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 the communion of saints, that spiritual communion which we have in faith and hope and holy love, and in prayers and praises with all good Christians.
I bless you that if your people walk in the light, they have fellowship with one another, 1 John 1:7(ESV) even with all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and mine. 1 Corinthians 1:2(ESV)
That your people, who are many, are one bread and one body; 1 Corinthians 10:17(ESV) and that though there are varieties of gifts and service and activities, yet there is the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God, who empowers them all in everyone. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6(ESV)
I thank you that all the children of God who are scattered abroad, John 11:52(ESV) are united in him who is the head of the body, the church; Colossians 1:18(ESV) so they are all my brothers and partners in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus. Revelation 1:9(ESV)
Romans 8 This week’s lessons show that because we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection, we no longer stand under condemnation, and are therefore assured of an eternity in the presence of the Lord where sin will be no more.
Theme
No Separation
Yesterday we concluded by looking at the first reason we might have for being defeated. The second reason is found in verses 17 to 25, where Paul talks about our present sufferings. These discourage us. How are we to know that these will not drag us down? A sinful nature is bad enough. It is within. But, in addition, we have problems without. How are we to know that in the midst of our sufferings, perhaps when we are really put to the test, when we have to pay the price for our convictions—how do we know that in situations like that we will not have cold feet, back off, and deny the very one who bought us? How do we know that circumstances will not overpower us like a wave and that we will be carried away and lost?
Third, in verses 26 and 27, Paul talks about our weakness. “The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness,” he says. He acknowledges that we have it. We have a sinful nature within. We face hostile circumstances without. We are weak. How can we triumph? How do we know that these things are not going to gang up on us, and in the end, regardless of the value of the death of Christ, overcome us and defeat us?
Well, if you have read these verses carefully, you know that Paul gives the answer and that he gives it again and again. It is the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Christ within. We have union with Christ, and because we have union with Christ, we have the Spirit of Christ. Christ’s Spirit is working powerfully within to overcome these circumstances. He is able to conquer our sinful nature because He is greater than the sinful nature. He is able to overcome circumstances because He is greater than circumstances. He is able to offset our weakness because He is greater than our weakness.
The last paragraph of Romans 8 talks about no separation. We fear separation. We fear separation from those we love. When we think about the end of our life we fear death, which is a separation of the soul from the body. Since those separations take place— separations between friends, between husbands and wives, between children, separations from health, and eventually from life itself—how are we to know that, in the end, these things will not separate us from the love of God in Christ?
Paul gives two reasons why we can know there will be no separation. First, there is a great chain of salvation anchored in the purposes of God: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (vv. 29, 30). This is a chain of five links, which is unbreakable because it is forged by God. It begins with foreknowledge. It proceeds to predestination, calling, and justification. Finally, it ends with glorification.
Foreknowledge has to do with God setting His love upon us in advance of anything we might do. So this chain begins in eternity past. Predestination follows. It has to do with our destiny in Christ. Calling concerns the act by which we are brought to personal faith in Christ. Justification follows faith. Ultimately, to take our salvation from eternity past to eternity future, there is glorification.
How do we know that there is not going to be any separation between ourselves and God? It is because there is no separation in God’s plan. This plan was not our idea. If it were our idea, we might change our mind or we might be unable to do what we intended. You and I make plans all the time that we cannot fulfill. We might say, “My plan is to persevere to the end and be glorified.” But if it is only our plan, our desire, we do not have any confidence whatever that we will get to the end of our journey. But this is not our plan. It is God’s plan. There will be no separation, because this is what God is doing.
Study Questions
What is the second reason why we might feel defeated?
What is the third reason given for possibly feeling defeated?
What is the answer to dealing with these different reasons that weigh us down? How does this answer operate to give us victory?
What is the first reason why there will be no separation from the love of God in Christ?
Application
Reflection: Are you suffering in some way for doing what is right? Are you allowing it to give you a sense of defeat, or is it a blessed reminder of your union with Christ?
For Further Study: Listen to a free download of James Boice’s message, “The Woman Taken in Adultery.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS volume 24, number 50, December 11, 2025
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands, Psalm 19:1.
What evidence do we have to prove that God is the Creator of all things? How can we be sure that the Naturalists are wrong?
Consider this. The Hubble telescope has given us remarkable pictures of the distant star scientists call Beetlejuice, and it resembles a huge orange ball. It is between four hundred and seven hundred light years from earth and is twice the size of the earth’s orbit around the sun. I remind you that one light year is the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) multiplied by every second in one year). It is massive in size. In comparison to earth, imagine Beetlejuice as an orange ball sitting on top of a ten story building while earth is represented by a period at the end of a sentence.
Then consider our sun in connection to Beetlejuice. The sun is 109 times wider than the earth (over one million earths could fit inside the sun) and 1.3 billion suns could fit inside Beetlejuice. We are talking about a star of incomprehensible size. When you read of such vastness does this evoke awe and worship of God or some vague worship of the Cosmos? Creationists and Naturalists look at the same data and come to different conclusions. That’s because each come with their own presuppositions. The Creationist looks at Scripture, being governed by passages like Psalm 19, and sees God as the author and sustainer of all things. The Naturalist, on the other hand, says the cosmos is all that was, is, or ever will be. The Creationist begins with God, having been born again and thus possessing the mind of Christ, submitting himself to the word of God as the purveyor of “true truth.” The Naturalist lives by chance.
And what do the planets tell us about Jesus? Psalm 19 says that the heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. God is taking Job to task for his cynicism in Job 38, rhetorically asking him, “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth Mazzaroth (literally the Constellations of the Zodiac) in its season?”
When Elohim (God’s Hebrew name in Genesis 1, meaning the Creator God) made the lights in the expanse of the heavens He gave us the greater light (the sun) to govern the day, and the lesser light (the moon) to govern the night. Moses tells us straightforwardly that He also made the stars. We are told that God made these for three reasons—to separate the day from the night, to divide the days, months, and years, and to illuminate the earth. Moses says further that God did so “for signs.” We readily understand how seasons, days, and years measure time, but what about signs? What does this mean? Well, what do signs do? They point people to some specific destination. When I leave my home to drive to Atlanta I look for the sign directing me to “I-20 East”. If I miss the sign then I miss my destination.
Likewise to miss God’s signs means people will miss God and His means of salvation.
Why does God add signs to His list of why He created the sun, moon, and stars? It is clear from Scripture that these are to do three things. First, they are to evoke worship and awe. David in Psalm 8 makes this clear when he writes, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name in all the earth . . . when I consider Thy heavens, the works of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained, what is man that Thou dost take thought of him, or the son of man that Thou dost care for him?” The beauty and vastness of space, in light of the suitableness of earth for life, ought to cause you to bow down and worship the great and mighty God of creation.
Secondly, the stars also portend judgment. In Joel 2:30-31 the prophet says that God will display His wonders in the sky and on the earth . . . the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. The same language is used in Matthew 24:29 by the Lord Jesus as He prophesies judgment on Jerusalem. We know from Josephus and Tacitus that many earthquakes and strange things in the skies were happening at the time. Peter speaks of the same thing in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, also citing Joel. These signs were meant to warn people to flee from the wrath of God that is coming.
And thirdly, signs portend redemption. In Matthew 2:1-2 we read that the magi followed the star to Bethlehem in order to worship the King of the Jews. The magi were a combination of astrologers and astronomers from Medo-Persia (modern day Iran), and Jews had been living there since the exile five hundred years earlier. These signs taught the magi much. The Jews believed that Messiah would come when Saturn (the defender of Israel) and Jupiter (the King’s planet) came together, basing their belief on Numbers 24:17, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the forehead of Moab.” The magi observed in 7 B.C. that Saturn and Jupiter came together and then separated three times that year. Then they saw Mars (the Warrior of Israel) joining Saturn and Jupiter in the sky. Could it be, they wondered, that the King, the defender of Israel, was coming to wage war against His enemies! Then in 4 B.C. they saw a super nova (a brightly burning star, perhaps one hundred thousand times brighter than normal) hang in the night sky for ten weeks. They followed this star to Jerusalem and were told that the King of the Jews was to be born in Jerusalem (they could not see it for a day or two because the moon blocked its sight). They then saw the star hanging directly above Bethlehem, and worshipped baby Jesus with gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
D. James Kennedy is his remarkable book, The Real Meaning of the Zodiac, makes the case that the sun, moon, and stars are signs to point us to Jesus. He says that the meaning of the Zodiac has been corrupted through the years and that is why Isaiah warns us to not play around with it (Isaiah 47:13-14).
However the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and their corresponding decans (a decan is a subdivision of an astrological sign, dividing each sign into three parts of ten degrees each) all point to the Lord Jesus Christ. Take Virgo as an example. Virgo is the Latin word for Virgin, and the sign of the Virgin, according to the Arabian astronomer Albumazar, is a woman with a male child sitting on her lap named Ihesu, the Christ. The first decan in Virgo is Coma which means “the Desired One”, the desire of all the nations. The second decan is Centaurus, the creature which is half horse and half man. This reminds us of Jesus, One who is both God and man at the same time. If you are not convinced that this is referring to Jesus, then it may be helpful to know that the Hebrew word for Centaurus is Bezeh which means Despised One. Twice in Isaiah 53 we find Jesus referred to as “One who was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and like One from whom men hide their face. He was despised and we did not esteem Him.” God has made His glory known, not only in the vastness of His creation, but also in showing us Jesus in the signs of the Zodiac and the star over Bethlehem.
So, there is much evidence from the planets and stars to prove that God is the Creator, Sustainer, and Savior of His people. Why, then, do so many continue to reject God and His means of salvation? Because they have a wicked, rebellious heart which loves sin and hates God. Only the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit can change them. Yes, the evidences from creation (natural revelation) are good and should be used, but they are not enough. There must be special revelation (the Scriptures). If you are a Naturalist, then you must repent of your unbelief which is leading you to folly and eternal perdition. Turn away from your sin and run to Jesus. Ask Him to give you a new heart.
15. The Perfection of the Law and Imperfection of Man
The Law of God we confess and acknowledge most just, most equal, most holy, and most perfect a, commanding those things which being wrought in perfection were able to give life and to bring man to eternal felicity b. But our nature is so corrupt, so weak, and so imperfect c that we are never able to fulfill the works of the Law in perfection. Yes, if we say we have no sin (even after we are regenerate) d, we deceive ourselves and the verity of God is not in us. And, therefore, it behooves us to apprehend Christ Jesus with His justice and satisfaction, who is the end and accomplishment of the Law e, by whom we are set at this liberty f that the curse and malediction of the Law g fall not upon us, albeit we fulfill not the same in all points h. For God the Father beholding us in the body of His Son Christ Jesus, accepts our imperfect obedience as it were perfect, and covers our works, which are defiled with many spots, with the justice of His Son. We do not mean that we are set so at liberty that we owe no obedience to the Law (for that before we have plainly confessed). But this we affirm that no man in earth (Christ Jesus only excepted) has given, gives, or will give in work that obedience to the Law which the Law requires i. But when we have done all things, we must fall down and unfeignedly confess that we are unprofitable servants. And, therefore, whosoever boast themselves of the merits of their own works or put their trust in the works of supererogation boast themselves of that which is not, and put their trust in damnable idolatry.
The journey to Bethlehem wasn’t an easy day trip forthe wise men, the magi who came from another part of the Ancient Near East (Matthew 2:1-12). Their pilgrimage to visit the young Jewish King was long and probably arduous. Why would they embark on such an expensive and challenging expedition? Why this particular birth? How would know a child was coming? And why would it be so meaningful that they would bear such expensive gifts?
