Significance Of The Cross | WRETCHED TV Episode 3410
It’s Witness Wednesday! Meet William, a cross necklace wearing Catholic, who doesn’t quite understand the significance of the symbol he wears.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CROSS
To find complete fulfilment in God so we can properly enjoy all things.
“I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.’ But behold, this also was vanity.”
– Ecclesiastes 2:1
What would you do if you had the wealth and power of a king?
King Charles has a net worth of around A$1 billion. However, his wealth is shadowed by King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, who has a net worth somewhere between A$50 – 100 billion.
In the Bible, we encounter someone even more wealthy: King Solomon. At the height of his reign, Solomon owned 25 tonnes of gold and had parks, pools and gardens. He also had multiple residences. Solomon had access to all the food and wine a human could ever desire.
On top of this, Solomon had 700 wives, 300 concubines, and hundreds of male and female slaves to meet his every need. He owned singers and entertainers and possessed every beast and animal imaginable. Modern estimates suggest his wealth was upwards of A$3 trillion — an absurd amount of money.
To put that figure into perspective, the richest man today is Bernard Arnault at US$209.4 billion. King Solomon in today’s wealth was worth nearly 10 times what the richest man in the world is worth today!
Imagine for a moment that you were in Solomon’s position. Do you believe that this money and power would satisfy your deepest longings? Solomon was certain it would. Yet, it did the exact opposite.
Why don’t the pleasures of this world satisfy our hearts? It’s because pleasure is momentary. Like vapour, it’s here for a moment. Then it disappears. We experience the excitement for a period, and then the thrill vanishes. Ultimately pleasure is fleeting.
This is not to say that pleasure is all wrong. The pleasures of this life in and of themselves are gifts from God. God invented pleasure and is no stranger to joy. In fact, God created all things in this world for us to enjoy (1 Tim 4:4).
However, the problem is that we try to find ultimate satisfaction and pleasure in these created things. Like Solomon, we think that wealth and power will fulfil our deepest cravings and longings. But we are always left disappointed and looking for more.
God designed pleasure this way to point us to a greater pleasure: knowing and enjoying Jesus Christ. C. S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, once wrote: “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”
Unlike worldly pleasures, the delight of knowing Jesus Christ never ends.
God instilled in humans the ability to experience pleasure and the longing for eternal joy. In Jesus Christ, we find these things fulfilled.
In Jesus, we find forgiveness and the solution to all the longings of our hearts. Only by knowing Him can we properly appreciate all God’s good gifts in their proper place. That’s why we want to tell the world about Him in GO Month 2024 and beyond.
Dear Father,
Thank You for meeting our deepest needs in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Forgive us for chasing after the pleasures of this world and reveal to us the greater pleasure of knowing and enjoying You. Help us share the news of Your love with all those around us. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
James Jeffery is a trainee Presbyterian minister from Sydney with a passion to see Christian values restored in our society. James grew up in South West Rocks, rural NSW, and went on to complete a Bachelor of Political, Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney. He is now pursuing tertiary studies in theology.
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The post Day 23: Pleasure is Fleeting but the Gospel is Forever appeared first on The Daily Declaration.
[Original airdate: 1/16/24) We chat with author, blogger and speaker Alisa Childers on the topic of “deconstructing” Christianity; what it is, why it’s destructive and how to respond. With terms like “ex-vangelical” and “toxic” faith/Christianity/church being tossed around, it would appear we have a postmodern exit demographic to deal with. Is it anti-authority, the desire to not be “hemmed in” by moral imperatives, or is it something different? Counselors are standing by, not because they care about the person’s salvation, but rather getting them what they want – to be free of the Christianity they have been exposed to or raised in. In a way, it’s not surprising but at the same time, the bible tells us there is only ONE way to heaven, and that’s through Jesus Christ and what His death and resurrection mean and require of us. A thought provoking discussion designed to help those who might know and love someone in this process.
Shameless plug for swag for our listeners/donors! https://www.redpillprints.com/stand-up-for-the-truth – Thanks for YOUR support.
The post Replay – Alisa Childers: The Deconstruction of Christianity – What it is and How to Respond appeared first on Stand Up For The Truth Podcast.
As the three guys return to the studio, the prof has just mowed his lawn. He explains to the pastor and parishioner some trouble he had with his new riding lawn mower, which involved the tortoise and the hare on the throttle. From there, they move to the topic at hand – encountering the Christian slog.
The 3GTers define the slog as the dark and discouraging times Christians sometimes face. They describe its symptoms and the problems it brings to the Christian life. After referencing the Slough of Despond from Pilgrim’s Progress, they end up in a slough of their own making by discussing how to pronounce slough before getting back on track. They offer their listeners means that the Lord has provided to help leave the slog (no discrepancy in its pronunciation) and offer words of encouragement and promise as they conclude.
Feeling encumbered and weary in your Christian walk? Perhaps this episode of 3GT is just the help you need!
Pastor Patrick Hines Piano Music (Pachelbel’s Canon) – Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 34-40
WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM
Q. 33. What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
Q. 34. What is adoption?
A. Adoption is an act of God’s free grace,a whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges, of the sons of God.
Q. 35. What is sanctification?
A. Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.
Q. 36. What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?
A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.
Q. 37. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united in Christ, do rest in their graves, till the resurrection.
Q. 38. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
A. At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.
Q. 39. What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
Q. 40. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law.
Pachelbel’s Canon (also known as the Canon in D, P 37) is an accompanied canon by the German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel. The canon was originally scored for three violins and basso continuo and paired with a gigue, known as Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo. Both movements are in the key of D major. The piece is constructed as a true canon at the unison in three parts, with a fourth part as a ground bass throughout. Neither the date nor the circumstances of its composition are known (suggested dates range from 1680 to 1706), and the oldest surviving manuscript copy of the piece dates from 1838 to 1842.
Like his other works, Pachelbel’s Canon went out of style, and remained in obscurity for centuries. A 1968 arrangement and recording of it by the Jean-François Paillard chamber orchestra gained popularity over the next decade, and in the 1970s the piece began to be recorded by many ensembles; by the early 1980s its presence as background music was deemed inescapable. From the 1970s onward, elements of the piece were used in a variety of pop songs.
▶️Reformed Christian Podcast – Pastor Patrick Hines (Playlist)
https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzOwqed_gET1N1JMQBXRoGgLeUHGpRW7o/edit
▶️Pastor Patrick Hines (Playlist)
https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzOwqed_gET2vqbY_shSW0MfXtYGSoCnT/edit
▶️Pastor Patrick Hines Sermons (Playlist)
https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzOwqed_gET2xjXtMVvfNhl3k_a8VjofT/edit
These Three books are also available on Amazon. All proceeds go directly to Pastor Hines:
▶️”Earth’s Foundational History – Part 1: Genesis Chapters 1 Through 5.” (Paperback – May 4, 2023) https://cutt.ly/16RCeZ0
▶️Am I Right With God?: The Gospel, Justification, Saving Faith, Repentance, Assurance, & The New Birth https://cutt.ly/S6RCbuM
▶️Redrawing the Battle Lines: 23 Sermons on Critical Issues Facing the Church https://cutt.ly/m6RCTi0
▶️Bridwell Heights Presbyterian Church http://www.bridwellheightschurch.org/
▶️Reformed Presbyterian Pulpit Supplemental (Pastor Hines’ YouTube Channel):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClW5Qzh27Zx7HO2fKkCcR5g
From the church website:
We subscribe to the Westminster Standards as our doctrinal statement. It consists of the following documents:
The Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Larger Catechism
The Westminster Shorter Catechism
We also believe that Christian Worship is to be regulated and defined by God’s Word, the Bible.
Our worship services are designed to please and honor the Triune God of the Bible. We place Scripture reading and the preaching of the word of God at the center of worship along with Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These are God’s gifts to His church and ought to always be at the center of Christian worship. We are a congregation that loves to sing God’s praises, recite His Word back to Him, and actively engage in hearing and learning from God’s Word.
We embrace and promote a comprehensive Christian world and life view.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for mankind.
Please watch: “A Call to Separation – A. W. Pink Christian Audio Books / Don’t be Unequally Yoked / Be Ye Separate”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBDg7u21cKY
The rise of the “nones” in the religious demographics of our society has been among the most troubling trends for many Christians across recent decades. The group is typically comprised of those who do not claim membership in any religious tradition, though there is variation at times as to whether atheists and agnostics are considered part of the nones or their own categories.
However, the latest data points to an interesting and encouraging trend:
As Ryan Burge—who has studied and written about the nones for many years—concludes, “The rise of the nones may be largely over now. At least it won’t be increasing in the same way that it did in the prior thirty years.”
That’s good news. Yet, as he goes on to note, the more pertinent question is why.
One of the dangers with placing too much emphasis on trends is the temptation to think that they’ll continue unabated into the future. That danger has led to quite a bit of hand-wringing in Christian circles as report after report detailed the rise of the nones across the last thirty years.
And that’s understandable.
After all, the rise of the nones was one of the leading causes that burst the bubble of how Christians viewed our place in the culture. The ensuing angst was the result of the thought that Christians were leaving the faith in droves and the cascade of doubts that followed.
However, looking back on it now, it seems clear that the issue was less about genuine believers leaving the faith—though that does happen at times—as people growing increasingly comfortable with being honest about their faith (or the lack thereof).
And, as Burge writes, the fact that the percentage of nones in our culture has leveled off in recent years likely means that we’ve reached the point where “The loose topsoil has been scooped off and hauled away, leaving nothing but hard bedrock underneath.”
So now that we’re back to the bedrock, how do we build from here?
As Dr. Jim Denison notes, only 17 percent of the nones are atheists. The rest range from agnostic to spiritual, with as many as 69 percent claiming to believe in God or some higher power. In short, most of the nones today would have probably called themselves Christians fifty years ago, with the biggest difference being that many of them would have gone through life thinking that their claim to be a Christian was true.
Jesus spoke to the danger of such an approach toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount.
In Matthew 7, Jesus warns the crowds—many of whom considered themselves to be his followers—that:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21–23).
At first glance, this passage is perhaps the scariest in all of Scripture for those who claim to be Christians. However, if you read this text and are concerned that it might be talking about you, then chances are good that it’s not.
That’s not a guarantee, as it could be that God is using these verses to alert you to the fact that you do fall among those who have served the Lord without having a personal relationship with him. But it’s important to remember that the people about whom Jesus speaks in this passage were genuinely surprised when he rejected them. It had never occurred to them that they might not be saved because they were certain that their good works were enough to merit that salvation.
And it is that latter category that stands in dire need of the true gospel today.
As our culture becomes increasingly accepting of the decision to reject religion—and Christianity in particular—there will be fewer people who go to church on Sundays and claim to follow Jesus because it’s simply the acceptable thing to do. And the research across the last few decades bears that out.
Still, it would be naïve to think that everyone with whom we worship on Sunday morning is going to heaven. Odds are that there are still some in our communities of faith who think themselves saved but who lack a personal relationship with Jesus.
