(VIDEO) John Fetterman Admits Democrats Shut Government Down Because They “Were Afraid” of Radical Base: “They Turned it Into a Game… A Betrayal of Our Core Responsibility” | The Gateway Pundit

(VIDEO) John Fetterman Admits Democrats Shut Government Down Because They “Were Afraid” of Radical Base: “They Turned it Into a Game… A Betrayal of Our Core Responsibility”

Screenshot

Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman on Friday admitted that his party kept the government shut down for a record number of days only because they were “afraid” of their radical left base. 

The longest shutdown in history lasted all of October and well into the first half of November, and Fetterman said it was “a betrayal of our core responsibility.”

During an appearance on CSPAN’s Crossfire with host Dasha Burns, Fetterman threw his party under the bus, saying, “they just turned it into, like a game.”

“Can you imagine if it was kept shut down through Thanksgiving and right now? Can you imagine the chaos in there?” he asked.

WATCH:

Fetterman: Can you imagine if it was kept shut down through Thanksgiving and right now? Can you imagine the chaos in there? And it took, it took eight Democrats, you know, with the, you know, the courage to say, because my entire— the entire base, were demanding that, and they just turned it into, like a game thing. And I’m like, it’s like, people haven’t—

Burns: When you say they turned it into a game. Are you talking Democrats, Republicans, both?

Fetterman: What I’m saying, it’s like, you know, this was a demand by— and people were, were afraid of parts of our base. And I’m like, we were always the party that refused to shut our government down. And then after what we ended up with it, you know, it was a vote, and now I’m pretty confident that we could have got that same vote, you know, without, you know, shutting it down at this point.

And, you know, for me, it’s like 42 million Americans on SNAP. I mean that that is, those are the kind of people, as a Democrat, you fight for, and I definitely could never vote to put those folks at risk. And then, you know, not paying our military and other ones. You know, we have to find a way forward, rather than shutting it down and now flying get less and less safe and kinds of delays and more chaos now like that was a betrayal of our core responsibility.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, House Speaker Mike Johnson hypothesized early on in the shutdown that the Democrats were waiting until after the No Kings group’s “hate America rally” on October 18 to reopen the government “because they can’t face their rabid base.”

WATCH:

Johnson: The House Republicans right now are in their districts, working, trying to help people through this crisis that’s being created by the Democrats. I mean, it’s health services, it’s nutrition services for young mothers and infant children. It’s, you know, all manner of services that are provided. FEMA, they can’t write flood insurance policies in the middle of a hurricane season because of this nonsense, and we’re so angry about it.

You know, I’m a very patient guy, but I have had it with these people. They’re playing games with real people’s lives. The theory we have right now, they have a hate America rally that’s scheduled for October 18 on the National Mall. It’s all the pro-Hamas wing and the, you know, the Antifa people. They’re all coming out. Some of the House Democrats are selling T-shirts for the event, and it’s being told to us that they won’t be able to reopen the government until after that rally because they can’t face their rabid base. I mean, this is, this is serious business hurting real people. And I just, I’m beyond words. I can’t believe they’re actually doing this.

Still, they kept the government shutdown long after the No Kings rally and finally passed a bill in the Senate, which ultimately passed in the House and was signed into law by Trump after 43 days.

Now, Congress faces another looming January 30 government funding deadline to keep the government open after passing a temporary funding measure.

Democrats are unlikely to get on board with the GOP’s healthcare proposal, which does not extend enhanced COVID-era Obamacare subsidies, and they may hold the government hostage again.

MORE:

JUST IN: House Passes GOP Health Care Bill without Extension of Obamacare Subsidies – Johnson Says Plan will “Reduce Premiums for all Americans by, on Average, at Least 11% overall” (VIDEO)

The post (VIDEO) John Fetterman Admits Democrats Shut Government Down Because They “Were Afraid” of Radical Base: “They Turned it Into a Game… A Betrayal of Our Core Responsibility” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Europe Caving to Diversity and Islamist Influence, Restricting Christmas and Christianity | The Gateway Pundit

Europe Caving to Diversity and Islamist Influence, Restricting Christmas and Christianity

Illustration of Muslims praying at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Aberdeen, Scotland, which has opened its doors to Muslims for Friday prayers.

