“The early church was married to poverty, prisons, and persecutions. Today ‘the church’ is married to prosperity personality, and popularity.” — Ravenhill

“Every story in the bible says: You’re utterly incapable of helping yourself.” — Dustin Benge

Meme: Trinity Diagram

Meme: Church Unity

“A lot of people think that Christianity is you doing all the righteous things you hate and avoiding all the wicked things you love in order to go to Heaven. No, that’s a lost man with religion. A Chistian is a person whose heart has been changed: they have new affections. — Paul Washer

September 7 Evening Verse of the Day

73:28 it is good to be near God. This verse, and especially this clause, sums up the suppliant’s faith, composed of his awareness that he is always with God, who supports him, guides him, and takes him to glory (see comments on 73:24), and that God is his ultimate desire (73:25). For that reason he will tell of God’s deeds, which are either God’s redemptive works in history or his redemptive works in the suppliant’s own life. But in the order of faith, these two confessions belong together.¹

Ver. 28.—But it is good for me to draw near to God; or, “but as for me, nearness to God is my good” (Kay). Compare the well-known hymn—

“Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee;

Even though it be a cross

That raiseth me;

Still all my song shall be,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee.”

I have put my trust in the Lord God; literally, in the Lord Jehovah (Adonai Jehovah)—an unusual combination. That I may declare all thy works. With the intention of ever hereafter declaring and magnifying all thy works.²

28. As for me, it is good for me to draw near to God. Literally the reading is, And I, &c. David speaking expressly of himself, affirms that although he should see all mankind in a state of estrangement from God, and wandering after the ever-changing errors and superstitions of the world, he would nevertheless study to continue always in a state of nearness to God. Let others perish, says he, if their headstrong passions cannot be restrained, and they themselves prevented from running after the deceits of the world; but as for me, I will continue stedfast in the resolution of maintaining a sacred communion with God. In the subsequent clause he informs us that we draw near to God in a right manner when our confidence continues firmly fixed in him. God will not hold us by his right hand unless we are fully persuaded of the impossibility of our continuing stedfast and safe in any other way than by his grace alone. This passage is worthy of notice, that we may not be carried away by evil examples, to join ourselves to the wicked, and to act as they do, although even the whole world should fall into unbelief; but that we may learn to gather in our affections from other objects, and to confine them exclusively to God. In the close, the Psalmist intimates that after he shall have devoted himself to God alone, he shall never want matter for praising him, since God never disappoints the hope which his people repose in him. From this it follows, that none curse God or murmur against him, but those who wilfully shut their eyes and involve themselves in darkness, lest knowing and observing his providence, they should be induced to give themselves up to his faithfulness and protection.³

Ver. 28. It is good for me to draw near to God.—An assuredly good thing:—

When a man is sick everybody knows what is good for him. They recommend specifics by the score. Amid such a babel, it is well for a man if he knows what is good for himself. And so in our spiritual troubles. Every friend commends some different course. But the psalmist puts them all aside, and declares, “It is good for me to draw near unto God.” Thus—

I. He tacitly condemns other courses of action. From the connection of the text it is plain that he repents of certain kinds of thought to which he had given way. The text tells of his recoil from them.

1. From trying to fathom the mysteries of Providence. What have we to do with measuring its great depths? And yet we are ever trying to. Gotthold in his “Emblems” tells us of the freaks of his child. The father was one day sitting in his study, and, when he lifted his eye from his book, he saw standing upon the window ledge his little son. He was troubled and affrighted to the last degree, for the child stood there in utmost peril of falling to the ground and being dashed to pieces. The little one had been anxious to know what his father was doing so many hours in the day in his study, and he had at last, by a ladder, managed to climb up, with boyish daring, till there he stood, outside the window, gazing at his father with all his eyes. “So,” said the father, as he took the child into his chamber, and rebuked him for his folly, “so have I often tried to climb into the council chamber of God, to see why and wherefore He did this and that; and thus have I exposed myself to peril of falling to my destruction.” My God, it is not good for me to pry into Thy secrets with curiosity, but it is good for me to draw near unto Thee in sincerity. And—

2. We learn also it is not good for us, under any circumstances, to go to a distance from God. The preceding verse reads, “They that are far from Thee shall perish.” Now, the tendency of repeated affliction is, in the carnal mind, to drive us away from God. A dog may follow you if you offer it a bone but strike it and see if it will follow you then. But it can never be good for us to go away from God.

II. Observe what is plainly commended—“to draw near unto God.”

1. This implies that we are reconciled to Him. To attempt to draw near while He is angry would be insanity. As well might the moth draw near to the candle. We must first be accepted in Christ.

2. To draw near the soul must realize that God is near to it, and must have a clear sense of who and what God is.

3. It is prayer, but it is more than prayer. There may be no words, but it is the laying open of the chamber of your soul that the Lord may enter and inspect the whole; it is the complete yielding up of yourself to God to be dealt with as He pleases.

4. It may assume the form of praise. As with David when he sat in the Lord’s presence, wondering “Whence is this to me? What am I and my father’s house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?”

5. It is looking at the matter in the Divine light. If we judge God from our standpoint we shall misjudge; but see how that which troubles you looks in the light of God. Bereavement, poverty, when seen as God’s way of saving your soul, look very different then.

6. It is the being pleased with anything and everything that pleases God. We are often willing to give up our own way to please those we love; should we not be so in order to please God?

III. The grounds for the unqualified commendation of this drawing near to God.

1. It is good in itself. How can it be otherwise? The courtier delights to bask in the presence of his sovereign.

2. It is good if we consider our relations to God. Are we not His children? But is it not a good thing for the child to come near to its parents?

3. And because of our pitiable condition and character. We are the weakest of the weak.

4. It removes many evils to which you are constantly exposed. Man of business, absorbed in your work, day by day, what can so keep you from worldliness and fret and anxiety, as drawing near to God?

5. And there are many good things which it will confer. There is no blessing which prayer cannot obtain, which close approaches to God will not ensure. If then it be so good, let us do it at once. You who have been living afar off; you who are happy; and especially you who are penitent sinners. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

A devotional spirit:—

I. Explain what is meant by such devotional spirit. Note then—

1. Its means—prayer, etc.

2. Its refuge—God.

3. Its exercises.

II. Its importance and advantages.

1. Such spirit furthers holiness.

2. Helps the understanding of Divine truth.

3. Becomes a habit full of help to the soul. Is—

4. One of the strongest safeguards against temptation.

5. Cultivates all the Christian graces.

6. Fixes his heart.

7. Is humble, tender, childlike.

8. Gives increase in holiness, which but for it would yield no help (Ps. 104).

9. Hangs round the very essentials of religion—Christ, God, the promises, etc. (I. S. Spencer, D.D.)

Drawing near to God:—

I. The conduct referred to.

1. It implies that there has been separation.

2. It is the religion of the heart.

3. It demands enlightenment of mind, and—

4. The realization of God’s presence.

II. The benefit of this drawing near to God. “It is good for,” etc. This must depend upon the character of the God to whom we draw near. If He be only my judge, how could I say, “It is good,” etc. But He is our Father, and hence it cannot but be good to draw near to Him. Now, the blessings of this are—

1. Deliverance from care and fear. See David; the three Hebrew youths; Paul and Silas, etc.

2. It is the only real preservative from sin.

3. It is the assurance to us of safety new and for ever.

4. It is a very foretaste of heaven. Remember it is not a mere isolated act, but our habit. How terrible to come to a death-bed without ever having drawn near to God. (Montagu Villiers, M.A.)

The excellence of drawing near to God:—

I. As to its nature, it comprehends much. It implies, first, that man is morally distant from God. This sacred exercise implies that a medium or a means of access is appointed. We have this blessed truth set forth by Christ Himself; “No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” He is the Daysman; He heals the wide and awful breach. In further illustration of this exalted exercise, I would remark, that prayer is appointed as the act of our approach to Him. There is a sense in which we cannot be nearer to God in one view than another. I cannot go where He is not. But in the act of prayer I enter as it were into His presence. Prayer is the appointed means of communication betwixt God and man. Let me further observe, in illustration of this holy exercise, that God requires it should be accompanied with a suitable disposition. Would you “draw near to God” acceptably? you must come with humility. Would you “draw near to God” with acceptance? you must draw near with fervour—contemplating the magnitude of the blessings which you ask. To “draw near” to God acceptably, you must draw near in perseverance. The blessing which you ask may be for a season withheld; or the success you implore may for a time be suspended.

II. The advantages of this exalted exercise. For David says, “It is good to draw near to God.” And why so? Because God has commanded it; and this circumstance alone ought sufficiently to convince us of its value and necessity. “It is good,” because, apart from the authority of that command, it is reasonable. “There is no truth more obvious, and eternal.” And there is yet another great advantage; it tends to help us to cherish the calmness of mind, so essential to our advancement, and our spiritual prosperity and peace. “It is,” further, “good,” as instrumental in obtaining all spiritual blessings. The truth of the text is exemplified in all the events of life; but in the awful hour of death you shall find, with additional energy of conviction, that “it is good for you to draw near to God.” “He will be the strength of your heart, and your portion for ever.” (John Bowers.)

Let us pray:—

There are many ways by which we draw near to God, but prayer is the best used means. So then take our text—

I. As A touchstone. Try your prayers by it. Is there any drawing near to God in them? No matter how beautiful, venerable, scriptural the form, if the petitions be never presented. Suppose I should desire a favour of some friend. I shut myself up alone, and I commence delivering an oration, pleading earnestly for the boon I need. I repeat this at night, and so on month after month. At last I meet my friend, and I tell him that I have been asking a favour of him, and that he has never heard my prayer. “Nay,” saith he, “I have never seen you; you never spoke to me.” “Ah, but you should have heard what I said; if you had but heard, it surely would have moved your heart.” “Ah,” saith he, “but then you did not address it to me. You wrote a letter, you tell me, but did you post the letter?” “No, no,” you say; “I kept the letter after I had written it; I never sent it to you.” Now, mark, it is thus with many prayers. There has been no drawing near to God. This drawing near is at first with holy fear, then with holy reverence, then with joy as a child to a father. Next—

II. On the text as a whetstone. Pray, for prayer explains mysteries; brings deliverances; obtains promises. If thou hast a burden on thy back, remember prayer, for thou shalt carry it well if thou canst pray. Once on a time Christian had to carry it. He crept along on his hands and knees. There appeared to him a fair and comely damsel, holding in her hands a wand, and she touched the burden. It was there, it was not removed; but, strange to say, the burden lost its weight. That which had crushed him to the earth had become now so light that he could leap and carry it. And prayer ensures success in our work for God. Two labourers in God’s harvest met each other once upon a time, and they sat down to compare notes. One was sorrowful, and complained that though he diligently sowed, no harvest came. The other said, “I steep my seed in prayer, and I have much success.”

