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
Sin – it’s attractive, it’s pleasurable, and sad to say even as Christians we all at times struggle with it. May I share three thoughts on how we can defeat sin cold in its tracks.
Thought 1
One of the most effective ways to not sin can be found in hiding God’s Word in our hearts, for we read in (Psalm 119:11): “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” There is nothing more powerful than God’s Word when it comes to defeating sin. If you remember when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness to sin, three times our Lord quoted a verse from the book of Deuteronomy that caused Satan to flee. And we have the same power to yield God’s Word against Satan when he tempts us to sin. So read and hide Scripture deep in our hearts – it will be a powerful ally in our battle against sin.
Thought 2
The sooner we learn to have a holy reverence for Jesus the sooner we will be able to say no to sin. (Proverbs 16:6) says: “In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.” My friends having a holy reference for God is one of the best ways to steer away from sin.
Every Christian should memorize this gem of a verse because it contains the greatest secret, I believe, in all of Scripture for overcoming sin. The concept here is not to be afraid of God but to have a holy reverential awe of Him. The more we reverence God and hallow His name the more we will want to do everything in our power to glorify Him. On the positive side this means to always praise Him for His mighty deeds and on the negative side to not sin. As we read the Bible more and spend time in the presence of Jesus we can’t help but fall more in love with Him. And the more we love Jesus and magnify His name the more we will live a holy life and not want to sin because we love Jesus too much to displease Him.
Thought 3
J. C. Ryle once said: “How can we love sin, when we remember that because of our sins Jesus died?”1 Did you ever realize that it was because of our sins that Jesus went to Calvary and died a horrific death so we could be forgiven of our sins, enter into a special relationship with Him, and avoid eternal damnation. These are monumental thoughts, and I think we don’t focus our full attention on them enough. I believe when we really understand what Jesus did for us at the cross, that knowledge will jolt us mightily into saying no to sin!
So the more we arm ourselves with the Holy Scriptures, develop a holy reverential awe for Jesus, and understand deep in our hearts that Jesus died so we might live, the quicker we will be able to say no to sin!
The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. PROVERBS 3:19
The celebrated prayer of the great German astronomer, Kepler, has been a benediction to many: “O God, I thank Thee that Thou has permitted me to think Thy thoughts after Thee!” This prayer is theologically sound because it acknowledges the priority of God in the universe. Whatever new thing anyone discovers is already old, for it is but the present expression of a previous thought of God. The idea of the thing precedes the thing itself; and when things raise thoughts in the thinker’s mind these are the ancient thoughts of God, however imperfectly understood. Should an atheist, for instance, state that two times two equals four, he would be stating a truth and thinking God’s thoughts after Him, even though he might deny that God exists. In their search for facts, men have confused truths with truth. The words of Christ, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” have been wrenched from their context and used to stir people to the expectation of being made “free” by knowledge. Certainly this is not what Christ had in mind when He uttered the words. It is the Son who is the Truth that makes men free. Not facts, not scientific knowledge, but eternal Truth delivers men, and that eternal Truth became flesh to dwell among us!
Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings (p. 50). Moody Publishers.
My soul! dost thou want some sweet, some tender, some more than ordinarily interesting view of thy Jesus, this evening, to draw out all the finer feelings in love and adoration of thy Redeemer? Look at him, then, in the moment in which this scripture represents him in his lowliness and meekness, washing the disciples’ feet. Had I the power of drawing the most endearing portrait, Jesus should he my one and only object; and for a subject of the most finished kind, the humbleness and tenderness of Jesus, the Lord of life and glory, washing poor fishermen’s feet, should be the picture. And what, my soul, tends, if possible, infinitely more to endear and bring home to the heart this unparalleled condescension and grace of Jesus, is, that it was, as the evangelist relates it, at a time when Jesus knew that all things were given by his Father into his hands: that is, all things relating to his mediatorial kingdom; that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father had given him: and in due time take out of his kingdom all things that did offend. Was there ever a more lovely, a more engaging instance shown, than by the great Redeemer of the world, in this condescending act? Well might the astonished apostle cry out, in the contemplation of it, “Lord, dost thou wash my feet?” My soul! pause over the subject, and consider it well; and when thou hast duly weighed the matter, let it be asked, what condescension, what grace, what love, what mercy, will Jesus think too great for the salvation of poor sinners? Oh! that I had the power of persuasion with any poor broken-hearted transgressor, to convince him that there is nothing to keep a soul from Jesus but unbelief. I would say to such a one, My brother, oh! make trial only of Jesus’s love. The greater your unworthiness, the greater will be the grace of Jesus in his mercy towards you. And the lower the Son of God bends down to wash a sinner, the higher surely will he be in the sinner’s love and esteem. Let it be asked, through the whole Church of Christ upon earth, who loves Jesus most, but the sinner to whom Jesus hath forgiven most? Let it be inquired, through the realms of heaven, whose song of redemption is the loudest and the best, but those who were most low upon earth when Jesus first stooped to wash them. O thou blessed Emmanuel! thou, the Lord our righteousness! never let me forget this instance of thy grace to poor sinners, but do thou cause it to be my daily encouragement to come to thee, and under the same conviction as the apostle, to cry out, “Lord wash not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
Hawker, R. (1845). The Poor Man’s Evening Portion (A New Edition, pp. 52–53). Thomas Wardle.
Common, too common is the sin of forgetting the Holy Spirit. This is folly and ingratitude. He deserves well at our hands, for he is good, supremely good. As God, he is good essentially. He shares in the threefold ascription of Holy, holy, holy, which ascends to the Triune Jehovah. Unmixed purity and truth, and grace is he. He is good benevolently, tenderly bearing with our waywardness, striving with our rebellious wills; quickening us from our death in sin, and then training us for the skies as a loving nurse fosters her child. How generous, forgiving, and tender is this patient Spirit of God. He is good operatively. All his works are good in the most eminent degree: he suggests good thoughts, prompts good actions, reveals good truths, applies good promises, assists in good attainments, and leads to good results. There is no spiritual good in all the world of which he is not the author and sustainer, and heaven itself will owe the perfect character of its redeemed inhabitants to his work. He is good officially; whether as Comforter, Instructor, Guide, Sanctifier, Quickener, or Intercessor, he fulfils his office well, and each work is fraught with the highest good to the church of God. They who yield to his influences become good, they who obey his impulses do good, they who live under his power receive good. Let us then act towards so good a person according to the dictates of gratitude. Let us revere his person, and adore him as God over all, blessed for ever; let us own his power, and our need of him by waiting upon him in all our holy enterprises; let us hourly seek his aid, and never grieve him; and let us speak to his praise whenever occasion occurs. The church will never prosper until more reverently it believes in the Holy Ghost. He is so good and kind, that it is sad indeed that he should be grieved by slights and negligences.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.
