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
Over the years I have seen many Christians forfeit the joys that following Jesus should always bring because they let circumstances determine whether they will be thankful or not. But thankfulness should never depend on the circumstances we find ourselves in but in the God we serve. And since God is always worthy to be praised because of His great love for us, let’s choose gratitude as our moment by moment attitude in life.
In today’s short devotion I would like to leave you with four special quotes on gratitude that I pray, you not only meditate on, but use them as springboards to launch out into a lifestyle of gratitude and thanksgiving for the myriad of blessings our awesome God has showered us with. Not only that but giving thanks to God keeps our hearts in right relationship with Him and saves us from a host of harmful emotions that will rob us of the peace and joy of God that is our new birthright as children of God.
“True gratitude must be rooted in something else that comes first, namely, a delight in the beauty and excellency of God’s character.” ― John Piper1
“Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.” – A.W. Tozer2
“Spiritual joy is what you experience when you choose to give thanks to God no matter what happens – even when things go wrong.” – Jim George3
Isaiah 1:18
New American Standard Bible
18 “Come now, and let us debate your case,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They shall become as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.
The Silver Trumpet – Charles Spurgeon Sermon
▶️Charles Spurgeon Sermon Playlist:
Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon (June 19, 1834 January 31, 1892) was a British Reformed Baptist preacher who remains highly influential among Christians of different denominations, among whom he is still known as the “Prince of Preachers.” In his lifetime, Spurgeon preached to around 10,000,000 people, often up to 10 times a week at different places. His sermons have been translated into many languages. Spurgeon was the pastor of the New Park Street Chapel in London for 38 years. In 1857, he started a charity organization called Spurgeon’s which now works globally. He also founded Spurgeon’s College, which was named after him after his death.
Spurgeon was a prolific author of many types of works including sermons, an autobiography, a commentary, books on prayer, a devotional, a magazine, and more. Many sermons were transcribed as he spoke and were translated into many languages during his lifetime. Arguably, no other author, Christian or otherwise, has more material in print than C.H. Spurgeon.
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
2 PETER 3:17
Those who still read and trust their Bibles in the midst of the nuclear age have found a great truth and a message the rest of the world does not know: after the warlords have shot their last missile and dropped their last bomb there will still be living men inhabiting this globe!
After the world has gone through the meat grinder of Armageddon the earth will still be inhabited by men; not by biological freaks, but by real people like you and me. If the world can escape annihilation only by adopting the ethics of Jesus, as some think, we may as well resign ourselves to the inevitable explosion, for a huge block of the earth’s population is controlled by Communists whose basic ideology is violently anti-Christian and who are determined to extirpate every trace of Christianity from among them. Other large blocks are non-Christian and grimly set to remain so.
The West, it is true, pays lip service to Christianity, but selfishness, greed, ambition, pride and lust rule the rulers of these lands almost to a man. While they will now and then speak well of Christ, yet the total quality of their conduct leaves little doubt that they are not much influenced by His teachings.
All this being true, still we Christians can sing at the foot of the threatening volcano. Things have not gotten out of hand. However bad they look, the Lord sitteth king forever and reigneth over the affairs of men!1
Well may our God be glorious in the eyes of his people, seeing that he has wrought such wonders for them, in them, and by them. For them, the Lord Jesus upon Calvary routed every foe, breaking all the weapons of the enemy in pieces by his finished work of satisfactory obedience; by his triumphant resurrection and ascension he completely overturned the hopes of hell, leading captivity captive, making a show of our enemies openly, triumphing over them by his cross. Every arrow of guilt which Satan might have shot at us is broken, for who can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? Vain are the sharp swords of infernal malice, and the perpetual battles of the serpent’s seed, for in the midst of the church the lame take the prey, and the feeblest warriors are crowned.
The saved may well adore their Lord for his conquests in them, since the arrows of their natural hatred are snapped, and the weapons of their rebellion broken. What victories has grace won in our evil hearts! How glorious is Jesus when the will is subdued, and sin dethroned! As for our remaining corruptions, they shall sustain an equally sure defeat, and every temptation, and doubt, and fear, shall be utterly destroyed. In the Salem of our peaceful hearts, the name of Jesus is great beyond compare: he has won our love, and he shall wear it. Even thus securely may we look for victories by us. We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. We shall cast down the powers of darkness which are in the world, by our faith, and zeal, and holiness; we shall win sinners to Jesus, we shall overturn false systems, we shall convert nations, for God is with us, and none shall stand before us. This evening let the Christian warrior chant the war song, and prepare for to-morrow’s fight. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.1
PAUL continues to glorify the Lord Jesus, and to stir up his brethren to faithfulness. He shows how the death of Jesus has reconciled us to each other and to God.
Colossians 1:21–29
21, 22 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: (Thus the work of grace produces in us the highest degree of holiness: to be unblameable in man’s sight is much, but to be unblameable even in the sight of God is absolute perfection. This will be the condition of every believer when the Lord’s designs are accomplished in him.)
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Steadfastness in the faith is an essential of true religion: a tree often transplanted cannot thrive. Since the gospel is assuredly the truth of God, it is foolishness in the extreme to be enticed from it by the novel teachings of men. Paul gloried in being a minister of the old unchanging gospel.
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: (All the body must suffer in order to have sympathy with the Head; and in order to gather in all the Lord’s chosen the church must undergo a measure of suffering and persecution; in this Paul was glad to take his share. The atoning sufferings of Jesus were finished long ago, his sufferings in his mystical body are not for the expiation of sin, but arise out of our conflict with the powers of evil.)
25–27 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
PAUL a second time declares his call to the ministry.
Colossians 2:1–7
1–3 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
What wisdom, therefore, it is to know Christ: however simple the gospel may appear to be, it is in very truth far superior in wisdom to all the systems of philosophy, or schools of “modern thought.”
4, 5 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
6, 7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (May the Lord grant us so to do. The gospel which has saved us will do to live by and to die by. To turn from it would be to forsake fulness for emptiness, the substance for the shadow, and the truth for falsehood. May the Holy Spirit continue to lead us yet further into the knowledge of Christ crucified, and never may we in any degree cease from earnest belief of the truth, or lose our thankfulness for it.)
Hosea 1:1 — Hosea is a unique story. Rich Christiano has produced a great movie on the book of Hosea, Amazing Love:
Hosea 1:2 — WHOA! Did God really tell Hosea to take a prostitute as a wife? And Hosea did (Hosea 1:3)!
