There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him….
COLOSSIANS 2:9, 10
Christ is so many wonderful things to His people and brings to them such a wealth of benefits as the mind cannot comprehend nor the heart find words to express!
Bernard of Clairvaux speaks in his writings of a “perfume compounded of the remembered benefits of God.”
Such fragrance is all too rare!
Every follower of Christ should be redolent of such a perfume; for have we not all received more from God’s kindness than our imagination could have conceived before we knew Him and discovered for ourselves how rich and how generous He is?
That we have received of His fullness grace for grace no one will deny, but the fragrance comes not from the receiving but from the remembering.
Ten lepers received their health—that was the benefit. One came back to thank his benefactor—that was the perfume!
Unremembered benefits, like dead flies, may cause the ointment to give forth a stinking savor.
Remembered blessings, thankfulness for present favors and praise for promised grace blend like myrrh and aloes and cassia to make a rare bouquet for the garments of the saints. With this perfume David also anointed his harp and the hymns of the ages have been sweet with it.
We are reminded that much of the Bible is devoted to prediction. Nothing God has yet done for us can compare with all that is written in the sure word of prophecy. And, nothing He has done or may yet do for us can compare with what He is and will be to us!1
If, O my reader! thou art merely a professor, and not a possessor of the faith that is in Christ Jesus, the following lines are a true ketch of thine end.
You are a respectable attendant at a place of worship; you go because others go, not because your heart is right with God. This is your beginning. I will suppose that for the next twenty or thirty years you will be spared to go on as you do now, professing religion by an outward attendance upon the means of grace, but having no heart in the matter. Tread softly, for I must show you the deathbed of such a one as yourself. Let us gaze upon him gently. A clammy sweat is on his brow, and he wakes up crying, “O God, it is hard to die. Did you send for my minister?” “Yes, he is coming.” The minister comes. “Sir, I fear that I am dying!” “Have you any hope?” “I cannot say that I have. I fear to stand before my God; oh! pray for me.” The prayer is offered for him with sincere earnestness, and the way of salvation is for the ten-thousandth time put before him, but before he has grasped the rope, I see him sink. I may put my finger upon those cold eyelids, for they will never see anything here again. But where is the man, and where are the man’s true eyes? It is written, “In hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment.” Ah! why did he not lift up his eyes before? Because he was so accustomed to hear the gospel that his soul slept under it. Alas! if you should lift up your eyes there, how bitter will be your wailings. Let the Saviour’s own words reveal the woe: “Father Abraham, send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.” There is a frightful meaning in those words. May you never have to spell it out by the red light of Jehovah’s wrath!1
AND I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Does not this foretell that there shall come an age in which the agency of Satan in the world shall be suspended by divine power? This will go far to make that period of a thousand years, which is commonly called the millennium, a time of peace and holiness. Glory be to God, the Prince of Darkness is under the power of the Prince of Light. He shall not always triumph.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5, 6 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Surely this is a literal resurrection, and it is clear that the blessed dead will rise before the wicked. Let us strive to attain unto this resurrection.)
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9, 10 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Satan will come out of his prison unchanged; hell is not a reformatory; but his determined pride will not avail him, he must feel the terror of divine wrath. Vain will be the last furious struggle of the hosts of evil.
11, 12 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (Good works will be cited as evidences of grace, and evil works as tokens of unbelief. This makes our daily conduct a solemn thing. How shall we bear to be thus weighed in the balances?)
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Malachi 3:1 — A messenger who shall prepare the way of the LORD? Not preparing the way of a mere prophet but the way of Yahweh Elohim, the LORD God! This is the same promise that Isaiah 40:3 shares and was fulfilled by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:3, 11:10; Mark 1:2-3; John 1:23).
Malachi 3:5 — Who will He judge? Interesting that its similar to Revelation 21:8 and Revelation 22:15.
Malachi 3:11 — Why was Israel beset with famine? As a judgment for sin (Deuteronomy 28:3-4). Malachi reminds us of the lesson from Elijah in 1 Kings 17:13 – if you will trust God with your resources that came from Him, He will provide all that you need!
