In spite of all its buzzing activity, Christmas can be one of the loneliest times of the year for some of us. Today, Sinclair Ferguson recalls a touching memory that conveys the nearness of Christ to His people. Hear more from Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fWgA8zL6TjP3KtLhRFNHfxi MB01C7OWRPCRHUW
Source: A Friend Who Sticks Closer: Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson
Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep…let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
ROMANS 13:11, 12
Some day the Church can relax her guard, call her watchmen down from the wall and live in safety and peace—but not yet, not yet!
All that is good in the world stands as a target for all that is evil and manages to stay alive only by constant watchfulness and the providential protection of Almighty God.
The Church lives in a hostile world. Within and around her are enemies that not only could destroy her, but are meant to and will unless she resists force with yet greater force. The Christian would collapse from sheer external pressure were there not within him a counterpressure sufficiently great to prevent it. The power of the Holy Spirit is, therefore, not optional but necessary. Without it the children of God simply cannot live the life of heaven on earth. The hindrances are too many and too effective!
A church is a living organism and is subject to attack from such enemies as prey on living things. The human body can fight its enemies even while it is asleep, but the Church cannot. She must be awake and determined—or she cannot win.
She must recognize her enemies for what they are and she must resist them: Unbelief, Complacency, Self-righteousness, Fear of Man, Love of Luxury, Secret Sympathy with the world, Self-confidence, Pride and Unholy thoughts. These we must resist with every power within us, looking unto Jesus, author and finisher of our faith!1
1 Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings (p. 382). Moody Publishers.
Every wise merchant will occasionally hold a stock-taking, when he will cast up his accounts, examine what he has on hand, and ascertain decisively whether his trade is prosperous or declining. Every man who is wise in the kingdom of heaven, will cry, “Search me, O God, and try me”; and he will frequently set apart special seasons for self-examination, to discover whether things are right between God and his soul. The God whom we worship is a great heart-searcher; and of old his servants knew him as “the Lord which searcheth the heart and trieth the reins of the children of men.” Let me stir you up in his name to make diligent search and solemn trial of your state, lest you come short of the promised rest. That which every wise man does, that which God himself does with us all, I exhort you to do with yourself this evening. Let the oldest saint look well to the fundamentals of his piety, for grey heads may cover black hearts: and let not the young professor despise the word of warning, for the greenness of youth may be joined to the rottenness of hypocrisy. Every now and then a cedar falls into our midst. The enemy still continues to sow tares among the wheat. It is not my aim to introduce doubts and fears into your mind; nay, verily, but I shall hope the rather that the rough wind of self-examination may help to drive them away. It is not security, but carnal security, which we would kill; not confidence, but fleshly confidence, which we would overthrow; not peace, but false peace, which we would destroy. By the precious blood of Christ, which was not shed to make you a hypocrite, but that sincere souls might show forth his praise, I beseech you, search and look, lest at the last it be said of you, “Mene, Mene, Tekel: thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”1
1 Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.
1 Peter 3
LIKEWISE, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. (A woman’s sphere is her home, her sceptre is love, her crown jewels are domestic virtues. She is most graceful who is most gracious, and she is best arrayed who is clothed with holiness.)
7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. (Tender love and affectionate honour must be rendered to the queen of the little kingdom of home, through whom God blesses the household so much.)
8, 9 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. (We cannot wash off dirt with dirt, or cure evil by evil; let, us not try to do so. If we are indeed believers, we are blessed, and we are yet to be more blessed, therefore let us bless others.)
10–12 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14–16 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
Yet we hear persons say, “I would not mind being blamed if I deserved it,” which is very absurd, since it is the deserving of blame which ought to trouble us far more than the rebuke.
18–20 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
This passage nobody understands, though some think they do. It is for our good to be made to feel that we do not know everything. The point which is clear is that as Jesus suffered though innocent, we also must be willing to suffer at the hands of the ungodly.
21, 22 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Noah’s deliverance in the ark, and our baptism, are figures of salvation. Both represent a living burial, a passage from the old world into the new, by death and resurrection. Was our baptism the answer of a good conscience toward God?
Inured to poverty and pain,
A suffering life my Master led;
The Son of God, the Son of man,
He had not where to lay his head.
Since he is intimately nigh,
Who, who shall violate my rest?
Sin, earth, and hell, I now defy;
I lean upon my Saviour’s breast.1
1 Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 747). Baker Book House.
There are a lot of things that are true but are hard to believe, but the fact that the Creator of our universe has pooped in a diaper is a big one. I mean, really think about that. And if your first reaction is to think that the opening line of this post sounds crass (which is a natural reaction given Who we are talking about), you are only reinforcing the point I’m about to make:
Our all-powerful almighty God entered into this broken and dangerous world as a helpless baby. The One we worship above all else fed at His mother’s breasts and, yes, even pooped in His diaper. Although the song “Away in a Manger” suggests our Savior didn’t cry, I just don’t buy it. He was fully human. He cried, and His earthly parents most assuredly had sleepless nights just like you and I. The Creator who hung all the stars and planets into the cosmos endured the messy and painful experience of birth and just eight days later, circumcision! Our sovereign God chose to be born to a regular family in the small and insignificant town of Bethlehem. What greater example of humility could we ever even conceive of? Humbly our Lord, Creator of all things, became a man.
Humility is a culturally-approved trait. For the most part, we all agree that to be humble is a good thing, and to be arrogant is a bad thing. Naturally, this provides a fantastic opportunity for the enemy to step in and engage in a little “linguistic Grinching,” (normally known as “linguistic theft” during non-holiday seasons). This is a sneaky little tactic in which a word is covertly stolen to be used with a new meaning to make the new meaning more acceptable. Since humility is a character trait that Christians are to emulate (Colossians 3:12), we mustn’t become deceived into accepting a different meaning. Let’s first seek a biblical definition of “humble” and then we can take a look at how the word has been redefined.
The words “humble” and “humility” are littered all over the pages of Scripture. While the Bible doesn’t give us an explicit dictionary definition, it does give us plenty of context to present what humility looks like. Some examples are:
We should also examine what character traits directly oppose “humility”:
Humbling ourselves involves gaining a more accurate view of ourselves. We must recognize our own sinfulness and submit ourselves to God for purification.Click To Tweet
And we must follow God and learn from Him. We must not be haughty or conceited. We must not be confident in our own righteousness nor try to exalt ourselves above others. This is what it means to be humble according to God’s Word. But I am seeing an unrelenting attempt to redefine the word and much of that attempt seems to be coming from leaders within the Progressive Christian movement.
Be on the lookout for using “humility” to replace or imply “uncertainty.” When the word “humble” is misused, those who wish to emulate humility could become misguided. Let’s take a look at three examples of linguistic theft where either the word “humble” has become synonymous with the word “uncertain,” or the word “arrogance” has become synonymous with “certainty.” And as is the Mama Bear way, with each quote we will need to “chew and spit” and discern truth from the lies.
Exhibit #1:
“Pilgrimage is a metaphor for humility. Pilgrimage encourages us to let go of the need to have final certainty on how we understand the Bible and be less prone to put up walls of division because we are more willing to discuss, explore, and change rather than proclaim, conquer, and defend.” ― Peter Enns
The idea here is that the uncertainty of our beliefs allows us the freedom to journey through our faith with an open mind, which in turn promotes unity rather than division. This pits absolute certainty (which is seen as divisive) against uncertainty (which is seen as humble). I have experienced the process of letting go of false beliefs and allowing God to give me a new worldview. And there are those who, in their pride, are too stubborn to thoughtfully consider a challenge to their firmly held beliefs. So, learning and growing are good things that we can affirm! But does that mean that we are to wander aimlessly changing our beliefs in any direction for our entire lives to remain humble? If in our experience certainty increases with learning, does that necessarily mean we are becoming increasingly prideful and arrogant?
“Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” ― G.K. Chesterton
Exhibit #2:
“If whatever communities we find ourselves in, we refuse the notion of “I’m right and you’re wrong,” and we come with a posture of humility and healing is our end goal, it changes everything.” ― Esther Joy Goetz
Here, we need to look at the difference between the “notion” of being right or wrong with the haughty attitude of someone who wants to be seen as “right” and humiliate those who they deem are “wrong.” How can anyone discuss or debate anything if they rid themselves of the “notion” of being right or wrong? How could truth vs. falsities ever be established? What we can affirm, though, is the rebuke against anyone who approaches others with arrogance. Having a “posture of humility” should be about one’s heart, not about their beliefs.
Exhibit #3:
“But, certainty is not what we should seek as Christians. It is comforting but diametrically opposed to faith. Certainty is merely hubris and arrogance masquerading as discernment.” ― Ashley Darling (Red Letter Christians)
In this quote, I want to focus on the word “arrogance” because it is pitted against certainty. Since arrogance is the opposite of humility, this is another way the enemy tempts us to embrace uncertainty as somehow virtuous. This quote requires some “chewing and spitting” especially when read in the context of the full article. The reason is that there are some good points made within the article, and we Mama Bears need to be careful not to reject the good along with the bad if we are to use proper discernment. That being said, for this post, I want to bring our attention to the blanket statement that Christians are not to seek certainty.
According to Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” If assurance and conviction are words that biblically define “faith,” it seems obvious to me that God’s Word directly opposes the idea that certainty is “diametrically opposed to faith.” I don’t know about you, but I’m going to go with God on this one.
It’s one thing to know what tactics the enemy uses against us. It is another to understand why he uses them and why they are so effective. We need to understand what happens when we uncritically accept new definitions of biblical words, whether due to ignorance, pride, or apathy. Here is why I think linguistic theft of the word “humble” is very dangerous:
Suppose you can convince someone that it is arrogant to become too certain about their theology or beliefs and that it is humble and virtuous to remain uncertain. In that case, that person will likely live with a vague and confused sense of who God is and what he commands of us.
Mama bears, we don’t want that for ourselves or our children. We know that God does not want that for us either. He is a good Father, and He wants us to know Him and to live in peace, not confusion.
As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, we worship the God who entered our world in perfect humility. God did not have to do it this way. If He truly wanted His creation to journey through mystical spiritualism where questions mattered more than answers, then He could have remained in the spirit realm. Instead, what did He do? The Word became flesh, entering into world history, and providing His people the means to verify His claims objectively. Jesus embodies the Word of God, shows us the way, gives us life, and provides us with objective truth. We can be grounded in the certainty of His love because we can be certain of His claims. And as we draw near to Him, His Spirit transforms our hearts to conform us to His humble image. This is a certainty that does not bring pride and division, but peace and unity to those who love Him. Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let Earth receive her King!
How to Interpret Your Bible by Dr. Frank Turek DVD Complete Series, INSTRUCTOR Study Guide, and STUDENT Study Guide
Miracles: The Evidence by Frank Turek DVD and Mp4
Jesus, You and the Essentials of Christianity by Frank Turek (INSTRUCTOR Study Guide), (STUDENT Study Guide), and (DVD)
Oh, Why Didn’t I Say That? Is the Bible Historically Reliable? by Dr. Frank Turek DVD, Mp4, Mp3 Download.
Alexa Cramer is a Blog and Podcast Contributor and Video Content Creator with MamaBearApologetics.com. She’s also a homeschool mom of two. She became obsessed with apologetics after a season of doubt that nearly stole her faith. Alexa has a background in film and video and will willingly fight anyone who doesn’t agree that DC Talk is the best band that ever graced the earth.
Originally posted at: https://bit.ly/3OOBhxz
The post Humbly He Came appeared first on Cross Examined.
Because of the redemption Jesus has accomplished for His people, our condemnation is taken away and eradicated. In this message, Derek Thomas marvels at the grand picture of divine rescue painted for us in the opening words of Romans 8. This message is from Dr. Thomas’ 12-part teaching series Romans 8. Learn more: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/romans-8
A Christmas favorite of many is Handel’s Messiah. The text is essentially an assembly of Old and New Testament Bible verses. Dr. Jerry Newcombe shares the fascinating story of what is often regarded as the most famous oratorio ever composed. #HandelsMessiah #ForGodAndCountry #CoralRidgeMinistries
Source: Handel’s Messiah
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
This was one of Jesus’ final prayers before His death. Let that sink in. As He faced betrayal, torture, and death, He prayed for His disciples to be set apart in holiness. He wasn’t pleading for their comfort, success, or popularity. He prayed for their sanctification through truth. Why? Because truth matters.
In today’s postmodern world, truth is often seen as optional, flexible, or subjective. We’re told to “live our truth” or believe “what’s true for you is true for you.” But this idea crumbles when held up to the light of God’s Word.
Truth doesn’t always feel good. It challenges us. It convicts us. It calls us to lay down our pride, our desires, and even our identity to align with God’s design. And that’s one of the scandals of Christianity in a post-Christian culture. God’s Word isn’t here to affirm our feelings or celebrate our choices. The Holy Spirit uses God’s word to teach us, shape us, correct us – sanctify us.
Truth isn’t popular. It’s not easy. But it’s worth it. God’s Word is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path. It’s sweeter than honey and more precious than gold. The word transforms us from the inside out. It doesn’t bend to culture. God’s word stands firm.
So the question is, will we stand with it? Is the Holy Spirit working in us through the truth? Or will we trade it for something easier, something more comfortable, something that costs us less?
Jesus prayed for us to be sanctified in truth. Not comfort. Not approval. Truth. That’s the call. May God sanctify you this year as you read His word.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you’re on this page it means you want to challenge yourself this year. That’s great! But, maybe you didn’t finish your plans in previous years. That’s okay. The goal is not to check boxes off our to-do list but to bury God’s word in our hearts. Don’t get discouraged. Every time we open God’s word He is using it – He will not allow His word to return void.
So here’s some tips for accomplishing your 2025 Bible Reading Plan:
1) Pick a realistic plan
2) Pick a plan that fits you
– take into account your personality, time, and life circumstances
3) Devote a time each day to when & where you’ll read
– seriously you might need to put it on your calendar
4) Summarize what you’ve just read
5) Pick an accountability partner who can encourage you (and you them!)
Below you’ll find a compiled list of 2025 Bible Reading Plans. They are not listed in any specific order but we pray you’ll find this list helpful as you search for this year’s plan.
May God bless you this year as you read and meditate upon His word!
I LOVE this Bible Reading plan. In fact this is the plan I used my first time going through the Bible. You read a larger chunk of the Old Testament in the Mornings and a smaller portion in the Evenings. Breaking up the readings makes the plan accomplishable. You start your day in God’s redemptive plans in the past and end your day with Jesus. I highly recommend this plan.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
“The Five Day Bible Reading Schedule’s secret is that you only have to read five times a week, not every day. This allows time for catching up, taking a day off, read other parts of the Bible to prepare for Bible class, etc. Read the entire Bible or just the New Testament – it’s your choice and it is easier than ever to accomplish!”
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF*
*This ministry has not yet updated their 2025 Reading Plan
This plan is unlike any other. If you really want to read broadly and get contextualization then this is your plan! It it not for the faint hearted but those who want to be deeply watered. Each day consists of 10 chapters in various genres of the Bible. Every year you’ll read through all of the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters 4-5 times each, the OT wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way through the OT History and Prophetic books about 1 1⁄2 times!
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
This plan will take you through a different genre of the Bible each day. Sunday – Epistle, Monday – Law, Tuesday – History, Wednesday – Psalms, Thursday – Poetry, Friday – Prophecy, Saturday – Gospels. This plan is really helpful if you have gotten bogged down before by having to read through books like Numbers or Isaiah in large chunks before. The plans strength is that it will give you something fresh to read each day of the week. However, that is also one of the weaknesses. By reading something a week ago you might not make connections with previous chapters in context as easily.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
This plan comes from the Navigators with this helpful instruction:
5 minutes a day | If you’re not currently reading the Bible, start with 5 minutes a day. This reading plan will take you through all 260 chapters of the New Testament, one chapter per day. The gospels are read throughout the year to keep the story of Jesus fresh all year.