Hosea 1:7 — For context, Hosea is written shortly before the fall of the Northern Kingdom. We’ll read this idea again in Zechariah 4:6, and we’ve already read this idea in Psalm 44:3.
Hosea 1:10 — God appeared to disown His people in Hosea 1:9, but now we read that God will regather His people and reclaim them (Hosea 1:11).
Hosea 2:6 — Ever find yourself running into a wall? Sometimes God closes a door to block us from what we want and to drive us back to our God. Sounds a bit like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).
Hosea 2:16 — So, we have a play on words here:
Ishi – My Man/Husband/Love
Baali – My Owner/Lord/Master
The LORD/Jehovah is saying that He supported His bride Israel, even while she sought other lovers (Hosea 2:8). Now, He will chasten her (Hosea 2:11), but then He will woo her (Hosea 2:14). He will change her heart from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10). Israel will not be under a circumcision of flesh, but a circumcision of heart. The relationship will then be one of love (Ishi) and not fear (Baali).
Notice the contrast. The LORD/Jehovah is saying, “I don’t want to hear Baalim (Lord) because you’re serving Baal instead of me. Baal is a cruel Baali (Lord). He is using you for what the LORD/Jehovah has given you. But the LORD/Jehovah will bring you back and will give you even more.”
Hosea 2:23 — Lo-ruhamah (no mercy) and Lo-ammi (not mine) will become mercy and mine!
Hosea 3:2 — What a great picture of what Christ did for us! God redeemed us!
Hosea 3:5 — Another reference to “David their King.” Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all prophesied that there would be a King David “in the latter days.”
1 John 5:1 — Do you need assurance of your salvation? This is the book for you! What do you believe about Jesus? Was He born of the flesh (1 John 4:2-3)? Is He born of God? (1 John 5:1)? Do you love God’s people (1 John 5:1)? Do you love God (1 John 5:2)? Do you keep His commands (1 John 5:3)? These are some of the characteristics of a believer, but we’ll get to the key verse in a bit.
1 John 5:13 — How can we know that we have eternal life? Eternal life is ours if we believe on the name of the Son of God! In Hebrew, at five letter intervals, you can see the name of Jesus hidden in the phrase.
1 John 5:15 — Because we believe in Him we can have our prayer answered!
Proverbs 29:7 — Why does God care so much about the poor? What is the difference between “middle class” and poor? Possession of money. Can we boast of the money we have? Only if it is truly ours, but we can’t say that. All we have is His. Perhaps it’s another extension of humility (James 4:6). Whether we are proud in our thoughts or in our wallets, all we have is God’s.
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When I see the blood, I will pass over you.Exodus 12:13
My own sight of the precious blood is for my comfort; but it is the Lord’s sight of it which secures my safety. Even when I am unable to behold it, the Lord looks at it and passes over me because of it. If I am not so much at ease as I ought to be, because my faith is dim, yet I am equally safe because the Lord’s eye is not dim, and He sees the blood of the great Sacrifice with steady gaze. What a joy is this!
The Lord sees the deep inner meaning, the infinite fullness of all that is meant by the death of His dear Son. He sees it with restful memory of justice satisfied and all His matchless attributes glorified. He beheld creation in its progress and said, “It is very good”; but what does He say of redemption in its completeness? What does He say of the obedience even unto death of His well-beloved Son? None can tell His delight in Jesus, His rest in the sweet savor which Jesus presented when He offered Himself without spot unto God.
Now rest we in calm security. We have God’s sacrifice and God’s Word to create in us a sense of perfect security. He will, He must, pass over us, because He spared not our glorious Substitute. Justice joins hands with love to provide everlasting salvation for all the blood-besprinkled
Discernment is a lost art in the church today. When it comes to teaching, anything goes as long as it sounds good to the hearer. As a result, many Christians are swept away by the winds of heresy since they are unable to stand firm in biblical truth.
Why is this such a serious case in the body of Christ today? One reason I believe discernment is lacking amongst Christians has to do with the lack of biblical literacy. In other words, Christians don’t know their Bible! While they may know their favorite verses, passages, and stories, they lack comprehension due to insufficient time in the Scriptures and taking the text out of context.
Another reason is due to the presence of false teachers today. Scripture makes it clear that false teachers have crept into the body of Christ today (Jude 4) and that professing believers will fall away from the faith and “follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). Sadly, many well-meaning Christians are deceived because they’ve grown accustomed to messages that have little to no biblical basis. For that reason, they are more entertained than properly equipped in light of these messages preached from the pulpit. And preachers who deliver these kinds of teachings today must give account to God, for which they will be judged more severely (James 3:1).
That being said, I will spend the duration of this article sharing what discernment entails and four tips Christians can use to cultivate discernment against false teaching.
For the Christian, discernment is wisdom that is to be acquired and acted upon in order to know the difference between true doctrine and false doctrine. Consider how the 17th-century preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon describes discernment.
“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” —C.H. Spurgeon
What Spurgeon means is that deception is so subtle that people who listen to it embrace it as truth. As a result, they become blinded to actual, biblical truth. That is so dangerous because one can spend years in the church and have no sound understanding of the Scriptures at all. And what makes it even worse is that friends and family members might reject you or even shun you if you say that their favorite preacher is a false teacher and warn against their teachings.
While standing for biblical truth isn’t easy, it is worth it, and we must stand firm! That being said, here are four tips that Christians can use in cultivating discernment against false teaching.
1. Discernment primarily comes through knowing God through Jesus Christ.
Prior to knowing God, we were in spiritual darkness where Satan had “blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4). Not only that, we have turned away from God (Romans 3:12) and wanted nothing to do with Him. But God, in His mercy and grace, extended salvation to us in Christ. As the Scriptures say, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8), which also demonstrates God’s love for His people.
Eternal life doesn’t begin when we die and go to Heaven; it begins by knowing God through Jesus Christ (John 17:3). There is no other way to God the Father except through Christ (John 14:6). And now that we are in Christ, our spiritual eyes have been opened. Rather than being blinded by our own sin, we now recognize it for what it is an abomination before God and that it took the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, in which we are reconciled and justified before His sight. We are then given the Holy Spirit who guides us in remembering what God has said in His Word (John 14:26).