Let’s begin by understanding who the wise men were: priestly astrologers who gave counsel to the kings of Persia and Babylon. They came from Babylon, which is modern-day Iraq, east of Israel. This fact is a crucial key to revealing the significance of their visit.
The Timing (Daniel 9:20–27)
We find God’s timetable inDaniel 9:20–27, where Daniel meditates on the fact that Israel has been in exile for seventy years. He understands that the exile is almost over and that the people should be able to return from Babylon to Israel, the promised land.
As Daniel meditates, an angel comes to him and essentially says, “Not just seventy years of exile, but seventy weeks, or seventy times seven.”Daniel 9:25 says, “Know, therefore, and discern that seven weeks [of years] will elapse between the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Yerushalayim until an anointed prince comes. It will remain built for sixty-two weeks [of years] … but these will be troubled times” (CJB). The math might sound odd, but “weeks of years” is a biblical term referring to a seven-year period.1
This verse foretold the exact year that the Messiah would come. From the time of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, there would be 483 years until the coming of the Messiah, who would lay down His life as the sacrifice atoning for the sins of the people.
The walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt in 445 BC, ordered by King Artaxerxes (Neh. 2:1). When you add 483 years to 445 BC, it comes to the exact time the Messiah came and laid down His life as the Passover Lamb.2 It set a prophetic clock in motion.
The Waiting (Daniel 2:48)
Why would these Persian magi astrologers from Babylon care enough about this birth to travel from the East at great expense?
Consider that Daniel wrote his book while he was in Babylon. He was one of the wise men — and the only one who, by God’s Spirit and revelation, could interpret the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar. As a result, the king made Daniel the head of the wise men (magi) in Babylon (Daniel 2:48).
Based upon Daniel’s instruction, the magi knew to look for the time of the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, which would begin a prophetic countdown to the coming of the Messiah.
The Star (Numbers 24:17)
The Scriptures tell us a star would lead the magi to the baby.
InNumbers 22, we find that Balak, the King of Moab, hired the prophet Balaam to curse the Jewish people traveling in the wilderness. Balak was scared that the B’nei Yisrael (the children of Israel) might try to invade and take over his land (which was never Israel’s or God’s intention). Balaam tried to curse Israel four times. But instead of cursing them, he blessed them. (You cannot curse what God has blessed, and no one can rob you of what God has destined for you!)
Balaam’s fourth blessing relates directly relates to the journey of the magi: “I see him, yet not at this moment. I behold him, yet not in this location. For a star will come from Jacob, a scepter will arise from Israel” (Num. 24:17, TLV).
This prophecy signifies that the Messiah’s coming would connect to a star and a scepter. Where was Balaam from? He was from Babylon, where he may have been one of the early wise men prophets (Num. 22:5).
The Gifts (Matthew 2:11)
The Bible doesn’t actually say how many wise men followed the star to where the child lay. But the number three is assumed because they brought three gifts. We read inMatthew 2:11 that the gifts were gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Gold is a gift befitting a king. It points to Yeshua as the promised Son of David, the promised messianic King.
Frankincense (l’vonah in Hebrew) represented the Messiah’s divinity. Because it was the incense (Ex. 30:34) burned in the Beit HaMikdash (holy temple), it also points to the fact that Jesus is a kohen gadol (high priest). Frankincense was also put on the meat offerings that were presented for atonement and sacrifices (Lev. 2:1, 24:7).
Myrrh was used in the temple as anointing oil. Part of the coronation process of a king was an anointing with special consecrated oil, which contained myrrh. This gift points to Yeshua as the promised Messiah and King of kings. In addition, myrrh was used for embalming and healing (Jeremiah 46:11, John 19:39).
There is so much symbolism, richness, and intentionality in the three gifts that it becomes a gift in itself to realize they were not random but actually fulfilled prophecy!
And this is only one of numerous examples of how God’s promises set in motion in the Old Testament connect to the birth, life, death, and triumphant resurrection of Jesus, Yeshua, in the New Testament.
When reading the Bible we often miss essential details that add richness and significance, and therefore don’t grasp the bigger picture. New York Times bestselling author Rabbi Jason Sobel, in his unique and engaging way, helps readers see God’s story in high definition, enabling them to better understand the cultural and historical background of Scripture, God’s intention for every detail, and how it applies to our lives.
Footnotes
“This 490-year period is divided into three segments; (a) 7 ‘sevens’ (49 years), (b) 62 ‘sevens’ (434 years), and (c) 1 ‘seven’ (v. 27; 7 years)” (J. Dwight Pentecost, “Daniel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 [Victor Books, 1985], 1363). ︎
483 years × 360 days (Jewish calendar) equals 173,880 days between the command to rebuild Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah the Prince. March 14, 445 BC + 173,880 days brings you to April 6, AD 32, the exact day Jesus rode into Jerusalem. God puts His integrity on the line for His people. God did what He said He would do. This shows the prophetic power of God. He has a plan for His people. ︎
The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’ Surely You are not sssgreater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” (8:52–58)
Hearing Jesus’ words in a strictly literal and earthly sense, the incredulous Jews retorted, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’ Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Neither the revered patriarch Abraham nor any of the prophets had the power to defeat death, since they had all died. Flinging Jesus’ own words back at Him, If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death, the Jewish leaders indignantly demanded, “Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham or the prophets who died; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Or, “Just who do You think You are?” The tone of their questioning is obviously abusive; they were sure that only a demon-possessed person could make such an outlandish claim. Calmly and patiently, Jesus repeated the truth He had stated in verses 49 and 50: “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me.” He was not seeking His own glory, but was secure in the knowledge that the Father … glorifies Him. Jesus’ claims were not those of a demoniac or a maniac, because the glory He possesses was not evil or satanic, but divine. It was His by His eternal relation to His Father (17:24)—the very One of whom the Jewish leaders said, “He is our God.” For them to piously claim to know God while blaspheming and rejecting His Son was ludicrous. Therefore Jesus, pointing out the obvious again, plainly told them, You have not come to know Him. Despite their outward pretense, they did not know God; they were children of Satan (v. 44). Their delusion was that they were God’s children and that Jesus was in league with the Devil (cf. Matt. 12:24). Despite the fierce opposition of His opponents and the impending outcome, Jesus steadfastly refused to back down or deny that He knew the Father. “I know Him,” He affirmed, “and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word.” They were liars because they claimed to know God when they actually did not; Jesus would have been a liar if He had denied knowing God, whom He did know in a profound and eternal oneness (cf. 1:18; 7:29; 10:15; Matt. 11:27). The Lord maintained the truth of His divine knowledge of His Father as one in nature with Him, though it became the issue for which they sought to murder Him (cf. John 19:6–7). In contrast to their rejection of Him, the Lord told them, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Hebrews 11:13 records that Abraham saw and welcomed Christ’s day. He saw in his son Isaac the beginning of God’s fulfillment of His covenant with him (Gen. 12:1–3; 15:1–21; 17:1–8), which would culminate in the coming of the Messiah. Once again (cf. vv. 39–40), Jesus contrasted His opponents’ behavior with that of their patriarch, proving that they were not Abraham’s spiritual children. They wanted to murder the very One in whose coming Abraham rejoiced (cf. v. 37). Stubbornly persisting in their misunderstanding of Jesus’ words, the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Abraham had lived more than two millennia earlier; Jesus could not possibly have seen him. They also twisted His words; the Lord had not said that He had seen Abraham, but that Abraham had (prophetically) seen Him. It should be noted that the Jews’ statement that Jesus was not yet fifty years old does not specify Jesus’ exact age, but rather places an upper limit on it. The Lord would have been only in His early thirties, since He was about thirty when He began His ministry (Luke 3:23). Jesus’ climactic reply, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am,” was nothing less than a claim to full deity. The Lord once again took for Himself the sacred name of God (see the discussion of 8:24 in chapter 29 of this volume). Obviously, as the eternal God (John 1:1–2), He existed before Abraham’s time. Homer Kent explains, “By using the timeless ‘I am’ rather than ‘I was,’ Jesus conveyed not only the idea of existence prior to Abraham, but timelessness—the very nature of God himself (Exod. 3:14)” (Light in the Darkness [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1974], 128–29).
THE DEFIANCE
Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, (8:59a)
The Jewish leaders understood Jesus’ claim perfectly. In response, their hatred flamed into violence. Infuriated by what they perceived as blasphemy (cf. 10:33), they took the law into their own hands and picked up stones to throw at Him (cf. Lev. 24:16). Here is the grip of unbelief so powerful that in the face of irrefutable evidence they were unwilling to accept that as God in human flesh, Jesus was incapable of committing blasphemy; rather all of His claims, no matter how astonishing, were absolutely true. How ironic that the Jewish religious leaders, seemingly so passionate for God’s honor that they were ready to cast stones at a blasphemer, were, in fact, accusing God Himself of blaspheming God.
THE DISAPPEARANCE
but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. (8:59b)
Significantly, the Lord did not protest that He had been misunderstood. Clearly, He was claiming to be God. Since His hour to die had not yet come (John 7:30; 8:20; 13:1), Jesus would not allow Himself to be killed, but supernaturally hid Himself and went out of the temple (cf. Luke 4:30). (John’s brief and straightforward description of this miraculous escape is reminiscent of how he records other supernatural events in his gospel—cf. John 6:11, 19.) Thus ends this tragic dialogue between Jesus and the doomed Jewish religious leaders. As on this occasion, so it always is that there are only two possible responses to Jesus’ claims. One is to accept them as true, and bow before Him in humble, repentant faith, confessing Him as Savior and Lord. The other response, illustrated by Jesus’ opponents in this passage, is that of hardened, bitter rejection. The tragic, fearful result of that response will be eternal damnation in hell. As Jesus soberly warned, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (8:24).
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). John 1–11 (pp. 382–385). Moody Press.
Is Jesus God?
John 8:57–59
“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Several years ago I heard a psychiatrist, who was also an existentialist, say, “There are only two great questions in this world: Who am I? and, Where am I going?” I heard the statement and agreed in part that these are great questions. But though I agreed in part, it was only in part. For, although these are great questions, they are not the greatest questions that should be asked and for which we should seek answers. One greater question forms the title of this study: Who is Jesus Christ? Is Jesus Christ God? On the answer to that question hangs our destiny.
A Timely Issue
Who is Jesus Christ? This is the question of questions in John’s Gospel. Indeed, as we have seen, the Gospel was written almost entirely to provide an answer to it. The Gospel begins with a full statement of Christ’s divinity—“In the beginning was the Word [that is, Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). It ends with the statement, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:30–31). In between these verses much evidence is given in support of Christ’s claim. What is the issue in this central portion of John’s Gospel? Is the issue the distinct nature of his teachings? Is it the sabbath question itself? Is it Christ’s good deeds or lack of them? It is none of these things. Rather, the issue is: Who is Jesus Christ? Is Jesus God? Is Jesus God? If he is not, then let us say so—but only after having considered the evidence. If he is God, then he has a right to our allegiance and loyalty. We must follow him. You cannot honestly be indifferent to Jesus Christ. He did not leave you that option. Thus, you must either follow him as your God and Lord, or you must seek to eradicate his presence from your life, as the religious leaders of his day did. Which will it be? This is the great question of John. It is the great question raised by Christianity. It is a question for you. Will it be Christ, God in the flesh? Or will you be your own “God”? It must be Christ if he is who he declared himself to be.
