There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Joe Biden has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the former president of the abortion provider Planned Parenthood.
Biden, who likes to describe himself as a “devout Catholic,” awarded Cecile Richards the medal during a private ceremony on Wednesday.
“Carrying her parents’ torch for justice, she’s led some of our Nation’s most important civil rights causes – to lift up the dignity of workers, defend and advance women’s reproductive rights and equality, and mobilize Americans to exercise their power to vote,” Biden reportedly said during the ceremony.
“A leader of utmost character, she has carved an inspiring legacy that endures in her incredible family, the countless lives she has made better, and a Nation seeking the light of equality, justice, and freedom.”
Today, I had the honor of awarding Cecile Richards the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
With absolute courage, she fearlessly leads us forward to be the America we say we are – a nation of freedom.
Through her work to lift up the dignity of workers, defend and advance women’s… pic.twitter.com/IayCTAFK4N
Richards left Planned Parenthood in 2018 after serving as its president for 12 years. Under her leadership, millions of babies were aborted that might otherwise have had a chance at life.
After 12 years, I will be stepping down from my position as president of Planned Parenthood this year. pic.twitter.com/L6ttLDjyS1
Richards, who is the daughter of the former Texas Governor Ann Richards, revealed earlier this year she had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
It also happens to be the same condition that killed Biden’s late son Beau.
Her interest in abortion was partially the result of having had one herself, which she said at the time was “wasn’t a difficult decision.”
“I had an abortion. It was the right decision for me and my husband, and it wasn’t a difficult decision,” Richards wrote back in 2014.
“Before becoming president of Planned Parenthood eight years ago, I hadn’t really talked about it beyond family and close friends.”
“But I’m here to say, when politicians argue and shout about abortion, they’re talking about me — and millions of other women around the country.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom remains America’s highest civilian honor and is typically reserved for those who have made extraodinary contributions to society.
Back in July, Biden awarded the medal to 19 separate people, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former Vice President Al Gore and the women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
The state of Texas has offered President-elect Donald Trump over 1,400 acres to conduct its mass deportation operation — and incoming Border Czar Tom Homan says they “absolutely” accept.
The land is available to be used for “processing, detention, and coordination of the largest deportation of violent criminals in the nation’s history,” according to the Texas Land Commissioner.
Homan discussed the offer during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” on Wednesday.
“We absolutely will. When we find somebody, a targeted enforcement operation when they get arrested, they’ll be detained,” Homan said.
“They have to be detained for a short time while we get travel documents from their host country. [The] host country has to agree that, ‘yeah, they’re our national’ – we get travel documents. We get flight arrangements, flight agreements. So we’re going to detain them for a little while,” Homan explained.
Homan also discussed liberal areas passing “sanctuary city” laws and vowing not to cooperate with the deportations.
“Sanctuary states said they’re not allowing any detention facilities in their state — fine. Then we’ll arrest them. We’ll fly them out of the state and detain them outside the state, again, away — away from their families, their attorneys,” Homan asserted. “That’s what you want, that’s what you get.”
“You’re not going to stop us doing what we’re going to do,” Homan continued. “So we’ll move them to a state where we can detain them. There’s plenty of sheriffs across this country who are willing to give us empty beds. They want the funding and we can put them in a jail all across the country.”
According to a report from Fox News, “Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham has written to President-elect Donald Trump offering him the land in Starr County, which the state purchased from a ranch owner in October. The 1,402 acres are in the Rio Grande Valley sector near the border.”
The letter said that the land commissioner is “fully prepared to enter into an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or the United States Border Patrol to allow a facility to be built for the processing, detention, and coordination of the largest deportation of violent criminals in the nation’s history.”
“What I care about is that we have safe communities, and there is no doubt that we are losing too many of our children to these violent criminals that are coming across the border,” Buckingham told Fox News. “I am 100% on board with the Trump administration’s pledge to get these criminals out of our country, and we are more than happy to offer our resources to facilitate those deportations of these violent criminals.”
Buckingham said the land is perfect for the facility.
“Right now, it’s essentially farmland, so it’s flat, it’s easy to build on. We could very easily put a detention center on there, a holding place as we get these criminals out of our country,” she said. “It’s accessible to international airports as well as a major crossing over the river. And so we’re just happy to get help, do anything we can to get these violent criminals off of our soil.”
Violence and discrimination against Christians and other believers in Europe have increased in recent decades. In 2023, 2,444 anti-Christian hate crimes were identified in 35 European countries, including 232 personal attacks on Christians. A secular, wokeist agenda supported by highly influential lobby groups is part of the explanation.
This is the conclusion of the annual report by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe), published today in Vienna.
The report also reveals that many Christians in Europe are facing discrimination and social hostilities at their workplace. At least 56 per cent of Christians in the UK experience some hostility and ridicule; 18 per cent are treated in a discriminating way, found a recent survey.
“The space for Christians in Europe is shrinking’, according to Anja Hoffmann (31), the think tank’s executive director. “And I am very concerned that this increasingly leads to self-censorship among Christians.
Israeli politicians across political divide were outraged by the decision
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant “for crimes against humanity and war crimes” allegedly committed during the Gaza War.
In addition, a warrant was issued for Hamas military leader Muhammad Deif, who was killed by the IDF months ago. ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan had requested the warrants in May.
The court issued the warrants after ruling that it has jurisdiction in the case, contrary to Israel’s stated position which doesn’t recognize the court’s authority.
In a detailed explanation of its decision, the court wrote it found “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant “each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.”
The court accused them of “intentionally and knowingly” depriving Gazan civilians “of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
The court further argued that even decisions allowing or increasing humanitarian assistance into Gaza “were often conditional” and only made in “response to the pressure of the international community or requests by the United States of America. In any event, the increases in humanitarian assistance were not sufficient to improve the population’s access to essential goods.”
“The Chamber therefore found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare.”
Furthermore, the ICC accused Netanyahu and Gallant of depriving the civilian population of Gaza of fundamental rights “based on political and/or national grounds,” amounting to the crime against humanity of persecution.
The ICC’s decision had been awaited for several months, and caused considerable outrage among Israeli leaders from across the country’s deeply divided political scene.