III. As a tombstone. For the prayerless soul is a Christless soul. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The saint’s happiness:—

“It is good;” that is, it puts in us a blessed quality and disposition. It makes a man to be like God; and, secondly, “it is good,” that is, it is comfortable; for it is the happiness of the creature to be near the Creator; it is beneficial and helpful. “To draw near:” How can a man but be near to God, seeing He filleth heaven and earth: “Whither shall I go from Thy presence?” (Ps. 139:7). He is present always in power and providence in all places, but graciously present with some by His Spirit, supporting, comforting, strengthening the heart of a good man. As the soul is said to be in several parts by several faculties, so God present He is to all, but in a diverse manner. Now, we are said to be near to God in divers degrees.

1. When our understanding is enlightened; and so the young man speaking discreetly in things concerning God, is said not to be far from the kingdom of God (Mark 12:34).

2. In minding; when God is present to our minds, so as the soul is said to be present to that which it mindeth; contrarily it is said of the wicked, that “God is not in all their thoughts” (Ps. 10:4).

3. When the will upon the discovery of the understanding comes to choose the better part, and is drawn from that choice to cleave to Him, as it was said of Jonathan’s heart, “it was knit to David” (1 Sam. 18:1).

4. When our whole affections are carried to God, loving Him as the chief good. Love is the first-born affection. That breeds desire of communion with God. Thence comes joy in Him, so as the soul pants after God, “as the hart after the water-springs” (Ps. 42:1).

5. When the soul is touched with the Spirit of God working faith, stirring up dependence, confidence, and trust on God. Hence ariseth sweet communion. The soul is never at rest till it rests on Him. Then it is afraid to break with Him or to displease Him. But it groweth zealous and resolute, and hot in love, stiff in good cases; resolute against his enemies. And yet this is not all, for God will have also the outward man, so as the whole man must present itself before God in word, in sacraments; speak of Him and to Him with reverence, and yet with strength of affection mounting up in prayer, as in a fiery chariot; hear Him speak to us; consulting with His oracles; fetching comforts against distresses, directions against maladies.

6. When we praise Him; for this is the work of the souls departed, and of the angels in heaven, that are continually near unto Him. And thus much for the opening of the words. The prophet here saith, “It is good for me.” How came he to know this? Why, he had found it by experience, and by it he was thoroughly convinced of it. (R. Sibbes.)

Good to draw near:—

Who does not wish for good? But too many fail to understand what real good is, and choose that which is evil by mistake.

I. The action—“drawing near.” We may do so by prayer, by study, by preparation. But we must do so chiefly by being conformed to the likeness of the Holy Spirit and by being united through Jesus.

II. The reward. It is good—good in every way: good for our happiness; good for our holiness; good for our eternal interests; good for our usefulness; good for our Master’s glory. (Homilist.)

The nature and benefits of communion with God:—

I. What it is to draw near to God. It is to have clear and realizing views of His character, and especially as that character is made known in and by Christ—to exercise towards Him suitable acts of faith, dependence, love, gratitude and worship.

II. Why it is good thus to draw nigh to God.

1. Because it is then the soul realizes in an especial manner God’s love, and finds its own love powerfully called into exercise.

2. Because it has a peculiarly sanctifying influence upon the mind.

3. Because it is a means of strengthening the soul to run the race that is set before it, and to persevere without wavering in the ways of the Lord. (R. Oakman, B.A.)

Advantages of communion with God:—

I. What is included.

1. A Scriptural knowledge of God.

2. Faith in God.

3. An explicit apprehension of the only medium of drawing nigh to God and of access, whether it be by prayer, meditation, or communion with Him.

4. Humble, yet confident dependence on the aids of the Divine grace.

II. The advantages.

1. It tends to the intellectual elevation of the soul.

2. It is essentially adapted to man’s spiritual improvement.

3. It is the source of man’s highest blessedness.

4. It is good as connected with our absolute safety.

5. It is an essential preparation for the glory of heaven. (J. Burns, D.D.)

On devotion:—

I shall endeavour to recommend the duties of devotion, by considering their influence on the virtue and the happiness of human life.

I. They are admirably calculated to promote your improvement in virtue. The duties of devotion, leading to the contemplation of infinite excellence, and improving the best affections of the heart, plant in our breasts the seeds of virtue. The exercises in which these duties engage us are favourable also to its growth; for we come into the presence of God, not merely to adore the perfection of His nature, and to celebrate the goodness to which we owe all our bliss—we come to lay open before Him the secrets of our souls—to bewail the transgressions by which we have offended Him—and to form our resolutions of future obedience. These exercises lead to a serious review, and produce a knowledge of our own characters extremely favourable to improvement.

II. The influence of devotion on the happiness of life.

1. Devotion is, itself, a source of the sublimest enjoyment. The human mind delights in exercise; and the duties of piety are the noblest exercise in which its powers can be employed.

2. Devotion exalts and purifies every earthly pleasure. It adds to the enjoyment of our present comforts the delightful emotion of gratitude to our Maker.

3. But adversity is the scene in which devotion triumphs; for, however in our prosperity we may forget our Maker, affliction reminds us of our dependence on Him. (W. Moodie, D.D.)

The benefits of drawing near to God:—

I. He is the author of our salvation, and the fountain from which we draw our spiritual supply. The waters of a stream become purer and better as we approach the fountain head.

II. Drawing near to God enables us the better to know God. To know our fellow-men we must draw near to them. We may know something of God from tradition—from nature—from a cold and critical study of the Bible; but to know Him more perfectly we must draw near to Him, and thus know Him in our own Christian experiences.

III. It involves a drawing away from the world. Our arms are too short for us to walk hand in hand with God and the world. The great, clutchy arms of the world are about us, and the loving arms of God are extended towards us, inviting us to come nearer to Him.

IV. It puts us in our proper attitude toward the world.

1. It enables the world to put a proper estimate on us. When we are far away from God, the world is in doubt whether or not to count on us.

2. It enables us to form a proper estimate of the world. We owe the world a great deal, and we never know how much until we draw near to God.

3. This is the secret of success in the Christian life. Are we to accomplish anything together for the Master? This will depend upon the distance between us and God. (John Hall, D.D.)

On drawing near to God:—

I. By the practice of holiness and virtue throughout the general tenor of our life. He who lives in the exercise of good affections, and in the regular discharge of the offices of virtue and piety, maintains, as far as his infirmity allows, conformity with the nature of that perfect Being, whose benevolence, whose purity and rectitude, are conspicuous, both in His works and His ways.

II. By acts of immediate devotion. There are two ways by which these contribute to bring us near to God.

1. The first is, by their strengthening in the soul that power of vital godliness and virtue in which consists our chief resemblance to God: for it is never to be forgotten, that all our devotional exercises are subservient to this great end. Herein consist their whole virtue and efficacy, that they purify and improve the soul, raise it above low passions, and thereby promote the elevation of the human nature towards the Divine.

2. When our acts of devotion are of this nature, they form the other sense in which the words of the text are to be understood. We therein draw near to God, as we enter into the most immediate intercourse with Him, which the nature of our state admits; approaching Him through a great Mediator and Intercessor; sending up those prayers to which we are encouraged to believe that the Almighty is lending a gracious ear; resigning ourselves to His conduct, and offering up our souls to Him; exercising, in short, all those acts of faith, love and trust which become dependent creatures towards their Sovereign and Father. (Hugh Blair, D.D.)

The benefit of drawing near to God:—

I. It will establish your confidence in godliness as a reality. Nearness to God is nearness to all that is good; for “with Him is the fountain of life.” Nearness to God is nearness to the object to which all religious institutions are designed to bring you: it is this that explains their meaning, and in this they gain their end. Nearness to God is nearness to religious truth, which is the animating soul of all these institutions; nearness to that truth, not in intellectual perception merely, but in an experimental sense of its sweetness and efficacy.

II. It will rectify your estimate of terrestrial things. It is in the mount of communion with God that you are drawn away from the sordid and the grovelling, and made to soar to the spiritual and the heavenly. There your range of view is exceedingly widened; your souls are elevated, enlarged, and filled; things unseen and eternal are realized in their transcendent greatness and importance, and things seen and temporal sink into insignificance; the sublime of heaven expands before you, and reveals earth in its littleness, and you say (Ps. 17:14, 15).

III. It will fortify your minds in the hour of temptation. What is the design of every temptation? To seduce from God. In nearness to Him, therefore, you are keeping your ground; you are resisting and overcoming. You are verifying what is said of the child of God (1 John 5:18).

IV. It will quicken your spiritual desires. This is a thing of great importance. Just as your spiritual desires are, so is your spiritual health: when they are languid, it is infirm; when they are lively, it is vigorous. Again, just as your spiritual desires are, so is your affection to the things of earth: when they are keen, it is dull; when they are weak, it is strong. Moreover, just as your spiritual desires are, so is your spiritual prosperity as a whole; so is your growth in grace, and so is your spiritual enjoyment. It is of the nature of grace in the heart, that the more it enjoys, it craves the more; and the more it has of the best of earth, it longs the more for the bliss of heaven.

V. It will augment your christian usefulness. The fit agent for rousing consciences, and moving hearts, and winning souls, is the man that comes forth from the presence-chamber of the King, with the atmosphere of “the Holiest” about him, and his own face shining with the lustre of the glory of God upon it. To conclude: see from this subject—

1. One thing about godliness which we should keep prominently before our minds. The good that is in it, and that flows from it.

2. One reason why we so much underrate the future world. It is because we so much overrate the present.

3. Who the safest and happiest man among us is. The man who is nearest to his God.

4. The mistake of those who make communion with God to consist chiefly in pleasing feeling. They will have the way to heaven to be heaven itself.

5. What to look for after those days of high privilege we have been seeing. The full harvest of those blessed fruits or effects of “drawing near to God,” of some of which we have now been speaking, is yet to be reaped. Let us take good heed to ourselves that we reap this harvest in all its fulness and preciousness. (D. Young, D.D.)

