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In this message from Acts 8, Adrian Rogers shares three warnings about false religion, so we are not deceived.
Counterfeit Christianity | Part 1 | Love Worth Finding on Oneplace.com
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Daily Archives: December 11, 2024
What does it mean that God is eternal? What does it mean that God is infinite? – Podcast Episode 235
What does it mean that God is eternal? Why should the eternality of God cause me to trust Him more? What does it mean that God is infinite? What does it mean that all of God’s attributes are infinite?
Links:
What does it mean that God is eternal? – https://www.gotquestions.org/eternal-God.html
What does it mean that God is infinite? – https://www.gotquestions.org/infinite-God.html
What are the implications of God being infinite, unlimited, and unmeasurable? – https://www.gotquestions.org/God-unlimited-unmeasurable.html
Source: What does it mean that God is eternal? What does it mean that God is infinite? – Podcast Episode 235
The Most Beloved Spot on Earth | Bible Apologetics – A DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Andrew Murray said it well: “O, let the place of secret prayer become to me the most beloved spot on earth.”1
Since I started my daily devotional website almost 4 ½ years ago, I can honestly say that today’s devotion is one of the most important I have ever posted. As you are probably aware, if you have been following my blog for a while, prayer is, I believe, so essential to the Christian, that without a vibrant prayer life, not only will we be ineffective in our labors for the Lord, but we will miss out on a host of wonderful blessings.
These blessings are so enormous that my prayer is that after reading this devotion you will, like Andrew Murray, understand why secret prayer can be the most “beloved spot on earth.”
I like how Becky Harling described secret prayer: “Secret prayer is the place where we position ourselves to be transformed by God. As we learn to enter the secret place, shut the door, and commune with Him, our souls will be changed. We will grow deeper in our intimacy with God, experience greater joy, enjoy a larger impact and fruitfulness, and receive deeper calm.”2
My friends let’s take a look at each of these blessings in more detail:
We will grow deeper in our intimacy with God
Again, Becky Harling adds insight here: “God designed us for relationship with Him. We were created for heart connection with Him. He didn’t just intend for us to be casual acquaintances. He designed us for intimate union with Him.”3 When God created you He did so with a desire to lavish His amazing love on you. And as we learn to dwell and delight in His presence we will experience a deep and abiding sense of holy awe and a unique wellness of soul that mere words are inadequate to describe.
We will experience greater joy
Secret prayer allows us to deeply abide in the presence of the Lord. And when we are all alone with God the majesty of (Psalm 16:11) can become a reality in our lives. This amazing verse has a three-part blessing, for we read: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Imagine, that in secret prayer Jesus promises to show us the path of life, give us fullness of joy, and shower us with unending pleasures! And just what is fullness of joy? I believe it is the capacity to be filled to overflowing with the knowledge that you are loved and cherished by Jesus, the Creator of the universe, and that you are of infinite value as a child of God!
We will enjoy a larger impact and fruitfulness
As we spend time alone with God in secret prayer our heavenly Father delights to answer our supplications and petitions. Do you want to see souls saved, broken relationships become healed, and victories become commonplace on your prayer list, then get alone with God in your inner chamber. It’s in secret prayer that we get serious with God and He delights to answer our prayers. There is just no telling how great an impact our time alone with Jesus can have on our world.
We will receive deeper calm
With life so full of stress and anxiety, secret prayer, alone with God, is the key to bringing a deep and abiding sense of calm amidst the storms of life. And (Philippians 4:6-7) is just what the doctor ordered when we are in search of long-lasting peace: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
My friends may I challenge you to make secret prayer your most beloved spot on earth. As much as we may desire to spend quality time alone with the Lord, the reality is that Jesus delights and cherishes even more, in spending His undivided attention with you!
1 150 Andrew Murray Quotes | ChristianQuotes.info
2 5 Powerful Reasons to Pray in Secret
3 5 Powerful Reasons to Pray in Secret
The post The Most Beloved Spot on Earth appeared first on Bible Apologetics – A DAILY DEVOTIONAL.
Source: The Most Beloved Spot on Earth
DECEMBER 11 | GOD WILL KNOW WHEN TO EXALT US
Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, and he shalt lift you up.
JAMES 4:10
Christians have often asked: “Must I humble myself and meekly accept every situation in life?”
I think this is the answer: As Christians, we must never violate morals or truth in humility.
If in humbling ourselves we compromise the truth, we must never do it. If it means a compromise of morality, we must never do it.
I am confident that no man or woman is ever called of God to degrade himself or herself, either morally or in truth. But we do have a calling from God to humble ourselves under His mighty hand—and let the other party do the rock-throwing!
In this call to His people for true humility, God adds the promise that He will exalt us in due time! “Due time.” It will be the time that God knows is best suited to perfect us and a time that will bring honor to God and the most good to men. That is “due time.”
It may be that in God’s will He will expect us to wait a long time before He can honor us or exalt us. But God knows what is best for each of us in His desire to make us the kind of saints that will glorify and honor Him in all things!
It is well for us to remember here that Jesus willingly humbled himself under the hand of men and so He humbled Himself under the hand of God!1
1 Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings (p. 375). Moody Publishers.