President Isaac Herzog declared a “black day” for justice and humanity. “The absurd decision of the International Criminal Court, made in bad faith, turned universal justice into a universal joke. It ridiculed the sacrifice of all those who fought for justice – from the Allied victory over the Nazis until today.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar dubbed the decision “a moral deficiency that turns good into bad and serves evil,” adding it was “a reward and encouragement for the axis of evil.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote on X: “I condemn the decision of the court in The Hague, Israel defends its life against terrorist organizations that attacked, murdered and raped our citizens, these arrest warrants are a reward for terrorism
National Unity leader Benny Gantz said the court’s “decision is moral blindness and a historical disgrace that will never be forgotten.”
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett warned that the arrest warrants would be “a mark of Cain not on the faces of Israel’s leaders, but on the ICC.”
Finally, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir proposed to respond by annexing Judea and Samaria. “The answer to the arrest warrants – applying sovereignty to all the territories of Judea and Samaria, Jewish settlement in all parts of the country and severing ties with the terrorist [Palestinian] Authority, including sanctions.”
The authority of the ICC rests on the Rome Statutes, which were ratified by European Union states and many other nations – but not by the U.S., Russia, China, India, and Israel.
The ICC admitted the “State of Palestine” as a member in a controversial move, in effect granting itself the authority to investigate alleged crimes in the areas of Judea and Samaria, as well as the Gaza Strip.
In principle, the Rome Statute only grants the ICC the authority to prosecute individuals from states that are unable or unwilling to prosecute the alleged crimes themselves.
BATON ROUGE — Congressman Garret Graves addressed claims that the Biden administration diverted Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, funds to migrants instead of allocating them to hurricane-stricken areas, including Louisiana.
Oversight Committee reveals FEMA is giving illegal migrants over $10,000 dollars while offering Hurricane Victims $750
“I was able to get to a figure in excess of $10,000 for an individual — That as a citizen of a foreign country, how would I explain to a taxpayer, that a taxpayer, a citizen of the United States, is eligible for $750, yet citizen of a foreign country under your agency is still eligible for assistance of $10,000. How would I explain that to somebody?”
“I’m really struggling with as I understand is that in North Carolina, for example, where I visited, you can have a flood or disaster victim that could get a check for $750.
Yet when I go through and I look at the programs and resources that are available to a citizen of a different country that came illegally into the United States, under the FEMA administrative program using nonprofits, you could be eligible for housing, for food, for transportation, for health care costs, and others. I was able to come looking at the very documents that these nonprofits were using.”
Illegals are also getting: “A citizen of a foreign country that broke the law and came here legally is is they can get a plane ticket paid for. They can get a hotel room paid for. I think $200 and something bucks a night — health care, food, clothing”
Says it’s “ridiculous” because many Hurricane Victims even weeks after didn’t get that
A group of Republican and Democratic voters alike join ‘The Faulkner Focus’ to discuss Republicans pulling ahead while Democrats are facing a drop in favorability.
Ukraine’s Air Force Command says that Russia has, for the first time in the multi-year war, launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) targeting the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro. This unprecedented escalation follows Ukraine’s recent use of US-made MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and British Storm Shadow missiles to strike military targets deep within Russia. The use of an ICBM is Russia demonstrating its greater capabilities in response to Ukraine’s long-range missile strikes.
A senior Ukrainian military official told the Financial Times that Russia launched an ICBM called “RS-26 Rubezh” that has a range of 3,700 miles and can strike any European capital.
Source: Financial Times
Although RS-26 Rubezh can be used to deliver a thermonuclear warhead or an Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, Thursday morning’s attack on the Dnipro region was non-nuclear, instead some sort of conventional warhead.
“Using these kinds of missiles, whether RS-26 or a true ICBM, in a conventional role does not make a lot of sense because of their relatively low accuracy and high cost,” Pavel Podvig, a senior researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, wrote on X.
“But this kind of a strike might have a value as a signal,” Podvig added.
And yes, it does.
Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told CNN that the ICBM strike on Ukraine is a “message” to Kyiv’s Western backers. He emphasized that this week’s escalations, including the Biden-Harris administration greenlighting Ukraine’s use of ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles to strike military targets in Russia, have likely prompted this escalation.
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for nuclear weapons use. He stated, “The use of Western non-nuclear rockets by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russia can prompt a nuclear response.”
Davis continued, “Clearly, what the Russians have done here is to take the nuclear warheads off the missile and launch the missile either as an inert missile without anything on it or maybe with some sort of conventional warhead.”
“They are trying to send a message. They’re trying to massively say to the West, ‘Look, the use of these Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles maybe is challenging Russia’s critical interests.’ And so they’re trying to intimidate us into backing down here,” he added.
Videos posted on X show what could be warheads from the ICBM striking targets in Dnipro.
BREAKING:
New video shows a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) striking Ukraine.
The video shows reentry vehicles from its MIRV hitting the city of Dnipro.
This footage captures a major attack unfolding in Ukraine, with Zelensky claiming it was caused by an ICBM—missiles designed to deliver nuclear or conventional warheads and nearly impossible to intercept.
What’s clear is that the Biden-Harris administration knew exactly what they were doing by provoking Russia with the deployment of ATACMS and British missiles. US officials have since closed the US Embassy in Kyiv “out of an abundance of caution.”
In markets, Goldman’s Ece Kepekci commented on the situation:
“Think particularly in Europe, there is a real geopolitical risk premia now as Ukraine/Russia following a series of escalations. Europe gave up its early rally yday on the back of further missile attacks (early this morning “Ukraine says Russia Fired ICBM”). Off ramps not obvious but again this is not a new conflict and you’re supposed to fade geopolitical escalation. Sentiment has come down quite a bit “the bull-bear spread in the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) weekly survey was 8.1 vs 21.5 last week.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “It’s a very dangerous position that the outgoing administration is taking,” adding, “There is a new escalation happening.”…
Users on the prediction market platform website Polymarket have bid up the contract “Will a nuclear weapon detonate in 2024?” from 11% at 0400 ET to around 18% at 0930 ET.
Polymarket has made betting on binary events in the news cycle possible…
Trump ends Ukraine war by first 90 days?
Ukraine hits Moscow before 2025?
Russian nuke in space in 2024?
Democrats endgame? Start WW3 before Trump enters the White House?
Joe Biden is pushing the West into WWIII before he leaves office.
As The Gateway Pundit reported earlier, Joe Biden and his handlers are moving quickly to ignite World War III before Christmas and before President Trump can be inaugurated and bring peace to the region.
On Sunday, Joe Biden’s regime approved Ukraine’s use of US-made long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia.
The Washington Post reported that Biden will allow Ukraine to use a powerful American long-range weapon for strikes inside Russia, supposedly in response to North Korea’s recent aid to Russia in the form of thousands of troops. Ukraine will be specifically allowed to use the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to hit targets inside Russia.
