NOTES ON NEWTONS’ THIRD LAW OF MOTION: THE BONHOEFFER ROAD TO CHRIST’S PRESENCE AND SATANS’S PERSECUTIONS (WITH VIDEO)

1. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. But the UNBELIEVING JEWS stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. Therefore they stayed there a long time, SPEAKING BOLDLY in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. And they were preaching the gospel there …

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through MANY TRIBULATIONS enter the kingdom of God.’” – ACTS 14:1-7, 19-22, AMP

KEY TERMS:

• “UNBELIEVING JEWS.” ‘Apeitheó’ [ἀπειθήσαντες]: “Contumacious, disobedient, unpersuadable [rebellious].” NOTE: “The verb ἀπειθέω expresses a Settled Refusal to be persuaded, an Obstinate Resistance that shows itself both as ‘Unbelief and as Disobedience.’ In Scripture, Trust in God and Submission to His Word are inseparable; therefore Unbelief inevitably manifests itself in ‘Moral Rebellion,’ whereas Genuine Faith demonstrates itself in Obedience (compare Romans 1:5) ... ‘[This adjective] ἀπειθέω highlights the RELATIONAL BREACH that occurs when the Creator’s Self-Revelation is willfully Rejected.’”

• “SPEAKING BOLDLY.” ‘Parrésiazomai’ [παρρησιαζόμενοι]: “To be frank in utterance, speak freely, confident in spirit and demeanor.” NOTE: “The verb translated ‘to speak boldly’ characterizes fearless, unreserved Proclamation of the Gospel. It is not mere personality trait but ‘Spirit-enabled Freedom to DECLARE CHRIST regardless of threat or opposition!’ Each New Testament occurrence links this bold speech to the advance of the word, the Vindication of Christ’s servants, and the Edification of the church.’

• “MANY TRIBULATIONS.” ‘Thlipsis’ [θλίψεων]: “Pressure, affliction, anguish, persecution, as with being crushed.” NOTE: “Strong’s Greek 2347 describes the varied pressures that press upon God’s people: ‘External Persecution, Internal Anguish, Material Hardship, and Eschatological Distress.’ Although the contexts differ, the theme is consistent—‘God’s people encounter Constriction yet are sustained and refined by His Sovereign Grace.’”

QUOTATION. “‘The Cross is laid on every Christian.’ The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the Call to Abandon the attachments of this World. It is that ‘Dying of the Old Man’ which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship, we Surrender ourselves to Christ in Union with His Death—we give over our lives to Death. Thus it begins; the Cross is not the terrible End to an otherwise God-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the Beginning of our Communion with Christ.

‘When Christ calls a man, he bids him, “Come and Die.”

 It may be a Death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow Him, or it may be a Death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the Same Death every time—‘Death in Jesus Christ, the Death of the Old Man at his Call.’” – DIETRICH BONHOEFFER, The Cost of Discipleship, 1937; edited

COMMENTARY. “It is not enough to Sow the seed of the Word, but it must be Watered also, frequent endeavours must be used that it may be fruitful.’ Thus the Apostles return to visit such as they had preached unto; the Persecution they had endured, increasing their resolution for God, and their strength from him. Lest they should be offended at what they saw ‘St. Paul had ENDURED, or themselves might be called to Endure, they preach unto them ‘The Doctrine of the Cross,’ not hiding from them the Miseries which in this world the Profession of Christ and His Truths might bring upon them. God hath indeed dealt all along thus with His people. The Troubles which the Israelites met with in the Wilderness, in their journey towards an Earthly Canaan, did typify the Calamities which God’s people will meet with in this world, as they journey towards the Heavenly Canaan, or Jerusalem which is above.” – MATTHEW HENRY, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1708-1711; edited

1. THE LAW

“‘For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.’ The statement means that in every interaction, there is a pair of forces acting on the two interacting objects. The size of the forces on the first object equals the size of the force on the second object. The direction of the force on the first object is opposite to the direction of the force on the second object. Forces always come in pairs – equal and opposite action-reaction force pairs.” – TOM HENDERSON, “Newton’s Third Law,” Physics Classroom, ret. Oct. 11, 2026; edited

THE SPIRITUAL WAR. I am compelled to remind us all of that which we should all know by now as Alister Begg once observed: ‘There is a War on, beloved!’ The Origin of which was recorded eloquently by the brilliantGerman theologian ERICH SAUER in the first of his two-volume opus, The Dawn of World Redemption (1951).

