There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Lord, because you have made me, I owe you the whole of my love; because you have redeemed me, I owe you the whole of myself; because you have promised so much, I owe you my whole being. Moreover, I owe you as much more love than myself as you are greater than I, for whom you gave yourself and to whom you promised yourself. I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge; let me know by love what I know by understanding. I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more, and by myself, I cannot render the whole of it to you. Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of your love. I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love. Amen
O Educator, be gracious to thy children, O Educator, Father, Guide of Israel, Son and Father,both one, Lord. Give to us, who follow thy command, to fulfill the likeness of thy image, and to see, according to our strength, the God who is both a good God and a Judge who is not harsh. Do thou thyself bestow all things on us who dwell in thy peace, who have been placed in thy city, who sail the sea of sin unruffled, that we may be made tranquil and supported by the Holy Spirit, the unutterable Wisdom, by night and day, unto the perfect day, to sing eternal thanksgiving to the one only Father and Son, Son and Father, Educator and Teacher with the Holy Spirit. Amen
We ask you, Master, be our helper and defender. Rescue those of our number in distress; raise up the fallen; assist the needy; heal the sick; turn back those of your people who stray; feed the hungry; release our captives; revive the weak; encourage those who lose heart. Let all the nations realize that you are the only God, that Jesus Christ is your Child, and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture. Amen
True confession: JoAnn has long been a friend. She has now retired from Bent Tree. She’s wonderful.
Deep peace of the running wave to you, Deep peace of the flowing air to you, Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, Deep peace of the shining stars to you, Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you, forever.
4:10 The words humble yourselves … and he will exalt you summarize the path to having forgiveness from God as well as reconciliation among members of the congregation.[1]
4:10 Returning to the theme emphasized in v. 6, it is the humble whom God will exalt (cf. Matt. 23:12 par.; Luke 1:52; 14:11; 18:14; 1 Pet. 5:6). But as long as people exalt themselves, God will not exalt them.[2]
4:10 See Ps 75:6; Mt 23:12. This final command sums up the preceding 9 (see notes on vv. 7–10) commands, which mark the truly humble person. “Humble” comes from a word meaning “to make oneself low.” Those conscious of being in the presence of the majestic, infinitely holy God are humble (cf. Is 6:5).[3]
4:10 — Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
This is another way of saying, as God spoke through Samuel the prophet, “those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed” (1 Sam. 2:30).[4]
4:10Humble yourselves: The man who submits himself to the Lord will be exalted in ways that he himself could never accomplish. This primarily refers to one’s spiritual relationship with God.[5]
4:10. The objective, therefore, was a genuine humbling of themselves in the sight of the Lord. If they did this properly, God would someday lift [them] up. The Greek verb translated lift … up is hypsōsei and signifies “exaltation.” If the readers would now bring themselves low by repentance, God would someday “exalt” them. Whether this ever took place in this life or not, God would certainly repay their “humiliation” with an “exaltation” of His own time and choosing.[6]
4:10 Finally, we should humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. If we honestly take our place in the dust at His feet, He will lift us up in due time.
This then is the way we should respond when the Lord exposes us to ourselves. Too often it is not the case, however. Sometimes, for example, we are in a meeting when God speaks loudly to our hearts. We are stirred for the moment, and filled with good resolves. But when the meeting closes, the people engage in animated and lighthearted conversation. The whole atmosphere of the service is dispersed, the power is dissipated, and the Spirit of God is quenched.[7]
4:10. The key is humility. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. The way up is down. The lowly one becomes the lifted one. There is a marked advantage to humility—eventually it brings honor.[8]
4:10. This final appeal contains both a command and a promise. To become humble before God demands a voluntary turning to God (see the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:12). The picture is that of a person who falls prostrate before a powerful oriental ruler, seeking mercy.