That being said, not knowing God means not truly having discernment, as one is still captive and blinded by their own sin. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed! (John 8:36)
2. Discernment is a skill that is developed through equipping oneself with God’s Word.
When it comes to God’s Word, it is likened to an offensive weapon, particularly “a two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12) and “the sword of the spirit” (Eph. 6:18). Christians must utilize the Word of God to defend when necessary. One example is fighting sin. Consider Jesus‘ temptation in the desert, where the devil tried to cause Jesus to sin by ordering him to turn stones into bread, jump off a cliff so that the angels would save Him, and bow down before him in worship (Matt. 4:1-11). Jesus, in response, cited the Scriptures in counteracting Satan’s lies, such as “man shall not live on bread alone but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4)
The same is to be applied against false teaching because that is how you will be able to discern it for what it is and stand against it. Over time, Christians with a sound and thorough understanding of the Scriptures will be able to point out red flags incompatible with God’s Word. This is especially important for new Christians who perhaps have never read the Bible in their lives and are more vulnerable to deception.
It all boils down to being equipped with the Word of God, which is “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). This is otherwise known as Sola Scriptura in which the Bible is sufficient to equip Christians for life and godliness. It would be unwise to act as if God’s Word isn’t enough and not live in light of it. It is like going into battle without a sword or firearm; you won’t be able to survive without it. Friends, remember we live in a world where deception and lies are prominent, whether it’s from the world or some churches today. Therefore, the battle for the truth is crucial.
One petition all Christians must have is for God to grant them discernment. As previously said, discernment is wisdom that is to be acquired and acted upon in order to distinguish between true doctrine and false doctrine. Therefore, discernment should be our petition before the Lord.
“I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.” (Psalm 119:125)
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)
I believe that this is a type of prayer that God would answer as He would want all Christians to have discernment. We are to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). To do it in our own strength would be unwise because then we are prone to going against God’s Word.
The same God who opened our eyes at our conversion is the same God who grants us discernment as we continue to grow in our relationship with Him and in His Word. It is part of our sanctification, maturing as Christians, and growing in Christlikeness. Many Christians remain spiritually immature despite being in church for years because they are not growing in the Word. The author of Hebrews states it perfectly:
“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)
They’re comfortable with just attending church Sundays, and that’s it. Their knowledge of the Scriptures is minimal, and they barely make time for the Word or for prayer. As a result, they remain stagnant. A discerning Christian is a growing Christian because he or she is constantly striving to grow more in the Lord despite their own imperfections and shortcomings. They are not satisfied with the milk because they’re no longer infants. They need solid food, which comes through continued growth in the Word of God and asking God for discernment.
4. Discernment should be practiced by analyzing what’s been preached
The final point is how to put discernment into practice by analyzing what’s been preached. What does that look like? Consider Acts 17, where the apostle Paul and Silas traveled to Berea from Thessalonica due to the hostility of the Jews for sharing the gospel with them. During their stay in Berea, the residing Jews were described as “more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (v 11).
As we know, God used Paul tremendously ever since the Lord met him on the road to Damascus and forever transformed his life (Acts 9). Here is a man who performed miracles, wrote half of the New Testament, and is widely regarded as one of the most prominent Christian figures today. And yet, the Jews took his words in light of Scripture “to see if these things were so.”
Here lies a powerful principle that Christians should utilize when listening to sermons: examine them in light of the Word of God. Ask yourself: “Is what’s being preached faithful to the biblical text?” If more Christians did this today, their ability to discern would grow significantly because they are allowing the Scriptures to assess what they are listening to. That being said, it requires Christians to first and foremost be grounded in the Word so that they would be able to point out the red flags in false teaching today.
In closing, Christians should make an effort to cultivate discernment against false teachings with the Word of God. With so much deception in the world today, and sadly in many churches, the true church of Jesus Christ must stand firm with biblical truth and sound doctrine because that is what the Lord Jesus Christ has provided for his bride. Therefore, we must cherish it and protect it with our lives no matter the cost!
Does the Bible sometimes seem random to you? What does Hezekiah have to do with Philemon? How is Enoch connected to Ruth? What do battles in ancient Mesopotamia have to do with the church? Is the Bible really all one story?
Here are eight proofs that the Bible is one story.
The Bible has One main character. From Genesis to Revelation, God is the protagonist. Genesis 1:1 declares, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Revelation 21 proclaims that “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Even in the middle, Daniel is not the main character of the book of Daniel. He’s not even in chapter 3. But God is. And this is true throughout the Scriptures.
The Bible has One author. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16). Many individuals over thousands of years contributed, but they were moved by the Holy Spirit to write what they wrote (2 Peter 1:21).
The setting of the Bible sets up the conclusion. What began in a perfect garden in Genesis 1 ends in a perfect garden in Revelation 22. Creation moves towards new creation. God began with His people and will dwell with them once more in the end.
The conflict leads to the climax. Man sinned and marred God’s creation. God made man to reflect His image, fellowship with Him, and have dominion over His creation (Genesis 1:26-28). The Bible ends by show how God brings His original plan for His creation to pass. The distruper is not the victor. Christ crushes the serpent’s head at the cross and rises, defeating death. Because of Christ’s victory, at the end of the Bible, man once again reflects the image of God as God designed him to do. He fellowships with God, redeemed from his sin. And he has dominion over creation, ruling and reigning with Jesus in the Millennial Kingdom.
The genealogies tie the Torah to the New Testament. It’s all one story, centered on Jesus Christ. His genealogy in Matthew 1 ties threads back to Abraham. And the genealogy in Luke 3 goes all the way back to Adam.
The Old Testament looks ahead to Christ’s first coming. The New Testament anticipates His second coming. All sections of the story look ahead to Christ because it is all one story.
Tension rises throughout the Bible. At the end of each book, the story has not finished. Genesis ends with God’s people in Egypt–not the Promised Land. The story must go on. Exodus ends with God’s people with a place to worship God but in the wilderness. There is more to this story still. Fast forward to 2 Chronicles, the last book in the Hebrew Torah, and Israel is in exile. The story is not done yet! Malachi ends with a curse. That can’t be the end of the story. Even the Gospels, end looking ahead. The story has not finished because Jesus must return. Then, Acts ends abruptly with Paul in jail awaiting a verdict. His story was not finished and neither is the story of the church. The story does not end until God makes everything right. He must judge the world. His kingdom must come as He promised. The Bible is one story, leading to the final conclusion.
The biblical covenants and Messianic prophesies are plot points in an overarching narrative. If the author of a novel mentions a sword on the wall in the first act, you can guarantee that someone will be brandishing that sword by the end of the story. If God makes promises in His Word, you can guarantee that the story is not over until all of the promises have come to pass. The covenants and prophesies link the ancient stories. What has been fulfilled foreshadows what is coming later in the story and ties the millennia of narratives together.