Malachi 3:14 — Ever get depressed and wonder what benefit there is to serving God? Demas did (2 Timothy 4:10). It’s okay to be depressed, but don’t let Satan change your beliefs. True, serving the Lord is not the highest dollar return on your time, but are you laying up treasure here or in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21)?
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings Risen with healing in His wings!
Malachi 4:5-6 — Elijah would come. John denied that he was Elijah (John 1:21), but the angel sent to Zacharias declared that he would go before the Messiah “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). Jesus Himself confirmed that John was the very messenger (Matthew 11:10) prophesied by Malachi. The Old Testament ends by warning us that without repentance, we will be cursed (Malachi 4:6).
Revelation 22:3 — The Old Testament ends with a curse, but the New Testament ends declaring “there shall be no more curse!”
Revelation 22:10 — Notice four promises of the unsealed prophecy:
Reward (Revelation 22:12) – 2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us that we will give an account of ourselves to God, and He will reward us (1 Corinthians 3:14-15).
Reception (Revelation 22:14) – Jesus went to prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3), and He gave us power to become Sons of God (John 1:12) so that we have the right to enter into the gates!
Restrictions (Revelation 22:15) – Not everyone is going to heaven. Sin keeps all of us from heaven – even just one sin (James 2:10)!
Return (Revelation 22:7, Revelation 22:12, Revelation 22:20) – Jesus is coming!
Revelation 22:16 — Only Jesus can be the root, the offspring, and the father of David (Luke 3:38)! He is the only One Who can also be his son (Luke 3:23)! He is the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 22:13)!
Revelation 22:17 — The final invitation of the Bible is for you to come. Take of the water of life freely! Jesus told the woman at the well that He gives living water (John 4:10). If you haven’t come to Jesus yet, come to Jesus before Jesus comes again!
Psalm 150:6 — As we end this year, I don’t know if you’ve been as blessed reading Revelation 22 as I have. I’m extremely glad we finish the year with Psalm 150 – Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
Proverbs 31:30 — Beauty pageants focus on the wrong aspects of womanhood. Praise is for those women who fear the LORD!
Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither will thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.Psalm 16:10
This word has its proper fulfillment in the Lord Jesus; but it applies also, with a variation, to all who are in Him. Our soul shall not be left in the separate state, and our body, though it see corruption, shall rise again. The general meaning, rather than the specific application, is that to which we would call our readers’ thoughts at this particular time.
We may descend in spirit very low till we seem to be plunged in the abyss of hell; but we shall not be left there. We may appear to be at death’s door in heart, and soul, and consciousness; but we cannot remain there. Our inward death as to joy and hope may proceed very far; but it cannot run on to its full consequences, so as to reach the utter corruption of black despair, We may go very low, but not lower than the Lord permits; we may stay in the lowest dungeon of doubt for a while, but we shall not perish there. The star of hope is still in the sky when the night is blackest. The Lord will not forget us and hand us over to the enemy. Let us rest in hope, We have to deal with One whose mercy endureth forever. Surely, out of death, and darkness, and despair we shall yet arise to life, light, and liberty.
Description:When the disciples came near to despair after the prediction of Christ’s death, He brought them to a remote mountain and was transfigured before them. In this sermon, R.C. Sproul continues his series in the book of Mark by contemplating that moment when the disciples basked in Jesus’ unveiled glory.
In presenting apologetics there are certain points I focus on in order to systematically examine the evidence for the truth of Christianity. While there are many other areas of interest and concern for the apologist, these areas are essential in determining the veracity of the Christian religion.
These main features of Christianity include:
The existence of God
The reliability of the Bible
The divine claims of Jesus
the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.
I organize these four points in the form of a question, which can possibly be answered yes or no, in order to be objective in the analysis. I’d like to focus on point #1 by asking the question: “Does God Exist?”
Does God Exist?