Christ’s Claim
The verse that we are going to study is one in which Jesus claimed to be God explicitly. He was not always so explicit; but he was in this case, and this produced startling consequences. The leaders of the people had been challenging everything he said, and they had just challenged his statement that Abraham had rejoiced to see his day and that he saw it and was glad. They said, “You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?” He replied, using his most solemn form of introducing a saying, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am” (vv. 57–58). This so infuriated them that they immediately took up stones to stone him. To our way of thinking, at least at first sight, it is a bit hard to see why this particular saying would have provoked such a radical response. Stoning was the penalty for blasphemy, for making oneself out to be God. So this is what they understood him to be doing. But how does one get that from these words? And in what sense was he saying it? It is obvious from the saying itself that Jesus was claiming to have existed before Abraham was born. It also is obvious from the tense of the verb—“Before Abraham was born, I am”—that he was claiming an eternal preexistence. But this alone, we might think, would not be sufficient cause for stoning. The real reason for their violent reaction is found in the fact that when Jesus said, “I am,” he actually was using the divine name by which God had revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush. When Moses had asked, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’ ” (Exod. 3:13–14). In Hebrew this is the word “Jehovah,” and it is this word that Jesus so easily takes to himself in this saying. He claimed to be Jehovah, using the very word “Jehovah.” So it was because of this that the Jews, who immediately recognized his claim for what it was, reached out to kill him.
Many Claims
We have said that this was an unusually direct and overpowering claim, and it was. But we must not overlook the fact that it was only one of many claims both direct and indirect by which Jesus declared himself to be God’s equal. Practically everything that Jesus had to say was an indirect claim to divinity. His first preaching is an example. When John the Baptist had come preaching the imminent arrival of God’s kingdom, he pointed to One who would himself embody that kingdom. Jesus came, and Jesus’ first preaching was the announcement of the kingdom’s arrival: “The time has come, … the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). Later, speaking of himself, he said to the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). This was a claim that the prophecies of the Old Testament were about him and were fulfilled in him. All Christ’s words about the Old Testament fall into this category also, for the summation of his teaching was, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17). When he invited people to follow him—“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19)—he implied that he was of sufficient stature to be worth following. When he forgave sins, he did it knowing that he was doing what only God can do. Toward the end of his life he promised to send God’s Holy Spirit to be with the disciples after his departure, which again implies divinity. Remarkable among his claims was his unique reference to God as his Father. This was by no means a common form of expression in Judaism, as it is in the English language. No Jew ever spoke of God directly as “my Father.” Yet, not only was this the form of address that Jesus used, particularly in his prayers, it was also his only mode of addressing God and it referred to his relationship to the Father exclusively. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). He said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.… Righteous Father, though the world does not know you; I know you” (17:1, 25). Eventually Jesus taught his disciples to address God as Father also, as a result of their relationship to himself. But even in this case his relationship to God as Father and their relationship to God as Father were different. Thus, he spoke to Mary Magdalene, saying, “Go to my brothers and tell them I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (20:17). He did not say “to our Father” or “to our God.” “So close was His connection with God,” writes John Stott, “that he equated a man’s attitude to himself with his attitude to God. Thus, to know Him was to know God (John 8:19; 14:17); to see Him was to see God (John 12:45; 14:9); to believe in Him was to believe in God (John 12:44; 14:1); to receive Him was to receive God (Mark 9:37); to hate Him was to hate God (John 15:23); and to honor Him was to honor God (John 5:23).” Jesus’ “I am” sayings are worthy of special notice also, for he claimed to be all that men need for a full spiritual life. Only God can rightly make such claims. “I am the bread of life” (6:35). “I am the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5). “I am the gate” (10:7, 9). “I am the good shepherd” (10:11, 14). “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25). “I am the way and the truth and the life” (14:6). “I am the true vine” (15:1, 5). One great and final example of Christ’s unique conception of himself occurred shortly after the resurrection on the day Jesus appeared among the disciples, Thomas being present. Jesus had appeared to the disciples earlier when Thomas was absent. But when Thomas was told about the appearance, he had replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it” (20:25). Now the Lord appeared to them all once more, this time including Thomas, and he asked Thomas to make the test he had wanted to make: “Put your finger here … and reach out your hand” (v. 27). Thomas, who was overcome by Christ’s presence, immediately fell to the ground and worshiped him saying, “My Lord and my God” (v. 28). Think of it: “Lord and God!” Adonai! Elohim! Jehovah! And Jesus accepted the designation! He did not deny it! It is no wonder, in light of this testimony, that this is the story John chooses to end all but the postscript of his Gospel. These, then, are a few of Christ’s claims. Thus, whatever we may think of the claims themselves, there can at least be no doubt that Christ made them. Moreover, they remain unchanged. History has not eradicated Christ’s claim to be God. Time has not changed it. The Jesus who made the claim then is the same Jesus who is our living contemporary, and the Scriptures tell us that he is the same “yesterday and today and forever.” He calls on you to follow him. Will you do it, forsaking all else? If he is not God, then you can safely ignore him. But if he is God, then anything less than a total surrender to him is folly and any other loyalty is idolatrous.
The Rock of Ages
There are three parts to the verses we are considering. The first is the claim of Christ, (“Before Abraham was born, I am”). This has taken most of our space and is important, but the others deserve space also. The second is the reaction of the leaders to that claim (“At this, they picked up stones to stone him”). The third is the sad result (“Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple guards”). Stoning can mean different things, all the way from simple displeasure to the desire to have someone killed. As such it can stand for any degree of reaction to Christ by men and women who reject him. I remember, years ago when I was in Jordan and was trying to take a picture of a man who was winnowing grain, how the man picked up stones to stone me. He was not trying to kill me. But he did not like me to be trying to take his picture. He was showing displeasure in that way. Sometimes, as in the case of beggars or animals, stoning was used to drive a person or an animal away. At other times, as in this story, it was used as a means of execution. To put it in contemporary terms, then, some merely express displeasure at Jesus while others (expressing the same basic reaction) try to eliminate his presence from their lives. The strange thing about this is its folly. For Jesus Christ cannot be so easily gotten rid of. If he is God, he is eternal. He is the Ancient of Days. How can one eliminate the Ancient of Days from one’s days? He is the Lord of life. How can one exclude the Lord of life from one’s life? Imagine trying to dislodge the Rock of Ages with a handful of stones! The Lord Jesus Christ is the Rock of Ages yet, and you will not get rid of him by throwing things at him. He is inescapable. He is planted in life. Thus, you must either come to terms with him now, or you must do so on the day of judgment. You have one of two choices. You may destroy yourself by pounding yourself against him, just as you can destroy a piece of wood by pounding it upon an anvil. Or you may build upon him. Why not build upon him? The Rock of Ages makes a great foundation. Jesus said that the one who builds upon him will be like a house founded upon a rock upon which the rains descended and the floods came but which fell not. Why not try him? Why not put him to the test?
Jesus Hid Himself
Finally, the verses also indicate the sad result of the action of those who try to get rid of him. We read, “Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple guards” (v. 59). These are sad words, and they are doubly sad because in closing this section of the Gospel they have the added effect of permanence. What does it mean when we are told that Jesus hid himself? First, it means that although these men could not harm Jesus, nevertheless, they could not benefit from him either. It will be the same for you if you try to keep him out of your life. If you do not allow Jesus to be God in your life, you will not harm him. You cannot harm the invincible and omnipotent God. But you will not benefit from him either. The Lord Jesus Christ came to bring those divine benefits to you. He is the life. He came to give you life, abundant life. He is the light. He wants to shine upon you, to illuminate your darkness and guide you. He is the bread upon whom you may feed and grow. He is the living water who can quench your spiritual thirst. You forfeit these benefits if you refuse him his rightful place in your life. Second, the verse tells us that there are some from whom Jesus does slip away or “pass by” as the King James Version states it. We live in a day when men and women are won over to ego-tickling dogmas of universalism, the idea that all will be saved. But there is nothing in the Word of God to justify that conclusion. You say, “But why doesn’t God save all men?” I don’t know, but he doesn’t. And here is a case. Notice that throughout this entire conversation Jesus has not even been trying to convert these religious leaders. He has merely been exposing their sin. Moreover, we are told that Jesus eventually passed by and went his way. There are some people whom God gives up (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). God gives up nations, if they will not live by righteous standards. God gives up churches, when they depart from their first love. God gives up individuals. Woe be to the person whom the Lord Jesus Christ passes by! Finally, the verse leads us to see that there are some whom God saves anyway. I say “anyway” because I recognize that all of us, even those who become Christians, deserve to be passed by. Notice this. In the King James text of John 8, the last words are “passed by.” It is a tragic note, a tragic end to the contacts of Christ with these religious leaders. But in the opening verse of the very next chapter, just four and five words later, the words occur again in a story that tells us that “as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from his birth” and saved him. Here was a man who in his blindness could not even see the Lord Jesus. Yet Jesus saw him and gave him both physical and spiritual sight. He could not seek Christ, yet he was found by him. How wonderful! What a great hope for the sinner! “Jesus passed by.” Yes. But “as he passed by” he saw this one and saved him. With people such as these he began to build his church. Are you such a one? Why should you not be? Why should you not be one who finds Jesus?
Boice, J. M. (2005). The Gospel of John: an expositional commentary (pp. 673–678). Baker Books.
Jesus said to them, I most solemnly assure you, before Abraham was born, I am. The Jews had committed the error of ascribing to Jesus a merely temporal existence. They saw only the historical manifestation, not the eternal Person; only the human, not the divine. Jesus, therefore, reaffirms his eternal, timeless, absolute essence. For the introductory clause (“I most solemnly assure you”) see on 1:51. The appropriate character of this clause, as being used here to introduce a very sublime truth, is immediately evident. Over against Abraham’s fleeting span of life (see Gen. 25:7) Jesus places his own timeless present. To emphasize this eternal present he sets over against the aorist infinitive, indicating Abraham’s birth in time, the present indicative, with reference to himself; hence, not I was, but I am. Hence, the thought here conveyed is not only that the second Person always existed (existed from all eternity; cf. 1:1, 2; cf. Col. 1:17), though this, too, is implied; but also, and very definitely, that his existence transcends time. He is therefore exalted infinitely above Abraham. See also on 1:18; and cf. 1:1, 2. The “I am” here (8:58) reminds one of the “I am” in 8:24. Basically the same thought is expressed in both passages; namely, that Jesus is God! Moreover, what he states here in 8:58 is his answer not only to the statement of the Jews recorded in 8:57 but also to that found in 8:53.
Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to John (Vol. 2, pp. 66–67). Baker Book House.
For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:34)
When we know the Lord, we receive the forgiveness of sins. We know Him as the God of grace, passing by our transgressions. What a joyful discovery is this!
But how divinely is this promise worded: the Lord promises no more to remember our sins! Can God forget? He says He will, and He means what He says. He will regard us as though we had never sinned. The great atonement so effectually removed all sin that it is to the mind of God no more in existence. The believer is now in Christ Jesus, as accepted as Adam in his innocence; yea, more so, for he wears a divine righteousness, and that of Adam was but human.
The great Lord will not remember our sins so as to punish them, or so as to love us one atom the less because of them. As a debt when paid ceases to be a debt, even so doth the Lord make a complete obliteration of the iniquity of His people.
