January—22 The Poor Man’s Evening Portion

And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the Lord.—Jeremiah 30:21.

When the patriarch Jacob was dying, he pronounced, under the spirit of prophecy, that “the sceptre should not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come.” Gen. 49:10. And here, in the prospect of the Babylonish captivity, now on the eve of its arrival, the prophet is commissioned by the Lord to tell the Church, that notwithstanding all present appearances, no foreigners should judge or rule over them; but one should proceed from the midst of them, to be their governor, even David their king, whom I (saith Jehovah, v. 9) will raise up unto them. One like unto themselves, such as our Jesus was like unto his brethren. Sweet confirmation of our faith! And that no doubt might arise concerning the justness of the application, the Lord, by another prophet, (Micah 5:2,) mentioned the place of his birth, and marked, at the same time, the features of his eternal power and godhead. “But thou, Bethlehem-Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting.” But we must not stop here in our views of this precious scripture. He that is to come forth from among his brethren as their governor, Jehovah engageth for him, that he will cause him to approach unto him. Blessed thought! No son or daughter of Adam could ever have drawn nigh to God, but for this gracious interposition. The holiness of the divine nature, the holiness of the divine law, and the enmity of the heart of man by sin, totally precluded it. None but he who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, could have engaged his heart to this service. And indeed he graciously undertook it, and as completely accomplished it. Jesus was peculiarly suited for this vast undertaking. For as God he was one with the Father, to whom he approached; and as man he was the Person, for whom, and by whom, the reconciliation was to be accomplished; and as both God and man in one Person, he could (as Job calls it) be a proper Day’s-man, to act between both parties, and restore to God his glory, and to man his happiness. And what a blessed addition to these delightful things respecting Jesus is it to see, that God the Father’s hand was with Jesus in all! “I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me.” Pause, my soul, over this blessed scripture, and behold, in all the vast work of thy Redeemer’s salvation, the name and authority of God thy Father confirming it. And wilt thou not then, in all thy approaches to God in Christ, have respect to this sovereign act of Jehovah? Is it indeed God the Father who hath given his dear Son, called him, appointed him, solemnly introduced him into his High-Priest’s office, by an oath, and in all his offices as Mediator, caused him to draw near in the accomplishment of redemption: and wilt thou not, in all thy approaches, look unto Jesus as the Father hath respect unto him? Oh! for grace, in all the lively exercises of it, to draw nigh to the footstool of the mercy-seat, and unceasingly to remind God our Father of his own gracious appointment and acceptance of the Church in the person of his dear Son. Yea! holy Father, I would say, in every act of worship, love, and praise, “Behold, O God, our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed!”^[1]

 

^[1] Hawker, R. (1845). The Poor Man’s Evening Portion (A New Edition, pp. 26–27). Philadelphia: Thomas Wardle.

January 22 Streams in the Desert

“Into a desert place apart.” (Matt. 14:13.)

THERE is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it.” In our whole life-melody the music is broken off here and there by “rests,” and we foolishly think we have come to the end of the tune. God sends a time of forced leisure, sickness, disappointed plans, frustrated efforts, and makes a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives; and we lament that our voices must be silent, and our part missing in the music which ever goes up to the ear of the Creator. How does the musician read the “rest”? See him beat the time with unvarying count, and catch up the next note true and steady, as if no breaking place had come between.

Not without design does God write the music of our lives. Be it ours to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the “rests.” They are not to be slurred over, not to be omitted, not to destroy the melody, not to change the keynote. If we look up, God Himself will beat the time for us. With the eye on Him, we shall strike the next note full and clear. If we sadly say to ourselves, “There is no music in a ‘rest,’ ” let us not forget “there is the making of music in it.” The making of music is often a slow and painful process in this life. How patiently God works to teach us! How long He waits for us to learn the lesson!

—Ruskin.

“Called aside—

From the glad working of thy busy life,

From the world’s ceaseless stir of care and strife,

Into the shade and stillness by thy Heavenly Guide

For a brief space thou hast been called aside.

“Called aside—

Perhaps into a desert garden dim;

And yet not alone, when thou hast been with Him,

And heard His voice in sweetest accents say:

‘Child, wilt thou not with Me this still hour stay?’

“Called aside—

In hidden paths with Christ thy Lord to tread,

Deeper to drink at the sweet Fountainhead,

Closer in fellowship with Him to roam,

Nearer, perchance, to feel thy Heavenly Home.

“Called aside—

Oh, knowledge deeper grows with Him alone;

In secret oft His deeper love is shown,

And learnt in many an hour of dark distress

Some rare, sweet lesson of His tenderness.

“Called aside—

We thank thee for the stillness and the shade;

We thank Thee for the hidden paths Thy love hath made,

And, so that we have wept and watched with Thee,

We thank Thee for our dark Gethsemane.

“Called aside—

Oh, restful thought—He doeth all things well;

Oh, blessed sense, with Christ alone to dwell;

So in the shadow of Thy cross to hide,

We thank Thee, Lord, to have been called aside”^[1]

 

^[1] Cowman, L. B. (1925). Streams in the Desert (pp. 25–26). Los Angeles, CA: The Oriental Missionary Society.

Design and Function Come Only from Intelligence — Ligonier Ministries Blog

Information does not self-originate. In this brief clip, John MacArthur explains that design and function come only from intelligence.