Evening, December 11 | “Ye serve the Lord Christ.”—Colossians 3:24
To what choice order of officials was this word spoken? To kings who proudly boast a right divine? Ah, no! too often do they serve themselves or Satan, and forget the God whose sufferance permits them to wear their mimic majesty for their little hour. Speaks then the apostle to those so-called “right reverend fathers in God,” the bishops, or “the venerable the archdeacons”? No, indeed, Paul knew nothing of these mere inventions of man. Not even to pastors and teachers, or to the wealthy and esteemed among believers, was this word spoken, but to servants, aye, and to slaves. Among the toiling multitudes, the journeymen, the day labourers, the domestic servants, the drudges of the kitchen, the apostle found, as we find still, some of the Lord’s chosen, and to them he says, “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” This saying ennobles the weary routine of earthly employments, and sheds a halo around the most humble occupations. To wash feet may be servile, but to wash his feet is royal work. To unloose the shoe-latchet is poor employ, but to unloose the great Master’s shoe is a princely privilege. The shop, the barn, the scullery, and the smithy become temples when men and women do all to the glory of God! Then “divine service” is not a thing of a few hours and a few places, but all life becomes holiness unto the Lord, and every place and thing, as consecrated as the tabernacle and its golden candlestick.
“Teach me, my God and King, in all things thee to see;
And what I do in anything to do it as to thee.
All may of thee partake, nothing can be so mean,
Which with this tincture, for thy sake, will not grow bright and clean.
A servant with this clause makes drudgery divine;
Who sweeps a room, as for thy laws, makes that and the action fine.”1
1 Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.
December 11.—Evening. [Or November 20.]“Unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.”
WE have now reached that wonderful part of Holy Scripture which is found in the epistle to the Hebrews. Fully to understand it we ought to study closely the Book of Leviticus. Diamonds only will cut diamonds; the Word of God is its own expositor; the New Testament is the key of the old.
The epistle opens with the declaration that whatsoever was communicated by the prophets was spoken by God. He spoke whatsoever was uttered by his prophets. The Scriptures are very jealous on this subject; how different from the language of many who seem desirous to exclude God from being the author of his own word!
Hebrews 1
1, 2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Ours is the clearest of all revelations. In Jesus we see far more of God than in all the teachings of the prophets.)
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (The priest stood while he performed service, and only sat down when his work was done. Jesus enthroned in glory enjoys the honours of his finished work.)
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? (But he does say this to Christ in the second Psalm.) And again (speaking to Solomon as the type of Christ in the Second Book of Samuel 7:14), I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
6 And again (in the ninety-seventh Psalm), when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. (Or “worship him all ye gods,” Jesus is by nature infinitely superior to the noblest created beings, for he is essentially God, and to be worshipped as Lord of all.)
7–9 And of the angels (in Psalm 104:4) he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith (Psalm 45:6, 7), Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Angels are servants and not kings, they fly upon the divine errands like flames of fire, but they do not sway a sceptre, neither have they a throne existing for ever and ever. Jesus is the anointed king, and though we share in the anointing yet is he far above us. Christ is infinitely greater than Christians. We are right glad to have it so.)
10–12 And (again we read in Psalm 102:25–27), Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. (Since the Messiah is thus described as immutable and eternal he must be divine, and to deny the Godhead of the Saviour is a deadly error. Dr. Owen most comfortingly remarks:—“Whatever our changes may be, inward or outward, yet Christ changing not, our eternal condition is secured, and relief provided against all present troubles and miseries. The immutability and eternity of Christ are the spring of our consolation and security in every condition. Such is the frailty of the nature of man, and such the perishing condition of all created things, that none can ever obtain the least stable consolation but what ariseth from an interest in the omnipotency, sovereignty, and eternity of Jesus Christ.”)
13, 14 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
They are servants of God and our willing guardians; but they are not to be worshipped. Jesus is Lord of all, and we are bound to adore him, and him only.1
1 Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 733). Baker Book House.
Blessed in the Field | VCY
Blessed shalt thou be in the field.Deuteronomy 28:3
So was Isaac blessed when he walked therein at eventide to meditate. How often has the Lord met us when we have been alone! The hedges and the trees can bear witness to our joy. We look for such blessedness again.
So was Boaz blessed when he reaped his harvest, and his workmen met him with benedictions. May the Lord prosper all who drive the plow! Every farmer may urge this promise with God, if indeed he obeys the voice of the Lord God.
We go to the field to labor as father Adam did; and since the curse fell on the soil through the sin of Adam the first, it is a great comfort to find a blessing through Adam the second,
We go to the field for exercise, and we are happy in the belief that the Lord will bless that exercise and give us health, which we will use to His glory.
We go to the field to study nature, and there is nothing in a knowledge of the visible creation which may not be sanctified to the highest uses by the divine benediction.
We have at last to go to the field to bury our dead; yea, others will in their turn take us to God’s acre in the field. But we are blessed, whether weeping at the tomb or sleeping in it.
C.H. Spurgeon: ‘Trust and Do; Do and Trust’
“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed”
– Psalm 37:3
Trust and do are words which go well together, in the order in which the Holy Spirit has placed them. We should have faith, and that faith should work. Trust in God sets us upon holy doing: we trust God for good, and then we do good. We do not sit still because we trust, but we arouse ourselves and expect the LORD to work through us and by us. It is not ours to worry and do evil but to trust and do good. We neither trust without doing nor do without trusting. Adversaries would root us out if they could; but by trusting and doing we dwell in the land. We will not go into Egypt, but we will remain in Immanuel’s land-the providence of God, the Canaan of covenant love. We are not so easily to be got rid of as the LORD’s enemies suppose. They cannot thrust us out nor stamp us out: where God has given us a name and a place, there we abide. But what about the supply of our necessities? The LORD has put a “verily” into this promise. As sure as God is true, His people shall be fed. It is theirs to trust and to do, and it is the LORD’s to do according to their trust. If not fed by ravens, or fed by an Obadiah, or fed by a widow, yet they shall be fed somehow. Away, ye fears!
