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
And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the beau shall be seen in the cloud.Genesis 9:14
Just now clouds are plentiful enough, but we are not afraid that the world will be destroyed by a deluge. We see the rainbow often enough to prevent our having any such fears. The covenant which the Lord made with Noah stands fast, and we have no doubts about it. Why, then, should we think that the clouds of’ trouble, which now darken our sky, will end in our destruction? Let us dismiss such groundless and dishonoring fears.
Faith always sees the bow of covenant promise whenever sense sees the cloud of affliction. God has a bow with which He might shoot out His arrows of destruction. But see, it is turned upward! It is a bow without an arrow or a string; it is a bow hung out for show, no longer used for war. It is a bow of many colors, expressing joy and delight, and not a bow blood-red with slaughter or black with anger. Let us be of good courage. Never does God so darken our sky as to leave His covenant without a witness, and even if He did, we would trust Him since He cannot change or lie or in any other way fail to keep His covenant of peace. Until the waters go over the earth again, we shall have no reason for doubting our God.
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.”Romans 5:3-4 (NLT)
Recently, I watched a friend bury his beloved wife. His heart is cracking apart with grief. The loss and loneliness are a crushing burden he carries every day.
It seems almost sacrilegious to read this verse about rejoicing when we face trials in respect to my friend’s circumstance. Does God really expect him to rejoice in this devastating sorrow?
Ephesians 1:5 says, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
Do you see the joy and pain in this verse? God’s adoption plan was sending His only Son to die in our place. What pain! What sorrow!
Look what it says next, “He wanted to do it and it gave him great pleasure!”
Pain and Joy. They seem so diametrically opposed to one another and yet, their mutual presence is at the core of God’s rescue plan for us!
Why should this journey of following our Savior be any different?
Joy comes from knowing God and trusting His way. Joy comes from the deep springs of the soul. It doesn’t happen overnight, it’s developed over time as we grab hold of His hand and put one foot in front of the other. As we walk His way.
Jesus said in John 16.33 (NIV), “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Thought:
– Will you choose joy in the pain of your circumstances? What blessings are there in your pain? Take some time today to focus on the good, instead of the bad and make a list of signs of God’s goodness in your life.
– Are you embracing the joy and the pain in your life?
Instead of feeling hopeless and discouraged by life’s trials, we can choose to walk with God in peace and joy.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable n all they do.” James 1:5-8
At first glance, today’s passage on wisdom doesn’t seem related to trials, but James is actually continuing His thoughts from the previous three verses. We need wisdom to know how to respond to suffering. This means we should see trials from God’s viewpoint and understand His purposes in allowing them in our life. If you want to profit from struggles, be sustained in them, and come through with joy, you must believe:
The Lord is in control. Your trial won’t go beyond the boundaries He has set.
He has a specific purpose for your suffering.
This hardship will prove to be profitable if you submit to God and trust Him through it.
Trying situations are opportunities for faith to prove genuine and grow stronger.
When you endure suffering with unexplainable peace and joy, God will demonstrate His sustaining power to others.
The Father uses trials to produce Christlike character.
God will walk with you through all difficulties.
If you believe these principles, they will shape how you respond to painful challenges. This perspective eliminates the negative reactions normally elicited by trials and makes supernatural responses possible. Instead of feeling miserable and hopeless, you’ll experience amazing peace and joy
‘War Is Peace’: MSNBC Claims (Again) That Voting Is Anti-Democratic it’s worth emphasizing just how stupid the corporate state media thinks its viewers are — and, by extension, the public-school-educated American public generally — that it can ram down its audience’s slack-jawed throats the narrative that voting for unapproved parties or candidates is a violation of sacred Democracy™. That’s how stupid they think their loyal Democrat viewers/readers are, that they can’t see through the most glaring contradiction in all of human history; that merely by waving hypnotically the avatar of the Orange Bad Man in front of their faces, back and forth, they can convince them that voting the wrong way makes the fascists.
Inside U.S. Efforts to Untangle an A.I. Giant’s Ties to China When the secretive national security adviser of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, visited the White House in June, his American counterpart, Jake Sullivan, raised a delicate issue: G42, an artificial intelligence firm controlled by the sheikh that American officials believe is hiding the extent of its work with China.
Iraq sees risk of regional conflict if Gaza war resumes Iraq sees a risk of regional conflict if the current truce in Gaza is not turned into a permanent cease-fire, the Iraqi prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser said, as mediators sought an extension of the temporary four-day Israel-Hamas truce.
Kim receives spy satellite images of White House, Pentagon, US aircraft carriers North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received photos of the White House, Pentagon and US aircraft carriers in the naval base of Norfolk, taken by its recently launched spy satellite, state media KCNA said on Tuesday. North Korea last week successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite, which it has said was designed to monitor US and South Korean military movements.
Magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes northern Papua New Guinea, no tsunami warning issued A shallow, 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the northern coast of Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake hit about 20 kilometres (12 miles) off the coast, a short distance from the town of Wekak, capital of the Pacific island state’s East Sepik Province.
Visits by EU Leaders to Israel Highlight Growing Divisions in Brussels Over War in Gaza The leaders of Spain, Belgium, and Germany have all made the trip in recent days, with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier earning plaudits from his hosts for his remarks while in Israel — in marked contrast to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, who were accused by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen of giving “support to terrorism.”
Elon Musk: ‘No choice but to kill those who insist on murder’ Elon Musk thanked the President and said, “Thank you for having me. there’s three things that need to happen in the Gaza situation, there’s no choice but to kill those who insist on murdering civilians. You are notgoing to change their mind. But the second thing is to change the education so the new generation of murderers is not trained to be murderers.
Hamas: We are willing to negotiate release of captive Israeli soldiers his would be a major step by the terrorist organization that perpetrated the October 7 massacre, as the international pressure is far more focused on the release of civilians than it is of IDF soldiers. Hamas, in the meantime, is said to be using the ongoing ceasefire as an opportunity to move hostages it is holding in captivity to different locations,
“A Palestinian state should be demilitarized,” says Egypt’s president What is happening now is an interim phase. Everyone understands that one day the war will end and the barbaric Hamas regime will be history. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said something that is today deemed novel. He presented basic principles for the establishment of a future Palestinian state, noting Israel’s long-held conditions for such a solution.
Arab countries promote ‘Neither Abbas nor Hamas’ in new rulership of Gaza The new Palestinian body would be tasked with rebuilding Gaza under the auspices of significant economic aid from the Arab and Gulf countries, with Qatar playing a possible leading role. In talks hosted by Qatar and elsewhere, senior Arab officials are promoting the goal of establishing a new Palestinian body to rule the Gaza Strip, ruling out a return of the Mahmoud Abbas-led Palestinian Authority.
The PA cancels Christmas in Bethlehem to show solidarity with Hamas “Bethlehem Municipality crews announced the dismantling of Christmas decorations installed several years ago in the city’s neighborhoods and removing all festive appearances in honor of the martyrs and in solidarity with our people in Gaza,” the municipality wrote on Facebook.
Hamas and Israel agree on 2-day extension of truce and hostage releases, according to White House Israel and the terror organization Hamas agreed on a 2-day extension of their original 4-day truce agreement, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated on Monday evening. The original agreement was set to end on Monday but will be extended by two days according to prearranged terms. This means that 20 additional Israeli women and children will be released by Hamas, while Israel will release 60 additional Palestinian prisoners and there will be a pause in fighting during those days.
GOOD FOR BIBI: Netanyahu was right to invite Elon Musk to Israel, and Musk was right to come Amidst vicious attacks coming at Elon Musk from multiple directions, accusing him of being antisemitic, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu today welcomed Musk to Israel. And rightly so. Netanyahu took Musk on a tour of Israeli communities on the border of Gaza that were savaged by Hamas on Oct. 7, and continue to be attacked with Hamas rockets on an almost-daily basis. Introduced Musk to Jewish families directly impacted by Hamas terrorism. Made sure Musk was briefed by Israeli military commanders about the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
Trudeau signs partnership with EU to promote digital IDs, counter ‘disinformation’ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a digital agreement with the European Union (EU) to advance the implementation of a digital identification system and to counter online “disinformation.” On November 24, Trudeau released the official terms of the Canada-EU Digital Partnership which aims to create digital credentials for Canadians, counter “disinformation,” and cooperate on artificial intelligence (AI).
Ukraine’s military says Russia launched its largest drone attack since the start of the invasion Russia on Saturday morning launched its most intense drone attack on Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion in 2022, targeting the Ukrainian capital, military officials said. In total, Russia launched 75 Iranian-made Shahed drones against Ukraine, of which 74 were destroyed by air defenses, Ukraine’s air force said. “Kyiv was the main target,” Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his Telegram channel.
Search algorithm reveals nearly 200 new kinds of CRISPR systems Microbial sequence databases contain a wealth of information about enzymes and other molecules that could be adapted for biotechnology. But these databases have grown so large in recent years that they’ve become difficult to search efficiently for enzymes of interest. Now, scientists at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Institutes of Health have developed a new search algorithm that has identified 188 kinds of new rare CRISPR systems in bacterial genomes, encompassing thousands of individual systems.
World’s largest iceberg, double Greater London-size wakes after 30 years The iceberg known as A23a broke away from the Antarctic shoreline in 1986 and got stranded in the Weddell Sea. Over the past year, the iceberg has shown signs of slow drifting, and it is currently on the verge of extending beyond Antarctic waters. The thickness of its ice slab is 400 meters (1,312 feet).
Severe ‘black blizzard’ in Moscow: Snowfall hits 35% of monthly average overnight, Russia The Russian capital of Moscow is facing an extraordinary ‘black blizzard’, a weather pattern typically seen in the country’s Far North. Severe weather in the capital started overnight, resulting in heavy snowfall and reduced visibility to approximately 100 m (328 feet), with the situation expected to persist until Tuesday, November 28, 2023.
Powerful Storm Bettina ravages Black Sea region with hurricane-force winds, severe storm surge, flooding and snowstorms Hurricane-force winds reaching speeds of 144 km/h (90 mph) and a significant tidal surge caused by a powerful Mediterranean cyclone named Storm Bettina have devastated parts of the Crimean Peninsula, particularly impacting Sevastopol and surrounding districts on November 25 and 26, 2023. The storm has led to widespread power outages, affecting nearly 500 000 residents, and causing considerable flooding and property damage. Bettina’s center moved over land early November 27 and is now heading northward.
Heavy snow and blizzards hit Romania and Bulgaria, claiming lives and disrupting power supply Heavy snowfall, strong winds, and blizzards, unleashed by Storm Bettina, have led to severe weather-related incidents and extensive damage in parts of Romania and Bulgaria on November 26 and 27, 2023. The storm resulted in the deaths of at least 3 people and left dozens injured in several countries, including Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia. The adverse conditions are expected to persist, with forecasts predicting low temperatures and moderate rainfall across central-western Romania and north-western Bulgaria in the coming days.