“‘And yet! Into this Universe, which was appointed to the highest, which the Creator had called that it should become a vessel to reveal His Glory, there has entered A BREACH!’ The United Harmony of the Spheres is destroyed by a Harsh Discord. Sin has appeared, and criminally set itself against the holy, loving Plans of God to reveal Himself. Through the Sin of Mankind this Lower Earth is devastated (Gen. 3: 17, 18; Rom. 8:20), and, in the Heavenly World above, as the history of Temptation in the Bible premises, ‘A FALL’ had taken place among the Angels prior to the Fall of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3: 1-7; 2:15). Yet how this was possible, and why God permitted it, no one can say. ‘The Origin of Evil remains for ever a Mystery. Even the few hints that the Scripture gives are no more than suggestive.’”

THE APPLICATION.Applying Newton’s Third Law to the COSMIC CHAOS of the ‘First Fall’ of Satan and his angels (Isaiah 14:12-14) and the subsequent ‘Second Fall’ in the Garden; Genesis 3:1-6), we inherit the LAW OF THE UNIVERSE: “For every Action, there is an equal and opposite Reaction”

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Stated in Theological Terms: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, TO STAND [‘histémi’ (στῆναι)-‘in a posture of moral courage refusing to stumble!’].” – EPHESIANS 6:10-13, NKJV

THE PRINCIPLE. Borrowed from an AI Overview (ret. Oct. 12, 2026; edited) condensation of a number of Christian articles, the following elements are what go into ‘FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH’ in the Last Times.

• ACTION (Spiritual Advancement). When a believer or Church ‘Applies Spiritual Force’—through prayer, preaching the Gospel, repentance, or resisting temptation—it exerts pressure against spiritual darkness.

• OPPOSITE REACTION (Spiritual Resistance). Just as physical forces ‘Blowback,’ pressing into the Kingdom of God often triggers an immediate, equal or intensified Counter-reaction of trials, temptation, distraction, or attack from the enemy camp.

• INDEX OF TRACTION (Spiritual Engagement). In this framework, ‘Facing intense Opposition’ is viewed not necessarily as failure, but as proof that spiritual momentum is actually happening. As noted in teaching from several sources, what the Enemy intends as a Damaging Wound can be flipped into a Triumph through Faith and Perseverance. While Newton’s Third Law is a Law of Physics rather than a verse of Scripture, teachers link it to Biblical Principles of Spiritual Reciprocity and Conflict

• JAMES 4:7: (Spiritual Promise). “‘Resist the Devil,’ and he will flee from you”—implying that an ‘active push’ against temptation results in a reactive retreat.

• GALATIANS 6:7: (Sowing and Reaping). ‘Actions’ produce corresponding, proportional results in the spiritual harvest.

• THE CROSS: (Ultimate Subversion). In Christian theology, ‘Satan’s Greatest Action’ (Crucifying Jesus) triggered God’s ultimate ‘Opposite Reaction’ (the Resurrection), completely Subverting the enemy’s intent.

THE CHOICE. ‘The crucial existential point here is that we must DECIDE whether or not to Engage the Battle, beloved.’ Inarguably, the vast majority of Evangelicals in America are not fighting at all! Indeed, in a staggering reality documented for ten years now, the White Evangelical Church has largely become ‘Traitor to Christ,’ and joined ranks with Satan and Antichrist. Selah.