5 days a week | Determine a time and location to spend 5 minutes a day for 5 days a week. It is best to have a consistent time and a quiet place where you can regularly meet with the Lord.
5 ways to dig deeper | We must pause in our reading to dig into the Bible. Below are 5 different ways to dig deeper each day. These exercises will encourage meditation. We recommend trying a single idea for a week to find what works best for you. Remember to keep a pen and paper ready to capture God’s insights.
Underline or highlight key words or phrases in the Bible passage. Use a pen or highlighter to mark new discoveries from the text. Periodically review your markings to see what God is teaching you.Put it into your own words. Read the passage or verse slowly, then rewrite each phrase or sentence using your own words.Ask and answer some questions. Questions unlock new discoveries and meanings. Ask questions about the passage using these words: who, what, why, when, where, or how. Jot down some thoughts on how you would answer these questions.Capture the big idea. God’s Word communicates big ideas. Periodically ask, What’s the big idea in this sentence, paragraph, or chapter?Personalize the meaning. When God speaks to us through the Scriptures, we must respond. A helpful habit is personalizing the Bible through application. Ask: How could my life be different today as I respond to what I’m reading?
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: New Testament | Download the PDF
This is a wonderful plan that gives you flexibility on the weekends. Monday through Friday you’ll read portions of the Scriptures. Yet, the plan gives you flexibility to take the weekends off or use them to catch up.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
Don’t want to be tied down to a certain number of chapters per day? This is a helpful chart to check off the list as you go.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
Maybe you’ve read through the Bible before and have wondered when the Psalms would have been written. Or wished that you knew how Hezekiah & Isaiah went together. How did the minor prophets fit into the story of the Bible. This is a really helpful Bible reading plan for those who are curious. Just a warning this plan has many who have LOVED it and many who have not.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
A little disclaimer – I love this plan. The Navigators have done a wonderful job of creating a plan that balances keeping context without getting too bogged down in one genre. That does mean you’ll be reading through large chunks of the Prophets and the Psalmist. It takes disciple to get through this one but many have found it very helpful.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
Take your time – soak it up. Not one to rush through your reading. Do you hit the Psalms and want to just slow down? This a very helpful plan to get you through the Bible in 3 years by reading 1 chapter each day. Here’s what the creators say about it:
This plan will take you completely through the Bible, reading every word. Rather than taking only a year for this project, which requires 3 chapters to read every day. That can be too much, unrealistic, and discouraging for some. In this plan you get to read one chapter a day. (Short chapters have been combined, so sometimes you’ll read two.)
Duration: 3 Years — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
Think you can go quicker than 3 years? Great! Here’s a great plan for 2 years.
Duration: 2 Years — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
McCheyne’s plan is a classic for a reason. If you would like to include your entire family in your Bible reading this is a very helpful resource. You can read part by yourself in your devotions and then in the morning and evening read other portions with your family. It is amazing how often this plan has readings that correspond to one another.
Duration: 1 Years — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
This is a really easy philosophy. Take up the book and read. Start at Genesis and end at Revelation. Cover to cover in 1 year.
Duration: 1 Years — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
These Reading plans go through smaller parts of the Bible and are great for those with limited time or really want to read deeply.
If you would like to challenge yourself to read the Old Testament in 1 year you’ll find this helpful. This plan, like most Old Testament in a year plans, can be heavy on some days a light on others. Just budget you time since somedays you will have more reading than on other days.
Duration: 1 Years — Amount: Old Testament | Download the PDF
This plan will take you through the foundation of Biblical understanding. The Law, Books of Moses, or Pentateuch are essential to understanding the rest of the Bible.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 5 Books | Download the PDF
Spend the year reading about God’s covenant faithfulness, the highs and the lows of Israelite devotion, and see the redemptive sweep of Biblical history.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 12 Books of Biblical History | Download the PDF
The Poetry of the Scriptures shed light on the profound depth of human emotion in light of God and His promises. The Wisdom literature give practical principles for godly living the come from a heart that loves the Lord.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 5 Books of Poetry & Wisdom | Download the PDF
Delve deep into the prophetic writings of the Scriptures. Hear God’s words to His people and to the nations as He spoke through His prophets.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 17 Books of Prophecy | Download the PDF
Major & Minor prophets is not means to be a qualitative distinction but quantitative. It is not that the major prophets are better or more important but that their writings are generally longer. That said, enjoy a year exploring the depths of the prophets. See how the Christ is prophesied so clearly in Isaiah. Soak in the gospel through the prophet Jeremiah. And stand in wonder of the visions in Ezekiel.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 5 Book of Prophecy | Download the PDF
This is a wonderful Bible reading plan full of variety and Messianic hope. Hear of God’s covenant love in Hosea. See God send the gospel to the gentiles in Jonah. And hear the voice proclaiming His covenant faithfulness in Malachi.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 12 Books of Prophecy| Download the PDF
If you’re new to the faith or you just want to slow down and chew over the words of the New Testament this will be helpful. You’ll read 1 chapter a day for 5 days of the week starting at Matthew and ending with Revelation.
Duration: 1 Years — Amount: New Testament | Download the PDF
Spend time this year looking at who Jesus is, what He has done, and what hope there is for the world today.
We did the plan live throughout 2020! Check it out by clicking here DEVOTIONS
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 4 Books | Download the PDF
Learn about the Alpha and the Omega. During this year you’ll see the promises of the Old Testament come to fullfilment in Jesus. You will also be blessed to see the Son of Man sitting on His throne being worshiped by the heavenly hosts.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 5 Books | Download the PDF
This Bible reading plan will take you through all the gospels. You will learn of the Christ and His eternal kingdom. Then you will see how that gospel spread to the furthest reaches of the known world. Your heart will also be challenged and blessed as you study God’s instruction to the Churches in Christ.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 19 Books | Download the PDF
Paul’s letters are foundational to the Christian church. Working through these books will give you the foundation of Jesus in your faith and point you to Jesus as the cornerstone of the church. Paul’s letters to the church and pastors are absolutely necessary to understanding God’s will for your life.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 13 Books | Download the PDF
Your soul is going to be enriched as you read about Jesus the author and perfecter of your faith. In Hebrews see how the whole Old Testament points toward and is fulfilled in Jesus. You’ll receive instruction from the book of James for your life. John will point you to Jesus time and again. Revelation will show you Christ in His splendor.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 9 Books | Download PDF
Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church is located in SE Iowa within driving distance from Burlington, Columbus Junction, Mediapolis, Middletown, Morning Sun, Mt. Pleasant, and Winfield.
We did not create many of these plans. Most of the Bible Reading Plans have their creators’ information in the plan. Creators own all intellectual copyrights to their works. In compiling this list of Bible Reading Plans Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church is not giving approval to any ministry, church, or organization but merely listing resources which they have provided online for use.
Source: Your Word is Truth
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. — Galatians 5:22-23
What is a virtue, and what makes it good and desirable? Virtues are high moral qualities, and they garner honor because we see them as strengths, talents, assets. A virtue is made of merits and advantages. They have potency and force—they are purities with power. Love can move mountains. Loyalty stands as a rock in a tornado. Joy sets the whole room dancing. Goodness is a courageous bulwark against the corrosion of evil.
Virtues are praiseworthy, for they have the brawn of maturity. Both feminine fortitude and masculine hardiness are the things of which virtues are made. A feeble virtue sounds like vegan alligator. Such a thing doesn’t exist, and if it did, it should be put out of its misery. And yet, the eighth spiritual fruit of Galatians 5:22-23 is gentleness or meekness. How can this be a virtue of the Spirit’s power?