Source: Daily Devotional | SermonAudio
https://rchstudies.christian-heritage-news.com/2024/12/ch-spurgeon-trust-and-do-do-and-trust.html
Is Mark’s Gospel An Early Memoir of Peter? (Podcast) | Cold Case Christianity
J. Warner examines the Gospel of Mark for signs of Peter’s influence. Papias, the early church bishop, claimed Mark’s Gospel was written as he sat at the feet of Peter in Rome. According to Papias, Mark scribed Peter’s sermons and created the narrative we now have in our Bible. In this audio podcast, J. Warner applies Forensic Statement Analysis to Mark’s text to see if Peter’s fingerprints are present.
Subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity Weekly Podcast on iTunes, or add the podcast from our RSS Feed.
For more information about the reliability of the New Testament gospels and the case for Christianity, please read Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. This book teaches readers ten principles of cold-case investigations and applies these strategies to investigate the claims of the gospel authors. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Cold-Case Christianity DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case.
The post Is Mark’s Gospel An Early Memoir of Peter? (Podcast) first appeared on Cold Case Christianity.
Was Jesus Really Born of a Virgin? Does It Matter? | Cross Examined
“It doesn’t really matter if Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit or by Joseph’s seed. What matters is that Jesus came to earth, died, and was resurrected.”
This is more or less what was said in a conversation I had several years ago with a now self-proclaimed progressive Christian. At the time, he was trying to work out his theology. Today, his words ring with expectancy to be answered. Was Jesus born of a virgin? Does it matter in regard to our faith if He was?
Virgin Birth: Negotiable or Not?
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ has always been considered a non-negotiable core doctrine of Christianity and is mentioned in the earliest creeds. Among Christians, this doctrine wasn’t broadly questioned until a period of history referred to as “the Enlightenment”. Sometimes called “the Age of Reason,” the Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that took place primarily in the 18th century. It has had an incalculable impact on Western culture, profoundly affecting the way people think about philosophy, politics, religion, and science.
As science was given precedent over religion, one of the trends to emerge during the Enlightenment was skepticism towards anything miraculous or supernatural. In other words, believing in the miracles recorded in the Bible such as the virgin birth is superstitious and unscientific, so they must be mythological. This seems to be a popular view among progressive Christians today.
Does the Bible teach that Jesus was actually born of a virgin?
The prediction, 700 hundred years before Christ (Isaiah 7:14):
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
The fulfillment (Matthew 1:22-23):
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.
Seems pretty simple, right? Isaiah predicted the Virgin Birth and Matthew records that prediction coming true. Not so fast.
A common claim among skeptics is that the word translated “virgin” really just means “young woman” or “maiden,” and there is no reason to assume that Mary was a virgin.
Young Lady, Virgin, or Both?
This reasoning might make sense if we were only reading these Scriptures with a Western, American mindset. With any Scripture, however, we have to look at it through the lens of the culture in which it was written. The Hebrew word in question is almah, which does mean “young woman” or “maiden.” However, in ancient Hebrew culture, all young women of marriageable age were considered to be virgins. Strong’s Online Concordance notes:
There is no instance where it can be proved that this word designates a young woman who is not a virgin.
There is another Hebrew word that specifically means “virgin” (bethulah), but it’s likely that Isaiah preferred almah because he wanted to communicate that the virgin would also be young. Long before the virgin birth was an established doctrine, 70 Hebrew scholars must have agreed, because when they began translating the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, they translated almah as parthenos, the Greek word for “virgin.” Apparently, they understood exactly what that word meant in context.
Mary herself clearly stated that she was a virgin in Luke 1:34. When the angel told her she would conceive a child, she was perplexed and asked, “But how can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?”
Does it matter if Jesus was born of a virgin?
As with most core doctrines, the case for the virgin birth of Jesus doesn’t just come down to one or two Bible verses. Scripture teaches that Jesus is fully God and fully human. He literally has two natures. It was necessary for Him to be born of a woman, to fulfill the promise God made to Eve in Genesis 3:15. If Jesus had not been born of a woman, He would not be fully human, and could not have been the promised Messiah.
As I’ve written previously, Scripture teaches that humans inherited a “sin nature” from Adam, and it would seem that sin nature gets passed down through the line of the father (Rom. 5:12, 17, 19). According to Hebrews 7:26, Jesus did not have a sin nature. Also, it’s important to note that Jeremiah prophesied that there would never be a king of Israel who was a descendant of King Jeconiah (Jer. 22:28-30). Matthew 1:12-16 tells us that Joseph was in fact, a descendant of Jeconiah.
If Jesus had been conceived by the seed of Joseph instead of by the Holy Spirit, He would have received a sin nature, and would not be fully God. As a descendant of Jeconiah, He would not have had a right to the throne of Israel, and He could not have been the promised Messiah.
Prophesied by Isaiah and fulfilled by Jesus, the virgin birth allowed for Jesus to be both fully God and fully human, unstained by sin, and God Incarnate. The doctrine of the virgin birth matters because it must be true for salvation to even be possible.