Nearness to God the key to life’s puzzles:—

I. Nearness to God is the one good. Union with God is life, in all senses of the word, according as the creature is capable of union with Him. Why; there is no life in a plant except God’s power is vitalizing it. “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow”—because God makes them grow. There is no bodily life in a man unless He continually breathes into the nostrils the breath of life. If you stop the flow of the fountain then all the pools are dry. There is no life intellectual in a man unless by the “inspiration of the Almighty” in union with God, from whom all just “thoughts do proceed.” And high above all these forms of life, the only real life of a spirit is the life that it draws from its union with God Himself, whereby He pours Himself into it, and in the deepest sense of the words it is true—“Because I live ye shall live also.” I need scarcely go on pointing out other respects of this supreme—or more truly, this solitary—good. For instance, nothing is really good to me unless I have it within me, so as that it never can be wrenched away from me. The blessings that we cannot incorporate with the very substance of our being are only partial blessings after all; and all these things round us that do minister to our necessities, tastes, affections, and sometimes to our weaknesses, these good things fail just in this, that they stand outside us, and there is no real union between us and them. So changes come, and we have to unclasp hands, and the footsteps that used to be planted by the side of ours cease, and our track across the sands is lonely; and losses come, and death comes, and all the glory and the good that were only externally possessed by us we leave behind us. “It is good for me,” amidst the morasses and quicksands and bogs of life’s uncertain and shifting ill and good, to set my feet upon the rock, and to say, “Here I stand, and my footing will never give way.” Do you, brother, possess a changeless, imperishable, inwrought good like that? You may if you like. But remember, too, that in regard to this Christian good, it is not only the possession of it, but the aspiration after it, that is blessed. “It is good to draw near;” and the seeking after God is as far above the possession of all other good as the heaven is above the earth.

II. The way to nearness to God is twofold. On the one hand the true path is Jesus Christ, on the other hand the means by which we walk upon that path is our faith. The apostle puts it all in a nutshell when he says his prayer is that “Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith,” and then, by a linked chain, leads up to the final issues of that faith in that indwelling Christ—“that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God.” So to draw near and to possess that good, that only good which is God, all that is needed is—and it is needed—that we should turn with the surrender of our hearts, with the submission of our wills, with the outgoing of our affections, and with the conformity of our practical life, to Jesus. Seeing Him, we see the Father, and having Him near us, we feel the touch of the Divine hand, and being joined to the Lord, we are separated from the vanities of life, and united to the supreme good. (A. Maclaren, D.D.)

The delights of prayer:—

Alleine once wrote—“Though I am apt to be unsettled and quickly set off the hinges, yet, methinks, I am like a bird out of the nest, I am never quiet till I am in my old way of communion with God; like the needle in the compass, that is restless till it be turned towards the pole. I can say through grace, with the Church, ‘With my soul have I desired Thee in the night, and with my spirit within me have I sought Thee early.’ My heart is early and late with God; ‘tis the business and delight of my life to seek Him.” (Life of Alleine.)⁴

28. “But it is good for me to draw near to God.” Had he done so at first he would not have been immersed in such affliction; when he did so he escaped from his dilemma, and if he continued to do so he would not fall into the same evil again. The greater our nearness to God, the less we are affected by the attractions and distractions of earth. Access into the most holy place is a great privilege, and a cure for a multitude of ills. It is good for all saints, it is good for me in particular; it is always good, and always will be good for me to approach the greatest good, the source of all good, even God himself. “I have put my trust in the Lord God.” He dwells upon the glorious name of the Lord Jehovah, and avows it as the basis of his faith. Faith is wisdom; it is the key of enigmas, the clue of mazes, and the pole star of pathless seas. Trust and you will know. “That I may declare all thy works.” He who believes shall understand, and so be able to teach. Asaph hesitated to utter his evil surmisings, but he has no diffidence in publishing abroad a good matter. God’s ways are the more admired the more they are known. He who is ready to believe the goodness of God shall always see fresh goodness to believe in, and he who is willing to declare the works of God shall never be silent for lack of wonders to declare.⁵

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¹  Bullock, C. H. (2017). Psalms 73–150 (M. L. Strauss & J. H. Walton, Eds.; Vol. 2, pp. 5–6). Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group.

²  Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). Psalms (Vol. 2, p. 73). Funk & Wagnalls Company.

³  Calvin, J., & Anderson, J. (2010). Commentary on the Book of Psalms (Vol. 3, pp. 157–158). Logos Bible Software.

⁴  Exell, J. S. (1909). The Biblical Illustrator: The Psalms (Vol. 3, pp. 342–347). Fleming H. Revell Company; Francis Griffiths.

⁵  Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 56-87 (Vol. 3, p. 253). Marshall Brothers.

September 9 – Does Isaiah 3:12 Warn Against Hillary Clinton Being President? | VCY

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Isaiah 3:1-5:30
  2 Corinthians 11:1-15
  Psalm 53:1-6
  Proverbs 22:28-29

Isaiah 3:4 — We just read about this curse under Solomon in Ecclesiastes 10:16.

Isaiah 3:12 — No, this verse is not talking about if Hillary would have won the election. There are several possible theories:

• Pulpit Commentary: “… comp. Herodotus, 8:88, where Xerxes says that ‘his men have shown themselves women, and his women men;’ and see also Virgil’s Aeneid ‘O vere Phrygia, neque enim Phryges.’ The rulers were womanly, i.e. weak, wavering, timid, impulsive, passionate, and are therefore called actual ‘women.’ There is no allusion to female sovereigns.”
• Gill’s Exposition: “Because the child has the title of ruler, the mother is the actual ruler (regent).”
• Believer’s Study Bible: “This verse depicts the rulers as childish, weak, incompetent men who were leading the people astray. The intention may not be to criticize a particular leader (e.g., Ahaz), but to show the prophet’s contempt for all the existing leadership.”

There were no good queens in Israel – they were all among the “evil rulers.” Athaliah killed her children (2 Kings 11) and Jezebel killed the prophets (1 Kings 18). These queens were in contrast to Deborah (Judges 4-5).

Isaiah 4:1 — Isaiah isn’t talking about his dating troubles, rather the shame of widowhood because the men will be slain (Isaiah 3:25). But after judgment there will be a deliverance!

Isaiah 4:2 — This is the first reference to the Branch of the LORD. He will lead those who escape; He is beautiful and glorious!

Isaiah 5:10 — Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says that 1 bath is the equivalent of 7.5 gallons. When the land should produce 500 baths (3,750 gallons), this is poverty.

Isaiah 5:11 — What should we do in the morning? Follow strong drink – NO! Follow the LORD – YES! (Psalm 5:3)

Isaiah 5:15-16 — The proud shall be humbled, but the LORD shall be exalted!

Isaiah 5:20 — Speaking of calling evil good – here’s Pastor Joe Wright’s prayer in the Kansas State Legislature:

Isaiah 5:25 — Yes, God’s judgment is coming. God is a God of love, but He’s also a God of anger!

2 Corinthians 11:4 — Too many religions today preach another Jesus:

• Islam denies that Jesus was God, crucified for us
• Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus is just Michael the Archangel
• Mormons believe Jesus is the brother of Lucifer

CARM offers a test to see if you have the true Jesus.

2 Corinthians 11:14 — Interestingly, the New Age Movement is centered on the idea of light.

Psalm 53:1 — Religious “nones” are on the rise in America. Yes, there are none that doeth good (Psalm 53:3, Romans 3:23). Salvation is needed (Psalm 53:6)!

Psalm 53:2 — Here’s a Scripture memory song from Earl Martin:

Proverbs 22:28 — From Woodrow Kroll:

Landmarks were important in antiquity, just as they are today. A stone erected at the corner of a field told a farmer where his field ended and his neighbor’s field began. Ancient landmarks marked boundaries; they told you how far you could go—and where you could go no farther. They established order and made for good relationships … Ancient landmarks provided clarity as well as protection. Much of the unclear theological thinking today is likely due to those who have removed one or more of these ancient landmarks. That is why Solomon’s advice is still valid and necessary.

Proverbs 22:29 — God rewards the diligent! You may wonder why it has taken so long for your work to be rewarded. Don’t grow weary – God will reward you!

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.

https://www.vcy.org/one-year-bible/2024/09/07/september-9-does-isaiah-312-warn-against-hillary-clinton-being-president-6/

Delight and Desires | VCY

Delight and Desires

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (Psalm37:4)

Delight in God has a transforming power and lifts a man above the gross desire of our fallen nature. Delight in Jehovah is not only sweet in itself, but it sweetens the whole soul, till the longings of the heart become such that the Lord can safely promise to fulfill them. Is not that a grand delight which molds our desires till they are like the desires of God?

Our foolish way is to desire and then set to work to compass what we desire. We do not go to work in God’s way, which is to seek Him first and then expect all things to be added unto us. If we will let our heart be filled with God till it runs over with delight, then the Lord Himself will take care that we shall not want any good thing. Instead of going abroad for joys let us stay at home with God and drink waters out of our own fountain. He can do for us far more than all our friends. It is better to be content with God alone than to go about fretting and pining for the paltry trifles of time and sense. For a while we may have disappointments; but if these bring us nearer to the Lord, they are things to be prized exceedingly, for they will in the end secure to us the fulfillment of all our right desires.

Prata Potpourri: LOVE | Elizabeth Prata

Prata Potpourri: LOVE

By Elizabeth Prata

2 Timothy 3:1-5 says,

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.

That’s a LOT! In truth, it is getting hard to avoid people such as those. They seem to be growing, those kind of people are everywhere. Love, especially, is dwindling in quantity and in form.

Where is the love?

In 1972 Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack published a song called exactly that, Where is the love? I remember it because it was popular and ended this way-

LOL, you didn’t think that 7-11 songs were invented in the 2000s, did you? Anyway, I am focusing on love in this edition of Prata Potpourri because we all need it.

For many here in the US, Labor day means back to school season. Here in Georgia, we started back in August, but in many other places the first day of school begins after the September holiday. BBC Good Food has some tips on back to school anxiety. Becuase we love our children and want them to be safe and happy:

How to manage back-to-school anxiety

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What is sanctification? It’s growth in holiness. It’s a partnership with the indwelling Holy Spirit, who points us toward Christ and incremental growth in His likeness, but includes our choice to obey and to mortify sin in us as we grow. Why do we obey? Because we love Jesus. Obedience is the evidence of our love of Christ.

The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him. John 14:21

Here is an essay called Sanctification explained simply: “I am convinced that this is the exact opposite of how the Spirit works to sanctify us. Sanctification isn’t a stairway upwards to higher and higher rungs of holiness. No, sanctification is a downward soul work“.

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Remember the book about the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman? It was first published in 1992. That’s over 30 years ago! Time flies. On Google Books, it says 72% liked this book. But enough time has passed since its publication that research has been done on whether we really DO speak in love languages. Notwithstanding people’s personal enjoyment of it, the question is, does the premise hold? Research says…no.

https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/everyone-is-wrong-about-love-languages-heres-why

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Mt. Zion Church’s ministry Chapel Library has a monthly booklet on a theme, with the old guys’ essays on that theme. This month it’s “The Christian’s Love for Christ”. I highly recommend the booklet, called Free grace Broadcaster. You can read it online, download it to your device, or have it sent free to your Postal mailbox.