The first problem with this eighth fruit is what to call it, and this, actually, is not an easy task. Just in the English Standard Version (ESV), this word for gentleness, πραΰτης (prautēs), gets translated in four different ways: gentleness, humility, courtesy, and meekness. The King James Version (KJV) has the classic meekness. Other translations add modesty and gentle behavior to the list. This brings the total to six, so which one is it? So far, the spiritual fruits have been easily recognizable for us, like apples, peaches, pears, and oranges in the grocery store. Yet, number eight is more like a durian fruit, a lychee nut, or a dragon fruit.
The fact is there is no one single word in English that captures well the meaning of the Greek word. Even after rummaging through the thesaurus, you come up with nothing. While we will name this eighth fruit with the traditional label of meekness, we need to further define the word. Think of meekness like a canning jar full of meanings and connotations.
We must empty the canning jar of meekness by pouring out its English contents, and then we will refill it with biblical meaning, spiritual associations. There is a plus to sticking with the word meekness, because it isn’t a popular characteristic in our world. In our day meekness is weakness; it is to be spineless, insipid, unassertive, milquetoast.
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche denounced Christians for this very virtue. He said that the only reason Christians prize meekness is due to them being weak and cowardly. Only the wimpy prize a weak virtue. The world’s scorn for meekness is helpful in appreciating what this spiritual fruit is.
The word meekness is helpful in that it is associated with a prominent Biblical character, Moses. Moses was very meek, more than anyone else on earth (Num. 12:3). In the flesh, Moses was a walking demonstration of meekness. Such a living definition of meekness gives us a solid anchor to tether our understanding.
Before getting to Moses, we have some filling to do. We have our empty jar of meekness, and the first ingredient is one-fifth of a cup of humility. You can’t make meekness without humility—our bending the knee before our God as sinners—though the variety of humility that belongs to meekness isn’t so much decrying our worthlessness.
As sinners we are pathetic insects. This is true, but meekness has the humility of being more interested in others than self. As Paul states in Philippians 2:3, in humility we count others more significant that ourselves instead of acting in selfish ambition or conceit. Meekness prefers to listen to how someone’s day was, rather than talk about itself.
Meekness removes the “I” from the center of your heart and putting God and others in the center. Meekness prioritizes concern for others over concern for self. And this leads to our next ingredient. Into the jar go two tablespoons of obedience. Meekness is the internal submission and happy desire to obey.
Meekness seeks to obey God and to obey other authorities for the Lord’s sake. This is obeying without being preoccupied with yourself, without gainsaying or griping. Thus, the word for meekness could be used for domesticated animals—tame and docile. Meekness is not the wild ox but rather the one trained to the yoke, which is not weak.
A yoked ox has its power controlled and harnessed for good work, but an untrained ox tears the fence down and kicks you in the head. Our meekness happily serves our Lord, having been trained by his love. And along these lines, the next ingredient into the jar are two more tablespoons of teachability.
Meekness includes that reverent and openness to be instructed, discipled, and trained. James tells us to “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). Proverbs states because of meekness there is fear of the Lord in us (Prov. 22:4), and in Psalm 25:9 we read that the Lord leads the meek in what is right and teaches the meek his way. The wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, and meek (James 3:17), and we show the meekness of wisdom by learning and doing good works.
Yes, heavenly wisdom is meek, as it is willing and eager to learn and strives to obey in the fear of the Lord. Meekness makes correction a stimulant, not a depressant. Thus, the first three ingredients of meekness are humility, obedience, and teachability, and these three are kind of like onions, carrots, and celery—they form the base for several virtues.
It is time for the more unique elements. Next into the jar goes a large dose of controlling our anger. Yes, meekness especially relates to anger—our tempers, but it is a little different than patience.
Patience is being slow to anger, whereas meekness focuses on not sinning in your anger. It includes having just the right amount of anger and not being wild and out of control with your temper. The opposite of meekness is being ill-tempered: violent, harsh, and quarrelsome. We are not to speak evil of anyone, to avoid quarreling, and to show perfect meekness to all (Tit. 3:2).
In his letter to Titus, the apostle Paul contrasts meekness with being self-willed, ill-tempered, and violent. Proverbs warns us not to be friends with a man of anger, nor associate with an ill-tempered person. An angry man stirs up strife and digs up much sin. Or for those married, there is the proverb: “It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman” (Prov. 21:19).
Elders are not to be violent, quarrelsome, or quick to anger but instead to be meek. The ill-tempered person gets overly upset over a small thing—a tantrum over spilled milk. He stays angry way too long; his anger becomes resentment, bitterness, and a grudge. The person devoid of meekness is irascible, snappy, and cantankerous.
Meekness, however, has a calm and gentle temper; its spirit is stable, tranquil, and not easily provoked. Meekness is free from bitterness and contentiousness. Meekness is not the absence of anger, but it is difficult to move it to anger. Meekness righteously and gently expresses the anger. And this brings us to the standout ingredient of meekness.
The secret ingredient of meekness is eschewing power. Yes, power dynamics lie within the soul of meekness and its opposite. Ill-tempered people aren’t just wild with anger; they also demand their rights. They scramble for power to get their way, and they employ power, violence, and coercion for vengeance.
If you disagree with an ill-tempered person, he or she takes it as a personal affront. If injured, such people have no use for forgiveness but instead demand the full redress of the law. They are easily offended and must always defend their honor and reputation, even for the smallest thing. To win the argument, they will shoot you down; if their shot misses you, they will hit with the butt of their gun.
This is the pride of being ill-tempered that is so contrary to the humility of meekness. Ill-tempered pride is all about me—my rights, my justice now, my power, my resources, my way, my win, and so on. It insists on the full use of power for its self-interest, which is why in the face of injury it will take justice into its own hands with revenge.
Such pride has no use for gentleness; instead, harshness and brute force are its only tools. Step on its toe, and it will bludgeon you. The shining star of ill-tempered pride in Scripture is Lamech from Genesis 4—slap him and he will kill you. Thus, meekness is especially a virtue for times of disagreement and friction.
In the New Testament, meekness most often pops up in contexts of correction and response to being reviled. Paul tells Timothy to correct his opponents with meekness, so that God may grant them repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-25). Likewise, if someone is caught in any transgression, we should restore him or her with a spirit of meekness.
Paul asks the Corinthians, “What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” (1 Cor. 4:21). In 1 Peter, when we are reviled for Christ, we should give a reason for the hope that is within us, with meekness and respect (1 Pet. 3:15). Meekness is not concerned with its own reputation or its rights, but it is more concerned about the other person.
So also, meekness understands that forgiveness is preferable to the punishments of the law. Meekness controls its anger from any violence and vengeance. This is the gentleness of meekness. Indeed, another usage for this word for meekness is to soothe, to smooth out. Meekness is soothing and gentle towards others, not harsh.
Meekness doesn’t take a hammer and chisel to others; rather, it uses sandpaper and polish. Instead of thinking about itself, meekness thinks about what is best for the other person or for the greater good. And this brings us back to Moses in Numbers 12. Now, in the full story of Moses, we see him behaving is all sorts of ways. He is confused and unsure as young man in Egypt.
Moses sins grievously near the end of his life in Numbers 20—not everything he did was meek. Yet, in Numbers 12 his meekness rises like morning sun. There, his own brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, revile and slander him before all of Israel and before the Lord. They attack Moses and want him demoted.
And how does Moses respond? He doesn’t; he is as quiet as a docile mouse. Moses doesn’t fight for his honor; he doesn’t let his pride get wounded and strike out. Instead, he lets God defend him. Even though Moses had power and authority, he refuses to use the power for himself. He chooses to trust in God. And when the Lord punishes Miriam, Moses asks for leniency and mercy.
Moses doesn’t want his sister to suffer the full brunt of the law. This is meekness, which also shows up during the golden calf debacle in Exodus 32. In a just and controlled anger, Moses rightly breaks the covenant tablets at the horrible adultery of the people. Meekness is not shy to correct what is wrong; rather, it is bold.
