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
God gives us many lessons we need to learn, and many of those lessons can be learned by studying the lives of the people in Scripture. In fact, He tells us to learn from the past.
The New Testament is full of reminders from the Old Testament of how God dealt with Israel. We can be certain that Genesis is the true story of Creation, and in the Gospel of John, we are told who did the creating. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3).
Was the Word Jesus? Yes. We just need to read a little more in this chapter to see that clearly. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Jesus was the Creator, and by looking back to Genesis and forward to the New Testament, we can be sure of the truth. Paul even describes very graphically in Romans chapter 1 the consequences of rejecting God as the Creator. I suggest you read and study that chapter and pay attention.
Many prophecies are quoted in the Gospels to prove Jesus is the Messiah. These come from Isaiah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and more. The Disciples were Jewish, so they were familiar with what we call the Old Testament. They would easily be able to understand the references to Jesus in various prophecies.
The New Testament contains many, many references to the Old Testament, so that tells us that we need to study both Old and New Testaments. The writer of Hebrews dedicates an entire chapter to some important people in the Old Testament. Chapter 11 is called the “Hall of Faith” and lists some very amazing people who served God, even when they made mistakes. It would be a very good idea to study each one listed and see how God used them in spite of their weaknesses.
The first one named in Chapter 11 is Abel. He offered a sacrifice that was acceptable to the Lord. Cain, on the other hand, offered an unacceptable offering. “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4).
By looking back, we can learn that God wants our best. When we give our best to God, we have a clear conscience before the Lord. In whatever situation we find ourselves, we need to give Him our best. Look back at Abel and see that he honored God by obeying Him. Instead of giving God what is easy for us, give God what pleases Him. Instead of “sacrificing” an hour to Him on Sunday, give Him your life.
Next, we find out about Enoch who shows us the first picture of the rapture in Scripture. We learn from Enoch that it’s never too late to give our life to God. “And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:21-24).
In Hebrews, we read that Enoch was “translated.” “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5). He was taken by God prior to God’s judgment of destruction coming by the flood. All flesh was destroyed except for Noah and his family. By looking back to Enoch, we can understand that by faith, Enoch was taken by God prior to judgment. Faith is how we please God.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Brothers and sisters, have faith. Unshakable faith that honors God in all things. If you haven’t put your faith in Christ, do that now, and don’t put it off. You don’t need a big flashy ceremony or a pastor to grill you in the tenants of their own denomination. Just faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Be like Enoch and walk with Him all the days you have left in this world. If you choose to accept His shed blood for salvation, then give Him a sacrifice that honors Him. Be like Abel and sacrifice what God desires, not what’s easy for you as Cain did.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
A living sacrifice? What could that mean? It means we set aside our own carnal lusts and desires and live for Christ. “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).
Seek the Lord with all your heart, and you will find that your desires change. You’ll desire to know Him better and study Scripture. You’ll begin to apply Scripture to your life. You’ll follow the example of Abel who gave a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. You may even find yourself studying prophecy.
Yes, prophecy is a huge part of Scripture, and if God thinks it’s important to tell us what to look for, then it’s important that we pay attention. We do that by looking back into the Old Testament and studying. If you look back into the Old and New Testaments, you’ll find many, many prophecies that have been fulfilled, but many that are unfolding today.
This world is a very dark and evil place to live, but prophecy shines a light on world events and tells us that God isn’t surprised by the way things are going. Through faith in Jesus, Christians have the Blessed Hope of being taken Home prior to God’s final judgment on the unbelieving world. The Apostle Peter understood this. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).
Unless you study prophecy, you’ll be confused and maybe frightened by much of what you see happening in the world. Russia and Ukraine are at war, but it seems as if that war will help Russia move into the Middle East to support Iran against Israel. Study Ezekiel to understand that one.
On October 7, 2023, Israel was viciously attacked and fought back, but the world seems to be against them. Why? God called Abraham away from his pagan life of idol worship and promised that a great nation would come from him. God is true to His word, and the nation of Israel was indeed the result of God’s promise to Abraham. God also promised blessings on whoever blesses Abraham and, by default, Israel. “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Because Israel is God’s chosen people, many people in this world are jealous and despise Israel. Just like a child who thinks a sibling gets more love from their parent. It’s important to pray for Israel.
We also learn that there are times when looking back was the wrong thing to do. When talking to His disciples about the end of the age, Jesus spoke of Lot. He told how Lot lived in Sodom when God’s judgment was upon that city. Sodom was a very evil city filled with sin. Much like today, nobody was very upset by the evil, and they just went about business as usual. They were “woke,” but judgment was upon them. God sent two angels to take Lot and his family away from the evil prior to judgment. When the angels arrived in Sodom, the men desired to have sexual relations with them, but Lot stood in their way.
Lot and his family had to leave in a hurry, but his sons-in-law laughed at him and chose to stay amidst the evil. “And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city” (Genesis 19:16).
Again, this is a picture of the rapture. The angels couldn’t bring the destruction until Lot and his family were out of danger. They urged the family to run fast and not look back. Lot’s wife did the unthinkable. “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26). Why did she look back? Was she just curious, or did she want one last look at the home she loved? Whatever her reason, she disobeyed and paid the price. When we come to salvation through Christ, we need to move forward in our new life instead of looking back and desiring to return to old sins.
Another example of when not to look back is found in Nineveh. This was a very violent and wicked place, and God was going to destroy them but sent Jonah to witness to them. Jonah wasn’t a willing witness, but the people and leaders of Nineveh did repent and were spared the destruction they deserved. This puts me in mind of America and the judgment we faced in our last election. The evil found here is the same as found in Sodom and can be compared to the time before the Flood of Noah. American Christians prayed, and God had mercy. The Liberal agenda has been delayed.
What happened to Nineveh? Their judgment was delayed, but they looked back and returned to their wickedness. About 100 years after they repented, they were destroyed because they returned to their wicked ways. Christians must continue to pray and give God our best. We must teach our children and grandchildren to honor God. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Christians are called by the name of Christ. We must stand strong in our service to God. We must demand that public schools stop teaching Satan’s ways, and we must demand that our pastors teach God’s truth. We must not look back and return to the wicked ways that will bring destruction.
There are many lessons to be learned as we study Scripture. We learn that obedience to God makes a difference. It doesn’t always smooth the road we must follow, but the result of obedience is always a blessing.
If you haven’t yet placed your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, do it now. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain. Eternity is a long time to live by your choices. If you have accepted Christ for salvation, then obey His command. Follow Him. Leave the sinful life of disobedience. Study to learn how all of the people mentioned in Scripture served God in spite of their weaknesses. Look back and learn, but “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). That’s good advice from Jesus. Obey and serve God with joy.
Should we look back? Yes, but not with a desire to return to the sins of the past which bring destruction. Look back with thanksgiving that God, in His mercy, has given grace and mercy when He rightfully could have given judgment and destruction instead. Look back, but don’t go back.
The underlying structure of nature is mathematical – mathematics is applicable to nature
Mathematical objects can either be abstract objects or useful fiction
Either way, there is no reason to expect that nature should be linked to abstract objects or fictions
But a divine mind that wants humans to understand nature is a better explanation for what we see
And now Dr. Craig has expanded on it in the Q&A section of his Reasonable Faith web site.
The question:
Dear Dr Craig
Firstly can I thank you for all your work. My faith in Christ has been enormously strengthened through studying your work in apologetics in particular and I have grown in confidence in my Christian witness.
My question relates to numbers and mathematics as a whole. On the Defenders podcast you state that as God is the only self-existent, necessary being, numbers and mathematical objects, whilst being useful, don’t actually exist as these too would exist necessarily and independently of God. If this is the case, how can it be that mathematics is so easily applied to the natural world? Surely if mathematics only existed in our minds, we would expect to see no correlation between it and how the physical world actually is?
Michael
United Kingdom
Excerpt from the answer:
As philosopher of mathematics Mary Leng points out, for the non-theistic realist, the fact that physical reality behaves in line with the dictates of acausal mathematical entities existing beyond space and time is “a happy coincidence” (Mathematics and Reality [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010], p. 239). Think about it: If, per impossibile, all the abstract objects in the mathematical realm were to disappear overnight, there would be no effect on the physical world. This is simply to reiterate that abstract objects are causally inert. The idea that realism somehow accounts for the applicability of mathematics “is actually very counterintuitive,” muses Mark Balaguer, a philosopher of mathematics. “The idea here is that in order to believe that the physical world has the nature that empirical science assigns to it, I have to believe that there are causally inert mathematical objects, existing outside of spacetime,” an idea which is inherently implausible (Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics [New York: Oxford University Press, 1998], p. 136).