In this issue of the FGB, The Christian’s Love for Christ, J. C. Ryle introduces this crucial subject with Christ’s question to Peter: “Lovest Thou Me?” Thomas Vincent explains why true Christians love the unseen Christ. Following that, Jonathan Edwards lists biblical motives to love Christ. Charles Spurgeon declares that love for Christ is the great test for confirming that we are children of God. Ryle, in his second article, identifies the marks of love for our precious Savior. In Spurgeon’s second article, he asserts reasons to love Christ and the consequences of being without love for Him. Edwards follows with a second article that describes God’s dreadful curse on those who do not love Christ. Vincent then helpfully gives an overview of how to examine and prove our love for Jesus. In his third and final article, Ryle asks a heartfelt, probing, and personal question that we must all answer: Do you love Jesus Christ?

Chapel Library: The Christian’s Love for Christ

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Ligonier says the “‘ethical mandate’ is to “The ethical mandate of the Christ-centered life is to love God and to love others with our whole selves.” Good essay. Here’s another quote-

Only the Spirit-changed heart can exercise this Christ-defined love because Christ reconciles us to God and to neighbor and even puts back together the broken pieces of our own selves. The ethical mandate is to put on the agap of Christ because we were loved by Christ all the way to the end.

https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2021/03/christian-living-and-the-ethical-mandate/embed/#?secret=fi9qoNptYA#?secret=K2Y8wivXSw

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John MacArthur in today’s blog writes of grace and “An eternal expression of Love:

“God’s grace is older than history, reaching back before the creation of time itself. It is not merely poured out in the moment of salvation; it is evident throughout His eternal plan of redemption.”

Such love!! More at link above

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In conclusion, thought love in the world may be waning, if you are in Christ, He loves us to the end. He will never not love us. His love is sure, steady, and eternal. Our love for Him in response should be the same, and for each other. Where is the Love Donny and Roberta asked? It is in Christ, glowing out in glory rays to His beloved, aimed at hearts to change them into hearts of flesh, beating with the grace-filled love He has given us.

Video, audio and summary of William Lane Craig vs Peter Millican debate | WINTERY KNIGHT

Video, audio and summary of William Lane Craig vs Peter Millican debate

Here’s a debate with a well-qualified atheist and Dr. William Lane Craig, the most effective defender of Christianity operating today.

Description from the Youtube upload:

This debate on “Does God Exist?” took place in front of a capacity audience at the Great Hall, University of Birmingham. It was recorded on Friday 21st October 2011 as part of the UK Reasonable Faith Tour with William Lane Craig.

William Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, La Mirada, California and a leading philosopher of religion. Peter Millican is Gilbert Ryle Professor of Philosophy at Hertford College, University of Oxford and a noted scholar in studies of Hume.

The debate was hosted by the University of Birmingham Student Philosophy Society, and the debate was moderated by Professor Carl Chinn.

Dr. Millican proved to be an amazing debater, and that allowed Dr. Craig to show the full range of his talents in a way that he has never done before. This was a great debate – right up there with Craig’s two debates against Austin Dacey and Paul Draper. Dr. Millican is excellent at analytical philosophy, had studied cosmology and physics, and he came prepared to answer Craig’s arguments. There is NO SNARK in my debate summary below, out of respect for Dr. Millican. However, I haven’t proof-read it, so please do point out any errors. There is about 30 minutes of Q&A time at the end.

Dr. Craig’s opening speech:

There are good reasons to believe that God exists.

There are no good reasons to believe that God does not exist.

A1) The origin of the universe

1. The universe began to exist
2. If the universe began to exist, then the universe has a transcendent cause.
3. The universe has a transcendent cause.

The origin of the universe is confirmed by philosophical arguments and scientific evidence.

There cannot be an actual infinite number of past events, because mathematical operations like subtraction and division cannot be applied to actual infinities.

The Borde-Guth-Vilenkin (BGV) proof shows that every universe that expands must have a space-time boundary in the past. That means that no expanding universe, no matter what the model, cannot be eternal into the past.

Even speculative alternative cosmologies do not escape the need for a beginning.

The cause of the universe must be transcendent and supernatural. It must be uncaused, because there cannot be an infinite regress of causes. It must be eternal, because it created time. It must be non-physical, because it created space. There are only two possibilities for such a cause. It could be an abstract object or an agent. Abstract objects cannot cause effects. Therefore, the cause is an agent.

A2) The fine-tuning of the universe

1. The fine-tuning of the universe is either due to law, chance or design.
2. It is not due to law or chance.
3. Therefore, it is due to design.

The progress of science has revealed that the Big Bang was fine-tuned to allow for the existence of intelligent life.

Type 1: Constants like the gravitational constant are finely-tuned, and are not dependent on the laws of physics.

Type 2: Quantities like the amount of entropy in the universe, are not dependent on the laws of physics.

The range of life-permitting values is incredibly small compared to the possible values of the constants and quantities. (Like having a lottery with a million black balls and one white ball, and you pick the white ball. Even though each individual ball has the same tiny chance of being picked, but the odds are overwhelming that the whichever ball you pick will be black, and not white).

Not only are the numbers not due to laws, but they are not due to chance either. It’s not just that the settings are unlikely, it’s that they are unlikely and they conform to an independent pattern – namely, the ability to support complex life.

A3) The moral argument

1. If God does not exist, then objective moral values do not exist.
2. Objective morality does exist.
3. Therefore, God exists.

Objective moral values are values that exist independently of whether any humans believe them or not.

Michael Ruse, an atheist philosopher agrees that if God does not exist, then there is only a “herd morality” that is determined by biological evolution and social evolution. There no objective moral standard, just different customs and conventions that vary by time and place. Anyone who acts against the herd morality is merely being unfashionable and unconventional. On the atheistic view, there is nothing objective and binding about this evolved “herd morality”. However, people do experience objective moral values, and these cannot be grounded on atheism.

Furthermore, God must exist in order to argue that there is evil in the world. In order to be able to make a distinction between good and evil that is objective, there has to be a God to determine a standard of good and evil that is binding regardless of the varying customs and conventions of different people groups. Even when a person argues against God’s existence by pointing to the “evil” in the world, they must assume objective moral values, and a God who grounds those objective moral values.

A4) The resurrection of Jesus.

1. There are certain minimal facts that are admitted by the majority of historians, across the ideological spectrum: the empty tomb, the appearances and the early belief in the resurrection.
2. Naturalistic attempts to explain these minimal facts fail.
3. The best explanation of these facts is that Jesus rose from the dead.

A5) Religious experience

People can know that God exists through experience. In the absence of defeaters for these experiences, these experiences constitute evidence for God’s existence.

Dr. Millican’s opening speech:

Dr. Craig has the burden of proof because he claims that God exists.

The Christian God hypothesis:

1. An omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent God created the universe.
2. This God cares about humans.
3. This God has acted in history though the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

This is a factual claim, and we are discussing the evidence for whether these claims are true or false. We are not interested in religious practice, or the consolation of religious belief, nor any other religions.

A1) Religious pluralism and epistemology

Human beings are purpose-finding creatures – we are prone to prefer explanations that involve purpose.

Human beings are pattern-finding animals – we tend to find designs in states of affairs.

Human beings have an interest in maintaining religious hierarchies because of the power it gives them.

Religious beliefs are not determined by rational considerations, but are determined by geographic location.

The same non-scientific method of generating religious beliefs (purpose-finding, pattern-finding, geographic location, parental teaching, charismatic speakers, praise songs and worship, religious education, ancient holy books) is being used in several religions, and it leads to different, contradictory truth claims. So at least some of those conflicting claims are false. And if the method is generating some false claims, then it’s not a good method, and it undermines all the religions that use those methods.

A2) Absence of evidence is evidence of absence

There is no scientific evidence for God.

A3) Mental processes depend on physical systems

There is no scientific evidence for a disembodied intelligence.

Our universal human experience is that intelligence and mental operations require a physical brain.

The quality of our thinking depends on physical conditions, like being tired or on drugs.

But Christian theists believe that mental processes can exist independently of an underlying physical reality, unimpaired by the death of the physical body and the brain.

R.A1) The origin of the universe

1. There is no evidence that whatever begins to exist requires a cause. All the evidence we have of things beginning to exist are when something is created from rearrangements of other things that already existed.

The closest analog we have to something coming into being from nothing is quantum particles coming into being from nothing, and that causation is random.

There is no evidence that thoughts can bring about physical effects, and Bill is arguing for a mental cause to the origin of the universe.

Even if things that begin to exist IN the universe have causes, it doesn’t hold for the universe as a whole. Bill is committing the fallacy of composition.

Time begins with the universe, but our experience of causation is that it is a temporal process. So if there is no time “prior to” the universe’s beginning, then how can there be a cause to the universe?

It’s possible that there could be something outside our universe that is eternal.

It’s also possible that the Big Bang could be wrong, and this universe could oscillate eternally and not require a beginning.

2. There are cosmological theories that avoid the beginning of the universe by positing a prior period of contraction prior to the Big Bang.

The beginning of this universe depends on general relativity, and that theory breaks down at the level of quantum mechanics.

3. There is no evidence that minds can exist without an underlying physical system. So even if there is a cause of the universe, then it is neither an abstract object nor a mind. It would have to be something else, and not something we are familiar with – we are just not in a position to speculate of what it could be.

R.A3) The moral argument

Atheists do believe in a standard of morality that is not based on what groups of humans believe.

Utilitarians think there is a standard of moral values that is objective, because the measure of human happiness (for the greatest number) is objective, even if people are mistaken about what promotes that happiness.

Kantians have a rational process for determining which moral imperatives should be universalized.

Humeans have a system that is rooted in natural human sentiment.

Dr. Craig’s first rebuttal:

I do not have the only burden of proof. The topic is “Does God Exist?”. If Dr. Millican answers “no” then he has a burden of proof, otherwise we are left with agnosticism.

R.A1) Religious pluralism and epistemology

First, there is no single common method of adopting a religion.

Second, MY method this evening is logic and evidence and personal experience – which is the same as his method. So his comments about how people in different religions adopt their religion through parents, church, singing, etc. have no bearing on the arguments I will be making.

R.A2) Absence of evidence is evidence of absence

Absence of evidence is only evidence of absence if we can reasonably expect that there should be some evidence that is not present. He would have to show that there should be more evidence for God’s existence that the 5 arguments that I already presented – something that we should expect to see that we don’t see.

R.A3) Mental processes depend on physical systems

No response by Dr. Craig. (but see below)

A1) The origin of the universe

1. He says that there are speculative cosmologies like the multiverse that escape the need for a beginning, but that’s false, the BGV proof applies to them, and they do need a beginning.