So whether the nones are our coworkers, neighbors, or the people sitting next to us at church, Christ’s call is the same: go and make disciples by sharing the gospel—the whole gospel—with those who need to hear it (Matthew 28:19–20).
How can you carry out that calling today?
The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. — C.S. Lewis
The post Has the rise of the nones come to a close? appeared first on Denison Forum.
TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
2 Samuel 4:1-6:23
John 13:31-14:14
Psalm 119:17-32
Proverbs 15:31-32
2 Samuel 4:11 — David ushers in a higher ethical standard. Instead of a form of utilitarianism (the greatest good for the greatest number), David advances a Torah-based ethical system (Deuteronomy 24:16). What could be more utilitarian than assassinating one individual to save the lives of hundreds of soldiers? We read of something like this in John 11:50, and we’ll read about it again in John 18:14.
2 Samuel 5:13 — David had been doing so well, and now he violates Deuteronomy 17:17. Thankfully, he listens to God in 2 Samuel 5:19 and 2 Samuel 5:23.
2 Samuel 5:21 — David follows Moses’ pattern from 450 years ago (Exodus 32:20).
2 Samuel 6:3 — David sins again (Numbers 4:5-15), and Uzzah dies (2 Samuel 6:7) as God warned (Numbers 4:15). Strangely, David is unfamiliar with Moses’ commands (2 Samuel 6:9).
John 13:34 — Moses gave 613 commandments, summarized into 10 “words”. Micah 6:8 summarizes the entire Law into three commands; Jesus boiled it down to two in Matthew 22:37-40. And because it is difficult to judge another’s love for God, loving God is best demonstrated by a love for one another.
John 13:35 — From Earl Martin (By This Shall All Men):
John 14:2 — A great promise set to music by Earl Martin:
John 14:2 — J.W. Pepper has a great song based on John 14:1-3 as well:
John 14:6 — Jesus is the way of life (Acts 2:28), the way of salvation (Acts 16:17), the source of instruction (Acts 18:25-26), an alleged heresy (Acts 24:14), the way of peace (Romans 3:17), the way of truth (2 Peter 2:2), and the way of righteousness (2 Peter 2:21).
Psalm 119:18 — A great prayer to pray before studying God’s Law.
Psalm 119:23 — How should we treat the Word? Meditate therein, delight therein (Psalm 119:24), and talk of it (Psalm 119:27).
Psalm 119:30 — From Earl Martin (I Have Chosen the Way of Truth):
Proverbs 15:32 — Correction is never easy to take, but it saves your soul and gives understanding!
Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this? (John 11:26)
Yes, Lord, we believe it; we shall never die. Our soul may be separated from our body, and this is death of a kind; but our soul shall never be separated from God, which is the true death—the death which was threatened to sin—the death penalty which is the worst that can happen. We believe this most assuredly, for who shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord? We are members of the Body of Christ; will Christ lose parts of His Body? We are married to Jesus; will He be bereaved and widowed? It is not possible. There is a life within us which is not capable of being divided from God: yea, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us, and how then can we die? Jesus, Himself, is our life, and therefore there is no dying for us, for He cannot die again, In Him we died unto sin once, and the capital sentence cannot a second time be executed. Now we live, and live forever. The reward of righteousness is life everlasting, and we have nothing less than the righteousness of God, and therefore can claim the very highest reward.
Living and believing, we believe that we shall live and enjoy. Wherefore we press forward with full assurance that our life is secure in our living Head.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:12–13)
I remember as a teenager hearing these verses read in church. It made a lasting impression on me and although we may feel far from fully grasping all this passage entails, I hope you will find the following thoughts a helpful accompaniment to it.
When we think of salvation, the Lord Jesus is our chief focus because He is our salvation. He committed Himself to the One who could save Him from death (Heb. 5:7) and thereby “became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (Heb. 5:9). Through His life, death, and resurrection, He worked out our salvation from sin. He grew in His understanding and wisdom according to His age (see Luke 2:47, 52). His thoughts, words, and actions were aimed at achieving salvation for us. The context of our chosen verses from Philippians 2 tells of His exertions in achieving it. He lived in a God-honoring fashion; “taking the form of a servant . . . he humbled himself” (Phil. 2:7). His whole life was committed to God. He was “obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). Accordingly, God saved Him from death and “highly exalted him” (Phil. 2:9).
Christ withheld nothing in His achieving salvation for us. He did not give a part of Himself for us, but He gave Himself. This is conveyed to us in Philippians 2:7–9. He “emptied himself” and “humbled himself.” It is fitting, therefore, that God withheld no honor from Him: “God exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.”
Working out our salvation entails discovering and believing the truths of God and Christ revealed by Scripture. Yet it also includes much more, because Christ redeemed not a part of us only but our whole being—body and soul. Therefore, working out our salvation means responding to God with the whole of our being: heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are to apply our minds to understand our salvation, we are to exert ourselves putting Christ’s teaching into practice, and we are to allow Christ’s salvation to work through us and permeate our words, thoughts, and actions.
Since salvation was a whole-life work for Jesus, it is also a lifelong work for us. There is always more to learn of God’s saving works and scope for further application in our lives. We are a work in progress until the time, by God’s grace, that He completes the work He has begun in us.
The accompanying expression “with fear and trembling” offers a valuable clue as to how we may “work out [our] own salvation” (Phil. 2:12). It tells of people who have turned to God and are humble before Him. It is to practice what Paul has already described in Philippians 2 where he taught the need to be humble, presented us with Christ’s example and taught us how to obtain it, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). If Christians lack a grace they may then come to Christ for that grace, much as Paul powerfully describes later in the letter. At one time, Paul was a man filled with covetousness, but he wrote of how he learned contentment, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).
Paul’s teaching in Philippians 2 on humility therefore establishes communion with God at the forefront for us when it comes to working out our salvation, because what you need to have for salvation is yours in Christ Jesus.
Communion with God is vital for working out our salvation. Why? Because these verses teach us, paradoxically, that the work that we are to do in “working out [our] own salvation” is work that God alone grants desire and power to do. This is brought into view where the text says, “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).
We would more easily understand an arrangement where God did the work and there was nothing for us to do, or vice versa, or if we shared the work. It would be easier to understand because these are common working arrangements between humans. But our relationship to God is different because God is infinitely greater than any creature. He is the potter; we are the clay, and this is the way that He has chosen to work. It is His good pleasure.
Although we struggle to understand or explain the arrangement described in these verses, as we grow as Christians we appreciate more that the work that is expected of us is work that only God can give us the will and power to do. Therefore, we appeal to Him that He would do the necessary work in and through us.
God has given us means by which we have communion with Him and further work out our salvation. These include His Word, which is given “that the man of God may be complete,” (2 Tim. 3:17); prayer, by which we confess our sins and bring our petitions directly to God; and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
We must also acknowledge that the fact God alone accomplishes good works in us is not an excuse for inaction. Instead, it is a call to action. The Spirit does not lie dormant in the Christian believer but is living and active: “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work” (Phil. 2:13). Our text from Philippians is a call for productive service to God, founded on His power.
God’s provisions of faith, repentance, and the church are also worthy of highlighting how we work out our salvation. Faith, because “the righteous shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4); repentance, because it is “leads to life” (Acts 11:18); and committing to the Christian church, because “working out your own salvation” isn’t an individual task only, but there is the need to “comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love (Eph. 3:18).
We have a common goal for this work. The goal of the work is our Savior, our Lord Jesus, and although our salvation is worked out according to our own persons, personalities, and circumstances, we all as Christians share the same Savior and the same goal. We are “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29).
Mental and physical workouts are hard work, but many people also enjoy these activities and benefit from exerting their minds and bodies. Working out our own salvation is no less difficult. Internally, the flesh wages war against the Spirit, not to speak of external pressures Christians encounter. We struggle in this task, but when we remember Jesus Christ, we have the greatest cause for taking it up, and it will yield the greatest benefits lasting into eternity. Presently the believer is comforted in the joy that comes from believing in Him.
We learn and believe the variety of God’s actions and movements that form our salvation both in Christ’s achieving it and in His applying it. The teaching to “work out your own salvation” is a comprehensive commitment to God in body and soul. Communion with God is vital for this work. We are unable in ourselves to contribute or add anything to our salvation. Yet God wants us to work it out in our lives. We appeal to God’s Spirit who works in us to receive His Word in humility along with other graces that are needful for salvation. Marvelously, all that is needed is already ours in Christ. God wants us to experience more of what He freely provides in Christ through communion with Him, and we petition God to grant the will and power to do that which pleases Him.
We cannot do what God asks of us on our own. We must depend on Him for the will and power to do what He wants, because Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Happily, Christians are not apart from Him, for He is with us and has promised not to leave us or forsake us. Now we ask Him to work in us according to His good pleasure.
There are many lies circulating in the world today surrounding the unpardonable sin. Within the past few years, there was a social media trend on TikTok that featured the “unpardonable sin challenge.” Challenges such as this on social media shows how far removed the world is from Jesus and a proper understanding of the Bible. To think it is “cool” to try to commit the unpardonable sin is heartbreaking as well as it shows how unknowledgeable the present generation is of the Bible.
The unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The main references of the unpardonable sin are found in Mark 3:22-30 and Matthew 12:22-32. When we look specifically at Matthew 12:30-32, we see the Lord speaking and He says, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
Surrounding the context of Matthew 12, we see the Pharisees trying to claim Jesus is Beelzebul, the prince of demons. In other words, the Pharisees were accusing Jesus of being possessed by a demon and what was at work in Him was from the devil. The Lord turns the tables and tells the Pharisees that they have spoken blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. They thought they were being holy and upright, but they were actually committing a sin that cannot be forgiven. This is the unpardonable sin and it will never be forgiven in this age or in the age to come.
Now that we know what the unpardonable sin is, we can dismantle any and all lies about it. Here are five lies about the unpardonable sin.
https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/lies-christians-believe-about-the-unpardonable-sin.html
Chinese agents highly active in democratic Taiwan, dissidents say
the ruling Chinese Communist Party under Xi Jinping is now focusing closely on “cleaning up” opposition voices overseas, and has spotted people he believes to be Chinese agents a number of times at public events in democratic Taiwan.
‘Deadly Force’ An Option: New Docs Show FBI Agents Were Prepared For Secret Service Resistance At Mar-a-Lago
FBI agents executing a search warrant at former President Donald Trump’s home in 2022 prepared for the possibility U.S. Secret Service agents resisted the agents, according to newly unsealed court documents. FBI agents would be prepared to “engage with” him and U.S. Secret Service (USSS) agents who protect him.
Neocon Queen Of Darkness Calls For US To Bomb Russian Targets Within Russia
Former top State Department official Victoria Nuland is back, and she’s joining the stepped-up Ukrainian government efforts to convince Western allies, including the United States, to deepen their involvement in the war with Russia.
Dr Peter McCullough: “Bird Flu is the next disease X”
Dr. McCullough went on to elaborate that not only is bird flu the next disease X, like with COVID, it is also a human-manipulated gain of function strain: “The strain is a gain of function strain. It’s a manipulated strain. Looks like it is coming out of the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) poultry research lab in Athens, Georgia.”