If we look at ourselves from our own perspective, we will invariably either be flattering or hopelessly pessimistic about ourselves. When we respond with insight provided by the Holy Spirit, we see our unworthiness; but we also sense God’s ability to forgive us and receive us. Those who truly humble themselves before the Lord will experience his exaltation and elevation. This “lifting up” involves moral and spiritual power to live this life. It may also provide hopeful encouragement about our glorious future in heaven (1 Pet. 5:6).[9]
4:10 “Humble yourselves” The form is an AORIST PASSIVE IMPERATIVE but used in the sense of a MIDDLE VOICE (notice the English translation, cf. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:6). This may reflect the teachings of Jesus (cf. Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14) and/or possibly an OT allusion to Isa. 57:15. Believers’ humility and repentance invoke a promised covenantal response from YHWH.
This is a Hebrew idiom for (1) a worship service (cf. Deut. 33:10); or (2) the Lord’s personal knowledge (cf. Gen. 19:13; Judg. 18:6). Since this is not a worship service setting but an emphasis on a repentant attitude, #2 fits best.
10. James concludes his series of commands with a summarizing exhortation, Humble yourselves, that reflects the promise of the Proverbs quotation in verse 6: God ‘shows favour to the humble’. The humility before the Lord that James commands means to recognize our own spiritual poverty, to acknowledge consequently our desperate need of God’s help and to submit to his commanding will for all our lives. This humility is beautifully exemplified in the tax-collector of Jesus’ parable, who, deeply conscious of his sin, called out to God for mercy. In response, Jesus pronounces him justified and summarizes: ‘all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted’ (Luke 18:14). This saying (parallel to others where humility before other people is the point: Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11) was taken up as a popular motto in the early church (cf. 2 Cor. 11:7; 1 Pet. 5:6). It expresses the fundamentally important principle that the enjoyment of spiritual vitality and victory comes not through independent effort of our own but through complete dependence on the Lord. To try to ‘exalt ourselves’ by relying on our own abilities, status or money brings only failure and condemnation—God ‘humbles us’. James expressed this earlier in his letter when he encouraged believers in humble circumstances to boast in their ‘high position’ (or ‘exaltation’) and warned rich Christians to boast in their ‘humiliation’ (1:9–10).
Theology
If our interpretation of verse 5 is right, this passage in James contributes to the great biblical theme of the jealousy of God—and reminds us that we need to maintain a careful balance in our understanding of God. James insists that God is both one who makes frightful and all-encompassing demands of his people and one who gives in his grace to all who humble themselves before him. A jealous God who is not a God of grace is terrifying; a gracious God who is not also demanding is a weak and impotent being far from the God of the Bible. Much of our theology and many of the mistakes we make in Christian living arise from a faulty theo-logy: our view of God himself.[11]
10. Humble yourselves, or, be ye humbled. The conclusion of what is gone before is, that the grace of God will then be ready to raise us up, when he sees that our proud spirits are laid aside. We emulate and envy, because we desire to be eminent. This is a way wholly unreasonable, for it is God’s peculiar work to raise up the lowly, and especially those who willingly humble themselves. Whosoever, then, seeks a firm elevation, let him be cast down under a sense of his own infirmity, and think humbly of himself. Augustine well observes somewhere, As a tree must strike deep roots downwards, that it may grow upwards, so every one who has not his soul fixed deep in humility, exalts himself to his own ruin.[12]
4:10he will lift you up. This is closely connected to a proverb Jesus uses at least three times in the Gospels (Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14). What is not made clear in this context is what “he will lift you up” refers to. This has to be understood in light of what came before in James 3:13 and 18. In those verses, the mature believer does good deeds in a spirit of gentleness, and the result is a harvest of peace. Such peacemakers are blessed by God and exalted as sons and daughters of God (Matt. 5:9), which includes the honor and reward one reaps from being a peacemaker.[13]
4:10 / Finally, there is hope; as they humble [themselves] before the Lord, truly regretting their sin, God’s acceptance is sure: God will lift you up (cf. 4:6). The picture is that of someone prostrate before an oriental monarch, begging mercy. The monarch leans down from the throne and lifts the petitioner’s face from the dust. The person rises with grateful joy, knowing he or she is forgiven. This metaphor occurs in the Old Testament for God’s action in restoring the fortunes of the poor: “The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety” (Job 5:11). God also will not reject these Christians, if they repent and reject their sin.