Governments across the formerly Christian world are yielding to DEI, woke ideology, and pro-Islamist pressure, passing laws and ordinances that restrict outward displays of Christmas and Christian celebrations.

Rather than defending historic traditions, officials increasingly frame Christian expression as a problem to be managed or suppressed.

Europe is increasingly restricting public Christmas celebrations as political and cultural elites retreat from the continent’s Judeo-Christian identity while simultaneously caving to liberal pressure to embrace Islam and aggressive secularism.

Public displays of Christmas, once understood as inclusive and unifying, are now treated as controversial in countries such as France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, and others.

Across Europe, schools, municipalities, and public institutions have removed Christian references from holiday events under the banner of inclusivity and secularism.

In some cases, schools have eliminated Christmas language from performances, while cities have rebranded Christmas markets and celebrations with neutral “winter” themes.

These changes often occur despite Christianity remaining the majority religion in the affected communities.

A headteacher at Wherwell Primary School in Andover, United Kingdom removed all references to Christmas from the school’s pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, stating the decision was made to ensure the performance was “inclusive” for children of all faiths.

Parents were informed that Christmas songs and mentions would be excluded so that children whose families do not celebrate Christmas could attend.

Ovenden explained that some parents normally withdraw their children from festive events on religious grounds. However, census data shows Andover’s population is approximately 62.4 percent Christian and 0.6 percent Muslim.

The decision sparked backlash from some parents, who argued that Christmas is part of the UK’s cultural heritage and that removing it to avoid offense amounts to erasing tradition.

Critics said a pantomime held during the Christmas season inevitably carries festive associations and should not be altered to accommodate a small minority.

The pantomime company confirmed it typically includes Christmas references but removed them at the school’s request.

School officials said they were disappointed by national media coverage and maintained that the intent was practical rather than ideological, stressing that pupils remain excited about upcoming Christmas festivities held elsewhere in the school calendar.

France, once a stark Catholic country, now illustrates the same trend, with many cities replacing Christmas imagery with generic seasonal branding following jihadist attacks on Christmas markets.

Rather than reinforcing cultural confidence, authorities have intensified secular policies, removing Christian symbols from public festivities. These decisions have drawn criticism even from immigrants who view the erasure of Christian traditions as excessive and damaging.

In Spain, government leaders have avoided explicitly referencing Christmas while openly recognizing Islamic holidays, and left-wing municipalities have scaled back Christian decorations.

At the same time, private life tells a different story, with families and workplaces continuing to celebrate Christmas traditions outside official settings.

In Germany, a proposal in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district has been discussed for years that seeks to ban all public religious festivals.

The stated rationale is to avoid noise complaints by prohibiting every religious display, including Christmas, rather than targeting a single faith.

The effect, however, is the same: Christian traditions are singled out for removal from public life.

Denmark has seen several institutional decisions affecting Christmas celebrations over the past decade.

In 2017, Gribskolen school canceled a Christmas church service, citing laws restricting religious preaching in schools.

The same school had hosted a “Syria Week” the previous year, during which students learned about Middle Eastern culture.

In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez avoided using the word “Christmas” in a 2024 holiday greeting, instead wishing citizens a new year of health and prosperity.

In contrast, he explicitly referenced Ramadan in messages addressed to Muslim communities. Separately, some mayors from far-left parties reduced Christmas decorations in public spaces during the same period.

In most cases, the restrictions were imposed by local councils, schools, or administrative bodies citing secularism, inclusivity, or neutrality as justification.

In multiple instances, however, institutions that curtailed Christmas references or displays continued to promote or accommodate Muslim holidays such as Ramadan or Eid.

Across Europe, legal and social restrictions increasingly affect Christians, including prosecutions related to silent prayer near abortion facilities and cases involving speech on religious beliefs.

The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union has called on the EU to appoint a coordinator to address anti-Christian hatred, citing the need for parity with existing coordinators for antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred.

OIDAC and Church officials have also raised concerns that broadly defined hate-speech and discrimination laws are being applied in ways that restrict the public expression of Christian beliefs, contributing to what some Church leaders describe as ideological discrimination rather than overt persecution.