Transcript

Back in the nineteen forties there was a scientist by the name of VonNeumann. He is famous for what is known as the VonNeumann machine. And the Von Neumann machine was the ultimate machine – the ultimate machine that could never be built. VonNeumann said that the machine would be self-generating. That is, it would have within itself the ability to sustain its own existence. It would be secondly, self-repairing. It would be able to fix itself within itself. Thirdly it would be self-reproducing. That is, it would produce more machines just like it. The complexity VonNeumann pointed out is so extreme by the time you get to the third level, that it is impossible to build it, self-sustaining, self-repairing, self-reproducing. If you were to think of it as a car, you can’t imagine a car that you really never had to put anything into, it just sustained its own life. It just drew on its environment and sustained it own life, and it was perpetual. Nor, can you imagine a car, that when something went wrong had within itself the ability to fix itself. And a car that when you went out into the garage one day, there were two other little cars sitting beside that car, no doubt Mini coopers. And you would say to yourself “this is a very complex machine.” It’s too complex to build and yet that is precisely what every single living cell in the universe does. VonNeumann said “every living cell is supremely complex capable of reproduction, growth, survival, self-diagnosing, self-repairing with a complex cellular communication of information, and storage and retrieval capability. Evolutionists are quick to say, you know, that given enough time codes and machines grown out of nothing. We now know that that is completely absurd. Computer simulations have been done so they can test the affect of time by high speed simulation, to see if evolution builds ordered complex structures. And the bottom line is, just I guess the simplest way that I have read that scientists have concluded, it has about one chance in ten to the one thousandth power. No chance. Information does not self-originate. Nor self-assemble. Design and function come only from intelligence. No natural process ever produced a program code. If you add energy disorder increases.

via Design and Function Come Only from Intelligence — Ligonier Ministries Blog

President Trump Interview with Maria Bartiromo… — The Last Refuge

Earlier today, while attending Davos, President Trump sat down for a lengthy interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo.  The primary topic was trade and economics with additional insight around the impeachment fiasco and some current events.

Unfortunately Ms. Bartiromo did not ask if President Trump remembered there were documents he was going to declassify.

via President Trump Interview with Maria Bartiromo… — The Last Refuge

January 22d The D. L. Moody Year Book

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.—Matthew 18:3.

IT is a master-piece of the devil to make us believe that children cannot understand religion. Would Christ have made a child the standard of faith if He had known that it was not capable of understanding His words? It is far easier for children to love and trust than for grown-up persons, and so we should set Christ before them as the supreme object of their choice.^[1]

 

^[1] Moody, D. L. (1900). The D. L. Moody Year Book: A Living Daily Message from the Words of D. L. Moody. (E. M. Fitt, Ed.) (pp. 20–21). East Northfield, MA: The Bookstore.

January 22, 2020 Afternoon Verse Of The Day

Ver. 27. All the ends of the world shall remember, and turn unto the Lord.—The return to the Father:—

In this Psalm the utterance of the believing heart in trial and in deliverance becomes, at various points, a prophetic anticipation of the experience of Christ. In one verse after another we seem to hear out of His own mouth the sorrow and the triumph of Christ. Regarding the text in this light, as an expectation which a believer might naturally express in the hour of his own enlargement, it brings before us an interesting connection of thought. A believer who has been brought into great temptation and trouble, and whose faith has been drawn out into lively and lowly exercise, when the deliverance comes will be aware of something more than the worth and the gladness of that particular deliverance. He has been holding converse with the mercy of God under pressure. There comes afresh into his heart the impression of the love of God, of which his own relief is only an instance and expression. So God teaches him—forces him to learn afresh—what a blessedness this is to have this God for his God forever and ever. Then how naturally he may go on to such an anticipation as that in the text he has a fresh sense of that in God which saves and blesses. How natural it becomes to cherish even so great an expectation as that the ends of the world may turn to the Lord! If all believers had the fresh sense they might have of Divine compassion there would be less uncertainty about the prosperity of the Gospel, less of feeble and dubious effort. And we may also hear the utterance of a Saviour’s joy and exultation when it is said, “The ends of the world shall remember, and shall turn to the Lord.”

1. The prospect from the Cross. So taken, the text suggests to us our Lord’s consciousness of the virtue that lay in His atoning sacrifice. The life of perfect holiness and perfect love was crowned by the death in which He put away sin. Exceeding glory to God and good to man were to be unfolded from it. This lay fully before our Lord’s eye from the first. What He saw it becomes us to believe—the ends of the world shall remember, and turn to the Lord.
2. The soul’s awakening. “They shall remember.” It is as though something long forgotten had come to mind, had melted their hearts within them. In what sense is the truth in Christ new? It is not so new but that it has also something old in it. Just this lay behind many a transient conviction, many a vague and dim impression. Whatever of new has come has put unspeakable meaning into all the old.

III. Man’s place with God. This is not so only with those for whom conversion comes after years of acquaintance with the Christian creed, and with the form of Godliness. It holds for men as men. The God who in Christ becomes ours is the very God for whom man was made. This is the meaning of man. And the blessedness which redemption brings is for the heart of man, as man was planned and made.

1. The inevitable return. The text points to a time when turning to God shall be the main thing, the prevailing thing, as if a mighty tide setting that way, carried all before it. For the present we do not see this. (Robert Rainy, D.D.)

Three stages in religious life:—

1. Reflection. “Shall remember.” We use the word reflection here because the usual Bible significance of the word “remember” is not simply “recollect,” but meditate, consider. The act described is far more than one of memory; witness the words, “Remember now thy Creator.” Here also the Psalmist means “remember the Lord.” Thought is the first stage in true life. Right thought on a right subject is essential to right life. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
2. Think about God.
3. Think what God’s ways with men are.
4. Think of your relationship to God. In the past; now; for the future.
5. Conversion. “Turn unto” would be a synonym; or “return.” “Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?” These passages, with that in our text, remind us—
6. That man is turned away from God. There is aversion and alienation.
7. Man may be restored to God. His face may yet look into the face of the Father, his life spent in Godward sympathies and activities.
8. This conversion, i.e. moral turning round, implies human effort and Divine help. Man is to turn, and God will turn him. Then, and then only, will his back be towards vanities and sins, and his face towards the true and the pure. More than passing sentiment is needed. There must be the putting forth of all the strongest forces of manhood, and the energising grace of God.