James concludes his section on the tongue, wisdom, and the evil impulse with a final exhortation, which focuses on the nature of the repentance he has previously demanded.[14]
Humble Yourselves before the Lord and He Will Lift You Up (4:10)
The prophets often declare that the Lord humbles the proud (1 Sam 2:7; Isa. 2:11–17; 26:5; Lam. 1:5; Ezek. 17:24; Hos. 14:9). Yet James does not say, “The Lord will humble you”; he says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord” (4:10). Therefore we do not wait for God or for circumstances to humble us. It is our duty to humble ourselves. James does not specify how we do this, but he does drop a hint in the phrase “before the Lord.”
If we remember that all we do is “before the Lord,” if his holiness is our standard, it is easier to humble ourselves. But if we compare ourselves to others, it is far easier to avoid humility. If a parent chides a child for a messy room, the child runs to the excuse, “You think my room is bad—you should see …,” whereupon the child names the messiest child he knows. Adults do the same thing when their flaws appear. We think, “I have a problem, but I’m not nearly so bad as so-and-so.” When we compare ourselves to others, we can always find someone who is worse. But if we compare ourselves to the Lord, who is the absolute standard, the excuse disappears and we are more likely to humble ourselves. When he stood before the Lord, even the prophet Isaiah, a godly man who served as God’s mouth, declared, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (Isa. 6:5 nasb). In a sense, he still compared himself to his countrymen, but not in a way that excused his sin.8 When God is the standard, humility comes easily.
If we humble ourselves, if we admit that we sin, and that we are sinful, and that we cannot reform ourselves, then, James promises, the Lord will lift us up. This is the gospel according to James. James does not mention the atonement of Christ, the cross of Christ, or the resurrection of Christ. He states the gospel his own way, a way deeply influenced by the teachings of Jesus. James says there is an antithesis, a choice between two ways of life: a way of selfish ambition and a way of purity and peace (3:13–18). We can be a friend of God or a friend of the world (4:4). We can be proud or humble and repentant. Jesus says, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11; 18:14). James says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” When we grieve over our sins and turn to him in faith, he will extend his redeeming grace. When we come to God in repentance and humility, he will forgive us and lift us up.[15]
Humility and Its Promise (4:10)
James now turns to a final summons, and it brings to focus the theme of the entire section from 4:7–9: repentance. As in 4:7b and 4:8a, this last commandment entails a promise: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” The language evokes once again the reversal theme of 1:9–11. But instead of talking so directly to the poor as James did there, in the word “humble” he summons the teachers to align themselves with those who are needy and dependent on God. His summons probably owes at least some of its origin to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 23:12: “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted” (cf. Luke 14:11; 18:14). Paul, too, echoed the same saying of Jesus in 2 Cor 11:7 (cf. 12:21). It is possible, also, that the song behind Philippians 2:5–11 was already at work in the messianic community; there Jesus is the example of the one who humbled himself (2:8). Peter also echoes the saying of Jesus (1 Pet 5:6). James 4:10 brings to final expression, not so much as the culmination but as the final way of calling the teachers to repentance, what we have already encountered in 4:6 and 4:7–9.
The humbling is not just about what the teachers have done or what has now been exposed; nor is this the dishonor they may experience. It refers, rather, to an existential disposition “before the Lord,” one that expresses accountability before God. It is not James they have offended with their selfish ambitions; it is not the community; the teachers have offended the Lord in their proud behaviors and attitudes. As Paul states it, no one can boast in God’s presence (1 Cor 1:29). Genuine humility is profoundly theological because it is a proper recognition of one’s place in this world before the creator, the holy, loving God.
James speaks against the pride of the teachers, as Jesus so graphically did as well (cf. Luke 18:14), and James’s promise that God will exalt them follows from the grace God gives to those who are humble (4:6ab). The promise of exaltation captures the reversal theme, but only if the zealous, ambitious, proud teachers will enter into a state of humility before God. Thus, Job 5:11: “he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.” The exaltation James has in mind does not appeal to the teachers’ zeal, ambition, and pride but takes them from their sinful condition into the realm of humble repentance and through that humiliation before God into the world of God’s blessing. The exalted place into which God will elevate them is nothing more than living before God properly, loving one’s neighbor as oneself, showing compassion for those in need, controlling the tongue, generating peace in the messianic community, and exercising gifts of teaching and leadership in the way God intended. Perhaps that state is best defined by 3:13: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.”