When we are mourning over our transgressions and shortcomings, and this is our duty as long as we live, let us at the same time rejoice that they will never be mentioned against us. This makes us hate sin. God’s free pardon makes us anxious never again to grieve Him by disobedience.
Was Jesus really born in a barn? Did the angels actually sing? How many wise men were there, really?
There are lots of components of the Christmas story that we’ve come to accept as gospel truth, but that the Bible doesn’t actually teach. Here are some great resources to help us better understand the details surrounding the biblical account of the birth of Christ.
Did Mary ride a donkey to Bethlehem?
The Bible doesn’t tell us, so we don’t know for sure. She could have ridden a donkey. She could have ridden in a cart. She could have walked. All Scripture tells us is that Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem. It doesn’t say how they got there.
Was Mary in active labor when she and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem?
It makes for dramatic nativity movies, but it’s very unlikely. God Himself had given Joseph the enormous and grave task of taking care of Mary and Jesus. You’ve seen first time dads and the weight of responsibility they feel to protect and provide for their wives and their own babies. This was God’s Son. Joseph must have been quaking in his sandals to make sure he got everything right. He certainly would not have waited until Mary was near her due date and risked her delivering the baby in the open country on the trip (not to mention outside of Bethlehem, which would have failed to fulfill prophecy).
Luke 2:6 says:
And while they were there [in Bethlehem], the time came for her to give birth.
“While they were there,” not “as soon as they got there.” “The time came,” not “IT’S TIME, JOSEPH! Find me a room NOW!” The phraseology of this verse suggests that Mary and Joseph spent some time in Bethlehem before Jesus was born. Rather than taking Mary to Bethlehem at the last minute, it’s much more likely that Joseph carefully prepared for the trip, made sure to get there with plenty of time to spare, and made arrangements to stay in Bethlehem until the baby was born.
Was Jesus born in a barn or stable? And what about that innkeeper?
Luke 2:7 tells us:
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
To our western minds, an inn is like a hotel – a business that rents rooms to travelers. But in biblical times, the cultural rules of hospitality dictated that travelers stay with family, friends, or anyone who would extend hospitality to them. Thus, there was no hotel-like “inn” in Bethlehem, and, of course, no innkeeper.
The Greek word kataluma, usually rendered as “inn” in Luke 2:7 is more accurately rendered “guest room” or “upper room” (of a home) – the same sort of “upper room” Jesus used for the Last Supper. One of Joseph’s relatives would have welcomed him and Mary into their home when they got to Bethlehem. But because Bethlehem was packed with visitors arriving for the census, the guest room of the home they stayed in was likely already full. So instead of giving birth in the crowded upper room of the home, Mary moved to the lower room. This lower room would have had space for the animals to be brought in at night, complete with a feed trough (manger), giving her a convenient cradle for the little Lord Jesus to lay down His sweet head. Jesus was not born in the kind of barn or stable we think of in America and usually see in traditional nativity scenes.
Did Mary ride a donkey to Bethlehem? Was she in active labor when she arrived? Was Jesus born in a barn/stable? And what about that innkeeper? Time to bust some popular Christmas myths!Tweet
Did Jesus cry as a baby?
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes
Until I started researching this article, I didn’t realize that some people think Jesus never cried as a baby because of these two lines from the Christmas carol Away in a Manger.
I don’t think that was the hymnist’s intent. The stanza reads as though, in that particular moment when He woke up, Jesus was content and happy, not that He never ever cried.
Furthermore, we know from Scripture that Jesus was not only fully God, He was also fully human. Human babies cry when they’re hungry or tired or sick or in pain or a thousand other scenarios. That’s how they communicate. Jesus was a real live human baby who cried, nursed, spit up, burped, needed His diaper changed, fell down when He was learning to walk, and had to be potty trained. The only type of crying we know He never did was sinful crying – because He didn’t get His own way, because He was angry and frustrated, etc. – since we know Jesus was without sin.
Hark! Did the “herald angels” actually sing?
It’s possible, but we don’t know for sure. We know that the gloria in excelsis deo proclamation was spoken to the shepherds because Luke 2:13-14 says.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
But it also says they were praising God. In the Bible, though praise can be expressed in many ways, singing is one of the most common and natural ways of praising God. So while we know the angels weren’t singing exclusively, there’s no reason they couldn’t have been singing at some point.
At least two (because the Bible speaks of them in the plural), but possibly a whole passel of them. Our minds are set to “three” because the Bible mentions that they brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh, because of Christmas carols like We Three Kings, and because every nativity set comes equipped with three wise men. But it’s just as possible that two wise men gave three gifts, or that three gifts were given corporately by a larger group of wise men.
Did Jesus cry as a baby? Hark! Did the “herald angels” actually sing? Just how many wise men *were* there, exactly? Ready to bust some Christmas myths? Check this out!Tweet
Were Anna and Simeon married to each other?
Nope. Not even a little bit.
The end of Luke 2 tells us the story of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple to offer the appropriate sacrifice for Him as “the first male to open the womb”. While they’re there, Simeon shows up and prophesies over Jesus and Mary. And “at that very hour” Anna also “began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” But nowhere does the passage even hint that they were married to each other, or that they even knew one another.
I think a lot of people mentally marry Anna to Simeon because their stories are back to back, because they showed up at the temple at the same time, and because we tend to assume they were both elderly. (Anna was at least 84, but, technically, we’re never told Simeon’s age or that he was elderly.) But verse 37 clearly tells us that Anna “lived as a widow”. She wasn’t married to anyone, including Simeon.
How many babies were murdered in the slaughter of the innocents?
Matthew 2:16 tells us that an enraged King Herod “sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under” in an attempt to murder Jesus. We tend to think of scores, even hundreds, of babies being murdered in this event which has come to be known as “The Slaughter [or Massacre] of the Innocents.” But as the beloved Christmas carol states, it’s “O little town of Bethlehem”. Bethlehem had a population of approximately 1500. Statistically speaking, scores or hundreds of baby boys age two and under in a population that size would have been impossible. Twelve to fifteen – still a horrifying tragedy- would be more accurate.
Were Anna and Simeon married to each other? How many babies were murdered in the slaughter of the innocents? Let’s bust some Christmas myths!Tweet
Does Christmas have pagan origins, and does that mean Christians shouldn’t celebrate it?
No, and no. Christians celebrating the incarnation of Christ is Christian, not pagan, and Christians are free to celebrate (or not) Christ’s incarnation any day of the year, including December 25.
Do some aspects of the celebration of Christmas find their origin in millennia-old paganism? Possibly. But are you participating in that paganism if you put up a tree or give gifts at Christmas? Probably not. The “Christmas is pagan” lore is so ancient and uncertain that most people aren’t even aware of it. How could you possibly be participating in paganism if you’re not even aware of its existence, you have no intention of participating in it, and it has nothing to do with your reasons for celebrating?
Does Christmas have Catholic origins, and does that mean Christians shouldn’t celebrate it?
Maybe you’ve heard people say that the word “Christmas” means “Christ’s mass,” so Christmas is Roman Catholic and Christians shouldn’t celebrate it or use the word “Christmas”.
It’s true that the word “Christmas” is a shortened form of “Christ’s mass”. It first appeared in English usage as Crīstesmæsse in 10381, and, at that time, it did refer to the Roman Catholic mass celebrating the birth of Christ.
You’ll note that 1038 was long before the Protestant Reformation. In 1038, Roman Catholicism was the primary manifestation of any form of Christianity. There was no other church. So, at that time, if you were going to refer to a religious observance of the birth of Christ, you naturally would have couched it in Catholic vernacular. You would not have had any other frame of reference for Christianity.
But the word “Christmas” has come a long way in the last thousand years. It no longer refers exclusively or primarily to a Roman Catholic mass. It refers to all kinds of things surrounding December 25 and the birth of Christ, from a Christmas worship service at your own doctrinally sound church to Christmas sales, presents, trees, carols, 5Ks, parties and everything else under the sun that takes place this time of year. It’s perfectly fine for Christians to use the word “Christmas”. I mean, “Thursday” started out as “Thor’s Day“. It’s actually named after a false god, and none of us bat an eye when it rolls around every week, so why would “Christmas” be problematic?
But if you have a sensitive conscience and it bothers you to use the word “Christmas,” why not try on “Incarnation Day” and see how it fits? Or maybe “Noel”? It derives from Old French and means “birth” or “birthday”1.
As for celebrating Christmas, it’s not required by Scripture, so you don’t have to observe the day if you don’t want to, but I would plead with you, don’t use “because it’s Catholic” as your reason. Don’t dignify that evil, apostate religious system – which has sent millions to Hell – with the power to be a factor in your spiritual decision making. Don’t let it keep you from celebrating the birth of your Lord in the biblical way of your choosing. They don’t have that right, and you shouldn’t give them that power. I would encourage you to read my article Is Christmas Pagan?. Everything in it applies to Catholicism as well.
Does Jeremiah 10:3-4 (and other passages) prohibit Christmas trees?
for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Jeremiah 10:3-4
It’s imperative to look to Scripture to make sure that none of our Christmas traditions conflict with God’s Word. But we need to make sure we’re handling God’s Word rightly and in context.
If we read all of Jeremiah 10, it’s very clear that the entire chapter is talking about idol worship. The English Standard Version even has a little heading at the top that says, “Idols and the Living God”.
Verses 3-4 of Jeremiah 10 are not referring to Christmas trees. They’re talking about ancient pagans – not Christians – chopping down trees to create wooden idols to worship, not chopping down a tree and decorating it – as is – in honor of the birth of Christ, or for any other reason. It’s talking about the crafting of wooden idols.
We know this because of the phrase in verse 3, “worked by the hands of a craftsman”. Some translations render it “a craftsman shapes it with his chisel”. The craftsman carved a piece of wood into an idol which was then often dipped into or plated with gold or silver. This is exactly what’s being described in verses 8-9:
the instruction of idols is but wood! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; [the clothing the craftsman would dress the idols in] they are all the work of skilled men.
Idol worship is the “custom of the peoples (pagans) that is vanity,” as it says in verse 3, and that is what God prohibits in this passage, not Christmas trees.
Neither do the passages of Scripture that refer to idol worship taking place under “every green tree” prohibit Christmas trees. I can only surmise this false belief came into being because “every green tree” sounds like “evergreen tree,” which is what Christmas trees are. There are several verses that use this phrase, “every green tree.” Here’s one of them:
You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. Deuteronomy 12:2
Again, all of the verses that use this phrase are talking about idol worship, because that’s apparently where the idol worship took place. The tree itself wasn’t intrinsically evil, it’s the fact that people were using it in their idol worship.
So, unless you’re worshiping your Christmas tree as an idol, or you’re using your Christmas tree as some sort of altar from which to worship an idol, your Christmas tree itself isn’t evil. You don’t have to have a Christmas tree in your house if you don’t want one, but you can’t use these Scripture passages to justify your choice or to bind the consciences of other Believers.
Isn’t using the term “X-mas” somehow taking Christ out of Christmas?
No. But it’s kind of understandable that people would think that the “X” in X-mas is removing Christ or genericizing Christmas. We use the letter X as an unknown variable in math. We might see a detergent commercial in which one of the bottles is labeled ‘brand X’ instead of its real name. So it can kind of seem like X is a place-filler or that it can stand for practically anything.
But that’s not the case with the X in X-mas. That X has a finite value. X = 1, the One and only, Jesus Christ. How do we know that?
In the term X-mas, rather than the letter X taking Christ out of Christmas, the letter X actually stands for Christ.