By contrast, the theistic realist can argue that God has fashioned the world on the structure of the mathematical objects. This is essentially what Plato believed. The world has mathematical structure as a result.
This argument was also made by mechanical engineering professor Walter Bradley in a lecture he gave on scientific evidence for an intelligent designer. You can read an essay that covers some of the material in that lecture at Leadership University.
Excerpt:
The physical universe is surprising in the simple mathematical form it assumes. All the basic laws of physics and fundamental relationships can be described on one side of one sheet of paper because they are so few in number and so simple in form (see table 1.1).
[…]It has been widely recognized for some time that nature assumes a form that is elegantly described by a relatively small number of simple, mathematical relationships, as previously noted in table 1.1. None of the various proposals presented later in this chapter to explain the complexity of the universe address this issue. Albert Einstein in a letter to a friend expressed his amazement that the universe takes such a form (Einstein 1956), saying:
You find it strange that I consider the comprehensibility of the world to the degree that we may speak of such comprehensibility as a miracle or an eternal mystery. Well, a priori one should expect a chaotic world which cannot be in any way grasped through thought. . . . The kind of order created, for example, by Newton’s theory of gravity is of quite a different kind. Even if the axioms of the theory are posited by a human being, the success of such an enterprise presupposes an order in the objective world of a high degree which one has no a priori right to expect. That is the “miracle” which grows increasingly persuasive with the increasing development of knowledge.
Alexander Polykov (1986), one of the top physicists in Russia, commenting on the mathematical character of the universe, said: “We know that nature is described by the best of all possible mathematics because God created it.” Paul Davies, an astrophysicist from England, says, “The equations of physics have in them incredible simplicity, elegance and beauty. That in itself is sufficient to prove to me that there must be a God who is responsible for these laws and responsible for the universe” (Davies 1984). Successful development of a unified field theory in the future would only add to this remarkable situation, further reducing the number of equations required to describe nature, indicating even further unity and integration in the natural phenomena than have been observed to date.
The whole paper that started this off is called “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics”, and it is a must read for advanced Christian defenders. You can read the whole thing here.
If any man will to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God….
JOHN 7:17
The notion that hostile persons or unfavorable circumstances can prevent the will of God from being fulfilled in a human life is altogether erroneous.
Nothing, no one, can hinder God or a good man!
It is one of the glories of the Christian faith that it can be present in effective power regardless of whether or not the moral and political environment is favorable to it. We recall that H. G. Wells once said that he personally believed Buddhism to be the best religion, but admitted that it could flourish only in countries having a warm climate!
If true religion consisted in outward practices, then it could be destroyed by laws forbidding those practices. But if the true worshiper is one who worships God in spirit and in truth, how can laws or jails or abuses or deprivations prevent the spiritual man from worshiping?
Let a man set his heart only on doing the will of God and he is instantly free! No one can hinder him. It is only when we introduce our own will into our relation to God that we get into trouble. When we weave into the pattern of our lives threads of our own desires we instantly become subject to hindrances from the outside.
The essence of spiritual worship is to love supremely, to trust confidently, to pray without ceasing and to seek to be Christlike and holy, doing all the good we can for Christ’s sake.
How impossible for anyone to hinder that kind of practice!1
If we complained less, and praised more, we should be happier, and God would be more glorified. Let us daily praise God for common mercies—common as we frequently call them, and yet so priceless, that when deprived of them we are ready to perish. Let us bless God for the eyes with which we behold the sun, for the health and strength to walk abroad, for the bread we eat, for the raiment we wear. Let us praise him that we are not cast out among the hopeless, or confined amongst the guilty; let us thank him for liberty, for friends, for family associations and comforts; let us praise him, in fact, for everything which we receive from his bounteous hand, for we deserve little, and yet are most plenteously endowed. But, beloved, the sweetest and the loudest note in our songs of praise should be of redeeming love. God’s redeeming acts towards his chosen are for ever the favourite themes of their praise. If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our sonnets of thanksgiving. We have been redeemed from the power of our corruptions, uplifted from the depth of sin in which we were naturally plunged. We have been led to the cross of Christ—our shackles of guilt have been broken off; we are no longer slaves, but children of the living God, and can antedate the period when we shall be presented before the throne without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Even now by faith we wave the palm-branch and wrap ourselves about with the fair linen which is to be our everlasting array, and shall we not unceasingly give thanks to the Lord our Redeemer? Child of God, canst thou be silent? Awake, awake, ye inheritors of glory, and lead your captivity captive, as ye cry with David, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Let the new month begin with new songs.1
WE have now reached the Epistle to the Philippians, which has been well called the epistle of love and joy. In it we see most of the inner character of the apostle; there was the utmost mutual love between him and the brethren at Philippi.
Philippians 1:1–26
1, 2 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3–5 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
They were the most generous and faithful of the churches, and gave the apostle much joy. Should we not all aim to cheer the heart of our ministers by our zeal and liberality?
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
This delightful confidence is the crowning joy of the Christian life. If he who began the good work did not also carry it on we should be in a wretched plight, but, blesssed be God, the work of grace is in the hands of one who never leaves his work unfinished.
7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are par takers of my grace.
8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
9–11 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
The one point in which the Philippians failed was love and unity among themselves; for this Paul prayed, for it is of the first importance.
12–14 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15–18 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. (Sweet forgetfulness of self! So long as Christ is glorified, Paul minds not how he himself fares, nor what unkind motives towards himself may actuate other preachers. This is real Christianity.)
19, 20 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
He hoped that the spread of the gospel would call Nero’s attention to his case, and end his imprisonment one way or another, and little did he care whether he was set free by death, or by being allowed to resume his labours.
21–24 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
25, 26 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. (He would even stay out of heaven a while for their sakes. Oh, to live only to do good! This is to live indeed.)
9 This verse is like a noble epilogue. The balance between the rhetorical questions with their answers and the dignity of the last sentence with its concise parallelism closes Hosea’s unique book on a note of solemn authority.1
Concluding Advice (14:9)
The concluding verse shares many expressions with language considered to be typical of wisdom literature: wise, understand, discerning (from the same root), know, ways, straight. However, similar ideas are also to be found in Deuteronomy, and are indeed part of the general vocabulary of Israel. For instance, the frequency with which the phrase ‘walking in the ways of the Lord’ occurs in Deuteronomy (Deut. 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16) means that it can hardly taken as exclusively characteristic of wisdom.
While 14:9 stands apart from what precedes it, there are still links with the book in general. For instance, reference to the ‘wise’ contrasts with the folly displayed by Israel in the past (cf. 13:13, and the stupidity of the people). So, though many have assigned this postscript to a later, possibly post-exilic, redactor, the text itself provides no compelling reason for this assessment. The verse displays none of the features of a scribal colophon, a concluding technical note appended with information regarding matters such as the origin or transmission of the text. It may be readily understood as a device with which Hosea concluded his prophetic memoirs, commending them to the attention of readers, present and future, and reminding them of the momentous issues at stake in their reaction to the word which he had conveyed from the Lord.
14:9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
˻whoever˼ possesses understanding, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are straight
and the righteous will walk in them,
but the rebellious will stumble in them.
The exhortation to study this message and gain insight into it is similar to Psalm 107:43. These things are the declarations and teaching contained in the prophecy. When Israel obediently followed the Lord, they were characterised as ‘wise’ and ‘possessing understanding’ (Deut. 4:6). Understand (cf. 4:14) goes beyond collection of information to the ability to assess the practical significance of what is observed. It is not a matter of reading or hearing his prophecy that Hosea has in mind, but perception of the message contained in it. That will enable those who possess understanding to know. This is the final occurrence of one of Hosea’s key terms. It too looks beyond factual knowledge to an inner acknowledgement of the truth and dependence on it, and especially on the one who stands behind the truth, the Lord of the covenant himself (cf. 4:1).
The reason why it is important to have the perception which results in practical recognition of the Lord is the blessing that ensues. The ways of the Lord define the conduct and attitudes he requires from his people, and they constitute the sole mode of living to attract his protection and approval. ‘So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in his ways and to fear him’ (Deut. 8:6). In other words, the Lord’s ways are defined by the commands of the law, and so, when Israel’s conduct was at variance with the covenant, their ways (4:9; 9:8; 10:13; 12:3) became subject to divine condemnation. The Lord whose own conduct is straight/‘upright’ (Deut. 32:4) is the one who prescribes similar ways for his followers.