Lightning strikes claim 24 lives in Gujarat, India amid unseasonal severe thunderstorms In a rare winter weather phenomenon, the western Indian state of Gujarat experienced severe thunderstorms and lightning strikes, resulting in 24 deaths and approximately 25 injuries. The state, known for rain-related calamities, was unprepared for such a storm during the winter months.
If Modern Israel Is Not Biblical Israel, Then Why Is The God Of The Bible Protecting It? All throughout the modern history of Israel – the hand of God in rescuing the remnant from the gas chambers and the death camps in Europe; the hand of God in bringing them back to a land that once was a barren wasteland and now is one of the most fertile grounds in the world; the hand of God in reviving the old forgotten Hebrew language as the only means of communication between people that come from more than 80 different diasporas; the hand of God in making sure that the efforts to destroy the newborn state will fail.
Hamas Official: We Kidnapped Foreign Nationals For ‘Their Own Protection’ Hamas official Hisham Qasem spouted a new propaganda talking point for the terrorist group this week, claiming that Hamas terrorists had kidnapped Thai nationals “for their own protection” during their October 7 attack on Israel.
The Entire Banking System Is Shaking Why are big banks suddenly rushing to shut down so many local branches all over the nation? As I have discussed in previous articles, U.S. banks are currently sitting on hundreds of billions of dollars in unrealized losses. When financial institutions get into trouble, they start getting really tight with their money and they start cutting costs. In addition to laying off workers, our banks have been cutting costs by permanently closing local branches. For example, between November 12th and November 18th, the sixth largest bank in the United States initiated filings to close 19 more local branches…
Chinese Government Sent Millions in Payments to Biolab in California Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) is investigating an illegal biolab located in Reedley, California. According to Gallagher, the biolab received “over two million dollars of unexplained wire transfers from China.” Local officials in Reedley reported that the FBI did not investigate the biolab because there was no evidence of weapons of mass destruction, and the CDC was forced to investigate after a local congressman called attention to the lab.
The FCC is voting to seize American internet infrastructure in the name of ‘equity’ When regimes capture power, it’s often not in the dramatic fashion of the storming of the Bastille. Instead, it’s a bureaucratic takeover, hidden in jargon and filled with clichés, for the greater good. The Federal Communications Commission is poised to vote today on a sweeping set of new rules called the “Preventing Digital Discrimination Order.”
Girl Scouts of America Now Tells Girls White People are Evil Oppressors The Girl Scouts of America used to be a wholesome, all-American institution that taught girls how to be patriotic young women. Now they are teaching kids to be baby-killing, feminists who hate white people. No exaggeration. The Girl Scouts have committed to becoming an “anti-racist” organization.
Secretive White House Surveillance Program Gives Cops Access to Trillions of US Phone Records A little-known surveillance program tracks more than a trillion domestic phone records within the United States each year, according to a letter WIRED obtained that was sent by US senator Ron Wyden to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Sunday, challenging the program’s legality.
“It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives.” —John Adams (1756)
Fellow Patriots, on this day in 1942, the first B-24 bomber rolled off the assembly line at Ford’s Willow Run plant in Michigan. At peak production, one bomber was produced every hour. Sadly, in corporate America today, leading leftists are more interested in destroying American culture than preserving and defending it. —Mark Alexander
As the movie “Wish” marks another opening weekend flop, Disney knows why, and it’s not going to change.
Emmy Griffin
Going into Thanksgiving weekend, The Walt Disney Company released its 100 years of animation tribute film, “Wish.” Like “The Marvels” before it, “Wish” was a flop. It only brought in $8.3 million the first day and a cumulative five-day total of $31.7 million. When compared to its $400 million budget, that is a devastating blow.
Now, there is a valid question to ask here before we go further. Was this film a flop because Disney has made itself box-office poison, or was it because people aren’t willing to pay the price to take their kids to the theater when streaming is so much more convenient? It really is a question to take into account. Taking a family of four or more to the movies is an investment. The tickets alone can amount to at least $65. Then add in all the obligatory snacks and, well, there’s $100 gone. However, if movies were uplifting and entertaining — helping people forget about hard times, like during the Great Depression — that investment might be worth something.
But Disney isn’t worth the investment anymore, and that’s being proved yet again at the theaters.
Interestingly enough for this particular Disney film, it was the critics and not the audience that crucified the movie in review purgatory. “Wish’s” plot left a lot to be desired (many say it got off track and had major plot holes), and the musical score was adequate but not spectacular. Overall, it was a hyped film that seemed like yet another recycled Disney plot. It wasn’t “Moana” or “Encanto,” but at least this film wasn’t trying to shove wokeness down your throat.
Maybe not wokeness, but the anti-God allegory and the you-can-be-your-own-god message is there. The neo-paganism is evident even when listening to the soundtrack. However, audiences have given the film an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewers are just relieved that there is no crazy culture war attack launched on them and their children for once. They’re also relieved that “Wish” was on more familiar, predictable Disney grounds.
The Walt Disney Company itself is admitting the folly it has wrought by wading into the culture wars. In its annual investor form that it is obligated to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), it is also required to disclose any risks to prospective investors. The filing is pretty straightforward — it details how its profits are tied to creating content that is dictated to its audiences, and that is an ever-changing task. However, the key part of that risk disclosure comes later:
Further, consumers’ perceptions of our position on matters of public interest, including our efforts to achieve certain of our environmental and social goals, often differ widely and present risks to our reputation and brands.
In other words, Disney knows that its ideological and political stances on “environmental” and “social” agendas aren’t welcome or appreciated by the consumer base, but the company is going to carry on doing it anyway. Disney sees that pushing wokeness and cultural corruption on children is hurting it, but it isn’t going to stop. That’s one heck of a business model. Hey, at least shareholders were warned.
Now parents, you’ve been warned. Disney is not indicating that it’s going to reverse course. Executives in the company don’t seem to care if they wreck a storied children’s entertainment company. They will inflict their worldview and political agendas on you until they go bust.
In a way, it’s another example of leftist body snatchers ruining everything they touch. Leftism only destroys. Disney is merely another willing casualty.
The last two months of each year are the most critical for the team here at The Patriot Post. In that short time span, we must raise more than half of the funding required to keep our operations on track into the new year. Help us stand strong going forward — we rely completely on your generosity to remain a voice for Liberty. Please make your gift today. Thank you for your support. —Christy Chesterton, Director of Advancement
A Chiefs fan wore a headdress and team-color face paint. A media scribe thinks that’s “racism.”
Nate Jackson
It was hardly a great moment in journalism. In fact, rarely does a media story present so many angles of utter insanity as Deadspin’s ridiculous hit piece yesterday on a young boy rooting for his favorite NFL team.
“The NFL needs to speak out against the Kansas City Chiefs fan in Black face, Native headdress,” blared the headline of a story by Carron Phillips. Even though Mr. Phillips is a black man, based on his silly rant we can only surmise his name is pronounced “Karen” — slang for an entitled and haranguing white woman.
Phillips decided to bully a young kid with a racist screed based on a misleading screenshot at the top of the article showing the fan turned sideways to show only black paint on his face under the Chiefs headdress. A view of the boy’s full face reveals that the other half was painted red — you know, for his team.
(Full disclosure: The Chiefs are also this author’s favorite team since childhood — decades before this past year’s Super Bowl victory over Joe Biden’s Philadelphia Eagles, and long before Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce started dating an up-and-coming singer named Taylor Swift.)
“It takes a lot to disrespect two groups of people at once,” harrumphed Phillips. “But on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas, a Kansas City Chiefs fan found a way to hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time.”
Phillips then demanded answers to several questions:
Why did the camera person give this fan the attention?
Why did the producer allow that camera angle to be aired at all?
Is that fan a kid/teenager or a young adult?
Despite their age, who taught that person that what they were wearing was appropriate?
The fan is obviously a young kid, but Phillips is the one who’s childish. So we have a couple of questions of our own for him: What if that young boy had been dressed as a girl and declared different pronouns? (Phillips already assumed “their.”) Or what if the boy had knelt for the national anthem?
“There’s no place for a franchise to be called the ‘Chiefs’ in a league that’s already eradicated ‘Redskins,’” Phillips then asserted. Yes, his entire argument is based on the preposterous presupposition that a team would choose a name in order to disparage it. We have Warriors, not Weaklings; Patriots, not Traitors.
Unfortunately, the Chiefs three years ago banned headdresses and certain face paint at their home stadium. This fan attended the game in Vegas. The Chiefs still allow the Arrowhead or Tomahawk Chop, and, so far, the organization has steadfastly stood by its name.
Phillips goes on to slam the entire NFL for its “End Racism” and “It Takes All Of Us” slogans: “Do you know how big your balls have to be to say that racism should be ended when you have a racist past like the NFL?”
How, pray tell, is anyone supposed to make progress if race-hustlers like Phillips never forgive and keep making new accusations no matter what? Our question belies his game — he decried “stand[ing] against Critical Race Theory,” which holds that whites can never be absolved of racism because we have a history of oppression. Never mind real history with context. Phillips uses the CRT/Marxist “oppressor/oppressed” dichotomy as the crux of his argument.
And how, exactly, is racism solved by “eradicating” Native Americans from any representation among sports team names or brands? Indigenous Peoples can appropriate Columbus Day, but they can’t have any brand or team names. Got it.
This particular media smear against a minor reminds us of the case of Nick Sandmann, the teenager who won defamation settlements from multiple Leftmedia outlets after they falsely accused him of racism when he was confronted by a Native American agitator at a 2019 event in Washington, DC. As far as the media was concerned, Sandmann’s two sins were wearing a MAGA hat while being white. His “tribal elder” antagonist was a race-baiter by the name of Nathan Phillips, no relation to Carron Phillips of Deadspin.
After backlash against his mindless article, Phillips lashed out, “For the idiots in my mentions who are treating this as some harmless act because the other side of his face was painted red, I could make the argument that it makes it even worse.” Yes, you could argue that, but it would be even more stupid.
Now you know why we stand against CRT, Mr. Phillips. Because CRT teaches bullies like you to destroy even children who trigger your delicate sensibilities. Doing so in the name of “social justice” or “racial justice” doesn’t make it any better.
The truth is that CRT is racism, and putting a modifier before justice means you no longer have justice. You just have bitter, angry losers like Carron Phillips.
Scranton Joe’s supply chain “fix,” energy blues, DEI budgets on the chopping block, and more.