III. Adoration. “Shall worship.” This is the climax. It is the fullest development of the higher life, the crown of human destiny. Adoration of God is—

1. The instinct.
2. The obligation.
3. The satisfaction of souls. (U. R. Thomas.)

The importance of true religion, and the care of God to preserve it:—

1. To glorify and enjoy God are the great ends of our creation and redemption. This is the great and fundamental article of religion. God’s design in the creation and government of the world must have been the manifestation of His perfection, and the conferring happiness on intelligent creatures in proportion to their capacities. To what purpose hath God distinguished man with a rational and immortal soul resembling Himself, but to make him capable of religion and eternal life. What the character of God and the nature of man so clearly demonstrate on principles of reason, God hath expressly declared to us in His Word.
2. God has given men proper information of His character, will, and grace as their rule of duty and their guide to happiness. The existence of the creation demonstrates the existence of the Creator; its greatness proves His immensity; its order, His wisdom; and the provision made for the happiness of His creatures, His boundless goodness. In every state of man the only perfect rule of religion is Divine revelation, which confirms all the principles of natural religion, and informs us of many things necessary to be known which our own reason could not have discovered. The dispensations of God’s providence subserved the design of His revelations for preserving religion and virtue in the world.

III. That before the coming of Christ the worship of the true God should be generally forgotten and neglected by mankind. This melancholy truth the history of the world hath but too amply verified. True religion must always have the true God for its object, and His moral character and revealed will for its rule. False religion originates in a departure from the worship of the true God to that of idols; either as objects of religious adoration or as the means of it. To this cause Moses ascribed the idolatry of Israel. The sun, moon, &c., from being worshipped only as representations of God, came to be considered and worshipped as so many distinct deities. As the multitude of gods worshipped by the heathen distracted their religion, and turned it away from the only true God, so their mean and immoral characters shamefully debased it. Religion is the chief part and foundation of moral righteousness. As before the coming of Christ the Gentiles had grossly departed from the knowledge and profession of the true religion, so the Jews had greatly degenerated from the sincere belief and practice of it.

1. By the Gospel and the grace of Christ all nations should be brought to remember and turn unto the Lord. The coming of the Saviour was the era of light, reformation, and happiness to the world.… As to the proper improvement of these truths, let us ever live under the serious belief and impression that, to glorify and enjoy God, our Creator and Saviour, are the great ends of our existence, and can be attained only by the knowledge and practice of true religion. (W. Dalgleish, D.D.)

Nature and extent of true conversion under Messiah’s reign:—

1. The nature of true conversion.
2. It is to remember. It is fitly expressed by the ease of the prodigal, who is said to have “come to himself.” The Holy Spirit is ever seeking to make us remember. Sometimes by adverse providences, as with Joseph’s brethren. At other times by His Word. Sometimes it is without any apparent cause. “I thought on my ways,” says David, “and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies.” And there will, however brought, be many ways which we shall remember with sorrow and shame. As our ways of open immorality: things which we thought were no harm, since other people did them; and ways which we have thought nothing about—sins of the heart. And ways, too, that you have counted good you will thus remember. All your religion while unconverted will appear odious to you.
3. It is turning unto the Lord. This is very important, for it is possible to remember our evil ways without turning from them. And it is possible both to remember and turn, and yet not to turn to the Lord. And—
4. There will be “worship”—the homage of the heart presented to God according to His will.
5. The extent. “All the ends of the world”; “all the kindreds of the nations,” &c. It was fit that the accessions of the Gentiles should be reserved for the Gospel day, that it might grace the triumph of Christ over His enemies. And the good work then begun must go on, no longer limited to the seed of Abraham. But the time will come when our text will be abundantly fulfilled. Nor can the time of fulfilment be far distant. The last branch of the last of the four beasts foretold by Daniel is now in its dying agonies. But while we are concerned for all the world, let us not forget our own souls. (Andrew Fuller.)

The assistance derived by Christianity from human learning:—

It is matter of doubt whether there is real improvement in the world in morals and religion. In some parts matters seem to have become worse. But in others, our own country especially, since the Reformation there has been improvement, and such as is not likely to be lost. Still, we are far enough from perfection. For that we must look on to the kingdom of God yet to be established, but meanwhile we must help it forward as we best can. But note—

1. What are the causes of the improvement we have noticed? They are—
2. General experience, though there are instances in which the moral and religious condition of the people are no better now than they were ages ago. The reason of this is that these communities have possessed no literature, and hence the teachings of experience have been lost and each generation has to begin anew.
3. Letters and learning. Hence these teachings no longer die with those who have acquired them, but are handed on to their successors. But we have instances in which—as in Egypt, Greece, and Rome, where there have been letters and learning, but because separated from true religion—the world has not been morally advanced by them. The experience of France in the eighteenth century is in point here.
4. The revelation of Christianity. But this from an early period down to the time of the Reformation being loaded with superstition, the moral life of men was but little benefited. Hence we gather that there must be the union of Learning and Christianity if any real progress is to be made.
5. What assistance Christianity has received from human learning. This learning may be distinguished—
6. As the study of ancient languages and composition. Hence now we have the Scriptures translated, and this learning is useful not only to translate but to teach us the rules of interpretation, and of just criticism, and of the best models of composition, and to give freedom and strength to the imagination. Even the elegance of ancient writers, though often considered as merely ornamental, is not without its use towards the perfection of Christian morals. There is a connection and a sympathy which, though they do not always appear, have yet a tendency to prevail, between whatever is simple and elegant in the arts, and a simplicity and elegance of manners. By this connection we are rendered more sensible of any thing that can soften the human mind, can heighten the enjoyment of social life, or prepare us for that Christian charity which is the bond of peace and of all virtue.
7. The study of philosophy, which is not merely useful in the discovery of curious and useful arts. It serves a much nobler and more generous purpose, that of promoting our progress towards the perfection of our nature, and of advancing the interests of true religion. (W. Pearce, D.D.)

The triumph of Christianity:—Some regard this Psalm as our Lord’s soliloquy when expiring on the Cross. It may be so. Fitter words could not have been conceived. The mighty hero sees the conflict ended, anticipates the victory, and begins to chant the conqueror’s pæan.

1. The conversion of the nations to God may be expected. It is much to be desired. But the battle is long and weary and the end is not yet. Some think it is not to be looked for. But—
2. Our newborn nature craves for it; and—
3. Is it not unlikely that on this earth where God has stood in the person of His Son, that evil, after all, should vanquish Him?
4. And see the promises of reward made to our Redeemer. “He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied.” And the Scriptures are full of such promises, in the Psalms and in all the prophets. It is good to be reminded of them, for we shall not labour well if we do not labour in hope. And as yet we have not done so much as to give the fragments of the Gospel feast to the nations. When the Church is ready for great events they shall occur to her.
5. Such conversion will occur in the usual manner of other conversions. “The nations,” says our text, “shall remember, and shall turn unto the Lord, and shall worship before Him.”
6. They shall remember. In this manner conversion begins.
7. They shall turn.
8. They shall worship.