WE have selected for our present reading a chapter which illustrates the difference between the law and the gospel.
ROMANS 10:1–24
1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. The true spirit of Christianity is that of love and sympathy, it leads to prayer even for persecutors, and to hope for the most obdurate of men. Paul pleaded for the Jews. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Do not deny the good points in others, even if they are not all we could wish them to be. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. He fulfils the law’s purpose for us, and when we have HIM me have all the law requires. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6, 7, 8, 9 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Precious gospel. Not doing, but believing, saves us. We have not to do or feel great things but simply to trust.) 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Think over this verse, for it ought to comfort even the most depressed seeker. Real prayer will be heard sooner or later.) 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Be constant in attendance upon the gospel ministry, and be devoutly attentive while hearing, for it is the way by which faith comes.) 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. (Alas, all hearers do not become believers. The many hear with deaf ears, and obey not the truth.) 19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. Sovereign grace sometimes saves the most unlikely, while those who sit under the gospel harden their hearts and perish. Beware of resting in outward privileges: ye must possess real faith in Jesus. 21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. (So that they were sincerely warned, and lovingly invited, yet it was all in vain. Shall it be so with any of this household? God forbid.)
All the doing is completed,
Now ’tis “look, believe, and live;”
None can purchase His salvation,
Life’s a gift, that God must give;
Grace, through righteousness, is reigning,
Not of works, lest man should boast;
Man must take the mercy freely,
Or eternally be lost.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 94). Baker Book House.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (5:16)
The contrasting themes of the book of Galatians are law and grace, which Paul repeatedly shows are incompatible, either as means of salvation or of sanctification. A person cannot come to God by means of law-keeping nor can he sustain living for God by keeping the law, not even the God-given law of Moses in which the Old Covenant centered. Because no man can perfectly obey it, the law has never been, and was never intended to be, a means of salvation. It was given by God to reveal God’s holy standards and to make men despair of their own failing human efforts at pleasing Him, thus driving them to Jesus Christ, who alone by grace can make them acceptable to the Father. Through the law, “the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe” (Gal. 3:22). The law was never meant to be a savior, but only a tutor to lead men to the Savior (v. 24). The believer has no use for the law as a means of salvation, because through Christ he has already been saved and adopted into God’s heavenly household as a son (Gal. 3:26). Nor does he need the governmental system of law to guide him in his new life, because he has Christ’s own Spirit as his permanent, indwelling Guide. In fact, the more a believer attempts to force himself to live by rules and regulations, no matter how lofty they may be, the more he stifles the work of the Holy Spirit. Although Bible study, prayer, worship, witnessing, and certain behavior standards are commanded of believers and are essential to faithful Christian living, spirituality cannot be measured by how often or how intensely we are involved in such things. To use them as measures of spirituality is to become entrapped in legalism, whose only significance is in the outward, the visible, the humanly measurable. To live solely by a set of laws is to live by the flesh in self-righteousness and hypocrisy and to suppress the Spirit, who alone is able inwardly to produce works of true righteousness. Holiness comes only from the Holy Spirit. Holy living does not come from our performance for God but from His performance through us by His own Spirit. Holy living is “to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man” as we are “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 3:16; 5:18). All a believer absolutely needs to live a holy life according to the will of God is the Holy Spirit, who is given to him the moment he believes (Rom. 8:9). Even the newest, most untaught Christian is indwelt by God’s own resident Teacher and Strengthener. Although the Spirit uses Scripture to assist believers to grow in truth and holiness, He Himself is the supreme source of those virtues (cf. Col. 3:16). Only pride or ignorance could lead a believer to live by an outward list of rules and commands in his own limited and sinful power when he can live by the perfect and fully sufficient inner power of the Holy Spirit. Yet that is what many believers in the Galatian churches were trying to do, and what many believers since that time have also endeavored to do. The fact that peripateō (walk) is used here in the present tense indicates that Paul is speaking of continuous, regular action, in other words, a habitual way of life. And the fact that the verb is also in the imperative mood indicates he is not giving believers an option but a command. Among other things, walking implies progress, going from where one is to where he ought to be. As a believer submits to the Spirit’s control, he moves forward in his spiritual life. Step by step the Spirit moves him from where he is toward where God wants him to be. So while it is the Spirit who is the source of all holy living, it is the believer who is commanded to walk. This is the apparent paradox of the divine and human that is seen in salvation (John 6:35–40), in Scripture inspiration (cf. 1 John 1:1–3 with 2 Pet. 1:19–21), in eternal security (cf. Rom. 8:31–39 with Col. 1:21–23), and even in ministry (Col. 1:28–29). In emphasizing the central work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life, some Christians have lost the tension between the human and the divine and have taught the idea suggested in such popular expressions as “Let go and let God” and “the surrendered life.” Rightly used, such expressions can be helpful. If they are understood to mean letting go of one’s own resources and self-will and surrendering to God’s truth and power, the idea is scriptural. But if, as is often the case, they are used to teach the idea that Christian living is little more than passive submission and yieldedness to God, they are contrary to all the militant terms and commands for great effort and commitment that pervade the New Testament (see, e.g., 1 Cor. 9:24–27; Heb. 12:1–3). If human will and actions did not play a direct and aggressive part in the Christian life, the New Testament would contain only this one instruction for believers: walk by the Spirit. Every other command would be superfluous. That is essentially the theology of what is often called quietism, of which the old Quakers were the best-known advocates. The Keswick tradition, the preaching of the famous evangelist Charles Finney, and Hannah Whitall Smith’s The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life also reflect a strong quietistic orientation. Passive surrender to God is taught to the almost total exclusion of human volition and action. Many advocates of a moderate quietistic approach have been godly saints and greatly used by the Lord. But the unbalanced emphasis of their teaching tends to inhibit rather than enhance the work of the Spirit. It runs the danger of underplaying, if not actually contradicting, the many other New Testament commands to believers besides that of submitting to the Holy Spirit. The power for Christian living is entirely from the Holy Spirit, just as the power of salvation is entirely in Jesus Christ. But both in the justifying work of Christ and in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, man’s will is active and commitment is called for. The Christian is not to sit on the sidelines, as it were, and simply watch the Holy Spirit do battle for him. He is called to consider himself “to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus,” to refuse to let “sin reign in [his] mortal body,” to resist presenting “the members of [his] body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness,” and rather to present them “as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:11–13). “Let us not lose heart in doing good,” Paul says later in this letter, “for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:9–10). The believer who is led by the Holy Spirit must be willing to go where the Spirit guides him and do what the Spirit leads him to do. To claim surrender to the Holy Spirit but not be personally involved in God’s work is to call Jesus, “Lord, Lord,” and not do what He says (Luke 6:46). Though most often referring to an evil lust, the word epithumia can refer to a strong, compelling desire of any sort, good or evil. Jesus used the word to express His intent to eat the Passover meal with His disciples (Luke 22:15), and Paul used it to express his longing “to depart and be with Christ, for that is much better” (Phil. 1:23). In this verse it is employed in relation to the evil will of the flesh bent on damnation. In verse 17 the term is used both in relation to the evil will of the flesh and in relation to the holy will of the Spirit. To walk by the Spirit and thereby not carry out the desire of the flesh articulates the same principle as to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Rom. 13:14). To walk by the Spirit is to “behave properly as in the day,” whereas to carry out the desire of the flesh involves such things as “carousing, … drunkenness, … sexual promiscuity and sensuality, … strife and jealousy” (v. 13). The two behaviors are mutually exclusive, so that at all times in our Christian lives we are either walking by the Spirit or are functioning in fleshly desire, but never both at the same time. The life walked by the Spirit is the Christlike life, the saturation of a believer’s thoughts with the truth, love, and glory of His Lord and the desire to be like Him in every way. It is to live in continual consciousness of His presence and will, letting “the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Col. 3:16). Life walked by the Spirit is life patterned after the teaching and example of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a life whose constant, overriding desire is to “be found in Him, not having a righteousness of [its] own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” and the desire to “know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:9–10). Surely, it is no different from being “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18), a phrase referring to the controlling power exerted by the Spirit on a willing Christian. (For a more detailed study of this concept, see my commentary Ephesians [Chicago: Moody, 1986], pp. 245–69.)