As The Post notes, ATACMS is a supersonic-guided missile system that can be used with either cluster munitions or conventional warheads. It has a maximum range of about 190 miles.
The Post elaborates that Ukraine is expected to focus on and around the Kursk region at first but could expand its targets.
On Tuesday, Ukraine fired six US-made long-range missiles inside Russia. The first Ukrainian strike targeted the border region of Bryansk in Russia.
According to BRICS News – Five missiles were shot down by S-400 & Pantsir AA systems, one was damaged, its fragments fell in the technical zone of a military facility, causing a fire, Russian Defense Ministry says.
Putin, following reports of Biden’s decision to give Ukraine permission to “long-range” missiles, approved the updated nuclear doctrine of the Russian Federation. As part of the new doctrine Russia spelled out that aggression against Russia and its allies by a non-nuclear country with the support of a nuclear state will be considered a joint attack.
On Wednesday morning Joe Biden approved antipersonnel land mines for Ukraine – undoing his previous policy.
Tucker Carlson interviews Glenn Greenwald on Joe Biden’s attempts to ignire World War III.
Also, on Wednesday, Tucker Carlson released his latest interview with Glenn Greenwald on Permanent Washington’s latest move to escalate the War with Russia.
Tucker called Joe Biden’s latest move to arm Ukraine with long-distance US missiles “the most evil thing I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.”
The Deep State doesn’t care. They prefer nuclear war over Trump.
Tucker Carlson: I think we’re watching the most evil thing I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, which is the lame duck administration leaving the next administration with the World War, with the nuclear conflict, by allowing Ukraine, a proxy state of the United States, to strike within Russia.
I think that people in Washington misunderstand Vladimir Putin, and they think he’s a monarch with absolute power, which is not true. And Russian politics is complex and it’s lively, and Putin is very concerned with his approval rating within Russia. He cannot appear weak. That’s a huge threat to him. He feels that. I can confirm.
If he can’t hide attacks on him by the United States through Ukraine, either on Moscow or big civilian casualties, I think he will have no choice in his view, but to launch a serious response against Ukraine or NATO countries or possibly the United States. It seems like the most reckless thing that’s ever happened in my life.
Glenn Greenwald: For Joe Biden or whoever’s acting in his name, to do this just two weeks after the country resoundingly rejected governance by the Democratic Party and the administration, and on his way out as an 81-year-old man, knowing that he has about six weeks left in office, to just say, I know that these are massive risks, but I’m going to take them. I’m 81. I don’t really care.
Then to make it so much more difficult for the following administration to do what they promised to do during the campaign, which the American people voted for and wanted, which is to resolve this war. Instead, we’re risking escalation with the world’s largest superpower, nuclear power, over what?
“One of the most evil things I have ever seen in my lifetime. The lame duck administration (Biden) leaving the next administration with a world war, a nuclear conflict”
It appears that something really big is in the works. All of a sudden, a number of countries in Europe seem to be really freaking out about what is ahead, and that seems very strange. The war in Ukraine has been actively raging since February 2022. So why are so many European nations now telling their people to prepare for war? What has changed? Do they know something that we don’t?
On Tuesday, Ukraine fired six long-range missiles that were provided by the United States into Russia.
On Wednesday, Ukraine fired twelve long-range missiles that were provided by the United Kingdom into Russia.
This is literally insane.
What would we do if another superpower was using Canada or Mexico to launch long-range missiles at us?
Needless to say, there would be millions of Americans screaming for us to use nukes against that superpower.
Well, right now there are millions of people inside Russia that want their government to use nuclear weapons against the United States and Europe.
Of course if there is a full-blown nuclear war, there won’t be any winners. As I pointed out in this video, more than 90 percent of the U.S. population would eventually end up dead.
We should be doing all that we can to find a way out of this mess.
The war in Ukraine is not good for anyone except for the military-industrial complex, and so leaders on both sides should be seeking to sit down at the negotiating table while it is still possible to do so.
But instead of pushing for negotiations, a number of countries in Europe appear to be preparing for war.
Sweden on Monday started to distribute copies of a booklet advising its citizens how to prepare for war, as Nordic countries teach people how to brace for a potential Russian attack.
The 32-page brochure, which is also available in English and several other languages, advises citizens on warning systems, how to seek shelter during an air raid and even psychological and digital security.
Why would Sweden need to prepare for war?
Nobody is going to attack Sweden.
Something doesn’t smell right.
Sweden has not had to fight a war for a very long time, but apparently top Swedish officials believe that this is a very real possibility…
Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin made waves in January when he warned: “There could be war in Sweden.”
Sweden’s then army chief Micael Byden also alarmed many when he days later said “Swedes have to mentally prepare for war.”
Sweden has not gone to war in more than two centuries.
Meanwhile, Finland and Norway are also suddenly interested in getting their citizens prepared for war…
As Norwegian paper Aftenposten recently reported, Norway’s citizens have also received similar “emergency preparedness” pamphlets because “in the worst case” acts of war could also affect Norway.
Finland’s government, too, has released a digital booklet to prepare citizens for “incidents and crises,” stating that the country “has always been prepared for the worst possible threat, war.”
According to a 1,000-page document entitled ‘Operationsplan Deutschland’, Germany would reportedly host hundreds of thousands of troops from NATO countries and serve as a logistics hub for sending huge quantities of military equipment, food and medicine toward the front.
A report by Der Spiegel in the summer said as many as 800,000 soldiers from the security bloc could be hosted by Germany as they transit to posts further East.
The German army is also instructing companies and civilians on how to protect key infrastructure and mobilise for national defence, envisaging a situation in which Russia expands drone flights, spying operations and sabotage attacks across Europe.
Why are they spending so much time and energy preparing for a hypothetical war with Russia?
If the Russians become convinced that an all-out war with NATO is inevitable, they won’t invade Europe with conventional forces.
Instead, they will use their nukes.
And the Europeans won’t be the first to get nuked.
We will.
As I have relentlessly warned my readers, Russia has been preparing to fight a nuclear war with the United States for a long time.
Their strategic nuclear arsenal is far superior to our own, their anti-missile systems are far superior to our own, and the subs that they would use to deliver a devastating first strike are so quiet that we cannot even track them effectively.
So let’s find a peaceful solution to the problem in Ukraine before events spiral completely out of control.