In consequence of this the commands of the Lord divide mankind. The righteous, those whose behaviour conforms to the norm instituted by God, walk, that is, ‘conduct their lives’, with success because they follow what God expects and blesses. But over against the righteous there are set the rebellious (cf. 7:13; 8:1). In wisdom literature the antithesis to ‘righteous’ is ordinarily ‘wicked’ (Stuart 1987:219), but here the use of ‘rebellious’ suggests a covenantal background. Confronted with the demand to walk in obedience to the Lord, they reject his ways, and so stumble. This reference forms an inclusion round this chapter by echoing ‘have stumbled’ in 14:1, as well as reflecting earlier passages (4:5; 5:5). Those who wrongheadedly ignore their Overlord’s directions are unable to negotiate successfully the route that lies before them in life, and so doom themselves to failure.
REFLECTION
• God demands that we choose. Scripture sets before us the terms of that choice, often in terms of travelling to a destination. One route is prescribed by the Lord. There may be features of the way that is ‘straight’ which are unwelcome or even inexplicable to us. But there is this guarantee: it is the way which ‘leads to life’ (Matt. 7:13).
• The only alternative is to follow the ‘way that seems right to a man’, but we are assured that its end is ‘death’ (Prov. 14:12). We are also told that ‘the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice’ (Prov. 12:15). Here we have the advice given through Hosea. Have we listened?2
14:9 / A later scribe of the Wisdom school added this verse to Hosea’s book to recommend it to his generation. The last half of the verse echoes vocabulary of the exilic Deuteronomic historians, while the two ways—of the righteous and rebels—are typical of wisdom teaching (cf. Ps. 1, for example).
These things refers to the entire written book of Hosea, which the scribe wants his readers to understand (niv: realize) and know. The one who takes Hosea’s message to heart and walks in the ways of the Lord is wise. The one who rebels against Hosea’s message is foolish and will fall. It is still a good admonition for us contemporary readers.3
Ver. 9.—Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the trangressors shall fall therein. This verse demands attention to all the prophet has written, whether for warning, or reproof, or correction in righteousness, or encouragement to piety and virtue, and evidently alludes to Deut. 32:4. The ways of the Lord are those he prescribes for them to walk in, as also the ways he takes in guiding, guarding, and governing men. Like the dictates of the Word, so the dispensations of his providence are to some the savour of life, to others the savour of death; therefore it is added that, while the righteous walk therein, the wicked stumble in them (comp. Deut. 30:19, 20).4
Concluding admonition: walking and stumbling (14:9 [Heb. 14:10])
The literary form is like the admonitions of Proverbs (cf. 4:20–23), where imperative or jussives (third person commands, usually singular) that map out the way of wisdom are followed by the reasons that support the commands, usually introduced by for (Heb. kî). The vocabulary as well as the style reflects the influence of wisdom literature: Wise (Heb. ḥākām; cf. 13:13), understand (Heb. bîn; cf. 4:14), discerning (also from bîn), know (a key catchword in Hosea; cf. on 2:8), ways (cf. 4:9; 10:13) as descriptions of conduct; right (used in Proverbs more than twenty times; e.g. 2:7; 3:32; 8:9), upright (Heb. ṣaddiqîm; lit. ‘innocent of crime’; cf. Amos 2:6; 5:12; used more than fifty times in Proverbs, often as a synonym of wise, with a meaning close to ‘loyal to Yahweh and his will’), walk (as a verb of behaviour, cf. 5:11; and about twenty times in Proverbs), transgressors (lit. ‘rebels’; Heb. pš‘; cf. 7:13; 8:1; the noun ‘transgression’ is found about a dozen times in Proverbs). The first four words cluster as part of the introduction to Proverbs (1:1–6) and are sprinkled liberally through the book, while the fifth (way) occurs about seventy-five times.
The contrasts between the nouns the upright and the transgressors and the verbs walk and stumble (Hos. 4:5; 5:5; 14:1; Prov. 4:12, 19; 24:16–17) form an antithesis in the last two lines. The poetic structure, found dozens of times in Proverbs (especially chs. 10–15) and frequently in ‘wisdom’ Psalms (e.g. Pss 1; 37), underscores a doctrine of the two ways, which makes clear the absolute consequences of loyalty or disloyalty to God. Jesus’ use of ‘wide gate’ and ‘narrow gate’ (Matt. 7:13–14), ‘good fruit’ and ‘evil fruit’ (Matt. 7:15–18), and ‘house upon the rock’ and ‘house upon the sand’ (Matt. 7:24–27) are a few of the New Testament expression of the two ways.
It is evident in Jeremiah’s frequent use of Hosea’s words, images and ideas that the advice of this verse was heeded by the believing community, who sensed, probably as early as the fall of Samaria (722 bc), that Hosea had spoken and lived the truth. This closing admonition, whether added by the prophet or one of his followers, viewed the whole book as Scripture and urged the hearers of whatever place and season to heed the warnings of judgment and the promises of hope.20 The correct response to Hosea’s words then, now, and in every era between, has been the difference between walking safely and stumbling tragically.5
14:9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
whoever is discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are right,
and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.
Whether the prophet himself or an editor added these words need hardly concern us here. The point they drive home is that the prophecy is open-ended: its eloquence and passion could win Israel to repentance or could leave her unmoved. The response was hers to make.
But not only hers. The ‘whoever’ of this verse suddenly exposes us to the same searching encounter, for the word of God goes on speaking; it never slips safely into the past. The rightness of God’s ways as revealed in this book is so far above us in both holiness and love, as to leave self-sufficient man without excuse, self-condemned, while those who turn into the way of righteousness find themselves met more than halfway.
To turn aside from thee is hell,
To walk with thee is heaven.
The comment of G. A. F. Knight on this verse deserves to be the last word:
‘Therefore, dear reader, so runs the content of this Epilogue, ask yourself the question—how would you apply this message of Hosea to your own knowledge and experience of Israel’s God?’6
Ver. 9. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?Who is wise?—
There must be prudence and wisdom before we can understand Divine truths; there must be an illumination within. A man may know whether he be prudent and wise by his relishing of Divine truths, for otherwise he is not wise and prudent in these things which are the main. The prophet now comes to shew and defend the equity of God’s ways, how crooked soever they seem to flesh and blood. By “ways” he understandeth the whole law and Gospel, the whole Word of God; which he calleth right, not only because they are righteous in themselves, but because they reform whatsoever is amiss in us, and rectify us; and work whatsoever is needful for our good and salvation. God’s ways are those wherein He walks to us: the ways that He prescribes us to walk in; and our ways as they are comformable to His. “The ways of the Lord are right”; as they agree to that which is right or straight; and right likewise, because they lead directly to a right end. Observe that man is not a prescriber of his own way, and that no creature’s will is a rule. The Word of the Lord is every way perfect, and brings us to perfection. The best way to come to a good and right end is to take God’s ways. Shew the divers effects these right ways of God have in two sorts of people, the godly and the wicked.
1. The just shall walk in them. They are just who give to every one their due, and give God His due. They are such as have respect unto all God’s commandments. They do things to a good end, even the glory of God and the good of man. They desire to grow in grace and they love the brethren. In the worst times, God will have always a people that shall justify wisdom. Men must have spiritual life, and be just, before they can walk. For our encouragement to walk in God’s ways, know that they are the most safe ways of all; they are the most pleasant, and they are the cleanest and holiest. “The transgressors shall fall therein.” The same word which is a word of life and salvation to the godly is an occasion of sin and perdition unto the wicked. (R. Sibbes.)
Who are the truly wise and prudent?—
I. The character of the persons who would give heed to the words of this prophecy, and to these doctrines.
1. What does the Spirit mean by “wise”? Wisdom is described in the Book of Proverbs. In it wisdom calls, reproves, and has a spirit to pour out, actions and attributes which belong only to the very and eternal God. In it wisdom is said to be the source of royal and judicial authority. It is described as eternal. It is said to have a temple and sacrifices. It promises to do that which the Almighty alone can do. It threatens to execute judgment upon those who refuse to accept the proffered mercy. Then who else can wisdom be but the Lord of Hosts? “Wise” must mean those who make the knowledge of God their chief study and pursuit. They are wise whose heart, mind, and soul are pervaded by wisdom.