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
Cross-Examination
Biden’s supply chain “fix”: On Monday, Joe Biden touted his administration’s “progress” in addressing the sustained high inflation that has made Americans collectively poorer. Indeed, cumulative inflation has risen by more than 19% since prior to the pandemic. While the government’s overreaction to the pandemic — shuttering of vast swaths of the U.S. economy for months while at the same time handing out checks to people who found themselves unemployed — was the initial catalyst for spiking inflation, it has been Biden’s massive spending polices that have ensured inflation remains high. Americans aren’t buying erroneous claims that the economy is actually pretty good, so Team Biden aims to address that by exerting more government control over everything you consume. Biden’s latest “solution” is a promise to lower inflation by “fixing” the supply chain, which was broken by his own administration, primarily Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The new White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience will supposedly strengthen the U.S. supply chain and thereby lower costs for Americans — by implementing control and mandates. “We’re from the government, and we’re here to help.” What could go wrong?
Energy blues: If you live in a blue state, you’re likely paying more for electricity and gas than Americans living in red states. A recent report from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has found that residents of Democrat-run states that have implemented aggressive climate change polices are shelling out more of their hard-earned dollars for their energy needs. Residents of California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey make up seven of the most expensive eight continental states for average electricity costs, while the Republican-run states of Nebraska, Louisiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho are seven of the eight lowest-cost states. When it comes to gas prices, a similar divide is evident — California, Washington, Oregon, and Illinois have an average price per gallon of $3.80 to $4.85, whereas the red states of Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri average $3.15 per gallon or less. According to ALEC, the significant difference in the average prices of electricity and fuel is directly tied to a state’s green energy mandates or its so-called Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). The report notes, “In the 48 contiguous states, the 16 with the highest electricity prices all have an RPS in place, as do 18 of the highest-priced 20 states.”
Cardona’s faux pas: If anyone ought to get his history right, it’d be the secretary of education. But alas, Miguel Cardona needs some remedial history. “I think it was President Reagan who said: ‘We’re from the government. We’re here to help,’” he said yesterday. It was Reagan who said that, but as the “fact-checkers” like to say, Cardona was missing context. You see, what Reagan actually said was, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” Reagan’s obvious point was to lampoon Big Government leftists like Cardona who make a mess of everything by exerting government control over so many aspects of our lives. It’s tyrannical and terrifying. Cardona not only missed the point, he exemplified it.
New York’s costly theft: Organized shoplifting crime has become a major problem in New York, and it’s only getting worse. In 2022 alone, business owners lost roughly $4.4 billion from retail theft. As this crime problem has been getting worse, store owners have called on Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul to tackle the issue, but she has thus far refused to do so. Indeed, just last week the New York legislature passed a bipartisan bill that would have created a 15-member task force of experts to provide recommendations on how to respond to organized shoplifting crimes. Hochul vetoed the bill, despite the fact that she has claimed preventing retail theft is a priority for her administration. In Syracuse alone, Police Chief Joe Cecile last month noted that shoplifting crimes have jumped by 55% since 2021, and he added “that number is likely higher because businesses often don’t report it — but they do continue to express concerns.” In New York City, retail crimes have risen 64% since 2019. The most troubling element of these crimes is that a significant number of them are organized.
DEI budgets are on the chopping block: We love it when a plan falls apart — especially a racist one. Diversity, equity, and inclusion, the diabolical Marxist construct that promotes identity politics, ignores individual merit, and generally judges people based on the color of their skin rather than the content of their character, has fallen on hard times. If only it were due to the collective conscience of corporate HR offices rather than the reality of budgetary belt-tightening. Still, we’ll take it. As The Daily Caller reports, “The total percentage of American organizations with a DEI budget dropped 4 percentage points, from 58% in 2022 to 54% in 2023, while the number of organizations with a DEI strategy fell nine points in that same time frame, according to a report from consulting firm Paradigm.” This is good news, and it follows from a landmark Supreme Court decision in June saying that the use of racial discrimination in college admissions is unconstitutional; from a cooling toward so-called environmental, social, and governmental investment on Wall Street; and from a backlash against corporate wokeness that’s seen industry giants such as Bud Light, Target, and Disney take some serious lumps. May the stockings of the DEI and ESG crowd be filled with coal this Christmas, and may their new year be filled with more bad tidings.
Moderna’s vaccine spies: One of the most delicious news stories of the past year was the glorious September return and redemption of tennis GOAT Novak Djokovic to the U.S. Open, a major tournament based in New York that had excluded him for the previous two years because he’d refused the COVID mRNA vaccine. Joker, as he’s known, didn’t disappoint. He won the tournament and a record-setting 24th career Grand Slam title along with it. Most magnificent of all, though, was that the tournament’s main sponsor was — we can’t make this stuff up — Moderna, one of the prime purveyors of the mRNA vaccine. And now we learn that Moderna, whose vaccine brought the company to a $100 billion valuation and created five new billionaires, has been spying on us. According to Lee Fang and Jack Poulson of UnHerd, an internal Moderna report notes, “The optics of Djokovic … returning to and winning the Moderna-sponsored competition bolsters anti-vaccine claims that vaccines — and mandates — are unnecessary.” Does anyone else get the sense that Moderna thinks vaccine mandates are a good thing? Then there’s this chilling revelation: “Other alerts, produced by a partnership blending marketing executives with former FBI and Secret Service analysts, also cited concerns around drug industry profits as a source of misinformation.” Thus, Moderna is colluding with the government to suppress speech it deems damaging to its bottom line. Sleazy stuff.
One reason for campus anti-Semitism: One of America’s elite institutions of higher learning that has witnessed anti-Semitic protests on its campus is the vaunted Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). On November 9, weeks after Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1,200 innocent Israelis, students at MIT held a pro-Hamas “die-in” protest on campus. Prior to the protest, and in response to the wave of anti-Semitic protests springing up on elite college campuses across the country, MIT President Sally Kornbluth sent a message to MIT students warning that anyone who engaged in an unsanctioned protest would face expulsion. Yet following that protest, Kornbluth failed to follow through on her threat. No students were expelled. Indeed, the worst any of the offending students suffered was a “non-academic suspension.” Why? Well, administrators feared that expelling foreign students could trigger “collateral consequences for the students, such as visa issues.” In other words, they were afraid that some students might lose their visa privileges and face deportation. The irony is that institutions like MIT would likely not have experienced this rise in on-campus anti-Semitism if they had done a better job of vetting foreign students before accepting them.
Classless Bidens once again snub their granddaughter: Whether they like to admit it or not, Joe and Jill Biden have seven grandchildren, not six. So the six stockings they’ve traditionally hung above the White House fireplace have been an affront to a blameless little girl named Navy Joan Roberts. Months ago, amid a flurry of attacks from across the political spectrum, the Bidens finally acknowledged the out-of-wedlock daughter of first son Hunter Biden. But now they’re back to denying her existence — if not in word, then in deed. “The first family knocked their own socks off with this year’s White House Christmas decor,” quips the New York Post. “In a stark departure from the previous two Yuletides, first lady Jill Biden did away with hanging stockings for her grandchildren and pets over the mantle in the State Dining Room.” This is no laughing matter, though. As our Nate Jackson noted back in July: “A halfway decent granddad will acknowledge his grandkids. A good one will love them no matter how they’re attached to his family. Joe Biden is neither good nor decent. He’s a deadbeat granddad who refuses to admit he has seven grandchildren because the seventh is rather inconvenient to his, er, stellar image as a devoted family man.”
Truth Social sags and sues: Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has been going swimmingly of late, but the same can’t be said for his Trump Media and Technology Group, which hasn’t posted an operating profit since Truth Social launched in February 2021. Indeed, according to Substack’s Mary Williams Walsh, “The value of the business has fallen so much that Forbes bumped Trump, who owns 90 percent, off its list of the 400 richest Americans.” None of these bad tidings, however, have deterred Trump and his team from filing a massive $1.5 billion lawsuit against more than 20 media organizations, including The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, McClatchy, Reuters, Rolling Stone, MarketWatch, Forbes, Axios, The Daily Beast, The New York Daily News, Newsweek, MSNBC, Mediaite, The Daily Mail, and CNBC. The suit alleges that those media groups orchestrated a coordinated attack involving the false reporting of a $73 million loss by Trump’s firm. That number, the plaintiffs say, “was an utter fabrication … a coordinated effort to damage TMTG’s reputation, degrade the firm’s financial standing, freeze its access to capital, and torpedo [an] anticipated merger.” Sadly, it seems to be the American way. When in doubt, we sue.
Headlines
Israel, Hamas agree to extend truce for two days, allowing for release of 20 additional hostages (National Review) | Hamas official: We kidnapped foreign nationals for “their own protection” (Daily Wire) | Family of the first American released by Hamas bought Hunter Biden’s art (Townhall)
Doocy corners press secretary on Bidenomics: “Americans outside of this building are not buying it” (Daily Wire) | Biden shifts blame away from administration after admitting prices “still too high” (Fox News)
Hunter Biden offers himself up for public grilling by House panel probing his shady business ties (New York Post)
Derek Chauvin “dead man walking” even before Thanksgiving stabbing (Fox News)
More than 2,500 NYPD cops have quit this year (Daily Wire)
Seattle middle school teacher made students write hate mail to Moms for Liberty (Washington Stand)
New home sales fell in October as housing market hit by historic mortgage rates (Washington Examiner)
Satire: Hamas awarded Nobel Peace Prize for releasing a few of the children they kidnapped (Babylon Bee)
Conservatives warned about long-term negative results for children’s education, and The New York Times finally gets it.
Thomas Gallatin
In yet another instance of conservatives being able to say “we told you so,” the New York Times editorial board recently discovered that “The Startling Evidence on Learning Loss Is In.” The editorial observes, “The school closures that took 50 million children out of classrooms at the start of the pandemic may prove to be the most damaging disruption in the history of American education.”
Golly, who knew? (That was rhetorical.)
Meanwhile, back in the spring of 2021, the Times pushed the opposite position. In an op-ed published in April of that year originally titled “Parents, Stop Talking About the ‘Lost Year,’” author and Times columnist Judith Warner argued that concerns over months-long pandemic school closures and the negative impact on children’s education were overblown.
At some point, the Time updated and softened Warner’s title to “How to Help Your Adolescent Think About the Last Year,” but the teaser still expressed the original sentiment: “Hint: It’s not a ‘lost year.’ Also, the screen time with friends? It’s good for their mental health.”
The article went on to downplay the whole problem. “Experts say some of [parents’] worries are justified — but only up to a point,” Warner said. “There’s no doubt that the pandemic has taken a major toll on many adolescents’ emotional well-being. … And there’s no question that witnessing their loneliness, difficulties with online learning and seemingly endless hours on social media has been enormously stressful for the adults who care about them the most. … Despite all of this, [therapist and school counselor Phyllis] Fagell, much like the dozen-plus other experts in adolescent development who were interviewed for this article, was adamant that parents should not panic — and that, furthermore, the spread of the ‘lost year’ narrative needed to stop. Getting a full picture of what’s going on with middle schoolers — and being ready to help them — they agreed, requires holding two seemingly contradictory ideas simultaneously in mind: The past year has been terrible. And most middle schoolers will be fine.”
Note that last sentence: “most middle schoolers will be fine.”