Biden Drains Entire Northeast Gasoline Reserve In Bid To Lower Gas Prices As He Trails Trump By Double Digits
Biden singlehandedly drained half of the US strategic petroleum reserve to avoid obliteration for Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections, Congress has snuck in a provision that would sell off and shutter the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve, a move that while perhaps keeps gas prices lower for a day or two, would also leave the entire continental northeast defenseless to any true environmental catastrophe or shock.
Russia accuses US of seeking to place weapons in space
“They have once again demonstrated that their true priorities in the area of outer space are aimed not at keeping space free from weapons of any kind, but at placing weapons in space and turning it into an arena for military confrontation,” Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said
How DNA Testing Revealed European Ancestry in Elongated Paracas Skulls
A second round of DNA testing was completed in 2016 and the results almost as controversial – the skulls tested, which date back as far as 2,000 years, were shown to have European and Middle Eastern Origin. LA Marzulli describes how some of the Paracas skulls are different to ordinary human skulls: “…this is not cradle head boarding, this is genetic.”
ICC prosecutor barred from entering US? These are the sanctions being advanced by Congress
U.S. Congress members are advancing a bipartisan fast-track bill that would impose sanctions on anyone involved in the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Israel returns Associated Press’ webcam taken down on Gaza border
“Since the Defense Ministry wishes to examine the matter of the broadcasts from these locations in Sderot regarding the risk to our forces, I have ordered a cancellation of the operation and return the equipment to the AP,” Karhi said.
Blinken Blasts ICC Request for Netanyahu’s Arrest, Says He’ll Work With Congress on Response to ‘Shameful’ Move
Antony Blinken on Tuesday lambasted the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s office for demanding arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense chief, saying he would work with lawmakers “to find an appropriate response” to the move.
In complete secrecy: Egypt altered the hostage deal terms before handing to Hamas
Qatari officials have denied involvement with the altered deal, placing the blame squarely on Egypt. Egypt altered ceasefire terms before handing agreements to Hamas, three anonymous sources told CNN News in a report published on Tuesday.
Syrian President’s wife diagnosed with leukemia
Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad has been diagnosed with leukemia, a spokesperson for her husband, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said. Asma “was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia ” … Asma, 48, will undergo a special treatment protocol which will both require her to step away from public engagements and to isolate herself.
Netanyahu to CNN: Israel has no intention of resettling the Gaza Strip
“I have a very clear plan,” Netanyahu said, adding, “The day after Hamas is the day after Hamas. We have to get rid of Hamas. Rafah is the last stronghold that ends the intense part of the fighting. If you mean resettling Gaza, it was never in the cards. Some of my constituents aren’t happy but that’s my position.”
‘Appalling’ – European leaders blast ICC’s ‘unacceptable’ comparison of Israel and Hamas
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne rejected the “equivalence” between Hamas and Israel implied by the decision. “These simultaneous requests for arrest warrants should not create an equivalence between Hamas and Israel,” Sejourne told French parliamentarians Tuesday. Israel, Sejourne emphasized, is “a democratic state that must respect international law in the conduct of a war that it did not itself start,” while Hamas is “a terrorist group that celebrated the October 7 attacks.”
Biden State Dept. Sends Iran Condolences Over Death of “Butcher of Iran”
“Some of the worst human rights abuses occurred during his tenure as president,” Miller said, adding a note that hinted at the warm relationship between the Islamist regime and the current US administration.
Hamas steals almost 70% of aid trucks, cripples deliveries via new U.S.-built Gaza pier
Just days after the first shipments of humanitarian aid arrived at the new U.S.-built temporary pier on the shore of the Gaza Strip, the project appears doomed to fail as Reuters reports that nearly 70% of the aid delivered so far has been stolen by Hamas terrorists.
What is the potential fallout from the ICC’s seeking arrests of Israeli PM Netanyahu, DM Gallant?
Warrants effectively force member states to arrest Israeli leaders on their territory
Biden DOJ files $50,000 FACE Act lawsuit against another group of pro-lifers
The Biden DOJ announced a new lawsuit against Red Rose Rescue and Citizens for a Pro Life Society for alleged violations of the FACE Act just days after the sentencing of several peaceful pro-lifers in Washington, DC, including two elderly women.
Severe thunderstorms, large hail and tornadoes target portions of the Midwest, U.S.
Severe weather, including strong winds, large hail and strong tornadoes, is expected to impact the Midwest on May 21, 2024, particularly affecting Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Illinois. A Moderate Risk (Level 4 of 5) of severe thunderstorms has been issued for these regions. The risk of severe storms across the country are expected to continue into late week.
Violent hailstorm paralyzes the city of Gniezno, Poland
A severe hailstorm caused significant flooding in the western Polish city of Gniezno on Monday, May 20, 2024. The storm, part of a series of violent weather events sweeping across the country, left streets inundated and disrupted daily activities.
Extreme hailstorm hits Yuma, Colorado
An extreme hailstorm hit Yuma, Colorado on Monday, May 20, 2024, causing massive damage to homes and cars. Hail accumulation was so thick that some cars ended up stuck in hail drifts.
Earthquake swarm hits Campi Flegrei caldera, Italy
A new seismic swarm started at Campi Flegrei area, Italy at 17:51 UTC on May 20, 2024. Local Earthquake monitoring network has detected around 150 quakes within the next couple of hours, with the strongest being M4.4 — now the strongest quake to hit the caldera region since the beginning of the current bradyseismic crisis in 2005. Preventive evacuations have thus far affected 36 families.
Is “The Big One” Coming? There Have Been More Than 1000 Earthquakes In California And Nevada In The Past 7 Days
…the total number of earthquakes in California and Nevada in the last 7 days is sitting at a grand total of 1010. To me, whenever that number goes above 1000 we are officially in the danger zone. Hopefully there will not be a very large earthquake in California any time soon, but when there is this much shaking going on we should all be on alert.
Ex-CDC Director Says It’s High Time To Admit ‘Significant Side Effects’ Of COVID-19 Vaccines
Dr. Robert Redfield, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Thursday that many officials who tried to warn the public about potential problems with COVID-19 vaccines were pressured into silence and that it’s high time to admit that there were “significant” side effects that made people sick.
AI Chatbot Admits Artificial Intelligence Poses “Existential Threats To Humanity
Every time a new report comes out showing the dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the thought that always runs through my mind is “have they not seen the Terminator or any other AI destroying humanity movie?”
Several States Take Steps To Block A Central Bank Digital Currency
Several states have taken action over the last two years in an effort to block the implementation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the United States.
‘Terrifying’: UK Police ‘Weaponize Their Authority’ Seeking To Root Out Christian Council Member
A democratically elected Conservative councillor launched a formal complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after officers threatened to storm a council building and arrest him if he attended a planning committee meeting.
A Tyrant Who Threatened Israel With Annihilation: Was Raisi’s Death An Act Of God?
It really makes you wonder when you look back at Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s statement of April 23rd, less than a month ago, as he threatened Israel with annihilation. It was during a visit to Pakistan that Raisi referred to Israel as the “Zionist regime,” whose destruction he promised if they would dare to attack Iran.
IDF Successfully Evacuates Nearly 1 Million People From Rafah In Two Weeks
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have successfully evacuated approximately 950,000 Palestinian civilians from Rafah in the Gaza Strip in just two weeks since May 6, the military revealed on Monday.
U.S. Government’s Negligent Security Alert for ‘LGBTQI Pride Month’ Fails to Address the Real Threat: Islam
The U.S. State Department, Homeland Security, and FBI’s, security alert for LGBTQI+ Pride events deliberately omits naming Islam as a threat, endangering U.S. citizens and sexual minorities by merely checking a box instead of genuinely prioritizing their safety.
Federal Court Rules Maryland Parents Cannot Opt Children Out of LGBT Lessons
The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decided on Wednesday that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland does not have to allow parents to opt their children out of LGBT-themed lessons. Judge G. Steven Agee, a George W. Bush appointee, claimed that the parents seeking to opt their children out of the lessons in question did not provide sufficient evidence to justify a preliminary injunction.
JUST IN: Environmental Protection Agency Warns Of Major Cyberattacks To U.S. Water Systems
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued an enforcement alert urging water systems to take immediate action to protect the nation’s drinking water from foreign cyberattacks.
Nanorobots for treating cancer have moved from theory to practise
Cancer DNA robots, also known as DNA nanorobots, are tiny machines made of DNA that can be programmed to target and destroy cancer cells. These robots are constructed using a method called “DNA origami,” a technique that allows scientists to create complex shapes and structures from DNA molecules.
A Population Control Plan?
“I have long given up thinking that the global response to the coronavirus is a series of cock-ups (though there have, along the way, been many incidental cock-ups). The evidence makes it clear to me that we are being manipulated,” Dr. Vernon Coleman said in May 2020. The following is a script of a video Dr. Coleman made on 16 May 2020 which was almost immediately banned.
There Sure Has Been A Lot Of “International Intrigue” Lately…
…Right now, the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is dominating the news cycle, and at this stage we don’t know if that was an accident or not…there has been quite a lot of “international intrigue” during the past couple of weeks…Over the past two weeks: May 7th: Assassination attempt against Saudi Crown Prince. May 13th: Turkish President Erdoğan holds emergency meeting following warning of possible military coup. May 15th: Assassination attempt on Slovak PM Robert Fico.
The Gap Between The Rich And The Poor Is Larger Than Ever, And Frustration Is Growing To Very Dangerous Levels
Have you ever felt like you can never seem to get ahead no matter how hard you try? If so, you are definitely not alone. The gap between the ultra-wealthy and the rest of us has never been greater, and more wealth is being transferred to the top of the pyramid with each passing day. Unfortunately, our economy has evolved into a highly centralized system that is designed to drain wealth from those that do not own wealth-producing assets and transfer it to those that do own wealth-producing assets.
Ireland and other European countries to recognize Palestinian statehood
Blinken acknowledges Israel may reject Saudi deal if Palestinian state required
U.S. National Security Advisor: Saudi Deal Close; U.S. May Show Draft to Israel
US-Saudi Security Deal Inches Closer, Aims to Reshape Middle East Dynamics
President Herzog: Normalisation with Saudi Arabia would be historic ‘game-changer’
Blinken indicates Saudis, UAE could play role in providing security for post-war Gaza
Ben Gvir says he would be happy to live in Gaza after war, calls for mass settlement
Hamas Complains ICC Didn’t Issue Enough Arrest Warrants for Israelis
Amidst outrage and red tape, the ICC questions Israel’s moral compass
Gazans Say I.C.C. Prosecutor’s Pursuit of Hamas Leaders Is Misguided
Gallant blasts ICC’s Khan for ‘despicable’ Israel-Hamas parallel in warrant bid
Does ICC Prosecutor Khan have a case against Netanyahu and Gallant? Experts doubt it
‘Blood libels’: Netanyahu rages against ICC prosecutor
‘This guy is doing a hit job’: Netanyahu slams ICC prosecutor Khan over effort to arrest him
Netanyahu: It’s the ICC prosecutor, not me, who should be concerned for his status
I.C.C. Warrant Request Appears to Shore Up Domestic Support for Netanyahu
ICC arrest warrant ‘attempt to deny Israel the right to defend itself’, says Israel defence minister
Israel calls on ‘civilised nations’ to boycott ICC arrest warrants against its leaders
Germany Urges Caution While France Throws Support Behind ICC Arrest Warrants For Israel Leaders
Mike Johnson Moves to Sanction ICC
Former official: Biden has no choice but invoke special law against ICC
The U.S. Was Resettling Guantanamo Prisoners. The Hamas Attack Halted Those Plans.