Repentance takes on its genius in this passage, not the least reason being that James never uses the typical word metanoia (“repentance”). First, repentance is about a person’s relationship, mind, and behaviors before God: it is profoundly theological. This is why this section begins and ends with the face of God (4:7, 8a, 10). Second, repentance leads to forgiveness that can be described in terms of purification (4:8b). Third, repentance is both embodied and emotive—as 4:9 makes clear. And, fourth, repentance leads to grace that elevates a person not into envy but into peacemaking, love, and compassionate deeds (4:10).[16]
10Humble yourselves—passive in form, reflexive in meaning. Self-abasement is a decisive act which James bids them do at once, before God, not Christ (see vv. 6, 7, 8). It is the necessary condition of spiritual exaltation and victory (see vv. 6f. and 1:12), not the vanity of the world’s glory.[17]
10 James wraps up the unit by reiterating the call for humility reflected earlier (v. 6) in his quote of Proverbs 3:34: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” The value of humility as the right path to exaltation is widely published in the OT, but the most immediate backdrop for James is the teaching of Jesus, who said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 14:11; cf. Mt 23:12; Lk 18:14). The thought is echoed in the writings of the early church (e.g., 1 Pe 5:6; see Moo, 196), due in no small measure to the example of the Lord himself, who lived a life of perfect submission to the Father in the face of suffering and was exalted as a result (Heb 2:9; Php 2:5–11). This forms a cornerstone of the Lord’s upside-down value system, which governs the kingdom. The way “up” is “down”; the path of freedom is submission; the road to joy is walked in mourning and with tears. Yet the end result is grace. The Lord lifts those who, recognizing their sin, repent, bowing before him in submission.[18]
Humility
Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. (4:10)
As has been noted several times previously in this commentary volume, humility is actually the starting point and summary of salvation as far as the human response is concerned. The first Beatitude is “Blessed are the poor in spirit [the humble], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). Earlier in this passage, James has declared that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (4:6).
Tapeinoō (humble yourselves) means literally to make low. Here it means to make oneself low, not in the self-put-downs that many people use in order to induce others to build them up, but in a genuine realization of complete unworthiness and lostness because of sin. As the penitent sinner submits to God and draws closer to Him, like Isaiah he cries out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:5). The more an unbeliever sees God as He really is, glorious and holy, the more clearly he sees himself as he really is, sinful and depraved. Even Peter was overwhelmed and terrified when He saw Jesus miraculously fill their nets with fish, crying out, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8). Later the disciples became even more fearful of Jesus for stilling the storm than they had been of the storm itself, “saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?’ ” (8:25).
God has always honored those who are spiritually humble. The Lord testified to Solomon: “[If] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14). The psalmist praised the Lord, saying, “You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear” (Ps. 10:17). Through Isaiah God promised, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isa. 57:15).
Jesus made clear that “whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt. 23:12). Again, the prodigal is the perfect example of contrite humility. When he came to his senses in the far country, he said to himself, “I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men’ ” (Luke 15:18–19). When he returned home and expressed that sincere contrition, “the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found’ ” (Luke 15:22–24).
That is a picture of the way in which God gives His “greater grace” (James 4:6) to those who come into the presence of the Lord in repentance and humility. He will exalt them lavishly.
It is of that gracious exaltation that Paul speaks in his letter to the church at Ephesus.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. (Eph. 1:3–7)
More even than that, our loving heavenly Father has “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (2:6).[19]
[1] Watson, R. G. (2017). James. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1970). Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Blue, J. R. (1985). James. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 831). Victor Books.
[9] Lea, T. D. (1999). Hebrews, James (Vol. 10, p. 322). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[18] Guthrie, G. H. (2006). James. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, pp. 256–257). Zondervan.