Christmas is pagan, or Catholic? Scripture forbids Christmas trees? X-mas takes Christ out of Christmas? These Christmas myths are BUSTED!Tweet
There are lots of myths about Christmas flying around out there. And there are lots of sentimental and striking details of the Christmas story we’ve come to embrace over the years. But it’s imperative that we get our theology from the Bible, not Christmas carols, traditions, and assumptions. Yet even more important than donkeys and stables and trees is why Jesus came – to save sinners like you and me.
Please note, I am not thoroughly familiar with the theology of every site linked above. I have only vetted the specific articles that are linked. I do not endorse anything at the sites above that conflict with my theology as outlined in my “Statement of Faith” and “Welcome” tabs at the top of this page. Please reject any theology you may come across at these sites that conflicts with God’s Word.
People who are unsaved have no idea that they live in the kingdom of darkness. They believe all is well and go on with their lives, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. Once a person is given the grace of becoming aware of their sin, and the spirit of repentance is bestowed upon them, their eyes are opened to the reality of their pitiful state. Without Jesus, there is no hope. All is dark, because HE is the Light.
Grace Gems: Deliverance from the power of darkness What is the power of darkness, and how God delivers us from it. The Apostle speaks of “the power of darkness.” I shall, therefore, with God’s blessing, explain first what “darkness” is, and then enter into the meaning of the expression “the power of darkness.”
Of course, you can doubt. Christians can doubt. What tends to trouble believers who doubt is not whether God exists, or that Christ died on the cross to save sinners, or that he rose again so that those who believe in him might receive the gift of eternal life. All Christians believe these essential elements of the gospel. The doubters we refer to are often clear on these matters; what they struggle with is being certain that they themselves have really believed with the faith that is needed for salvation. They are clear about the faith they need to have; they are less sure about whether they have that faith.
Let me introduce you to two ‘friends’. Tom was converted at university. He returned home to work and attended the local parish church, which did not clearly teach the gospel. His Christian friends at college felt that he gave evidence that he was a Christian, but Tom struggled with doubts about his salvation. He was dutiful in the church but lacked joy, and his own doubts kept him from feeling confident to witness to his work colleagues. Some suggested he seek a further experience of God to free him from his doubts.
Not feeling very loved by her parents, especially her father, Tina had a difficult childhood. In her teens, she suffered anxiety and depression, and by temperament was prone to introspection, low self-esteem and an accusing conscience. When she came to faith in her thirties, she carried a lot of ‘baggage’. Although she’d come to a Bible-teaching church, a lack of assurance led her to struggle with prayer, often feeling that God was far from her. Tina would compare herself unfavourably with others in the church.
Assurance grows from our faith
The Scriptures teach that it is possible not only to have an assurance of faith but that such assurance is desirable, something to be sought and known. The Apostle John wrote his first letter so that his readers ‘may know that they have eternal life’ (1 John 5:13). John wanted them to be sure. It is plain from his letter that this assurance depends upon some vital matters, which include correct beliefs about God, Christ’s Person and work on the cross, his resurrection, our willing obedience to him, and our love for one another.
The formulators of the Westminster Confession (and, so, the Baptist 1689 Confession) say that assurance is not of the essence of faith; that is, it is not an automatic and inevitable experience of those who have genuine faith. Although the ‘seed’ (A. A. Hodge) or the ‘germ’ (J. Murray) of assurance is in that faith, assurance is akin to the ‘fruit’. As H. Bavinck says, assurance grows out of that initial faith. It may happen quickly, even at conversion, or it may take weeks, months or years before the believer experiences it. For the believer to know assurance and benefit from the joy and peace it brings, he or she must seek to cultivate it.
Assurance is based on what Christ has done
God gifts all his children with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God bears witness with (or to) our spirit that we are the children of God and enables us to feel a love towards God and to call on him as a Father in heaven who loves us (1 John 3:1, 4:13; Rom. 8:15,16; Gal. 4:6). The Spirit also encourages the believer with an awareness of a change of heart. However, it is possible to over-examine oneself in the attempt to discover genuine ‘faith’. Better, wrote A. Bonar, to look outwards to Christ rather than inwards to one’s attainments. Although assurance is a felt spiritual experience, given by God, it is not an extraordinary biblical revelation. It is based, rather, upon what Christ has done.
Assurance involves the believer having a clear understanding of justification by faith and the inward witness of the Spirit. The Christian has a responsibility to gain assurance (2 Pet. 1:10; Heb. 6:11-12), using the normal ‘means of grace’, and to do this in an appropriate way. Let’s return to our two friends and see how they came to a greater assurance of faith and the help this was to them.
Tom realised his need to get his biblical understanding clearer. This led him to go to another church where the Bible was taught clearly and believed. He came to realise that the experience others had encouraged him to seek was not what he needed because he saw that God had already given him this: God’s power, through Christ’s gospel and by the Spirit, ‘has given us everything we need for life and godliness’ (2 Pet. 1:3; Rom. 5:1-5). Freed from the pressure to obtain that elusive ‘something extra’, he has more joy in worshipping God and in serving Christ and has gained confidence in sharing the gospel.
Tina came to see that her background, and especially her relationship with her father, had influenced her perception of praying to a heavenly Father. As she grew in her appreciation of a biblical understanding of God’s fatherhood, prayer became more meaningful and precious to her. She also came to see that her temperament led her to over-introspection and consequent depression. She needed to rest on God’s promises in Christ and entrust herself to God’s love and care for her, realising she no longer needed to compare herself with others. She feels increasingly that God values her for what she is, one of his children.
Assurance grows from a living relationship
An important antidote to doubt and questioning is to recognise daily the goodness of God, which fosters a sense of his love. Assurance is normally found in the context of an ongoing, living relationship. As a wife doesn’t need to turn daily to her marriage certificate as proof of her husband’s love (she knows it by his daily actions), a Christian gains assurance by seeing God’s daily goodness and recognising his love and care towards them.
Despite these dynamics, however, assurance can be shaken or diminish. To avoid this, the Scriptures encourage believers not to fall into sin, which wounds the conscience and grieves the Spirit. When we do sin, we are to confess and, having an advocate in heaven, find our sins forgiven, experience a restored fellowship with God and a good conscience (1 John 1:9f). Even so, strong temptations, Satanic attacks and unusual testing from the Lord can shake our faith and lead to a temporary diminishing of assurance. In God’s providence, these ultimately prove the genuineness of the believer’s faith, which is more precious than gold (1 Pet. 1:7).
My friend, do not doubt. You need not doubt, neither need you fear. You can be sure. It is possible ‘to draw near to God with a full assurance of faith’ (Heb. 10:22). With the Apostle Paul, you can be very aware of your own sin and, yet, at the same time know that ‘we are more than conquerors through him who loved us’ (Rom. 7-8).
“When a leader falls, the consequences ripple: The name of Christ is blasphemed among unbelievers. The sheep are scattered, wounded, and distrustful. The credibility of the gospel witness is weakened. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. He will expose what is done in darkness. Churches that ignore character, excuse sin, or restore men prematurely are complicit in the corruption of the pulpit.”
(Andrew Rappaport – TruthScript) A Dangerous Drift In a world that rewards charisma over character and visibility over virtue, it is imperative that we examine our hearts and recover the biblical vision of faithful ministry. We are living in a day when it has never been easier to build a platform. One can reach thousands with a single video, post, or soundbite. But herein lies the danger: many are building platforms who were never called to ministry.
We live in a time of unprecedented access to preaching, teaching, and spiritual content. But even as our generation is saturated with platforms and personalities, we are also witnessing a crisis in the pulpit. The names of once-trusted leaders have fallen like dominoes under the weight of scandal—sexual immorality, financial misconduct, abuse of power, and pride.
These failures are not distant headlines. They strike at the heart of the church, disillusioning the faithful, scattering the sheep, and bringing reproach upon the name of Christ. The lines are blurred. The temptation is subtle. And many who start with sincerity in serving Christ quietly begin shifting toward seeking the praise of men. View article →
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.” (10:11–13)
Jesus’ identification of Himself as the good shepherd points back to the true shepherd described in verses 2 to 5. It is the fourth “I AM” statement in John’s gospel (see the discussion of v. 7 above). The Greek text literally reads, “the shepherd, the good one,” setting Christ the Good Shepherd apart from all other shepherds. Kalos (good) refers to His noble character (cf. 1 Tim. 3:7; 4:6; 2 Tim. 2:3; 1 Peter 4:10); He is the perfect, authentic Shepherd; in a class by Himself; preeminent above all others. Being a faithful shepherd entailed a willingness to lay one’s life on the line to protect the sheep. Robbers and wild animals such as wolves, lions, and bears were a constant danger (cf. 1 Sam. 17:34; Isa. 31:4; Amos 3:12). But Jesus, the good shepherd, went far beyond merely being willing to risk or actually risking His life for His sheep; He actually laid down His life for them (cf. v. 15; 6:51; 11:50–51; 18:14). The phrase lays down His life is unique to John’s writings and always refers to a voluntary, sacrificial death (vv. 15, 17–18; 13:37–38; 15:13; 1 John 3:16). Jesus gave His life for His sheep, because they were chosen to become part of His flock. The preposition huper (for) is frequently used in the New Testament to refer to Christ’s substitutionary atonement for the elect (cf. v. 15; 6:51; 11:50–51; 18:14; Luke 22:19; Rom. 5:6, 8; 8:32; 1 Cor. 11:24; 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:14–15, 21; Gal. 1:4; 2:20; 3:13; Eph. 5:2, 25; 1 Thess. 5:9–10; 1 Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14; Heb. 2:9; 1 Peter 2:21; 3:18; 1 John 3:16). His death was an actual atonement to provide propitiation for the sins of all who would believe, as they were called and regenerated by the Spirit, because they were chosen by the Father. Opposite the Good Shepherd, who gives His life for the sheep, is he who is a hired hand (like the doorkeeper of v. 3), and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, who sees the wolf coming (cf. Matt. 7:15; Acts 20:29), and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them (cf. Matt. 9:36; Mark 6:34). The hired hand symbolizes the Jewish religious leaders and, by extension, all false shepherds. They are always mercenaries, doing ministry not for love of the souls of men or even love for the truth, but for money (Titus 1:10–11; 1 Peter 5:2; 2 Peter 2:3). Therefore they flee at the first sign of threat to their well-being, because they are not concerned about the sheep. Their overriding priority is self-preservation, and the last thing they care to do is to sacrifice themselves for anyone.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). John 1–11 (pp. 431–432). Moody Press.