Yet, Moses’ manner of correction is gentle, merciful, and seeking good. When the Lord tells him to stand aside to destroy Israel, Moses steps in between to intercede for mercy. Meekness eschews power, especially as the world uses power, and it gently acts for forgiveness. This comes out in another use for this word for meekness in the Bible.
The word for meekness in Galatians 5:23 can also be used for the poor, the weak of society in the Old Testament. The poor were at the bottom of the social ladder—they had no power, no access to the courts to defend themselves or their rights. The poor were easily taken advantage of and so trusted in the Lord to vindicate them in the end.
Now, poverty is not the same as meekness. To be poor is a state; to be meek is an attitude and virtue. There is no inherent virtue to poverty in Scripture. Yet, they are metaphorically connected by their relationship to power, especially the judicial power that the world so values. As the poor lack power, so the meek avoid power in favor of gentle mercy.
And this bring us to the other primary example of meekness in Scripture who is greater than Moses: Jesus Christ. Interestingly in Scripture, meekness is never attributed to God, but it is an attribute of Jesus, God come in the flesh. So, Zechariah peered into the future and saw the Messianic King coming to his people, meek and riding upon a donkey.
Yes, Jesus rode into Jerusalem in the triumphal entry with the crowds chanting, “‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble [meek], and mounted on a donkey” (Matt. 21:5; see also Zech. 9:9). At first, the power of the king seems contradictory to the powerlessness of meekness, yet, meekness is not whether you have power or not but how you use it. Meekness refuses the worldly ways of power.
Thus, Jesus as the Son of God possessed all power and might. In his incarnation, he became poor. Jesus surrendered his divine rights to be a human. In his humiliation, Jesus eschewed the ways of power. Jesus was first meek by his obedience to the Father. He came to do the Father’s will, not his own.
Jesus wasn’t seeking his own honor but rather the glory of the Father by our salvation. Jesus put the Father’s honor and our salvation before his own glory. When Jesus was reviled, he was silent. When the Pharisees blasphemed him, Jesus said that blasphemy against the Son of Man is forgivable, but blasphemy against the Spirit is unforgiveable (Matt. 12:32).
Jesus was not meek towards the demons, but he was meek towards the people. Jesus could be bold in rebuke of sin at times. He pronounced woe on cities; he told Peter to get behind him as the devil. Jesus even cleared the temple by flipping tables. Yet, even by these bold corrections, Jesus labored for mercy and forgiveness.
Jesus was driving people to believe in him for forgiveness. And Jesus accomplished our merciful salvation in the supreme act of meekness—death upon the cross. Yes, the cross is the epitome of weakness, powerlessness, and shame to the world. The cross is the loss of all human rights and dignity. As a silent lamb, Jesus meekly laid down his life.
Yet, by his meekness unto death, which the world scorned and mocked, Jesus victoriously conquered for our redemption. The meekness of Jesus was his strength operating on a completely different power dynamic than the world. In his meekness, Jesus suffered in his own body all the violent power of justice so that we might enjoy the soothing gentleness of grace.
Far from being weakness, Jesus’ meekness was actually his righteous power to bring forth new creation—and to do this with the sweet manner of the gospel. His meekness silenced the law’s loud thunder against us so that we might hear the tender voice of the Father’s love. Thus, by Jesus’ meekness we inherit resurrection and life everlasting.
Indeed, the perfect image for the meekness of Christ is the Lion as the lamb. Jesus is the Lion of divine power, but he is a lamb towards us. Thus, by the meekness of Christ towards us, we are enabled to be meek as Jesus is. More so, the meekness of Christ shows us that we as believers and as the church operate on a completely different plane of power.
The world respects the sword, but as the church we have the meek word of the gospel. The world demands strict justice, but the keys of the church are repentance for forgiveness. The world insists on its rights, on being respected, being honored and vengeance for redress. In the meekness of Christ, though, we turn the other cheek.
We give up our rights for the good of others. When others revile us, label us as wicked, and drag our names through the mud, we leave vengeance to God. We pray for those who hate us and want our harm. And when we do correct, we use the winsomeness of meekness; we patiently use sandpaper and not a sledgehammer.
We set wrongs right and rebuke sins and errors, but we meekly do these for the good of others, for the name of Christ, and for the sake of the church. Meekness says, “This is not about me; it is about Christ.” Indeed, meekness is the strength to bear pain. As Jesus meekly bore the pains of hell for us, so we meekly endure reproaches, evils, and crimes against us.
In this way the ultimate expression of meekness is martyrdom. For the name of Christ, for doing what is right, the world will condemn us; it will execute us for high treason. Falsely accused, the evil world will hate, abuse, and kill us. In such a time of trial, meekness flexes its muscles not by using the weapons of the world but by speaking the name of Jesus.
Meekly, we defend the truth of the gospel without defending ourselves. Rather, like Stephen the Meek, as the stones fall upon us, with eyes upon Christ, we pray, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:24 KJV). Yes, the church is built on the meekness of Christ and the meek blood of the martyrs.
And it is only now that we come to understand, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5 KJV). This blessing on the meek is not about some terrestrial plot of ground; instead, it is heavenly. The land in this blessing is the new heavens and the new earth. And Jesus grants heaven to the meek for they humbly detest themselves and the power of the world to rest in the merit of Christ alone.
Jesus let go of his very life, being humble to death, to win the resurrection by his righteous meekness. So also, in the merit of Jesus we imitate Christ to gain heaven through meekness, and with this, meekness has taken its pride of place as precious fruit of the Spirit. Our growing in meekness is our reflecting the soothing gentleness of Christ unto heaven.
The world will continue to shame meekness as a weakness not worthy of the name of virtue, but God’s children wear the insult of meekness as a compliment. For there is no higher privilege for us than to resemble our Savior in meekness in life and death for the glory of our heavenly Father. Let us then treasure the meekness of Christ as the gospel of grace, and may we flourish in the meekness of wisdom for the praise of Christ’s name.
This article is adapted from the Rev. Zach Keele’s sermon on Galatians 5:22 (“Kindness”) preached on January 31, 2021, and was originally published at Beautiful Christian Life on June 18, 2021.
Investigates the Claims of the Gospels (UPDATED AND REVISED): https://amzn.to/42XtJhu
God’s CrimeScene: A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe:
http://amzn.to/2kAroVD
Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith: http://amzn.to/2Bvkyv4
So the Next Generation Will Know: Training Young Christians in a Challenging World: https://amzn.to/2CftJza
Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible: https://amzn.to/3nDriN2
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ACLU has got a ‘whole game plan’ to pressure local officials into blocking Trump’s agenda
Senate prepares for Kavanaugh 2.0 with Trump pick Hegseth
Liz Warren demands Trump set conflict of interest agreement for Elon Musk
EU investigates TikTok over alleged Russian meddling in Romanian vote
After Years of Censoring Conservative Voices, TikTok Claims Ban Would Violate Free Speech
Israel launches first domestically-built quantum computer
They’re Using AI to Come Up With New Oreo Cookie Flavors Now
Amazon commits another $10 billion to Ohio data centers amid questions about energy costs and supply
How China’s satellite megaprojects are challenging Elon Musk’s Starlink
Rep. McCaul: Some Craft Are ‘Spy Drones’ From China
New Jersey residents ‘suffering alarming symptoms’ after drone surge
Rep. Mace: Mysterious Drones Could Be From ‘Outer Space’
US drones mystery takes new twist as plane passenger films orbs ‘at impossible altitude’
Nuclear bunker sales increase, despite expert warnings they aren’t going to provide protection
CME impacts Earth, sparking G1 geomagnetic storm
Widespread damage, casualties reported after major M7.3 earthquake hits Port-Vila, Vanuatu
5.6 magnitude earthquake hits near Levuka, Fiji
5.5 magnitude earthquake hits near Port-Vila, Vanuatu
5.4 magnitude earthquake hits near Tual, Indonesia
5.3 magnitude earthquake hits the northern East Pacific Rise
5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Alto Hospicio, Chile
5.2 magnitude earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands region
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Port-Vila, Vanuatu
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits the southeast Indian Ridge
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Pondaguitan, Philippines
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Bacuyangan, Philippines
Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 26,000ft
Sangay volcano in Ecuador erupts to 23,000ft
Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 18,000ft
Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 14,500ft
Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala erupts to 14,000ft
Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts to 15,000ft
Coffee Prices Hit Record High amid Brazilian Drought
Black enrollment at Harvard Law tanks by more than half after affirmative action ruling
American Airlines to drop DEI policies and quotas for recruitment, hiring after lawsuit
Mass migration brought the German government to its knees – the rest of Europe will follow
Analysis: Nearly 8 Million Illegals Living in Sanctuary Cities Across U.S.