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1983). Galatians (pp. 151–154). Moody Press.
16 What is the solution to such biting, devouring, and destroying that is all too common among Christian assemblies? The answer, Paul says, is in living by the Spirit. Then, and only then, will one cease to gratify the desires of the flesh. It is the Spirit alone who can keep the believer truly free. The contrast between sarx (“flesh”), on the one hand, and pneuma (“spirit”), on the other, is one of the characteristic themes in NT, and particularly Pauline, theology. It is as important, for instance, as the contrast between the works of the law and the hearing of faith which has thus far dominated the letter. In the earliest days of the Greek language sarx meant mostly the soft, fleshy parts of the body, like its Hebrew equivalent basar. But sarx soon came to denote the body as a whole (that is, the material part of a person) and after that, by extension, the whole man as conditioned by a bodily existence and by natural desires. In this sense, it is not bad. But when the word was taken over into the Christian vocabulary, as it was to a large degree by Paul, it came to mean man as a fallen being whose desires even at best originate from sin and are stained by it. Thus, sarx came to mean all the evil that man is and is capable of apart from the intervention of God’s grace in his life. In this respect sarx is synonomous with “the natural man” or “the old nature.” Because fallen man is only flesh apart from the intervention of God’s Spirit, “old nature” or “sinful nature” (as in NIV) rather than “lower nature” (NEB, Phillips) or “animal nature” is the better translation in these passages. Sarx also contains thoughts of human limitation, both intellectually (1 Cor 2:14, where, however, the term psychikos is used) and morally (Rom 7:18). Thus, that which is flesh is incapable of knowing God apart from special revelation and the redemption that removes the barrier of sin. The other term is pneuma, which is usually translated “spirit.” Its meaning in the earliest writers is “wind,” “air,” “breath,” or “life.” The word later came to refer to the spirit or incorporeal part of man, which (like breath) leaves him at death. These meanings also occur in the NT. But in biblical texts the emphasis is always on “spirit” as the Spirit of God. Indeed, it is because God breathes his spirit or breath into man that man has breath. The word also refers to the incorporeal part of man (which has God -consciousness) and to incorporeal beings such as angels or demons. In distinctly religious terminology, it is the Spirit of God who takes up residence in Christians to enable them to understand spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14), receive Christ as Savior and Lord, call God “Father” (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6), and develop a Christian personality. The Spirit, in many characteristic passages, is thus the presence of God in the man, through which fellowship with God is made possible and power given for winning the warfare against sin in the soul. The Spirit is not natural to man in his fallen state. But this does not mean that by the gift of the Spirit the redeemed man escapes the need to struggle against sin. The Spirit simply makes victory possible and that only to the degree that the believer “lives by the Spirit” or “walks” in him. The present tense of the verb “walk” (peripateite) points to a continuing condition or need for it. That the word is an imperative demonstrates the necessity of a choice.
Boice, J. M. (1976). Galatians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, pp. 493–494). Zondervan Publishing House.
16 Paul now states directly how one is to accomplish a life of Christian love: “live by the Spirit.” Hearkening back to his preceding instructions to “serve one another in love” (v. 13) and to fulfill the law (v. 14), and looking immediately forward to the “you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature” that follows, this statement emphasizes Paul’s Christian ethic. The believer is to live (lit., “walk”) “by the Spirit” (pneumati, dative of instrumentality, signifying a realm or sphere in which life is to be lived, or a quality of life that is to be lived out). This is not a nomistic lifestyle; nor is it a libertine one. Life “by the Spirit” is the life of freedom to live out the dependent obedience in Christ that Paul has continually exhorted the Galatians to practice (cf. 3:1–5; 5:5). And, he adds, this life “by the Spirit” will never fulfill the desires of the sinful nature. The idea that life “by the Spirit” might fulfill the lusts of the sinful nature is negated with the construction ou mē—the Greek double negative that functions to express categorical impossibility. Quite to the contrary of life “by the Spirit” fulfilling the lusts of the sinful nature, this life fulfills the law by means of love (vv. 13–14).
Rapa, R. K. (2008). Galatians. In T. Longman III &. Garland, David E. (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Revised Edition) (Vol. 11, p. 626). Zondervan.
16 The gist of vv. 13–15—that believers have been called for freedom, not in order that they may indulge their sinful nature, but that they should serve one another through love—is further explained (“I mean this”) as Paul reveals the secret of successful Christian living. The course to be followed is indicated by the imperative, “walk by the Spirit” (RV, RSV, NASB),28 where “by the Spirit” is (in Greek) given emphasis by its position before the verb. “Walking” is a common Hebraism for “conducting one’s life” and thus is synonymous with “living.” If the verb is taken as imperative here, the promise in the latter half of the verse (where “the desires of the flesh” is also emphatic by virtue of its position before the verb) will then be regarded as the inevitable result of life lived by the Spirit.30 That the guidance of the Spirit can be experienced as a reality in the life of the believer is a sign that Jeremiah’s prophetic word about the new covenant has been fulfilled. In OT times the Israelites knew God’s law as an external code, but in the NT dispensation the law of God is set in his people’s understanding and written on their hearts (Jer. 31:31–34; Heb. 8:8–12); God’s will is now an inward principle, the result of the leading of the Spirit within the believer. To “walk by the Spirit” means to be under the constant, moment-by-moment direction, control and guidance of the Spirit. By living in this way believers can be sure that they will not “carry out” (NASB) the desires of their sinful nature.