Stefanik: No excuse for any American president to withhold aid to Israel
UN Halts Food Distribution in Rafah Due to Supply Shortages and Insecurity From Israeli Strikes
Medics, WHO say north Gaza hospitals barely operational
Top security official resigned after pillorying management of Gaza war – reports
Israeli Deputy Mayor Posts Derisive Photos With Blindfolded and Shackled Palestinian Prisoners
Israel Seizes AP Equipment; Accuses Agency of Violating Al Jazeera Ban
Israel reverses on seizure of Associated Press camera feed after intense backlash
Ex-BBC chief: Network’s Arabic service rife with anti-Israel bias, support for terror
Blinken Called ‘War Criminal’ at Senate Hearings
Pro-Palestinian Protesters Removed From Congress Calling Blinken “Butcher Of Gaza” During Testimony
Nancy Pelosi interrupted while accepting award by anti-Israel agitator: ‘Shame on you!’
Police break up University of Michigan encampment; New School to hold divestment vote
Campus anti-Israel protests force University of New Mexico to send Israeli athlete home
Musicians and artists boycott UK cultural events over Israel ties
French police arrest protesters who allegedly assaulted security at Jewish event
National Security advisor says Biden waiting to condemn Israel due to ‘powerful Jewish influence’
Israel Defense Chief Says Military Rule in Gaza Would Extend IDF Compulsory Service to Four Years
Israeli troops kill 7 Palestinians including doctor in new raid on Jenin in occupied West Bank
Houthi rebels claim to have downed American drone in southern Yemen province
Missile Meltdown: How North Korea’s Tech Might Fueled Iran’s Attack on Israel
Iran Begins Funeral Events for President Raisi
‘The Butcher of Iran will not be missed’: Moment of silence for Raisi sparks drama at the UN
Some Iranians celebrate ‘Butcher of Tehran’ Raisi’s death in the streets despite oppressive regime
Raisi’s Death Represents a Tipping Point for Iran
After Raisi’s Death, Elections Pose Tricky Test for Iran’s Rulers
Raisi Presided Over Iran’s Economic Crisis. Will His Death Change Anything?
Syrian first lady Asma Assad diagnosed with aggressive form of blood cancer
Russia begins nuclear drills in response to ‘provocative statements’
World War III Is Imminent Without Ukraine, Historian Predicts
WWIII Watch: Zelensky Begs Biden to Allow Ukraine to Launch U.S. Missiles Inside Russia
Intel Lawmakers Urge Biden to Allow Ukraine to Strike Russia with U.S.-Provided Weapons
Nine in Germany, accused of ‘Reichsbuerger’ coup plot to overthrow Germany’s democracy, go on trial
Trump shares video suggesting his victory will bring ‘unified Reich’
Biden on Trump’s ‘unified Reich’ post: ‘This is Hitler’s language, not America’s’
Joy Behar says MAGA hats ‘might as well’ have ‘swastikas’ on them
Biden’s Latest Senior Moment Was So Bad the White House Had to Doctor the Transcript Multiple Times
White House Issues Nine Corrections to Biden’s NAACP Speech
Rep. Comer: ‘No Difference’ Between Biden, Nixon on Tapes
Appeals court denies Hunter Biden’s request to postpone June trial on gun charges
Nolte: Ivana Trump Denied Rape. Tara Reade, Ashley Biden Stand by Biden Allegations
‘Pure Fiction’: Trump Will Sue Filmmakers Who Depicted Him Raping Wife Ivana
Trump slams DOJ after unsealed court docs show FBI authorized use of deadly force in raid on home
Trump’s attorneys found classified docs in his bedroom months after raid
Sen. Cruz: Trump Guilty Verdict ‘Real Risk’ Despite No Crime
Trump defense rests at New York hush money trial, ex-president doesn’t testify
Judge Merchan Explodes at Trump Witness During Trial: ‘Clear the Courtroom!’
Trump risks gag order violation with new screed against lawyer who argued the case: ‘Unbelievable’
Voters to decide whether prosecutor and judge in Georgia Trump election case keep their jobs
Rep. Josh Brecheen: Arizona’s Indictment of Trump Allies Is ‘Election Interference’
Giuliani, others plead not guilty to felony charges in Arizona election interference case
Trump Lawyer Christina Bobb Arraigned on Junk Charges Related to 2020 Alternate Electors
Google offers DoJ cash to eliminate jury in web ad monopoly abuse trial
Microsoft Unveils Creepy AI-Powered Windows that Tracks Everything You Do
AI Chatbots Sucked Up Troves of Data. Now Copyright Holders Want a Cut
5.4 magnitude earthquake hits near Biak, Indonesia
5.3 magnitude earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge
5.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Sola, Vanuatu
5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Calama, Chile
Two sets of earthquake swarms have hit California. What’s going on along the Mexico border?
Seismic storm hits Italy’s Campi Flegrei super volcano with strongest earthquake in 40 years
Naples region rocked by more than 150 quakes
Italy schools, factories closed after quake ‘swarm’ near Naples
Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 26,000ft
Ibu volcano in Indonesia erupts to 21,000ft
Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 20,000ft
Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 16,000ft
Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala erupts to 15,000ft
Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts to 15,000ft
Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 14,500ft
Dukono volcano in Indonesia erupts to 10,000ft
Violent hailstorm paralyzes the city of Gniezno, Poland
Extreme hailstorm hits Yuma, Colorado
Multiple tornadoes reported in Iowa amid deadly severe weather outbreak
Tornadoes cause destruction in Iowa as ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ unfolds in Midwest
Tornadoes kill 1 and cause major damage in rural Iowa city as severe storms rake the Midwest
Heat, humidity torment Texas as thousands remain without power after destructive derecho
It’s the hottest May ever in Miami. Heat index ‘completely off the charts’
One Dead and Dozens Injured After ‘Extreme Turbulence’ on Flight From London to Singapore
Study: ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Melting Rapidly
TV meteorologist blasts Florida’s new ‘Don’t Say Climate Change’ law amid oppressive heat
Pope Francis Says Climate Change Is ‘a Road to Death’
Biden Releasing 1 Million Barrels of Gasoline from Northeast Reserve in Bid to Lower Prices at Pump
Donald Trump Rips Biden’s Release of Gas Reserves: ‘He’s Unable to Drill Properly’
Report: Klaus Schwab to Step Down as World Economic Forum Executive Chairman
Trump Campaign: Illegal Migrants ‘Attacking the Wages’ of Americans
New York Migrant Complains: Not Enough Welfare, Aid
The bodies of 4 men and 2 women were found strangled, piled up in Mexican resort of Acapulco
Haiti’s Gangs Grow Stronger as Kenyan-Led Force Prepares to Deploy
Finland Proposes New Border Law To Block Migrants
Jemele Hill Says Caitlin Clark’s Fame Is ‘Problematic’ Because of Her ‘Race and Sexuality’
How a Southern Baptist minister came to lead an LGBTQ-affirming church
Lawsuit: W.Va. Trans Track Athlete Defeated Girls 700 Times
Target Scales Back Pride Month Displays After Backlash Last Year
N.Y.’s High Court Upholds Making Insurance Cover Medically Necessary Abortion
Louisiana passes bill to make abortion pills a controlled dangerous substance
Senators place blame for sky-high drug prices on abuse of the patent system
Elon Musk’s Neuralink to Implant Second Brain Chip as First Patient Deals with Failing Device
4 more cats die of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S.
The Dam is Breaking on Medical Trafficking Evidence – The Blood Was Contaminated
Ombudsman: Health Ministry didn’t check 82% of reports on COVID vaccine side effects
N.J. Gym Owner Cleared of More Than 80 Charges After Rejecting COVID Lockdown
Barrasso recommends using leftover COVID-19 funds to complete border wall in new amendment
“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.
“All see, and most admire, the glare which hovers round the external trappings of elevated office. To me there is nothing in it, beyond the lustre which may be reflected from its connection with a power of promoting human felicity.” —George Washington (1790)On this day in Patriot history in 1782, George Washington soundly rejected the idea that he become a king. After receiving a letter from Colonel Lewis Nicola of the Continental Army, Washington forcefully responded that “no occurrence in the course of the war has given me more painful sensations than your information of there being such ideas existing in the army as you have expressed.” In fact, he admonished Nicola, “banish these thoughts from your mind.” Instead of himself, he put America first. —Mark Alexander
One chart is arguably all you need to see to validate feeling like you’re not getting anywhere.
Nate Jackson
Why are Americans so sour on the economy when everything is just hunky-dory? That’s the oft-repeated Leftmedia question accompanying a gaslighting story.
A new chart from the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis (pictured above) illustrates the problem: Overall, Americans have made no financial progress since Joe Biden took office. Net worth today, adjusted for Bidenflation, is up just 0.7% since January 2021, and it dipped into the negative for several months. That’s a far cry from the 16% increase during Trump’s first three years. In nominal terms, the numbers are 19% and 23%, respectively, but inflation eats up virtually all of Biden’s gain.
Not to overstate things because presidents are not solely responsible for every economic lever in a free market, but Biden’s record is atrocious, which is why he routinely lies about it.
In a brief story on the situation, The Wall Street Journal’s Greg Ip repeats the misleading claim that “inflation is falling.” Yes, the annual rate is lower now than it was, but prices are still rising — far faster than the Federal Reserve target of 2%. Cumulative inflation under Biden is close to 20%. Media outlets routinely skew these numbers (rarely reporting that cumulative one) to help Biden.
The Journal points to the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s recent milestone of closing above 40,000 as a “bit of welcome news for President Biden.” That’s certainly true in nominal terms — the market has been one bright spot in an otherwise dismal economy.
Yet even that part of Biden’s record doesn’t match Trump’s. At the time of the Journal’s article, “The Dow is up 28% since he was inaugurated in January 2021.” It rose 57% during Trump’s full term, including fully recovering from the COVID crash.
The stock market is a barometer of consumer confidence, so it’s also a good indicator of American resilience. But given the net worth calculation, does the stock market’s nominal increase actually amount to greater wealth? And which Americans benefit?
Hint: Not Americans who live paycheck to paycheck and aren’t invested.
To illustrate the struggles of regular Americans, recent news indicates trouble in the restaurant industry, which is itself a barometer of spending habits. Red Lobster is closing 87 restaurants nationwide and filing bankruptcy. Cracker Barrel is also closing stores and reporting big losses. Those are just two of a slew of chains that are having trouble keeping customers and workers.