Trump calls for end to border wall auctions: ‘Almost criminal act’
Illegal immigrant on terrorist watchlist arrested in NYC after being released into the country
Tourism Under Siege: Rising Violence in Mexico Threatens Visitors and the Nation’s Economy
Downtown Seattle bus stops close due to rising crime, safety concerns
Walmart Rolls Out Employee Bodycams as Crime Spirals Out of Control
Stunning Poll Finds That More Young Americans Think CEO Assassination Was Acceptable Than Don’t
Hollywood Treatment: Two Documentaries Planned on Alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO Killer Luigi Mangione
New Luigi Mangione charges accuse him of murder, terrorism in ‘well-planned’ CEO killing
‘Mass shooting’ in Maryland: 1 dead, 9 wounded and vehicle in flames
Tennessee pizza shop faces backlash after declining to cater same-sex wedding
LGBTQ groups decline to celebrate highest-ranking gay official in Trump admin Scott Bessent
Report: Hollywood LGBTQ Elites Panicking over Second Trump Administration, Some Planning to Flee
Bolivia’s Socialist Ex-Strongman Evo Morales Formally Charged in Pedophilia Case
Former Church of England leader resigns as priest after claims he mishandled an abuse case
How Dominique Pelicot organised the mass rape of his wife
Catholic Health Care System Partners with Pro-Abortion Virtual Women’s Health Clinic
Sen. Tuberville Backs RFK Jr. After Assurances on Abortion
Biden Administration Accused of Using ‘Pro-Abortion Bullying Tactics’ Against Foreign Nation
Doctor’s warning as people ‘catch’ chlamydia from gym equipment
A transplanted pig kidney offers a grandmother hope for life without dialysis
‘It’s a blessing’: US woman receives gene-edited pig kidney
Bat Poop Fertilizer Blamed for Deadly Fungal Infections in Cannabis Growers
‘Alarming’: A Dangerous Diarrhea-Causing Superbug Is Spreading in Los Angeles
Highly pathogenic bird flu confirmed in Alabama: More than 100,000 chickens killed
Donald Trump Will Not Remove Polio Vaccine, Hails Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as ‘Very Rational Guy’
Moderna Halts mRNA RSV Vaccine Trial for Children After Five Infants were Hospitalized
“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.
“When right, I shall often be thought wrong by those whose positions will not command a view of the whole ground.” —Thomas Jefferson (1805)
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
For the Executive Summary archive, click here.
Follow Thomas Gallatin and Jordan Candler on X/Twitter.
Nate Jackson
That is the lie of the year? I know as well as anyone the extensive corruption of the Leftmedia’s “fact-checking” censorship regime, and that was still my reaction when I read that PolitiFact had chosen Donald Trump and JD Vance’s assertion that Haitian migrants were “eating the pets” as its Lie of the Year.
Our team worked on a list of better candidates that I’ll get to in a moment. First, PolitiFact’s story:
With a brazen disregard for facts, Donald Trump and his running mate repeatedly peddled a created story that in Springfield, Ohio, Haitian immigrants were eating pet dogs and cats.
With this claim, amplified before 67 million television viewers in his debate against Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump took his anti-migrant, the U.S. border-is-out-of-control campaign agenda to a new level.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs,” Trump said on September 10. “The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating … the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country. And it’s a shame.”
PolitiFact tersely rebutted, “City and county officials said repeatedly that it was not happening.” Nevertheless, PolitiFact fretted that the claims were followed by threats of violence and Haitian migrants fearing to send their kids to school and so forth. The clear implication from the rest of the lengthy story is that the primary explanation for the “lie” was the tellers’ racism and bigotry.
Two things are true here: One, if such threats occurred, they would be disgraceful and shouldn’t happen in this country, no matter what a politician says. Two, reports of those threats have the same credibility as the claims of pet eating since both sets of allegations originated with residents of Springfield, not with Trump or Vance. Leftmedia types only believe one set of residents.
I’m not here to settle the question of whether the thousands of Haitian migrants Joe Biden’s administration helped make it to the small town of Springfield, Ohio, were, in fact, eating cats, dogs, or anything else. PolitiFact and other “fact-checkers” have certainly spilled enough digital ink on that question, though in the case of Snopes, the answer was … a totally wimpy “unfounded.” Besides, our Douglas Andrews aptly tackled the story back in September.
Nor am I here to justify Trump and Vance’s repeated claims, which were unquestionably inflammatory. Still, there are two important caveats. First, what they did with their claim was get people thinking about Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s open border and its catastrophic effects around the country. As Trump put it, “The real threat is what’s happening at our border.” Second, they appealed to young people. While older Americans rolled their eyes at outlandish claims, younger people absorbed with social media found the story — and the ensuing flood of memes — delightfully entertaining, drawing them toward the Trump-Vance ticket.
Another point: The Biden-Harris open border creates resentment and division among people. American citizens don’t like seeing their towns overrun by a flood of illegal migrants who broke the law and who don’t speak the language or care about the culture and have little or no intention of doing so. Strong reactions, however ugly, happen because of crisis events. For all Democrats’ insistence on creating unity, they do anything and everything to divide us.
Now, at the top, I alluded to the fact that our team conferred on some other options for Lie of the Year. We think our list deserves some consideration.
Briefly, many other lies deserve dishonorable mention: Trump would “ban abortion,” the Project 2025 smear, repetition of the bogus Charlottesville and “suckers and losers” tales complete with a new one about Arlington, Harris worked at McDonald’s, Tim Walz’s stolen valor, and Biden’s false claim that inflation was 9% when he took office. Even The Washington Post rebuked that one with four Pinocchios.
We could certainly go on, but you get the idea.
The real story? The Left has an entire party and media establishment arrayed against Liberty and Truth. They censor and “fact-check” any opposition. These people are dedicated to acquiring and wielding power, and no lie is too great when in service to their agenda.
Follow Nate Jackson on X/Twitter.
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For more of today’s columns, visit Right Opinion.
Race Bait
“We are living in a world in which we are seeing modern-day lynching take place in front of our eyes. … We are being dragged back to the 1950s, where we’re seeing these lynchings. And guess what? Somebody doesn’t go to jail when it comes down to killing one of us.” —Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett
Hot Air
“The thing that’s screwing us up day by day in this country is climate change.” —Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
Lack of Self-Awareness Award
“Just to be clear. House Democrats will never be bullied or intimidated by far right extremism, no matter who comes to power. We will always do what’s right for the American people.” —House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Praetorian Guard
“Our Lie of the Year goes to Donald Trump and JD Vance for false claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pet dogs and cats.” —PolitiFact (“We had a President who straight up said for the entire year that he would not pardon his son — Only to pardon him for every crime he may or may not have committed since 2014. Yet Politifact made their ‘lie of the year’ something that they can’t even prove was false.” —Greg Price)
Veep Thoughts
“And I ask you to remember the context in which you exist. Yeah, I did that. Uh-huh!” —Kamala Harris
Upright
“The last thing voters now want is for the IRS to impose any more costly last-minute tax changes that will make problems even worse for taxpayers, workers and employers. Accordingly, the Biden team and the IRS should put down their pencils. And if they persist with these fourth-quarter rule changes, the Trump team should be prepared to immediately repeal them in January.” —Stephen Moore
For the Record
“I will try to make to make it happen. He is a great negotiator!” —Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son upon being asked to double his $100 billion investment by Donald Trump
“Biden never went to even one Army-Navy game. He has skipped them all four years of his presidency. This is the only sporting event in America where the athletes on the field are willing to die for the fans in the stands. And Joe Biden could never find the time to show his respect for their courage.” —Gary Bauer
“Look at the disdain America’s Chicken Little elites and the propaganda press heap on anyone who dares to question vaccine orthodoxy. … This reaction suggests the supposed experts have something to hide. They don’t want to bury their opponents with studies showing how they’re right. They want to shame them into silence or destroy their professional lives.” —Victor Joeks
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
“Why is it not considered a hate crime if the victims are Christian?” —Kevin Sorbo
Belly Laugh of the Day
“Instead of abolishing Daylight Savings Time, why don’t we just abolish daylight? That would cut down on global warming and guilt about drinking at breakfast.” —David Burge
And Last
“You can usually work out the truth by watching the legacy media — it’s the opposite of whatever they’re telling you.” —Russell Brand
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)”.