2. What does the Spirit mean by “prudent”? The original means, “an understanding one,” or “a sound reasoner.” So the real meaning of the expression differs considerably from the apparent one. The Spirit means an individual who, by diligent searching and study of God’s dispensations and providential visitations, arrives at accurate conclusions with reference to the Almighty’s promises and threats; to the consequences of obedience and disobedience; to the effects of impenitence and repentance. A prudent man, in Scripture, but especially in this place, means a knowing individual in the deep mysteries of God’s holy Word.
II. The nature of the doctrines taught. “The ways of the Lord are right.” This is an expression for true religion which binds and knits man to God. True religion is irresistible. What can be more “reasonable” than that He who made all things for Himself should demand us to Himself? The ways of the Lord “are right,” with regard to their conformity to the holy nature and will of God, with regard to the peace which they confer.
III. The double use made of the ways of the Lord by different parties. “The just shall walk in them: the transgressors shall fall therein.” We never make the Word of the Lord our rule of life whereby to walk, until we are made righteous; until the sun of righteousness hath shone in our hearts, and illumined our souls. But how fearful is the doom of those who have despised the wisdom and prudence which the prophet recommended for their knowledge and understanding. The same Being who helps forward the just on their way, and removes every impediment from their path, becomes the insurmountable obstruction in the way of transgressors. Many are the things in the Word of God at which corrupt hearts are apt to stumble. The profoundness and incomprehensibleness of some of its mysterious doctrines, instead of humbling the finite mind and bringing it into subjection to the infinite, puffs up with pride and arrogance the depraved and scanty reason, and makes it exalt itself against Him who is exalted above all. The sanctity and strictness of God’s ways make many an unholy temper and disposition revolt against making those ways their choice. (Moses Margoliouth, B.A.)
The right ways of the Lord:—
Here the prophet makes an application of his subject.
I. The import of this question or appeal.
1. Vain men would fain be wise. The question implies that the number of the wise and intelligent on these subjects was but small. And those who did not understand such things as the prophet had delivered did not deserve the name of wise and intelligent, however they might assume it to themselves.
I. The important declaration. “The ways of the Lord are right.” Need not prove this. It is a first principle in religion. It is now before us as matter of reflection.
III. The different views of the ways of God which are entertained, and the different effects produced thereby. The righteous, being taught of God, have a proper and spiritual discernment of things. Transgressors, blinded by the god of the world, discern no spiritual objects in their proper colours. (S. Knight, M.A.)
God’s ways made known unto the wise:—
The truth is, that men live the chief part of their lives without any knowledge of their own separation from the Lord; they do not understand that sin separates the sinner from his Maker.
I. Who are the wise?
1. They are willing hearers of God’s truth. Like Cornelius of old.
2. Humble receivers of truth. Like the jailer at Philippi.
3. They are careful thinkers. Like Mary, who pondered things in her heart. No others but these can really be spoken of as wise.
II. God’s right ways. He has a right to demand obedience on our part to whatever He may please to lay down. If we walk in His ways we shall have grace to support us, and supply our various wants, we shall have guidance in the hour of difficulty, we shall have our hearts prepared for the enjoyment of those pleasures which are at God’s right hand for evermore. He will give us strength for the day, and grace unto the end. The ways of the just shall be increasingly clear. “The wicked shall fall therein.” The ways are the same, but men receive them and walk in them differently. That which is really good for those who are anxious to serve God, we are told here, is turned into evil in the case of the wicked. (H. Montagu Villiers, M.A.)
Walking or falling in God’s ways:—
In the worst times God will have always a people that shall justify wisdom. Some are foolish; not caring for the ways of God, cavilling at them. But the “just shall walk in them,” that is, they take a contrary course to the world that slights wisdom. In ill times, let us labour to justify truth, both the truth of things to be believed and all just religious courses.
1. Men must have spiritual life, and be just, before they can walk. Walking is an action of life; there must be life before there can be walking. Unless there is first spiritual life in the inward man there will not be a harmony and correspondency betwixt a man and his ways.
2. Because a just man is also a prudent and wise man, he walks in God’s ways. Spiritual wisdom and prudence lead to walking in obedience. What things doth this walking in the ways of God imply?
1. Perspicuity. Those who walk in the ways of God discern those ways to be God’s ways, and discern them aright.
2. Resolution to go on in those ways till he come to the end, though there be never so much opposition. How shall we know whether we go on in this way or not?
1. When earthly profits and pleasures seem little, and heaven and heavenly things seem near.
2. It implies a uniform course of life.
3. He who would walk in God’s ways must be resolute against all opposition whatsoever. The use of this teaching may be—
1. Reprehension unto those who can talk, but not walk; that have tongues, but not feet.
2. It is for instruction, to stir us up to walk in God’s ways.
3. It is for consolation. If this be our walk, then God will walk with us, and the angels of God shall have charge of us, to keep us in all our ways. (R. Sibbes, D.D.)
The cause and cure of social evils:—
It cannot be said that our position as a nation is like that of Israel in those days when she was tottering to her fall. But the same, or very similar, evils to those which proved the ruin of Israel exist among us to a deplorable degree. Those who are familiar with the prophecy will know what I mean when I say that evil is with us at the moth stage, not yet at the lion stage (see chap. 5.). The moth stage is when evil keeps eating like a canker into the vitals of a people, but where there is nothing, or very little, to attract attention; no noise, nothing to alarm. But let the moth stage go on, let corruption increase among the people, and presently the roar of a lion will be heard; there will be tumult and commotion, there will be the outbreak of open rebellion against the powers that be, in heaven and on earth too. Hosea has it for his great object throughout to show the cause and the cure of all these evils. The cause is unfaithfulness to God, and the cure is returning to Him with the whole heart. There is never more vigour in Hosea’s tone than when, reminding of the sin of Jehovah, he says, “Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off!” Has modern society no calf? Does it not make a god of gold? Is not that “covetousness which is idolatry” a national vice? Israel had a calf at Dan as well as at Bethel. This may be taken to represent the idol of natural law. People trust in the laws of evolution, working through the struggle for existence to the survival of the fittest. The great effort of these people is to bring man and all that concerns him under the stern operation of that law. What shall we do? A question much more easily asked than answered. There are many reforms, and these by far the most needful and far-reaching in their result, which can only be accomplished by the diffusion of a spirit of love; and this is only possible by a general return of the people to the Lord their God. The humanitarian spirit which is shown by not a few of those who make no profession of faith in God is much to be commended; but it never can by its inherent force make way in society. To flow as a fertilising stream through the waste places of society, it must take its rise in the high mountains of Divine faith and hope and love. The nether springs of human generosity must be fed by the upper springs of Divine grace. (J. Monro Gibson, D.D.)7
14:9. Hosea’s postscript begins with a riddle that appropriately characterizes the entire book. The point of the puzzle is not that the wise person will understand these prophecies, but that those who know them are in fact wise. Knowledge is further clarified to mean not merely comprehension but also, as throughout the book, compliance with and relation to God. True wisdom, then, is righteous living in accord with God’s ways, while folly results in transgressing and stumbling.
The message of Hosea is the story of God’s jealous and yet unrelenting love for His wayward bride. A people chosen by grace and redeemed from slavery to serve the only true God, Israel failed to remain faithful to her Husband when she pursued other lovers by trusting in idols and foreign powers. God therefore promised to suspend His covenant blessings to Israel by sending the nation into exile so they would repent and appreciate God’s incomparable love when He graciously accepted them back again. In this light, the message of Hosea prefigures the gospel: Only by God’s grace through the work of Jesus Christ can wayward humanity be redeemed from the power of sin and death and be forever reconciled to its Creator. As Ortlund says, “The gospel is not an imperialistic human philosophy making overrated universal claims; the gospel sounds the voice of our Husband who has proven his love for us and who calls for our undivided love in return” (Raymond C. Ortlund, God’s Unfaithful Wife: A Biblical Theology of Spiritual Adultery, New Studies in Biblical Theology [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2002], 173). Indeed, even as readers of Hosea repeatedly encounter God’s jealousy and judgment, they are always reminded of the Lord’s merciful salvation available to all who will return to their faithful and forgiving God.8
1 Wood, L. J. (1986). Hosea. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, p. 224). Zondervan Publishing House.
In today’s reading we’ll go from Daniel’s present day (fall of Babylon 539 BC) to the Maccabean Revolt in 164 BC. Matthew Henry, John Walvoord, and EnduringWord.com can tell you the “what” that’s going on, but the bigger question is “why” should we care about the “intertestamental time?”