He says that you can escape BGV by positing a contraction prior to the expansion. However Vilenkin says that any contraction phase is unstable and would introduce additional singularities that would hamper any later expansion phase.

He  says that we need a theory of quantum gravity in order to describe the early universe. But Vilenkin says that the BGV proof is independent of gravity as defined by general relativity.

He did not respond to the philosophical arguments for a beginning of the universe.

2. He says that we don’t have experience of things coming into being except from material causes. However, it would be even more difficult to explain the universe coming into being on atheism since you can’t appeal to a material cause nor to an efficient cause. Even Hume recognizes that things can’t pop into being without causes.

He talks about how in quantum physics virtual particles appear out of nothing. But that’s false, because the quantum vacuum in which virtual particles appear is not nothing, it is a sea of subatomic particles and energy. Quantum physics is not an exception to the idea that things that come into being require a cause.

He mentions the fallacy of composition. But I am not saying that everything in the universe has a cause, therefore the universe as a whole has a cause. I am saying that non-being has no capacity to bring something into being. Non-Being doesn’t even have the potential to bring something into being.

3. He says that there are no unembodied minds, so the cause of the universe can’t be an unembodied mind. But the argument concludes that there is a non-material cause, and it can’t be an abstract object, so it would have to be a mind.

In addition, we ourselves are unembodied minds.  This is because physical objects cannot have the properties that minds have, like the property of having feelings.

Material conceptions of mind don’t explain identity over time.

Material conceptions of mind don’t explain free will.

Material conceptions of mind don’t explain intentional states (thinking about something).

Material conceptions of mind don’t explain mental causation.

The best explanation for our own first person experience of the mental realm is a substance dualism. We are non-material minds, and we can cause effects in the physical world. And God does the same thing. He is a mind, and he causes physical effects.

A2) He gave no response.

A3) He says that there are atheistic theories of morality that don’t depend on the opinions of groups. But these theories all depend on the idea that human beings have instrinsic value – that they are the sorts of things to which moral considerations apply. Naturalism cannot ground this moral value – human beings are no more valuable any other animal.

Also, there are no objective moral obligations in naturalist systems of morality, because there is no one in authority to command them. Moral prescriptions require moral prescribers.

A4) He gave no response.

A5) He gave no response.

Dr. Millican’s first rebuttal:

R.A2) The fine-tuning argument

We have to be careful not to judge what counts as finely-tuned through our intuitions.

We have to be careful about reasoning for a sample size of this one observable universe.

We don’t really know about the full range of possibilities for these constants and quantities.

There might be other universes that we can’t observe that aren’t fine-tuned, and we just happen to be in the one that is fine-tuned.

The fine-tuning might be solved by future discoveries, like the inflationary cosmology removed some of the fine-tuning.

There might be a multiverse that we don’t have evidence for right now.

We need to be careful about using science to prove God because science might change in the future.

The universe is very big and mysterious.

This argument doesn’t prove that God is good. He could be evil = anti-God.

God created the universe inefficiently if his goal was to produce life.

God created the universe too big.

God created the universe too old.

God created too many galaxies and stars that are not hospitable to life.

If the universe were fine-tuned for life, then there should be more aliens.

If the universe were fine-tuned for life, then there are probably lots of alien civilizations. But then Jesus would have to appear to all of the aliens too.

R.A1) The origin of the universe

2. It’s not a big deal that you can get multiple solutions to equations involving subtraction of actual infinities. For example, the equation 0 x y = 0 has many solutions for y, but that doesn’t mean that multiplication doesn’t work in the real world.

A2) Absence of evidence is evidence of absence

I would expect that there would be more evidence than there is.

R.A1) The origin of the universe

2. The BVG proof might be overturned by future scientific discoveries. We have no reason to be confident in current physics.

I agree that the quantum vacuum is something and not nothing, but it’s similar to nothing.

We don’t have any reason to believe that things that come into being require causes – except for our universal experience that this is always the case.

3. As to the cause of the universe coming into being, you said that it could only be an abstract object or a mind, and it can’t be an abstract object because they don’t cause effects, so it must be a mind. But there are all sorts of things we’ve never thought of that it could be other than a mind.

I agree that mental properties are not physical properties and that epiphenomenalism is incorrect. Physical objects can have “algorithmic properties” as well as physical properties, it doesn’t mean that computers have minds.

Dr. Craig’s second rebuttal:

R.A2) Absence of evidence is evidence of absence

He expressed his personal opinion that there should be more evidence, but that’s not an argument.

God knows how people will respond to getting more evidence or less evidence and he has to be careful not to take away their free will to disbelieve by piling them up with coercive evidence. God’s goal is not just to convince people that he exists. God’s goal is to have people respond to him and pursue him.

A1) The origin of the universe

2. He said that multiple answers to equations are no problem. But the problem is that you can’t translate multiple answers into a real world context.

The problem is that you are subtracting an identical number from an identical number and getting contradictory results, and that cannot be translated into the real world, where subtraction always gives a definite single result.

He talks about how you can get multiple answers with multiplication by 0. But 0 is not a real quantity, it is just the absence of something, and that cannot translate into the real world, because it has no being.

He says that I am only using evidence from current physics. But that is the point – the evidence of current physics and cosmology supports the beginning of the universe.

3. He said that an umembodied mind can’t be the cause, but we are minds and we cause effects on our physical bodies.

In addition, the design argument supports the idea that the cause of the universe is intelligent.

A2) The fine-tuning of the universe

He says we should be cautious. Of course.

He says the probabilities can’t be assessed. But you can just take the current value and perturb it and see that the resulting universe loses its ability to support life, and you can test an entire range around the current value to see that that vast majority of values in the range don’t permit life.

He says that the current physics is not well-established, but there are so many examples of fine-tuning across so many different areas of science that it is not likely that all of them will be overturned, and the number of finely-tuned constants and quantities has been growing, not shrinking.

He says it doesn’t prove that God is good, and he’s right – that’s what the moral argument is for.

He says that God isn’t efficient enough, but efficiency is only important for those who have limited time and/or limited resources. But God has unlimited time and resources.

He says that the universe is too old, but the large age of the universe is a requirement to support intelligent life – (i.e. – you need third generation stars to provide a stable source of energy to planets, and those stars require that two generations of stars are born and die).

He said what about aliens, and theists are open to that, and God can certainly provide for the salvation of those beings, if they have fallen into sin.

Dr. Millican’s second rebuttal:

R.A1) The origin of the universe

3. Just because epiphenominalism is false, it doesn’t mean that substance dualism is true.

The majority of philosophers of mind do not accept substance dualism.

R.A3) The moral argument

The majority of philosophers are moral realists, but a minority of philosophers are theists. So that means that there must be some way of justifying morality on atheism, which I will not describe right now.

Atheists can express their opinion that humans have intrinsic moral value.

He grants that atheists can perceive moral values. But if atheists can perceive moral values, then why is God needed to enable that?

Atheists can express their opinion that humans are special. We can be rational, and that makes us special.

Atheists can express their opinion that it is good to care about other humans because they are of the same species.

R.A4) The resurrection of Jesus

We don’t have any reasons to believe i the supernatural.

The gospels are written late for the purposes of evangelism.

The gospels are not independent, e.g. Matthew and Luke depend on Q.

John is the latest gospel, and the Christology of John is the highest of all.

The four gospels agree because the early church rejected other (unnamed) gospels that didn’t agree.

Matthew 27 – the earthquake and the raised saints – is not recorded in any other contemporary non-Christian source.

Dr. Craig’s final rebuttal:

A3) The moral argument

He says that human beings are rational, and that gives them value. But atheists like Sam Harris prefer the flourishing of sentient life. He includes non-rational animals as having moral value. So without God, we see that the choice of who or what has moral value is arbitrary. And where would objective moral duties come from if there is no moral lawgiver?

The fact that most atheists accept objective moral values doesn’t mean that they can rationally ground those values on their atheistic worldview. You can’t provide a basis for moral values on atheism by counting the number of atheists who accept objective morality. It’s not surprising that atheists can perceive objective moral values IF they are living in auniverse created by God who grounds these objective moral values and duties that atheists perceive.

A4) The resurrection of Jesus

He cites Geza Vermes and Bart Ehrman as authorities on the historical Jesus, but both of them accept all three of the facts that I presented as minimal facts. Ehrman doesn’t accept the resurrection of Jesus because he presupposes naturalism. He rejects the resurrection on philosophical grounds, not historical grounds.

Dr. Millican’s final rebuttal:

R.A5) Religious experience

Religious experience is an unreliable way to test the claims of a religion, because lots of religions have them and they make contradictory truth claims. In the future, we may discover naturalistic ways of explaining religious experience.

R.A4) The resurrection of Jesus

Even if you can make a case for the resurrection based on these3  minimal facts, there are other stories in the New Testament like Matthew 27 that are quite weird and they undermine the 3 minimal facts that even Geza Vermes and Bart Ehrman accept.

R.A1) The origin of the universe

Bill hasn’t shown that there is any reason for thinking that things don’t come into being, uncaused, out of nothing.

A4) The problem of evil

Theists can’t explain what God’s specific morally sufficient reasons are for permitting the apparently gratuitous evil that we see.

7 Sept 2024 News Briefing

Extremely dangerous Typhoon “Yagi” makes a direct hit on Haikou, China
Extremely dangerous Typhoon “Yagi” made landfall in Hainan, China, just before 07:00 UTC on September 6, 2024, with maximum sustained winds of 234 km/h (145 mph). Yagi reached Wenchang City (population 575 000) in Hainan at 08:00 UTC and Haikou (population 3 million) by around 10:00 UTC.

Massive earth crack opens in Yemen’s Al-Zaidiyah district 
A massive fissure appeared in Yemen’s Al-Zaidiyah district, part of the Al-Hodeidah governorate, following a period of heavy rains and floods.

Heavy rains soak Sahara Desert as northward ITCZ shift alters African weather patterns
Heavy rainfall across the Sahara Desert, linked to a shift in the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), is leading to extraordinary weather patterns across Africa. Forecast models suggest that the region may see several years’ worth of rain over the coming weeks making 2024 the wettest year for the Sahara Desert, with Mauritania and Mali among the hardest-hit areas.

Chinese researchers advocate for nuclear weapon use against asteroid threats 
Chinese experts propose using nuclear weapons as a last resort to protect Earth from potential asteroid crashes. The team, led by Zhang He of the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, stressed that current planetary defense technologies, including NASA’s DART mission, may be insufficient against larger asteroids.

“Big Cold Front Coming This Weekend” 
“Sunday AM departure from normals here shows some areas 10+ degrees cooler. Some upper 50’s might reach the upper Gulf. Pumpkin Spice better be in stock and ready to go. Almost time to dig out the Halloween gear.”