Fung, R. Y. K. (1988). The Epistle to the Galatians (pp. 248–249). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
5:16 / Paul directs his readers to live by the Spirit. The Greek word translated “live” (peripateite) is literally “walk.” Paul uses this word elsewhere when speaking of living the new life in Christ (Rom. 6:4), a life that is conducted by means of the Spirit (Rom. 8:4). The word suggests continuance, progress, and daily attention. Paul commands his readers to avoid gratifying the desires of the sinful nature by means not of law observance but of living by the Spirit. The Greek for “sinful nature” is literally “flesh” (sarx). As Paul invests this term with all that is against the Spirit, the translation “sinful nature” largely hits the mark. The word “desires” is singular in the Greek, expressing the sense that existence in the flesh is an existence characterized by desire. Philosophical and religious thinkers in the ancient world understood that desire was intrinsic to human nature and that it was a trap from which it was necessary to be freed. Desire means one makes one’s happiness or peace hostage to achieving or receiving what one desires, whether it be money, position, or another person. Epictetus said: “For freedom is not acquired by satisfying yourself with what you desire, but by destroying your desire” (Arrian’s Discourses 4.1.175 [Oldfather, LCL]). Xenophon has Socrates say:
Some are ruled by gluttony, some by fornication, some by drunkenness, and some by foolish and expensive ambitions which rule cruelly over any men they get into their power, as long as they see that they are in their prime and able to work; so cruelly indeed, that they force them to bring whatever they have earned by working and to spend it on their desires. But when they perceive that they are unable to work because of age, they abandon them to a wreched old age and they try to use others as their slaves.” (Economics 1.23; trans. Pomeroy, p. 111)
The Jewish thinker Philo advocated circumcision for “the excision of pleasure and all passions” (On the Migration of Abraham 92 [Colson and Whitaker, LCL]). A Christian thinker subsequent to Paul expresses a similar understanding of the goal of the Christian life: “One must live without city or home; one must have nothing of one’s own—no friends, no possessions, no livelihood, no business, no company; one must renounce human learning and prepare the heart to receive the impressions of divine instructions” (Basil, Letter 2; quoted from Wiles and Santer, Documents in Early Christian Thought, p. 212). In distinction from Greco-Roman philosophical and Jewish approaches to the problem of desire, Paul understands that freedom from enslavement to desire comes through living by the Spirit. Life “in Christ” involves the will of the believer: a conscious and continual turning away from that which is opposed to the Spirit. Even after faith in Christ believers must combat the desire to be self-serving, to live for their own comfort rather than to open themselves to the expansive love required of and available to those in Christ.
Jervis, L. A. (2011). Galatians (pp. 142–143). Baker Book.
Leviticus 4:2 — Sinning through ignorance. Centuries earlier, Job was concerned about his children sinning in ignorance (Job 1:5).
Leviticus 5:3 — A “clean” person became “unclean” by touching an “unclean” person. The opposite was not true, however. The “unclean” person did not become “clean” by being touched by a “clean” person. The only exception happened 1,400 years later (Matthew 8:3)!
Mark 2:13 — I had the opportunity to travel with Jimmy DeYoung to Israel, and we stayed by the sea side of Galilee.
Mark 2:17 — I’m glad that Jesus came to call me to repentance!
Psalm 36:7 — Lovingkindness – again we see the root word hesed. Discover the Word points out how this word is exemplified in Ruth 3:10: she chose to stay loyal to Naomi, an act of kindness, a choice of love. John MacArthur discusses hesed as well:
… the Hebrew word “chesed” is often translated “loving kindness”. That is the attribute of God that we want to focus on. God is possessed by an innate goodwill toward sinners, an innate kindness. God is by nature merciful, tender-hearted, compassionate. God withholds judgment. God grants benevolent favors because it is His nature. It is a reason to praise Him. It is a reason to honor Him. It is a reason to worship Him …
Proverbs 10:1 — We have moved from the introductory contrasts, to the pithy saying section. Twenty-six of the thirty-two verses in this chapter use “but” as a contrast, which is a key feature of antithetical Hebrew poetry.
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He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. (Proverbs 19:17)
We are to give to the poor out of pity. Not to be seen and applauded, much less to get influence over them; but out of pure sympathy and compassion we must give them help.
We must not expect to get anything back from the poor, not even gratitude; but we should regard what we have done as a loan to the Lord. He undertakes the obligation, and, if we look to Him in the matter, we must not look to the second party. What an honor the Lord bestows upon us when He condescends to borrow of us! That merchant is greatly favored who has the Lord on his books. It would seem a pity to have such a name down for a paltry pittance; let us make it a heavy amount. The next needy man that comes this way, let us help him.
As for repayment, we can hardly think of it, and yet here is the Lord’s note of hand. Blessed be His name, His promise to pay is better than gold and silver. Are we running a little short through the depression of the times? We may venture humbly to present this bill at the bank of faith, Has any one of our readers [oppressed] the poor? Poor soul. May the Lord forgive him.
What is the definition of love? Well, if you look in the dictionary, you’ll find some superficial meanings. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Love is defined as a noun. “A feeling of affection and concern toward another person, kinship or close friendship. A strong feeling of affection and concern for another person accompanied by sexual attraction. A feeling of devotion or adoration toward God or a god.”
See what I mean? Love is a noun, but it should also be a verb, which is an action word. For a Christian, love should be the motivation to show God’s love to a lost world. This world is ruled by Satan, and he has corrupted love, just like he corrupts all lovely things from God. He corrupted the perfect life in the Garden of Eden, and he has turned love into a self-centered thing that doesn’t resemble God’s love at all. God’s love is perfect. He is forgiving to those who are repentant. He has rules because He knows what is best. He sent His only Son to give His life as the final sacrifice to take our sins away. That’s love.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The world can only bring death and unhappiness. Only faith in Jesus Christ can bring eternal life and the joy of salvation.
If we love God, we put selfish motives behind us and care for other people. The Apostle Paul was totally changed by God’s love. He had been a very angry man who hated Christians. He was on his way to arrest a group of Christians who had fled to Damascus, and that’s where he met Jesus. From that moment on, his life was changed. He became a Christian and a leader in the Christian community. His letters, inspired by the Holy Spirit, have guided Christians for nearly 2,000 years. If modern missionaries followed Paul’s example, we would have many more people accept Christ. He understood God’s love.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
Is this talking about love or about charity? I really don’t know why the King James translators used the word “charity,” but we need to look at the Greek word for charity. It’s “agape,” which is defined as affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love. Most modern translations translate agape as love.