Obviously, if God doesn’t exist then Christianity cannot be true. It is pretty fundamental. There are dozens and dozens of arguments for God’s existence, but there are three powerful arguments for theism that are the most popular. If you can just remember GOD’s name you can remember these three arguments:
G = Good and evil
O = Origins of the universe
D = Design of the universe
The ‘g’ in God’s name stands for good and evil. The fact that there exists objective moral truth is evidence for God. Check out this video titled “The Moral Argument” for a quick introduction. The ‘o’ in God’s name stands origins of the universe. This video, titled “The Kalam Cosmological Argument” provides evidence for the origins of the universe that deduces that existence of God. There are many versions of the cosmological argument, but the kalam version argues from the beginning of the universe to the existence of God. The ‘d’ in God’s name stands for design of the universe. This video shows how design is the best explanation for the fine-tuning for life in the universe.
Good and Evil
The first of these arguments for God is from morality. The Moral Argument (or the argument from good and evil) can be summarized as such:
P1: If God doesn’t exist, objective moral truth does not exist.
P2: Objective moral truths does exist.
C: So, God exists.
Origins of the Universe
The second argument is from the first cause of the universe. The Kalam Cosmological Argument (or the argument from the origins of the universe) can be summarized:
P1: Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
P2: The universe began to exist.
C: So, the universe has a cause
Design of the Universe
The third of these arguments deals with the amazing design we see in the universe. The Fine-tuning Argument (or the argument from the design of the universe) can be summarized:
P1: The fine-tuning for life in the universe is either due to chance, necessity, or design.
P2: It is not due to chance or necessity.
C: So, it is due to design.
Check out this page for a complete presentation of these three arguments for God’s existence which provides a summary of each argument along with links to other articles and videos for the existence of God.
Recommended Resources:
I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Paperback), and (Sermon) by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek
Macro Evolution? I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be a Darwinist (DVD Set), (MP3 Set) and (mp4 Download Set) by Dr. Frank Turek
Oh, Why Didn’t I Say That? Does Science Disprove God? by Dr. Frank Turek (DVD and Mp4)
Steve Lee has taught Apologetics for over two and a half decades at Prestonwood Christian Academy. He also has taught World Religions and Philosophy at Mountain View College in Dallas and Collin College in Plano. With a degree in history and education from the University of North Texas, Steve continued his formal studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a M.A. in philosophy of religion and has pursued doctoral studies at the University of Texas at Dallas and is finishing his dissertation at South African Theological Seminary. He has published several articles for the Apologetics Study Bible for Students as well as articles and book reviews in various periodicals including Philosophia Christi, Hope’s Reason: A Journal of Apologetics, and the Areopagus Journal. Having an abiding love for fantasy fiction, Steve has contributed chapters to two books on literary criticism of Harry Potter: Harry Potter for Nerds and Teaching with Harry Potter. He even appeared as a guest on the podcast MuggleNet Academia (“Lesson 23: There and Back Again-Chiasmus, Alchemy, and Ring Composition in Harry Potter”). He is married to his lovely wife, Angela, and has two grown boys, Ethan and Josh.
We are coming toward the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.
The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.
We proceeded into looking at Jesus as the Son’s preeminence, His works, and His ministry. Under ministry & works, I chose verses showing His attributes and aspects of being servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and compassionate healer; and His attributes of omniscience, having all authority and power, and sinlessness.
Now it’s the last section. We’ll look at His resurrection, ascension, and prophesied return. Tomorrow is Christmas, but I have 1 more verse waiting after that. When we finish the last verse, we will be looking through the lens of scripture at the hope and optimism of His return and that all will be made new.
On to today’s picture verse.
Further Reading
Devotional: The Ascension of Christ As Elijah was taken up in the chariot, so now Jesus is conveyed into the presence of the Father. But while Elijah was simply a member of the cloud of glory arrayed around God’s moving chariot-throne, Jesus is the one who sits on that chariot-throne. Jesus’ ascension into the cloud was a visible sign that He had assumed His throne, and was now going to rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
1) It signaled the end of His earthly ministry. God the Father had lovingly sent His Son into the world at Bethlehem, and now the Son was returning to the Father. The period of human limitation was at an end.