Evidently not. Indeed, the Times editorial board is now ringing the alarm bells over a generation of Americans behind in their education. School shutdowns have, the editors say, “set student progress in math and reading back by two decades and widened the achievement gap that separates poor and wealthy children.” So, which is it? Middle schoolers will be fine, or American educational progress has been set back 20 years?
As our own Mark Alexander observed early on: “The school shutdowns, which have enormous impact on families, are based in part on the lowest common denominator factor — the parent who is going to send their child to school sick because it was not convenient to keep him or her home. And when Americans begin to figure out the economic consequences of the state and local actions which have shuttered schools, events, and businesses, there will be political HELL to pay.”
The scribes at the Times and all over mainstream media were big proponents of shutting down schools for the entirety of 2020 and beyond as they perpetuated the flawed notion that protecting the most vulnerable — the elderly and immune-compromised — meant sacrificing the future development of the least vulnerable — school-age children.
Ironically but predictably, the Times is arguing for more government funding and intervention to fix the very problem the government caused.
Poor leadership was most clearly displayed in Democrat-run states, which opted for totalitarian, one-size-fits-all polices that maximized negative impacts across all of society rather than using a sensible conservative approach that used targeted actions aimed at protecting the most vulnerable while also seeking the least social disruption. Of course, the Times and other Leftmedia outlets decried the latter approach as equating to wishing death on others.
Three years on, and they’re acting like they have just been exposed to the notion that taking kids out of school would have seriously negative consequences down the road. And the most ridiculous thing about it is their call for more government “solutions” for America’s “learning loss crisis.” The Times editorial board geniuses write, “A collective sense of urgency by all Americans will be required to avert its most devastating effects on the nation’s children.”
Exposing a dirty trick meant to punish the only major Big Tech platform offering free speech.
Douglas Andrews
In the ongoing battle for free speech, picking sides should be easy. If you genuinely love your right to speak freely, you should side with those who seek to uphold that right absolutely rather than those who seek to restrict it, to undermine it, to make it conditional.
Elon Musk and his X platform belong to the former group, while the George Soros-funded leftists at Media Matters belong to the latter group — those who seek to silence speech they disagree with while promoting themselves as “media watchdogs” and claiming to fight “hate speech” and “disinformation.”
This battle is now exemplified in a lawsuit filed by Musk on behalf of his X platform against the misleadingly named Media Matters for America. The suit alleges that the so-called watchdog group had defamed his platform and was trying to scare advertisers away from it by way of a fraudulent report showing that ads from major advertisers on X were being positioned next to pro-Nazi and white nationalist content. As the Associated Press reports: “IBM, NBC Universal and its parent company Comcast said last week that they stopped advertising on X after the Media Matters report said their ads were appearing alongside material praising Nazis. It was a fresh setback as the platform tries to win back big brands and their ad dollars, X’s main source of revenue.”
Based on the AP’s reporting, it’s hard to blame these advertisers. After all, they have billions tied up in their brand images, and they don’t want to damage them through association with such noxious content.
But is it true? Are these advertisers really being served up next to Nazi propaganda?
No. That’s the short answer. The longer answer is spelled out by Musk in a post that promised a “thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company.” As Musk explains:
To manipulate the public and advertisers, Media Matters created an alternate account and curated the posts and advertising appearing on the account’s timeline to misinform advertisers about the placement of their posts. These contrived experiences could be applied to any platform.
Once they curated their feed, they repeatedly refreshed their timelines to find a rare instance of ads serving next to the content they chose to follow. Our logs indicate that they forced a scenario resulting in 13 times the number of ads served compared to the median ads served to an X user. Of the 5.5 billion ad impressions on X that day, less than 50 total ad impressions were served against all of the organic content featured in the Media Matters article.
This, then, was a dirty trick, and Musk caught them red-handed.
To be clear, Media Matters will never be confused with a legitimate watchdog organization nor a patriotic one — at least not by anyone who’s paying attention. For years, the raison d’etre of these hacks was to obsessively watch Fox News and harass its advertisers by calling out the network for inaccuracies that are often sensationalized or taken out of context. But when Elon Musk purchased Twitter, exposed the speech-suppressing rottenness at its core, and repositioned it as a platform dedicated to protecting and promoting the marketplace of ideas, Media Matters declared war. Thus, the attempt to fraudulently manipulate X’s advertising data and scare off its advertisers, whose revenue is its life’s blood.
If X wins its lawsuit, it will have achieved a twofer: It will have protected free speech and smashed one of its greatest threats. Everyone who values free expression should be rooting for Musk.
As The Federalist’s John Daniel Davidson writes: “Anyone who cares about free speech and self-government should hope Media Matters gets sued and fined into oblivion. It’s a cancer on our civic life, masquerading as a nonprofit watchdog when its only purpose is to censor and throttle free speech by any means necessary. The sooner it’s gone, the better off the country will be.”
Indeed, the Left suppresses free speech not merely because it wants to but because it has to. As we’ve noted time and again: Leftists wouldn’t have to censor us if they weren’t afraid of losing the argument.
Democrats seem to think governmental power should always reside with them, whether at the federal, state, or local level.
Michael Swartz
Back in the 1980s, cities that didn’t want to follow the then-hard federal line on immigration declared they would become “sanctuary cities” for illegal aliens. No longer would they cooperate with federal laws regarding illegal immigration. Instead, they would make themselves “safe” places for these undocumented foreigners to live and work, and effectively to thwart federal attempts to better enforce immigration law — which is a key component of national security.
Generally, these “sanctuary cities” were enclaves in liberal-controlled states, which gave them an additional measure of protection against the policies of what they decided was an illegal or immoral federal government. Whether it was Ronald Reagan, one of the Bushes, or Donald Trump, leftists cheered when local and state governments put a thumb in the eye of the feds or flashed them the proverbial middle finger, saying they knew best.
However, after 30 years of watching liberals-turned-leftists run roughshod over the Rule of Law, governors and legislative leaders in Republican-controlled states have decided to take a more activist role for themselves — and leaders in Democrat-held cities within these states don’t like it one bit.
So they ran to The Washington Post and, predictably, the “Democracy Dies in Darkness” activists there didn’t disappoint. Now they claim that these conservative states are violating the “home rule” rights of these cities that generally pick and choose which federal laws they want to enforce. For our money, it’s worth the bag of popcorn to read.
Molly Hennessy-Fiske, whom the Post has deemed its “red state” reporter — hopefully she’s getting hazard pay for hanging out among the rubes — begins her penny-ante screed by calling what red-state governments are doing “hypocrisy.” She whines, “Despite long advocating small government and local control, Republican governors and legislators across a significant swath of the country are increasingly overriding the actions of Democratic cities — removing elected district attorneys or threatening to strip them of power, taking over election offices and otherwise limiting local independence.” Apparently, misfeasance and malfeasance aren’t in the vocabulary of Hennessy-Fiske, nor is there consistency in the editorial stance of the Post. Remember the idea of Second Amendment sanctuaries? We do.
“Using this disingenuous logic, proponents have convinced cities and counties in Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Illinois, Colorado, Florida, Virginia, and elsewhere that they should resist laws enacted by duly elected legislators upon their own declarations — not those of the courts — that such laws violate the Second Amendment,” wrote Washington Post columnist Mary B. McCord in 2020.
McCord continued: “This not only misunderstands the Second Amendment, but it also misunderstands the limited powers of local jurisdictions, which exist solely based on authorities conferred by state law. State constitutions, statutes and common law generally affirm the ‘supremacy’ of federal and state law, meaning that local jurisdictions are preempted from enacting conflicting ordinances and resolutions. And in no state do local governments have the prerogative to declare a state or federal law unconstitutional without involving the courts.”
Amazing the difference three years can make.
So let’s go back to the more recent conundrum, where blue-city mayors chafe at state legislatures and governors that have curtailed their fever dreams in states like Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Ohio. According to the Local Solutions Support Center, a left-leaning advocacy group, the largest portion of state limitations came in the areas of education, election law, abortion, and LGBTQ rights. States with conservative majorities often look to their legislatures to enact age-appropriate school curricula, ensure more fair elections, uphold duly passed restrictions on abortion, and protect kids by tempering the Rainbow Mafia’s grooming operation.
Since the states won’t bend to their will, these blue-city mayors are appealing to a higher authority: the federal government. Justin Bibb, the mayor of Cleveland who the Post says “struggled to pass local tobacco and gun control ordinances” but was stymied by the GOP-controlled Ohio legislature, appealed to the Biden administration for more direct federal aid to bypass the “gatekeepers” at the state level. “If they want to see a real change, send that money directly to the mayors … to make sure as mayors we can control our destiny and preserve home rule in our cities.”
There are a lot of small town mayors and city managers who are denied that privilege because their state is controlled by Democrats. When the Post comes out advocating for them, we’ll believe this is an issue. But we’re not holding our breath.
Editor’s Note: Each week we receive hundreds of comments and correspondences — and we read every one of them. Click here for a few thought-provoking comments about specific articles. The views expressed therein don’t necessarily reflect those of The Patriot Post.
Trans Day of Remembrance: Debunking the Annual Lie — The White House recently recognized “Transgender Day of Remembrance” to push the lie that “trans people” are murdered at some heightened rate. They aren’t, and many of the people it honored were criminals killed in self-defense.
Freshly Cooked Censorship — Ketan Vakil started a company to sell low-FODMAP foods. He wants to tell the truth on his labels. His customers want that information so they can follow the diet prescribed by their doctors.
Mystery Illness Packs Hospitals in China — Beijing is featured in a viral video that shows hundreds of people packed into a hospital due to a mystery respiratory illness.
Rutherford B. Hayes: The Most Disputed President — The election of Hayes remains the single most disputed presidential outcome in American history — even more than the elections of the 21st century. What happened, and what were the consequences?
‘Nothing’s Changed’ — Sen. Tommy Tuberville said nothing has changed in his blocking of military promotions until the Pentagon ends its unconstitutional use of taxpayer funding for abortion access.