Because right now we are closer to nuclear war than we have ever been, and the death and destruction that a full-blown nuclear war would cause would be unthinkable.
Throughout this very long war, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has continued to operate even though there has been a constant threat of missile strikes and drone attacks. But now it has closed because it has received “specific information” that the Russians are about to conduct a “significant air attack”. By the time many of you read this article, that attack may have already happened. We don’t know exactly when the Russians will strike, and we don’t know what specific targets they will hit, but it appears that they are gearing up for something really big.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainians fired 6 long-range missiles provided by the United States into Russia.
Then on Wednesday, the Ukrainians fired 12 long-range Storm Shadow missiles provided by the United Kingdom into Russia…
Ukraine has launched several Storm Shadow missiles at targets in Russia’s Kursk region, the Express understands.
Images posted to Telegram purport to show fragments of the British-French-made missiles after explosions were reported in the village of Marine, Kursk, on Wednesday.
The Russians aren’t just going to sit there and absorb these strikes.
Everyone knew that a response would be coming, and now it appears that response is imminent.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received specific information of a potential significant air attack on November 20. Out of an abundance of caution, the Embassy will be closed, and Embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place. The U.S. Embassy recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.
There are reports that the Russians are preparing to use Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers to strike Ukraine. There are also reports that indicate that RS-26 long-range missiles may also be used.
These are very serious weapons.
When Joe Biden allowed the Ukrainians to use long-range missiles to strike Russia, we crossed a very important red line.
In fact, one of the reasons why this entire war started in the first place was because the Russians were determined to keep western missiles out of Ukraine.
Just imagine how we would feel if Russian missiles were being staged just south of the border in Mexico and they were being used to hit U.S. cities.
We should not underestimate the anger of the Russian people at this moment.
On Russian television, pundits are openly talking about how nuclear war with the western world appears to be inevitable, but our leaders just keep assuring us that everything is fine. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin insisted that the Russians are bluffing and that there is no threat of nuclear war…
Austin insisted on NBC Tuesday night that Russian President Vladimir Putin was bluffing about the use of nuclear weapons despite the fact he approved of a new nuclear weapons doctrine that justifies a nuclear response to any major attack on its territory, even with conventional weapons, by a non-nuclear country backed by a nuclear power.
“We’ve known for several weeks that they were revamping their policy on use of nuclear weapons. As I look at, you know, what they’re doing, and I — I — we watch their strategic forces, you know, very carefully, I don’t see a change in their strategic force posture,” Austin said.
“We’ll continue to remain vigilant in this regard. But at this point, no, I — I don’t see an indication that there’s an imminent intent to — to use nuclear weapons.”
I don’t think that there is an “imminent intent” to use nuclear weapons either, but if we keep pushing the Russians into a corner eventually they will feel like they have no choice.
The Russians would very much like to avoid a nuclear conflict, but over time the warnings that they have been issuing have been taken “less and less seriously” by leaders in the western world…
Putin, who began issuing nuclear threats shortly after invading Ukraine in 2022, may want to add credibility to the repeated warnings.
According to the Telegram channel Rybar, close to the Russian military, “Russia’s latest warnings, like its red lines, are taken less and less seriously. In the face of this, the adversary is reducing Russia’s room for manoeuvre.”
If you were running Russia, what would you do if Ukraine was being used as a launchpad for long-range western missiles that were targeting your cities?
You would probably issue very strong warnings at first, but if those warnings had no effect you would eventually be forced to take action.
Vladimir Putin has mysteriously disappeared from public view as his regime issued apocalyptic World War Three nuclear threats over the use of long-range Western missiles by Ukraine against Russian territory.
It is unclear if during the past 12 days of high international tension the Kremlin dictator has been holed up in a hi-tech bunker, unwell, underwent another round of plastic surgery, took a secret holiday or simply chose to remain out of sight. Yet Putin, 72, has not been definitively seen since an appearance at the Valdai Forum in Sochi on November 7 when he congratulated a “courageous” Donald Trump on his election victory and hinted he was ready for talks to end the war in Ukraine, according to the Faridaily Telegram channel, which monitors his movements and appearances.
The good news is that I do not believe that a full-blown nuclear showdown with the Russians is going to happen right away.
It appears that the Russians consider Donald Trump to be the final hope for peace, and so I think that they will delay doing anything drastic until they can negotiate with him.
Donald Trump has said that he wants to end the conflict in Ukraine, but he also doesn’t intend to just give the Russians everything that they want.
Meanwhile, our European allies, most members of Congress, and even some members of his own cabinet will be strongly urging Trump to continue fighting the Russians.
So we shall see what happens.
If the Russians ultimately conclude that they can’t reach an agreement with the Trump administration, all bets are off.
Trump really will be holding the future of our society in his hands, and so let us hope that he makes the right decisions.
It’s a dark time to be a progressive. But it’s the Thanksgiving season, which means it’s time to be thankful to whatever non-specific deity or power you believe in. Let’s try to keep up that spirit of gratitude by reminding ourselves of these ten things libs can still be thankful for:
Trump will probably only be in office for another 30 years. — Max.
You can run Kamala again against J.D. Vance next time. — In fact, we encourage it.
We still get Biden as president for another two months. — 60 more days of utopia.
There’s still time to move to a foreign, socialist country like Canada or California. — Better hurry.
You can still watch your DVD copies of The West Wing. — President Bartlet’s shoulder is always available for you to cry on.
Although we’ll be under a fascist dictatorship, avocado toast will be cheaper. — A small comfort to live during the Fourth Reich, but hey, it’s something.
You’ll only have to wear your handmaid outfit while you’re outside. — It won’t be mandatory indoors for another six months.
Be thankful for all the good memories we’ve made, like when Lizzo campaigned for Kamala, or when she was all “brat” and stuff. That was cool. — Or remember Beyonce? Or when Kamala went on that sex podcast? Man. That was fun.
PowerWash Simulator. — This fun game is available on most major video game platforms for a reasonable price. You just power wash stuff. Very relaxing. Gets your mind off the fact that Hitler is in office. Let’s be thankful for the little things.
When Trump reveals himself as the Antichrist and kicks off seven years of tribulation, you’ll be able to smugly tell your Republican friends, “I told you so.” — Their tears will be delicious.
We hope these ten things will get you through the next four years. What else can libs be thankful for? Scream them at the sky now.