First, we need to remember that Scripture was written for the immediate audience first. Daniel is writing to the Jewish people for their immediate edification. If we look at a Bible timeline of chronology, we notice that there was a surge in prophets around the fall of Jerusalem.
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Joel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Obadiah all were writing around the fall of Jerusalem (586 BC). Haggai and Zechariah were writing around the return of Zerubbabel (536 BC); Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther and Malachi were active around 450 BC for the rebuilding of the walls. And then there was roughly 450 years of silence.
Today’s reading is a “play by play” of the dream in Daniel 2. Daniel 2 identified the four kingdoms (Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome), but Daniel 11 gives us the actions. It takes us from Daniel’s present day, through the political events of the last prophet Malachi, and to the return of a Jewish self-governing state. That state (Hasmonean Dynasty) would become the Herodian vassal state of the fourth kingdom (Rome), the kingdom that the Messiah would be born into. And not without controversy – from John Walvoord:
Probably no other portion of Scripture presents more minute prophecy than Daniel 11:1-35, and this has prompted the sharpest attack of critics seeking to discredit this prophetic portion.
Interestingly enough, it was the eleventh chapter of Daniel with its detailed prophecy of about two hundred years of history that prompted the heathen philosopher Porphyry (third century AD) to attack the book of Daniel as a forgery. In his study, Porphyry established the fact that history corresponded closely to the prophetic revelation of Daniel 11:1-35, and the correspondence was so precise that he was persuaded that no one could have prophesied these events in the future. Accordingly, he solved the problem by taking the position that the book of Daniel was written after the events occurred, that is, it was written in the second century B.C. This attack prompted Jerome to defend the book of Daniel and to issue his own commentary, which for over one thousand years thereafter was considered the standard commentary on the book of Daniel.
1 John 3:9 — Can a Christian sin? After reading 1 John 1:8 we know that we have sin. GotQuestions.org points out that this is not “sinless perfection” but “a decreasing pattern of sin.”
1 John 3:13 — There is a war between the world and Christ. John is reiterating the teaching Jesus made (John 15:18). What’s the difference?
Righteousness vs. sin (1 John 3:7-8)
Father God vs. Father Devil (1 John 3:10)
Love not vs. Love (1 John 3:10-11, 1 John 3:14)
Evil works vs. Righteous works (1 John 3:12)
Love vs. Hate (1 John 3:15-16)
Giver vs. Hoarder (1 John 3:17)
At the end of the day, the symptoms are not absolute, but believing on Jesus Christ is (1 John 3:23), as well as having the Spirit (1 John 3:24).
Psalm 122:1 — Do you look forward to spending time with God’s people?
Psalm 122:6 — Notice the blessing for those who love Jerusalem! What is the peace that will come to Jerusalem? Paul shared his burden in Romans 10:1.
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?Romans 8:32
If this is not a promise in form, it is in fact. Indeed, it is more than one promise, it is a conglomerate of promises. It is a mass of rubies, and emeralds, and diamonds, with a nugget of gold for their setting. It is a question which can never be answered so as to cause us any anxiety of heart. What can the Lord deny us after giving us Jesus? If we need all things in heaven and earth, He will grant them to us: for if there had been a limit anywhere, He would have kept back His own Son.
What do I want today? I have only to ask for it. I may seek earnestly, but not as if I had to use pressure and extort an unwilling gift from the Lord’s hand; for He will give freely. Of His own He gave us His own Son. Certainly no one would have proposed such a gift to Him. No one would have ventured to ask for it. It would have been too presumptuous. He freely gave His Only-begotten, and, O my soul, canst thou not trust thy heavenly Father to give thee anything, to give thee everything? Thy poor prayer would have no force with Omnipotence if force were needed; but His love, like a spring, rises of itself and overflows for the supply of all thy needs.
The Ontological Argument (OA) is possibly the most misunderstood argument for God’s existence. I have always found the argument to be fascinating.
The above video by Michael Jones of Inspiring Philosophy is quite possibly the best I have seen on the topic. Jones has also made a series of videos responding to common objections to the OA here, here and here.
The Ontological Argument is as follows:
1. It is possible that God exists.
2. If it is possible that God exists, then God exists in some possible worlds.
3. If God exists in some possible worlds, then God exists in all possible worlds.
4. If God exists in all possible worlds, then God exists in the actual world.
5. If God exists in the actual world, then God exists.
Admittedly, at first blush the argument seems too good to be true. However, I am convinced that there is more to it than what first appears!
A Chinese ship is suspected of sabotaging undersea cables A Chinese commercial ship is suspected of deliberately dragging its anchor to cut undersea cables that connect countries over the internet, Two different internet links — one between Sweden’s Gotland Island and Lithuania, and another between Finland and Germany — stopped working earlier this month, prompting the investigation by authorities from all four countries and other nations,
US Ambassador-designate to Israel Mike Huckabee says ‘world will see under President Trump that Iranian-backed terrorism can’t be rewarded’ Ambassador-designate to Israel Mike Huckabee said the nomination to the role “came out of the clear blue” for him. “I did not lobby President Trump or suggest to him that I really wanted this position. I never mentioned it to him,” the former Arkansas governor told show host, Joel Rosenberg. “When I got the call… I was floored. I did not expect it. President Trump called. He told me, ‘I want you to be the ambassador to Israel and I’m looking forward to you saying, yes.’”
IDF Discovers Chemicals and Gas Masks in Hezbollah Strongholds Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon have uncovered chemicals and gas masks in Hezbollah strongholds, raising concerns over the terror group’s potential use of chemical weapons or plans for cross-border abductions. The findings, … suggest Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force may have been preparing for unconventional attacks.
Warning: No deal whatsoever with Iran’s mullahs The possibility of negotiating a deal with Iran has resurfaced. Reports suggest that the Islamic Republic’s leaders are expressing a willingness to engage with the incoming US administration after Donald J. Trump assumes office. Reaching a deal, however, with a regime actively waging proxy wars against Israel, most of the Persian Gulf States and the United States — and that is arming Russia in its war on Ukraine — would be a monumental error.
IDF eliminates terrorist who participated in October 7 massacre Earlier on Saturday, the IDF struck a vehicle with a terrorist who took part in the murderous October 7th massacre. The terrorist was monitored by IDF intelligence for a while and was struck following credible information regarding his real time location. The terrorist, Hazmi Kadih, infiltrated Israel and took part in the murderous October 7th massacre in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Syrian rebels sweep into Aleppo, Russia conducts strikes in support of Assad The Syrian army said on Saturday that dozens of its soldiers had been killed in a major attack by rebels who swept into the city of Aleppo, forcing the army to redeploy in the biggest challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years. The surprise attack, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was the boldest rebel assault in years in the civil war, where frontlines had largely been frozen since 2020.
Donald Trump nominates Charles Kushner as US ambassador to France In a post on his Truth Social network, Trump stated, “I am pleased to nominate Charles Kushner, of New Jersey, to serve as the US Ambassador to France. He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our country & its interests,” according to The Guardian. Trump added, “Together, we will strengthen America’s partnership with France, our oldest Ally, & one of our greatest!”
Attacks in Aleppo ‘ostensibly good news for Israel,’ JISS senior research fellow says The Islamist attack on Aleppo is “ostensibly good news for Israel,” Daniel Rakov, a senior research fellow for the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said in a Saturday post to X/Twitter. “the fall of northern Syria to the rebels damages the infrastructure of the Iranians and Hezbollah there and will make it difficult for them to work to restore Hezbollah.”
President-elect Trump says he wants Kash Patel to head FBI Patel, who during Trump’s first term advised both the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense, has previously called for stripping the FBI of its intelligence-gathering role and purging its ranks of any employee who refuses to support Trump’s agenda.
Hezbollah can only claim Pyrrhic victory, but the real one is Israel’s While criticism of the cease-fire agreement is valid, it is equally true that Hezbollah was badly battered in this war, and Israel can claim a resounding victory; Now Israel needs to turn its attention to the Iranian nuclear threat that, if it materializes, will render Hezbollah irrelevant in terms of Middle East power dynamics
IDF Jets Hit Syrian Military Infrastructure Being Used By Hezbollah To Smuggle Arms “This strike was carried out following the identification of the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah from Syria to Lebanon, even after the ceasefire agreement, and constitutes a threat to the State of Israel, in violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” the military says in a statement.