[19] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1998). James (pp. 213–215). Moody Press.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:2)
This is a precious promise to one who lives for fruitfulness. At first it seems to wear a sharp aspect. Must the fruitful bough be pruned? Must the knife cut even the best and most useful? No doubt it is so, for very much of our Lord’s purging work is done by means of afflictions of one kind or another. It is not the evil but the good who have the promise of tribulation in this life. But, then, the end makes more than full amends for the painful nature of the means. If we may bring forth more fruit for our Lord, we will not mind the pruning and the loss of leafage.
Still, purging is sometimes wrought by the Word apart from trial, and this takes away whatever appeared rough in the flavor of the promise. We shall by the Word be made more gracious and more useful. The Lord who has made us, in a measure, fruit-bearing, will operate upon us till we reach a far higher degree of fertility. Is not this a great joy? Truly there is more comfort in a promise of fruitfulness than if we had been warranted riches, or health, or honor.
Lord Jesus, speedily fulfill Thy gracious word to me and cause me to abound in fruit to Thy praise!
Emptiness leaves me feeling hopeless, worn out, used up, exhausted and alone.
In Ruth 1:20-21 (NLV) Naomi says, “Don’t call me Naomi. . . Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty.”
We are given only a glimpse of the heartache and sorrow that brought Naomi to the point of such emptiness and despair. What must it have been like for her to travel home to her native land empty? Did her heart break a little more with each step she took? What pain she must have experienced as she traveled farther and farther away from the family she buried. Naomi feels used up, spit out and with nothing left to give emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually.
What has left you feeling empty?
I experienced a time of intense emptiness after the break-up of a close friend. I didn’t want the friendship to end and I worked with everything I had in me to hold on to the last remaining remnants of our relationship but it slipped through my fingers like sand and I was left with a gnawing emptiness that wouldn’t go away; a pain in my gut that never seemed to lessen.
At the risk of being redundant, let me just say that emptiness leaves us empty.
But without the emptiness how can we be filled?
Think about it, if we’re already full, how can God fill us?
What if emptiness is a good thing?
What if it is part of God’s plan you, for me?
When we are empty of our self; our arrogance, our own dreams, our thoughtlessness – than God is able to fill us with Him.
For me, the loneliness and pain I experienced drove me to my knees and created a space for God to fill. The emptiness allowed me to see God in a way I had never seen Him before. It brought my heart into a place of surrender.
Our faith as believers is anchored in emptiness. The empty tomb is the cornerstone of our faith. We serve a risen Savior, who died and left the tomb of death, never to return!
Then the angel spoke . . . “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead . . .” Matthew 18:5 (NLV)
We have a lot of things in this world that cause us to become empty – empty bank accounts, wayward children, broken relationships, the death of a loved one, regret and on and on . . .
I want to encourage you to embrace the emptiness . . . and allow God to fill you with His Holy Spirit.
Remember, it is only through our emptiness that we can be filled!
We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith alone. However, true prayer is one way of expressing your faith. The following is a suggested prayer:
“Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have been directing my own life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.”
‘Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5 & 6
Stay strong in the Lord in His words and His promises. Hold onto Him, cling onto His every Word What you sow is what you reap. God’s love is eternal; there’s no boundary to God’s plan for you God wants the best for your life All He cares is your well-being so tap into the spiritual realms and feel His love for you His love for you is so strong and solid appreciate life, and everything that God has given you even the rain and sunshine and the air you breathe. Do things according to His will for your life and see your life bloom
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Yosemite National Park facing boycott threat after Pride Month parade Yosemite National Park is facing threats of a boycott after hosting a Pride parade for park staff, as detailed in a viral TikTok video. The video, posted by drag queen and environmentalist called Pattie Gonia, showcased the parade, featuring park employees hiking with pride flags and attire.
Earths Magnetic Poles Can Flip – And It’s Long Overdue To Happen Again Something’s up with the Earth’s magnetic poles. Over the past few thousand years, Earth’s geomagnetic field has been getting weaker and weaker. If it decays enough, it could collapse altogether and flip the poles. North would become South and South would become North.