III. The means to accomplish this result are to be found at Calvary. This is a Calvary Psalm; its connection is full of sacrificial suffering. Every conversion is the result of Christ’s death. And His death is our motive for spreading the Gospel. And it is the security of future triumph. We shall conquer the world, but it will be by the Cross. The old legend of Constantine, “In hoc signo vinces,” hath truth in it for us. By this we shall conquer—by the Cross, by the preaching of Jesus Christ. (C. H. Spurgeon.)^[1]

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27. In reading this verse one is struck with the Messiah’s missionary spirit. It is evidently his grand consolation that Jehovah will be known thoughout all places of his dominion. “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord. Out from the inner circle of the present church the blessing is to spread in growing power until the remotest parts of the earth shall be ashamed of their idols, mindful of the true God, penitent for their offences, and unanimously earnest for reconcilation with Jehovah. Then shall false worship cease, “and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee,” O thou only living and true God. This hope which was the reward of Jesus is a stimulus to those who fight his battles.

It is well to mark the order of conversion as here set forth; they shall “remember”—this is reflection, like the prodigal who came unto himself; “and turn unto Jehovah—this is repentance, like Manasseh who left his idols and “worship”—this is holy service, as Paul adored the Christ whom once he abhorred.^[2]

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^[1] Exell, J. S. (1909). The Biblical Illustrator: The Psalms (Vol. 1, pp. 424–427). New York; Chicago; Toronto; London; Edinburgh: Fleming H. Revell Company; Francis Griffiths.

^[2] Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 1-26 (Vol. 1, p. 333). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.

Trump Proclaims ‘National Sanctity of Human Life Day’

Trump declared January 22 “National Sanctity of Human Life Day,” when the nation “reaffirms our commitment to protect the precious gift of life at every stage, from conception to natural death.”

Source: Trump Proclaims ‘National Sanctity of Human Life Day’

Sekulow to Schiff, Nadler: Remember when you endorsed Eric Holder’s obstruction — and Barack Obama’s executive privilege claim?

Source: Sekulow to Schiff, Nadler: Remember when you endorsed Eric Holder’s obstruction — and Barack Obama’s executive privilege claim?

Bozell & Graham Column: Pretending Hunter Biden Is Irrelevant

The impeachment trial of Donald Trump should begin with an indictment of the media. The alleged crime committed by President Trump revolves around his request that the president of Ukraine investigate the shady business dealings of Hunter Biden with a corrupt Ukrainian oil and gas company. That investigation might have been unnecessary had the news media chosen to do what they’re supposed to be doing: investigative journalism.

Source: Bozell & Graham Column: Pretending Hunter Biden Is Irrelevant

Adam Schiff made a fool of himself on Day One of the Senate impeachment trial

Schiff is willing to fabricate and twist the tale he tells even though there is no evidence for all of his wild accusations. He’s already been caught misrepresenting the evidence.

Source: Adam Schiff made a fool of himself on Day One of the Senate impeachment trial

Republican Attorneys General Condemn Democrats’ ‘Dangerous’ Impeachment Effort — National Review

The Republican attorneys general of 21 states rebuked the push to impeach President Trump in a joint letter submitted to the Senate on Wednesday.

via Republican Attorneys General Condemn Democrats’ ‘Dangerous’ Impeachment Effort — National Review

As The Impeachment Trial Begins, Democrats Are Losing Their Minds

Having realized their impeachment gambit is failing, Democrats have resorted to accusing Sen. Mitch McConnell of a coverup and calling the trial ‘rigged.’

Source: As The Impeachment Trial Begins, Democrats Are Losing Their Minds

Tulsi Gabbard sues Hillary Clinton for defamation over “Russian asset” comments

Democratic 2020 candidate Tulsi Gabbard has filed a defamation suit against Hillary Clinton for calling her a “Russian asset” that the Kremlin is “grooming” to ensure Trump’s re-election.

Source: Tulsi Gabbard sues Hillary Clinton for defamation over “Russian asset” comments

What in ‘Z’ world? Schiff now misleading fellow Democrats | WND

Rep. Adam Schiff

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., one of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s generals in her war to impeach President Trump, already is known for making characterizations that mislead, having recently inserted into the congressional record an entirely fabricated text of a phone call he claimed the president made.

He also assured Americans – for years – that he had proof of Trump’s “collusion” with Russia in 2016, even though FBI special counsel Robert Mueller said it didn’t exist.

But now a report is suggesting that he not only misleads Republicans, and the American public, but his own fellow Democrats.

The issue is his characterization of a text in the impeachment fight, and Politico documented a “senior GOP aide” explained, “The most charitable view of the situation is that [Schiff’s] staff committed the equivalent of congressional malpractice by not looking more than an inch deep to determine the facts before foisting this erroneous information on his colleagues and the American public.”

“But given the selective redactions and contextual clues, it seems as though Chairman Schiff sought to portray an innocuous meeting with Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky as an insidious one with the President of Ukraine simply because both of their surnames start with the letter Z.”

The Washington Examiner explained that Schiff actually “misconstrued text messages between two key players in a pressure campaign against Ukraine waged by President Trump’s administration.”

It was in a letter from Schiff to Rep. Jerry Nadler, another of Pelosi’s generals in the impeachment war, in which “Schiff said indicted businessman Lev Parnas ‘continued to try to arrange a meeting with President Zelensky’ and provided text messages between Parnas and Rudy Giuliani, the driving force behind the campaign, as evidence of this effort.”

Documents explained Schiff cited one text message where Parnas told Giuliani he was “trying to get us mr. Z.”