The Bible is one grand narrative. This list of evidences is only the beginning. Can you add to it?
Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant minds in history, transformed our understanding of the universe. His theory of relativity reshaped physics, while his discovery of the photoelectric effect won him the Nobel Prize in 1921. Yet, for all his genius, Einstein famously dismissed trivial facts. When asked how many feet are in a mile, he replied, “I do not clutter my mind with insignificant information that I can find in less than two minutes in a book.”
Though Einstein acknowledged a divine order in the universe, he rejected the God of the Bible—the personal God who is both knowable and redemptive. He once remarked, “The more I study science, the more I believe in God,” but tragically, he never came to know the one true and living God.
In this one staggering statement in John 1:14, we see a God who enters His creation, reveals His glory, and provides grace and truth for fallen sinners.
This contrast between human intellect and divine revelation sets the stage for John 1:14, a verse that declares the profound truth at the heart of Christmas: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” In this one staggering statement in John 1:14, we see a God who enters His creation, reveals His glory, and provides grace and truth for fallen sinners.
The Word Became Flesh
John begins this verse with a profound declaration: “The Word became flesh.” This phrase encapsulates the mystery of the incarnation, where the eternal Logos took on human nature without ceasing to be divine.
The term Logos (λόγος) was familiar to John’s Greek and Jewish audiences, but John redefines it in the opening of his Gospel. For Greek philosophers like Heraclitus, the Logos referred to the rational principle and non-personal deity governing the universe. But John declares that the Logos (Word) is not an impersonal force but a person—Jesus Christ, who was both with God and was God (John 1:1).
Jesus, the eternal Word, is the Creator of all things (John 1:3). He is the “I AM” who declared, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58) and “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Jesus is sovereign over creation, having formed humanity in His image, established the laws of nature, and upholds the cosmos by His power. As the Nicene Creed affirms, He is “very God of very God,” worthy of all worship.
John’s declaration that “the Word became flesh” unveils the miracle of the incarnation. The eternal Son of God entered His creation by taking on human nature. This is the mystery that Thomas Watson called “the infinite love of God.” Christ did not cease to be God but added humanity to His deity, becoming truly God and truly man.
Christ did not cease to be God but added humanity to His deity, becoming truly God and truly man.
Consider the humility of the incarnation: the Creator of the universe was born in a lowly stable, veiled in flesh, and subjected to the limitations of humanity in his human nature. Charles Wesley beautifully captures this truth in his hymn:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.
The incarnation is not only a theological truth but a deeply personal one. Without the Word becoming flesh, humanity would remain lost in sin, alienated from God. As Watson reminds us, “Had not Christ been made flesh, we had been made a curse.”
The Word Tabernacled Among Us
John continues, “and dwelt among us.” The Greek word for “dwelt” (σκηνόω) means “to take up residence, or to pitch a tent,” evoking the imagery of the Old Testament tabernacle where God’s presence dwelled among His people.
In Exodus, God commanded Moses to construct the tabernacle, a portable sanctuary where His presence would reside. The tabernacle was central to Israel’s worship, housing the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark’s mercy seat was the place of atonement, where the high priest sprinkled the sacrificial blood once per year on the Day of Atonement.
This structure symbolized God’s desire to dwell among His people, yet it was limited by layers of separation. Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and only once every year. When John writes that Jesus “dwelt among us,” he declares that Christ is the fulfillment of the tabernacle. Unlike the temporary, veiled presence of God in the Old Testament, in the person of Jesus God’s presence is fully revealed. As Hebrews 1:3 states, He is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature.”
Through Christ, humanity can approach God directly, without fear or separation. He is not only the greater High Priest who offers Himself as the perfect sacrifice, but he is the greater tabernacle granting access to the Father for all who believe.
Through Christ, humanity can approach God directly, without fear or separation. He is not only the greater High Priest who offers Himself as the perfect sacrifice, but he is the greater tabernacle granting access to the Father for all who believe. This is the wonder and thrilling truth of the birth of Jesus that is celebrated at Christmas.
The Word Revealed the Glory of God
John writes, “We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” The incarnation reveals the radiant glory of God in a way that humanity could see, hear, feel, and touch.
Throughout Scripture, God’s glory is depicted as overwhelming and unapproachable. At Mount Sinai, God’s presence was so terrifying that the Israelites trembled in fear (Exodus 19). When Moses asked to see God’s glory, he was only permitted a partial glimpse, for no one could see God and live (Exodus 33:20). In the tabernacle and later the temple, God’s glory filled the sanctuary, yet it remained hidden behind the veil.
In Jesus, the glory of God is fully revealed. At the transfiguration, Peter, James, and John witnessed His divine majesty shining through His humanity (Matthew 17:2). After His resurrection, Paul encountered the risen Christ in glory, a vision so blinding it left him temporarily blind (Acts 9:3–9).
Jesus’ miracles also revealed His glory, demonstrating His divine authority over sickness, nature, and even death. From calming the storm to raising Lazarus, each miracle pointed to His identity as the Son of God. Even as Jesus’ deity was clothed in human flesh, it could not veil his glory. Throughout his earthly ministry, bursts of glory and rays of his majesty are visibly seen in his powerful miracles. Yet, the greatest display of His glory was seen in His humility and suffering. On the cross, Jesus bore the wrath of God for sinners, displaying the glory of divine love and justice and the vindication of it all was his glorious resurrection.
The Word Delivered Grace and Truth
Finally, John declares that Jesus is “full of grace and truth.” These two attributes summarize the purpose of the incarnation: to bring salvation through grace and to reveal the truth of God.
Grace is the unmerited favor of God toward sinners. In Jesus, grace is personified and extended to all who believe. As Paul writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). From His first breath in Bethlehem to His final cry on the cross, Jesus’ life was marked by grace. He came not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17). His death and resurrection provide eternal life to those who trust in Him.
Jesus not only embodies grace but also truth. He declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In a world filled with deception, Jesus stands as the ultimate standard of truth.His teachings reveal the truth about God, humanity, and salvation. He exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, corrected false interpretations of Scripture, and proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom. As the Spirit of Truth, Jesus sanctifies believers, transforming them into His likeness through the power of the Word (John 17:17).
The incarnation is the foundation of the Christian faith. In Jesus, the eternal Word became flesh, dwelt among us, revealed God’s glory, and brought grace and truth to a lost world. As we celebrate Christmas, let us marvel at the humility and majesty of Christ, who entered His creation to redeem it. And let us live in anticipation of the day when He will dwell with His people forever:
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3).