DOGE is here, and Elon and Vivek will eliminate millions of government positions
You won’t know about it if you rely on the mainstream media, but Christians throughout Europe are experiencing anti-Christian hate crimes at an alarming rate. Print media has rightly been filled with pages on the Orwellian raid by police on journalist Allison Pearson for an unspecified ‘non-crime hate incident’. Meanwhile it goes unreported that throughout Europe Christians are being harassed, threatened and physically attacked in unprecedented numbers.
Widespread Attacks In its latest report released on 15 November, the Vienna-based Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC) identified 2,444 hate crimes against Christians in 2023. These were crimes documented by police and civil society in 35 European countries, and included 232 personal attacks on Christians, such as harassment, threats and physical violence.
The worst affected countries were France, the United Kingdom and Germany. France recorded nearly 1,000 incidents. In the UK, the number of anti-Christian hate crimes in England and Wales rose from 609 in 2022 to 702 in 2023, an increase of 15 per cent. (Figures for Scotland were not available.) The number of anti-Christian hate crimes in Germany more than doubled, from 135 incidents in 2022 to 277 in 2023. German police documented more than 2,000 cases of vandalism against Christian places of worship during the year. OIDAC Europe Executive Director Anja Hoffmann said the organisation assumes ‘a high number’ of cases went unreported.
These are actual crimes, much more than a few ‘hurty words’ uttered in the heat of the moment or blurted out on social media. Eight per cent of the incidents recorded were threats of violence and 7 per cent involved actual violence. Amongst the incidents of physical violence in 2023 were some horrific attacks.
These included a machete attack by an Islamic jihadist who had illegally entered Spain from Morocco which resulted in the murder of a Catholic altar server and the serious wounding of a 74-year-old priest. More than 100 people, including around 60 children, were targeted in a car ramming attack on a Corpus Christi procession in Warsaw. A witness said: ‘The person drove through a street of kneeling children, around 60 of them, deliberately and slowly . . . From the look on his face, we believe he was doing this coldly and intentionally.’
One particularly disturbing incident in 2023 occurred in the UK. Ahmed Alid, an asylum seeker from Morocco living in Hartlepool, murdered 70-year-old Terence Carney because of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Earlier that day Alid had attempted to murder his housemate Javed Nouri, a convert to Christianity from a Muslim background. Alid stabbed Nouri repeatedly to cries of ‘Allahu Akbar’ because he considered Nouri an apostate ‘who deserved to die’. Nouri had earlier complained about Alid’s alleged threatening behaviour but the police decided no offence had been committed.
Attacks on Churches The most common form of anti-Christian violence in Europe was vandalism against churches. This made up 62 per cent of recorded incidents. Among these, 24 per cent involved desecration, including beheading and destruction of religious statues. Ten per cent of the church attacks involved arson, with some churches being utterly destroyed.
Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul of Nantes
Edouard de Lamaze, president of the Observatory of Religious Heritage in Paris, said one Christian building in France is disappearing every two weeks for all causes, and that two-thirds of fires in religious buildings are due to arson. He estimates that on average more than two Christian monuments are targeted every day.
That churches are disappearing at this rate has serious implications for the future of France. ‘One mosque is erected every 15 days in France, while one Christian building is destroyed at the same pace,’ Lamaze said. ‘It creates a tipping point on the territory that should be taken into account.’
Free Speech Overt hostility is having a chilling effect on free speech for Christians. The expression of once widely accepted traditional Christian beliefs is increasingly being met with hostility. This can result in discrimination and bullying at work and even loss of employment.
A survey claimed that Christianity is being ‘marginalised’ in the UK and those who profess the Christian faith are ‘regarded with contempt’. One result is that there is increasing self-censorship by Christians in the UK. The survey indicates that only 36 per cent of Christians under the age of 35 feel free to express traditional Christian views when discussing social issues, particularly around sexuality, at work.
It should be a matter of concern to all that the peaceful and reasoned expression of one’s Christian beliefs on matters relating to marriage and the family, which are at the heart of Christian social ethics, can result in abuse, get you thrown out of work despite supposed protections, finish a political career, or even end up in court.
Who Does This? Of the cases documented by OIDAC Europe, where the motives or background of the perpetrators could be established (69), most attacks had a radical Islamist background (21), followed by anti-religious (14), radical left (13) and other political motives (12), some of which were linked to the war in Ukraine. Compared with the cases documented in 2022, the numbers remained almost the same, except for cases with an Islamist background, which nearly doubled from 11 to 21.
It is not only individuals who are expressing anti-Christian sentiments and attitudes. Increasing secularisation has led to greater religious illiteracy amongst the general public and amongst social and political leaders. With the growth of the influence of secular ethics, Europe’s Christians face increasing restrictions on the exercise of religious freedom. These include the freedom to express religious views on the changing understanding of human sexuality and human relationships which have become today’s social orthodoxy.
Adam Smith-Connor Found Guilt of Praying
Last year saw a number of European governments passing legislation which restricted religious freedom. These range from bans on religious processions to the targeting of Christians for the peaceful expression of their religious beliefs.
Particularly shocking is the case of Adam Smith-Connor who was prosecuted last month for praying silently in a public street in a so-called ‘buffer zone’ near an abortion clinic in Bournemouth. He was convicted of breaching a safe zone, given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay more than £9,000 costs. This and similar cases have raised international concern, including from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
The mainstream media are unconcerned about the rising tide of anti-Christian attacks in Europe. Their priorities lie elsewhere and Christians don’t fit the narrative.
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This shall be my last post for a few weeks as I am about to have an operation on my hand. It is only a minor procedure but it means that I am not allowed to type until it is healed. My apologies.
Israeli officials demand the right to strike Hezbollah under any cease-fire deal for Lebanon Israeli officials demanded Wednesday the freedom to strike Lebanon’s Hezbollah as part of any cease-fire deal, raising a potential complication as a top U.S. envoy was in the region attempting to clinch an agreement. The development came as an airstrike hit the historic Syrian town of Palmyra, killing 36 people, according to Syrian state-run media, which blamed the attack on Israel. The Israeli military declined to comment.
Middle East latest: US vetoes a Gaza cease-fire resolution The United States vetoed a U.N. resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with the Americans saying they the resolution Wednesday was not linked to an immediate release of hostages still held by Hamas.
Jeff Younger loses fight to stop his ex-wife castrating their 12-year-old son A California judge has permanently stripped parental rights from Texas father Jeffrey Younger over his refusal to allow his 12-year-old son to be chemically and surgically castrated at the wish of the boy’s mom. “Fathers have no rights to their children. Do not enter the family law system,” he wrote.