“I think it was President Reagan who said: ‘We’re from the government. We’re here to help.’” —Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona (“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’” —Ronald Reagan)
The BIG Lies
“Wages for working families have gone up while inflation has come down 65%.” —President Joe Biden
“This Thanksgiving dinner was the fourth-cheapest ever on record.” —Joe Biden
“From turkey to air travel to [a] tank of gas, costs went down. They went down.” —Joe Biden
“This holiday season, families are seeing lower prices on everyday items from gas to groceries.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
“Inflation is moderating because of the actions that this president has taken. … The prices are going down.” —Karine Jean-Pierre
“When we walked into this administration, the economy was on [sic] a tailspin. That is the fact. Because of the last administration. Because of the Trump administration.” —Karine Jean-Pierre
“The fact is the data shows that the economy is improving. The data shows that households remain in a strong financial position. Household wealth is at a record high.” —Karine Jean-Pierre
Touché
“On lowering prices, you said earlier that the actions the president has taken have worked. So, is it your sense that, when people were home for Thanksgiving catching up with their family members, they were saying to each other, ‘Can you believe how much more affordable things have gotten?’” —Peter Doocy to Karine Jean-Pierre (Inflation is up overall by nearly 18% since Biden took office)
Grand Delusions
“I believe one of the reasons why Hamas struck when they did was they knew that I was working very closely with the Saudis and others in the region to bring peace to the region by having recognition of Israel and Israel’s right to exist.” —Joe Biden
Disgraceful
“I’m sorry. I’m disappointed in myself. I will do better.” —Joe Biden (“Why was Biden apologizing? Because he correctly expressed doubt about Hamas’s casualty statistics last month.” —Nate Jackson)
For the Record
“Israelis want to live in peace, but to do that, Hamas must be eliminated.” —Nate Jackson
“The world is safe only when a strong America, alongside its European partner, secure their borders, protect the world’s sea and air spaces, support constitutional and pro-Western nations, and deter thuggish belligerents. Perhaps as war clouds gather and enemies multiply, Europe will rediscover its heritage and reawaken to its historical role. Increasingly, a lonely U.S. — and the world at large — need the return of a sane and powerful European co-partner, one that emerges from its self-induced slumber, and resumes its ancient role in preserving civilization from its multiplying enemies.” —Victor Davis Hanson
Political Futures
“The voters’ impressions of Trump and Biden are seared into their consciousness. Those are not going to change. They are fixed, and for the majority, they are distinctly negative. That’s the problem. Neither candidate can win, and both are inevitably going to lose.” —Kurt Schlichter
And Last…
“I saw that President Biden and his family spent Thanksgiving in Nantucket. Yeah. Biden made sure an authentic Thanksgiving meal was served, and he would know because he was there for the first one.” —comedian Jimmy Fallon
Presented by Ligonier Ministries (YouTube) Description: Critics have argued that Jesus did not return when He predicted. In this message, R.C. Sproul examines this supposedly unfulfilled prophecy and defends the Bible’s credibility.
‘Kudlow’ host Larry Kudlow discusses the U.S. economy under Biden and former President Trump and weighs in on the American hostages being held by Hamas.
In a letter obtained by Fox News, Hunter Biden has extended an offer to testify publicly before the House Oversight Committee on December 13. The president’s son has reportedly agreed to comply with a subpoena issued by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., as outlined in the letter sent to the committee on Tuesday. Notably, Hunter Biden insists that the testimony should be conducted in a public setting rather than the initially proposed closed-door deposition, as per sources cited by Fox News. Hunter’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, expressed concerns about closed-door sessions potentially distorting facts and misinforming the public, urging for transparency in the proceedings. “We therefore propose opening the door,” Lowell wrote, emphasizing the importance of shedding light on the issues at hand if they are indeed significant for the American public.
Polling shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans support Israel in this war and want it to destroy Hamas; the overwhelming majority of lawmakers from both parties share that view.
The time has come to discuss the Biden administration’s relationship with Israel. With each passing day, two things become obvious. First, Israel cannot fight the war without U.S. resupply of the Israel Defense Forces. As a consequence, Israel is beholden to the administration’s directives. And second, if Israel follows the Biden administration’s directives, it will lose the war.
Israel’s dependence on the United States was stated bluntly by retired IDF Maj. General Yitzhak Brick in an interview earlier this week.
“All of our missiles, the ammunition, the precision-guided bombs, all the airplanes and bombs, it’s all from the U.S. The minute they turn off the tap, you can’t keep fighting. You have no capability. … Everyone understands that we can’t fight this war without the United States. Period.”
Brick went on to explain that President Joe Biden’s demand that Israel permit “humanitarian aid” to enter Gaza means that he is demanding that Israel keep Hamas fully supplied with food, water and fuel.
His demand that Israel minimize Palestinian civilian casualties endangers IDF soldiers and renders the expansion of the ground offensive into central and southern Gaza, where the bulk of Hamas’s force is now located, almost impossible to carry out. Brick suggested various forms of long-term tunnel warfare and other suggestions for how the IDF may be able to defeat Hamas over time while operating within the constraints that Biden and his top advisors are dictating.
It is hard to judge whether Brick’s suggestions are workable without access to situational intelligence about conditions on the ground in southern Gaza. At a minimum, it is clear that Biden’s preference for the lives of civilians in Gaza over the lives of IDF soldiers on the ground ensures that far more soldiers will be killed in the fighting than would otherwise. Three weeks ago, the administration began demanding that Israel limit (or cancel entirely) its pre-ground battle aerial bombings. Consequently, in the week that preceded this week’s “humanitarian pause,” the IDF’s battle losses were overwhelmingly the consequence of sniper fire from Hamas terrorists hiding in buildings that the air force did not destroy before the battles, due to U.S. pressure.
Then there is the issue of the hostages. Israel is duty-bound to the hostages, their families and Israeli society as a whole to rescue them. There are two ways to do this. Israel can bow to Hamas’s demands, as it is presently doing by suspending its offensive, and endangering Israel’s soldiers and civilians by permitting Hamas to rebuild and reorganize its forces, and by releasing terrorists from its prisons and retuning them to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. Or it can renew its military operation, locate the hostages and rescue them itself. Clearly, the second option is preferable.
Israeli soldiers during the temporarily truce near the Israeli-Gaza border in southern Israel on Nov. 27, 2023. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90. (Source: JNS)
Securing aid from America
Until Monday, it appeared the reason that Israel had accepted the deal it is currently operating under owed to its inability to locate the hostages. The London-based Daily Express reported on Monday that the real reason Israel is not rescuing the hostages—and instead agreed to the current deal with all of its tactical and strategic costs—is related to the Biden administration’s directive not to harm Palestinian civilians.
Based on Israeli sources, the British Daily Express reported that Israel knows where many of the hostages are located. It has opted not to rescue them because Hamas is holding the hostages among civilians. Rescuing them would involve collateral damage to those Palestinians and risk U.S. resupply, which Israel cannot fight without.
Here it is important to note that the number of actual civilians that have died as a result of Israel’s bombings remains unknown. On Oct. 25, Biden acknowledged that the Gaza Health Ministry’s data on civilian casualties lacks credibility in light of the fact that the Health Ministry is simply an organ of Hamas and reports the numbers it is told to report by Hamas’s terror masters. That data counts every dead terrorist as a dead civilian.
Israelis were thrilled with Biden’s statement. But the next day, he apologized for it. According to Fox News, in a meeting with Muslim American leaders on Oct. 26, Biden apologized for telling the truth.
“I’m sorry. I’m disappointed with myself,” he said.
Since Oct. 26, the administration has embraced as fact Hamas’s casualty counts and uses them as the basis for its demand that Israel minimize Palestinian casualties. The administration’s willingness to ignore the fallacies at the heart of those data indicates that its policy is based on something other than concern for Palestinian civilians, and therefore is not a tactical challenge that Israel may be capable of contending with and still win.
From left: U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi gather in Tel Aviv to discuss the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Oct. 18, 2023. Credit: Avi Ohayon/GPO.
To be sure, Biden, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have all expressed their solidarity with Israel, as well as their revulsion at Hamas’s actions and desire to see the genocidal jihadist terror group defeated. And to be sure, Biden has taken steps to resupply Israel—requesting $14.3 billion in military supplies to Israel (although the assistance has yet to be approved by Congress or signed into law by Biden). These positions and at least partial actions lend credence to Brick’s assessment, shared by the IDF and the government, that the challenge the Biden administration’s position on civilian casualties in Gaza is an operational or tactical challenge and not a strategic conundrum.
Dealing with Fatah and the P.A.
But there are additional indications that Biden doesn’t want Israel to win. First, there is the issue of Egypt. Due to the U.S. decision to support Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s determination to prevent Gazans from fleeing to Egypt or to a third country through Egypt, the million or so Gazans who evacuated the northern end of the Strip during the fighting are now concentrated in the south. Among them are the bulk of Hamas’s forces, which Israel must destroy to win the war. Facing the U.S.-backed Egyptian refusal to permit these civilians to leave Gaza on the one hand and the U.S. directive to keep civilian casualties close to zero on the other, Israel is facing an impossible operational challenge. Brick may be right that a low-key, slow offensive would be capable of achieving the goal. But he may be wrong. Certainly, a more conventional operation would have a much higher chance of succeeding.
To this must be added the Biden administration’s demands for a post-war settlement. Israel’s goal is not only to defeat Hamas now but to prevent it from rebuilding and to prevent other terror groups from emerging in a post-war Gaza. To this end, at a minimum, Israel will be required to take two actions. First, it must retain permanent military control over all of Gaza. Second, Israel must seize a buffer zone several kilometers wide on the Gaza side of the border to protect civilian communities and military bases from a repeat of Oct. 7.
Israeli soldiers operating in Gaza. Credit: IDF.
Biden and his advisers oppose both of these goals. Not only do they completely oppose Israeli military control over Gaza and the establishment of buffer zones inside Gaza, they demand that in a post-war settlement, Israel end its maritime blockade of the Gaza coast, and permit everything and anything to enter Gaza from the sea. In other words, the U.S. position is to permit terrorist forces whether they call themselves Hamas or anything else—to rebuild their capabilities unfettered in post-war Gaza.
Even worse, the administration’s position is that Gaza must be ruled by the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority after the war has ended, and that Gaza be united with Judea and Samaria in a post-war era, and together receive full sovereignty. In other words, the administration’s war goal is to establish a Fatah-dominated Palestinian state in these areas. On its own, this position is antithetical not only to an Israeli victory in the war. It represents an existential threat to Israel’s continued existence. Fatah—and the P.A. it runs—is a terrorist organization and regime. The P.A.’s U.S.-armed and funded security forces are Hamas’s junior partners in terror. As Eugene Kontorovich and Itamar Marcus reported in The Wall Street Journal this week, P.A.-controlled Fatah terrorists from Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group posted videos of its members in Gaza participating in Hamas’s Oct. 7 slaughter. Fatah terrorists killed, tortured and kidnapped Israelis, and took videos of their actions.
Unlike Gaza, Judea and Samaria are a stone’s throw from all of Israel’s major population centers, and half a million Israelis live in cities and villages throughout Judea and Samaria. Last Friday night, the threat posed by Palestinian terrorist and paramilitary forces in Judea and Samaria to the lives of millions of Israelis came into sharp relief with the public lynching in the city of Tulkarm of two Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israeli counter-terror operations. To the roars of a crowd of thousands—secured by P.A. security forces—Hamas publicly hanged the two men from an electricity tower. The two men’s bodies showed signs of brutal torture that preceded their execution. Tulkarm is controlled by the P.A. It is located less than a kilometer from the Cross Israel Highway and a few minutes’ drive to Kfar Yona and Netanya.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the site of a terrorist attack in the South Hebron Hills in Judea, Aug. 21, 2023. Credit: PMO.