That’s because consumers used to be able to get a meal at such places for roughly the same as fast-food combos now cost. Collectively, fast-food prices have risen more than 77% since December 2019. At McDonald’s, the hike has been 141%. Some individual items are up more than 200%.
So, McDonald’s is trying to drum up business by offering a $5 combo meal. I’m old enough to remember when that was normal, but this one’s just a gimmick. It’s a small amount of food, and the promotion lasts for just one month. Wendy’s is doing the same thing with a $3 breakfast combo — for a limited time only — after running a temporary promotion for Dave’s Single and Dave’s Double hamburgers.
Besides, McDonald’s is busy removing self-serve fountain drink machines and is considering charging for refills. On the bright side, soda is bad for you, and maybe the Bidenflation diet will help a lot of us lose a few pounds.
It’s not just prepared food. The Daily Wire reports, “Groceries for the average cookout will cost Americans about 10% more than they did for Memorial Day last year.”
Here are two other numbers to show why net worth isn’t going anywhere.
Home prices are at a record high of 7.64 timesthe median household income. Car insurance is up 22.6% in just the past year. Whereas prospective homebuyers can stay put, anyone who drives a car is required by law to carry insurance. Neither buying car insurance nor foregoing the acquisition of a new home helps net worth.
In the upcoming debate with Biden, Trump needs only ask this question: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”
Follow Nate Jackson on X/Twitter.
The Mar-a-Lago “deadly force” dust-up, DEA admits cartels are in all 50 states, Biden taps oil reserves again, and more.
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
For the Executive Summary archive, click here.
Follow Thomas Gallatin and Jordan Candler on X/Twitter.
According to the ICC’s delusional prosecutor, Israel and Hamas are morally equivalent.
Emmy Griffin
The International Criminal Court, a 2002 creation that has little to no power and even less jurisdiction, has issued an arrest warrant application for both Israeli and Hamas leaders. Under the advisement of a panel of five advisers including Amal Clooney — human rights lawyer and wife of Hollywood actor George Clooney — ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan articulated his intentions on Monday.
On Israel’s side, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were the individuals named. The ICC cites the following bogus infractions via prosecutor Kahn: “causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict.”
Israel has been held to a wholly unreasonable and unattainable standard for conducting warfare against an opponent that uses civilians as human shields, but even worse is that the charges are spurious.
However, Hamas’s Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, and Ismail Haniyeh gladly and proudly cop to their war crimes. Sinwar is one of the architects of the October 7 attack, which Kahn correctly states included “extermination, murder, taking of hostages, rape and sexual assault in detention.”
After Kahn pronounced that he sought the arrest of Netanyahu and Gallant for crimes against humanity, the United States immediately came to the defense of Israel, which is a change of tune from a few weeks ago when President Joe Biden withheld military aid because the Israel Defense Forces went into Rafah. Biden said: “Let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken later added in a much more detailed statement: “We reject the Prosecutor’s equivalence of Israel with Hamas. It is shameful. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and is still holding dozens of innocent people hostage, including Americans.”
Netanyahu excoriated the ICC, saying:
The outrageous decision by the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, to seek arrest warrants against the democratically elected leaders of Israel is a moral outrage of historic proportions. It will cast an everlasting mark of shame on the international court.
Israel is waging a just war against Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that perpetrated the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Hamas massacred 1200 Jews, raped Jewish women, burned Jewish babies, [and] took hundreds hostage.
Now, in the face of these horrors, Mr. Khan creates a twisted and false moral equivalence between the leaders of Israel and the henchmen of Hamas. This is like creating a moral equivalence after September 11th between President Bush and Osama bin Laden, or during World War II between FDR and Hitler.
Hamas leaders also denounced the ICC, statingthat it “equates the victim with the executioner.” This is rich considering that the Palestinians consider the Israelis the executioners even though the former were the butchers on October 7.
Most importantly, regardless of what the ICC decides to do in terms of arrest warrants, it has no jurisdiction and no right to stick its nose into this matter. Israel, as well as other world powers like China, Russia, and the U.S., do not recognize its authority.
Israel isn’t a signatory member of the ICC. “Palestine” is and has been since 2015, but Palestine isn’t a country.
At the end of the day, the ICC has no real power beyond being a nuisance. Case in point: The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin last year for war crimes against Ukraine. The Russian dictator, probably while laughing to himself, issued a counter-warrant for the arrest of the ICC members.
The ICC is also setting a bad precedent. If any country that isn’t popular with the ICC goes to war to defend itself, are its leaders in danger too of being issued arrest warrants?
The ICC would do well to back down from this fight.
The Florida governor recently signed legislation that removes “climate change” from official consideration by state government agencies.
Thomas Gallatin
The radical Left climate cultists have had their way in forcing their green religion onto much of the nation. Extremist terms like “climate change” and “carbon footprint” have become so common that many don’t even realize they are being manipulated into a cultist worldview.
As Greenpeace cofounder Patrick Moore, a critic of modern climate change alarmism, observes, these climate change cultists are effectively anti-human. Human flourishing is not their objective; rather, it’s furthering their earth-worshiping agenda, which ironically does not actually benefit the earth, let alone humanity.
One need look no further than Joe Biden’s own green energy agenda to see this reality at play. Biden has ridiculously gone to war against fossil fuels, all in the name of “fighting climate change.” Of course, there is no actual, quantifiable data to support the administration’s pie-in-the-sky claims regarding the supposed impact his green policies will have on the global climate. Indeed, the only reason the U.S. has seen its carbon emissions decrease over the last couple of decades is due to fossil fuels, specifically clean-burning natural gas.
But it’s the narrative that matters, not the facts, as climate change alarmism is preached as if it were incontrovertible truth.
Thus, there is predictable blowback when a bold and forward-thinking leader like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis calls foul over the dubious alarmism surrounding climate change. On the campaign trail back in 2018, DeSantis declared: “I’m not in the pews of the church of the global warming leftists. I’m just not.” Can we get an “amen”?
However, more than merely exposing the fraudulent agenda behind the climate change cult, DeSantis and his fellow Republicans have acted to reverse the cult’s continued promulgation throughout the Sunshine State’s government.
Recently, DeSantis signed into law three bills to remove this alarmism from the state’s government. As DeSantis explained, “The legislation I signed today [will] keep windmills off our beaches, gas in our tanks, and China out of our state.” He added: “We’re restoring sanity in our approach to energy and rejecting the agenda of the radical green zealots. Furthermore, we’re going to ensure foreign adversaries like China have no foothold in our state.”
The new law, HB 1645, which goes into effect on July 1, removes climate change alarmist ideology from government consideration in decision-making, specifically regarding energy generation. This means that when it comes to decisions regarding state agencies purchasing products, they will no longer be required to be “climate-friendly,” nor will rented meeting spaces have to meet some “green lodging” requirement.
DeSantis has long noted what many conservatives have pointed out regarding the climate change agenda: that it is really not about the climate at all. Instead, it’s about top-down government control. As DeSantis observed last year, Biden’s climate policies are “part of an agenda to control you and to control our behavior.” Exactly.
Meanwhile, Leftmedia outlets have ridiculed both DeSantis and Florida’s Republican-led legislature for this action against climate alarmism. The Washington Post’s headline is telling: “DeSantis signs bill scrubbing ‘climate change’ from Florida law.” And its subhead is even more so: “Climate advocates said the bill is a bid for national attention from a Republican governor eager to use global warming as a culture war issue.” While the Leftmedia outlet clutches its pearls, the headline is actually quite accurate. DeSantis has been a leader in taking on the Left, meeting it in the trenches over the major culture war issues that threaten Americans’ freedoms.
The Biden climate agenda has proven costly and crippling to the economy and Americans’ freedom to make their own choices. Energy costs have soared thanks to Biden, and so has the cost of vehicles, thanks to his de facto EV mandate.
DeSantis has done the opposite of what the radical Left has done, which is to use the power of government to force its ideological views onto the American public. Thankfully, DeSantis has been quite effective in meeting and beating the Left, and in doing so, he’s showing other Republican governors how to do the same.
We pretend to celebrate diversity and inclusion — then one person dares to contradict the new orthodoxy, and the world goes nuts.
Jack DeVine
It shouldn’t have been controversial at all. A devout Catholic named Harrison Butker was invited to give the commencement address at a Catholic college, and he delivered a profoundly Catholic message. What’s wrong with that?
But snippets of his address leaked out, and within hours we learned, to feminists’ horror, that Mr. Butker had poisoned the Benedictine College graduates’ impressionable young minds with his Neanderthal views about life and family. By nightfall, his incendiary remarks were big news coast to coast, eliciting heaps of abuse.
Until last week, the name Harrison Butker was well-known only by serious football fans. He is the placekicker for the NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs. As a rule, kickers are ignored —until they miss an extra point or a critical field goal, whereupon they are vilified unsparingly. Butker is one of the best at his job — he’s learned to thrive close to that edge, perhaps making it easier for him to toss out thoughts that just might upset a few folks.
His commencement address was well crafted and well delivered, a positive, uplifting, personal, and thoroughly Catholic message. One of his central themes — the one that set his detractors’ hair on fire — was directed to the women graduates. “Some of you may go on to successful careers,” he said, “but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”
Heresy! The reaction was swift and vicious. The instant media interpretation was that Butker believes women should be relegated to the dreary life of a homemaker — either incapable or undeserving to share in the cornucopia of professional success long available to men. The critics were aghast. How can anyone in this day and age be so clueless about the glass ceiling that has imprisoned women for generations? This dolt probably spends his free time watching “Leave It to Beaver” reruns!
The National Football League piled on immediately, disowning Butker’s remarks via a statement from the league’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer: “The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.” Evidently, the league’s dedication to inclusion does not extend to Butker’s views on family life. And note the stark distinction between the NFL’s swoon over Colin Kaepernick’s ugly America-hating antics a few years ago and Harrison Butker’s testament last week to the fundamental importance of family.
Back home in Kansas City, a petition demanded that the Chiefs fire their misguided kicker. An op-ed in the Kansas City Star proposed replacing him — a player who contributed mightily to the team’s huge success in recent years — with a female kicker. (While they’re at it, they might want to swap out a couple of their big, knuckle-dragging, overly aggressive, and probably sexist linemen in exchange for players who better reflect the organization’s journalists’ core values. No worries, the fans will understand…)
But of course, there’s another side. Don’t take at face value the media’s assertion of universal outrage over Butker’s message. The Benedictine College graduates, faculty, and guests sure seemed to like it — they responded with a standing ovation. And reportedly, sales of Kansas City Chiefs jerseys with Butker’s #7 are currently outselling those with the Chief’s MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes’s number, as well as those of celebrity tight end Travis Kelce. (That strikes me as another of those implicitly valid indicators of true public reaction, not unlike beer drinkers’ wholesale rejection of Bud Light.)
But most importantly, we should recognize that this kerfuffle is not just another silly partisan argument between woke folks and the rest of us. There is intractable truth in Butker’s message that deserves serious consideration.