There Are No Licensed COVID Vaccines for Kids Under 12, But CDC Wants Babies to Get 3 Pfizer Shots by Age 9 Months

Nine-month-old babies must receive multiple doses of an unlicensed mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be considered “up to date” with their COVID-19 vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Who is Linda Sun? How NYC political operative charged with being Chinese agent became aide to Hochul, Cuomo
Linda Sun landed in Albany about 15 years ago as a young political staffer and worked her way into the executive chamber — where the feds alleged she worked to advance Chinese interests in New York’s government.

Oregon Reverses Liberal Drug Law After “Losing A Generation” To Addiction
Oregon has reversed a former liberal drug law, but not in time to avoid losing “a generation” of people to addiction. In fact, the state’s decision to recriminalize drugs is just the first of many needed actions, says State House Republican leader Jeff Helfrich. The new law, reversing the 2020 decriminalization, took effect Sunday.

Snapchat Is A “Breeding Ground” For Child Predators According to New Mexico Prosecutors
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has launched a lawsuit against Snap Inc. following an undercover investigation, accusing it of creating a “breeding ground” for child sexual exploitation through its Snapchat app. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, alleges that Snapchat’s disappearing images and messages have facilitated predators in collecting sexually explicit images of children and using them for extortion.

Great Replacement Job Shock: 1.3 Million Native-Born Americans Just Lost Their Jobs, Replaced By 635,000 Immigrants 
The ongoing replacement (because that’s what it is) of US workers is “not the biggest political talking point right now,” considering that “since October 2019, native-born US workers have lost 1.4 million jobs; over the same period foreign-born workers have gained 3 million jobs.”

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital promotes contraception, LGBT lifestyle: report 
What does celebrating, promoting, and supporting the open practice of sodomy have to do with helping kids fight childhood cancer? That’s the question donors need to be asking St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Death Of The Consumer Economy: Over A Third Of U.S. Adults Now Struggle To Pay For Their Most Basic Expenses
The government has been trying really hard to put a happy face on things, but the truth is that the standard of living for most U.S. consumers has been going down for a long time.  The cost of living has been rising faster than paychecks have, and so most of us have less discretionary income than we once did.  And that is really bad news for the U.S. economy, because as the official White House website has pointed out, consumer spending typically accounts for about two-thirds of all economic activity.

UN’s Pact for the Future, Planetary Commons and The Overpopulation Project
The Pact for the Future, set to be adopted at the Summit of the Future on 22 September, calls for a significant overhaul of global governance in response to perceived existential risks. A key component of this Pact is the planetary commons approach which emphasises the need for a global governing body to oversee the planet’s life-sustaining systems.

Labour’s masterplan to defund pensioners so the UK Government can fund offshore wind projects
The UK Government has reduced the Winter Fuel Payment to the elderly, which has conveniently provided the £1.5 billion needed to fund Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband’s offshore wind projects.

Source: https://www.raptureready.com/2024/09/07/7-sept-2024/

Headlines – 9/7/2024

US Envoy to Israel: Palestinian State Not Reward for Terrorism

Amb. Danon: Not ‘Optimistic’ About 2-State Solution

In Baku, emerging Israeli and Arab leaders prepare for a post-conflict Middle East

Iran reply to Haniyeh killing will be stronger ‘than anything Netanyahu’s colonial state has ever faced’ – UK’s Galloway

‘An attack tonight’: Donald Trump predicts imminent attack on Israel as US scrambles to defuse tensions

Military ‘very focused’ on fighting Hezbollah, prepping offensive, IDF chief says

1,307 rockets fired from Lebanon in August, more than any month since war started

Hamas piles on new demands for ceasefire deal amid hostage threats – NYT

Hamas Urges US Pressure on Israel as Netanyahu Says ‘No Deal’

Majority of Israelis now prefer giving up Philadelphi in order to reach deal – poll

Oct 7 survivor urges Trump, Evangelicals to help finalize deal to get all hostages back before time runs out – Amir Tibon of Nahal Oz urges Trump to say, ‘Let’s do this deal now, let’s get these people out alive now’

Commentary: Murder of six Israeli hostages was ordered directly by Iranian leadership

Hamas’s Release of Hostage Videos Inflames Divisions in Israel

Revealed: Hamas’ secret instructions to exploit hostages, manipulate public opinion

Hamas document details tactics to up pressure on Israel, stall hostage talks – report

Israel’s Amb. Herzog skips vigil for hostages after denied request to speak

‘Government of blood’: Protesters stage mock funeral for slain hostages, demand deal

Israeli film brings shock of Oct. 7 and aftermath to Venice film fest

Aid agency insiders claim BBC ‘blocking’ Gaza humanitarian appeal – Disasters Emergency Committee sources say BBC fears backlash from those supportive of Israel’s war with Hamas

UN warns humanitarian situation in Gaza Strip ‘beyond catastrophic’

IDF says airstrike targeted Hamas command center embedded in Gaza school

Israeli military ends 10-day raid in Jenin, leaving destruction

‘All the streets were destroyed:’ Palestinians count the cost as Israel pulls back from Jenin

IDF eliminates over 100 terrorists in operations, destroys explosives labs in West Bank

At least 6 Palestinian gunmen killed in IDF drone strikes, clashes in West Bank

US activist said shot dead by IDF at W. Bank protest; girl killed as settlers storm village

US Calls for Investigation After Woman Killed in West Bank

Campaigners press US to ban Israel arms sales after UK’s partial halt

Celebrities demand US arms embargo on Israel, alleging human rights violations

Two Bedouin Israelis Say IDF Soldiers Beat Them While They Were Driving in West Bank

‘Tsunami of anti-Semitism’ stirs fears of dark days for Jews

JD Vance Stands By Tucker Carlson Amid Hitler and Holocaust Whitewash

AG to court: Move allowing Netanyahu to select civil service commissioner is illegal

20-year-old man arrested in Canada for alleged ISIS-inspired plot to attack Jewish people in NYC

Indonesia Thwarts Alleged Islamic Terror Plot Against Pope Francis

‘Allahu Akbar’ Knifeman Who Attacked German Police Station Arrested

Police seize electronic devices from home of Munich shooter; no IS propaganda found

Sources: US Strikes Deal With Iraq on Withdrawing Troops

Iran warns Russia against siding with Azerbaijan in border dispute – Row may signal that newly elected Tehran government is willing to take tougher line with Moscow

600 Churches in Ukraine Destroyed by Russian Forces

After losing a chunk of Russian territory to Ukraine, Putin said it wasn’t that important anyway

Zelenskyy presses US military leaders to let Ukraine strike deeper in Russia

US sees potential Iran transfer of missiles to Russia as alarming ‘dramatic escalation’

U.S. Tells Allies Iran Has Sent Ballistic Missiles to Russia – European officials say Europe and U.S. are working on a sanctions response to Iran’s move

Zelensky Hits Western Allies with Demands for More Weapons, Enhanced Capabilities

U.S. Charges Russian Intelligence Officers with Cyberattack on Ukraine

US sees increasing risk of Russian ‘sabotage’ of key undersea cables by secretive military unit

Former Taiwan presidential candidate suspected in corruption case is sent back to jail

Taiwan’s Ko Wen-je accuses government of witch hunt ahead of fresh arrest

Chinese Agents Infiltrating US Institutions

White House says President Biden will not pardon his son Hunter after guilty plea to three felonies

Special Counsel Finds Navy Secretary Violated Law With Pro-Biden, Anti-Trump Actions

Trump appeals verdict in E Jean Carroll case: story is ‘utterly impossible,’ lacking evidence

Trump Blames Carroll Case on ‘Rigged’ System

Appeals court seems skeptical of Trump’s bid to overturn sexual abuse verdict in E. Jean Carroll case

DC judge sets timeline for Jack Smith’s superseding indictment case against Trump over J6 – “This court is not concerned with an election schedule.”

Judge Delays Donald Trump’s N.Y. Sentencing Until After Election

Elise Stefanik demands judicial conduct board investigate Judge Juan Merchan over ‘brand new conflict of interest’ – his daughter works with Kamala’s campaign

New FEC Filing Reveals Kamala Harris Paid Judge Merchan’s Daughter’s Political Firm – A Clear Violation of the New York State Judicial Code of Conduct

Corrupt Judge Juan Merchan Sued For Financial Disclosures Amid Reports His Daughter’s Firm Made Tens of Millions of Dollars Off Trump NYC Case

Michigan court rules RFK Jr’s name should be removed from ballot – This reverses a lower court ruling

North Carolina court blocks sending of mail-in ballots with RFK Jr’s name on them

Alaska Dems Fight to Pull Own Candidate From Ballot

Ballot Drop Box Battles: States, Municipalities Seek to Ban Them as November Election Nears

Cillizza: Kamala Harris Is ‘the Most Unknown, Known Person in the Country’

Lifelong Democrat Alan Dershowitz Blasts Biden and Harris, Announces His Departure From the Democrat Party

National Fraternal Order of Police Endorses President Trump

100 law enforcement officials endorse Harris

Eighty-eight corporate leaders endorse Harris in new letter, including CEOs of Yelp, Box

Dick Cheney says he’s voting for Harris in November and Trump ‘can never be trusted with power again’

The Socialist International Endorses Kamala Harris for the 2024 Presidential Elections

Intel Officer: Russia, China, Iran Trying to Influence US Election

Jane Fonda tells overseas voters Trump would ‘jail’ people who protest his policies if elected

Scarborough: ‘Autocrat’ Trump Will Decide Who Goes to Jail, Take TV Stations Off the Air

A Fake Narrative Could Drive a Real Government Shutdown

Rep. Hern: Media Fueling Nazi-Style Disinformation

Brazil v Musk: Judge overreach is first salvo in global battle on free speech, activist says – Elon Musk, allies argue order blocking X in Brazil is unconstitutional

Social Media CEO Fires Back After Arrest: ‘No Innovator Will Ever Build New Tools’

Telegram chief Durov announces ‘new features’ to combat illicit content

South Korea investigates Telegram over alleged sexual deepfakes

Sweden Seeks to Ban Screen Time for Children Under 2 Years of Age

While Jeff Bezos is spending billions to launch his own satellite internet service to compete with Elon Musk, his own $500 million megayacht Koru openly flaunts antennas from Musk’s Starlink.