1. THE BATTLE

“I could have got more out. I could have got more. I don’t know. If I’d just … I could have got more … This car. Goeth would have bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people right there. Ten people. Ten more people … This pin. Two people. This is gold. Two more people … I could have gotten one more person … and I didn’t! And I… I didn’t!” — OSKAR SCHINDLER, Schindler’s List (1993 film); edited

SCHINDLER’S METAMORPHOSIS. “Oskar Schindler (1908–1974) is one of the most famous Rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust. He helped more than 1,000 Jewish people survive. But in many ways, Schindler was an unlikely person to become a Rescuer [of the Jews]. During the Holocaust, people chose to help Jews for a variety of reasons. Many Rescuers cited their religious beliefs or their moral or ethical principles.

But Oskar Schindler was not religious. Nothing in his biography suggests a man of moral integrity. He was a greedy opportunist, a German spy, and a member of the Nazi Party. He had numerous extramarital affairs. He repeatedly mismanaged his finances and failed to pay back loans. Schindler was 31 years old when he came to Kraków in German-occupied Poland, intent on getting rich.

‘Over the course of his years in Kraków, Schindler underwent a slow transformation.’ He eventually decided to use his new wealth and his position of influence to help Jews. The apparent contradiction between Schindler’s character and his actions is one reason so many people are interested in Schindler.” – EDITORS, Holocaust Encyclopedia, Mar. 10, 2025; edited

Beloved, this is precisely the same Process of Metamorphosis virtually all of us ‘Former Christian Republicans’ had to experience for our eyes to be what at times felt like Someone ripping our eyelids off in order to break us free from our Blindness regarding the blending of matters of Church with those of the State.

CHRISTIAN DUTY. ‘I have written several times about the critical need for Christians of Faith to resist MAGA Christian Nationalism, so I won’t skin that cat again here’ (apology for the cultural aphorism, but somehow it came to mind). No, beloved, we have a much more Immediate Challenge just ahead.

We have an Historic Battle looming right in front of us in the upcoming 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS that the President has threatened to either disrupt or overthrow entirely. I have also previously written that the Window between November 3, 2026, and January 3, 2027, ‘will likely determine the Final Destiny of the United States of America for perpetuity.’

To that admittedly dramatic proposal I turn to an excellent piece by REV. ADAM RUSSELL TAYLOR, President of Sojourners and author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community (2025). He is also a graduate of Emory University, the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology.

The title of his essay: “How Christians Can Protect the Midterms From Trump’s Interference” (Sojourners, Oct. 7, 2026; edited). All of what follows begins with our First Line of Defense: SUSTAINED PRAYER for God’s Will to be done in the Midterms.

OPEN. “I need to level with you: The 2026 Midterms are not a normal election. Faith groups like Sojourners have long talked about the importance of elections. I have written about elections extensively in the past. ‘But this year is different.’ Specifically, there is a Great Risk that the Trump Administration and its allies will attempt to Disrupt or Deny the election results; these attempts could very well succeed if we don’t act—or if they create enough Chaos and Fear to deter people from voting. ‘It’s critical that Christians commit to PUSHING BACK on these attempts with Faith-inspired Activism—not just up to Election Day, but all the way through the seating of a new Congress on Jan. 3.’”

1. TRUTH. “‘Christians can serve as Truth Tellers in our spheres of influence.’ And to do that, we need to UNDERSTAND the strategy at play. When Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was defeated in 2020, he fought tooth and nail to stay in power, using almost every tool at his disposal and inciting a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But he didn’t succeed because most of the Government was working to ensure a free and fair election and a peaceful transfer of power, including his own Vice President Mike Pence. But after winning the 2024 Election, Trump has filled the Government with ‘Loyalists’ who are likely willing to abuse the power of the Federal Government to overturn the will of voters. Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan group committed to defeating Authoritarianism, explains that the Administration’s Strategy has THREE CORE COMPONENTS: ‘Deceive voters about the trustworthiness of election systems, Disrupt the smooth operation of those systems, and use the ensuing Chaos to Deny election outcomes that they don’t like.’”