2) It signified success in His earthly work. All that He had come to do, He had accomplished
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Thirty Days of Jesus Series-
Introduction/Background
Prophecies:
Day 1: The Virgin shall conceive Day 2: A shoot from Jesse Day 3: God sent His Son in the fullness of time Day 4: Marry her, she will bear a Son
Birth & Early Life-
Day 5: The Babe has arrived! Day 6: The Glory of Jesus Day 7: Magi seek the Child Day 8: The Magi Offer gifts & worship Day 9: The Child Grew Day 10- the Boy Jesus at the Temple Day 11: He was Obedient Day 12: The Son! Day 13: God is pleased with His Son
The Second Person of the Trinity-
Day 14: Propitiation Day 15: The Gift of Eternal Life Day 16: Kingdom of Darkness to Light Day 17: Jesus’ Preeminence Day 18: The Highest King Day 19: He emptied Himself
Jesus’ Ministries
Day 20: Jesus as The Teacher Day 21: The Good Shepherd Day 22: The Intercessor Day 23: The Compassionate Healer
Attributes Day 24: Jesus’ Omniscience Day 25: Jesus’ Authority Day 26: Jesus’ Sinlessness
The End of all Things
Day 27: He rises Day 28: Resurrection of First Importance
Jailed PKK leader says ‘ready’ to support Turkiye peace drive Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is “ready to make a call” to back a new initiative by the Turkish government to end decades of conflict, Turkiye’s pro-Kurd party said Sunday. Two lawmakers from the DEM party made a rare visit to Ocalan on Saturday on his prison island, the first by the party in almost a decade, amid signs of easing tensions between the Turkish government and the PKK.
How Macron’s gamble unleashed chaos on France’s Fifth Republic France is currently grappling with significant political instability and it is challenging the effectiveness of its semi-presidential system. The turmoil began when President Emmanuel Macron dissolved parliament in June 2024 and called for early elections after his centrist forces suffered a defeat in the European Parliament elections. The crisis has cast doubt on Macron’s leadership and France’s political stability.
The battle for Jerusalem In the days leading up to Chanukah, the rapidly intensifying battle in Samaria made clear that sooner rather than later, Samaria and Judea will soon replace Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Syria and Yemen as the central battlefield in this multifront war. They will also be the place where the war is won. Or lost.
6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes near Kuril Islands A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Kuril Islands in the early hours of Saturday, Russia’s RIA Novosti reported. … She added that no tsunami warning has been issued.
Former President Jimmy Carter Dies at 100 Jimmy Carter died Sunday after over a year in hospice care. The Georgia native passed in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100.
Will DOGE Do This? Famed Economist Breaks Down How to Take a Sledgehammer to the Deep State if DOGE is going to be effective, it’s going to have to be brutal. Like, Milton Friedman brutal. Department of Agriculture: “Abolish,” Friedman said. Department of Commerce: “Abolish,” Friedman said. Department of Defense: “Keep.” Department of Education: “Abolish.” …….. Housing and Urban Development has done an enormous amount of harm,” Friedman said
Despite US pressure: Israel refuses to transfer arms to Palestinian Authority, which continues to battle Iran-backed terrorists Despite heavy pressure from the United States, Israel refuses to allow the transfer of weapons to the security forces of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which continue to battle terror groups across Judea and Samaria in a bid to re-establish control over the territory. According to a report from Army Radio, the U.S. requested that Israel approve the transfer of AK-47 Kalashnikov rifles, ammunition and armored vehicles. After discussions among security officials, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi decided to recommend the political leadership not approve the transfers.
Holding elections could take 4 years, says Syria’s de-facto leader Jolani, as Israel continues striking weapons In his Sunday interview, al-Sharaa explained that he appointed HTS representatives to take over the government out of necessity, rather than to sideline other groups or consolidate power in his own hands. He further promised to dissolve HTS alongside all other armed factions once a “National Dialogue Conference” is established, which would include representatives of all of Syria’s minorities.
Iran scrambling to sell oil before Trump takes office Iran International reports that Iran is trying to liquidate millions of barrels of oil stored in Chinese ports to prevent economic damage from anticipated sanctions under the incoming Trump administration. Sanctions have already significantly impacted Iran’s ability to sell oil, as the USA has begun sanctioning a fleet of ‘dark tankers’ that formed a significant link in the Iranian supply chain.