Paul had learned a lot since he met Jesus. He could do all kinds of works, but that wouldn’t be love. Many Christians feel pride if they speak in tongues and use other gifts of the Spirit to prove their “holiness.” In truth, none of those things replace love. If you speak in tongues but then use your mouth to use vulgar language or don’t have a Godly love for other people, then you’re just making noise. If your knowledge of Scripture is deep but you don’t have love for others, then you’re not truly understanding Scripture. Christian love is a verb.
How does God’s love shine in your life?
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
There are some words in that passage that may need defining. Love is patient and kind. If you lose patience with others, then you’re putting yourself above them. Jesus, God Himself, is kind and patient with you, and we must use Him as our example to follow. If you love like God loves, you won’t be jealous of others or strut around showing off; you won’t be filled with pride. Love won’t let you be rude or demand your own way. You won’t be easily angered by the shortcomings of others, and you won’t think evil toward others. Love doesn’t take joy when evil happens but rejoices in truth.
Love doesn’t give up on others. If you’re a parent and have a rebellious child, you don’t stop loving that child and praying for repentance; you believe the child can and will change, and whatever the circumstance, you love them through the problems. That’s how God loves you. Even when we fail, He loves us. You can be more tolerant of others when you honestly look at yourself and see your faults, but know that God loves you anyway. God’s love is perfect love, and we need to strive to live to honor Him. God is the true definition of love.
Works cannot save us; only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus will bring repentance to our hearts and salvation for our souls. Doing good things is the result of our faith, or it should be. We can tell the world we love Jesus, but if we don’t have love, we are showing others a dead faith.
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:19-20).
The problem with works is that many times works are used instead of faith and love. It can be easy to show others how Christian you are because you speak in tongues, but that means nothing if you turn around and brag about your gift or speak evil of others. Is that showing God’s love? No, it isn’t. Go back through the list of things that Paul named as things that reflect God’s love and attitudes that are opposed to God’s love, and see if you need to change your actions to reflect God. Are you short-tempered? Maybe you’re jealous of others.
I’m not pointing fingers, because I see myself in that list. On the other hand, recently, I have had a very difficult situation. Some Christian friends have shown me the sacrificial love of God, and I’m very humbled by their kindness. I truly don’t know what I would have done without these fellow Christians who have done so much. I thank God for them and hope that somehow I can pass a blessing on to someone else. The kindnesses they’ve shown are seen by others who aren’t Christians, and that is an added blessing that could draw a lost soul to salvation.
God’s love is eternal. He has given us blessings in this life that are amazing. The gift of speaking in tongues is one of those blessings, if used properly. He has given us prophecy to be a guide as we move swiftly to the end of time. He has given men wisdom to understand the truth of His word. These, and other gifts, are wonderful blessings from God, but one day, they will be meaningless.
“Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
Love is eternal. The love of God will take Christians to eternity with Jesus. He is building a mansion for us right now. The building is almost done and ready for His bride. If you love God, then share the Gospel with someone, but let the Holy Spirit guide you in presenting the Gospel. Show His love to someone who just might be ready to accept God’s love. If you don’t speak up, they may miss their chance for salvation. Or, you could be the one who shares the Gospel with the final person to accept Christ in order for the Rapture to happen. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
Instead of looking in a dictionary for the definition of love, look to Scripture. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).
Just like sugar is sweet and water is wet, God is love.
18 Pride goes before destruction,And a haughty spirit before stumbling.19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowlyThan to divide the spoil with the proud. Proverbs 16:18-19 (LSB)
The truly discerning, obedient, Christian who is seeking God’s will in his or her relationship with all in the Body of Christ is not one seeking a fight over every difference. Instead, the stronger brother or sister is to always be about seeking the defense of the conscience of the weaker brethren….
In fact, those who are mature in Christ will not seek to have that known among the brethren at all, but are of lowly spirit, but always ready to teach and encourage those willing to be discipled. However, even in this, they know that what they are teaching is what they have received from their Lord and is not of themselves.
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.5 Blessed are the lowly, for they shall inherit the earth.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:1-12 (LSB)
What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” These are the truly humble, that is, they recognize who God is and who they are in light of that. They know they can do nothing without him (John 15:5). Who are they? The only ones who are poor in spirit, are those who will inherit the Kingdom of heaven. Those who are saved by grace, the regenerate, are the only ones capable of being poor in spirit. What does it mean to be “blessed?” This is the state of wellbeing in relationship to God that belongs to those who respond to Jesus’ ministry. <Continue reading post>
God has clearly revealed Himself in nature and Scripture. So, why do some people claim there is not enough evidence to believe in Him? In this sermon, R.C. Sproul explains that ignorance is no excuse for unbelief.
Dangerous Cold Returning to Much of the Country Next Week While we’ve been watching some serious cold the last few days, especially across the northern Plains, a further shot of arctic air is expected. This next airmass could be even colder than the last one!
Germany’s Scholz vows to increase deportations after visit to Solingen mass stabbing site German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to step up deportations on Monday during a visit to Solingen, where a deadly mass stabbing linked to the Islamic State group has emboldened the far-right opposition and stoked criticism of his government’s handling of migration. “This was terrorism, terrorism against us all,” he added.
Zelensky warns US not to strike peace deal with Russia ‘behind our backs’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Washington not to seek a peace deal without Kyiv’s involvement following reports that the US and Russian presidents spoke this week. Zelensky also urged Europe to take steps to ensure its own security, calling for the creation of a continental army.
JD Vance exposed European elites’ anti-democratic hypocrisy in his bombshell Munich speech most expected him to focus on the Russia-Ukraine war and Europe’s badly neglected security obligations. He barely mentioned them. Instead, Vance delivered a bombshell speech rebuking Europe for their rejection of freedom of speech, enthusiastic censorship, and increasingly anti-democratic attempts to suppress political outcomes they do not like.
Hamas agrees to relinquish control of Gaza in second phase of hostage deal Hamas has reportedly agreed to step down from governing Gaza during the second phase of the ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement. On Thursday, senior official Osama Hamdan told Qatar-based Al Araby TV that Hamas would be prepared to discuss the implementation of Phase Two of the agreement on Monday.
President Trump: ‘Israel must choose what to do, we will support any decision’ Following Trump’s statement and the release of hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a situation assessment this evening at 19:00 with senior security officials. “Hamas has just released three Hostages from GAZA, including an American Citizen. They seem to be in good shape! This differs from their statement last week that they would not release any Hostages.