Chinese researchers advocate for nuclear weapon use against asteroid threats

Massive earth crack opens in Yemen’s Al-Zaidiyah district

In a landslide-stricken town in California, life is like camping with no power, gas

5.7 magnitude earthquake hits near Vallenar, Chile

5.2 magnitude earthquake hits the Auckland Islands, New Zealand region

5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Iztapa, Guatemala

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits east of the North Island of New Zealand

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Banjar, Indonesia

Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 22,000ft

Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 15,000ft

Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 14,000ft

Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts to 14,000ft

Lewotobi volcano in Indonesia erupts to 10,000ft

One of the year’s strongest typhoons slams into ‘China’s Hawaii’

Extremely dangerous Typhoon “Yagi” makes a direct hit on Haikou, China

Powerful Typhoon Forces a Million People to Flee Their Homes

Heavy rains soak Sahara Desert as northward ITCZ shift alters African weather patterns

Incredible scenes in Sahara Desert as it is battered by ‘highly unusual’ heavy rain – The Sahara has been hit by freak thunderstorms that have resulted in torrential downpours

Heatwave across US west breaks records for highest temperatures

100 Degrees at Midnight: California Coast Swelters in ‘Concerning’ Heat

The planet endures its hottest summer on record for the second straight year

Pope Francis Joins Grand Imam in Denouncing Climate ‘Crisis’

A new kind of chaplain is helping people deal with ‘climate grief’

NFL Already Infuriates Viewers, Kicks Off Game With ‘Black National Anthem’ in Woke Display

New French PM vows to toughen stance on immigration, hints at tilt to right

French PM Barnier gets to work as left prepares protests

Hungary Prepares to Send Busloads of Illegal Immigrants to European Union HQ

WSJ: Biden-Harris Tripled Immigration Numbers – Authorities Processed over 9 Million Since 2020

Mass Immigration Raises Housing Costs, Strains Healthcare Services in Middle America: ‘This Is Not Sustainable’

Gavin Newsom vetoes bill giving $150,000 to noncitizens for down payments, cites ‘finite funding’

Sen. Tom Cotton Slams Biden-Harris DHS for ‘Protecting the Identity’ of Illegal Aliens Linked to Terrorism

Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members arrested after Aurora, CO shooting were parolees of Biden-Harris admin

Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Gang Members Threaten to Kill Property Managers at Aurora, Colorado Apartment Building

Eagles player scared to play in Brazil due to crime, silent about playing the rest of NFL season in ‘Killadelphia’

One student killed in shooting at Maryland high school, suspect is in custody

Joppatowne High School shooting: Student dies at hospital, suspect in custody

MSNBC Spreads AP Hoax Misquoting JD Vance’s Comments on School Shootings

JD Vance Camp Unleashes on Media for ‘Brazenly Lying’ About His Comments on Georgia School Shooting

Dad Allegedly Gave Georgia School Attacker Rifle for Christmas in 2023

Georgia high school shooting suspect referenced Parkland massacre in writings found in his bedroom, source says

Alleged Apalachee High Killer Colt Gray Transferred to School Weeks Prior to Attack, Reportedly Spent Two Days on Campus

Georgia School Shooter Weighed in on the Transgenderism Debate and Was Reportedly Bullied by Students Who Claimed He was Gay

Discord account linked to Colt Gray expressed desire to shoot up school over transgender issues

5 companies that are scaling back DEI, LGBT advocacy

Religious exemptions for Christian colleges opposed to LGBT ideology upheld by appeals court

Naked Suspect Leads High-Speed Police Chase with Child in Back Seat, Later Found Hiding in Recycling Bin

‘Me Too’ Brazil: Human Rights Minister to Socialist Lula Accused of Sexual Harassment of Several Women, Including Another Cabinet Minister

Former OnlyFans recruiter recalls horrors that made her quit website, seek Jesus

In the Pacific, a ‘Dumping Ground’ for Priests Accused or Convicted of Abuse

CBS News Zeroes In on Christian Support for Trump and ‘Ring Leader’ Who Sees Him as God’s Pick

Evangelical Leader Warns Trump in ‘Grave Danger’ With Christian Voters – Albert Mohler has raised concerns that former President Donald Trump’s recent positions on issues like abortion and in vitro fertilization (IVF) could weaken his support among evangelicals

Texas sues Biden administration to block abortion privacy rule

Judge considers bumping abortion-rights measure off Missouri ballot

Professing ‘Christian’ Steph Curry Endorsing Kamala Harris to Protect Abortion Rights, Despite Nearly Being Aborted Himself

Pastor Jack Hibbs implores Christians not to vote for Democrats: A ‘death cult’

Tim Walz helped secure millions in US funds for research center tied to Wuhan lab – Walz reportedly pushed for a $5 million federal earmark for the center in 2008 as well as helped it get $2 million as a congressman

Source: http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php

Week in Review · September 2-6, 2024

“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.

ANALYSIS The First American ‘No-Go Zone’ Michael Swartz A Denver suburb gives us a chilling glimpse of the future in the Biden/Harris regime’s open-borders America.

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The New York Times Shreds the Constitution Mark Alexander Demos hope their dullard constituents are too ignorant to discern the difference between a democracy and a Republic.

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Who’s Running the Country? Thomas Gallatin The White House and Kamala Harris continue to gaslight the public on the real reason Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

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Did Kamala Lie About Flipping Fries? Douglas Andrews Her as-yet unverifiable claim about having worked at McDonald’s while in college is well worth looking into.

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There’s Hot Sauce in Your Eye, Zuck Andrew Culper Another tale of an insane “violation” for your humble team on Facebook.

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Harris’s Real Record as Prosecutor Nate Jackson Despite portraying herself as tough on crime, Kamala is a left-wing softie who favors criminals.

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Kamala’s History of Workplace Toxicity Brian Mark Weber It’s a poorly kept secret that the Democrats’ nominee has a terrible record as a boss.

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On Climate Policy, the Tail Wags the Dog Emmy Griffin Only 4% of climate policies have proven to reduce emissions. Naturally, Biden and Harris have opted for the ineffective boondoggles.

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What the Covenant School Killer’s ‘Manifesto’ Revealed Thomas Gallatin Her writings show the toxic effect of a radical leftist secular ideology on a mentally unstable individual.

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Is Your Child Safer on a School Campus? Mark Alexander All murders are tragic, but media and political agendas obscure important realities.

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Trump in the Crosshairs Jack DeVine We still have to get to the bottom of what happened on July 13.

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Kamala Is Right: Gen Z Is Stupid Samantha Koch A seemingly silly social media moment demonstrated the power of pop culture to move the masses.

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Kamala’s ‘Trans’-gressive and Anti-Woman Problem Emmy Griffin Because the Rainbow Mafia has trained its guns on our children, it has broken up part of the LGBTQ+ coalition.

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Gold Star Families Issue Strong Rebuke of Harris Mark Alexander A case study in diversionary Leftmedia spin, and a “wrap-up smear” against Trump.

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Tim Walz Tells Another Narrative Lie Douglas Andrews He’s just a month into his candidacy as Kamala Harris’s VP pick, but the Minnesota governor has already built an impressive foundation of falsehoods.

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This Just In: Leftists Peddle Misinformation Nate Jackson The New York Times has discovered what millions of Americans have known for years.

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Profiles of Valor: A Dog Named DASY Mark Alexander “If I catch them, I’m going to kill them.”

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After Motorcade Involved in Fender Bender, Tim Walz Adds Purple Heart to Resume The Babylon Bee The Minnesota governor decided it was a good enough opportunity for him to spiff up his military career just a little more.

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Visit our archive for more analysis commentary.

Catch up on the latest news headlines with our executive summary.

VIDEOS Massive Mail-in Voter Fraud Uncovered in New York Kamala’s Fake Southern Accent ‘We Invited Trump’ Satire: TDS Commercial See our extensive curated video library for more!

QUOTES Straight From the Horse’s Mouth “Let’s be clear. My values have not changed.” —Kamala Harris Topsy-Turvy “Kamala Harris is a radical liberal who would raise taxes, take away guns & health insurance, and explode the size and power of the federal gov’t. She wants to recreate America in the image of what’s happening on the streets of Portland & Seattle. We won’t give her the chance.” —former Congresswoman Liz Cheney (WY), August 2020 “Not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I’ll be voting for Kamala Harris.” —Liz Cheney, September 2024 Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud “To win, Harris doesn’t need policy. She just needs vibes.” —”The Don Lemon Show” senior writer Peter Rothpletz in The New Republic Dumb & Dumber “If you believe in American capitalism, you should be worried about Donald Trump being elected.” —MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough “[Harris] can build on the Biden success. And she also with this joy and momentum can deliver the House and the Senate so, you know, we can finish the job. Joe Biden, you know, very selflessly has left her a job to finish.” —Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) Village Idiot “Just very excited about moving forward and all the energy and excitement that’s around this movement right now. So that’s why I’m here, because it’s time for change, and it seems like it’s happening [with Harris].” —actor Ben Stiller, who apparently does not know Harris is already in office Shot/Chaser “They [Joe Biden and Kamala Harris] were with them [13 fallen service members] at the dignified transfer.” —NBC News’s “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker “On our broadcast this morning, we incorrectly implied that both President Biden and Vice President Harris attended the dignified transfer of 13 American service members killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal. Biden was in attendance but Harris was not.” —”Meet the Press” The BIG Lies “My first thought was not about me, to be honest with you. My first thought was about him.” —Kamala Harris regarding the Joe Biden coup “When Joe Biden and I came in office during the height of a pandemic, we saw over 10 million jobs were lost. … Hundreds of people a day were dying because of COVID. The economy had crashed. In large part, all of that because of mismanagement by Donald Trump of that crisis.” —Kamala Harris “Today, we know that we have inflation at under 3%. A lot of our policies have led to the reality that America recovered faster than any wealthy nation around the world.” —Kamala Harris “The root causes work that I did as vice president, that I was asked to do by the president, has actually resulted in a number of benefits.” —Kamala Harris “We have laws that have to be followed and enforced that address and deal with people who cross our border illegally. … I would enforce our laws as president going forward. I recognize the problem.” —Kamala Harris “I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion.” —Kamala Harris Delusions of Grandeur “Joe Biden has been one of the most transformative presidents in the United States that we have ever witnessed.” —Kamala Harris “I have served with President Biden for almost four years now. And I’ll tell ya, it’s one of the greatest honors of my career. Truly. He cares so deeply about the American people. He is so smart and loyal to the American people. … He has the intelligence, the commitment, and the judgment and disposition that I think the American people rightly deserve in their president.” —Kamala Harris “I think history is gonna show not only has Joe Biden led an administration that has achieved those extraordinary successes, but the character of the man is one that he has been in his life and career, including as a president, quite selfless and puts the American people first.” —Kamala Harris “I am running because I believe that I am the best person to do this job at this moment for all Americans.” —Kamala Harris More BIG Lies “Florida has banned 23 pf [sic] my books.” —author Stephen King “Harris was not the border czar.” —CNN’s John Berman “Republicans don’t support cleaning up and addressing the border.” —Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) “Somebody said, ‘What’s next? Child labor?’ Hell yeah. … That’s what [Republicans will] do.” —Tim Walz “As president, Trump blocked overtime for millions of workers.” —Tim Walz “[Trump will] enact a nationwide abortion ban, with or without Congress.” —Kamala Harris “We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the world. Literally. Record 16 million new jobs. Record small business growth. Record stock market. Record-high 401(k)s. Wages are up. Inflation is down.” —Joe Biden “The Biden-Harris administration did a lot to ride those prices and bring them down.” —Illinois Governor JB Pritzker “We have seen grocery prices come down over the past year or more. … A lot of that is the work that’s been done from this administration.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Lack of Self-Awareness Awards “Remember all the talk? ‘Biden got elected and he’s going to do a planned economy. We’re going to collapse, and there’s going to be all this caving in. Interest rates are going to go through the ceiling.’ C’mon, man!” —Joe Biden “One of my highest priorities is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class.” —Kamala Harris World’s Smallest Violin “My wife the English teacher told me my grammar’s not always correct. But again, if it’s not this, it’s an attack on my children for showing love for me, or it’s an attack on my dog.” —Tim Walz when asked, “The idea that you said that you were in war, did you misspeak, as the campaign has said?” Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste “We must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines again, require safe storage of firearms, enact universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers. Thoughts and prayers are not enough.” —Joe Biden Demagogue “[Project 2025] is an agenda that’s been put together that would … take away rights and freedoms that so many of us take for granted, that would dismantle vital programs and services like the Department of Education. It’s not the kind of America that I think we’d want to live in.” —Barack Obama Non Compos Mentis “Americans have long assumed that the Constitution could save us; a growing chorus now wonders whether we need to be saved from it.” —The New York Times’s Jennifer Szalai in, “The Constitution Is Sacred. Is It Also Dangerous?” Belly Laughs of the Week “I certainly own my mistakes when I make ’em.” —Tim Walz “[Harris] is a homework doer.” —CNN’s Abby Phillip   For more insightful quotes, see our Short Cuts.