Severe floods hit southern Thailand, affecting over 240 000 households Floods caused by continuous heavy rains have severely impacted 68 districts in seven provinces in southern Thailand, including Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Phatthalung, and Satun. Among these provinces, Songkhla has been particularly hard-hit, with its governor officially declaring all 16 districts as disaster zones on Friday, November 29, 2024.
Bright fireball observed over southeastern Brazil A bright fireball was observed over Brazil at approximately 00:29 UTC on November 28, 2024, with sightings reported across 10 cities in three southeastern regions.
Canadian Town Fined And Mayor Sent For Compulsory Education After Failing To Hoist Pride Flag CBC News is reporting that the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ordered the small town of Emo to pay damages after failing to hoist an “LGBTQ2 rainbow flag” in celebration of Pride Month. One problem is that the town of fewer than 2000 inhabitants does not have a flagpole (though you could presumably “show the flag” in other ways).
Arla’s project adding anti-methane compound to cows’ feed is another limb of the fake food agenda Arla has enlisted 30 farms to participate in trials of an additive to cattle feed that they claim will reduce methane gas emissions. As the safety of the product is as questionable as the dubious reasons for introducing it and the risk to humans is unknown there has quite rightly been a public backlash.
Why have all the live webcams in London gone dark? Does it indicate they are planning a false flag event? After all London’s webcams went dark on Monday, 25 November, Alex Krainer wonders if a false flag attack is being planned on London. He suggests that a false flag attack on London may be planned by Western powers to blame on Russia, triggering a whole-of-society mobilisation against Russia. Why, what would they have to gain? Krainer suggests that the Western powers’ goal is to maintain their dominance over the Eurasian landmass.
Covid-19: The Greatest Hoax in History Reminding us that the covid “vaccines” are toxic and more harmful than all drugs, even illegal ones, Dr. Vernon Coleman shares the forward to his book ‘Covid-19: The Greatest Hoax in History’ which was published in September 2020.
When you toss a stone into water, it makes the initial splash and then the concentric rings spread from the point of contact, aka, The Ripple Effect. Same can be said for the “Butterfly Effect” that proposes than even the flapping of a butterfly’s wings even halfway around the world has an impact worldwide.
Prophetic events have the same effect. They occur at a specific point and location in time, but the ripples of that event spread far and wide, impacting all of humanity.
For those of us who understand, we simply need to ride the waves that are coming. But to those who are resisting the draw of the Holy Spirit? Those ripples continue to build into an ultimate tsunami that will sweep them away, eternally separating them from their Creator. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Providence Baptist Church on RSBN featuring Pastor Dr Rusty Sowell live from Providence Baptist Church in Beauregard, AL Sunday Morning Worship 12/1/24
Last week, I reported that Pres. elect Trump’s choice for U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said:
There is no such thing as the West Bank – it’s Judea and Samaria.
There is no such thing as settlements – they’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities.
There is no such thing as an occupation.
On Nov. 13, 2024, it was reported that Trump’s choice for Sec. of Defense, Pete Hegseth, delivered a speech at a conference in Jerusalem in 2018.
Hegseth talked about how awesome it was to visit the Western Wall, some of the tunnels, and the ancient foundations of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Hegseth said:
1917 was a miracle (Allenby’s British liberation of Jerusalem).
1948 was a miracle (the recognition of Israel as a nation).
1967 was a miracle (Israel captured east Jerusalem).
2017 was a miracle (U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.
And there’s no reason why the miracle of the re-establishment of the temple on the Temple Mount is not possible.
I don’t know how it would happen; you don’t know how it would happen, but I know that it could happen; that’s all I know.
Hegseth also appeared to endorse Israel’s annexation of settlements in Judea and Samaria and to reject the Two-State Solution.
Now it is being reported that Trump’s nominee for Sec. of State, Marco Rubio, is also a staunch supporter of Israel.
In the past, Rubio said:
Israel has no choice but to seek the complete eradication of Hamas in Gaza (because of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel and pledge to destroy Israel.
I urge the reimposition of a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and fully support Israel’s right to respond disproportionately to stop this threat (because Iran fired about 200 missiles and drones at Israel).
Iran is the primary source of violence, conflict, suffering, and instability in the Middle East (because Iran foments trouble in other nations and oppresses its own people).
And Trump’s choice of Rep. Elise Stefanik for Ambassador to the UN has strongly repudiated university presidents over their response to campus antisemitism.
Here is why I think Trump chose her.
Last month, Trump said,
They (educational institutions that do not stop the antisemitism protests) will lose their accreditation and federal taxpayer support.
We (the U.S.) will not subsidize the creation of terrorist sympathizers. We’re certainly not going to do it on American soil; we’re not going to do it anywhere.
I will inform every educational institution in our land that if they permit violence, harassment or threats against Jewish students, the schools will be held accountable for violations of the civil rights law.
On Nov. 15, 2024, Mike Huckabee said,
We have four Americans being held hostage in Gaza — Americans.
And this is outrageous that we have not put more pressure, not just on Hamas, but on Iran, who’s funded Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
We need to put pressure on Qatar. They have influence over Hamas, and they need to understand that Donald Trump doesn’t play around.
Hamas cannot control Gaza anymore. They cannot be trusted. Their hatred toward the Jewish people was evidenced on Oct. 7 and their massacre of civilians, including babies and elderly people. So there has to be a change in what happens there.
Pres. elect Trump has been a great blessing to Israel.
In 2017, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.
In 2019, Trump recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel.
Now, Trump has selected three men and one woman (Pete Hegseth, Mike Huckabee, Marco Rubio, and Elsie Stefanik) that love Israel to be his Sec. of Defense, his Ambassador to Israel, his Sec. of State, and his Ambassador to the UN.
These people will be a great blessing to Israel (and hopefully a great blessing to the U.S.).
Here are some current events that seem to indicate that the end of the age is near.
One, concerning a covenant of peace and the division of Israel at the end of the age: on Nov. 10, 2024, Jonathan Brentner (author, writer, and Bible Teacher) reported that more than 90 nations (many nations), including representatives from the U.S. and Israel, met in Saudi Arabia in late October to push for the creation of a Palestinian state.
This group of many nations calls itself the Global Alliance.
Brentner’s article was dated one day before a second meeting in Brussels (on Nov. 11, 2024) and about 2 ½ weeks before a third meeting on Nov. 28, 2024.
According to Brentner (an exceptionally reliable source of information, by the way), the goal is to put in place a seven-to-ten-year peace agreement that would divide the Land and the city of Jerusalem via a two-state solution.
Brentner wrote that, “This group (the Global Alliance) consists of ‘many’ nations who want to initiate a peace covenant with Israel, and they are thinking in terms of it being of a specific length of seven to ten years” (see Dan. 9:27).
(My opinion: I am thankful that God is putting some Bible-believing Christians in the White House that love Israel, but I pray that they will oppose the Two-State Solution. God clearly said He will judge the world for dividing the Land of Israel.)
Two, concerning a covenant of peace in the Middle East, on Nov. 15, 2024, it was reported that Jared Kushner (Trump’s son-in-law, married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka) will not take an official position in the Trump administration but will likely agree to be an outside advisor to advance normalization agreements between Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other nations in the Middle East.
Three, concerning Israel having a great army at the end of the age (Ezek. 37:10): on Nov. 14, 2024, it was reported that Pres. elect Trump said, “On the first day of my term, I will cancel all restrictions and delays on the transfer of armaments and combat equipment” (to Israel).
Four, concerning the destruction of Damascus, Syria, in one night at the end of the age (Isa. 17): on Nov. 14, 2024, Israeli jets struck targets in Damascus and a suburb of Damascus.
15 people, including 2 terrorist commanders, were killed and 16 were wounded.
This was the second Israeli attack in Syria in 24 hours.
Israel’s attacks are increasing and getting more destructive.
Five, concerning deceit and Iran’s denial that it is seeking to produce nuclear weapons: on Nov. 16, 2024, it was reported that when Israel struck Iran about 3 weeks ago, Israel has learned that it apparently struck a sensitive secret Iranian nuclear weapons research facility.
(FYI: Biben threatened to cut off U.S. weapons sales to Israel if Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and/or oil wells.).
(My opinion: No weapon formed against Israel will prevail. God apparently caused Israel to destroy a nuclear research facility that Israel didn’t know existed, and He is putting a more pro-Israel administration over the U.S. government.)