France braces for more violence with armored vehicles, extra cops deployed Far-right politicians called for a state of emergency to be imposed as the government seeks to tackle the unrest. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said armored vehicles and extra police forces would be deployed in an attempt to curtail riots, as authorities geared up for another night of violent outbursts.
Blinken Speaks Loudly and Carries a Small Stick “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” That was the famous advice of Theodore Roosevelt, who, more than any preceding president, sought to make America a world power. It is advice that the Biden administration seems to be increasingly ignoring, especially when it comes to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s recent trip to Beijing.
BREAKING: Trudeau Liberals celebrate Toronto Pride as fetishists expose themselves to children Prominent figures participated in the Toronto pride parade on Sunday, including Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau’s Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, among others. The parade, put on by Pride Toronto, included people walking in puppy play and furry costume fetish gear. Several adults exposed themselves to the audience in attendance. Bud Light helped sponsor the event.
Biden admin gives Indian non-profit $50,000 to promote gender identity policies The Biden administration is granting a radical progressive Indian organization nearly $50,000 in taxpayer funds to further the foreign group’s efforts of adopting inclusive policies, which includes normalizing transgender ideology in workplaces.
France on red alert: Macron faces calls to impose ‘state of emergency’ President Macron was last night facing calls to impose a state of emergency after marauding gangs of rioters – some armed with stolen rifles – clashed with police in a fourth night of mayhem resulting in nearly 1,000 arrests.
France burns as riots spread, reaching Brussels France braced for a weekend of escalating riots on Friday after another night of violence in several cities and towns saw more public buildings, stores, cars and buses attacked by throngs of mostly young French who are angry over the police killing of a 17-year-old in a Paris suburb.
UN SDGs implant “human rights” and attempt to override our inalienable rights The United Nations claims that the purpose of Sustainable Development Goal 16, or SDG16, is to promote peaceful and inclusive societies and to provide access to justice for all. Hiding behind the rhetoric is the real objective: to strengthen and consolidate the power and authority of the “global governance regime” and to exploit threats – both real and imagined – in order to advance regime dominance.
Many leaders in the West now are pushing the propaganda theme of an inevitable stalemate in the Ukraine war. In other words, Ukraine will fight Russia to a stand still. Well, that’s the delusional hope. Don’t take my word for it. Peruse these recent headlines:
What planet do these folks inhabit? A stalemate means that each side — i.e., Ukraine and Russia — are equally matched and enjoy no tactical or strategic advantage over the other. That is simply not the case with the “Special Military Operation” underway. Remember how Russia was running out of missiles? Western think tanks and pundits have been repeating that mantra since April of 2022. But the worm is turning:
According to a recent CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) article, Russia’s relentless campaign of strikes in 2023 has made one thing abundantly clear — the notion that Russia would eventually exhaust its missile supply is unrealistic. Despite facing sanctions and export controls, it is highly probable that Russia will continue to manufacture or acquire the necessary long-range strike capabilities to inflict significant damage on Ukraine
Russia also enjoys a massive advantage in tanks, artillery, artillery shells, combat aircraft, helicopters, armored vehicles, mobile artillery, electronic warfare, ships, cruise missiles and hypersonic missiles. Oh yeah, almost forgot — Russia also has at least a ten to one advantage in manpower compared to Ukraine.
That is not all. Russia’s military installations for training new recruits are intact and operating 24/7. Ukraine, on the other hand, is forcibly conscripting new “troops” and they are being sent to other countries and subjected to shortened training programs. Russia’s economy is strong and its industrial base is the largest in the world except for China. In other words, Russia can produce everything it needs to sustain its combat operations in Ukraine.
Ukraine, by contrast, is totally dependent on the largesse of the United States and NATO countries. Without the Western money and continuing supply of weapons, Ukraine cannot sustain combat operations for more than two weeks. How is that a stalemate?