Recommended Resources:
Another Gospel? by Alisa Childers (book)
Why We Know the New Testament Writers Told the Truth by Frank Turek (DVD, Mp3 and Mp4)
Jesus, You and the Essentials of Christianity by Frank Turek (INSTRUCTOR Study Guide), (STUDENT Study Guide), and (DVD)
Reflecting Jesus into a Dark World by Dr. Frank Turek – DVD Complete Series, Video mp4 DOWNLOAD Complete Series, and mp3 audio DOWNLOAD Complete Series
Alisa Childers is an American singer and songwriter, best known for being in the all-female Christian music group ZOEgirl. She has had a string of top ten radio singles, four studio releases, and received the Dove Award during her time with ZOEgirl. In later years, Alisa found her life-long faith deeply challenged when she started attending what would later identify as a Progressive Christian church. This challenge pushed Alisa toward Christian Apologetics. Today you can read, listen and watch Alisa’s work online as well as purchase her recently published book on Progressive Christianity titled Another Gospel.
Originally posted at: https://bit.ly/4f3rRZP
The post Was Jesus Really Born of a Virgin? Does It Matter? appeared first on Cross Examined.
https://crossexamined.org/was-jesus-really-born-of-a-virgin-does-it-matter/
What Do the 5 Colors of Christmas Tell Us about Jesus?
During the holiday season, a profusion of red, green, white, silver, and gold pervades our homes, yards, stores, televisions, and the internet. Have you ever wondered how these colors became symbolic of Christmas? Perhaps the choices were purely aesthetic. After all, green and red complement one another on the color wheel. Gold and silver strike a natural balance between fire and ice. Snowy white pairs well with any color. Whatever the origin of the traditional Christmas colors, they serve to remind us about the character of Jesus.
Red: Jesus’ Blood and Unwavering Love
Long associated with love, red also reminds us that Jesus’ affection for us never wavers. Human love may wax and wane, depending on circumstances, but God is love. He can never change His nature. If you have been forgiven and accepted into God’s circle of love through Jesus, nothing can snatch you from Him. “No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
When we picture baby Jesus nestled in a humble manger, bloodshed is far from our thoughts. The gory end of Jesus’ life intrudes on the cozy atmosphere we imagine at Christmas. Yet unwavering love for people compelled Him to enter earth’s realm as a human for the primary purpose of death on a cross.
The author of Hebrews wrote, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22b). Sin demands a penalty — death. The compassionate nature of Jesus prompted Him to pay that penalty with His own life. His life was given in lieu of mine, and yours.
What response can we give for the incomprehensible sacrifice of Jesus? “So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins” (Ephesians 1:6-7).
This season, as we decorate our homes with touches of red, let’s pause and thank God for love that compelled Jesus to come as a child destined to spill His blood at the cross for our salvation.
Read more:
https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/what-do-the-5-colors-of-christmas-tell-us-about-jesus.html
Pastor Patrick Hines Defeating Satan’s Devices Part 1
Defeating Satan’s Devices Part 1 – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon
▶️X: https://twitter.com/RichMoo50267219
Defeating Satan’s Devices Part 1 – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon
2 Corinthians 2:11
New King James Version
11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
▶️Pastor Patrick Hines (Playlist)
https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzOwqed_gET2vqbY_shSW0MfXtYGSoCnT/edit
▶️Pastor Patrick Hines Sermons (Playlist)
https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzOwqed_gET2xjXtMVvfNhl3k_a8VjofT/edit
▶️Reformed Christian Podcast – Pastor Patrick Hines (Playlist)
https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzOwqed_gET1N1JMQBXRoGgLeUHGpRW7o/edit
▶️Pastor Patrick Hines has recently had a brand new book published, called, “Earth’s Foundational History – Part 1: Genesis Chapters 1 Through 5.” (Paperback – May 4, 2023) https://cutt.ly/16RCeZ0
These two books are also available on Amazon. All proceeds go directly to Pastor Hines:
▶️Am I Right With God?: The Gospel, Justification, Saving Faith, Repentance, Assurance, & The New Birth https://cutt.ly/S6RCbuM
▶️Redrawing the Battle Lines: 23 Sermons on Critical Issues Facing the Church https://cutt.ly/m6RCTi0
▶️Bridwell Heights Presbyterian Church http://www.bridwellheightschurch.org/
▶️Reformed Presbyterian Pulpit Supplemental (Pastor Hines’ YouTube Channel):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClW5Qzh27Zx7HO2fKkCcR5g
Source: pastor patrick hines Defeating Satan’s Devices Part 1
Angelic Appearances: Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson
The Word of God records numerous appearances by angels, yet they’re far from random occurrences. Today, Ferguson identifies the common factor behind the arrival of these mighty beings, teaching us about their mission.
Hear more from Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fWgA8zL6TjP3KtLhRFNHfxi
Source: Angelic Appearances: Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson
CrossTalk: ‘Moderate terrorists’
A terrorist state is in the making in the center of the Middle East. And it is by design. Indeed, Assad is gone, but so is Syria. Forced regime change has brought about state failure. And we all know who the obvious winners and losers are.
CrossTalking with Mohammad Marandi, Leila Hatoum, and Elijah J. Magnier.