• SECURITY. “‘Throughout the days of early voting (which have already begun in many states) and on Election Day itself, we want all eligible voters to be able to vote freely, fairly, and safely—despite any attempts by the Administration to ‘disrupt’ these activities.’ Fortunately, attempts by the Administration to weaponize the Postal Service and undermine vote by mail were rebuffed, as were attempts by the Administration to federalize our elections; our Constitution clearly gives that power to states and localities. However, other threats of Disruption could include the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at or near polling sites, or efforts to confiscate voting machines. One way you can help is by Volunteering to serve as a Poll Chaplain and Peacekeeper.

• VOTES. “‘After Election Day, the work isn’t over: We must ensure election officials count every ballot and certify the results’—particularly if there’s interference or a crisis triggered by an abuse of presidential power. Threats of ‘Executive Override’ have actually become my biggest concern—and the threat that most worries the Pro-Democracy experts I’ve talked with. These threats could include the Administration pressuring officials to ‘refuse to certify the election,’ even though their certification is required by law. They could also include the President declaring a ‘National Emergency’ in response to alleged voter fraud or protests in response to the illegal presence of ICE at polling station. It could even include the President invoking the ‘Insurrection Act.’ Should the Administration attempt Subversion Tactics along these lines, ‘Faith Communities will be one essential part of a broader Coalition of Civil Society Groups that includes labor, veterans, lawyers, the business community, and more—all of whom will be key to generating the necessary public pressure and Nonviolent Resistance.’”

CLOSE. “This Midterm Season, the Administration is counting on our fear, chaos, and confusion. Our Faith-inspired Activism provides the Antidote: ‘Our Faith calls on us to uphold the dignity and well-being of all, which this fall looks like ‘Protecting voters and our Democracy.’ Democracy isn’t perfect, but we defend it so we can keep transforming it, ensuring everyone can thrive, and that Liberty and Justice for all becomes real for all. That’s what will enable us to achieve a radically more Just Nation that looks more like the Beloved Community. But to get there, we have to Defend the Democracy we have in the face of the relentless efforts to undermine and even sabotage it. It’s holy work that enables us to demonstrate our love for our neighbors and advance the Common Good.

1. LAST THOUGHTS

“You see a man drowning, you must try to save him even if you cannot swim.” ― IRENA SENDLER, Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project, 2010

BIO. During World War II, Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker, organized a rescue network of fellow social workers to save 2,500 Jewish children from certain death in the Warsaw Ghetto. Incredibly, after the War her heroism, like that of many others, was suppressed by Communist Poland and remained virtually unknown for 60 years.

Unknown that is, until three high school girls from an economically depressed, rural school district in southeast Kansas stumbled upon a tantalizing reference to ‘Sendler’s Rescues [2,500],’ which they fashioned into a history project, a play they called Life in a Jar. Their innocent drama was first seen in Kansas, then the Midwest, then New York, Los Angeles, Montreal and finally Poland, where they elevated Irena Sendler to a national hero, championing her legacy of tolerance and respect for all people.

“BONHOEFFER MOMENT.” ‘A Critical Historical, Political, or Moral Turning Point’ where a person—often a Christian leader or believer—must make a difficult, high-risk choice to stand against a rising Evil or Injustice, even if doing so carries severe personal or social costs. – From The Bonhoeffer Project, Nov. 14, 2026; edited

And here we are, beloved. Here we all are. I have increasingly become convinced that THE 2026 MIDTERMS constitute America’s Last Firewall against the Unthinkable: A Trump-led Final Deconstruction of our Constitutional Order, and its replacement with nothing less than a brutal, imperious Fourth Reich.

I have said all that I can say. The rest is up to us – with God’s leading and great power. So I close with A QUESTION that burns like fire in my bones, posed by Irena Sendler herself:

“We all have to ask ourselves, ‘What would I have done?’I agree with Wladyslaw Bartofszewski, one of the organizers of ZEGOTA [Council to Aid Jews, 1942-1945], who said:

‘Only the dead have done enough.’” Selah.

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/szhwJkDJZwo