Huckabee dismisses Islamist, Jewish and other critics blasting his Evangelical faith and belief that Judea & Samaria were given to Israel by God Not surprisingly, Al Jazeera – the anti-Israel, anti-American satellite TV network based in Qatar – the Gulf Arab country that has for decades been home to radical Islamist activists and Hamas terrorist leaders – quoted sources blasting Huckabee as “very hawkish” and “very pro-right-wing Israel.” Al Jazeera called Huckabee “a controversial political figure” who has been the host of TV shows on Fox News and TBN, the most-watched Christian television network in the United States.
Israel reportedly considering using private American company to distribute aid in Gaza A Pilot plan could start in Jabaliya after the IDF operation ends. Israel’s defense establishment has been in contact with the U.S.-based security firm Orbis to discuss a pilot program for distributing aid in the northern Gaza Strip, Ynet News reported on Tuesday. This comes amid ongoing issues with the looting of aid trucks in the region.
Huckabee is the first gentile ambassador to Israel in a decade, what does it mean? Although there have been several non-Jewish ambassadors to the Jewish state, the appointment of Huckabee sets a new precedent and signals what appears to be a new direction in the US-Israel relationship. Huckabee is unabashed about both his unequivocal support for the Jewish people’s national claim to the entire land of Israel as well as the reasons he holds this view, which stem from the biblical basis of his Christian faith.
Jewish leader declares worst ‘antisemitism emergency in Europe since Kristallnacht’ “Today, public events and protests have become a carnival of hate. Everything goes, and everything can be said about Jews. During these six months that we are asking for, the only way to stop this hate will be to regulate public events properly,” he said.
Ze’ev Erlich, scholar of the Land of Israel, killed in Lebanon Erlich, 71, was an expert on the history of the Land of Israel. According to an initial investigation he was killed while inspecting an archeological site in Lebanon after embedding with troops without proper authorization.
Trump Joins Musk for SpaceX Starship launch Trump’s attendance signals a deepening alliance with Musk, who was named by Trump as one of the leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency, alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, after being a prominent supporter of Trump’s presidential election campaign.
Danish Navy Hunts Down Chinese Ship Suspected Of ‘Sabotaging’ Baltic Sea Cables Official allegations of sabotage were made in the EU as: two of Finland’s five nuclear plants had to be shut down; a key Norwegian oilfield was shut by a power outage; the support cable on a Finnish suspension bridge broke; and two key Baltic EU data cables were severed. The Chinese vessel Yi Peng has been flagged as a possible cable culprit and at time of writing was forcibly moored in Denmark. This is likely to prompt a strong Chinese diplomatic response; and perhaps an EU one if it proves a Chinese ship damaged key seafloor infrastructure … Based on preliminary inquiries, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has decided to open a criminal investigation into the damage caused to the sea cable between Finland and Germany.
Col. MacGregor: Trump & The Storm Of The Century What Trump will or will not do is unknown. When the illusive stillness in the standoff between Tehran and Jerusalem will end is also unknown. One thing is certain: If America joins Israel in its war against Iran, the outcome will be a geopolitical showdown that could dramatically alter the world as we know it. It is the storm of the 21st century and, for the moment, the American ship of state is sailing right into it. Question 1. …
Rare Israeli Attack On Syria’s Palmyra Launched From US-Controlled Airspace Huge Israeli airstrikes rocked the outskirts of the central Syrian city of Palmyra on Wednesday, with regional reports saying the attacks were launched by Israeli jets utilizing US-controlled airspace over Al-Tanf military base in eastern Syria.
U.S. Embassy in Ukraine closed, employees shelter in place over threat of ‘significant air attack’ from Russia The United States Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine issued a security alert on Wednesday, warning of a “potential significant air attack” from Russia. The Embassy said it would be closed and employees are to “shelter in place.” The warning comes after President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles against Russia.
2nd bomb cyclone, atmospheric river in three days to blast US West Coast Two bomb cyclones and atmospheric rivers in one week? It may seem hard to believe, but Mother Nature has the gloves off and will continue to hurl potent storms with gusty winds, big rain and high country snow toward the Pacific Coast states through this weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
Israel sets a new all-time rainfall record in just 4 hours A historic 196 mm (7.72 inches) of rain fell in Zikhron Ya’akov on Tuesday morning, November 19, 2024, marking Israel’s heaviest downpour on record and triggering widespread floods across the country.
Over 120 schools closed in the UK as snow covers parts of Scotland Snowfall sweeping across the UK caused the closure of over 120 schools and suspended transport services on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. Temperatures plunged to as low as -11.2 °C (11.8 °F) in Aberdeenshire on Monday, November 18 making it the coldest early winter night recorded in Scotland since 1998.
Powerful atmospheric river hits Pacific Northwest, forecast to remain stationary over Northern California through November 22 A powerful AR4 atmospheric river made landfall in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California on November 19, 2024, bringing prolonged rainfall, heavy snowfall, and significant flooding risks that are expected to worsen through November 22. Meteorologists warn that the storm could bring up to 380 mm (15 inches) of rain to the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada, with some areas potentially receiving more. Higher elevations may see as much as 1.8 m (6 feet) of snow, while the Eel River and two other gauges are forecast to rise above flood stage, threatening homes and infrastructure. Residents are urged to monitor updates and prepare for dangerous travel and possible evacuation orders.
Lame-duck Biden-Harris Admin Sanctions Israelis, Sends $230M to Palestinians The lame-duck Biden-Harris administration is slapping new sanctions on Israelis, while sending nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in additional funding to the Palestinians, adding insult to injury in the closing weeks of its failed policy.
Is This The Secret Reason Why Long-Range Missiles Have Been Fired Deep Into Russian Territory? When it comes to the world of geopolitics, there is always far more going on than meets the eye. The long-range missiles that Ukraine is now firing deep into Russian territory are not going to change the course of the war. But the Russian response to those long-range missiles might. Hopefully the Russians will show restraint, because they may not even realize that they are being led into a trap.
A “Once-In-A Decade” Bomb Cyclone Will Dump Up To 20 Inches Of Rain On California The “bomb cyclone” that is about to hit California is going to be even worse than the experts originally thought. It is being projected that this rapidly intensifying “bomb cyclone” will stall near the west coast, and that means that some areas of California, Oregon and Washington could get pounded by very high winds and relentless rain for days. In fact, the Washington Post is reporting that some areas of California could actually get 20 inches of rain.