Israeli Forces Order New Evacuation of Besieged Northern Gaza Town, Residents Say Israeli forces carrying out a weeks-long offensive in northern Gaza ordered any residents remaining in Beit Hanoun to leave the town on Sunday, citing Palestinian terrorist rocket fire from the area, residents said. The instruction to leave has caused a new wave of displacement, although it was not immediately clear how many people were affected,
Nasrallah Underestimated Israel’s Willingness to Assassinate Him Despite warnings from his aides, he remained in a Beirut bunker 40 feet underground on Sept. 27, which is where Israeli F-15 fighter jets dropped massive explosives, ending the life of the longtime leader of Iran’s Lebanese terrorist proxy along with other senior Hezbollah leaders.
Israel to submit report to UN adviser about Hamas torture of hostages Israeli Health Ministry will submit a report, which details the “torture and atrocities experienced by Israeli hostages since Oct. 7” including “abhorrent instances of sexual violence,” in the “next few days” “The United Nations and the international community are trying to forget the torture and atrocities that took place on Oct. 7,” stated Danny Danon,
The 70th Week Of Daniel: An Astounding Glimpse Of The Future When it comes to prophecy, perhaps none is more amazing than the one we call the 70 weeks of Daniel (Dan. 9:24–27). God gave this astounding glimpse of the future to the Jewish prophet Daniel in 538 BC, 48 years after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and burned Solomon’s Temple to the ground.
Turkiye’s $14-billion plan to boost development in Kurdish southeast Turkiye announced on Sunday a $14 billion regional development plan that aims to reduce the economic gap between its mainly Kurdish southeast region and the rest of the country. The announcement comes amid increased hopes for an end to a decades-long insurgency waged by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in southeast Turkiye as well as the advent of a new leadership in neighboring Syria with cordial ties to Ankara.
Rescue services urge caution as heavy rainfall causes floods in northern Israel First responders urged Israelis to exercise caution after heavy rainfall overnight led to flash floods in parts of the north on Saturday morning, causing damage to infrastructure. At least one person had to be rescued from a flooded vehicle.
“60 Foot” Waves Blast California Coast, Wreak Havoc For those who spent the holiday season away from the Californian and Hawaiian coasts, perhaps in a wintery refuge devoid of internet access to the surf world’s happenings, here’s a few things to catch up on: the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational ran for the 11th time in history, Mavericks saw one of the biggest and heaviest days ever, and the Golden State was obliterated from the XXL surf.
Government seizes millions of pounds of food amid global crisis In an alarming turn of events, the U.S. government and major food corporations are reportedly recalling and confiscating vast quantities of food, allegedly storing them away in underground facilities. This secretive movement of food supplies has sparked widespread panic and concern, particularly as the scarcity of essential items becomes increasingly apparent on store shelves. The actions taken by the authorities have sent shockwaves through the population, with experts issuing urgent warnings about impending shortages and potential social unrest.
New Israeli Airstrike Near Damascus Kill 11: War Monitor The government in Damascus has changed, but Israel’s relentless aerial assaults on Syria have not. A Sunday Israeli strike targeted an old army weapons depot northeast of the capital. “An Israeli airstrike in the outskirts of Damascus on Sunday killed 11 people, according to a war monitor, as Israel continues to target Syrian weapons and military infrastructure even after the ouster of former President Bashar Assad,”
The digital surveillance and agenda quietly marches forward India is pursuing the transformation of public finance using digital IDs and biometrics. Scotland updates its guidance on the use of biometrics in schools. Russia’s largest bank is leading the way in a new financial system which uses a biometric payment service. Canada launches a biometric border management tool. Israel extends its wartime emergency biometric measures.
China Secretly Snaps Up More Gold, Positions for its Greater Global Role While 99% of the media keeps staring at official data by the Chinese central bank (PBoC)—misleadingly stating it added 5 tonnes of gold in November following a supposed six-month pause—the PBoC’s “unreported” purchases in London accounted for a stunning 60 tons in September and another 55 tons in October.