Trump Team to Start Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks in Saudi Arabia in Coming Days, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Saudi Arabia, the report said. Special envoy for Ukraine-Russia talks, Keith Kellogg, will not be in attendance, according to the report.
Jordan: Arab states to propose Gaza rebuild without migration Palestinians “don’t want to come to Jordan and we don’t want them to come to Jordan,” The Hashemite monarch informed Trump that the Arab plan would be “cheaper and faster” than the president’s proposal, a proposition the American leader apparently did not dismiss, Reuters cited two Europeans with knowledge of the meeting as saying.
Trump’s ultimate deterrent The mullahs should pray for the US president to have a long and healthy tenure for fear that any attempt on his life will be seen as coming from Tehran, leading to the apocalyptic scenario he has promised. “I’ve left instructions if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left.”
Nowhere Is God’s Orchestration Of World Events Displayed More Dramatically Than In The Land Of Israel Jesus Christ is still on the throne of Heaven and none of the chaos on Earth is catching Him off guard. We may like to think He is working behind the scenes, but for those who have studied Bible prophecy the Signs of the Times are shouting that history is approaching its final culmination. Nowhere is God’s orchestration of world events displayed more dramatically than in the Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). In fulfillment of prophecy, He allowed it to lie desolate for over 18 centuries…..
Life-threatening flash floods expected in Tennessee & Kentucky as storms sweep thru much of the U.S. A powerful weather system is set to bring severe storms, flash flooding, and heavy snowfall across large portions of the United States this weekend as a low-pressure system moves from the western U.S. into the central Plains and interacts with a high-pressure system carrying cold air from Canada on Feb. 15.
Severe floods and landslides hit Kefalonia, Greece Heavy rainfall from February 13 – 14 led to severe flooding and landslides across the island of Kefalonia. Rainfall totals exceeded 150 mm (5.90 inches) over two days, causing widespread damage.
Rick Warren’s political interpretation of Crucifixion draws Christians’ ire: ‘Embarrassing’ Saddleback Church founder and former senior pastor Rick Warren drew scorn on social media for implying that Jesus would be a political centrist today because He was crucified between two thieves. Several prominent Christian voices took him to task for his questionable application of the biblical text. Justin Peters, who heads a worldwide expository preaching and teaching ministry, said, “This is, sadly, typical of Rick Warren’s approach to scripture. This would have been laughed out of biblical hermeneutics on day 1. Basic hermeneutics dictates that you strive for authorial intent, and this is definitively NOT the point the author was making. This is not only embarrassing, it is inexcusable.”
18-Year-Old Indiana Girl Arrested After Allegedly Planning Valentine’s Day School Shooting. She wrote about identifying as a male and had a “shrine” to mass killers. She was arrested and charged with planning a mass school shooting at Mooresville High School. One of her friends sent information to the FBI’s Sandy Hook tipline. The tipster stated that a friend was planning on carrying out a mass shooting and had access to an AR-15 rifle.
Hamas frees 3 more hostages in exchange for over 300 prisoners as part of ceasefire deal with Israel “This week, Hamas once again attempted to violate the agreement and create a fabricated crisis with false claims,” Netanyahu’s office said. “Thanks to the deployment of our forces inside and around the Gaza Strip, and due to President Trump’s clear and unequivocal statement, Hamas backed down, and the hostage release continued.”
Evangelical Covenant Church Promotes Illegal Immigration Resources The Evangelical Covenant Church is an outlier among liberal denominations. On one hand, their doctrines and practices deny the authority of Scripture. On the other hand, it is one of the most seeker-sensitive megachurch denominations in the country. Imagine if Calvary Chapel was fake and gay, you would have the ECC. Thus, instead of Chuck Smith, it is Craig Groeschel, pastor of America’s largest megachurch.
Hochul’s Former Aide Faces New Charges In Chinese Spy Case Linda Sun, former deputy chief of staff to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Sun’s husband, Chris Hu, are facing additional charges in a case that alleges they acted as agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Knesset speaker: Hamas killed two-state solution on Oct. 7 The Oct. 7, 2023, attacks marked the end of the two-state solution, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana told visiting European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in Jerusalem on Thursday.
Nowhere Is God’s Orchestration Of World Events Displayed More Dramatically Than In The Land Of Israel …Nowhere is God’s orchestration of world events displayed more dramatically than in the Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). In fulfillment of prophecy, He allowed it to lie desolate for over 18 centuries. In fulfillment of prophecy, He has drawn His Chosen People back to claim the Land promised to Abraham and his descendants. In fulfillment of prophecy, He has protected and preserved the Jewish people, right in the face of satanically-inspired hatred and animosity all around — and often within — their own territory.
“Don’t let him have the last laugh!” – Hungarian ad campaign against Soros 2017
Tucker Carlson interviewed Hungarian President Victor Orban this weekend in the Middle East.
During their conversation, Victor Orban explained how the liberal globalist elites are using US taxpayer’s money to spread their ideology around the world. This includes the financing of more than 60 NGOs, paid politicians, and media outlets in Hungary.
The Gateway Pundit has reported on these dirty Soros-funded NGOs for years now. At the time, we did not know that it was US taxpayer dollars that were funding these far-left organizations.
An intelligence report prepared by Hungarian secret services, and published Nov. 23, revealed $ 7.5 million in illegal foreign funding behind the campaign of Hungary’s “United Opposition”, which tried in vain to defeat popular conservative Prime Minister Victor Orbán.
As Gateway Pundit reported, Biden, Berlin and Brussels worked together with the “United Opposition”, which included the neo-Nazi Jobbik party, to try and oust the Christian conservative Victor Orbán, to no avail. Orbán was reelected in April with his fourth two-thirds majority (67,84%) – 135 out of 199 seats in Parliament. Orbán called it “a victory so great that you can see it from the moon.”
“We are thankful for the hundreds of millions [of Hungarian forints] of support coming from the United States,” said former PM candidate Péter Márki-Zay back in June, publicly admitting to receiving HUF 1.8 billion ($4.5 million) in support from the US-based “Action for Democracy” organization.
But the now-declassified intelligence findings have uncovered an additional HUF 1.2 billion ($3 million) in foreign funding. The more than HUF 3 billion (US $ 7.5 million) received by the Socialist-far-right coalition is nearly four times as much as Hungary’s state budget for campaign expenses.
In Hungary, as in the United States, it is illegal for political parties to accept financial contributions from foreign organizations and non-citizens. Anonymous donations are also prohibited.