Source: CrossTalk: ‘Moderate terrorists’
New World Order: A Jihadist Syria Looms
Kelly Wright, CBN News Chief White House Correspondent, discusses the aftermath of Bashar Al Assad’s regime fall, with Assad getting asylum in Russia and HTS taking over Syria. Wright highlights the impact on Syria and the Middle East, particularly Iran, and the challenges Americans face in understanding radical Islamic regimes. Wright emphasizes the importance of prayer for leaders and the nation, noting the presence of 900 U.S. troops in Syria to combat ISIS. Wright raises concerns about HTS’s future governance and the potential threat to U.S. national security. The discussion underscores the need for wise U.S. foreign policy decisions regarding the new Syrian government and more.
CBN News. Because Truth Matters™
Trump mocks ‘Bidenomics’ | RT World News
US President-elect Donald Trump has mocked the economic agenda of his predecessor, using a meme involving funding for Ukraine and the recently pardoned Hunter Biden.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden gave his son a blanket pardon for anything he may have done between January 2014 and December 2024.
Trump’s campaign slammed the decision as an example of how the current government has weaponized the justice system.
On Tuesday evening, Trump shared a meme on his Truth Social platform, describing how ‘Bidenomics’ works in practice. It showed Biden standing beside a whiteboard with a list of items.
“You pay taxes,” the list begins. “I send it to Ukraine. They send it back to Hunter. Hunter gives it to me. Pardon Hunter.”
Donald Trump Truth Social 03:22 PM EST 12/10/24 @realDonaldTrumppic.twitter.com/184PgGDvHX
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 10, 2024
Hunter Biden was paid enormous sums to sit on the board of a Ukrainian gas company while his father was vice president and point man on Washington’s relations with Kiev. According to the contents of a laptop the younger Biden forgot at a Delaware repair shop, 10% of all international contracts went to “the Big Guy,” widely assumed to be a reference to his father.
Biden officially defeated Trump in 2020 and embarked on an ambitious plan to reinvent the US economy after the Covid-19 pandemic that his advisers dubbed ‘Bidenomics’. Vice President Kamala Harris, whom the Democrats put forth as their candidate this year, spent the campaign insisting that the economy was in great shape and that ‘Bidenomics’ was working.
American voters apparently disagreed, giving Trump a victory in the electoral college, popular vote, and all seven swing states.
Source: Trump mocks ‘Bidenomics’
The Syrian Islamic Rebel Threat to Jerusalem | CBN NewsWatch – December 11, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlights Israel’s role in the fall of the Syrian government, and says Israel is “dismantling the Iranian axis piece by piece” as he warns those who would attack Israel; concerns that Islamic rebel forces in Syria may fight each other; & Netanyahu faces corruption charges in court; Chris Mitchell talks about how the developments in the Middle East have been catastrophic for Iran, the potential threat from Iran’s nuclear program, Israel’s bombing campaign in Syria, deadly attacks by Turkish forces, and Netanyahu’s trial; during this Christmas season, how people are turning to technology to help them find God – including using artificial intelligence; Gold Star families who have lost loved ones take a leap of faith – through skydiving – to help them find hope, connection and healing; and the Gospel continues to spread around the world: Franklin Graham preaches to thousands in Vietnam, with many coming to Christ.
Want more news from a Christian Perspective? Choose to support CBN: https://go.cbn.com/ugWBn
CBN News. Because Truth Matters™
Source: The Syrian Islamic Rebel Threat to Jerusalem | CBN NewsWatch – December 11, 2024
Mid-Day Snapshot · December 11, 2024
“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.
THE FOUNDATION
“Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one.” —James Madison (1791)
IN TODAY’S DIGEST
- Executive News Summary
- Featured Analysis: The BLM Dog No Longer Hunts
- More Analysis
- Best of Right Opinion
- Best of Videos
- Short Cuts
- Memes and Cartoons
EXECUTIVE NEWS SUMMARY
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
Government & Politics
- DOJ spied on FBI director nominee Patel: The revelation that the Department of Justice spied on Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s nominee for FBI director, isn’t exactly surprising. What might be more surprising, though, is that the spying occurred not during Joe Biden’s presidency but Trump’s. Patel “previously sued former Trump Justice Department officials and FBI Director Christopher Wray, accusing them of violating his Fourth Amendment right to protection from unreasonable searches and seizures when they tried to obtain Patel’s personal records,” reports Just the News. All this is part of a newly released DOJ inspector general’s report, which notes that the spying was meant to investigate leaks surrounding the Russia collusion hoax and was conducted “in bad faith,” as Republican Senator Chuck Grassley put it. The Washington Times reports, “Federal prosecutors skirted their own rules when they seized phone records from reporters while investigating congressional leaks to the media about the probe into suspected Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.” Furthermore, the equal-opportunity spying included several congressional staffers and two Democrat House members, Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff, as well as reporters from CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
- ActBlue confesses its foreign influence election scheme: Time was when Democrats routinely decried the influence of money in politics. Indeed, it’s the Democrats who continuously complained about the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which protects paid political speech for those on the Left as well as the Right. Lately, though, the Democrats’ silence is deafening, and this silence is no doubt due to the gross imbalance in fundraising that they’ve enjoyed in recent presidential and down-ballot elections. And now, we’re getting some insight into how they’re doing it. Just the News reports, “ActBlue, the massive online fund-raising platform for liberal causes, has informed Congress it did not automatically block donations made with foreign-bought gift cards until recently, a potentially significant revelation in an ongoing investigation into whether China, Russia, Iran or Venezuela routed illicit money to Democrat candidates.” According to Republican Congressman Brian Steil, whose committee oversees election integrity, only on September 9 did ActBlue update its money-grubbing standards to “automatically reject donations that use foreign prepaid/gift cards, domestic gift cards, are from high-risk/sanctioned countries, and have the highest level of risk as determined.”