(More: On Nov. 16, 2024, it was reported that Trump’s transition team is preparing executive orders to be released on his first day in office to apply maximum pressure on Iran to try to force Iran to negotiate a new nuclear deal.)
(More: On Nov. 16, 2024, it was reported that Sen. Lindsey Graham told Benjamin Netanyahu to do what you have to do to prevent the Iranian ayatollah from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.)
Six, concerning the deliberate decline of America’s military and the surrender of America’s sovereignty to a world government,
On Nov. 13, 2024, it was reported that Trump’s transition team is preparing an executive order to establish a committee to compile a list of high-ranking military officials that should be demoted.
On Nov. 14, 2024, it was reported that Trump’s team is compiling a list of senior officers, including some members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for possible removal. According to the report, Trump’s team is compiling the list in response to Trump’s criticism that “woke military officers” were promoted because of their opinions on diversity initiatives rather than their ability to promote combat readiness.
There have been past reports that said the reason Trump selected Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and former Army officer to be Sec. of Defense is because Hegseth has written that reshaping the senior ranks of the U.S. military is crucial to ensuring that the U.S. military can defend our nation.
Seven, concerning the decline of America, on Nov. 16, 2024, Todd Starnes (author and radio host) reported that some official U.S. Air Force documents are now referring to mothers and fathers as non-birthing parents.
When Pres. Trump’s nominee for Sec. of Defense, Pete Hegseth, learned about it, he replied, “not for long.”
Eight, for several years, the most important political leaders of Hamas operated out of Qatar.
But following intense pressure from the U.S., they were ordered to leave, and they are now being warmly received by Turkey.
Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others will attack Israel in the latter years and latter days.
Nine, on Nov. 11, 2024, U.S. Sec. of State Blinken met with an Israeli official to discuss a ceasefire in Lebanon.
On Nov. 13, 2024, World Israel News reported that Israel’s new Defense Min. said:
We will not agree to just any ceasefires, we will not take our foot off the gas, and we will not accept any agreement that does not include achieving the war goals.
An agreement should include the disarmament of Hezbollah, its withdrawal beyond the Litani River, and creating the conditions for the residents of northern Israel to return to their homes in safety.
Also, Israel should have the right to enforce any ceasefire deal and act against any terrorist activity and organization.
The US agrees that Hezbollah should retreat north of the Litani River, that there should be a way to force them to keep the agreement, but they prefer that someone other than Israel enforce it.
France and Hezbollah have rejected Israel’s demands.
Ten, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog (Russia and others attacking Israel in the latter days and latter years: on Nov. 19, 2024, it was reported that approximately 60-70% of the Hezbollah weapons that Israel has captured in Lebanon were made in Russia, and many have been made since 2020.
(More: Concerning the fact that armies from Russia, Turkey, Iran, and others will be destroyed by God when they attack Israel on the mountains of Israel, on Nov. 18, 2024, Russia announced that it has increased the number of troops that it has deployed in Syria near the Golan Heights (mountains of Israel).).
Eleven, concerning wars and rumors of wars at the end of the age:
With Biden’s approval, this week, Ukraine fired several U.S. made long-range missiles into Russia.
Putin authorized his military to consider using nuclear weapons if there is a missile attack by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state (such as the U.S. or UK).
Then, Germany offered to host 800,000 NATO troops if they are needed to move against Russia.
Finland, Norway, and Denmark are sending out information on seeking shelter, storing food and medical supplies, etc. in case a nuclear weapon is used.
Here is my weekly update on the Israel-Hamas war.
Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 (Day 405) The three hundred and fiftieth day of the resumed war. Day 183 of the attack on Rafah.
An Israeli study found that more than 10% of principals and senior education staff employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip are members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Israeli jets struck a road between Syria and Leban that was used for moving weapons from Syria to Lebanon.
Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 (Day 406) The three hundred and fifty-first day of the resumed war. Day 184 of the attack on Rafah.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister asked Iran to help secure a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah and appeared to urge Iran to convince Hezbollah to agree to a deal that could require Hezbollah to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel assassinated a high-ranking commander in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Gaza.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 (Day 407) The three hundred and fifty-second day of the resumed war. Day 185 of the attack on Rafah.
Israeli troops reached its deepest penetration into Lebanon (about 3 miles) since the war began, but strong resistance from Hezbollah pushed them back.
During a small-scale raid into southern Lebanon, Israeli troops found a large underground weapons storage facility with crates of explosives, ammunition, grenades, and a truck equipped with a mobile rocket launcher. As they continued to search the facility, they found anti-tank missiles, mortar shells, and combat vests. Then they found more than 25 crates of new rockets, prepared for immediate launch. They seized and destroyed everything, including the underground facility.
Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024 (Day 408) The three hundred and fifty-third day of the resumed war. Day 186 of the attack on Rafah.
Two unexploded bombs were found on the grounds of Netanyahu’s home. The Netanyahu family was not at home, and there was no damage.
An Israeli strike on a building in central Beirut killed Hezbollah’s media relations chief.
Monday, Nov. 18, 2024 (Day 409) The three hundred and fifty-fourth day of the resumed war. Day 187 of the attack on Rafah.
An Israeli intelligence report says more than 450 terrorists in Gaza, mainly Hamas, are also employed by UNRWA.
Netanyahu said Israel will not allow Hamas to govern Gaza again.
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 (Day 410) The three hundred and fifty-fifth day of the resumed war. Day 188 of the attack on Rafah.
Netanyahu warned Hamas, “Whoever dares to harm our hostages — their blood is on your head. We will pursue you, and we will find you.”
Netanyahu pledged that those providing information leading to the rescue of the hostages would be rewarded with $5 million and safe passage out of the Gaza Strip.
FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).
Finally, are you Rapture Ready?
If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.
President Donald Trump is planning for all political appointees to receive sweeping security clearances through private firms and only face FBI background checks after the incoming team takes over the FBI.
For the past eight years, the FBI, under James Comey and Chris Wray, illegally targeted President Trump, his family, his business, and his associates using a completely fraudulent document, the Russian dossier, as their reason to spy on the US president before and during his first administration.
Chris Wray later raided Trump’s home in Florida on flimsy, politicized reasons and shuffled through his wife’s underwear drawer.
FBI agents spread documents from Mar-a-Lago on the floor during their raid on President Trump’s home. They made it look like Trump did this.
There is absolutely no reason that Trump would trust the corrupt, politicized FBI today or EVER.
Wall Street Mav reported:
The FBI has lost so much credibility that Trump is not even using them for background investigations of his nominees.
Trump and his team are using private companies for background checks. He plans to override the usual process and grant security clearance his first day in office. Then once his own people are running the FBI, he will allow the FBI to do background checks.
The concern is that the current corrupted FBI, controlled by the deep state, will use their investigation process to nuke some of Trump’s nominees.
Until Trump has his own people in the FBI and can bring a stop to the political motivation to attack his nominees, Trump has cut the FBI out of the process.
Former Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield
In case you missed this.
Dr. Robert Redfield, the former CDC Director during the COVID pandemic, published a powerful editorial in support of President Donald Trump and Robert Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda.
This was before the election and before Robert Kennedy, Jr. was nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in Trump’s second term.
Dr. Robert Redfield, former CDC Director, just wrote a powerful editorial in Newsweek endorsing @realDonaldTrump and @RobertKennedyJr’s bold plan to Make America Healthy Again.
“After more than 40 years in the public health arena, it might surprise some of my colleagues to know I think President Trump chose the right man for the job: Robert Kennedy, Jr.”
“We know chronic disease is more than 75 percent of the country’s $4 trillion annual health care expenditure. Unfortunately, we have become a sick nation.”
“More than 40 percent of school-aged children and adolescents have at least one chronic health condition.”
“Obesity in American children has increased dramatically since John F. Kennedy’s presidency, from around 4 percent in the 1960s to almost 20 percent in 2024.”
“Kennedy is right: All three of the principal health agencies suffer from agency capture.”
“A large portion of the FDA’s budget is provided by pharmaceutical companies. NIH is cozy with biomedical and pharmaceutical companies, and its scientists are allowed to collect royalties on drugs NIH licenses to pharma.”
“President Trump has pledged, if elected, to establish a panel of top experts working with Kennedy to investigate what is causing the decades-long increase in chronic health problems and childhood diseases.”
“Kennedy pledged that ‘within two years, we will watch the chronic disease burden lift dramatically’ if he’s given the tools he needs to make a change. I believe him. And I think President Trump will empower him. I support their noble effort to heal our children.”