Although Action for Democracy was only founded on February 24, 2022, the first transfer – a whopping US $684,672 – was funneled to Oraculum 2020 Kft., a firm closely associated with disgraced socialist Ferenc Gyurcsány’s Democratic Coalition, on March 1.
Action for Democracy is not listed as a recipient of funds on the Open Society website. However, the foundation’s members include veteran Soros stalwarts such as British historian Timothy Garton Ash, American historian Anne Applebaum, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley K. Clark and American political scientist Francis Fukuyama. Action for Democracy Executive Director David Koranyi is a fellow of the Atlantic Council and a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations, among other Soros-funded NGOs.
“The Hungarian left has been bought with US dollars.”
István Hollik, the Communications Director of the ruling Fidesz party, said that Action for Democracy “has thousands of ties” to George Soros. Hollik accused opposition candidate Márki-Zay of lying to his voters and asked: “What did George Soros want in exchange for his millions?”
Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs called the election interference “Hungary’s biggest campaign-financing scandal” and the “biggest national security scandal since the fall of communism.”
“Something that until now we’d only assumed to be true – that there was an attempt from abroad to interfere in the Hungarian election – is now being proved true with concrete evidence,” Kovacs told the Gateway Pundit. “The Hungarian left has been bought with US dollars.”
Kovacs called the election meddling “pretty much illegal in any country”: “If I remember well, foreign interference in national elections has been kind of a thing in elections in US and elsewhere. Let’s see who picks up this story.”
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld and the ‘Gutfeld!’ panel share why Democrats should focus on self-improvement rather than attacking President Donald Trump. #foxnews
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered the following remarks in Jerusalem on Feb. 16, 2025, during the latter’s first official visit to the Jewish state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
“Secretary Rubio, my dear friend, Marco, it’s great to welcome you in Jerusalem with your delegation. It’s great to welcome you in Jerusalem as secretary of state of the United States.
“I have to say that this visit comes in the wake of a historic visit to Washington. I’ve said, and I’m going to repeat it again because it’s so true: President Trump is the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House. And the visit in Washington reflected that in every way, and your visit here reflects it in every way.
“Throughout your political career, you’ve been a great supporter of Israel and a great champion of the U.S.-Israel alliance. I have no doubt that your unwavering support will continue during your tenure as secretary of state. And I also have no doubt that you’ll be a voice of clarity and courage on the world stage for the values that we in Israel and you in America hold dear, the values of freedom for all those who cherish liberty. You’re already doing that and I want to tell you that it’s heard loud and clear here and everywhere else.
“Today, Secretary Rubio and I had a very productive discussion with our staffs on a number of issues. None of them are more important than Iran. Israel and America stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering the threat of Iran. We agreed that the ayatollahs must not have nuclear weapons and we also agreed that Iran’s aggression in the region has to be rolled back.
“Over the last 16 months, Israel has dealt a mighty blow to Iran’s terror axis. Under the strong leadership of President Trump, and with your unflinching support, I have no doubt that we can and will finish the job.
“We also spoke a great deal about Gaza. I thank Secretary Rubio for President Trump’s assistance in helping us secure the release of another three hostages yesterday. These are hostages that Hamas refused to release only a few days earlier. And I also thanked him for America’s unequivocal backing for Israel’s policy in Gaza in moving forward.
“I want to assure everyone who is now listening to us, President Trump and I are working in full cooperation and coordination between us. We have a common strategy, and we can’t always share in details this strategy with the public, including when the gates of hell will be opened, as they surely will if all our hostages are not released, until the last one of them.
“Israel is determined to achieve all the war objectives we set after the horrific attack on October 7, the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. We will eliminate Hamas’s military capability and its political rule in Gaza, we will bring all our hostages home and we will ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel. The unequivocal support of the United States on Gaza will help us achieve these objectives faster and set us on a path for a different future.
“Secretary Rubio and I discussed President Trump’s bold vision for Gaza, for Gaza’s future, how we can work together to ensure that that future becomes a reality.
“We also discussed the situation in Syria after the collapse of [Bashar] Assad’s regime, a collapse that was made possible by Israel’s weakening of Iran’s terror axis, especially the weakening of Hezbollah and the removal of [it chief, Hassan] Nasrallah.
“For over a decade before October 7, Israel acted to prevent Iran from developing a new terror front, new terror fronts against us in Syria, right opposite the Golan Heights and deeper in Syria. And we conducted hundreds of airstrikes, perhaps a thousand, in order to prevent it. And we did.
“Now, if any other force in Syria today believes that Israel will permit other hostile forces to use Syria as a base of operations against us, they are gravely mistaken. Israel will act to prevent any threat from emerging near our border in southwest Syria.
“The secretary and I discussed Lebanon as well. Israel is committed to the ceasefire understandings that were reached in November. We expect the government of Lebanon to be equally committed to their fulfillment.
“The scenes we saw this weekend in Beirut of UNIFIL forces being attacked by Hezbollah, this was not encouraging. The two U.N. resolutions that everyone refers to, 1559 and 1701, well, they must be fully implemented.
“Hezbollah must be disarmed. And Israel would prefer that the Lebanese army do that job, but no one should doubt that Israel will do what it has to do to enforce the understandings of the ceasefire and defend our security.
“The secretary and I also discussed how the many international institutions that have been hijacked and turned into anti-American and anti-Israeli forums. We see that in the U.N. General Assembly, in the U.N. Human Rights Council, where anti-Americanism is rampant, and more U.N. resolutions are passed about Israel than the rest of the world combined.
“And we see it especially in the lawfare that is being waged against America and Israel at the ICC [International Criminal Court], the ICJ [International Court of Justice] and elsewhere. The ICC has outrageously libeled Israel and issued arrest warrants based on utter lies. Like America, Israel is not subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC and does not accept the court’s authority.
“Israel commends President Trump and his administration for restoring his executive order against the ICC and for moving quickly to sanction ICC officials.
“The secretary and I discussed working together to formulate a common strategy to deal with the threat of lawfare and neutralize this threat once and for all.
“So, these are some of the issues we discussed today. Believe it or not, there were more. Many more. We can say that the Middle East today has many opportunities, many challenges and we think we can realize the opportunities and also meet the challenges. And I have no doubt that working together, America and Israel will overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities.
“I have to say that I’m absolutely confident that under President Trump’s leadership, and working together with you, Secretary Rubio, Marco, the best days of our alliance are still yet to come.
“Welcome to Jerusalem. Welcome, my friend.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio:
“It is an honor to be back here. I’ve been here many times before, as an American visiting and then as a member of the United States Senate, but now, for the first time, as the secretary of state of the United States. And it’s an honor to be here, and it’s an honor to serve in this role on behalf of President Donald Trump, who as you’ve accurately stated, Mr. Prime Minister, is a tremendous friend of Israel. There has been no stronger ally for Israel in the White House than President Trump.