Democrat officials said “Z” was “commonly” used to refer to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

But Politico said, “An unredacted version of the exchange shows that several days later, Parnas sent Giuliani a word document that appears to show notes from an interview with Mykola Zlochevsky, the founder of Burisma, followed by a text message to Giuliani that states: ‘mr Z answers my brother.’ That suggests Parnas was referring to Zlochevsky not Zelensky.”

Burisma is the company that handed over $83,000 a month to Hunter Biden to be on its board while his father, Joe, was vice president and in charge of Ukraine policy for Barack Obama.

It was Joe Biden who infamously is on video boasting how he threatened Ukraine with the loss of American aid unless officials there fired a prosecutor who was looking into possible corruption in Burisma, and which may have involved Hunter Biden.

The Examiner said, “Last week, Parnas claimed in a series of media interviews that though he did not speak with Trump directly about the pressure campaign, the president knew what he and Giuliani were doing.”

The whole impeachment process is based on a report filed by a whistleblower, identified by multiple sources as CIA worker Eric Ciaramella, who, the Examiner said, filed a report “following a July 25 phone call between Trump and Zelensky, during which Trump asked him to ‘do us a favor’ and investigate Biden’s possible links to corruption.”

Politico characterized it as that “Schiff appears to have mischaracterized a text message exchange between two players in the Ukraine saga.”

The facts were revealed when Schiff sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler last week summarizing a trove of evidence from Parnas, an indicted former associate of Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.

“In one section of the letter, Schiff claims that Parnas ‘continued to try to arrange a meeting with President Zelensky,” apparently based on the assumption that meant Zelensky.

Source: What in ‘Z’ world? Schiff now misleading fellow Democrats

“I’d Like to Sit in the Front Row and Stare at Their Corrupt Faces” – President Trump Warns Democrat “Sleazebags” He May Attend Sham Impeachment Hearing — The Gateway Pundit

President Trump was in Davos, Switzerland this week to attend the annual economic forum.

Trump was delivered a speech on Tuesday highlighting the record and historic economic gains under his watch.
He attended the forum one week after signing the USMCA and the China Trade Deal.

During questions and answers President Trump called the Democrats “major sleazebags” for their continued coup attempts and shredding of the US Constitution.

President Trump warned Democrats he may attend the impeachment trial and sit in the front row.

President Trump: I didn’t think Bill Clinton should have been impeached. And I was pretty vocal about that. I didn’t know Ken but what I did know was that he was very smart. He was very tough. He was very talented. But in a certain way I was sticking up for Bill Clinton… With me there’s no lying, there’s nothing. They don’t even have a crime. They say this is the only one who’s ever been impeached and he didn’t even commit a crime. He didn’t commit a crime. Then you get into high crimes and misdemeanors, but I didn’t commit a crime…

Reporter: So will you show up to your trial anyday?

President Trump: I’d love to go. I’d love to sit right in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces. I’d love to do it. Don’t keep talking because you may convince me to do it… I looked at Adam Schiff, he’ll stare into the camera… These are sleazebags, very dishonest people.

via “I’d Like to Sit in the Front Row and Stare at Their Corrupt Faces” – President Trump Warns Democrat “Sleazebags” He May Attend Sham Impeachment Hearing — The Gateway Pundit

Gatestone Institute Finds Anti-Christian Violence and Attacks on Churches in Europe is at All-Time High — BCNN1 – Black Christian News Network

Attacks against Christians in Europe reached record highs in 2019, as hostility and vandalism against churches, Christian schools and monuments sweep the continent.

Earlier this month, the Gatestone Institute International Policy Council published its research of anti-Christian violence after having reviewed hundreds news reports, parliamentary inquiries, and police blotters, and found that approximately 3,000 acts of vandalism, looting and defacement occurred last year, incidents routinely obscured by the media.

“Violence against Christian sites is most widespread in France, where churches, schools, cemeteries and monuments are being vandalized, desecrated and burned at an average rate of three per day, according to government statistics. In Germany, attacks against Christian churches are occurring at an average rate of two per day, according to police blotters,” the group documented in a Jan. 1 report.

Those committing the crimes are rarely apprehended and the information about their identities are covered up by police and journalists, the group asserts. Because many suspects are said to have mental disorders, the acts of vandalism, though demonstrably anti-Christian, are not formally classified as “hate crimes.”

The hostile acts that have been documented include instances of arson, defecation, desecration, looting, mockery, profanation, satanism, theft, urination and vandalism, and often the perpetrators are never caught.

The violence is carried out by different groups depending on the country.

“In France and Germany, the spike in anti-Christian attacks dovetails with the recent mass immigration from the Muslim world. The lack of official statistics on perpetrators and motives makes it impossible to know precisely how many attacks can be attributed to Muslim anti-Christianism or the jihadist cause,” the Gatestone Institute said in its report.

Click here to read more.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Brandon Showalter

via Gatestone Institute Finds Anti-Christian Violence and Attacks on Churches in Europe is at All-Time High — BCNN1 – Black Christian News Network

“Democrats Have “Adopted the Nazi Version of – the ‘BIG LIE’ As a Way to Impeach the President!” – Former US Attorney Joe diGenova — The Gateway Pundit

Former US Attorney Joe diGenova was on WMAL radio show on Monday and he knocked it out of the park.  Joe explained the farce impeachment going on in the Capital and why this next election is so important.

At the 7:30 mark:

The Democrats didn’t win the 2016 election and so they’ve decided that they are going to try and nullify it by impeachment and this is nothing more than the Nazi version of…you know the Nazis had something called the ‘Big Lie’ which Joseph Goebbels put forth to convince people to hate the Jews and hate other people.  That’s what the Democrats have done here.  They’ve adopted the big lie as a way to impeach the President.”

At the 9:17 mark:

Let’s remember what this is about, they [the Democrats] know they cannot get the 67 votes to remove the President.  So they intend to use this process to dirty up the President for the 2020 election and to dirty up the Senate Republicans in hopes of defeating enough Senate Republicans so that they can take over the Senate and then have full boar to impeach not only the President again after the election but to go after Brett Kavanaugh.  This is why this election is so important.  This is about the future of representative government.