Biden Administration and HHS were the leaders in carrying out the IHR and Pandemic Treaty Globalist Agenda “Lawrence Gostin seems to have been at the centre of every really bad public health effort over the past 25 years,” Dr. Meryl Nass writes. Gostin was present during the WHO’s negotiations on the IHR amendments and played a key role in their adoption, with the US Health and Human Services Secretary threatening to walk away if the amendments were not adopted. And so, they were adopted.
Appeals Court Allows Louisiana To Post Ten Commandments The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order Friday allowing Louisiana to post the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms in accordance with the state’s new law, except in the five school districts where parents have challenged the law. The Appeals Court’s order limits the scope of a lower court ruling that initially blocked Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law statewide as unconstitutional. The state is now free to post the Ten Commandments in its remaining 67 school districts beginning January 1, 2025 as litigation continues.
73:25 Whom have I in heaven but you? This is the high point of faith in the psalm. Now the reality of God’s presence (73:23) has become his greatest confidence and his strongest longing (73:26). 1
Ver. 25.—Whom have I in heaven but thee? Who is there in all the host of heaven on whom I can place any reliance, excepting thee? None of thy “holy ones,” neither angel nor archangel, can afford me any support or sustenance, preserve or guide or save me, but thou only (comp. Job 5:1). And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. Much less can earth supply me with a substitute for God. On him my heart’s affections are centred (comp. Ps. 63:1, “My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is”).2
25. Having reached assurance on what God is doing for his salvation (‘hold … guide … receive’, 23f.), the psalmist comes to rest in what God is to him, however unpromising his situation.
Heaven and earth are, at one level of language, simply a way of saying ‘anywhere at all’. But addressed to God, the two words keep their full meaning. Certainly the Bible’s presentation of heaven is wholly God-centred—
Thou its light, its joy, its crown,
Thou its sun which goes not down
—and in its view of earth it shows that the motto, ‘To me to live is Christ’, is not an excluding but an enriching of other relationships.
Note in passing that besides thee is the same Hebrew expression here as ‘toward thee’ (22) and ‘with thee’ (23); a link which is not translatable but real enough, emphasizing the poet’s sense of standing in God’s presence, which has transformed his outlook. neb may well be right in rendering this line not ‘… besides thee’, but ‘And having thee, I desire nothing else on earth’.3
25. “Whom have I in heaven but thee?” Thus, then, he turns away from the glitter which fascinated him to the true gold which was his real treasure. He felt that his God was better to him than all the wealth, health, honour, and peace, which he had so much envied in the worldling; yea. He was not only better than all on earth, but more excellent than all in heaven. He bade all things else go, that he might be filled with his God. “And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” No longer should his wishes ramble, no other object should tempt them to stray; henceforth, the Everliving One should be his all in all.4
1 Bullock, C. H. (2017). Psalms 73–150 (M. L. Strauss & J. H. Walton, Eds.; Vol. 2, p. 5). Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group.
2 Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). Psalms (Vol. 2, p. 72). Funk & Wagnalls Company.
Is your family getting ready for Advent? Loosely defined, Advent is the period of time leading up to Christmas when we commemorate Christ’s first coming and anticipate His second coming. And what better way to do so than by making Bible study and worship part of your family tradition? Here are some awesome Advent resources for young and old alike. Most of them are free, but the ones that aren’t, I’ve marked with a 💰.
December Advent!– Here’s an advent calendar, craft, and devotional all rolled into one! Naomi’s Table is a women’s Bible study resource that I highly recommend for sound doctrine and right handling of God’s Word. Have a listen to their daily Advent podcasts and make the Advent calendar that goes with them!
Need a good Advent playlist? I’ve created one on YouTube.1 Your favorite Advent (not Christmas) song isn’t included? Leave a comment and I’ll add it if appropriate.
As the Darkness Clears Away by Dr. Tom Ascol. I have been waiting since July – when I first found out about it – to share this wonderful Advent devotional with you.
“This little book is meant to be used as a daily devotional guide throughout the Christmas season. It is broken into five sections of five devotions. Each section focuses on one passage of Scripture that is considered verse-by-verse.” Designed for family or individual use, with Scripture memory passages in each section and study questions at the end of each of the 25 lessons. Encouraging Christmas poetry from Dr. Tom Nettles is also sprinkled throughout the book, which is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.💰
Looking for an Advent devotional, but you’re more of a watcher/listener than a reader? Try Let Earth Receive Her King, a 25 day video devotional from Apologia Studios. “Pastor Jeff Durbin guides and teaches this Advent series and takes you and your loved ones through the Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments. Celebrate God becoming a man and the King. Feast, Laugh, Rejoice, and Worship together with us during this blessed season!”
You must subscribe to the website for access to the devotional, but there is a free subscription option.
Is observing Advent new for your family? Children are often “hands on” learners, and this Advent wreath craft could be a great way to explain the significance of Advent, the wreath, and each candle as they create it. Follow the step-by-step instructions here, using your own design, or subscribe to the email list to download the free printables.1
25 Christmas Myths and What the Bible Says– Was Jesus Born on December 25? Did the angels really sing to the shepherds? And what about that inn keeper? In his book, 25 Christmas Myths…,Gabriel Hughes tackles some of the folklore and false assumptions that have sprung up around the Christmas story and shares what the Bible really teaches. One lesson for each day December 1-25.💰
How about incorporating Advent into your homeschooling lessons? Becky, of This Reading Mama, alerted me to her free printables for Advent that are based on the Jesse Tree, and I’m so glad she did!
“The Jesse Tree tradition … is based on Isaiah 11:1, in which Jesus is referred to as the Shoot growing from the stump of Jesse, King David’s father.
To use the Jesse Tree during the Advent season, you start on December 1st with the Old Testament and work your way up to Jesus’ birth on December 25. Each day, you also hang an ornament on the tree that represents the day.”
Manger in Danger– This charming family devotional and game centering on the incarnation of Christ was created by Pastor Grant Castleberry and his wife, GraceAnna. “Manger in Danger is a fun, interactive family tradition that brings the Christmas story from the Bible to life in 25 days of family devotionals!”💰
Looking for a daily Bible reading plan for Advent? Try this one from the ladies at Calico and Twine. “For this reading plan, I assigned a chapter of Luke to each day along with a few cross-references that speak to the main points of the reading.