This is the true theology of Christmas: God became man so that we might dwell with Him in glory. Let us worship the incarnate Word, our Immanuel.
For more information, please read, Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels (UPDATED AND REVISED): https://amzn.to/42XtJhu
To purchase the entire series of complete videos, please visit:Cold-Case-Christianity Video DVD: https://amzn.to/2yoRGAW
TRUMP: Release hostages by January 20 or there will be ‘ALL HELL TO PAY’ Trump:’ Those responsible (for holding the hostages) will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!’ US President-elect Donald Trump demanded that all hostages be released by the time he takes office on January 20 or there would be “Hell to pay.”
Biden’s CDC planned to create nationwide quarantine camps during COVID On July 26, 2020, with the George Floyd riots having finally settled down, the CDC issued a plan for establishing nationwide quarantine camps. No matter how bad you think COVID policies were, they were intended to be worse. Features of the CDC’s edicts did incredible damage.
PM Netanyahu vows ‘forceful response’ after Hezbollah breaks ceasefire by launching grenades at IDF on Mt. Dov Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a strong response after Hezbollah took responsibility for launching two mortar grenades at IDF positions on Mount Dov earlier Monday. “Hezbollah fire at Mt. Dov constitutes a severe violation of the ceasefire, and Israel will respond forcefully,” the prime minister stated in the evening.
IDF warns Iran against smuggling weapons to Hezbollah as regime sends proxy troops into Syria After Jihadist rebel groups captured the city of Aleppo in northern Syria over the weekend, IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari issued the military’s first official statement on the situation in Israel’s northeastern neighbor. “The Iranian regime is sending reinforcements to Syria,” Hagari confirmed while speaking to Sky News Arabia. Monday morning, Reuters reported that Iran-backed militias entered Syria from Iraq overnight to assist Syrian army forces in beating back the Jihadist rebel groups that captured Aleppo.
Israeli intelligence discovers 200 Iranian-led cyberattacks against Israeli officials “The Shin Bet uncovered an Iranian phishing campaign aimed at Israeli citizens, some senior members of the security echelons, politicians, members of academia, journalists and others,” the security agency announced in an official statement. “The aim of the Iranian campaign was to get access to computerized media systems: e-mail, computers, smartphones of Israelis the Iranians planned to attack, in order to access personal information such as home addresses, contacts and places where they regularly stay.”
Chaos in Syria ‘creates opportunities’ against Iranian axis The renewed fighting has seen the rebels quickly take Aleppo and advance further south, and is being closely monitored by Israel. It is already drawing in Russia, which is conducting airstrikes on the Sunni forces, while unconfirmed reports of strikes by an unidentified air force targeted positions of Iran-backed militias in Deir Ezzor, northeastern Syria, an area used by Shi’ite militias to cross into Syria from Iraq.
Hezbollah fires first missiles since ceasefire took effect he Israel Defense Forces on Monday confirmed carrying out airstrikes on a Hezbollah missile production facility in the Beqaa Valley and other sites in the Hermel area of the Lebanon-Syria border used for weapons smuggling.
Syrian leader Assad asks Israel for help with rebels In a surprising development, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad asked for Israel’s help to quell the revolt within the country, a security official told Elaph, an online Arabic media outlet. Israel responded with a demand to remove any Iranian forces from Syria before it would consider assistance, according to the report.
Israel warns Iran not to rebuild Hezbollah’s forces The Israeli military on Monday warned Iran that the IDF has monitored Iranian forces operating in Syria to bolster the Assad regime, adding that Israel will not tolerate Tehran using its foothold on Israel’s northern border to reinforce Hezbollah.
Israeli hacker faces extradition to the US from Norway An Israeli who served seven years in an Israeli prison for hacking a host of American institutions as a minor was arrested last week in Norway and is now facing extradition to the United States, according to Hebrew media reports. The Israeli, who was released from jail after serving seven years of a 10-year sentence, had traveled to Norway and applied for political asylum,
Making history in Andorra: Official Rabbi appointed first time in 1,000 years For the first time in one thousand years, the European principality of Andorra will have an official Rabbi. Rabbi Yekutiel Kalmenson and his family have arrived in the Catholic country to lead the 250-member Jewish community. “There is no crime or antisemitism here,” says Shimon Bar Sheshet, a local resident since 1979. “You can walk in the streets at midnight or two a.m. without a worry.”
The Coast Guard suspends its search for the crew of a capsized fishing boat in the Gulf of Alaska The Coast Guard began the search after Wind Walker’s crew sent a Mayday call at 12:10 am Sunday, Dec 1st that the 50-foot (15-meter) boat was overturning off Point Couverden. The Coast Guard tried to get more information as it mobilized a response, but the crew didn’t answer. The state ferry Hubbard reached the scene, followed by a Coast Guard helicopter and response boat. A winter storm warning was in effect as responders faced heavy snow, winds up to 60 mph (96 kph) & 6-foot (1.8-meter) seas.
Record snowfall blankets parts of U.S. over Thanksgiving weekend A powerful lake-effect snowstorm unleashed its full force over Thanksgiving 2024 weekend in the US, burying parts of New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan under more than 90 cm (3 feet) of snow. Erie, Pennsylvania, experienced its snowiest day on record on Friday, Nov 29, receiving 57.4 cm (22.6 inches) of snow in 24 hours. Hazardous conditions are expected to persist until midweek.
Mexico Stops 2 Migrant Caravans After Trump Tariff Threat Days after President-Elect Donald Trump announced that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had “agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States,” or face 25% import duties on Mexican goods, it appears she’s done just that.
Scrutiny of World Bank Intensifies Over $24 Billion In Unaccounted Climate Funds Scrutiny has intensified over the World Bank’s handling of climate funds, with a recent report by Oxfam revealing that between $24 billion and $41 billion in climate finance disbursed by the Bank over the past seven years remains unaccounted for.
Syria flare-up jolts the US and offers chance for Trump The surprise resurgence of Syria’s civil war is shaking the table for the United States, which tried to turn the page years ago on a devastating conflict where it saw few good outcomes. The latest turmoil in a chaotic region comes less than a couple months before the return of President-elect Donald Trump, whose team could see an unexpected opportunity as part of its bid to reshape the Middle East, albeit with plenty of question marks…
Putin approves record defense spending – a third of Russia’s budget Russian President Putin approved a record-breaking defense budget, setting aside a staggering third of the government’s total spending as the war in Ukraine drains resources from both sides nearly three years on. The budget for 2025 allocates about C$179.5 billion (13.5 trillion rubles) to national defense – amounting to 32.5 percent of government spending.