Let’s connect a few dots from among the worrisome trends of American life:
No, Harrison Butker has not stumbled on a magic fix to what ails a civilization that seems to be in steady decline. But he reminded us — all of us, thanks to our media’s compulsion to pass on any bad news — that the nuclear family is the core building block of a stable, healthy, and productive society. His message was wholly consistent with his Catholic faith, but it was not really a religious message at all — it is a fundamental truth.
He expressed his views thoughtfully and clearly, and he did not force them on anyone. There is no reason in the world why we can’t all respect those views, and there are very good reasons why we should take them to heart.
California’s so-called Racial Justice Act helps spring convicted criminals from prison by allowing them to claim racial bias.
Douglas Andrews
You’ve heard the cliché: As goes California, so goes the nation. We’re not sure it’s true anymore, given what an awful one-party mess that state has become in little more than a generation.
Still, as Michael Anton wrote in his prescient book on the 2020 presidential race, The Stakes: America at the Point of No Return, “With apologies to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, America’s bicoastal oligarchs and tastemakers celebrate ‘Californification’ as a heady brew of technological innovation, economic futurism, environmental consciousness, social enlightenment, and political progressivism.”
It’s these last two, though — the “enlightenment” and the “progressivism” — that have combined to make the state a lawless wasteland. And the indomitable Heather Mac Donald has taken notice.
“California is about to demonstrate what a world constructed from the tenets of critical race studies looks like,” she writes at City Journal in an article titled “California’s Looming Crime Catastrophe,” which warns about the recent passage of a law that “will likely bring the state’s criminal-justice system to its knees.” Mac Donald continues: “The Racial Justice Act, passed in 2020 without meaningful public review, turns long-standing academic tropes about implicit bias and white privilege into potent legal tools. And the floodgates are about to open. Starting this year, the RJA allows anyone serving time in a California prison or jail for a felony to challenge his conviction and sentencing retroactively on the ground of systemic racial bias.”
In essence, then, the RJA was a ticking time bomb. And now it joins the growing list of disparate-impact racial excuse-making that is wrecking our country.
Mac Donald’s piece begins with an account of a series of gang-related murders in Contra Costa County, whose four perpetrators were ultimately caught and sentenced to life without parole. Their sentences were recently thrown out by a superior court judge on the grounds that the county’s sentencing for black gang members had been “historically biased.” Mind you: Neither the convicted murderers nor their legal representatives said they’d been treated unfairly by the judicial system. But, racial bias. Mac Donald explains:
The Racial Justice Act operationalizes the proposition that every aspect of the criminal-justice system is biased against blacks. But according to the act’s legislative authors, it’s too hard to prove such bias in the case of individual arrests and prosecutions. Therefore, the act does away with the concept of individual fault and individual proof. From now on, statistics about past convictions are sufficient to invalidate a present trial or sentence.
The RJA explicitly repudiates a key Supreme Court precedent that had governed bias challenges in criminal trials. The plaintiff in McCleskey v. Kemp (1987), Warren McCleskey, a black man, was facing the death penalty for murdering a white police officer in Fulton County, Georgia. McCleskey presented a study purportedly showing that killers of all races in Georgia were more likely to be sentenced to death if their victim was white. Blacks who killed whites were at greatest risk of capital punishment. That alleged historical disparity in sentencing invalidated his own death sentence, argued McCleskey. The Court, in a 5-4 decision, disagreed.
In McCleskey, the High Court ruled that defendants must show that the system was “purposefully biased against them,” not just historically biased, in order to overturn a conviction under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause. But that specific proof of bias is no longer necessary — at least not in California. All that’s necessary for turning black murderers loose in Gavin Newsom’s crime-plagued state are statistics that show a pattern of past bias.
So now, as Mac Donald notes, based on a dubious statistical analysis, not only are the four aforementioned gangster-murderers entitled to new sentencing, “but all 30 black gang convicts in the historical pool who had received life without parole can now sue to reopen their sentences thanks to the RJA’s retroactivity provision.”
This is madness, of course, but it’s the reality in our nation’s largest and most consequential state — unless the voters revolt en masse and overturn the Racial Justice Act. In the meantime, the question for the rest of us is whether we as a nation have reached Peak California.
By now, we suspect that the citizens of the other 50 states have stared into the leftist abyss that was once the Golden State and said, No thanks. Time will tell. But if so, it might be that the Racial Justice Act was the last straw.
For more of today’s columns, visit Right Opinion.
Jordan Candler
Non Compos Mentis
“Here with us today is Hersh Goldberg-Polin. … He is not here with us, but he’s still being held by Hamas.” —Joe Biden
“Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz … is responsible for this occurring, having sponsored this early on back when she was 12 years old.” —Joe Biden
For the Record
“I don’t think it’s much better than 50/50 that [Joe Biden] shows up on June the 27th. … Why risk it?” —Democrat strategist James Carville regarding debating Donald Trump
Circling the Wagons
“It didn’t really sound like stealing $30,000. It sounded a lot like Michael Cohen doing the little that he could … to rebalance the bonus he thought he deserved, and it still came out as less than the bonus he thought he deserved and the bonus he’d gotten the year before.” —MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell
Dumb & Dumber
“When the entire country says, ‘We’re all border states,’ no, we are not all border states.” —New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
“[Illegal immigration] has now become a really harsh political issue. … Shame on Republicans.” —Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
“[The International Criminal Court’s] chief prosecutor announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza. … There is genocide taking place in communist China today. What is the ICC doing about that? There is a brutal civil war going on in Sudan. What is the ICC doing about that? Christians are being slaughtered in Nigeria. What is the ICC doing about that? I don’t recall the ICC bringing Osama bin Laden to justice.” —Gary Bauer
The Village Academies
“Parents take serious risks when they send their child to college. … How many young people return home after four years at college (let alone additional years in graduate school) a finer, kinder, more moral or intellectually more developed person? Let’s just say it’s rare.” —Dennis Prager
Upright
“How cool is it as a woman to hear your spouse praise you and have such gratitude towards you? … That’s a beautiful thing. Isn’t that pro-woman? … Harrison Butker, thank you for your courage. Don’t change. We need you.” —former ESPN anchor Sage Steele
Follow Jordan Candler on X/Twitter.
For more of today’s memes, visit the Memesters Union.
For more of today’s cartoons, visit the Cartoons archive.
“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.
Today’s top headline news brief from NEWSMAX includes:
[1:42] -Prosecution and Defense rest in the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president. Donald Trump Jr. spoke outside the courtroom as the case recesses until next week. [Newsmax Breaking]
[5:37] -Sebastian Gorka says Judge Merchan is helping the prosecution. [Newsmax Breaking]
[10:23] -Chris Salcedo thinks the attack on Trump is a “complete bastardization of our laws.” [Chris Salcedo Show]
[14:16] -Former Trump attorney Courtney Kramer discusses why she’s running against Fulton County DA Fani Willis. [Wake Up America]
[17:23] -Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene responds to Rep. Crockett’s insults with a workout video.
[18:36] -Trump team is not happy with “The Apprentice” film premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.
— Read on m.youtube.com/watch
From the world court at the Hague, to the frontlines at Rafah, Israel is fighting battles on multiple fronts. The first Presidential debate is just weeks away, but voters don’t want to see just Donald trump and Joe Biden on stage. There is a growing concern this election season is how Artificial Intelligence might be used to spread disinformation. Deitrick Haddon is sometimes called the Bad Boy of Gospel music. The preacher’s kid, Pastor, Producer, singer, and writer.
Want more news from a Christian Perspective? Choose to support CBN: https://go.cbn.com/ugWBn
CBN News. Because Truth Matters™
— Read on m.youtube.com/watch
When we hear the phrase, ‘the Great Awakening,’ we think of some amazing religious revivals that occurred in America in the first half of the 1700s. But here I am using it in a more generic sense. That is, the events of 2020-2021 caused many people to wake from their slumber, rouse themselves out of their stupor, and really start questioning things, including the role and reach of the state.
How we should understand civil government in general, and a biblical text like Romans 13:1-7 in particular, both came into sharp focus during this time – and ever since then. While I had written often about statism and the rise of tyrannical government before, during the Covid reign of terror with all the lockdowns, medical fascism and violation of basic human rights and freedoms, I especially started discussing all this.
As but one indication of this, I just searched my site for the term ‘statism’. It is found in some 200 articles, with it first being used in 1992. But the bulk of the times it is used has been over the last four years or so. Thus my thinking and writing about the state, its limits, and its abuses, certainly came to the fore when the Covid virus broke out.
I was not alone during this period in starting to rethink things, question things, and revisit familiar texts such as Romans 13. So many other Christians did the same. One such person is an American pastor and New Testament professor, Timothy Decker. And his new book, A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13 begins as did my article: by noting how Covid changed everything.
As he says in his Introduction, the pandemic caused him and other pastors to “take up matters of theology and passages of Scripture that have previously been left to minor significance.” Romans 13 is of course the main text he has in mind.
In short, he says that generally speaking we are to obey civil government, but there are many times when we are called to disobey. The commands found in Romans 13 must be seen in light of the totality of Scripture, as well as through the lens of the circumstances that existed when Paul wrote this epistle.
The historical and chronological situation must be kept in mind. There are two areas he dwells on in the opening chapters: the nature of the Roman government at the time, and the revolutionary zeal of some Jews living then. As to the former, Emperor Nero reigned from AD 54 to AD 68, dying at just 30 years of age.
Most Christians are aware of him as being an evil tyrant who mercilessly persecuted Christians. But as Decker reminds us, early on he was much less so, and only later did he become an arch enemy of Christianity. He really only targeted them after the great fire of Rome in July of AD 64.
However, most scholars agree that Paul wrote Romans around AD 57-58. If he had written it later, would he have said things somewhat differently on this matter? What we do know is that the really hard-core persecution of Christians was not occurring in Rome when he did send his epistle.
The second point Decker wants to emphasise is the various revolutionary strands found among the Jews back then. We know about such things as the Jewish Revolt of BC 66–73. And in the gospels and the book of Acts we read more about such matters.
One of the disciples of Jesus was Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were a radical sect of Jewish patriots, or freedom fighters, committed to overthrowing Rome. And Barabbas for example was guilty of rebellion (“insurrection” ESV) and murder (Luke 23:19); while others such as Theudas and Judas had been dealt with by the authorities for their radicalism (Acts 5:36-37).
All these considerations must be taken into account as we try to get a handle on what exactly Paul is urging believers to do in Romans 13. By way of summary thus far, Decker says this:
If Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, were going to publicly preach and confess “Jesus is Lord” (which is tantamount to saying “Caesar is not”), then Rome may not have looked favorably on Christians, including Paul, who was seeking to make his way to Rome as a launching point. This is even more so if revolution and refusing to pay taxes were seen to be corresponding ideals. It seems, therefore, that Paul had ample reason to teach the believers at Rome that God has ordained the institution of human government – even Gentile ones – and if, in God’s providence, you live under such a government, you must submit to it rather than rebel against it in private revolution, as was the way of the zealots….