10, 11. The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy; I come in order that people may have life, and may have abundance. The thief is the Pharisee, as has been explained (see on 10:1). Note the climactic arrangement: steal, kill, destroy. That these religious leaders spiritually killed and destroyed the people whom they had stolen is clear from Matt. 23:15. The exact opposite of killing and destroying is making alive. And the exact opposite of the thief is the good shepherd, Christ. So Jesus says, “I came in order that they (i.e., people; here the sheep) may have life (see on 3:16) and may have abundance (of grace, 1:16; cf. Rom. 5:17, 20; Eph. 1:7, 8; of joy, 2 Cor. 8:2; of peace, Jer. 33:6). See also 2:6, 7; 4:14; 6:13, 35. These passages show that Jesus always provides an overflowing measure, a surplus. Jesus continues, I am the good shepherd, really: the shepherd, the good one. The adjective is stressed! This adjective, however, is not ἀγαθός but καλός. The basic meaning of this word is beautiful. Here it indicates excellent. This shepherd answers to the ideal both in his character and in his work. And he is the only one in his class. (See footnote above.) The predicate of this great I AM has the article, and is therefore interchangeable with the subject. The statement “I am the good shepherd” explains 10:2, 3, 4. We now know whom Jesus had in mind when he spoke about the shepherd to whom the sheep give heed. The excellent character of this shepherd is shown especially in this, The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. In the sense in which this is meant it cannot apply to an ordinary sheep-herder, no matter how good he may be. Such a shepherd may, indeed, risk his life in the defence of his sheep (1 Sam. 17:34–36), but he does not really lay down (τίθησι) his life; i.e., he does not yield his life as a voluntary sacrifice. Also, in ordinary life the death of the herder means loss and possible death for the herd. In this case the death of the shepherd means life (ζωή) for the sheep! The good shepherd “pours out his soul (note τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ both here in 10:11 and also in Is. 53:12, the LXX translation) unto death.” He gives himself! The idea is not that this shepherd gives merely his natural life. No, ψυχή which rests on an Aramaic original (whether oral or written) is the full equivalent of the self, the person. See also the same phrase, “his life,” in Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45, while 1 Tim. 2:6 has himself. It is probable that ψυχή has this meaning wherever it occurs in John’s Gospel (10:11, 15, 17, 24; 12:25, 27; 13:37, 38; and 15:13). The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The preposition is ὑπέρ, a word which has the root-meaning over. In the Fourth Gospel it is always used with the genitive. Thus used, its meaning pendulates all the way from the colorless concerning (1:30), through for the benefit of and the closely related for the sake of (6:51; 11:4; 17:19), to the very meaningful instead of (see 10:11, 15; 11:50, 51, 52; 13:37, 38; 15:13; 18:14). However, it is probably incorrect to say that this preposition in itself ever means instead of. That is its resultant connotation when it is used in certain contexts. The good shepherd lays down his life for the benefit of the sheep, but the only way in which he can benefit the sheep, saving them from everlasting destruction and imparting everlasting life to them, is by dying instead of them, as we learn from Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45, where the preposition ἀντί (instead of, in exchange for) is used. It is easy to see how by a very gradual transition for the benefit of or in behalf of may become instead of. Thus, in the papyri the scribe who writes a document in behalf of someone who cannot write is writing it instead of that unlettered individual. Cf. also 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13. It is for the sheep—only for the sheep—that the good shepherd lays down his life. The design of the atonement is definitely restricted. Jesus dies for those who had been given to him by the Father, for the children of God, for true believers. This is the teaching of the Fourth Gospel throughout (3:16; 6:37, 39, 40, 44, 65; 10:11, 15, 29; 17:6, 9, 20, 21, 24). It is also the doctrine of the rest of Scripture. With his precious blood Christ purchased his church (Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25–27); his people (Matt. 1:21); the elect (Rom. 8:32–35). Nevertheless, the love of God is wide as the ocean. The sheep are found everywhere. They are not confined to one fold (10:16; see also on 1:10, 29; 3:16; 4:42; 6:33, 51; 11:52). On Jesus as the good shepherd see also Ezek. 34:23; Luke 15:3–6; Heb. 13:20; and 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4; see especially on John 10:14, 15.
Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to John (Vol. 2, pp. 109–111). Baker Book House.
Dr. Oz demands Walz take ‘aggressive action’ to stop Medicaid fraud or lose federal funding “We are done footing the bill for your incompetence,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is demanding Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz take a more “aggressive approach” in confronting fraud or risk losing federal Medicaid funding. “Recent findings from multiple investigations — combined with ongoing vulnerabilities across several service areas — indicate systemic issues requiring immediate action,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz wrote in a Friday letter to the governor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson has said that Minnesota’s “massive fraud schemes form a web that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money.”
White House “Media Offenders” Page Is Accountability Tool Americans Deserve The media is once again outraged at a supposed “attack on free speech” from the Trump administration, this time over the launch of a media bias tracker on the White House website. But while liberal journalists can complain all they want that someone is calling out their biased and dishonest reporting, the new web page is exactly the accountability tool that Americans deserve. The tracker, which officially went live late last month, lists a “Media Offender of the Week” detailing news articles sharing misleading or outright false reporting. This week’s offender is The Washington Post for publishing “an article from two unnamed sources claiming Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a Joint Special Operations commander to ‘kill everybody’ during an anti-terrorist operation in the Caribbean Sea.”
Desantis Torches CAIR’s Meltdown And Drops The Real Bomb: Discovery Is Coming For the first time in 30 years, a governor isn’t backing down. He’s inviting CAIR into court so the state can drag their financial pipelines, partnerships, and political networks into the light. While CAIR-Florida trembled through its victimhood press conference, Ron DeSantis stepped up and said the one thing guaranteed to send their entire network into panic mode: “I welcome the lawsuit.” Because a lawsuit doesn’t just give CAIR a microphone. It gives Florida subpoena power. Here’s the governor in his own words: “We get sued every day. This one is different. Their lawsuit gives Florida the right to subpoena their bank records and get full discovery.
Kremlin: Trump’s Ukraine view in line with ours Donald Trump’s latest statements on Ukraine are in line with Russia’s view of the situation, the Kremlin says. The US president is hailed by Moscow as “the only one who understands” the war. Ukraine is expected to submit an updated peace proposal to the US shortly.
US forces seize oil tanker off coast of Venezuela, Trump says President Donald Trump said Wednesday that US forces seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking his administration’s latest escalation in its pressure campaign against President Nicolas Maduro.
Ukraine: Attack on Russian “shadow tanker” Ukraine has attacked another oil tanker in the Black Sea that is linked to the Russian shadow fleet, Ukrainian intelligence sources told AFP and several other media outlets. The tanker has suffered “critical damage” according to Ukrainian sources. Unconfirmed video footage shows explosions at the stern of the ship.
Pope appeals to Trump not to break with Europe President Donald Trump should safeguard the United States’ relationship with Europe, says Pope Leo XIV – who is warning the American leader against severing ties between the two continents. “The comments about Europe, which were also made in recent interviews, are, in my opinion, an attempt to break apart what I believe should continue to be a very important relationship today and in the future,” the pope told reporters after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside Rome on Tuesday,
Reshaping the Diaspora: Israeli migration is changing Jewish life across Europe Even as antisemitic incidents across Europe reach levels unseen in decades following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel, Jews and Israelis continue to move to the very cities where Jewish identity feels most fraught — creating an unlikely, though often uneven, pattern of demographic renewal at the heart of today’s Jewish diaspora. It is a quiet shift that persists against all odds: growth where fear might suggest retreat.
‘Hamas has to go,’ says US envoy, pledging terror group will be removed The US Ambassador to the United Nations reassured Israel that the Trump administration will not permit Hamas to continue to operate within the Gaza Strip following the second phase of the 20-point peace plan, vowing that the terror group will be removed either by disarmament or through force.
Trump: I will announce members of Gaza Board of Peace in early 2026 US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he will announce the membership of Gaza’s “Board of Peace” in early 2026, adding it will include world leaders. “It will be one of the most legendary boards ever,” he said, noting it will be made up of “heads of the most important countries in the world – Kings, heads of state, and presidents
Storm Byron slams Israel with heavy rain, flooding fears from coast to desert Downpours that began late Wednesday were expected to continue through Thursday evening, with 100 to 150 millimeters (4 to 6 inches) forecast along the coast. Forecasters said the threat of flooding would remain high in the coastal plain and the Shephelah, while the northern Negev and Judean Desert faced a risk of flash floods as rain persisted into the night.
Media Remains Silent As Minnesota Politicians Are Implicated In Mass Fraud, Intimiation, And Corruption This should hands down be the biggest story in America, but the mainstream media refuses to touch it. We are calling it “Somaliagate”—And yes, it’s that big. rrIf you live in Minnesota, $8 billion in your taxpayer money was stolen from federal programs through a massive web of fraud and schemes—tied primarily to Somali networks. Governor Tim Walz, Representative Ilhan Omar, and others have all been implicated in the fraud, knowing that it was occurring, but doing nothing to stop it.
Conscription age for fmr. officers may be raised to 70 in Sweden A new proposal in Sweden suggests that the Scandinavian nation could increase the upper conscription age limit for former officers from 47 to 70. The proposal comes as Sweden is taking steps to increase defense spending amid rising tension in the region due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
‘There has been communication’ between Somalia and Israel says Deputy Foreign Minister Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said Wednesday that Israel has had “certain communication” with the government of Somalia, suggesting that the dialogue concerns a shared interest in fending off Houthi influence in the country in the Horn of Africa. Haskel made the comments during a wide-ranging interview with i24NEWS. Israel and Somalia, a solidly Muslim country and member of the Arab League, do not have diplomatic relations.
Chick-Fil-A Waffles On Wokeness With Same-Sex Marriage Post And DEI Focus While most of corporate America wisely took the temperature of angry consumers and backed away from woke politics, one shocking holdout remains: Chick-fil-A. The beloved fast-food franchise, which is best known for its Christian ownership and family-centric policies, is quietly still condoning a message that is radically at odds with the biblical values that most people associate it with — including same-sex marriage.
The Demonic Nature Of Hamas And The Delusion Of The West No one should be shocked that Hamas is refusing to disarm. And yet, many in the West are surprised, obliviously believing that the terrorist group would honor Trump’s peace plan. These leaders have failed to see these terrorists for who they really are: a demonic death cult.
Here We Go! This Is Why China Will Be EXTREMELY Upset If A U.S. Blockade Stops The Flow Of Oil Coming Out Of Venezuela The seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker was an extraordinarily shocking move by the Trump administration. Will it be followed by the seizure of more oil tankers? This is a question that the press really needs to be asking right now. If a U.S. blockade stops the flow of oil coming out of Venezuela, the Chinese will be absolutely furious. As you will see below, China buys more Venezuelan oil than anyone else. Just imagine how we would feel if someone started grabbing tankers of oil that were eventually headed to the United States. If U.S. officials really do intend to impose a blockade on Venezuelan oil, this could be the beginning of the end of our relationship with the Chinese, and it could potentially lead to global war.
We Are Facing A “Tourism Industry Apocalypse” As International Travelers Avoid The USA Why have major tourist destinations all over America been so depressingly quiet in 2025? Normally tourism accounts for close to 10 percent of U.S. GDP, and that makes it a critical pillar of the U.S. economy. We witnessed an enormous downturn during the early days of the COVID pandemic, but that was just temporary. Now we are witnessing a similar downturn, but this time we don’t have a pandemic to blame. Needless to say, the overall economy is steadily moving in the wrong direction, and that is certainly affecting tourism. But as you will see below, there are other factors that are very much within our control that are driving tourists away.
Trump Announces Seizure of Massive Oil Tanker Off the Coast of Venezuela as Military Confrontation Looms In a clear signal to dictator Nicolas Maduro that his time is growing short, President Trump announced at a press conference on Wednesday the seizure of a massive oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The incident is currently short on detail, but you can bet things will continue to escalate over the coming days. This tanker had previously been sanctioned for conducting illicit Iranian oil trades, and as part of a reimplementation of the Monroe Doctrine, it became fair game.