“The exorbitant cost of the failing health of our kids, the needless suffering and death, can be ended by a Kennedy Commission on Childhood Chronic Disease.”
This year’s election should have dispelled any and every doubt as to America’s favored (even only) political movement: MAGA. The logic of this, which has been countervailed by legacy news outfits like CNN and the New York Times for years now, wanting the public to believe MAGA is “far right” or “fringe,” should have always been intuitive. Make America Great Again, put simply, is rooted in common sense. No quintessentially American movement would be anything but MAGA. This is because the movement has always represented a revival of American values; of the rule of law; of due process; of impartial and fair justice. It has been oriented around the American Dream – focusing on American business, American industry, and American prosperity. This is not anathema to our principles – it represents a wholehearted embrace of them.
No nation in history, besides one with a suicide pact, would ever prioritize the interests of the foreigner over that of the home-ground citizen. That is such a simple, self-evident truth that it needs no further explanation. Nations are like families. They require careful cultivation and attention over years, even generations, in order to bear plentiful fruits. Caring for one’s own over the foreigner or outsider is not immoral in any sense of the term, it is perfectly natural. This is not simply an American principle, either. A universal law for all nations – indeed, in order to have a nation in any meaningful sense to begin with – requires agreement on a common morality, a sense of national identity, and a healthy and vibrant culture that bonds disparate peoples together under one roof. Political reality necessitates that national identities do not work without strict borders, accompanied by a rigid vetting process to select only those peoples naturally receptive to liberty and self-governance. That is the American tradition.
Modern people far too often take for granted our constitutional birthright of liberty. In the vast scheme of history, liberty is not something that comes natural to most peoples or times. That inexorable fact is what makes America exceptional. We are a liberty-bearing and loving people and have been able to pass that down one generation after the next. We are that partly because it is considered a fundamental value enshrined in our constitutional form of government. Separately, but no less important, is the fact that in previous generations we knew the toils and labors – often firsthand – required to preserve liberty, and how precious and fleeting a republican government that entrusted its people to govern themselves by and large was. In fact, the American project was the first attempt at practicing republican government on a grand scale since ancient Rome. The reasons our Founding Fathers wrote under pen names like “Publius” and “Cincinnatus” was to pay direct homage to that ancient heritage, and to underscore how unique constitutional government was in modern times.
Today’s Americans have largely forgotten their ancient heritage – and crucially how important and rare a small-r republican form of government is. Our clownshow of a Congress, replete with abominable individuals like Nancy Pelosi, AOC, and Jamie Crockett (each one worse than the previous) who our Founding Fathers never would have dreamed occupying the halls of power, in part detracts from our sacred birthright – and disillusions those who might otherwise take interest in and preserve – that venerable heritage from taking meaningful action towards its restoration. This is why as a country we came so close to losing it all – and by the grace of God were given perhaps our last chance ever at revitalizing our constitutional way of life with Donald Trump’s resounding victory a few short weeks ago.
The mandate he received (and make no mistake about it, mandate it was) is encouraging, for it evidences that America’s dynamic spirit has not been totally vanquished. There are still remnants of a will to survive, on a civilizational level, even though we veered unnervingly close to all-out collapse. Now the work begins.
Though we should make good use of the holiday season to rest and reflect on what we have accomplished, hundreds – if not thousands – of J6 demonstrators remain political hostages to a despotic government. Many still languish behind bars, away from their families, having missed seeing their children grow up over their formative years of youth and adolescence, all because the current regime would prefer to scapegoat these people merely to consolidate their power and permanently vanquish political dissent. What has been done to the J6 political prisoners these last four years is a deep and tragically still-abiding evil. It is not enough to simply release or pardon these hostages, who have been persecuted for simply exercising an inalienable right, enshrined and guaranteed under the First Amendment, to peaceably assemble and speak out against injustice committed by a regime deeply in the throes of tyranny. These people deserve to be made whole again. That starts with a formal apology from their government but must continue with so much more. It is not an overstatement to say that the injustices committed against the J6 political hostages amount to the most egregious violation of civil rights exacted by the federal government against any discrete minority group in American history, given the unrelenting concentration of the firepower directed against them, and the outsized obsession among our political elites to punish them.
From the relentless gaslighting to demonize them by the media, to the lives destroyed through arbitrary, capricious, and bankrupting litigation, to the countless incarcerations – and complete disregard for their rights along the way – these people have been tortured nonstop by their government over the last four harrowing years. The evils committed are unspeakable and have lifelong consequences for the defendants, their families, and the institutions that persecuted them. Truly, should we ever come to our senses as a country, this age will be seen by future historians as one of the darkest in modern history, and certainly one of the most violative of human rights — and outright evil — observed in any era in American history.
One of the many aspects of our birthright that our people, and that includes most conservatives, must reclaim is a reverence for justice, in its true and original formulation, and specifically how justice ought to be administered by political institutions throughout society. Justice is an aspect of virtue and must be administered in that light. Most lawyers, including, tragically, far too many self-identified conservative attorneys and judges, fail to demonstrate a deep-rooted understanding of justice in their words and practice. This involves an appreciation of civic morality, and from there, the rightful persecution of crimes. At the same time, true justice entails proper administration of judicial procedure. This means how certain acts deemed intolerable by society ought to be prosecuted – efficient and timely (albeit fair), so as to not impugn the legitimacy of the institutions which prosecute them, nor the dignity of man.
That final precept involves a reminder, ultimately, of where man’s essential dignity comes from. That in turn requires us to keep our sights on Biblical morality. All men are made in the image and likeness of God. That is the cornerstone of justice – both its ethical structure and administration. Men are only permitted to administer justice against wrongs because they are distinct from the beasts of nature and made in the light of God’s infinite wisdom and grace. At the same time, men are not gods themselves, and thus must always remember their essential limits, downstream of which implicates the fundamentally limited nature of justice and guides its practical administration. In short, this is a roundabout way of saying that the kernel of justice is humility – and with that humility, sufficient perspective into man’s fundamental duties and inherent limits. The virtuous judge should never fear administering punitive justice when it is required, especially against those who would otherwise lay waste to justice altogether. At the same time, he must be attentive to its guardrails, unlike the judges which have administered the J6 trials, and ensure that the punishment always matches the crime – and that the crime is a legitimate one, not one based on political malice or invective.
Liberty cannot exist without justice – nor can constitutional government, at least in the American form. Donald Trump’s political mandate was a reminder that the majority of American people still cherish these things and want this next administration to save them because they recognize their indispensability to republican government. If America forfeits the administration of justice to tyrants, it will forgo its very identity – and continue down the road to not just serfdom but oblivion. That has been the standard these last four years. Now presents a wakeup call. This is an inflection point in history that requires those who have been given political authority to make good on their countrymen’s plea – so that liberty might be saved, not just for us over these next four years, but for future generations as well.
“Present-day central planners seek to rule over more than 8 billion people. Only now, instead of justifying empire-building under the guise of “spreading Christianity,” “Manifest Destiny” or “making the world safe for democracy,” they’re importing millions upon millions of people from poor nations to remediate “systemic racism,” produce “decolonization” or challenge the “patriarchy.” In the name of “climate change,” they demand control over agriculture, industry, transportation and finance. Nor are their powers limited to economics; they censor, silence, prosecute and even imprison those who question their motives, their data, their conclusions, their methods.”
(Laura Hollis – The Patriot Post) Years ago, I read a book by the historian Barbara Tuchman called “Bible and Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour.” It’s worth a read for anyone wondering about the origins of the present-day conflicts in the Middle East.
Like so many other contemporary catastrophes, the ongoing wars between Israel and Arab nations are products of central planning by self-appointed elites.
While some intellectuals spent the 19th and 20th centuries trying to create the dictatorship of the proletariat in Russia and throughout Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, others were engaged in “nation-building” in the Middle East. View article →
“Present-day central planners seek to rule over more than 8 billion people. Only now, instead of justifying empire-building under the guise of “spreading Christianity,” “Manifest Destiny” or “making the world safe for democracy,” they’re importing millions upon millions of people from poor nations to remediate “systemic racism,” produce “decolonization” or challenge the “patriarchy.” In the name of “climate change,” they demand control over agriculture, industry, transportation and finance. Nor are their powers limited to economics; they censor, silence, prosecute and even imprison those who question their motives, their data, their conclusions, their methods.”
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