Worst Homelessness Crisis Ever! Those On The Low End Of The Economic Spectrum Are Being Absolutely Pulverized By This Economy All over America, our core urban areas are teeming with tent cities, hordes of homeless drug addicts, and vast throngs of newly arrived migrants that don’t have anywhere to go. When I wrote about this topic one year ago, homelessness in the U.S. was at an all-time record high, and it was increasing at the fastest pace ever recorded. It was going to be hard to top that, but somehow we did. Fast forward to today, and homelessness in the U.S. has reached another all-time record high, and it is increasing at an even faster pace. We are literally in the midst of the worst homelessness crisis that our federal government has ever measured, and there is no end in sight.
Rare and dangerous weather happened this weekend. Tornadoes across the South left a trail of destruction and killed at least 4 people. Jimmy Carter, the Nation’s 39th President, is dead at age 100. The only Georgian to occupy the White House, Carter helped the nation recover from a government plagued by scandal. President Joseph Biden announced President Carter’s funeral is scheduled for January 9th at the National Cathedral. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is recovering after successful surgery to have his prostate removed. Members of Congress are working to encourage Americans to make more donations. The proposed bipartisan ‘Charitable Act’ could mean a larger deduction for taxpayers who give to places of worship and non-profit groups.
With time already ticking for US President-elect entering office, the world is faced with a whole array of developments, such as military conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, the rapid growth of BRICS and deep fissures within the Western bloc.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has announced the U.S. debt ceiling is likely to be reached mid-January, while Joe Biden is still in office. President Trump tells congress to deal with the issue now. First, here’s Secretary Yellen: WASHINGTON, Dec 27 (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department may need to take “extraordinary measures” by as early […] The post appeared first on The Last Refuge .
In no particular order, here are the biggest hoaxes and misinformation campaigns run by corporate media hacktivists this year.
Americans who have lived through Donald Trump’s political career are no strangers to legacy media disinformation. From the Russia collusion hoax to the “very fine people” Charlottesville lie, the litany of dishonest info ops from left-wing activists masquerading as journalists is too long to count.
And despite Americans’ waning trust in their ability to report news accurately and fairly, these Democrat Party yes-men show no signs of stopping.
Like years before it, 2024 saw no shortage of media hijinks. Whether it was their coverage of the 2024 presidential campaign or participation in Democrats’ war on the Supreme Court, America’s propaganda press maintained its ethically bankrupt reputation.
So, in no particular order, here are the biggest hoaxes and misinformation campaigns run by legacy media hacktivists this year.
I was born in the U.S., but grew up in Canada. My parents were socialists and political activists who thought British Columbia would be a better place for us to live, since it had the only socialist government in North America at the time. My parents were also atheists, though they eschewed that label in favor of “agnostic.” They were kind, loving, and moral, but religion played no part in my life. Instead, my childhood revolved around education, particularly science. I remember how important it was to my parents that my brother and I did well in school.
I just want to point out that I hope that all you Christian parents are taking seriously the obligation to make your kids do well in school, because even if they start out as atheists when they are young, they can still find their way back to God through study, as Sarah did.
She had a bad start, that’s for sure:
I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, a time when science fiction was enjoying a renaissance, thanks largely to the popularity of Star Wars. I remember how fascinated I was by the original Star Wars trilogy. It had almost nothing to do with science—it’s more properly characterized as space opera—but it got me thinking about space in a big way. I also loved the original Star Trek, which was more science fiction. The stoic and logical character of Mr. Spock was particularly appealing to me. Popular science was also experiencing a renaissance at that time, which had a lot to do with Carl Sagan’s television show, Cosmos, which I adored. The combination of these influences led to such an intense wonder about outer space and the universe, that by the time I was nine years old I knew I would be a space scientist someday.
Canada was already post-Christian by the 1970s, so I grew up with no religion. In retrospect, it’s amazing that for the first 25 years of my life, I met only three people who identified as Christian. My view of Christianity was negative from an early age, and by the time I was in my twenties, I was actively hostile toward Christianity. Looking back, I realized a lot of this was the unconscious absorption of the general hostility toward Christianity that is common in places like Canada and Europe; my hostility certainly wasn’t based on actually knowing anything about Christianity. I had come to believe that Christianity made people weak and foolish; I thought it was philosophically trivial. I was ignorant not only of the Bible, but also of the deep philosophy of Christianity and the scientific discoveries that shed new light on the origins of the universe and life on Earth.