A deal for the release of the Hamas hostages could be close, but some former captives and family members angry over the possible terms; Israeli forces remain in a key area to make sure the recent Islamic rebel takeover of Syria doesn’t spill over into the Jewish state as the Israel military has taken out Syrian military targets; and Congressional leaders light a menorah to commemorate Hannukah and show solidarity with the Jewish people; Chris Mitchell talks about the likelihood of a hostage deal, the importance of Israeli troops staying in the Golan Heights after the Islamic takeover of Syria, the possibility of a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, and the importance of the US and evangelical Christians showing their support for Israel and the Jewish people; the Madison, Wisconsin, community comes together in prayer gathering as investigators try to determine why a 15-year-old girl shot fellow students and others at a private Christian school Monday; a realtor in Virginia could lose his license after being accused of hate speech for posting a Bible verse online in 2015; and our Studio 5 interview with Jonathan Roumie about the upcoming fifth season of “The Chosen.”
Want more news from a Christian Perspective? Choose to support CBN: https://go.cbn.com/ugWBn
CBN News. Because Truth Matters™
Source: IDF Guarding Israel from Islamic Forces in Syria | CBN NewsWatch – December 18, 2024
Jesse Watters and Sean Hannity bring Fox News viewers their fresh takes on the top news of the day.
CNN is now admitting it got hoaxed by the star of its acclaimed and now disgraced and debunked “Syrian Prisoner” story. The post appeared first on Breitbart .
Source: Nolte: Disgraced CNN Admits It Got Hoaxed by ‘Syrian Prisoner’
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) lashed out at CNN’s Manu Raju when pressed on the justification for lawmakers giving themselves a pay raise despite Congress’s abysmal performance.
The confrontation occurred as lawmakers are negotiating a gargantuan 1,500-page stopgap funding bill that includes a controversial provision granting Congress its first pay increase since 2009.
The irony is glaring: Congress, which has failed to secure the border, rein in runaway spending, or provide meaningful solutions for everyday Americans, is poised to reward itself with a raise while the public foots the bill.
Meanwhile, Durbin, the second-highest-ranking Senate Democrat, admitted he wasn’t even aware of the pay raise provision in the bill—a damning admission of how out-of-touch and disorganized Democrat leadership has become.
During CNN’s Newsroom with Jim Acosta, Raju confronted Durbin about the proposed raise, asking whether Congress deserved more taxpayer dollars while Americans struggle under the weight of their failures. Durbin’s response? Deflection and an attack on the media.
Jim Acosta: Understand that part of this year and spending package, the stopgap continuing resolution, as it’s called, apparently has a provision in there that gives lawmakers their first pay raise since 2009. Is that correct? What’s the latest on that?
Manu Raju: Yeah, From what we understand, this is a massive bill, roughly 1500 pages that came out just yesterday. They’re trying to jam this through Congress by the end of the week to prevent a government shutdown.
This would extend funding until mid-March, but it also includes a whole wide range of other issues, one of which is to increase the members pay for has not been increased since 2009, but the language in there would allow them to get their first pay increase since then.
Right now, members make the rank and file make about $174,000 a year. I just caught up with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin about this issue. I asked him if it was appropriate for lawmakers to give themselves a raise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Manu Raju: The members are giving themselves a pay raise. Do you guys deserve a pay raise?
Sen. Dick Durbin: Well, that’s news to me. It’s good news! (LAUGHTER) You know, what is it been ten years or 14 years and no COLA? No change at all. I think it’s about time something’s done.
Manu Raju: You support giving yourselves a pay raise.
Sen. Dick Durbin: Well I don’t know what it is. How would I not know about a pay raise–?
Manu Raju: But I mean, people look at the performance of Congress, say, why should we give them more money?
Sen. Dick Durbin: What about the media? Think about that for a second.
Manu Raju:We’re not paid by public money.
Sen. Dick Durbin: I know you’re not. But I mean, half of your listeners are not there anymore. You’re still getting the same paycheck? What’s going on?
Manu Raju: Well, I mean, you’re taxpayer money, I mean, do you guys deserve a raise?
(END VIDEO CLIP).
Manu Raju: And Durbin essentially said that, yes, they should give themselves a raise. And it also was notable, Jim. He wasn’t aware that this was in the provision and he’s the number two Senate Democrat.
Just shows you how this was negotiated among a handful of members. And they’re going to have to vote on this. And members will really want to have time to read it either, Jim.
Jim Acosta: Unreal! But Manu, I have to say, you are worth every penny! Manu Raju up on Capitol Hill.
The post Sen. Durbin SNAPS at CNN’s Manu Raju After Being Confronted About Why Congress Deserves a Pay Raise Based on Their Abysmal Performance appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
It’s time, once again, for the Democrats to save democracy.
Source: In effort to “restore democracy,” Democrats introduce bill to abolish the Electoral College
Panelists Mollie Hemingway and Ben Domenech discuss the ‘corruption’ within the mainstream press and how that may evolve under the Trump administration on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’
Source: The mainstream press is ‘corrupt’ and engaged in ‘state propaganda’: Mollie Hemingway
NOW COMING FULL CIRCLE, THE SO CALLED” CHRISTIAN ECONOMIC FORUM”/ “DAVOS FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERS “-ALIGNED “FAITH DRIVEN INVESTORS/ENTREPRENEURS” IS PARTNERING WITH THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM’S FAITH PARTNER WORLD EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE. AT THIS POINT THERE IS NO DENYING THE INTENT TO GET CHRISTIANS TO INVEST IN GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AS GREAT COMMISION GOSPEL MINISTRY VISION.
Rev Thomas Littleton
12/16/2024
The very idea that a “Christian Economic Forum” exist or that affilated group urging “Faith Driven Entrepreneurship” for the sake of lower returns in exhange for kingdom building and seeking to entice Christians to entrust “the other 90% of their wealth to such a vision is a bit beyond the pale. NOW seeing those organizations allign with World Economic Forum “Faith in Action” partner World evangelical Alliance to drive “Faith and Business” buy in to UN Agenda 2030 goals is a hard core reality check for Christians who know these two opposites agendas cannot merge for the furtherance of the Gospel.
FAITH DRIVEN OR FOOLS GOLD?
ON DECEMBER 8TH 2024 THE GLOBAL GOALS CIRCLES COMPLETE.
**Strategic partnership between Faith Driven and the World Evangelical Alliance Business Coalition**
“Faith Driven, a global movement empowering Christian entrepreneurs and investors, has formed a strategic partnership with the Business Coalition of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), which represents over 630 million evangelicals in 143 countries and 9 regions. This collaboration aims to foster greater integration of faith and business, encouraging entrepreneurs to lead with purpose and align their business practices with Christian values.”