MEMEDon’t miss the latest memes.

CARTOONDon’t miss the latest cartoons.

“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.

Trump Says He’s Sending Kamala Harris a ‘Special’ Gift Since She Keeps ‘Copying’ His Policies | The Gateway Pundit

Trump Says He’s Sending Kamala Harris a ‘Special’ Gift Since She Keeps ‘Copying’ His Policies

What are Vice President Kamala Harris’ policies that make up her platform? What does she want to accomplish for the country upon taking office?

These are great questions she doesn’t seem to have answers for.

While Harris has been incredibly vague during the select few times she has spoken to the media, the American people have been able to get a few specific policy positions out of her.

She’s spoken about a child tax credit of $6,000 while also pushing for no tax on tips. Those positions should sound familiar because she took them from former President Donald Trump’s campaign. Trump had a hilarious response Thursday during his speech to the Economic Club of New York.

The former president – being aware of his opponent’s tendency to hop on board with his policies – offered to send the vice president a gift so she could wear her support loud and proud: a custom made MAGA hat.

NO TAX ON TIPS: "She [Kamala Harris] is actually copying a lot of my plan, in fact we're going to send her a MAGA cap." #copycatKamala #notaxontips

Watch #Trump Live: https://t.co/bxxD8whkyg

Watch RAV 24/7: https://t.co/aeKhZCtVbe pic.twitter.com/GmDYKJNAMi

— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) September 5, 2024

Trump told his audience, “…and we will have no tax on tips, something which they copied four weeks after I said it. She [Harris] got up [and] said, ‘No tax on tips,’ I said, I just said that.”

He went on to make a further note of the Harris campaign’s tactics.

“She is, actually, copying a lot of my plan, in fact, we’re going to send her a MAGA cap sometime in the next week. We’re having a special one made.”

The statement predictably garnered applause and probably more than a few chuckles.

Trump is spot-on about his opponent as she might as well be a Trump supporter and dawn the appropriate attire.

In offering a more serious critique of the Harris campaign and what her recurring borrowing from Trump actually indicates, her actions show the American people a campaign without a substantial platform.

Harris’ major selling point is, “I am not Donald Trump.”

She adopts his policies to further state, “You can have Trump policies without having Trump.”

Astoundingly, her campaign website still does not list her positions.

While the campaign struggles in the throes of an identity crisis, the voter surprisingly could not say the campaign itself is in crisis.

American historian Allan Lichtman has a penchant for correctly predicting presidential elections and believes Harris will triumph in November.

But, if her policies are taken from Trump, why wouldn’t the voter just choose him?

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Trump Says He’s Sending Kamala Harris a ‘Special’ Gift Since She Keeps ‘Copying’ His Policies appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 21) | Conservative Review

‘I’m totally, um, part of that whole listening generation of music’

Thaleigha Rampersad

September 7, 2024

Who’s excited about next week’s presidential debate? Americans will finally get a chance to see Kamala Harris go off script and showcase her legendary rhetorical skills. Maybe (but probably not) she’ll provide some evidence that she actually worked at McDonald’s during college, or maybe (but probably not) she’ll explain what her actual positions are on key issues beyond a vague desire for a “new way forward” after serving nearly four years as vice president.

Have a great weekend!

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 20)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 19)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 18)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 17)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 16)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 15)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Greatest Hits)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 14)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 13)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 12)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 11)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 10)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 9)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Africa Edition)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 8)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 7)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 6)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 5)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 4)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 3)

 

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 2)

WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 1)

Source: WATCH: Veep Thoughts with Kamala Harris (Vol. 21)

Comedy Break With JP Sears as He Hilariously Roasts Kamala’s First Interview as Democrat Nominee | The Gateway Pundit

Comedy Break With JP Sears as He Hilariously Roasts Kamala’s First Interview as Democrat Nominee

JP Sears

Comedian JP Sears is back at it with his refreshing tongue-in-cheek comedy, this time roasting Kamala Harris’ first “interview” with CNN as the Democrat presidential nominee.

In the latest video, Sears roasts the ridiculous softball interview and presents what it might have looked like if an interviewer had let their inside voice out and uses her actual interview answers to his hilarious questions.

The video opens with Sears telling Kamala, “You’re drunk right now.”

Kamala responds, ” And that’s not going to change.”

He continues, “You have a drinking problem.”

Kamala says, “I recognize the problem.”

Sears then sets up the premise of the skit, “Okay, we’re live. Kamala Harris, welcome.”

He nods to Tim Walz and adds, “I see you brought your emotional support dog with you today, which is great.”

He continues, “Before I came in, your campaign staff out there gave me this list of really great softball questions that I’m allowed to ask, helped stay true to the spirit of journalism, so thanks for that, though I might straight from the list just a tiny little bit.”

Sears covers a wide range of topics, including the attempted assassination of President Trump, the border, crime, and inflation.

Watch the entire hilarious episode here:

Sears also has a popular podcast, AwakenWithJP.

The post Comedy Break With JP Sears as He Hilariously Roasts Kamala’s First Interview as Democrat Nominee appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

It’s clear, Kamala Harris will come after free speech on social media platforms if she’s elected president

Free speech is alive and well in this country, though it looks like it doesn’t have much time left.

It’s clear, Kamala Harris will come after free speech on social media platforms if she’s elected president

Vivek Ramaswamy & RFK Jr: Brazil Banning X, the New Russian Hoax, and the Kamala Harris Scam

09-06-2024 • Tucker Carlson Network

Tucker Carlson Live Tour in Anaheim, CA. There’s something so poignant about the destruction of a place as beautiful as California. And then you talk to leaders like Bobby Kennedy and Vivek Ramaswamy and you realize there’s hope.

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Elon Musk: Trump Must Win, Civilization Is On The Line | ZeroHedge

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity,news,

X owner Elon Musk urged Thursday that he believes Donald Trump must win the election in order to save civilisation.

“I have never been materially active in politics before, but this time I think civilization as we know it is on the line,” Musk posted.

He added, “If we want to preserve freedom and a meritocracy in America, then Trump must win.”

Source: Elon Musk: Trump Must Win, Civilization Is On The Line

LIVE: President Donald J. Trump to Hold a Rally in Mosinee, WI – 9/7/24

45th President of the United States, President Donald J. Trump to Hold a Rally in Mosinee, Wisconsin on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Watch LIVE on RSBN starting at 8:00 a.m. ET.

Source: LIVE: President Donald J. Trump to Hold a Rally in Mosinee, WI – 9/7/24

Saturday Selections – September 7, 2024 | Reformed Perspective

The importance of “social trust”

What can we do when people stop trusting? One common approach is to outsource trust to the government. Get the government to inspect, certify, and license folks to prove they are trustworthy. The problem here is that this makes trust an expensive commodity: licenses, inspections, and certifications all cost money and time. And it also presupposes that the one entity we can trust is our government, and their competence to be able to assess everyone else.

The video supposes we can turn the tide by being trustworthy ourselves. That’s a start, certainly, but while that would benefit your customers, it wouldn’t benefit your interactions with the rest of your untrustworthy society. What this video is calling for then (though it doesn’t know it) is revival. Only God can change hearts en masse!

It’s a young world after all

On offer here, four evidences of a young solar system.

11 things to know when Jehovah’s Witnesses are at the door

They might present themselves as Christian, but they believe in a very different God.

How do we give hope and help to women who struggle with postpartum depression?

Two biblical counselors offer hope in this 30-minute podcast that’s also available as a 15-minute read.

Are the “5 Love Languages” real?

Gary Chapman’s 1992 bestseller The Five Love Languages proposed that there are 5 very different ways that people express love, and that we could all get along better if we understood each other’s primary love language. I had a friend who benefitted from the book when she realized that while she appreciated physical affection – she was a hugger – her mom just wasn’t. But, she’d often buy her daughter presents. Chapman’s book helped my friend realize how often her mom was thinking of her, how much her mom did indeed love her, even though her mom never gave her an encouraging hug. So, for some the book was quite impactful.

But further study finds that while we might have different tendencies, our “love languages” aren’t as distinct as the book made them seem. Even my friend’s dear ol’ mom, who wasn’t a hugger, might have appreciated a hug.

Why Christians need to stop using the term “same-sex attracted”

English professor and former homosexual Rosario Butterfield explains that we should not identify with our sins. She is not speaking primarily to Christians who are simply using this term for the sin they are struggling with (though she has thoughts for them too). Rather, this is directed more at Christians who, though they might be remaining chaste, are claiming same-sex attraction as a part of their identity.

Source: Saturday Selections – September 7, 2024