Covid: “They Put a Bounty on Our Heads” With the recent election of Trump, a number of firms have backpedaled their DEI policies, “wokeism”, and censorship. There are still many more companies that have to follow…. On Nov 22, global market authority Bert Dohmen had his latest interview, titled “The Market Risk No One Is Talking About,” published on YouTube. He offered his insights on a number of market and economic topics…. However, shortly after its premiere, YouTube banned the interview and took it down. The presumed reason was a brief, frank discussion on the giant Covid hoax and Vax scam. Watch the full uncensored interview by clicking this link: https://go.dohmencapital.com/BDBannedInterviewNov2024
Newly discovered Asteroid flew past Earth at closest flyby of the year and second closest on record Asteroid 2024 XA was first observed at Catalina Sky Survey, Arizona, only 5 hours before the flyby. This is the 123rd known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year and the closest of the year. This is also the second closest asteroid flyby on record (since 1900).
“He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and a third time, till at length it becomes habitual.” —Thomas Jefferson (1785)
A scathing congressional COVID report confirms our hunches: “A distrust in leadership.” That’s perhaps the ultimate consequence of our nation’s botched handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a 520-page final report released yesterday by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. The wide-ranging report evaluated public health guidance, state actions, vaccinations, and the use of relief funds. “The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a distrust in leadership,” Chairman Brad Wenstrup noted. “Trust is earned. Accountability, transparency, honesty, and integrity will regain this trust. A future pandemic requires a whole of America response managed by those without personal benefit or bias. We can always do better, and for the sake of future generations of Americans, we must.” Indeed, mistaken responses seemed to be the rule rather than the exception — especially the lockdowns. As The Hill reported, “Wenstrup listed seven specific findings in his letter, including that the National Institutes of Health funded controversial gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, that Operation Warp Speed was [a] ‘tremendous success,’ and that public school closures will have an ‘enduring impact’ on American children.” Ditto the trampling of our fundamental rights, both in terms of free speech and also bodily autonomy regarding the vaccine mandate.
Trade war with China ratchets up: In a clear response to President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to raise tariffs against Chinese goods by at least 10%, Beijing on Tuesday announced that it was banning the export of gallium, germanium, antimony, and other materials used for the production of various military applications to the U.S. At specific issue for China is the U.S. limiting its exports of semiconductor-related materials. The U.S. has recently expanded its list of companies on the “entity list,” which are subject to strict export controls due to their connection to Beijing and its systematic theft of intellectual property. The U.S. is acting to protect intellectual property and sensitive computer chip technology over national security concerns. Furthermore, the U.S. protects American manufacturing interests from being undercut by cheap Chinese imports, like electric vehicles. China’s Association of Automobile Manufacturers has objected to the U.S. export limits on advanced semiconductor technology, claiming, “Such behavior seriously violates the laws of the market economy and the principle of fair competition, undermines the international economic and trade order, disrupts the stability of the global industrial chain, and ultimately harms the interests of all countries.”
Trump’s labor sec pick is a threat to right-to-work states: Donald Trump’s cabinet picks have so far met with mostly resounding approval, but that’s not the case with his nominee for secretary of labor. Her Big Labor sympathies seem an odd fit for Trump’s pro-business agenda. As National Review reports, “Voters are fleeing and rejecting the big-spending, high-tax, anti-worker agendas of blue states, much to Republicans’ political benefit. That’s why Trump’s intent to nominate Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R., Ore.) as secretary of labor makes no sense. She has supported legislation that would make the red-state model of governance nearly impossible and empower the same unions that contribute to blue states’ woes.” Trump’s outreach to the nation’s labor unions has been well documented, as Teamsters Union chief Sean O’Brien became the first-ever leader of that organization to address the Republican National Convention. Far worse than the Teamsters and the United Auto Workers, though, are the public-sector unions, which continue to suck the blood from state and local governments. As for Chavez-DeRemer, her biggest red flag is her support for the so-called PRO Act, which would invalidate the right-to-work laws of 27 states that currently have them. This seems like it should be a disqualifying position to liberty-loving Americans everywhere.
Foreign Policy
Trump warns Hamas on hostages: “A refreshing change in our approach on foreign policy.” So said South Dakota Republican Senator Mike Rounds when asked about Donald Trump’s candid warning to Hamas, the Iran-sponsored terrorist organization that continues to hold Israeli and American hostages more than a year after its barbaric October 7 attack on Israel. “If the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025,” Trump warned yesterday, “there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East. … Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America.” Essentially: Release them by Inauguration Day, or else. Trump’s red line brings to mind another hostage situation in which Iran was involved — 44 years ago, Ronald Reagan secured the release of 52 American hostages from Iran after 444 days of captivity under Jimmy Carter. Leftist hysterians and “fact-checkers” say Reagan doesn’t deserve any credit for their release, but ask yourself: Why would the hostages have taken off from Tehran airport at the very moment Reagan was concluding his inaugural remarks? Answer: Because the Iranians feared Reagan a lot more than they feared Carter. Similarly, we’d say, Trump and Biden.
Trump tells Trudeau Canada could become the 51st state: It’s a fascinating prospect, doubling the land mass of the United States by bringing aboard our northern neighbor. But the president-elect was just trolling the Canadian prime minister. Justin Castro-Trudeau paid a visit to Mar-a-Lago on Friday, after Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods “over their failures to curb the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs from those countries into the U.S.” Trump called the meeting “very productive,” and we’ll bet it was. According to sources who witnessed the meeting, Trudeau objected to Trump’s tariff threat, saying its imposition would wreck the Canadian economy. Trump replied by suggesting that if Canada’s economy can’t survive a little tariff from Trump, then it had better start trading fairly. Trump says the Canadians are currently “ripping off the U.S. to the tune of $100 billion,” and he proposed to let Canada join the U.S. as our 51st state if it can’t survive independently — a state that, Trump said, could then be administered by Governor Trudeau.