“It is of great importance to set a resolution, not to be shaken, never to tell an untruth. There is no vice so mean, so pitiful, so contemptible; and he who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and a third time, till at length it becomes habitual.” —Thomas Jefferson (1785)
The Fed lowers interest rate: The Federal Reserve on Wednesday evening lowered the interest rate by a quarter point to a range of 3.5% to 3.75%. It marks the third consecutive rate cut by the Fed this year, representing a 1.75-percentage-point decrease since September 2024. What made this move unexpected was Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s comments six weeks ago after the Fed cut interest rates, suggesting that any further rate cuts this year would be unlikely. That’s because the 2% inflation target has remained stubbornly elusive. Powell pointed to the federal government shutdown negatively impacting the economy, “but these effects should be mostly offset by higher growth next quarter, reflecting the reopening,” he observed. “Conditions in the labor market appear to be gradually cooling and inflation remains somewhat elevated. Inflation has eased significantly from its highs in 2022, but remains somewhat elevated relative to our 2% longer run goal.”
DHS purchases a fleet of deportation planes: The Department of Homeland Security has signed a contract with Daedalus Aviation to buy six Boeing 737 jets for $140 million. The deal will free DHS from the complication of chartering deportation flights. The funding comes from the $170 billion earmarked in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. These jets will help fulfill the administration’s goal of deporting one million illegals in Trump’s first year. That goal is still a ways off, with Tom Homan most recently reporting the removal of 579,000 illegals. Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesman, says the purchase will save the taxpayer $279 million.
Trump’s immigration gold card goes live: Donald Trump’s idea, which he floated at the beginning of his term, that wealthy foreigners can pay a large sum to obtain residency in the U.S., is now a reality. For $1 million and a $15,000 DHS processing fee, a foreigner can obtain EB-1 residency. For corporations, the cost is doubled, and the website promises a $5 million option coming soon that will allow individuals to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without paying U.S. taxes on non-U.S. income. This isn’t quite a simple pay-to-play scheme, as the website assures applicants that they will still be subject to an “in-depth background check.” Trump wants to encourage foreign investment in the U.S. and to make America a destination for the wealthy — this seems an excellent move in that direction.
Deficit improves thanks to Trump’s tariffs: The federal government’s deficit has declined slightly in the new fiscal year, despite increased spending. That’s because federal revenue has increased by 18%, and that increase is primarily due to Donald Trump’s tariffs. Currently, tariffs are running $50 billion above last fiscal year, with the government bringing in $112 billion more over the last two months than over this same span last year. Despite this increase, the federal government is still outspending its collected revenue. In FY2025, the government collected $5.2 trillion in revenue, but spent roughly $7 trillion, thereby adding $1.8 trillion to the ballooning national debt. And over the last two months, the government has spent $179 billion in interest payments alone on that debt.
$901 billion in War Department spending authorized: The National Defense Authorization Act, approving $901 billion in spending, passed the House on Wednesday. The final tally was 312-112, with 94 Democrats and 18 Republicans voting “no.” Some conservatives are unhappy that the bill includes $400 million in funding for Ukraine in each of the next two years. The bill also cuts the Trump administration’s ability to reduce troop presence in Europe, specifically the Baltic states, or in South Korea. Conservatives can be happy about a 4% pay rise for our troops and the elimination of DEI policies. The Washington Post’s libelous “second strike” story has yielded fruit in this bill, which includes a provision that cuts Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until the unedited footage of the September 2 strike is handed over.
U.S. seizes Venezuelan oil tanker: On Wednesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the U.S. had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that was involved in “an illicit oil shipping network.” She said that the FBI, DHS, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of War coordinated the seizure. Bondi explained that the U.S. had sanctioned this oil tanker over its years of involvement in the illicit shipping of oil to terrorist organizations. The ship known as the “Skipper” was seized with a load of Venezuelan crude oil, apparently bound for Cuba. FBI Director Kash Patel said the “administration’s efforts to crush FTOs and cut off their resources will continue day and night.” This action appears aimed at further squeezing Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in an effort to see him removed from office.
Machado slips past Maduro to accept Nobel Peace Prize: Ana Corina Sosa Machado, the daughter of Venezuelan resistance leader María Corina Machado, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of her mother on Wednesday. When the ceremony was being scheduled, it was believed that María — who had been in hiding for months — would not be able to leave Venezuela safely to accept the award, but her daughter announced on stage that María had escaped and would arrive in Oslo shortly. On Thursday morning, María made her first public appearance since August 2024. Her escape involved donning a disguise and slipping past 10 military checkpoints to a skiff that took her to Curaçao, an island under Dutch control. The two U.S. Navy F-18s that boldly entered Venezuelan airspace on Tuesday now appear to have been covering Machado’s escape.
Environmentalists sue over Trump’s face: The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), an environmental group, has raised a lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to stop the Interior Department’s decision to include an image of Donald Trump on the 2026 national park and monument pass. The CBD argues that the nation doesn’t want to see Trump’s “bloated, fragile, attention-seeking” face on the national park pass. The CBD notes that the winning photo from the National Parks Foundation’s annual contest has historically been used to design new park passes, and that this year’s would have been a photo of Glacier National Park. That photo will still be used, but only for the “nonresident” pass. The CBD argues that the 2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act requires using the winning photo.
Headlines
Yes, some children may have died from COVID shots (The Atlantic)
The actual facts on enhanced ObamaCare subsidies (Just Facts)
Owens has spent the last three months advancing conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s murder, including that TPUSA personnel were in on it.
Samantha Koch
The storm within the conservative movement is boiling over, and Candace Owens — once a solid voice for right-wing policies and ideas — has put herself at the center of it. Since the sudden and tragic public assassination of Charlie Kirk, Owens, who calls herself a good friend to Kirk, has leveled explosive accusations suggesting that the leadership of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and people close to them were somehow involved in his murder.
Among many leading statements that Owens has made over the last several months, she recently claimed to have “received information … that put the final pieces together,” and asserted that Kirk was “betrayed by the leadership of Turning Point USA and some of the very people who eulogized him on stage.” She also warned donors that they “were lied to” and urged them to demand refunds. Yet a week later, nothing concrete has emerged. No names. No verifiable proof. Just repeated allegations and mounting distrust.
This post seems to have pushed the TPUSA team to the point where they finally appear to have had enough. In a recent episode of “The Charlie Kirk Show” — which its producers and guests have carried on since his passing — they announced their intention to set the record straight. Over the last few weeks, the group had remained largely silent — at least publicly — out of respect for Kirk’s friendship with Candace, and for those who are still grieving. But with rumors, insinuations, and accusations circulating widely, they concluded that their silence had only benefited their accuser. Among several reasons they gave for holding back until now, they said that because the theories Owens had been spreading were “so out there and so insane,” they didn’t think anyone would believe them. They had also hoped that if they ignored her long enough, she would eventually stop.
Neither of those things has been the case, so they are now taking a more direct approach.
On December 4, producer Blake Neff announced that they would host a full livestream “in the near future” to go “through every single one of [Candace’s] claims” and respond thoroughly. Neff explicitly extended an invitation to Owens to join — in person — at TPUSA’s studio in Phoenix. “If Candace wishes to join us in person in Phoenix, she is welcome to do so,” the announcement read.
Candace’s immediate reaction was to issue a defiant “You pick the place, you pick the time.” She said she was ready “tomorrow,” with no lawyers, no pre-planning — just an authentic, unfiltered showdown. “Take the money,” she said. “We can raise money live for this conversation. … I fully accept.”
Taking her on her word that all they needed to do was put it on the schedule and let her know, TPUSA followed through — locking in the date and studio location. Per a post on X, Blake announced (https://x.com/BlakeSNeff/status/1996464886956851440), “At 4pm Eastern, 2 pm local time on Monday, December 15, a collection of Charlie’s friends will respond to statements made by @RealCandaceO, to set the record straight once and for all prior to the opening of AmericaFest.” Blake said the live stream would be from Charlie’s Phoenix studio and that Candace was welcome to join in person.
Then, as expected, her tone shifted. In a post on X, she claimed it was “kind of weird how you didn’t e-mail or call me … and chose to instead tweet this confirmation out at midnight.” She said December 15 “does not work in person,” and that 2:00 p.m. Pacific was the “literal time I do my podcast LIVE,” implying that her existing commitments prevented her from attending (which she could have made clear in her initial response, when she said she could accommodate the time and place of their choosing). She offered to join remotely instead. TPUSA responded firmly: if she couldn’t come in person, they would proceed without her.
This was not a typical guest scheduling. This was a carefully planned, thorough response by them, Charlie’s friends, and on their terms.
Owens’s sudden pivot raised eyebrows among skeptics. Many said that finding a reason to bail was predictable. She had excuses ready to go, as if she never had the intention of facing them at all. After all, it’s a lot easier to accuse somebody of killing their friend and loved one behind the safety of your own camera and keyboard, with a crowd of loyal followers to affirm your every word, than to say it to their face and allow them to defend themselves.
At the same time, the broader Right has begun to speak up. Over the last few weeks, commentary has slowly shifted. Higher-profile voices — including Tim Pool — have publicly called out what they see as dangerous, reckless behavior. Pool, once hesitant to get involved, has become more vocal about the smear campaign Owens has launched against Kirk’s legacy and organization, as well as against anyone who dares to question her narrative. And the consequences have been sharp and pointed.
Allie Beth Stuckey and Steven Crowder have been among the few conservative commentators who have openly warned their audiences not to give Candace Owens’s theories more credit than the facts warrant, urging people to let the investigation play out. In response, Owens has now lumped them into her ever-expanding list of supposed enemies, mocking their grief and suggesting that they don’t care about Kirk’s murder the way that she does.
These have been the immediate verbal consequences of challenging Owens, but some are beginning to wonder whether the stakes now extend far beyond sharp words alone. On December 6, Pool posted on X that his property had been targeted. A vehicle approached his home and opened fire. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the incident underscored Pool’s grim point: once incendiary accusations are out in the wild, it becomes hard to predict how far their consequences can spread.
After the terrifying incident, Pool launched a blistering rant, accusing Owens of turning the conservative movement into chaos. Pool also insinuated that the perpetrator might have been motivated by anger over his criticism of Owens — though at this point, that remains pure speculation. He warned that by sowing conspiracy and distrust, she was making life unsafe for anyone who attempts to stand in her way.
Meanwhile, official voices have weighed in on some of the theories surrounding the Kirk assassination case. Speaking to Megyn Kelly on her show, FBI Director Kash Patel has publicly dismissed many of Owens’s core claims. Specifically, he made clear there is “zero evidence linking Turning Point USA to Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” and he rejected assertions of a foreign government “hand” in the killing. Investigators have confirmed that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson is the main suspect, and forensic evidence ties him to the crime.
That public repudiation from the FBI director marks a significant point of clarification that many have been asking for; a moment of reckoning for those perpetuating speculation. And given the scale of the upcoming livestream from TPUSA — intended to systematically dismantle, claim by claim, every allegation Owens has floated over the past three months — the contrast is stark.
For now, Owens’s retreat from the live, in-person conversation is yet another signal that her theories are on shaky ground at best. It suggests she is unwilling or unable to put herself in the kind of direct, public scrutiny that the evidence demands. Meanwhile, more conservative voices are raising their concerns openly, and law enforcement has publicly debunked at least some of her most incendiary theories.
But the stakes go beyond personal reputations. There is a real threat to the conservative movement as a whole if we cannot course correct back to the truth and recognize the value of facts over feelings. If TPUSA — a central pillar of conservative youth outreach, campus activism, and movement infrastructure — crumbles under the weight of internal distrust and public smear, it could deal a significant blow to the broader spread of conservatism.