She documents a phase of following Ayn Rand and embracing “Objectivism”, but eventually she rejects it for failing to answer the big questions of life.
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I began to focus all of my energy on my studies, and became very dedicated to my physics and math courses. I joined campus clubs, started to make friends, and, for the first time in my life, I was meeting Christians. They weren’t like Objectivists—they were joyous and content. And, they were smart, too. I was astonished to find that my physics professors, whom I admired, were Christian. Their personal example began to have an influence on me, and I found myself growing less hostile to Christianity.
This is why I think it is so important for Christian parents to raise their children to get advanced degrees… either to become professors themselves, or to finance others (e.g. – our own children) to do advanced degrees. It is so important for university students to see Christian professors on campus. And failing that, it’s important that we bring Christian speakers in to debate non-Christian speakers on the important issues. This will not happen unless we recognize how important it is, and then make a plan to achieve it.
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I had joined a group in the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences (CASS) that was researching evidence for the big bang. The cosmic background radiation—the leftover radiation from the big bang—provides the strongest evidence for the theory, but cosmologists need other, independent lines of evidence to confirm it. My group was studying deuterium abundances in the early universe. Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen, and its abundance in the early universe is sensitive to the amount of ordinary mass contained in the entire universe. Believe it or not, this one measurement tells us whether the big bang model is correct.
If anyone is interested in how this works, I’ll describe it, but for now I’ll spare you the gruesome details. Suffice it to say that an amazing convergence of physical properties is necessary in order to study deuterium abundances in the early universe, and yet this convergence is exactly what we get. I remember being astounded by this, blown away, completely and utterly awed. It seemed incredible to me that there was a way to find the answer to this question we had about the universe. In fact, it seems that every question we have about the universe is answerable. There’s no reason it has to be this way, and it made me think of Einstein’s observation that the most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it’s comprehensible. I started to sense an underlying order to the universe. Without knowing it, I was awakening to what Psalm 19 tells us so clearly, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
That summer, I’d picked up a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and was reading it in my off hours. Previous to this, I’d only known it as an exciting story of revenge, since that’s what the countless movie and TV adaptations always focused on. But it’s more than just a revenge story, it’s a philosophically deep examination of forgiveness and God’s role in giving justice. I was surprised by this, and was starting to realize that the concept of God and religion was not as philosophically trivial as I had thought.
All of this culminated one day, as I was walking across that beautiful La Jolla campus. I stopped in my tracks when it hit me—I believed in God! I was so happy; it was like a weight had been lifted from my heart. I realized that most of the pain I’d experienced in my life was of my own making, but that God had used it to make me wiser and more compassionate. It was a great relief to discover that there was a reason for suffering, and that it was because God was loving and just. God could not be perfectly just unless I—just like everyone else—was made to suffer for the bad things I’d done.
The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite, favorite books as well, and had the same impact on me as it did on her.
OK, that’s enough for this post. Go read the rest, and please share it.
I spoke to her recently and she told me that she is working on several projects that are designed to get people more familiar with science and Bible issues. This woman is an expert Christian apologist and her life will have an influence. Are you going to be like her? Will you mentor others to be like her? Will you marry someone like her? Will you raise children who are like her? I think we should all have a plan to study the areas that are important and have an influence for God with what we learn.
Myles Standish, Chaucer, historic paintings, and more were targets of cancel culture this year
What do Woodrow Wilson, Myles Standish, and Christopher Columbus all have in common?
All three were the targets of campus cancel culture this year. They represent a trend over the past decade in higher education of removing or slapping “trigger warnings” on historical figures and items, supposedly because young adults cannot handle the complex, controversial, and sometimes ugly parts of humanity’s past.
This year, it also took a different form in the way of universities hiring staff to give Native American artifacts in their collections back to the tribes.