- Ignorant Americans want government oversight of healthcare: A recent Gallup survey found that 62% of Americans believe it should be the federal government’s responsibility to ensure that everyone has health coverage. That is the highest percentage in over a decade. Back in 2013, after the rollout of ObamaCare, just 42% of Americans believed the federal government should be involved in healthcare, though prior to the insurance exchange, a majority of Americans believed that Big Brother should guarantee that people had health coverage. Tellingly, after experiencing ObamaCare, the majority opinion changed. ObamaCare did nothing to lower healthcare costs; indeed, it has made the problem more costly and complicated than ever. Yet, because of this, Americans are clamoring for someone to fix this problem, and, as usual, they turn to the government — the very entity that made the problem far worse.
- Democrats in a bind over defense bill that bans transgender surgeries for minors but boosts enlisted pay (Fox News)
Economy
- Annual inflation rate accelerates to 2.7% in November (CNBC)
- Trump promises “expedited” approvals, permits for firms investing $1 billion+ in U.S. (Just the News)
- Humor: 17 signs of poverty in a capitalist country (Babylon Bee)
Lawfare
- What’s next for Daniel Penny? After his acquittal, New York City subway hero Daniel Penny must be wondering where he might go to get his reputation back. Penny doesn’t seem to be the vindictive sort, but Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz is encouraging him to turn the tables on Manhattan’s woke prosecutor. “Alvin Bragg is an absolute catastrophe,” said Cruz. “First, he indicted Donald Trump in a partisan case, and then he indicted Daniel Penny for saving the lives of other subway passengers from a deranged lunatic threatening to kill everyone. Penny should sue Bragg for malicious prosecution and hold this rogue Soros prosecutor accountable.” Meanwhile, Penny sat for an interview with Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who herself is a former DA and judge. “He blew me away,” said Pirro. “He is humble. He thinks that he’s serving people, and he’s willing to live with it and do it again.” As for Bragg, Pirro didn’t mince words. “It’s time for you to say goodbye,” she said. “You are a political prosecutor. You ruined this man’s life, and it’s time somebody brought a civil rights violation or investigation against him.”
- NY AG refuses to end lawfare against Trump: Although the Democrats’ lawfare effort against Donald Trump failed in a spectacular fashion, likely doing little other than buoy his election victory, New York Attorney General Letitia James refuses to give up her politically motivated actions against the president-elect. Last month, Trump attorney D. John Sauer asked James to dismiss the dubious civil case against Trump “for the good of the country.” Trump is currently appealing the $454 million judgment against him handed down by Judge Arthur Engoron. James rejected Sauer’s request, stating, “Presidents do not have immunity from civil lawsuits arising from unofficial conduct, and such lawsuits may proceed while the president is in office.” Her animosity toward Trump dies hard.
Culture
- Bowman, the sore-losing racist: Is there anything more spiteful and embittered than a Democrat incumbent who’s just been shown the door? If we consider the behavior of disgraced outgoing New York congressman and fire-alarm-pulling Squad member Jamaal Bowman, we’d say not. “Dear White People,” Bowman posted as part of a remarkable 12-part X rant, “I don’t know why I feel the need to keep talking to you. I don’t know why part of me still has hope for you and for us. Some of you are too far gone. But maybe enough of you aren’t and will join us in fighting to end white supremacy.” Bowman went on to list what he deemed were black victims of white people: Rodney King, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Jordan Neely. “How many times have you seen a white man killed in cold blood on camera on your newsfeed?” he asked whites. “The answer is never.” Instead, “Whenever you feel discomfort from your whiteness, Black people are harmed or killed. And there is never accountability or justice. This is the evil of white supremacy.” All we can say is, good riddance to this sore-losing racial arsonist.
- Luigi Mangione, UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect, has outburst on way to court, fights extradition to NYC (CBS News)
- Nancy Mace attacked by pro-transgender man at U.S. Capitol (Daily Wire)
- Pelosi defies archbishop’s eucharist ban for pro-abortion politicians (National Review)
- Yale students overwhelmingly pass BDS referendum (Washington Free Beacon)
Security
- Drone mystique: Who’s behind the mysterious drones seen flying over New Jersey? Well, it ain’t the military. According to Lt. Col. Craig Bonham II, “While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities.” Local media outlets report that Picatinny has noted at least 11 sightings. These large drones have been spotted all over the state near military facilities and even Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course. Federal officials have concluded that these drones are not being operated by foreign entities. And yet, no one seems to know who is behind these drones. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said that they are “very sophisticated,” noting that “the minute you get your eyes on them, they go dark.” He was quick to add, “The most important point to say is we don’t see any concern for public safety.”