“He’s also a man that speaks clearly and unambiguously and makes clear his views on issues. The first [thing] he’s made clear, and as you’ve pointed out, the hostages need to come home. They need to be released. And you work in very close coordination with him.
“He’s working in very close coordination with the prime minister and his government and ensuring that that happens. That must happen. It’s not optional. And I would add that that is a goal we share in common and that is something we work on very closely together.
“The president has also been very bold about his view of what the future of Gaza should be. Not the same tired ideas of the past, but something that is new and bold and something that frankly took courage and vision in order to outline. And it may have shocked and surprised many, but what cannot continue is the same cycle where we repeat over and over again and wind up in the exact same place.
“Related to that, the president has been very clear: Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force. And frankly, as long as it stands as a force that can govern or a force that can administer or a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible. They must be eliminated. It must be eradicated.
“Iran is the single greatest source of instability in the region. Behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence, behind every destabilizing activity, behind everything that threatens peace and stability for the millions of people who call this region home, is Iran.
“And by Iran, I mean the ayatollahs. By Iran, I mean its regime, a regime who by the way, its people don’t support. The people of Iran are victims of that regime.
“There can never be a nuclear Iran. A nuclear Iran, that could then hold itself immune from pressure and from action. That can never happen. The president’s been clear about that as well.
“Israel is an extraordinary story of bravery. A nation founded in the ashes and in the aftermath of a horrifying crime against humanity. It stood from its very inception, from the very day of its birth against threats from every angle and every corner and has served as an example to the world of a pluralistic society, a free-enterprise democracy.
“If there were more Israels in the Middle East, more countries like that, the world would be a safer and a better place. And this is what we hope for the region and for our planet.
“A nation that has always sought peace but will not allow itself to be intimidated or destroyed by its enemies. And on that front, you can always count on us.”
For years, I’ve waited for some honesty about economic data. The official numbers have not made sense. The labor numbers were all over the map with growing disparities between data-collecting methods. The output numbers did not fit with on-the-ground realities. The price numbers from government did not reflect sources from private industry.
Putting it all together, we have been surrounded for years by an unannounced inflationary recession with awful jobs numbers.
Saying this has marked me as a crank, sadly, but the last five years has convinced me and multitudes of others that official claims and numbers simply cannot be trusted. Testing my intuition against real experts, I commissioned a study from some serious data mavens who know this world better than I. They concluded that prices had risen at twice the levels admitted, that labor markets were weak, that output was low, and that we’ve been in technical recession since 2022.
We published that study and awaited the blowback and refutations. They never came. Not one communication to me took issue with the numbers. Not one expert wrote to say we had distorted anything. Not one person in a position to know pushed back on the conclusion. I admit that this spooked me. How many people know that the United States is in recession but simply are not saying for professional reasons?
In the world of economics, practitioners cling to data sources as firm doctrine. As they used to say in the Soviet Union, the data might be fake but it is all we have! What if the same is true in the United States? It seems perhaps unthinkable since the reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Commerce Department have long been considered the gold standard of truth. What happens if we discover that no one really knows what is going on?
Here we are only a month into the second Trump term. The truth is suddenly coming out.
A former comptroller of the currency, Eugene Ludwig, has written an astonishing article for Politico, of all places. He throws cold water on every major data source we have. His conclusions fit well with what we had said six months ago and what I’ve intuited since 2020. He flat-out says that output is far lower than we know, effective unemployment is far higher, and prices have risen as much as twice as government has admitted.
The author begins by reminding readers of a top narrative from last year, namely that voters were unhappy about economic conditions. And yet, reporters would always say, the data is actually quite strong. The thinking was essentially that people were being quite silly and were ignorant of what the data mongers were finding. In other words, if you were among the smart set, you should know that actually inflation is falling and that all is well with labor and output.
Dr. Ludwig offers another explanation very similar to what I and others have argued for a long time, namely that the voters were not wrong; the real problem is that the data were not probably reporting real-world conditions.
“What if the numbers supporting the case for broad-based prosperity were themselves misrepresentations?” he asks.
“What if, in fact, darker assessments of the economy were more authentically tethered to reality?”
He goes on to explain unemployment, for example. The main unemployment numbers do not consider the quality of jobs, the hours worked, the extent to which people have underemployed, or whether they had just given up entirely. A clue was always there in the form of the employment-population ratios, which never recovered. They never considered, for example, what it means that multiple jobs holders had reached new records and whether the wages earned were enough to keep people from having to live on the streets.
And on income, the numbers do not consider the sheer number of people barely getting by. You might have averages that look fine but masked the millions of people trapped below levels capable of providing for a family.
When you consider median instead of average wages, people are “making 16 percent less than the prevailing statistics would indicate.”
And on prices, here is where we find real deception. By looking at so many goods, the consumer price index (CPI) masks the price increases that matter the most for the goods that people actually buy on a regular basis. He writes:
“Our alternative indicator reveals that, since 2001, the cost of living for Americans with modest incomes has risen 35 percent faster than the CPI.”
He and many other researchers have figured out that the true cost of living might have risen by twice what the CPI indicates. This affects output data, which has been seriously distorted by the explosion in government spending and debt. Once you adjust private productivity by a realistic measure of inflation, you get numbers consistently within the red zone of negative real growth.
And the conclusion:
“The problem isn’t that some Americans didn’t come out ahead after four years of Bidenomics. Some did. It’s that, for the most part, those living in more modest circumstances have endured at least 20 years of setbacks, and the last four years did not turn things around enough for the lower 60 percent of American income earners.”
Yes, this is the sort of article that causes one to want to scream: Now you tell us!
I’m guessing that we are going to get more truth now that Trump is in charge but it is not a truth we want to hear. Already we are seeing hot inflation numbers, revised jobs numbers, and lower inputs to the output numbers. It would not surprise me to see a back-dated recession being admitted by the summer, which will be trumpeted as proof that Trumponomics has failed and must be abandoned.
Do you see how this works? The numbers have become so politicized as to be nearly useless. Even this article does not take the extra step of adjusting output by prices, which would have revealed the technical recession about which we’ve written.
The official numbers might be fake. And yet we all cling to them… because they are all we have.
Mark Levin wraps up this two-part special railing against the Democrat swamp as it tries to block Donald Trump’s agenda at every turn. This time, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and Hamas-loving, ambulance-chasing crackpot Sen. Chris Murphy are in focus for their bizarre antics. What morons!
Media commentator Hugh Hewitt analyzes the Department of Government Efficiency’s potential when it comes to cutting government spending on ‘One Nation.’ #foxnews
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