Israel’s dependence on U.S. weapons makes it impossible for the Netanyahu government to publicly air the strategic threat the administration’s policies pose to its war effort and its long-term ability to survive in the post-Oct. 7 Middle East. Israel cannot risk additional stress to its position vis-à-vis the Biden administration and wants to avoid exposing the rift to its enemies already emboldened from Gaza to Lebanon, Yemen to Iran.
Congressional lawmakers face no such constraints, however. Moreover, they have an interest in exposing the truth and working to compel a change in the administration’s Hamas-enabling policies. Polling data shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans support Israel in this war and want it to destroy Hamas. The overwhelming majority of lawmakers from both parties share their views. To date, the Republican majority in the House has made no effort to exercise oversight over the Biden administration’s policies in relation to Israel’s war with Hamas, largely due to the Israeli government’s unwillingness to air the actual state of relations.
As the humanitarian pause is extended to secure the release of additional hostages and before the Christmas recess, House Republicans and like-minded Democrats should open hearings to compel the administration to explain its policies. Specifically, it should be asked to explain how Israel can defeat Hamas given the constraints the administration is placing on IDF operations. The administration should also be asked why it supports the P.A., given the P.A.’s involvement, support and defense of Hamas’s invasion of Israel, and the slaughter of its civilians on Oct. 7. Congress should also ensure that the aid package, when passed, contains no conditions on Israel’s use of the weapons it will receive.
Lawmakers must understand the source of the Israeli government’s fulsome praise for Biden. They should then take action to prevent the administration from maintaining its policy of paying lip service to an Israeli victory while preventing Israel from achieving one.
Joe Biden wants to effectively ban Christians from adopting children in the foster care system.
Biden wants to essentially ban Christians from adopting foster care children based on their religious beliefs and opposition to radical LGBTQ ideology. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a new rule that would prohibit families who do not support LGBTQ ideology from caring for foster children.
Christians are often accused of intolerance for believing Jesus is the only Savior, the only hope for eternal life. Learn why it’s imperative that the church stands by Scripture’s truths, regardless of public opinion. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
This listener-funded program features the clear, relevant Bible teaching of Alistair Begg. Today’s program and nearly 3,000 messages can be streamed and shared for free attfl.orgthanks to the generous giving from monthly donors called Truthpartners.Learn moreabout this Gospel-sharing team orbecome one today. Thanks for listening to Truth For Life!
Thirty days of exalting Jesus through selected verses with pictures representing the prophecy, life, death, resurrection, and Second Coming of our Savior.
Charles Spurgeon on the prophecy of the virgin birth: “And, first, we see here, in speaking of this birth of Christ, a miraculous conception. The text says expressly, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son.” This expression is unparalleled even in Sacred Writ! Of no other woman could it be said beside the Virgin Mary, and of no other man could it be written that his mother was a virgin.“
“There is the finite and the Infinite, there is the mortal and the Immortal, corruption and Incorruption, the manhood and the Godhead, time married to eternity! There is God linked with a creature, the Infinity of the august Maker come to tabernacle on this speck of earth—the vast unbounded One whom earth could not hold and the heavens cannot contain—lying in His mother’s arms! He who fastened the pillars of the universe and riveted the nails of creation, hanging on a mortal breast, depending on a creature for nourishment! Oh, marvelous birth! Oh, miraculous conception! We stand and gaze and admire. Verily, angels may wish to look into a subject too dark for us to speak of! There we leave it, a virgin has conceived and borne a Son“. A sermon,The Birth of Christ
Charles Spurgeon on Christmas: “Though creation may be a majestic organ of praise, it cannot reach the compass of the golden canticle—Incarnation! There is more in that than in creation, more melody in Jesus in the manger, than there is in worlds on worlds rolling their grandeur round the throne of the Most High.” Sermon “The First Christmas Carol“, A sermon by Charles Spurgeon, Dec 20, 1857
40 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me to the city.<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f1-1" title="Hebrew brought me there” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>12 In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south.3 When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway.4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”
The East Gate to the Outer Court
5 And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f2-1" title="A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters; a handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>2in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed.6 Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep.<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f3-1" title="Hebrew deep, and one threshold, one reed deep” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>37 And the side rooms, one reed long and one reed broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed.8 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, on the inside, one reed.9 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end.10 And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate. The three were of the same size, and the jambs on either side were of the same size.11 Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits.12 There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side. And the side rooms were six cubits on either side.13 Then he measured the gate from the ceiling of the one side room to the ceiling of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; the openings faced each other.14 He measured also the vestibule, sixty cubits. And around the vestibule of the gateway was the court.<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f4-1" title="Text uncertain; Hebrew And he made the jambs sixty cubits, and to the jamb of the court was the gateway all around” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>415 From the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits.16 And the gateway had windows all around, narrowing inwards toward the side rooms and toward their jambs, and likewise the vestibule had windows all around inside, and on the jambs were palm trees.
The Outer Court
17 Then he brought me into the outer court. And behold, there were chambers and a pavement, all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement.18 And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement.19 Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court,<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f5-1" title="Hebrew distance from before the low gate before the inner court to the outside” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>5a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side.<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f6-1" title="Or cubits. So far the eastern gate; now to the northern gate” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>6
The North Gate
20 As for the gate that faced toward the north, belonging to the outer court, he measured its length and its breadth.21 Its side rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.22 And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them.23 And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits.
The South Gate
24 And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south. And he measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others.25 Both it and its vestibule had windows all around, like the windows of the others. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.26 And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was before them, and it had palm trees on its jambs, one on either side.27 And there was a gate on the south of the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits.
The Inner Court
28 Then he brought me to the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate. It was of the same size as the others.29 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.30 And there were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad.31 Its vestibule faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps.
32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gate. It was of the same size as the others.33 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.34 Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.
35 Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it. It had the same size as the others.36 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others,<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f7-1" title="One manuscript (compare verses 29 and 33); most manuscripts lack were of the same size as the others” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>7and it had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.37 Its vestibule<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f8-1" title="Septuagint, Vulgate (compare verses 26, 31, 34); Hebrew jambs” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>8faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.
38 There was a chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate,<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f9-1" title="Hebrew at the jambs, the gates” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>9where the burnt offering was to be washed.39 And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered.40 And off to the side, on the outside as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and off to the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables.41 Four tables were on either side of the gate, eight tables, on which to slaughter.42 And there were four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high, on which the instruments were to be laid with which the burnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered.43 And hooks,<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f10-1" title="Or shelves” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>10a handbreadth long, were fastened all around within. And on the tables the flesh of the offering was to be laid.
Chambers for the Priests
44 On the outside of the inner gateway there were two chambers<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f11-1" title="Septuagint; Hebrew were chambers for singers” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>11in the inner court, one<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f12-1" title="Hebrew lacks one” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>12at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f13-1" title="Septuagint; Hebrew east” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>13gate facing north.45 And he said to me, “This chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple,46 and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who alone<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f14-1" title="Hebrew lacks alone” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>14among the sons of Levi may come near to the LORD to minister to him.”47 And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits broad, a square. And the altar was in front of the temple.
The Vestibule of the Temple
48 Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the jambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f15-1" title="Septuagint; Hebrew lacks was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>15were three cubits on either side.49 The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f16-1" title="Septuagint; Hebrew eleven” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>16cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps.<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f17-1" title="Septuagint; Hebrew and by steps that would go up to it” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>17And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side.
5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f1-1" title="Some manuscripts omit exercising oversight” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>1not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/332/#f2-1" title="Some manuscripts omit as God would have you” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>2not for shameful gain, but eagerly;3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.
But flee from these things, you man of God; (6:11a)
The adversative sense of de (but), coupled with the use of the personal pronoun su (you), sharply contrasts Timothy with the false teachers. They are money’s men, he is God’s man; they are sin’s men, he is righteousness’s man; they are the world’s men, he is heaven’s man. Although left untranslated by the nasb, the Greek text uses the interjection ō (“O”). The use of that interjection with the vocative case is rare in the New Testament, indicating the intensity of Paul’s appeal.
A man of God realizes there are certain things to be avoided at all cost. Flee is from pheugō, from which our English word “fugitive” derives. God’s man must flee from sexual sin (1 Cor. 6:18), idolatry (1 Cor. 10:14), and “youthful lusts” (2 Tim. 2:22). The present tense of the verb indicates the man of God is to constantly flee from these things. The direct antecedent of these things is the evils associated with loving money in vv. 9–10.
That is the cardinal sin of false teachers, who pervert the truth for personal gain. From Balaam, who sold himself to the highest bidder, through the greedy false prophets of Israel, to Judas and Demas in the New Testament, the hallmark of false teachers is greed.
Paul carefully avoided any appearance of loving money. In his farewell address to the Ephesian elders, he reminded them,
I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:33–35)
To the Thessalonians he wrote, “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God” (1 Thess. 2:9). He reminded the Corinthians of his right to financial support, but then waived it so no one would question his motives (1 Cor. 9:1–15).
Although they may call themselves ministers of the gospel, those in it for the money are not God’s men. They have prostituted the call of God for personal gain. Those who put a price on their ministry devalue it in God’s sight to zero.
A Man of God Is Known by What He Follows After
and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. (6:11b)
As fast as the man of God runs from the corrupting love of money he runs toward spiritual virtue. A man of God not only flees from sin, but also is to continually pursue holiness. The form here is parallel to 2 Timothy 2:22, where Paul commands Timothy not only to “flee from youthful lusts,” but also to “pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.” If he stops, what is behind him (sin) will catch him, and he will miss his goal of holiness. In verse 11, Paul lists six virtues that every man of God must pursue to deserve that privileged title.
The first two are general virtues, one having to do with external behavior, the other with the internal attitude and motive. Righteousness translates the familiar New Testament term dikaiosunē. It means to do what is right, in relation to both God and man. The righteousness Paul describes here is not Christ’s righteousness imputed to us at salvation, but holiness of life. God’s man is known for doing what is right. His is a lifestyle marked by obedience to God’s commands.
The internal counterpart to righteousness is godliness. While righteousness looks to the outward behavior, godliness has to do with the attitudes and motives. Right behavior flows from right motives. Eusebeia (godliness), a familiar term in the Pastorals (appearing ten times), refers to reverence for God flowing out of a worshiping heart. It could be translated “God-likeness.” Godly people “offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28). They will one day receive praise from the Lord Himself (1 Cor. 4:1–5).
Those two virtues are central to a godly minister’s power and usefulness. They form an essential part of what Spurgeon called “the minister’s self-watch” (C. H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, vol. 1 [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980]). The Puritan Richard Baxter had much to say on that topic, devoting an entire section of his classic work The Reformed Pastor to it. He warned, “Many a tailor goes in rags, that maketh costly clothes for others; and many a cook scarcely licks his fingers, when he hath dressed for others the most costly dishes” (The Reformed Pastor [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1979], 54).