At the 10:30 mark:

Our listeners need to understand that this is going to be the single most important election in 100 years because if the Democrats take over the Senate and keep the House, even if they lose the Presidency.  The government that we know today will come to an end.

At the 15:05 mark:

Remember this is a suicide mission by the Democrats.  They have given up everything.  They don’t care anymore.  They want to destroy Trump.  They want to subvert the Constitution.  They will do anything.  The risks to them are worth everything.”

Americans are tired of the crimes committed in Washington and want the DC swamp cleaned up.  Americans are angry with what is going on and demand a change.

via “Democrats Have “Adopted the Nazi Version of – the ‘BIG LIE’ As a Way to Impeach the President!” – Former US Attorney Joe diGenova — The Gateway Pundit

January 22, 2020 Truth2Freedom Briefing Report (US•World•Christian)

REUTERS

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would prefer a longer impeachment trial so that current and former top administration officials could testify, but that having them appear would present national security concerns.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hit fresh all-time highs at the open on Wednesday, as investors took heart from China’s efforts to contain a virus outbreak and a strong forecast from IBM.

The death toll from China’s new flu-like virus in Hubei province has risen to 17 and the total number of confirmed cases has risen further, state television reported on Wednesday, citing the provincial government.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have been involved in a plot to hack the phone of Amazon’s billionaire boss Jeff Bezos, United Nations experts said on Wednesday.

An International Monetary Fund program is an option for Lebanon depending on terms that should be bearable for the crisis-hit country and not trigger social unrest, a senior politician said on Wednesday as a new government took office.

Most Wall Street banks announced their fourth quarter profits beat industry expectations last week. But by the end of this week, bank sources and compensation experts told Reuters, most of their staff will be underwhelmed by their bonuses.

AP Top Stories

A new report by insurance firm Choice Mutual found 44% of Americans plan on being cremated, a 40% increase from the 1960s. Traditional burials were the second most popular choice, with 35% of Americans preferring the method.

Two different air bag glitches have forced Toyota and Honda to recall over 6 million vehicles worldwide, and both problems present different dangers to motorists.

The Trump administration is snubbing Congress by refusing to turn over a report detailing an investigation into national security risks potentially posed by imported vehicles and auto parts, citing pending international negotiations and executive branch deliberations.

Masked gunmen on Wednesday ambushed and killed the local commander of a paramilitary security force in southwestern Iran, an associate of Iran’s top general recently killed in an American drone strike in Baghdad, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Spain’s new government declared a national climate emergency on Tuesday, taking a formal first step toward enacting ambitious measures to fight climate change.

A hidden camera captured members of a white supremacist group expressing hope that violence at a gun rights rally in Virginia this week could start a civil war, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday.

The billionaire founder of Silicon Valley company Salesforce (CRM) declared on Tuesday modern capitalism is “dead”, saying business leaders now have a “responsibility” to think beyond just shareholders. “Capitalism as we have known it is dead,” Marc Benioff, chief executive of Salesforce, said at Davos. “This obsession that we have with maximizing profits for shareholders alone has led to incredible inequality and a planetary emergency.”

The U.S. Navy will name an aircraft carrier after Cook First Class Doris Miller. Miller received the Navy Cross for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor, helping move wounded soldiers to safety and manning a machine gun to repel Japanese planes. The future USS Doris Miller will be the fourth carrier in the USS Ford-class of carriers and will enter service in the early 2030s.

The Navy is building a special new command and control mini “drone-headquarters” space on its aircraft carriers to operate deck-launched drones as part of a strategy aimed at massively increasing the scope of carrier-launched drone missions in coming years.

News that a new virus that has afflicted hundreds of people in central China can spread between humans has rattled financial markets and raised concern it might wallop the economy just as it might be regaining momentum.

BBC

The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador was hit with more than 27in of snow in a record breaking blizzard.

The US 2020 census has officially begun in Toksook Bay, a remote fishing village on the coast of Alaska. The census takes place every 10 years, and most of the country’s residents are counted from mid-March. But census workers always make an early start in Alaska in January, when the ground is frozen enough to traverse.

Scientists have identified the world’s oldest asteroid crater in Australia, adding it may explain how the planet was lifted from an ice age.

Australia’s bushfires have burnt through 10 million hectares of land, and it is feared some habitats may never recover. But in some worst-affected areas, the sight of plants growing back and animals returning to habitats is raising spirits.

WND

The White House will add seven new countries to its travel ban, including Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania.

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Mid-Day Snapshot · Jan. 22, 2020

The Foundation “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” —John Adams (1770)

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Impeachment Trial Kicks Off The two sides fight over rules and witnesses, and begin to make their respective cases.

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Trump Denounces Tyranny of Socialism at Davos The president reminded the world that America is not the problem but a leader for Liberty.

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The Progressive Left Is Anti-Woman From politics to culture, leftists routinely undermine true empowerment for females.

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Honoring the Sanctity of Life Reflecting on the Roe v. Wade anniversary and the millions of children lost.

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Trump Slowing Illegal Immigration; Sanders Would Reverse Course While the president’s policies succeed, a Democrat opponent promises to upend it all.

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Free Speech and Fake News False reporting and deliberate lying will only cause our country to be more divided.

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Video: The Truth About Virginia’s Psycho Gun-Control Laws And why thousands are rising up against them.

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Video: Everything on Demand Competition makes entertainment better and cheaper.

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Video: ’90s Pelosi Argues Against Impeaching Trump If it weren’t for double standards, Democrats wouldn’t have any.

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Today’s Opinion Betsy McCaughey Trump Comes Out Swinging Against Impeachment L. Brent Bozell & Tim Graham Pretending Hunter Biden Is Irrelevant Ben Shapiro The Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez School of Economics Walter E. Williams Diversity and Inclusion Insanity Guest Commentary The Left’s Perpetual Immaturity For more of today’s columns, visit Right Opinion.

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Wednesday News Executive Summary Trial rules adopted, Virginia “red flag” bill, Bernie Bro promotes violence, and more.

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Wednesday Short Cuts Notable quotables from Charlie Kirk, Rich Lowry, Hillary Clinton, and more.