TPUSA’s activism has been one of the few effective counters to the leftist indoctrination happening on college campuses and throughout our education system. Its reach into the next generation of voters — and its willingness to push back against revisionist history and anti-American ideology — has been crucial for keeping a strong conservative presence in the political fight. Losing that access wouldn’t just be a setback; it would put the country’s future direction at real risk.
Charlie Kirk was more than a founder; for many, he was a pillar, holding up the ideals of our Founders. And if the organization he launched is discredited from within, the potential ripple effects are vast.
At the end of the day, this confrontation isn’t just about one person’s grievances or one tragic assassination. It’s about truth, accountability, and whether a political movement can survive when internal conflict threatens to burn down its foundations. And for many watching, the upcoming TPUSA livestream could mark the moment where rumors end — and the facts and the mission come back into focus.
Mark Alexander: The ICE Ops Optics Problem — If the ICE focus is not narrowed to violent criminal illegal aliens, the “worst of the worst,” the Trump hemorrhage of Hispanic voters will accelerate.
Sophie Starkova: DOJ Ditches Disparate Impact — Sixty years after the Civil Rights Act, the Justice Department is finally doing away with race-based standards that actually end up perpetuating inequality.
Thomas Gallatin: Democrats’ Masculinity Problem — They are struggling to attract male voters because they have made man-hating anti-patriarchy a pillar of their political brand.
Nate Jackson: Why We Don’t Accept Advertising — When left-wingers collude to choke off the advertising revenue of other websites, it’s a reminder why we chose to avoid dependence on ads.
Patrick Hampton: A Letter to George Farmer, the Husband of Candace Owens — The narratives we create and perpetuate have consequences, and I urge you to consider the impact of Candace’s words and actions on the broader movement.
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Editor’s Note: Each week we receive hundreds of comments and correspondences — and we read every one of them. Click here for a few thought-provoking comments about specific articles. The views expressed therein don’t necessarily reflect those of The Patriot Post.
TPUSA Will Debunk Candace’s Claims — Candace Owens has spent months dragging Charlie Kirk’s legacy, his organization, everyone he loved, and everyone in the conservative movement through the mud.
“He’s done. We’ve just gotta butter this toast and slice it and eat it. He’s done… It’s over. You’re a loser, dude. You’re losing everywhere, and you’re gonna lose more because you, my friend, are a loser.” —Democrat Strategist James Carville on Donald Trump
Can’t Fix Stupid
“We are the world’s number one bully. … America is indeed … the great hand of Satan … the great Satan.” —Democrat Representative Hank Johnson, who first came to national attention for suggesting that the island of Guam might capsize
Friendly Fire
“I don’t understand why he escapes the smoke. … You’re telling me nine months into this administration, the podcast guys … solved the case in nine months. Merrick Garland was there for four years. What were you doing?” —Joy Reid on the J6 pipe bomber being caught by Dan Bongino and Kash Patel
Never Interrupt Your Enemy While They’re Making a Mistake
“I am absolutely delighted that Jasmine Crockett is running for Senate in Texas. I think it’s one of the greatest things to happen to the Republican Party in a long, long time. She is the face of the Democratic Party, she and Mamdani. Good luck with that.” —House Speaker Mike Johnson
In Short
“What’s one invention that’s made us worse? Maybe short-form video. Seems to be rotting people’s brains.” —Elon Musk
Course Correction Needed
“This is not the first time Trump has rolled out the argument that the problem in the American economy is that the nation’s parents are buying their daughters too many dolls. It was a bad, dumb, Bernie-Sanders-style, tone-deaf argument back in May, and it is still one now.” —Jim Geraghty
What’s Wrong With That?
“African ‘asylum seekers’ should seek asylum in another African country. Arab asylum seekers should seek asylum in an Arab country. Asian asylum seekers should seek asylum in an Asian country. Why the hell is it our job to provide ‘asylum’ to misfits and outcasts from other continents? Let them find their asylum in a country with a similar culture. And if none of those countries will take them — well, that’s all the more reason why we shouldn’t, either.” —Matt Walsh
Does It Need to be Said?
“My silence does not mean I am complacent. My silence does not mean that somehow TPUSA & all of the hand-picked staff that loved my husband … is somehow in on it. … I want justice for my husband, for myself, for my family, more than anyone else out there.” —Erika Kirk
For the Record
“We should, by all means, breathe new life into a Monroe Doctrine that in recent decades has become a museum curiosity.” —Rich Lowry
“Enforcing this ban will require a level of digital surveillance that would make Beijing blush. To stop teenagers from scrolling, the Australian government will need to track, monitor and verify the ages and identities of millions of citizens: a dream scenario for a digital police state.” —Ian Haworth
ON THIS DAY in 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt became the sixth and final pair of American astronauts to land on the moon; Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans remained in orbit above them.
Activist posts video showing that Hamas withheld large amounts of baby formula during the hunger crisis in Gaza; US considering terrorism-related sanctions against the United Nations Relief & Works Agency; Amnesty International report accuses Hamas of crimes against humanity, including murder and torture on October 7th and inhumane treatment of hostages in Gaza; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again says “you gotta get rid of Hamas” and US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz says Hamas “has to go;” Chris Mitchell talks about how Israel will deal with Hamas since it refuses to disarm, the Amnesty International report on Hamas war crimes, concerns over Turkey wanting to be involved in the international stabilization force in Gaza, a top Israeli official’s statement that war with Syria is inevitable, and the significance of potential US sanctions on UNRWA; Drew Allen, author of “For Christ and Country: The Martyrdom of Charlie Kirk,” talks about how the assassination of conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk led to a wave of interest in Christianity; and the Supreme Court hears a case involving Christian pro-life pregnancy centers, and the identities of donors.
EXCLUSIVE:PresidentDonald Trump’s return to the White House has brought a surge in media access following the Biden administration, with hundreds of direct exchanges between a press corps he frequently blasts as “fake news” and a president who rarely ducks a question, according to exclusive data on his first year back in office.
Trump has participated in at least 433 open press events that stretched from official remarks to impromptu gaggles outside of Air Force One to press conferences where the president interacted with the media, as of Monday. The data, compiled by the White House Stenographer’s Office and provided to Fox News Digital, does not include quick exchanges, such as Trump answering a shouted question while greeting a foreign leader at the White House.
“President Trump is the most transparent and accessible president in American history,” White House spokeswoman Elizabeth Huston told Fox News Digital. “President Trump takes unrestricted questions from the legacy media and posts directly from his Truth Social account on the most important issues facing our nation every single day. The American people have never had a more direct and authentic relationship with a president of the United States than they have with President Trump.”
By contrast, former PresidentJoe Biden’s first year in office was mired in frustration that the media was shut out, including when he delayed holding his first press conference as president for more than two months into his term. In fact, Biden’s two-month stretch of avoiding a news conference was the longest in a century, since President Calvin Coolidge, known as “Silent Cal,”according to The Washington Post.
The White House Stenographer’s Office found that it transcribed 2.4 million words from open press events with Trump as of Monday, which is the equivalent to 4.1 “War and Peace” books, 31.1 “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” books, or 22.2 “The Art of the Deal” books, the White House said.
Specifically, Trump participated in 156 press sprays, 13 general gaggles, 13 press conferences, 32 Marine One gaggles, 30 gaggles outside Air Force One, 41 gaggles while on the presidential plane and three formal press briefings, according to the data.
Those press sprays — informal media availabilities where the president fields a handful of questions during bilateral meetings, executive order signings and roundtables — accounted for 128 of the 292 questions Trump answered in open press settings.
A handful of Trump’s open press events have been marathons that lasted well over an hour, including an October roundtable on Antifa that ran 95 minutes and a series of lengthyCabinet meetings.
Those meetings with Trump’s Cabinet chiefs included a 105-minute session in April, a 124-minute meeting in July, a 138-minute meeting in December and, in August, the longest televised Cabinet meeting in U.S. history at 197 minutes.
Trump is known for not holding back when interacting with the media, frequently calling out reporters he believes print “fake news” and biased content before rolling to the next question during his numerous events. His fiery exchanges with reporters have frequently gone viral, including when he told one reporter “quiet, piggy” or another exchange in November where he called a reporter a “stupid person” when asked about the suspected murderer of U.S. National Guard member Spc. Sarah Beckstrom.
Trump’s love of public speaking and back-and-forth with reporters set White House stenographers on edge shortly after his inauguration in January, as they floated hiring additional staff to keep up with a pace far faster than under the quieter Biden administration.
Four years ago, as 2021 came to a close, The Associated Press reported that Biden held fewer news conferences than any of his five immediate predecessors, as well as fewer media interviews than any recent president. Fox News found that Biden participated in 53 press gaggles, 10 press conferences — including with foreign leaders — and 345 public events featuring his official remarks, such as executive order signings and speeches to federal agencies, though those frequently did not include interactions with the media.
Biden’s lack of access came to a head in March 2021 as reporters pressed the White House on why the president did not hold a press conference for weeks since his inauguration.
“The president takes questions several times a week,” then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki told the media when pressed about the lack of press access to the president in March 2021. “He took questions actually twice yesterday, which is an opportunity for the people covering the White House to ask him about whatever news is happening on any given day.”
Many of Biden’s appearances in 2021, as the pandemic continued, were video messages or public events that did not include taking questions from the press.
“Come on, press, you gotta go,”Biden stafferswere heard telling the media when the 46th president would wrap up public remarks.
Looking at his full term, Biden held 37 press conferences, 679 informal question-and-answer sessions and 151 interviews, according to theWhite HouseTransition Project, which tracks presidential transitions and media access.
The White House Transition Project also tallies how often presidents engage with the press on a daily basis.
By that measure, Trump averaged 1.9 media exchanges per workday in his first 100 days of his second administration, compared to Biden’s 1.3, former President Barack Obama’s 1.1 and former President George W. Bush’s 1.1 interactions per workday. During Trump’s first term, his first 100 days in office averaged 1.3 media interactions per workday.
“With an Average of 1.9 Press Sessions a Day, President Trump in 2025 Leads the Recent Presidential Pack Answering Reporters’ Queries. Not only did President Trump have more press interchanges than his predecessors during his first hundred days, but his regularly televised question-and-answer sessions with reporters caught the public’s attention,” according to the White House Transition Project.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, who suddenly this year became just too MAGA for MAGA, has found a “strange new respect” from the socially acceptable leftist corners of the political scene.
HOUSTON, TX — Representative Jasmine Crockett has officially launched her Senate bid, immediately hitting the campaign trail to “axe for votes.”
Touting her new campaign slogan “Uh-Uh, No You Di-Uhnt”, Crockett hopes to unseat Senator John Cornyn in the 2026 midterm elections.
“I ain’t playin’ baby girl, I runnin’, which is why I be acksing you fo yo votes,” said the Rhodes graduate. “We out here talkin’ ’bout showin’ up, makin’ noise, and actually usin’ that ballot like it matter — ’cause it do. Every time we dip out on election day, somebody else makin’ choices for us, and that ain’t the move.”
According to sources, Texans are reportedly close to understanding one or two of the words Ms. Crockett said in her launch speech. “Are there subtitles?” asked local man Roger Dowell, attempting to watch the speech. “Closed caption isn’t working at all. Poor girl, usually they have a translator up there when they don’t speak English. I don’t know what the heck is happening here.”
Crockett responded by condemning Dowell for inexcusable bigotry. “Dat cracka be RAYcist,” said Crockett.
At publishing time, the Crockett campaign had stated that all previous videos of the candidate not using ghetto slang were AI deepfakes.
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