Paul knew well the importance of the minister’s watch over himself. In Acts 20:28 he exhorted the leaders of the Ephesian church to “be on guard for yourselves.” In 1 Timothy 4:16, he commanded Timothy to “pay close attention to [himself].” Knowing his own sinfulness (cf. Rom. 7:14–25; 1 Tim. 1:12–15), Paul strenuously disciplined himself. To the Corinthians he wrote,
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. (1 Cor. 9:24–27)
The Puritan John Flavel pointedly observed, “Brethren, it is easier to declaim against a thousand sins of others, than to mortify one sin in ourselves” (cited in I. D. E. Thomas, A Puritan Golden Treasury [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1977], 191).
John Owen added, “A minister may fill his pews, his communion roll, the mouths of the public, but what that minister is on his knees in secret before God Almighty, that he is and no more” (cited in Thomas, A Puritan Golden Treasury, 192).
The nineteenth-century English pastor Charles Bridges wrote,
For if we should study the Bible more as Ministers than as Christians—more to find matter for the instruction of our people, than food for the nourishment of our own souls, we neglect then to place ourselves at the feet of our Divine Teacher, our communion with Him is cut off, and we become mere formalists in our sacred profession.… We cannot live by feeding others; or heal ourselves by the mere employment of healing our people; and therefore by this course of official service, our familiarity with the awful realities of death and eternity may be rather like that of the grave-digger, the physician, and the soldier, than the man of God, viewing eternity with deep seriousness and concern and bringing to his people the profitable fruit of his contemplations. It has well been remarked—that ‘when once a man begins to view religion not as of personal, but merely of professional importance, he has an obstacle in his course, with which a private Christian is unacquainted.’ It is indeed difficult to determine, whether our familiar intercourse with the things of God is more our temptation or our advantage. (The Christian Ministry [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1980], 163)
The apostle next names the dominant internal virtues: faith and love.Faith is simply confident trust in God for everything. It involves loyalty to the Lord and unwavering confidence in His power, purpose, plan, provision, and promise. Faith is the atmosphere in which the man of God exists. He trusts God to keep and fulfill His Word.
As he often does in his writings, Paul couples love with faith (cf. 1 Thess. 3:6; 5:8; 1 Tim. 1:14; 2 Tim. 1:13). Agapē (love) is the love of volition and choice. It is unrestricted and unrestrained, encompassing love for God, other believers, and non-Christians. The man of God understands the significance of our Lord’s words in Matthew 22:37–39: “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” Because he is a lover of God, the man of God loves those whom He loves (cf. 1 John 4:7–21). The love of God, “poured out within [his heart] through the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 5:5) flows out of him to others (cf. 2 Cor. 6:11–13; 12:15; Phil. 2:25ff.; Col. 1:27–28; 4:12).
Paul then mentions two external virtues, perseverance and gentleness. Perseverance translates hupomonē, which means “to remain under.” It does not describe a passive, fatalistic resignation, but a victorious, triumphant, unswerving loyalty to the Lord in the midst of trials (cf. James 1:2–4). It is the perseverance of the martyr, who will lay down his life if necessary for the cause of Christ. Paul and most of the other apostles would exhibit that supreme measure of perseverance. Perseverance enables the man of God to stick with the task, no matter what the cost.
Gentleness translates praupathia, which means kindness or meekness, and appears only here in the New Testament. Although consumed with the greatest of causes, the man of God recognizes that in himself he makes no contribution to its success, and is marked by considerate humility. His is the attitude expressed by John Bunyan in The Pilgrim’s Progress:
11 As the restatement of commission begins, Paul turns first to the matter of Timothy’s holiness—separating him distinctively from the errorists. He establishes this distinctiveness in three ways. First, he employs (for the first time in these letters to coworkers; 2 Tim 3:10, 14; 4:5; Titus 2:1) the abrupt “but you” transition; as used here this is a polemical-rhetorical device designed to emphasize a break with, and to create distance from, the opponents.
Second, Paul distinguishes Timothy in the appeal, “[O] man of God.” This title exceeds the rhetorical personalizing function of the similar phrase, “o (hu)man” (Rom 2:1, 3, 20; etc.) by virtue of the addition of the genitive qualifier “of God” that places Timothy into the category of the numerous OT servants of God who were so designated. Equally, the presence of the emotive vocative marker of personal address, “O” (cf. 6:20; Gal 3:1; etc.), distinguishes this title from the similar general reference to “the one who belongs to God” as used in 2 Tim 3:17. The title underwent some development in Philo, who used it to identify a qualitatively different sort of person whose life, patterned in some sense after Moses’, is marked by a profound devotion to God. As applied to Timothy, both servanthood (and holy lineage) and devotion to God (a superior quality of godliness) combine in this final address. Paul sets Timothy apart not from all other leaders but from those whose lifestyle demonstrates a false claim to authority.
Third, the traditional “flee/pursue” formula (2 Tim 2:22) draws an emphatic line between behavior that has been denounced (“all this” in reference to the preceding discussion 6:3–10) and behavior that is to be embraced. The two verbs (“flee, pursue”) were stock items in Greek ethical teaching, and were sometimes juxtaposed as here.
Consequently, the transition Paul has made in his discourse is not just one of topic. Rather, in these three ways he shifts from a set of values and aspirations that he has evaluated and rejected to an approved measurement of holiness. He has also set Timothy’s character and calling apart from the opponents. And he urges Timothy to separate consciously from the things they do and seek, and to “pursue” the authentic virtues of godliness they lack.
The remainder of v. 11 fills out what is meant by the pursuit command in a series of six virtues. Virtue lists, such as this one (2 Tim 2:22–25; 3:10), were a typical feature of Hellenistic ethical teaching that allowed the cardinal virtues to be packaged and presented neatly and concisely. The use of this device by Paul and other NT writers (sometimes alongside a contrasting list of vices) shows indebtedness to the literary and pedagogical fashions of the day.10 Christian virtue lists also functioned to package neatly the (cardinal) qualities characteristic of authentic Christianity. No single list is exhaustive, and each also intended to call to mind the whole network of behavioral qualities that constitute a life lived in response to God’s covenant. The contents of the lists vary but the “faith/love” pair often forms a noticeable core (see on 1:14), and the Christianizing of a secular device is evident from this critical anchor. Likewise the organization of items in the lists follows no discernible pattern, though in the letters to Timothy there is some preference for the first three terms (see also 2 Tim 2:22), and the “faith/love” pair resonates even more widely. Although there is some distance in between, this list of virtues forms the polemical counterpart to the shorter vice list of 6:4 that helps put distance between the life Timothy is to pursue and that way chosen by the opponents.
“Righteousness” in Paul’s various discussions can be a rather loaded term. In some contexts (e.g. Rom 9:30; 10:3; Gal 5:5; etc.; 2 Tim 4:8), against the law-court background of the OT, it is the resulting status that accompanies the verdict of acquittal handed down by God to those who have placed their faith in Christ. Here, however, it is one way of describing the whole of ethical and observable life. It means moral “uprightness” in the sense of a life lived in accordance with God’s law (2 Tim 2:22; 3:16; Acts 10:35; Phil 1:11). This is not to diminish the theological orientation of “righteous” living, but only to place the accent on the behavior that belief in God is meant to produce.
“Godliness” (see 2:2 Excursus), the second term, is broader still. As throughout these letters to coworkers, it characterizes the whole of Christian existence as the combination of faith in God and the observable ethical response to his covenant.
The next three terms, “faith, love, endurance,” form a traditional triad that summarizes Christian existence. “Faith” and “love,” perhaps the essential pair, effectively interpret the concept of “godliness.” “Faith” in this context could mean faithfulness (i.e. to the gospel or the truth) or the ongoing act of believing (see 1:2 note). “Love” (see on 1:5) is the active outworking of belief in sacrificial service to others. But earlier expressions of the “faith-love” combination show how it attracted other important virtues to itself. “Faith, hope, love” appear together in 1 Thess 5:8 and as a distinct triad in 1 Cor 13:3; in the 1 Thess 1:3, we can already see how room was made to add virtues such as “endurance” (Rev 2:19). This term also occurs with faith and love in the lists of 2 Tim 3:10 and Titus 2:2. It expresses the determination and perseverance that is needed to support faith and love in the face of adversity, which in all three settings has the conflict with opponents in view (cf. Rev 2:2–3).
Closing the list is the rare term “gentleness.” Its place in the list (as with its synonym in 2 Tim 2:25) is to describe the attitude necessary to engage those in opposition in a way that will facilitate their repentance and reconciliation.
Thus Timothy is to pursue a life that, in contradiction to the rebelliousness and factiousness of the opponents, exhibits genuine godliness and compassion for those in error. If Paul seems to be preoccupied with ethical matters, the slippage in the behavior of some of the church’s former leaders explains the concern. In any case, what should not be lost on us is the fact that Paul does not isolate elements of human conduct from matters of ministry, but rather seeks to integrate belief and behavior into a holistic pattern of existence. It is not accidental that he began this restatement of Timothy’s commission from an ethical perspective: the starting point for ministry is a manner of life that is visibly different from that patterned after the values of the world, which keeps faith and love/conduct bound tightly together.[2]
11. Over against the vices which Paul has just condemned (see verses 3–10) stand the virtues which Timothy is urged to cultivate: But you, O man of God, flee away from these things, and run after righteousness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.
Timothy is urged to flee away from such things as wickedness, gold-hunger, error, envy, wrangling, reviling; and to run after, pursue or eagerly seek after (see: N.T.C. on 1 Thess. 5:15; cf. Rom. 12:13; 1 Cor. 14:1; Phil. 3:12) their opposites, namely, righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. This befits him as a “man of God.” In the old dispensation this was a designation of the person who by God had been entrusted with a high office (Moses, Deut. 33:1; Ps. 90:1; David, 2 Chron. 8:14; Elijah, 2 Kings 1:9; the prophets, 1 Sam. 2:27). In the new dispensation, now that every believer is viewed as a partaker of the anointing of the Holy One, and therefore as a prophet, priest, and king (1 John 2:20; cf. 1 Peter 2:9), the description is used with respect to any and every believer, as is clear from 2 Tim. 3:17. And surely, if every Christian is a “man of God,” Timothy, having been placed in a position of great responsibility, is this in a special sense. Now a “man of God” is God’s peculiar possession, his special ambassador. He is, accordingly, the very opposite of the man whose owner is Mammon, whose commands he obeys.