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Today’s Meme For more of today’s memes, visit the Memesters Union.

Today’s Cartoon For more of today’s cartoons, visit the Cartoons archive.

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Headlines – 1/22/2020

Serbian president flies Star of David flag to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day

Everything you must know about the biggest diplomatic event in Israel’s history – the World Holocaust Forum events marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

Trump, Putin, pope vow to fight anti-Semitism in collection of missives

Don’t rehabilitate anti-Semitism, Rivlin warns as European, world leaders fly in

Incendiary balloons from Gaza persist as world leaders gather in Jerusalem

Israeli forces seize dozens of guns from Palestinians in crackdown

Hamas chief Haniyeh slated to meet Malaysian PM in bid for aid

Israeli Electric Company Ends Power Cuts to West Bank After Palestinians Pay Debt

Palestinian Prime Minister to Haaretz: ‘The Fact That We Even Survive Is a Miracle’

Defense Chief Says Israel Will Apply Sovereignty to West Bank

Launching campaign, Netanyahu vows to annex all settlements ‘without exception’

Gantz vows to annex Jordan Valley ‘in coordination with international communtiy’

Reversing course, Gantz urges Trump to ‘move up’ peace plan rollout

US team meets Mideast officials to discuss peace plan rollout

Russian-led Strikes on Rebel-held Northwest Syria Kill 40, Rescuers Say

Standoff: U.S. troops block Russian forces from capturing Syrian oil field

The War Is Over, but Syria’s Economic Misery Is Growing Worse

US military declassified documents claim ‘success’ in hacking ISIS

Lebanon protests: New government ends months of deadlock

New government in crisis-hit Lebanon ends 3-month vacuum

Lebanon PM Diab: new government is ‘a rescue team’

Protests in Lebanon continue as new government fails to assuage anger

UN chief says will work with new Lebanese govt on reforms

Two protesters killed as Iraqi police struggle to stem unrest

Iran Acknowledges 2 Russian-Made Missiles Targeted Ukraine Jet

Iran warns ‘freedom fighters’ worldwide will avenge Soleimani’s killing

More US troops evacuated with possible injuries from Iran missiles

Iranian lawmaker offers $3 million to anyone who kills Trump – report

Adel al-Jubeir: Iran ‘largest sponsor of terrorism in the world’

Iran’s threats to quit nuclear treaty sends ‘negative message’: US envoy

Yemeni president condemns rebel attack as death toll rises to 100

Jeff Bezos hacked by Saudi crown prince with Israeli cyber weapon

Saudi Arabia denies ‘absurd’ report claiming it hacked Amazon CEO Bezos’ phone

36 civilians killed in attack in northern Burkina Faso

Turkey Receives Over 120 Missiles, Two S-400 Systems From Russia, Report Says

Russia gets new government in what Putin calls ‘major renewal’

Vladimir Putin will not be president for life but he is sure to have power

Swiss police reportedly believe Russian spies posed as plumbers to bug Davos

US urges China to join nuclear arms talks with Russia

Carrie Lam suggests foreign influence in Hong Kong protests: ‘Perhaps there is something at work’

North Korea abandons nuclear freeze pledge, blames ‘brutal’ U.S. sanctions

North Korea may seek ‘new path’ after US fails to meet deadline

Trump confirms plans to expand travel ban

Mexico Murders Rise to Record in AMLO’s First Year in Office

US officials say white supremacists hoped Virginia rally would start civil war

As impeachment trial starts, Alan Dershowitz sees self as Trump’s reluctant hero

Republicans reject witnesses as impeachment trial kicks off with rules battle

John Roberts scolds legal teams after tense exchange: ‘Those addressing the Senate should remember where they are’

Senate Democrats privately mull witness trade in impeachment trial: A Biden for Bolton

Alan Dershowitz rejects Pelosi’s ‘impeachment is forever’ claim, says only Trump can decide whether Bolton testifies

Pat Cipollone: Democrats want to remove Trump from 2020 ballot with impeachment

White House Counsel Pat Cipollone: “They’re Not Here To Steal One Election, They’re Here To Steal Two Elections”

Bloomberg calls for Trump’s removal in new impeachment ad

2020 Democratic candidates vow unity, but conflict escalates

Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

Google CEO backs temporary ban on facial recognition

5.5 magnitude earthquake hits near Lautoka, Fiji

5.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Ciudad Cortes, Costa Rica

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Quepos, Costa Rica

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Raoul Island, New Zealand

Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 24,000ft

Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 21,000ft

Klyuchevskoy volcano on Kamchatka, Russia erupts to 20,000ft

Sangay volcano in Ecuador erupts to 20,000ft

Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 16,000ft

Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 14,000ft

Nevados De Chillan volcano in Chile erupts to 14,000ft

Sakurajima volcano on Japan erupts to 10,000ft

4 dead as powerful storm triggers strong winds, heavy snowfall, and record waves in Spain

It’s so cold in Florida that Disney World water park and other Orlando parks are closing

National Weather Service in Florida warns of falling iguanas due to freezing weather

First fires, then floods. Now Australians need to watch out for deadly funnel-web spiders, experts say

World needs to prepare for ‘millions’ of climate displaced: U.N.

Davos 2020: Greta demands climate action but Trump blasts pessimists

Trump warns against “prophets of doom” on climate at World Economic Forum in Davos

Washington man is 1st in US to catch new virus from China

Chinese officials try to contain viral outbreak as first case confirmed in U.S.

Virus prompts temperature checks, extra cleaning at airports

North Korea bans foreign tourists over China virus: Tour agency

China Warns Holiday Travel Surge Could Spread Deadly Coronavirus

Nebraska governor declares day of prayer on January 22nd to end abortion

Lesbian couple left ‘overwhelmed with anger’ as South Africa venue declines their wedding

Ex-Witch’s Warning About New Disney Show: ‘It’s Not a Joke… That Realm Is Very Real’

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Apostasy Watch

Mike Ratliff – False Prophets and Teachers

Julie Roys – Are Focus on the Family, BGEA, & RZIM Churches? And Should They Be Exempt From Reporting Salaries of Executives?