“Through this partnership, Faith Driven and the WEA plan to equip faith-driven business leaders with content highlighting how God is moving in the marketplace, community with like-minded business owners and global connections to accelerate growth. By creating spaces for entrepreneurs to share their experiences, challenges, and innovations, the two organizations hope to inspire a new wave of Christian-led businesses that prioritize ethical leadership and community impact.”
“Henry Kaestner, Founder of the Faith Driven Movement, stated: “This initiative reflects the growing movement of entrepreneurs seeking to align their faith with their business endeavors, promoting integrity, generosity, and sustainable practices in the marketplace. The collaboration also highlights the shared vision of both organizations to influence the world through faith-driven entrepreneurship, ultimately aiming to impact society with the gospel’s message.”
“Dr. Timo Plutschinski, Global Director of the WEA Business Coalition and newly appointed member of the Board of Advisors at Faith Driven, added: “The strategic partnership between Faith Driven and the World Evangelical Alliance signals a new era of collaboration, merging entrepreneurial expertise with a global Christian mission to advance the Kingdom of God in the business world.”
THE NEW PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCED.
“Strategic partnership between Faith Driven and the WEA Business Coalition.“
Faith Driven, a global movement empowering Christian entrepreneurs and investors, has formed a strategic partnership with the Business Coalition of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), which represents over 630 million evangelicals in 143 countries and 9 regions. This collaboration aims to foster greater integration of faith and business, encouraging entrepreneurs to lead with purpose and align their business practices with Christian values. ► BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR GLOBAL MOVEMENT: https://worldea.org/our-family/become… ► SIGN-UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: https://worldea.org/subscribe/ ► FOLLOW THE EVANGELICAL 360° PODCAST FOR INSPIRING CONVERSATIONS: / @evangelical360
“The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has multiple initiatives to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:
“WEA contributes to World Economic Forum report released at Davos on faith and business.”
WEA WORK WITH WORLD ECONOMIC FORUMS FAITH IN ACTION.
“Faith in Action: Religion and Spirituality in the Polycrisis.”
“This insight report reflects on how global leaders are exploring partnerships with faith actors through eight faith-based partnership case studies – on the environment, health, resilience and technology governance – and considers ways leaders can explore meaningful cooperation with faith actors at a time of deepening polarization and distrust in societies.”
“Global leaders cannot afford to ignore the impact of religion and spirituality on today’s interconnected challenges. Eighty-five per cent of people worldwide adhere to a religious or spiritual tradition, impacting how they define their values and participate in communities, workplaces and societies.”
“Faith actors, from traditional religious institutions to interfaith organizations to faith-motivated investors, are tackling common challenges through partnerships with businesses, government and other stakeholders, exploring original approaches to working for mutual benefit and avoiding “faith washing”. Many business leaders are using their faith fluency to explore innovative partnerships with faith actors to achieve meaningful engagement and impact.”
WEA BUY IN TO UN SDG/AGENDA 2030.
EXPECTING LOWER RETURNS FOR “KINGDOM INVESTING” IN GLOBAL GOALS OUTCOMES?
LOSE CONTROL AND LOOSEN YOUR GRIP
“The schedule for this year’s Faith Driven Entrepreneur Live is optimized for an entrepreneur’s busy schedule.
• 8:30 AM Start Time
• Packed with 2 and ½ hours of great content
• Extended breaks built in for connections and community
• Over by lunchtime so you can still make your afternoon meetings.
Register for a Watch Party or individual stream by July 1st and get a free additional ticket you can give to a friend.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to accept God’s invitation to be fully alive.”
“As entrepreneurs, we tend to have a tight grip on our businesses.
But God calls us to surrender.
Join us for Faith Driven Entrepreneur Live to discover how to fight against the idol of control with others.”
TARGETING PASTORS
SOME VERY DISREPUTABLE PITCH MEN
David Platt was once avery popular Southern Baptist pastor but since his time in the SBC International Missions Board leadership , his CRT Race baiting WOKE justice and now his own church members seeking to oust him from their church home McLean Bible- Faith Driven movement is showing some poor judgement in picking pastors to sell the vision.
“In the name of Jesus, play your unique part in the accomplishment of His worldwide purpose.” David Platt — Pastor, Founder of Radical, Bestselling Author”
TIM KELLER STILL PITCHING “FATIH DRIVEN IVESTING” FROM THE GRAVE
REIMAGINING CHURCH REAL ESTATE -:
REPURPOSING CHURCHES LARGEST ASSETTS FOR JUSTICE?
CONLCUSION
The future of Christian giving, investing and now business ownership is all being pulled into the orbit of World Economic Forum Faith in Action partners in atop down effort to coopt the God given and entrusted resources of the church and Christians into total globalist alliance and allegiance.
In a divide that says a lot about where Americans stand, depending on whom you ask “The Twitter Files” were a revolutionary exposé of government censorship or a “nothingburger”.
George Washington law professor and favorite among ZeroHedge readers Jonathan Turley debated his left-leaning GW colleague, David Karpf, on the preeminent speech question of our age: how to secure free online discourse. Moderated by Gene Epstein of The SoHo Forum, they discussed Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and whether its new form — X — has been a net positive for society.
We encourage readers to listen to the full debate (linked below), but for those short on time here were the key moments:
After Musk released internal Twitter documents from the previous regime to journalists like Taibbi and Shellenberger, we often heard from the left and mainstream media that it was exaggerated excerpts from routine and banal content moderation discussions. Karpf shares this view.
Turley, on the other hand, argues that it was a pivotal moment in exposing a censorship apparatus that had grown out of hand.
“The statement that the Twitter files was a ‘nothingburger’ is really breathtaking,” he says. “They were censoring jokes. They were censoring people who had dissenting views of COVID. People were barred and throttled and blacklisted.”
“[Social media companies] were one monolithic whole, and they were all working with the U.S. government in a censorship system that a federal court called ‘perfectly Orwellian’.”
https://x.com/zerohedgeDebate/status/1869232504315768887
The question of Stanford physician Jay Bhattacharya was raised. The Context: A now-infamous leaked email between Francis Collins and Anthony Fauci, then-directors of National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), respectively, revealed that the top Biden Admin scientists privately ordered a “devastating published take down” of Bhattacharya’s criticism of national lockdown policy. It was additionally revealed that he was shadow-banned on Twitter.
Asked whether these actions taken against Bhattacharya — now Trump’s pick to lead the NIH — constituted a free speech infringement, Karpf replied that Bhattacharya’s current success proves that his “cancelling” was ineffective and thus inconsequential.
Turley took issue, saying Karpf and his ilk are essentially advocating for certain voices to be “disappeared”.
“I’m really troubled by this line of argument,” Turley rebutts. “It’s sort of like a doctor saying, ‘Yes I committed malpractice, but I didn’t kill the patient… The fact that people can survive is a rather chilling test when determining whether this was a good or bad thing.”
https://x.com/zerohedgeDebate/status/1869232293342249229
As Turley points out, for centuries governments have tried to limit the means through which their subjects can communicate via unauthorized channels.
“The internet itself is the most important invention since the printing press,” he argues. “When the printing press came out, the first reaction of governments was to limit the printing press. The internet scared the daylights out of governments. Also now with social media.”
Turley describes social media platforms as powerful tools that have scaled communication from orators standing atop boxes on urban street corners to everyone having global reach at all times. He views this as tremendously positive for speech while Karpf believes Musk abused this power to elect Trump and that Turley is only celebrating because “his side” won.
Karpf: “We are now at a version of Twitter where Elon Musk is spending basically every day with President-to-be Donald Trump, helping to dictate what government policy should be and which agencies should effectively go away. And he’s calling for people who work for the government to be fired.”
https://x.com/zerohedgeDebate/status/1869238636434305042
Watch the full debate below or listen on Spotify:
https://x.com/zerohedge/status/1869161918906220545
Source: “Free Speech Is A Human Right!” Professors Jonathan Turley & Dave Karpf Clash
Truth2Freedom's Blog 