On the other hand, Paul also indicated that the civil magistrate, as God’s servant (Rom. 13:4), has a code of service he must live by. It seems to be that at the time Paul wrote Romans (around AD 56-58), the government in Rome was commendable in its God-ordained row of protecting its citizens and punishing the wicked. And to support and maintain such honourable practises, a Christian should not withhold taxes or other support. Indeed if God has instituted the civil magistrate’s role as protector, sporting such a noble endeavour is a good and moral act. As posted in Romans 13:5, this is a matter of the conscience that every Christian is duty-bound to believe. In that regard, taxation is not theft; it is a Christian’s response and responsibility to a government whom God has tasked to protect its citizenry.
Therefore, to squelch the common revolutionary spirit of the Jews in the first century, to teach against the false view that Christ as Lord means that Christians are not under the authority of a civil magistrate, to facilitate intra-church unity at Rome among various political positions (either for or against Rome), Paul inserted Romans 13:1-7 as part of his exhortation to the believers to reprove them of any notions of private revolution against Rome as well as to instil in them the doctrine of the God-created sphere of human government. (pp. 43-44)
Now all this is found in the opening chapters of the book. In the next five chapters he looks even more closely at what Rom. 13 is seeking to say. This includes an exegetical exposition of these verses. The final two chapters seek to tie all this together.
For example, Chapter 9 looks at a biblical definition of tyranny. Decker looks at possible definitions, and then lists these identifying parameters of tyranny:
-Rule without law or against current laws
-People forced the sin against God either by omission or Commission
-Overreach of sphere of sovereignty
-Law of special interest 1: law equally created or enforced upon those being ruled
-Law of special interest 2: law and equally created or imposed upon the ruler(s)
-Despotism: the gathering and accumulation of power
-Creation of immoral law that is either legislated, executed, or adjudicated
-Creation and enforcement of arbitrary law
-Commandment to disobey conscience
-Totalitarian control in the state’s desire to achieve a pragmatic utopia (p. 173)
He offers past and present examples of this, including so many of the things we witnessed during the draconian Covid lockdowns and human rights’ abuses. He also looks at biblical examples, including the Hebrew midwives disobeying Pharaoh, and Nathan the Prophet rebuking King David.
He reminds of how Paul appealed to his rights as a Roman citizen when he felt he was being unjustly accused and treated (Acts 22:25-29). Decker offers several lessons from Paul standing against the leaders of the day:
First of all, we see how easy it is for magistrates and those tasked with enforcing law and punishment to be carried away by the sentiments of a mob….
Next, we see what it looks like when magistrates follow the law on the books….
Finally, we have a biblical example of a Christian who used and asserted the rights to him within his earthly citizenship….
We must conclude from Acts 22 that Paul’s actions are in no way a violation of Romans 13. It is not an error for Christians to demand that their civil governments keep true to its law and properly carry out its duties toward its citizens. (pp. 175-176)
He concludes the chapter by mentioning passages such as Proverbs 16:12: “It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness.” He writes: “A Christian is in proper submission to the civil magistrate even when passively resisting tyranny. And if that tyrant becomes ever more violent, a Christian has every reason and biblical sanction to actively resist with a magistrate-led revolt, providing the leader is a properly appointed magistrate and therefore possesses a duty to intercede.” (p. 205)
Here of course he is sharing the long-held understanding of the role the “lesser magistrate” in resisting tyranny. See more on that matter here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2024/05/02/martin-luther-and-resistance-theory/
His last main chapter offers current-day application and looks further at what transpired during the Covid wars. For example, in many jurisdictions, the churches were ordered to shut down and not have public worship services. Some church leaders resisted these edicts while far too many sheepishly complied.
The picture I have chosen to use here shows Pastor Tim Stephens of Fairview Baptist Church in Calgary being arrested in May 2021 for daring to keep his church open. Another pastor from Calgary who was also arrested at this time – Artur Pawlowski – I wrote about in this article: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2021/05/14/when-the-state-displaces-god/
Decker looks at other such situations, and says this near the end of the book:
In Romans 13, Paul is arguing that the state or civil government is a biblically sanctioned institution. He is not saying how Christians are to live before or submit to that institution except that we are to not revolt against it in private revolution but are, instead, to support it and submit to it as legitimate sphere of authority handed down from God, insofar as it fulfils its God-ordained function. This careful distinction about Romans 13, that Paul primarily argues that the institution of government exists but not how we should exist under it, allows the necessary theological and practical qualifications that must be granted if we are to harmonise the many other passages of Scripture that regulate the proper occasions for resistance against government. It also means that Romans 13 cannot be used as a one-size-fits-all application to modern political squabbles. Instead, Christians must think wholistically of the Bible when reading and using Romans 13. They must think theologically of the doctrines it teaches. (p. 214)
Heavy-duty issues like this will always raise even more questions for the Christian, and no small amount of disagreement in places will arise. However, as Decker says, this portion of Scripture is laying out broad principles, and not offering us a fool-proof detailed discussion of how it always can and should be applied. Wisdom and prayer are still needed.
And if Covid taught us anything, such wisdom and prayer are needed now more than ever.
[1853 words]
The post Covid Wars, the State, and a Great Awakening appeared first on CultureWatch.
I have a great idea. Let’s wildly print money, let’s systematically destroy the reserve currency of the globe, let’s add a trillion dollars to the national debt every 100 days, let’s strangle the economy with all sorts of ridiculous regulations, let’s dramatically hike interest rates, let’s make things exceedingly difficult for our domestic energy industry, and let’s allow theft, violence, homelessness and migration to run wild. Then we’ll sit back and see what happens. What I have just described is essentially what we have witnessed over the last three years. Joe Biden and others in positions of power in Washington are running our economy into the ground. The system really is coming apart at the seams, and Bidenomics really is the beginning of the end for the U.S. economy.
Former Chrysler and Home Depot CEO Bob Nardelli is also sounding the alarm about the severe damage that Bidenomics is doing.
In fact, he just told Maria Bartiromo that the fault lines of our economy are “about ready to crack”…
Former Chrysler and Home Depot CEO Bob Nardelli warned that the fault lines of the economy are “about ready to crack” on Monday, adding that the Biden administration’s alleged policy missteps could leave a cumbersome mess for the next person who sits in the Oval Office to clean up.
“What I’ve seen over the past three-and-a-half years is that a series of debacles and missteps have created a tremendous pressure on the fault lines of our economy, and they’re about ready to crack,” he told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo.
He is right.
Our economy is steamrolling in the wrong direction, and the short-term outlook is extremely troubling.
One recent survey of small businesses found that nearly half of them believe that they will “definitely” or “probably” not survive another four years under Joe Biden…
In a new report from RedBalloon and PublicSquare, nearly half of the 80,000 small businesses surveyed said they “definitely” or “probably” will not survive another four years with Biden.
“There is nothing I can afford to do in addition to what I’m already doing. If things don’t change, I’ll be finished,” one business owner said in the report.
Already, businesses are making moves to preserve their cash flows. Four in 10 now said they are delaying paying bills while a whopping seven in 10 have put all staffing plans on hold, the survey found.
And a different survey discovered that a whopping 43 percent of all small business renters in the U.S. could not pay their rent in full last month…
A significant number of small businesses across the nation are struggling to pay rent due to skyrocketing costs, a recent study by business networking platform Alignable found.
The company’s latest Small Business Rent report, published on Friday, found that 43 percent of small business renters in the U.S. were unable to pay their rent in full and on time in the month of April. Such a high delinquency rate hasn’t been reported in the U.S. since March 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it reached 49 percent.
More small businesses are going under with each passing day.
We really are in the midst of a “small business apocalypse”, and that is extremely bad news, because small businesses create most of the new jobs in this country.
Rising costs are one of the primary reasons why so many small businesses are now in hot water, and inflation is also crushing ordinary American families that are just trying to make it from month to month.
Earlier today, I was astounded to learn that the price of an order of medium fries at one McDonalds location in Los Angeles was $1.79 at the end of 2019, but now it has risen to $4.19.
When the Federal Reserve was pumping trillions of dollars into the system and our politicians were sending out free checks to everyone, I warned that this would happen.
Not too long ago, $648 was a fairly typical monthly mortgage payment on a nice home.
Today, it is the average monthly payment on a new vehicle in the United States…
More than 115 million people in the U.S. finance their automobile purchases, and if you do, you might want to hold on to your current vehicle for as long as you can. Buying a car is becoming more financially difficult than ever, with the average car payment in the U.S. at an all-time high — $648 for new cars and $503 for used vehicles.
The average sticker price on a new vehicle has risen to almost $50,000.
If you are old enough, you probably bought an entire house for less than that many years ago.
Speaking of home prices, they have risen by more than 47 percent since the beginning of this decade…
Home prices have surged 47.1% since the start of 2020, easily outstripping the gains seen in recent decades.
That’s according to a recent analysis by ResiClub of the Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which showed that house prices in the 1990s and 2010s grew a respective 30.1% and 44.7%.
Today, most homeowners are stuck in their current homes because they literally cannot afford to move.
Without a doubt, the raging inflation that our leaders have created has done an immense amount of damage.
According to one recent survey, 65 percent of U.S. households are convinced that inflation is making their financial lives “worse”…
Inflation made the financial lives “worse” for 65% of US households, according to the report. Among those, 19% said it was “much worse.”
The findings were drawn from the Fed’s 11th annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, which looks at American’s economic health across a variety of areas, including employment, income, banking and credit, housing, retirement planning, student loans, childcare and even Buy Now, Pay Later usage.
The longer Joe Biden is in the White House, the more intense the economic pain is going to become.
Many businesses that were once thriving are now going belly up. The latest iconic chain to file for bankruptcy is Red Lobster…
Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection days after shuttering nearly 100 restaurants across America.
The seafood chain, which has closed restaurants in 27 states, has been struggling with rising lease and labor costs in recent years and also promotions like its iconic all-you-can-eat shrimp deal that backfired.
Demand for one such recent promotion overwhelmed restaurants, reportedly contributing to hundreds of millions in losses.
If we really want to fix the economy, we should be like George Costanza and “do the opposite” of everything that Joe Biden and his minions have been doing.
But even if Joe Biden is voted out in November, the “experts” running the Federal Reserve will still be there.
And they have been doing an absolutely nightmarish job.
In addition, our Congress critters just continue to borrow and spend us into oblivion no matter who controls the White House.
Our leaders have been making really bad decisions for decades, and now we really have reached a breaking point.
Bidenomics has been an abject failure of historic proportions, and the pain that it is causing is getting worse with each passing day.
Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
About the Author: Michael Snyder’s extremely controversial new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written seven other books that are available on Amazon.com including “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing. You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter. Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
The post Bidenomics Is The Beginning Of The End For The U.S. Economy appeared first on The Economic Collapse.