Superstition Alert! – Woman captures cloud photo of ‘Jesus with his arm outstretched’

Donald Trump’s Spiritual Advisor, Paula White Suggests People Send Her Their January Salary or Face Consequences From God

Fake News: No, a Christian School Didn’t Expel a Girl Over a Rainbow Cake

Professors at Catholic University Outraged Over Screening of Pro Life Movie ‘Unplanned’

An Under-The-Radar SCOTUS Case Could Obliterate The Line Between Church And State

Patriots’ Benjamin Watson Producing Abortion Documentary

Pro-Life Group Pledges $52 Million to Re-Elect Trump, ‘the Most Pro-Life President’ in History

Nigerian pastor who praised God in ransom video beheaded after refusing to deny Christ

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“A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope or a council without it…” – Martin Luther

January 22 The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible

January 22.—Morning. [Or February 12.]
“A righteous man hateth lying.”

Genesis 27:1–5; 17–29

AND it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.

^{2, 3, 4} And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

⁵ And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

When Rebekah heard this she determined to obtain the blessing for her favourite son Jacob by a crafty stratagem. She prepared two kids of goats in a savoury manner, dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes, put skins upon his hands and neck that he might appear to be hairy like his brother, and sent him in to deceive his father.

^{17, 18} And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

¹⁹ And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first-born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

²⁰ And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me. (When we begin to sin we go from bad to worse. It was base enough of Jacob to utter so many falsehoods, but to bring in the Lord God of his father to give them the appearance of truth, was much worse.)

²¹ And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

²² And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

²³ And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.

²⁴ And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? and he said, I am. (Thus Jacob persisted in his falsehood. This narrative shows us the truthfulness of God’s word, since it does not conceal the faults of its most eminent saints. Had the Old Testament been a cunningly devised fable, it would never have exhibited the great progenitor of the twelve tribes in so sorry a light.)

²⁵ And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank. (Isaac did not seek counsel of the Lord, hence his mistake. By this he was punished for his ill-placed partiality to Esau, for it was very unworthy of the patriarch to prefer his profanc son “because he did eat of his venison.”)

²⁶ And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

²⁷ And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:

²⁸ Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

²⁹ Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

Thus the prophecy concerning Esau and Jacob was repeated with enlargements, “the elder shall serve the younger.” God’s purpose was accomplished, but this did not excuse Rebekah and Jacob, or screen them from the chastisements of God, which commenced at once. We ought never to do evil that good may come.

Father, to that first-born of thine

Thou hast the blessing given,

The power, and dignity divine,

Th’ inheritance of heaven.

O how shall I the younger son,

The Elder’s right obtain?

I’ll put my Brother’s raiment on,

And thus the blessing gain.

Father, I joyfully believe

Thou art well pleased with me;

Thou dost at my approach perceive

A heavenly fragrancy.

Thou dost thy gracious will declare,

Thou dost delight to bless;

And why? My Brother’s garb I wear,

My Saviour’s righteousness.

January 22.—Evening. [Or February 13.]
“I will not leave thee.”

ESAU vowed to kill Jacob, and therefore Rebekah was obliged to send her favourite son away. This she little expected when she travelled a crooked way to earn him promotion.

Genesis 28:10–22

¹⁰ ¶ And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. (Alone, without a servant to attend him, or a beast to carry him, with only his staff to lean upon, the heir of the promises set out upon his long journey of about five hundred miles.)

¹¹ And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. (He had a hard bed and a cold bolster, but he had a sweet sleep, and a sweeter dream. Often when the head lies hardest the heart is lightest. Our times of great trial are times of heavenly visitation.)

¹² And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. (Note the many “beholds” in the passage. They call for our special attention. The patriarch dreamed of Jesus—sweetest of all dreams. He saw how heaven and earth are joined by the Messiah, and how free is the intercourse between God and man by the way of the Mediator.)

¹³ And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

¹⁴ And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

¹⁵ And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. (Having seen the Messiah as the ladder, he beheld the glory of Jehovah the covenant God, and received the covenant blessing. Every syllable must have sounded as sweetest music in his ears. Note that choice word, “I will not leave thee.” Whom God loves he never leaves. “Till I have done that which I have spoken to thee of;”—saying and doing are two very different things with men, but not with God.)

¹⁶ ¶ And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

¹⁷ And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

He was full of awe, even to trembling. He felt as if he had slept in the temple of Jehovah, and therefore as a sinner he was moved with fear. He had not been afraid of wild beasts or heathen men, but now though filled with holy confidence he is equally filled with sacred awe.

¹⁸ And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. (We must honour God with our substance. Some set up a stone of remembrance, but they pour no oil on the top of it, for they offer nothing unto the Lord.)

¹⁹ And he called the name of that place Beth-el (the house of God): but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

²⁰ And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

²¹ So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:

²² And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. (Here was a little of the bargaining spirit in covenanting for bread to eat and raiment to put on, but still there was genuine faith. He renounces all other trusts, casts himself upon the divine care, and dedicates a tithe unto the Lord. God has dealt so well with each of us, that we ought never to stint his cause. Can we not do something even now to honour the Lord with our substance and with the first-fruits of our increase?)

Jesus that ladder is

Th’ incarnate Deity,

Partaker of celestial bliss

And human misery;

Lo! up and down the scale

The angels move! with love!

And God, the Great Invisible,

Himself appears above.^[1]

 

^[1] Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (pp. 43–44). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

January 22 God Is the Cure

Hebrews 13:5

He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

What is loneliness? I don’t know how to define it; all I can do is describe it. It’s an underlying anxiety at having no one close, a sharp ache in a moment of grief, and an empty feeling in the pit of the stomach when we know we have no one to whom we can turn. There is no anguish like loneliness.

But God has a cure for loneliness. In our walk with Him, He offers friendship, a family, and a peace that passes all understanding. When we meet Him, we are not guaranteed never to feel lonely, but we are promised that we will never be alone.

After all, He is the one who said, “I will never leave You nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).^[1]

 

^[1] Jeremiah, D. (2002). Sanctuary: finding moments of refuge in the presence of God (p. 23). Nashville, TN: Integrity Publishers.