- Israel strikes Syrian army’s weapons stockpiles: Nearly 500 drone strikes have been conducted by the Israel Defense Forces targeting weapons sites across Syria over the last couple of days. In the wake of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fleeing the country, the IDF has acted to prevent Syrian military weapons from falling into jihadi rebel hands. “Dozens of sea-to-sea missiles with ranges of 80–190 kilometers were destroyed. Each missile carried significant explosive payloads, posing threats to civilian and military maritime vessels in the area,” the IDF reported. “Numerous strategic weapons were neutralized, including Scud missiles, cruise missiles, surface-to-sea, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, UAVs, fighter jets, attack helicopters, radars, tanks, hangars, and more.” The obvious concern for Israel is that if the jihadi rebels get their hands on these weapons stockpiles, they could be used against the Jewish state depending on who eventually rises to power in Syria. Israel wants to eliminate that risk.
- China stages largest show of force in decades (WSJ)
- U.S. intercepts ballistic missile from Guam in first for Pacific outpost (Newsweek)
Misc.
- Supreme Court rules courts don’t have power in some immigration cases (Newsweek)
- Bankruptcy judge rejects The Onion’s bid for Infowars (NPR)
- Israel’s Netanyahu takes stand in corruption trial (CBS News)
For the Executive Summary archive, click here.
Follow Thomas Gallatin and Jordan Candler on X/Twitter.
FEATURED ANALYSIS
The BLM Dog No Longer Hunts
Douglas Andrews
It doesn’t seem like too long ago, but there was a time when Black Lives Matter really mattered.
Think back to 2020, when the Marxist group was on the march, rioting all during that long hot summer, wrecking and burning and looting, defacing and defiling statues of Washington and Jefferson and even the Great Emancipator, Abraham Lincoln.
That caught our attention, sure. But think about corporate America back then. Think about JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and the rest of them, coughing up all those millions to the race-hustling racket known as BLM. Think about the Democrats in Congress, ostentatiously taking a knee in the Capitol building while donning their Kente cloths and at the same time shrugging their shoulders at the execution-style murder of a five-year-old white boy named Cannon Hinnant, who’d been out riding his bike in front of his house when he was shot point-blank in the head, right in front of his sisters, by a 25-year-old black neighbor named Darius Sessoms.
But while the BLM riots of four years ago were precipitated by the death of career criminal George Floyd, they had their roots in a couple of racial riots from years earlier. There was the phony Michael Brown “hands up, don’t shoot” hoax of Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, followed by the Freddie Gray riots in Baltimore a year later. There was also the Kenosha, Wisconsin, riot of August 2020 following the thoroughly justified police shooting of a thug named Jacob Blake — a riot that caused a kid named Kyle Rittenhouse to defend his own life with deadly force. In each of these cases, the anger had been directed at cops specifically and at “white supremacy” more generally.
Thankfully, though, that Black Lives Matter dog no longer seems to hunt. What was once righteous anger in our urban centers and even suburbs has been replaced by an almost comical indifference. It seems, thankfully, that the American people, black and white, have come to realize that not every black-and-white encounter is a racial atrocity on the level of Emmett Till.
Take New York-based rabble-rouser Hawk Newsome, for example. The cofounder of the Greater New York Black Lives Matter chapter has been out front lately, trying to make himself relevant by protesting the death of a deranged and violent career criminal named Jordan Neely, ostensibly at the hands of a heroic Good Samaritan and Marine Corps veteran named Daniel Penny, whom a Manhattan jury on Monday rightly acquitted of reckless homicide and then second-degree manslaughter charges.
Here’s what Newsome had to say about the dismissal of the most serious charge on Friday: “Today, white supremacy got another victory. Today, the KKK, the klansmen, the evil in America got another victory.”
Predictably, Newsome and his fellow racial arsonists doubled down after Penny’s ultimate acquittal on Monday. “We need some Black vigilantes,” he said following the verdict. “People want to jump up and choke us and kill us for being loud? How about we do the same when they attempt to oppress us?”
“America will never fix the issue of black people,” he added, “because America needs a punching bag. They have designated us as the punching bag.”
“Small world, buddy,” said Newsome in a not-so-veiled threat to Penny, while his sister Chivona screamed that America is a “f***ing racist country.”
Unfortunately for the Newsomes, and for most everyone else trying to make a buck in the race industry, business is bad. As The Federalist’s Brianna Lyman wrote earlier this week: “On Monday, 12 New Yorkers refused to buckle under the weight of racial grievance politics. … Perhaps this verdict serves as a bold sign that Americans have finally had enough of the BLM hysteria and mob mentality that demands guilt despite the facts so long as the accused is white.”
Indeed, even in Manhattan — which votes nearly 90% Democrat and whose woke district attorney, Alvin Bragg, routinely sees the world through race-colored glasses — they’re saying, Enough.
MORE ANALYSIS
- Nate Jackson: Biden’s Economy Stumbles Out the Door — Given his terrible track record, his exit from office can’t come soon enough.
- Michael Swartz: Can Trump’s Tax Reforms Survive the Swamp a Second Time? — A significant legacy item from Donald Trump’s first term is set to expire in 2025 without intervention.
- Emmy Griffin: Christian School Children in CA Attacked by Pro-Palestinian Vagrant — A radical who shouldn’t have been on the streets shot two kindergarteners, but the legacy media’s silence has been deafening.
- Thomas Gallatin: Divisive Obama Preaches the Virtues of ‘Pluralism’ — His message is an effort to intimidate Trump and Republicans not to follow through on implementing their policy agenda.
- Mike McGinn: Sharen Stone and the ‘Ignorant, Arrogant Adolescence’ — The actress might want to stick to making movies — and reading a few history books — rather than spouting her ignorant opinions.