NATO is in the same position as Captain Smith of the Titanic after it was pummeled by the ice berg. They are trying to keep a sinking ship afloat but the structural damage is too severe. Desperation is setting in and there are disturbing signs that Ukraine is going to try to manufacture a nuclear incident at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant that it hopes will create a predicate for activation of NATO’s article 5 and bring NATO troops into the battle:
A special aircraft WC-135R Constant Phoenix of the US Air Force was deployed on June 30 to the Chania airbase in Crete. It is from this base that RQ-4B Global Hawk reconnaissance UAVs and RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft fly to the Black Sea region.
WC-135R is designed to collect information about radioactive radiation and control nuclear tests.
The rarest visit of a special board may be connected with the preparation of a nuclear catastrophe by Kiev at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
While I do not dismiss the Ukrainian threat to create a nuclear disaster, I believe that Russia has taken the necessary steps to shore up the defenses at Zaprorozhye. The upcoming meeting of NATO in Vilnius (July 12 and 13) will be rancorous. Poland continues to carp at Germany about paying reparations. France is burning and political turmoil is building. And Turkey is furious with Sweden over the recent desecration of the Koran while Swedish police stood by and did nothing. NATO is far from united and there is no evidence of a growing consensus to give more money and weapons to Ukraine. Hungary, for example, is calling for a halt in sending anything else to Ukraine.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban dug in his heels over crucial European Union aid to Ukraine, offering sympathy for his neighbor but nothing more to help it fight off Russia’s invasion.
Speaking in a Bloomberg interview at the Qatar Economic Forum, Orban argued that Ukraine’s military effort is doomed and sending further aid will only lead to more deaths.
“Emotionally it’s tragic, all of our hearts are with the Ukrainians,” Orban, 59, told Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait on Tuesday. “But I’m talking as a politician who should save lives.”
“There’s no chance to win this war,” he added.
I do not see a plausible case for stalemate. But a Ukrainian debacle is a more likely outcome.
This plane’s job is to sniff the atmosphere for proof of nuclear materials in the air. With all the talk in Ukraine about an attack coming against the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, this plane’s task is obvious – find reason to blame Russia.
The plane, shown on the Flight map above has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean, a short hop to Ukraine for what may be the excuse drummed-up by Ukraine, to get NATO directly involved in combat against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Saturday that a “serious threat” remained at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and said Russia was “technically ready” to provoke a localized explosion at the facility. Zelenskyy cited Ukrainian…
President Joe Biden will head to Europe at week’s end for a three-country trip intended to bolster the international coalition against Russian aggression as the war in Ukraine extends well into its second year.
According to Scripture, is both. Jesus is both limited in His humanity and infinite in His deity as Lord over creation.
by Joel Beeke
Teaching is hard work. When Jesus and His disciples got into a boat after a full day of teaching, the disciples were not surprised that Jesus fell asleep. The gently rocking waves of the Sea of Galilee might have lulled them to sleep, too. But on their way across the big lake, a terrible storm arose.
The southern end of the Sea of Galilee is a deep valley lined by cliffs. Wind can suddenly come roaring into that valley and whip the sea into a storm. [The Reformation Study Bible, ed. R. C. Sproul (Orlando: Ligonier, 2005), 1422. Thanks to Paul Smalley for his assistance on this article, which is slightly enlarged from an address I gave for a regional conference of the Philadelphia Conference of…
It is something almost none of us want to even think about, much less jump into the middle of and confront face to face in order to put an end to it. But it is now here, right in our faces, as the neo-Sodomites are setting the stage for the moment when God in Heaven will say, ”THAT’S ENOUGH!”, as he has done at various times in the history of the human race.
He said, “Enough is enough,” when mankind had become anti-God and so wicked that he destroyed all living flesh that wasn’t in the Ark of Noah’s day.
He said, “Enough is enough,” at the time of Babel, when people had determined to do only what was right in their own eyes.
He has thus intervened many times throughout human history—even with Israel, His chosen people, sometimes being at the heart of His judgment and wrath.
There is perhaps no other claim found in Scripture that’s met with more resistance and scorn from contemporary culture than the exclusive claim “Jesus is the only way.” But the question isn’t “Is it offensive?” The question is “Is it true?” Jon Noyes answers in this excerpt from his Stand to Reason University course, “Jesus: The Only Way.”
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