Trump to visit France’s Notre Dame in first foreign trip as president-elect (Washington Examiner)
Biden administration announces another $725 million In Ukraine military aid (Daily Wire)
Border Security
Ninth Circuit blasts sanctuary policy blocking ICE using airports: On Friday, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that a sanctuary policy restricting Homeland Security from using airports in the Seattle area to transport detained illegal aliens was unconstitutional. The Court noted that King County was in violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. At issue for the Court was the fact that only the federal government has the legal authority to deport illegal aliens and not the states. Therefore, the states do not have the authority to act against the federal government in its expressed enforcement powers. Former immigration judge Matthew O’Brien noted, “The government doesn’t have any right to command the states or local jurisdictions to undertake federal responsibilities but by the same token. The states can’t set up any type of scheme that’s deliberately calculated to frustrate federal enforcement.” This ruling will have a significant impact on Donald Trump’s plan to deport illegal aliens.
NYC is now home to over 58K ‘criminal’ migrants — including more than 1,000 gang members: ICE (New York Post)
Culture
CA forcing gender-neutral child section on department stores: California Attorney General Rob Bonta recently warned that retailers could be liable for a fine if they fail to comply with AB 1084, a law passed last year that requires department stores to include gender-neutral child production sections, including toys. On Sunday, Benta’s office issued the following statement: “Does your department store have a gender-neutral children section? As of January 1, 2024, large retail department stores that sell childcare items or toys must maintain a gender-neutral section for these items.” Stores that don’t comply will be fined $250 for their first offense and $500 for repeat offenses. Is it any wonder that it’s not just residents but businesses that are fleeing this California madness?
Heckler tests Obama’s return to spotlight: During a forum that featured Barack Obama interviewing former German Chancellor Angela Merkel regarding her new book, Freedom: Memories 1954-2021, at the Anthem venue in Washington, DC, a heckler interrupted the event. This was Obama’s first public appearance since stumping for Kamala Harris in her failed election bid. Obama responded to the heckler, “People came to listen to Angela Merkel and not you, young lady. You can organize your own event, and people can come to listen to you and your questions. But right now, they’re here to listen to Angela Merkel, so be respectful.” While Donald Trump was not mentioned during the interview, both politicians have been highly critical of him. Furthermore, Obama insinuated that Harris’s election loss was due to a shifting media landscape. “Partly because of changes in media, you don’t have a common conversation,” he opined. “It becomes harder and harder, I think, for people to feel that they can reach out and be curious about others.” Well, that may be due to Obama’s molding of the Democrat Party into his own image as the lecturer-in-chief. He never really listened to Americans because he was too busy criticizing them for being Americans.
SCOTUS to hear challenge to TN law banning transing of minors (Washington Examiner)
J.K. Rowling on the personal cost of standing up to trans activists (Hot Air)
Daniel Penny prosecutors play the race card in closing arguments (Fox News)
Today is “Giving Tuesday,” a day set on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday to encourage giving to things that provide a far greater return than retail discounts.
Like many mission-based organizations, we raise over half of our annual budget in the last two months of the year.
In the Giving Tuesday spirit, please consider renewing your support today so that our voice for Liberty remains strong in 2025.
From each of us here, our sincerest thanks for your support. —The Patriot Post Editorial Team
Joe Biden’s Thanksgiving weekend gift to himself was a pardon for the turkey his son, Hunter. It was an outrageous act of self-serving hypocrisy, which he justified with a shameless claim of victimhood. It also illustrates that Dr. Jill Biden is still running the show.
“Of course I support the pardon of my son,” Jill Biden said Monday when what she meant is that she demanded the pardon.
Patriot Post readers know all that and aren’t surprised one bit. Neither will we be surprised if or when Biden pardons his brother, Jim, or even himself — because this whole charade is about the corruption of Joe Biden.
Somehow, though, Democrats and Leftmedia talkingheads and scribes are at least pretending to be shocked — shocked — that Biden’s a selfish liar.
Let’s start with the Leftmedia, who scrambled to overcome their humiliation by blaming or shifting attention to Donald Trump.
CNN’s S.E. Cupp, for example, offered this gem: “It doesn’t get said enough, but Trump’s enduring legacy will be convincing BOTH parties to lower the bar, and that possessing moral authority on anything is no longer a currency that matters.” In some ways, that’s an arguable point, but not even remotely so in this context. Heck, Trump was impeached the first time for talking to Ukraine about Biden family corruption in that country. It’s not Trump’s fault that, before he even came on the scene in 2015, the Bidens were selling influence in Ukraine, China, and other places. The media cover-up of that corruption cost Trump the 2020 election.
Meanwhile, NBC News worried that Biden’s pardon will “undercut” Democrat arguments that “Donald Trump is a threat to the rule of law, to faith in public institutions — even to the truth itself.” Axios sang from the same song sheet: “For years, Democrats have responded to Donald Trump’s brazen lying, shattering of norms and alleged corruption by emphasizing their own respect for the truth, institutions and the rule of law.” Now, Axios says, “Some Democrats believe Biden has sacrificed a moral high ground.”
Never mind that Joe Biden and his party willfully and flagrantly destroyed all those things.
Whoopi Goldberg, who once loved Donald Trump but now never misses a chance to display her Trump Derangement Syndrome, laughably insists that we “stop calling it a lie” because “Biden had no intentions of pardoning” his son. Until he did. What a ludicrous denial of reality. Biden always knew he would pardon Hunter before leaving office, and if he didn’t, then President Kamala Harris would do it after winning.
Spoiler alert: She didn’t win.
To that point, let’s turn back to NBC News and this glorious nugget of accidental truth reporting: “The president has discussed pardoning his son with some of his closest aides at least since Hunter Biden’s conviction in June, said two people with direct knowledge of the discussions about the matter. They said it was decided at the time that he would publicly say he would not pardon his son even though doing so remained on the table.”
Translation out of newspeak: Biden knowingly lied. CNN had a similar story.
Biden’s shameless spokesmouth, Karine Jean-Pierre, admitted as much yesterday. “Do you think this would’ve happened if Harris hadn’t lost the election?” a reporter asked her. She responded, “No. I can answer that. It is a no.” That’s careful parsing, given what I believe Harris would have done. On follow-up, KJP backpedaled a little, wanting to decline to speak “to hypotheticals.” But she had already let the cat out of the bag — it was a lie.
That didn’t stop her from trying. Somehow, with a straight face, she added, “One of the things that the president believes is being truthful to the American people.”
KJP also reiterated the lie that his decision was a holiday change of mind. “He said he came to this decision this weekend,” she claimed, “and he said he wrestled with this … because he believes in the justice system, but he also believes that the raw politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice.”
So now Biden wants us to know that his own Justice Department is politicized. Big if true.
Now, let’s return to Biden’s party, which is as fractured as ever after his handling of his exit arguably cost his party the November election.