Scientists have warned us that California is way overdue for a major earthquake and that “the Big One” could literally strike at any time. That is why I was so alarmed when the Los Angeles Times reported that “two sets of earthquake swarms” had just hit the state. After seeing that story, I went over to the Southern California Earthquake Data Center to check how many earthquakes have shaken the region during the past week. As I write this article, the total number of earthquakes in California and Nevada in the last 7 days is sitting at a grand total of 1010. To me, whenever that number goes above 1000 we are officially in the danger zone. Hopefully there will not be a very large earthquake in California any time soon, but when there is this much shaking going on we should all be on alert.
The biggest quake that has hit the region this week is one that shook Imperial County very early on Monday…
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake shook California’s Imperial County near the Salton Sea Monday morning.
The quake struck 18 miles south of Salton City and 4 miles southeast of Ocotillo Wells at 5:17 a.m., according the U.S. Geological Survey.
Residents as far away as Chula Vista, Mission Viejo, Highland and Indio reported feeling the quake, the USGS reported.
Prior to that quake, there were two “earthquake swarms” that deeply alarmed scientists.
One of those “earthquake swarms” happened over the weekend and it was centered along the California-Mexico border…
Another earthquake swarm has been rumbling along the California-Mexico border.
More than two dozen quakes greater than magnitude 2.5 have occurred since just after midnight Saturday, with epicenters about 175 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles and 100 miles northeast of San Diego, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
They have occurred largely along farmland between the towns of Brawley and Imperial in Imperial County. The largest quake was a magnitude 3.9 that struck at 4:05 p.m. Saturday, bringing light shaking to the Imperial Valley as well as south of the border and rattling Mexicali.
Prior to that, a different earthquake swarm rattled an area “about 18 miles southeast of Mexicali in Baja California”…
A separate swarm of earthquakes occurred a week ago, about 40 miles southeast of the most recent quake activity. Last week’s swarm occurred about 18 miles southeast of Mexicali in Baja California, with the largest a magnitude 4.2 that was felt as far away as El Centro in California and Yuma, Ariz.
Hopefully all of this recent shaking will turn out to be nothing.
But it is just a matter of time before “the Big One” comes along.
And when it finally arrives, authorities are projecting that it could cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage…
If the Big One did strike, ‘it would be a matter of a few tens of seconds before the shaking from a San Andreas event that ruptures the segments closest to Los Angeles reach our urban areas,’ Jonathan Stewart with the University of California, Los Angeles told DailyMail.com.
According to the California Earthquake Authority, the natural disaster would cause destruction in a 100-mile radius of the fault line, which starts near Eureka and ends below Palm Springs, killing at least 1,800 people, crumble millions of homes and cause more than $290 billion in damages.
An earthquake of the size that they are talking about could literally take place at any time.
But I am expecting an even larger catastrophe to hit the state eventually.
Personally, I am among those that are anticipating that someday an apocalyptic earthquake will literally alter the geography of the California coastline on a permanent basis.
Speaking of apocalyptic threats, on the other side of the world it appears that an absolutely massive super volcano could be waking up.
On Monday, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei super volcano in Italy. This was the largest earthquake to hit that region in 40 years…
A 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck Italy’s Campi Flegrei super volcano Monday evening, causing mild damage in the town of Pozzuoli, the epicenter, and as far away as the city of Naples, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) away, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
Cracks in walls and falling cornices were reported, Italy’s Fire Brigade spokesman confirmed to CNN.
The 4.4 earthquake at a depth of 3 kilometers is the strongest earthquake to hit the highly seismic area in the past 40 years, according to INGV data. The quake is part of an ongoing “seismic storm” that has seen more than a dozen events over 2.0 magnitude in the past 48 hours.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t just an isolated incident.
According to one expert, the ground in that particular area has been steadily rising at a rate of 2 centimeters per month…
Seismic activity on Campi Flegrei, which is home to at least 360,000 people across seven of the most at-risk inhabited hubs, has intensified in the past two years, with the frequency and strength of the quakes increasing as the caldera, the basin at the top of the volcano, weakens and pressure beneath it builds. This causes the ground to rise and the volcano’s crust to stretch.
“The earth is continuing to rise at a rate of 2cm a month, a higher rate than last year, and unfortunately it seems to be continuing at this rate,” Mauro Di Vito, the director of the Vesuvius Observatory for Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), told reporters. “We expect similar earthquakes … I cannot make predictions but we can expect the swarm to continue.”
Hopefully an eruption is not imminent because almost half a million people live nearby…
The Campi Flegrei, or Phlegraean Fields, is a vast volcanic area covering 150 square kilometers. Despite its last eruption in 1538, its lively magmatic activity classifies it as a supervolcano, posing a threat to nearly half a million residents.
While the community has grown accustomed to frequent but minor seismic activity, the intensity of Monday night’s tremors brought a renewed sense of fear.
The region experienced 450 smaller earthquakes in the past month, but the magnitude and persistence of this event were unprecedented.
All over the world, seismic activity is rising to very alarming levels.
But most people won’t care until a major disaster affects them personally.
Unfortunately, I am entirely convinced that we are entering a time when major natural disasters of absolutely epic proportions will just keep hitting our planet one after another.
Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
About the Author: Michael Snyder’s extremely controversial new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written seven other books that are available on Amazon.com including “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing. You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter. Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
The post Is “The Big One” Coming? There Have Been More Than 1000 Earthquakes In California And Nevada In The Past 7 Days appeared first on End Of The American Dream.
Join us online tomorrow as we stream our 2024 National Conference live, beginning at 1:15 p.m. ET. You’ll be able to access the stream on YouTube, Facebook, and X. You can also tune in throughout the conference at Ligonier.org. We encourage you to share the livestream with your family and friends on social media using #LIGCON.
This year’s conference will focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ at the heart of the Christian faith. As we consider Scripture’s essential teaching on our Lord and His salvation, we will be encouraged to see Christ at the center of our lives and to follow Him faithfully.
Thursday, May 23:
Friday, May 24:
Saturday, May 25:
The conference will also be streaming in Spanish on YouTube, Facebook, and X.
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By Elizabeth Prata
Wolf Week Intro: or, We DO know the heart
Wolf Week # 1: My two “starter false teachers”
Wolf Week # 2: Why Wolves?
When we read directions telling us to quiet ourselves, to ‘be still’ so we can hear God because too many distractions dampen our ability to hear Him – it says something important about God:
1. It says that God can’t cut through ambient noise to make Himself heard.
2. It says that He created the creation, but can’t control it enough to get His message to the ears of the person to whom He intends to speak.
For years I have written discernment articles about discerning certain movements, trends, and this or that particular false teacher. One of my earliest was a series on Beth Moore, who became one of my ‘starter false teachers’ thirteen years ago. (Joel Osteen was the other). I wrote about that the other day.
But discernment is more than pointing out this or that false teacher. False teachers also exhibit certain characteristics. As is written at The Masters University, false teachers exhibit a “pathology.” We need to be “spiritual pathologists” to detect them.
To that end, below are some excellent articles outlining the characteristics of false teachers describing the types of things they do to deceive. If you are reading an author’s Christian book or listening to a podcast or sermon, and you begin to wonder if the person is solid or if he or she is a wolf, these are good articles to start ‘testing the fruit’ of their teaching or behavior.
Here is The Masters University with their article The Pathology of False Teachers“, well worth a read. Here’s a gem-
“It takes careful discernment to see that the light is really darkness. Paul taught Timothy how to diagnose satanic darkness masquerading as divine light. Here’s how he described the key symptoms that identify those infected with the spiritual disease of false teaching:”
The article then goes on to describe each symptom of the false teacher disease.
Here is Noah Adams, lead pastor of City Park Church in CO, with a list of 10 Characteristics of False Teachers. It’s at Linkedin but you don’t have to sign in to read it, just press the X and the pop-up goes away. He matched each type of false teacher with scripture, then explains.
1.They creep in unnoticed (Jude 1:4)
2. They operate in secret (2 Peter 2:1-3)
3. They have many followers (2 Peter 2:1-3)
4. They create division and obstacles (Romans 16:17)
5. No matter what it seems like, they do not have God (2 John 1:7-11)
6. Some began in sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1-5)
7. Their words seem intelligent (1 Timothy 6:20-21, Colossians 2:8)
8. They look like legitimate apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Matthew 7:15)
9. They target the spiritually naive (Romans 16:17-18)
10. They twist Scripture (1 Timothy 6:3-5, 2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Here is Colin Smith with “7 Traits of False Teachers” from The Gospel Coalition (in 2013, back when they were pretty OK). This is a different article from the similarly named article below. Smith explains why these false teachers are different, with a short answer from the Bible for each question.
1.Different Source—Where does the message come from?
2. Different Message—What is the substance of the message?
3. Different Position—In what position will the message leave you?
4. Different Character—What kind of people does the message produce?
5. Different Appeal—Why should you listen to the message?
6. Different Fruit—What result does the message have in people’s lives?
7. Different End—Where does the message ultimately lead you?
Here is Tim Challies with 7 Traits of False Teachers, which include The Heretic, The Charlatan, The Prophet, The Abuser, The Divider, The Tickler, The Speculator.
If you are thinking of a particular false teacher right now, go to Challies’ article and see if you can match your false teacher with one of his certain 7 traits.
Kim Sorgius Jones at Not Consumed has an essay outlining several steps to guarding your kids from false teaching. I am not familiar with this blog or this author, but I liked her approach in this one essay. She identifies 7 false teaching messages that kids are likely to fall prey to in our culture today, including:
Follow your heart,
Godly living brings prosperity,
Right choices will get you the perfect life,
God will never give you more than you can handle,
If you try harder, you can be right with God,
I deserve better,
I need ME time.
More at “7 False Teaching Messages & How to Battle Them“.
Further Reading
Tim Challies “The Spiritual Gift of Discernment” book.
Far too often the gift of discernment is said to be little more than a gift for making good decisions–for knowing God’s will when we need to turn to the left or the right. Yet the Bible tells us that it is more.
Sinclair Ferguson, “What is Discernment?” article.
True discernment means not only distinguishing the right from the wrong; it means distinguishing the primary from the secondary, the essential from the indifferent, and the permanent from the transient. And, yes, it means distinguishing between the good and the better, and even between the better and the best.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.
We all need to hear the truth—and take it to heart. Truth brings freedom, and without it we are caught up in a web of deceit. Here are 25 Bible passages about truth (all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version):
1. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
2. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
3. Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. (Eph. 4:21)
4. The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (Ps. 119:160)
5. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
6. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Eph. 1:13-14)
7. “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
8. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)
9. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Psalm 145:18)
10. “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. (Ps. 25:5)
11. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)
12. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15)
13. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. (Eph. 6:14)
14. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. (Ps. 51:6)
15. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Phil. 4:8)
16. O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart. (Ps. 15:1-2)
17. Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. (Prov. 12:17)
18. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. (Eph. 4:25)
19. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. (Ps. 86:11)
20. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (1 John 1:6)
21. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 John 1:4)
22. Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18)
23. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. (1 Cor. 13:4-6)
24. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13)
25. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R. C. Sproul
https://www.beautifulchristianlife.com/blog/25-bible-passages-about-truth
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