment to a community of faith is vital as we look to the future.

➡️ “Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (The Lord’s return). —Hebrews 10.25 NASB

Higher Thoughts

“My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55.9

Think again. Metanoeō — Greek NT word means change your mind. Repentance is a turning back to the Lord and his kingdom … a renewal of mind and heart that births a transformed life. Jesus invites us to align now with the Kingdom that has drawn near and to live in the promise of its coming fullness at his return. We begin today in the reality of tomorrow, when the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12.2

Faith gains. Muscles only grow under resistance. Faith works the same way. The sets of resistance we face in life and work are not random—they’re God’s “signals” to strengthen our spirit and move us forward in Christ. Don’t just endure challenges. We can train through them. Every test is conditioning for greater things, shaping us for the Kingdom reality that lies ahead.

The God‑kind of life. “Seek to have your life in God, not in things, not in people, not in places, not in circumstances, not in arguments, not in human intelligence, but in God.” — T. Austin Sparks

On the POD

Pulverizing Mountains: 6 Above-Normal Advantages You Have in Christ (Ep 338). ➡️ Bold faith unleashes authority ➡️ God-tel for real-world problems ➡️ Alignment and insane favor ➡️ Christ’s name as your legal authority ➡️ Romans 10, the heart–mouth power dynamic for life ➡️ Spirit momentum

Follow the link to listen. The JesusSmartX podcast is also available on your favorite listening app including Spotify.

STELLAR QUOTE
Needed: a Much Bigger Orbit than a Woman

Brian—sure seems that early Genesis could solve the problems of the world.

Anyone feel this could be at play? … “The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.” (The prophet Isaiah, NASB)