A growing chorus of Democrats have criticized the pardon, albeit sometimes with as much milquetoast restraint as possible. Senator Peter Welch mustered the courage to call it “unwise.” Various House members agreed. Greg Landsman dubbed it a “setback.” Jason Crow said it was “a mistake.” Jared Golden worried that it “sets an unfortunate precedent,” implying that Trump could use it. Dean Phillips, who briefly challenged Biden for the Democrat nomination, more explicitly appealed to both sides-ism: “Pardoning powers have been abused by Trump and now Biden.”
Other Democrats were stronger. “He put his family ahead of the country,” argued Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Representative Greg Stanton asserted, “He got this one wrong,” noting that it “wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution” but one in which Hunter was “convicted by a jury of his peers.” Senator Gary Peters mused, “This was an improper use of power, it erodes trust in our government, and it emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests.” Senator Michael Bennet agreed, saying it “further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.”
“No family should be above the law,” said Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Biden said often, “No one is above the law.” Except it’s apparent that the Bidens are, and Democrats and the Leftmedia are having the darndest time explaining why.
Douglas Andrews: Trump Nominates Kash Patel to Lead FBI — The bureau long ago strayed from its mission, and the reformed-minded transparency-oriented Patel is just the corrective that’s needed.
Jack DeVine: The Reckoning — It is time (way past time, actually) to set the record straight on the Big Lie and J6.
Reader Comments
Editor’s Note: Each week we receive hundreds of comments and correspondences — and we read every one of them. Click here for a few thought-provoking comments about specific articles. The views expressed therein don’t necessarily reflect those of The Patriot Post.
A Lawless Democrat Mayor — Denver’s Democrat Mayor Mike Johnston says he’ll go to jail to prevent the deportation of illegal aliens in his city. Trump’s border czar says he’ll be happy to take him.
Double-Oh Forty-Seven’s Bondi Girl — Comparing and contrasting incumbent U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland with incoming nominee Pam Bondi.
Australia’s Ban on Social Media: The Start of a Global Trend? — The Land Down Under bans 16-year-olds from using social media apps! While this move appears to tackle the youth mental health crisis fueled by endless internet use, it raises a flurry of concerns.
How to Fix Social Security — Will there be $1,000,000 waiting for you when you retire? Not if you’re relying on Social Security, which is barely on life support.
SHORT CUTS
Pardon This
“Joe Biden has always been a venal liar who utilized his political power to pursue familial gain. So of course he’s pardoning Hunter. He was always going to pardon Hunter. Hunter was the bagman.” —Ben Shapiro
“Never forget: while Hunter was selling access to ‘the big guy,’ Joe Biden’s administration sent SWAT teams to the homes of prolifers; recruited spies in Catholic parishes; treated parents as domestic terrorists; and prosecuted Trump. The most lawless administration in history.” —Senator Josh Hawley
“So, they decided to lie to the American people and say publicly Joe would not pardon Hunter ‘even though doing so remained on the table.’ It’s all been a lie, it’s all been a scam, and the American people were taken for suckers. Incredible, but not shocking.” —Charlie Kirk
“[Joe] Biden, who will not even meet with his grand daughter Navy, didn’t pardon his son because he’s a good father. He did so because, as his son admits on the Hard Drive, for 30 years Hunter has given half the millions he’s collected to the Boss of the Crime Family — Joe Biden.” — Rudy Giuliani
“What does that feel like, watching yourself back then reassuring people that Biden was not going to issue a pardon for his son?” —CNN anchor Brianna Keilar to New York Democrat Dan Goldman after having just played back the congressman’s earlier remarks
For the Record
“A review of White House transcripts reveals TEN times that either President Biden or White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphatically assured the public that there was absolutely no chance that the president would use his authority to pardon his son Hunter for his various crimes — six felonies combined, six misdemeanors.” —Jim Geraghty
Friendly Fire
“While as a father I certainly understand President @JoeBiden ‘s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.” —Colorado Governor Jared Polis
“I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong. This wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers.” —Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ)
Dezinformatsiya
“What is before us is a president who is living the rule of the law. He is living it in the most personal way. He is not pardoning his son, which he could do. These are federal charges. He is not doing that. He is not doing it because he is living what it means to have a rule of law in this country.” —MSNBC’s Andrew Weissmann in June
And Last
“You have to admire the raw chutzpah of Biden lying for months about pardoning Hunter, and then concluding his statement about pardoning Hunter with the line, ‘For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: Just tell the American people the truth.’” —Charles C.W. Cooke
President-elect Donald Trump warns Hamas that they need to let the hostages go by the time he’s inaugurated in January, or ‘there will be all Hell to pay in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these crimes against humanity;’ Hezbollah attacks Israel despite the current ceasefire, and Israel strikes back; and Christians in Aleppo, Syria, are terrified as Islamist forces strengthen their grip on the city; Chris Mitchell talks about Israel’s reaction to Trump’s threat, what the US could actually do to Hamas, whether the ceasefire will hold, how bad the situation is for Christians in Aleppo, and how other Christians can pray for them; in the US: President-elect Trump promised to reverse to the dangerous trend toward suppression of free speech, at a time when some argue the First Amendment is outdated and needs to be replaced; and CBN News looks at the new movie “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin,” about Lutheran pastor Deitrich Bonhoeffer’s opposition to Hitler and the Nazis.
President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks have sent shockwaves through Washington D.C. as an array of non-establishment appointments upend the old order. From Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the head of Health and Human Services to Kash Patel leading the F.B.I., Donald Trump is appointing political outsiders in key positions to dismantle “the swamp.”
Journalist Alex Newman has interviewed many of Trump’s incoming cabinet members over the past few years, asking them a wide variety of tough questions, touching on the border crisis, COVID-19 tyranny, the weaponization of the U.S. legal system, and more. Interviewees include Kash Patel (FBI Director appointee), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (HHS Secretary appointee), Tom Homan (named Border Czar), and Vivek Ramaswamy (named DOGE Co-lead).
Last week Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked about the motives of outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden to escalate the NATO conflict with Russia. He responds by outlining genuine motives that political pundits in the U.S. pretend not to know.
On Tuesday’s “National Report,” South Carolina Rep. Russell Fry criticized President Joe Biden’s sweeping pardon of Hunter Biden, saying it’s a cover-up for the illegal dealings of the Biden family.
Fox News’ Madeleine Rivera provides details on Special Counsel David Weiss’ objection to dismissing Hunter Biden’s gun and tax cases. ‘Fox & Friends’ co-hosts discuss the reaction to the pardon. #FoxNews
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