- RCI: No Letup in J6 Prosecutions, Possible Pardons or Not — Nearly four years later, there’s a reason Donald Trump is openly pondering pardons for nonviolent offenders.
BEST OF RIGHT OPINION
- Byron YorkCan the Nation Wait Until Jan. 20?
- Tim GrahamPretending There’s No Cost in Biden’s Mass Importation
- Rich LowryTrump Should Swear Off Lawfare
- Star ParkerWhat’s Going on With Black and Hispanic Women?
- John StosselYour Tax Dollars Not at Work
For more of today’s columns, visit Right Opinion.
BEST OF VIDEOS
- Taylor Lorenz Can’t Stop Celebrating UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Murder — Everyone’s favorite ex-Washington Post reporter keeps finding herself in hot water over her endless celebrating of the assassination of Brian Thompson.
- ‘Black Vigilantes’? BLM Is Losing It Over Daniel Penny Verdict — Predictably, the BLM chapter of New York did not handle the “not guilty” verdict for Daniel Penny very well, calling for vigilantes to strike back.
- This Is Evil — Elica Le Bon explains the real reason that Iran wants to destroy Israel.
- Christian Cake Baker Gets Another Legal Victory — Jack Phillips discusses his 12-year legal battle over his Christian beliefs.
- Why Government Can’t Build Broadband or Charging Stations … or Anything — The feds promised to expand broadband, build thousands of EV chargers, and bring back semiconductor jobs. They delivered delays, waste, and failure.
- Humor: 9 Things RFK Is Doing on Day One to Make America Healthy Again — Americans are fat and lazy. RFK Jr. is going to change all that with these nine great ideas to get everyone back into shape.
SHORT CUTS
Non Compos Mentis
“This is extremely unjust and an insult to the intelligence of the American people.” —Luigi Mangione, alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin (“[Mangione is] no revolutionary. He’s a coward who shot an unarmed man in the back.” —Jim Geraghty)
“Today’s verdict in the Jordan Neely case does not change what we have known to be true in our hearts since the very beginning: Jordan Neely’s life was brutally taken away because of unnecessary vigilantism. … This verdict represents the blatant legalization of civilian vigilantism, sending a dangerous message that citizens can now take matters into their own hands, even if it leads to someone’s death.” —Al Sharpton
“We have not just a normalization of January 6th, but the full recasting of it. One of the darkest days of our political history is whitewashed, a cause of shame turned into a cause célèbre.” —Bill Kristol
Dumb & Dumber
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege. A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.” —Caitlyn Clark, Time’s Athlete of the Year
“Dear White People, I don’t know why I feel the need to keep talking to you. I don’t know why part of me still has hope for you and for us. Some of you are too far gone. But maybe enough of you aren’t and will join us in fighting to end white supremacy.” —outgoing congressman Jamaal Bowman
Theater of the Absurd
“Trump got elected on a commitment to make life better and more affordable for Americans, and I think people south of the border are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive.” —Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Political Futures
“It’s been just 14 months since [Matt Gaetz] allied with House Democrats to oust GOP Speaker McCarthy. Now, he is out of Congress, out of running for AG, and heading for a small TV network. Attacking, undermining his party did not end well.” —Byron York
“Pete [Hegseth] knows that the US military is for defending America and destroying our enemies. Full stop.” —Senator Mike Lee
For the Record
“Tyrants seek to consolidate power and limit people’s freedom while enriching their family and friends. It’s Biden, not Trump, who has consistently done that.” —Victor Joecks
“Now is the time for a blitz through the institutions. The Left is exhausted. BLM is shattered. Trans is imploding. Trump has a mandate to abolish DEI, defund left-wing racialism, and restore public authority over the public institutions. The counterrevolution starts now.” —Christopher Rufo
“It’s a relief that Daniel Penny was acquitted, but the miscarriage of justice was the prosecution itself. We must do better at holding bad prosecutors & rogue government regulators accountable for their losses in court, after they put innocent defendants through hell.” —Vivek Ramaswamy
“Alvin Bragg should be ashamed. He undercharges criminals and overcharges heroes.” —Gary Bauer
And Last…
“Look around you: do you want Canada’s healthcare system? The person they kill there is you, not the executives.” —David Strom
“My rights are not up for discussion, let alone a vote.” —Michael Malice
MEMES & CARTOONS
For more of today’s memes, visit the Memesters Union.
For more of today’s cartoons, visit the Cartoons archive.
“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.
CNN loses in primetime ratings to the Food Network
These days, the comedy just writes itself:
https://notthebee.com/article/cnn-loses-in-primetime-ratings-to-the-food-network/
Replay – Terry James: Noah’s Days, Lot’s Days, The Approaching Day | Stand Up For The Truth Podcast
[Original airdate: 12/7/23] Mary Danielsen talks with prophecy expert and author Terry James, founder of Rapture Ready ministry. Terry has been coming alongside the church for decades to encourage and exhort believers to look upward, and now more than ever. His soon-to-be-released book, “Nearing Midnight: As it Was in the Days of Lot” helps the reader understand what is the significance of believing that the church’s work on earth is winding to a close. We talk about cultural insanity, evil men and seducers, and why these times are so perilous for the awake, the woke, and the slumbering denier. “Rapture Ready” is a great resource for the believer and has an entire section of updated commentaries called, “Nearing Midnight” as well as headlines and articles from the very best and brightest minds who are watching bible prophecy unfold.
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