My hope for this plan is that we would behold Christ while we read about his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, all while looking forward to his second coming with great expectation.” Includes a free downloadable printable of the plan.1
Why buy an Advent calendar when you and your family could enjoy making one together instead? Try this DIY Advent Calendar (with FREE Printables!). “…each little white bag will be decorated and include a number (for the date) on the outside. Inside each bag will be a card with a verse from the Biblical Christmas story and chocolate (if you so choose).” Make it as simple or fancy – and include as much candy – as you like!1
Just what The Doctor ordered for Advent. “Over the course of his ministry at Westminster Chapel, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones delivered many Christmas sermons. The Christmas sermons offered here are delivered in the clear, expository preaching style for which Dr. Lloyd-Jones was known and appreciated. The central message of these sermons is the true meaning of Christmas: the Son of God came to the world to rescue sinners.” There are more than enough of Dr. Lloyd-Jones’ sermons here to listen to one every day of Advent.
As Far As the Curse Is Found– “This Advent devotional explores the grand narrative of Scripture from creation to redemption, connecting key biblical themes and highlighting how Jesus came to remove the curse of sin. Through 14 thoughtfully crafted devotions, readers will trace the unfolding story of God’s plan for salvation and the hope that culminates in the birth of Christ.” By David Attebury. (Free download)
What’s your favorite Advent resource?
1I do not endorse anything on any of these sites that deviates from Scripture or conflicts with my beliefs as outlined in the “Welcome” or “Statement of Faith” tabs at the top of this page.
1 John 4:7-12 In this week’s studies, John returns to the theme of loving one another, pointing out that there is a relationship between loving other Christians and knowing God Himself.
Theme
God’s Present Activity
Yesterday, we concluded by speaking of the first two factors that enable us to measure God’s great love for us in Christ.
The final factor is that God gave His Son to die for sinners. As John says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (v. 10). Who are those for whom Christ died? Not lovely people by God’s reckoning, but sinners, those who had rebelled against Him and hated Him. Indeed, they were those who would crucify His Son out of hatred. And such are we all. Consequently, the measure of God’s love is seen in the fact that He gave His Son to die for such as ourselves.
The term of endearment (“beloved”) with which John begins this last verse takes us back to the identical term with which he began this section in verse 7. It is as though, in exhorting his readers to love one another, John indicates that the exhortation is no less necessary for himself and that he must love and indeed does love them.
The third reason why Christians are to love one another is seen in God’s present and continuous activity of love. It is not just that love constitutes God’s eternal nature or even that it is revealed definitely in past history at the cross of Christ. It is also that love is continuously present as God continues to work in and through His people. It is this about which John speaks in verse 12, saying, “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
That no man has ever seen God is evident. The Old Testament theophanies, including how it is expressed in Exodus 24:10, did not involve the full revelation of God as He is in Himself but only a suggestion of what He is in forms that a human being could understand. But how, then, is a person to know Him? The reply of this verse is almost breathtaking, for it is John’s clear statement that altogether God cannot be seen in Himself; He can be seen in those in whom He abides and in whom His love is perfected. “How are men and women, who do not yet know God, to know Him?” He seems to ask. The answer is: “When we who do know Him love one another.”
Bruce writes well on this point, saying,
The love of God displayed in his people is the strongest apologetic that God has in the world. When his love is planted in their hearts, and he himself thus dwells within them, his love is “perfected” in the complementary response which it finds in them, towards him and towards their fellows. It is in this way that they are not only holy and merciful as he is holy and merciful but, as enjoined by their Lord in the Matthaean version of the Sermon on the Mount, “perfect” as their “heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48), and all through that perfection of love poured out for them in the sacrifice of the cross.1
1F. F. Bruce, The Epistles of John (Old Tappan, NJ: Revell, 1970), 109).
Study Questions
What is the third factor that shows God’s love for us in Christ?
What is the third reason why we are to love one another?
Why can God not be seen? In what sense can God be seen today?
Application
Reflection: Are you mindful of the fact that how you regard and treat other Christians reflects how well or poorly people observing you—especially unbelievers—understand who God is?
For Further Study: Download for free and listen to James Boice’s message, “No Greater Love.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
The greater afflictions we have been under for sin, the greater is the sin if we go on in it.
You have struck me down, but I have felt no anguish; I have refused to take correction and have made my face harder than rock, Jeremiah 5:3(ESV) and the rod has not driven the folly out of my heart. Proverbs 22:15(ESV)
You have disciplined me with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men, 2 Samuel 7:14(ESV) yet I have not turned to him who struck me, nor have I inquired of the LORD of hosts. Isaiah 9:13(ESV)
When some have been overthrown as Sodom and Gomorrah were, I have been as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet I have not returned to you, O LORD. Amos 4:11(ESV) And when your hand has been lifted up, I have not seen it. Isaiah 26:11(ESV)
The more vows and promises we have made of better obedience, the greater has been our sin.
The Word of Life, spoken through Elisha, grants not only freedom, but a Future. In a godly home, dwells two of those 7,000 who have not bowed down to Baal. The wife in this wealthy home is rich in faith, and asks her husband if they can supply a room for Elisha “who is continually passing our way.” This Shunammite woman is impressive in her display of that imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious (1 Peter 3:4). She puts her hope in God and shows herself to be a true daughter of Sarah (see 1 Peter 3:5-6).
We see this again, when Elisha says, “See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you?” and she refuses to take advantage of his offer. She could have asked for anything, but content simply to belong to the people of God, says, “I dwell among my own people.” From a human perspective she had a cause to be bitter, for she was childless; a situation regarded, in Israel, as a reproach of God, since, without a son, the future of her husband’s name and inheritance in Israel would be cut off. Elisha promises that within a year she would be holding a newborn son. And by the power of the Word of Life, it happened!
Faith in Christ – the Word of Life-Incarnate – is not always the cure for empty arms, but it is always the cure for an empty life and a hopeless future!
Suggestions for prayer
Ask that you may know and show, no matter what griefs you may now bear, that your life is forever rich in Christ Jesus, Who is the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6).
Rev. Barry Beukema is a graduate of Calvin College and Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. He has pastored the Christian Reformed Churches in Burdett, Alberta and Smithers, British Columbia. He then pastored the URCNA churches of Smithers, BC, Thunder Bay, ON, Lacombe, AB, Neerlandia, AB, and is now pastoring the United Reformed Church of Taber, Alberta.Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.
One day, every follower of Christ will close their eyes for the last time here on Earth and open them again in the presence of God. When that day comes, will you be ready for the journey to Heaven? Dr. Robert Jeffress explains what we should be doing now to prepare for eternity.
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