Timothy, then, as a “man of God,” must “run after” righteousness, the state of heart and mind which is in harmony with God’s law, and will lead to godliness, the godly life, truly pious conduct. “Faith, love, and endurance” belong together (Titus 2:2; cf. 2 Tim. 3:10 then 1 Thess. 1:3) just like “faith, love, and hope” (Col. 1:4, 5; cf. “faith, hope, and love,” 1 Cor. 13:13), for endurance is the fruit of hope (1 Thess. 1:3). It is the grace to bear up under adversities; for example, persecution. It amounts to steadfastness no matter what may be the cost, in the full assurance of future victory. (For a word-study of endurance and its synonyms see N.T.C. on 1 Thess. 1:3; 5:14—footnote 108—; 2 Thess. 1:4; 3:5). As to faith, this concept is here used in the subjective sense, active reliance on God and his promises. And love, with Paul, is broad as the ocean, having as its object God in Christ, believers, and in a sense “everyone” (1 Tim. 1:5, 14; 2:15; 4:12; 2 Tim. 1:7, 13; 2:22; 3:10; Titus 2:2; cf. 1 Thess. 3:12). When these virtues are present, gentleness of spirit will certainly result. The word thus translated is found only here in the Greek Bible. Comparison with 2 Tim. 3:10 indicates that it is akin in meaning to longsuffering (patience with respect to persons).[3]
[1] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 1 Timothy (pp. 260–264). Moody Press.
Daniel 5:7 — Until 1854, historians denied the reign of Belshazzar.
All other known historical records once disagreed. Ancient historians like Herodotus, Megasthenes, Berossus, and Alexander Polyhistor, not to mention a vast number of cuneiform documents, were united in claiming that the last king of the Neo-Babylonian empire was Nabonidus. Belshazzar was not even mentioned anywhere except in the book of Daniel and literature derived from it.
As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, save me from sinning against your great godhead and grant me as a present a life long of days, and as for Belshazzar, the eldest son -my offspring- instill reverence for your great godhead in his heart and may he not commit any cultic mistake, may he be sated with a life of plenitude.
The Nabonidus Chronicle reveals that “The king spent ten years in Arabia and left Babylonia administered by his son, Bel-shar-usur (Belshazzar of the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament).” (Wikipedia)
Daniel 5:21 — Yesterday we looked at the evidence for the seemingly incredible account of Nebuchadnezzar’s madness. Today we see Daniel is doubling down on his story.
Daniel 5:30 — A very abrupt transition between Daniel 5:29 and Daniel 5:31. Who is Darius the Mede and why doesn’t history have a record of him? From DefendingInerrancy.com:
Some modern scholars claim that the author of Daniel mistakenly thought that the Medes conquered Babylon instead of the Persians. They claim that this author then confused Darius I, king of Persia (521–486 b.c.) with the conqueror of Babylon and identified this figure as Darius the Mede. However, there is no reason to assume that the Book of Daniel is in error. Darius the Mede is a different person from Darius I of Persia. Darius the Mede was a subordinate to Cyrus the Great. Cuneiform texts refer to Darius the Mede as Gubaru who was appointed by Cyrus to be governor over all of Babylonia. The tendency to deny the historical accuracy of Daniel simply because there is currently no corroborating historical information stems from the antisupernatural bias of modern scholarship. Daniel’s historical record has proven to be a reliable source of information.
2 Peter 2:1 — Peter is warning about false prophets in the church! There are 8 warnings about false prophets in the gospels and epistles. Notice that we’re not even done with the first century and Peter is warning about people “even denying the Lord that bought them.” Sadly, as we look through church history, we see many false doctrines that were spread throughout Christendom. From Randy Alcorn’s Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM):
More theological battles have been lost to enemies inside the church than to those outside. The evil one has targeted us for deception. Nothing less than the welfare of God’s people is at stake.
2 Peter 2:7 — Peter just solved a mystery. Notice how Peter describes Lot – “just Lot,” “righteous man” (2 Peter 2:8), and “the godly” (2 Peter 2:9). Up until now, we weren’t quite sure if Lot was a follower of God or not. Because he was living in Sodom and he committed incest with his daughters (Genesis 19:33-36), we weren’t quite sure what his spiritual condition was.
2 Peter 2:10 — After warning about the “lust of uncleanness,” we see this warning about “despis[ing] government.” Why the concern about maintaining authority? Rebels “are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.” Go back a few verses to 2 Peter 2:4 – angels in heaven had rebelled against God, and they were cast into chains of darkness in hell. God takes rebellion as seriously as witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23).
2 Peter 2:22 — This is a vivid and viscerally repulsive portrayal of the danger of false teachers. How can we avoid false teachers? By seeking sound doctrine!
Psalm 119:120 — Do you have a healthy respect for God?
The average Massachusetts resident spends $767 per year on the lottery trying to get rich quick. But if he invested the same $767 every year at 8% interest, by the time he retired, he would have $1,846,607.48! You CAN be rich slowly!
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“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” –1 Thessalonians 5:20-22
Scripture reading: Psalm 119:137-144
Paul’s admonitions in 5:12-21 ends with: “do not despise prophecies”. Prophesying was to be considered a special gift, enabling someone to interpret Scripture and it was a gift not to be despised. On the other hand, however, they were not to accept uncritically everything offered as application of Scripture. Paul instructs them to “test the prophecy” to see if it was in harmony with the doctrines Paul had taught them earlier. He is saying to the congregation: don’t despise prophecies but be sure to test them.
False prophets are legion, especially in our age and culture and the tendency is to either simply ignore them or worse to accept their prophecy without critically examining the words of the prophet. Here Paul admonishes us not to believe everyone who claims to speak in the name of the Lord but to “test” them.
The standard by which a true prophet can be distinguished from the false is that the true prophet will speak or teach nothing contrary to what has been revealed earlier in His special revelation. In the new dispensation, the criterion would be the revelation of God through the testimony of Christ and the apostles. We are to test all religious utterances against the teaching of Scripture. Test the spirits, says Paul. Any utterance that can’t be confirmed by Scripture is not from the Holy Spirit. Once the prophecy has been tested and confirmed, once a true verdict has been reached, hold on to that truth.
Suggestions for prayer
Thank God for faithful prophets who yet today climb into their pulpits and can say, “Thus saith the Lord”. Thank the Lord that you may sit under the preaching of such a prophet every week again.
Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC.Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.
In my years as a pastor, I’ve conducted countless funeral services. I remember one in particular, though, for the lesson that it taught me.
When I arrived at the funeral home, I was asked to wait in a side room. Being an inquisitive soul, I looked around and realized that I was sitting beside miniature coffins—models with their ends sawn off so that you could see what the inside of each coffin looked like.
As I was sitting there, I began to think of what it would be like not just to look inside but to be inside. I became greatly disturbed. I said to myself, “I am a Christian. I believe in the resurrection of the body. I believe that I will die and go to heaven.” And yet, I still looked at the coffin and thought to myself, “I don’t want to go in one of these things!”
Then the thought came to me: “What comes to the unbeliever’s mind when he or she thinks of death and dying?”
In the late 1960s, the United Kingdom introduced grids painted on the roads at particularly busy intersections, called box junctions, accompanied by signs that read, “Do not enter the box unless your exit is clear.” The purpose of these grids and signs was to help aid traffic flow. But that day in the funeral home, what entered my mind was how apt that sign’s warning is when we consider that we will all be dead and lie in a coffin. Though my body will one day be in a box, my soul will have departed—and my exit must then be clear.
Everybody knows that death is coming. The statistics are clear: one out of one dies. The affairs of life lead inescapably toward the end. Yet God the Son, who existed “before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20) has come into time in order that we may know a Savior, a Friend, and a Lord and so that we might be prepared for—and even long for!—all that eternity will bring.
You may be one of many who are prepared for just about everything that might possibly happen—except for your exit from the box. But that exit is the one thing for which you must be prepared. Youwillstand before God. Youwillgive an account for your life. But the message of the gospel is that you do not need to fear that day, provided that you are trusting in Christ to bring you through. And if you are, then you can look at a coffin and speak to your fears, for though your earthly flesh may end up in one, your soul will not; and you will enjoy a resurrection body that never sees the inside of a wooden box. “Do not enter the box unless your exit is clear”—but, gloriously, your route through is signposted with the blood of Christ and your heavenly destination awaits. Have no fear.
Christian singer Lauren Daigle thanked fans, her team, and God after being named Billboard’s top Christian artist of 2023. The 32-year-old Grammy and Dove Award-winner released a self-titled album in May, her first new music since 2018. Daigle’s new album and songs dominated Christian charts and also appeared on the mainstream Billboard 200.
The concerns reportedly come amid heavy losses for Kiev’s troops during its counteroffensive
EU
officials fear that Ukraine’s position in its conflict with Russia could“unravel”this winter, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
This comes, according to the article, amid heavy losses for Kiev’s troops during their counteroffensive which was launched in early June, and a“dysfunctional”military conscription system“plagued by corruption.”
Since the start of the conflict in February 2022, Western states have actively supported Kiev by sending military aid. A month after the escalation, NATO member states issued a joint statement, saying,“Massive sanctions and heavy political costs have been imposed on Russia … We remain determined to maintain coordinated international pressure on Russia.”
In late September, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc would“stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
In mid-November, however,
Ukrainian
President Vladimir Zelensky complained that aid deliveries from the West had“decreased.”Last week, Zelensky admitted in an interview with Fox News that the counteroffensive had not gone as planned.
The Wall Street Journal report noted that many of the replacements in the Ukrainian army are“men in their 40s and are often sent to the trenches with too little training.”
On Friday, Roman Kostenko, secretary of the parliamentary committee on Defense, National Security and Intelligence, told Ukraine’s Radio NV:“We all know that we have a problem with mobilization now, we can say a failure of mobilization,”adding that if the situation does not change, there will be“very big problems.”
Earlier this month, the BBC reported that around 20,000 men who are eligible for the draft have fled Ukraine, despite a ban on leaving the country during martial law, which was declared at the outset of the conflict. Another 21,000 attempted to flee but were caught by the authorities.
According to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, as of late October, Ukraine had suffered more than 90,000 casualties since the start of the counteroffensive. On Wednesday, Shoigu released new figures showing that Kiev’s forces had lost more than 13,700 more troops in November alone.
Hanson articulates a sense of deep-rooted fear among Trump’s opponents, summed up perfectly as follows:
“they look at Trump as a vampire and they put a stake in his heart but they’re afraid that that stake could come out any time.”
This vivid imagery sets the stage for a discussion about the intense paranoia and strategic maneuvering in the political arena, particularly among those who view Trump not just as a political rival, but as an existential threat to their vision of America.
Hanson argues that there is a perception among Trump’s adversaries that he is now more formidable and justified in his anger due to perceived injustices against him:
“They are terrified of him because they think he’s smarter this time and he has just cause to really get angry because of what they did to him.”
They rightly fear that Trump’s potential comeback would be fueled not just by political ambition, but by a personal vendetta, which could make him a more unpredictable and determined opponent.
“…if a MAGA candidate wins and they win the house and the Senate, we’re cooked.”
Christians are often accused of intolerance for believing Jesus is the only Savior, the only hope for eternal life. Learn why it’s imperative that the church stands by Scripture’s truths, regardless of public opinion. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
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