Here are 14 examples of historical cancelations in 2024:
It hasn’t been the best of years for Jennifer Lopez, and her last-minute endorsement of Kamala Harris ending up for naught wasn’t the only misfire.
After that and a re-examination of her relationship with former boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs, a man now facing too many sexual misconduct criminal charges and lawsuits to count, her latest movie, “Unstoppable,” had a brief release in the United Kingdom in December.
If you’re in Merrie England and you missed it, you’ve missed it until it starts streaming: The film, despite palatable enough reviews, dropped out of cinemas after a week thanks to earning about as much money as Clarkson, Hammond and May used to pay for a junker during those cheap-car challenges on “Top Gear.”
“Unstoppable” is one of those real-life sports dramas which, according to a blurb, “centers around the life of wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and won a national championship in 2011 while competing at Arizona State University.”
Other stars include Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena and Don Cheadle — big names all. And a fat lot of good that did it.
According to the U.K. Daily Mail, its opening weekend pulled in a mere £3,112 — equivalent to just under $4,000.
Now, there is sort of a catch to this: According to the Daily Mail, they heard from a source — unplaced source including unnamed, mind you, so take it for what it’s worth — “that the film was only released in cinemas for one week in order to qualify for awards season, known as a qualifying run.”
Nevertheless, making under $4,000 in a “qualifying run” in a limited number of theaters and being the 55th most-watched film in the U.K. for the one week it was out is still particularly pathetic — and it’s not like this has been a good year for her on other fronts, whether commercially, culturally or politically.
In addition to “Unstoppable” being pulled from theaters after its one-week run (you’ll be able to miss it on Amazon Prime starting in January, worry you not), there was also the matter of her comeback album, “This Is Me … Now.”
That album reached No. 38 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 and No. 55 on the U.K. Albums Charts — both incredibly low placings, especially given the longer lifespans that legacy acts have nowadays.
For mere act of comparison, look at Fall Out Boy, a band that debuted four years after Lopez’s first album (2003 vs. 1999 for Lopez) and which has never been nearly as famous. I’d say both have retained their cultural relevance just as well over the years, which is to say they really haven’t. Their last studio album, “So Much (For) Stardust,” debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 last year.
Did you know that Fall Out Boy had a new album out last year, fellow millennials? Exactly. So yeah, that’s not a good sign for J-Lo.
Lopez also had to cancel her “This Is Me … Live” tour; divorce documents later revealed she’d split from Ben Affleck (again) the month prior. No “Gigli” to blame this time.
And then there was former boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose long history of sexual misconduct claims finally caught up with him this year and landed him with numerous charges and lawsuits. On Friday, celebrity site InTouch reported, one of the men suing Combs will be calling Lopez as a witness in his $400 million lawsuit.
But apparently, what the Harris team thought would juice support among Latinos in the final week of the campaign was an emotional endorsement from Lopez in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The endorsement from Lopez, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico, came amidst a manufactured controversy regarding a joke told by a roast comedian about Puerto Rico at a Trump rally in New York City.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t get emotional, but you know what, we should be emotional,” Lopez said regarding the joke. “We should be upset. We should be scared and outraged. Our pain matters. We matter.”
Jennifer Lopez fights back tears while campaigning for Kamala Harris in Nevada:
"I promised myself I wouldn't get emotional, but you know what? We should be emotional. We should be upset. We should be scared and outraged. We should. Our pain matters. We matter." pic.twitter.com/t0GgE5nEvT
This was totally unhelpful. Not only did Harris lose Nevada handily — it was considered one of the easier swing states for her to carry among most pollsters — but Harris won 8 percent less of the Latino vote than Joe Biden did in 2020, according to NBC News exit polls.
The Bible says that God resists the proud. Maybe she’s not proud, but Lopez surely appears to be among their number — and she’s just been through a year filled with humiliation on a level most of us will never have to endure. The Democratic endorsement backfiring — indeed, either the nominee or the speaker thinking it would even matter — was just the icing on the cake.
Ah well. If the Oprah Winfrey/Kamala Harris gig was any indication, she probably got way more from that opportunity than she did from the cinema run of “Unstoppable” or from royalties on her new album.
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