This is how cultures collapse. Not through one dramatic event, but through a thousand small surrenders. Cancel the Christmas market. Hide the decorations. Avoid offense at all costs. Then shame anyone who notices and insist the problem is their intolerance.

Europe’s cultural decline is driven less by aggression from outsiders than by internal renunciation.

When leaders suppress their own traditions in the name of tolerance, they hollow out the cultural confidence needed for genuine pluralism.

Continued retreat risks emboldening radical demands and leaving European societies unable to defend their own heritage or traditions.

Meanwhile, Western families are told they cannot celebrate their own traditions on their own streets because officials are afraid of “security concerns.” The reality is simple. Tolerance that requires you to abandon your own culture is not tolerance. It is submission.

The deeper issue is not external pressure alone, but the willingness of European leaders to abandon their own cultural foundations.

Strict secularism is increasingly applied to Christianity while Islamic practices receive accommodation, particularly in schools. This imbalance, combined with low assimilation rates, undermines social cohesion and weakens shared identity.

The post Europe Caving to Diversity and Islamist Influence, Restricting Christmas and Christianity appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Democrats Have Devised a Plan to Compete With Turning Point USA for Young Voters and it’s Going to be a Disaster | The Gateway Pundit

Democrats Have Devised a Plan to Compete With Turning Point USA for Young Voters and it’s Going to be a Disaster

Turning Point USA – Screencap of YouTube video.

Democrats have decided that they need to have their own version of Turning Point USA in order to appeal to young voters and what they have come up with is the most Democrat thing ever. It’s going to be a total disaster.

It’s called the ‘DNC National Youth Coordinated Table’.

It’s not a grassroots group, it’s completely fabricated. And you can just imagine how meetings of this group are going to go, with mini-groups within the group fighting for dominance and power.

Newsweek reported on this:

Exclusive: Democrats Unveil New Plan to Win Young Voters From Trump

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) unveiled a new effort to improve its standing among America’s youth that it believes will translate to electoral success in the 2026 midterm elections.

In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, New York State Senator James Skoufis announced creation of the DNC’s National Youth Coordinated Table (NYCT), which he will chair. The group consists of the Young Democrats of America, the College Democrats of America, the High School Democrats of America and an array of left-leaning organizing groups.

Skoufis said the NYCT was formed at the request of DNC Chair Ken Martin to combat GOP gains in the 2024 election. During that cycle, President Donald Trump won 47 percent of the 18- to 29-year-old vote, an 11 percent increase from his 2020 total, according to the Tufts University Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). This happened, Skoufis said, because Trump promised young Americans a better future and made it clear he’d fight for that vision, even if it meant disrupting the status quo.

By creating this group, Skoufis believes the DNC will better align its priorities with the desires of young voters and improve its approach to communicating with them. The effort represents the first time the DNC has brought these organizations together under one committee. Together, they will draft a formal strategy that the DNC plans to endow with future resources.

This was discussed on FOX News this weekend and the panel noted that these two things are not the same at all. Watch:

NEW: Fox News hosts CALL OUT Democrats for trying to replicate TPUSA by setting up a new liberal committee called the ‘DNC National Youth Coordinated Table’.

Fox’s @guypbenson: “Woah. They have their work cut out… That is a massive movement on the right, and I see the… pic.twitter.com/e8ta9KEjoH

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) December 20, 2025

By the way, are you noticing a pattern on the left? We need our own Joe Rogan. We need our own Turning Point USA. We need our own Trump. Etc. Etc.

The post Democrats Have Devised a Plan to Compete With Turning Point USA for Young Voters and it’s Going to be a Disaster appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

CBDC’s And Why Communism Is Making A Comeback | Harbingers Daily » Feed by David Fiorazo

Gary Kay and David discuss a few stories from 2025 including Central Bank Digital Currencies as well as the growth of communism.

Source: CBDC’s And Why Communism Is Making A Comeback

‘Children Are Innocent and They Need Our Protection’: HHS Moves to Eliminate Trans Targeting of Children | Harbingers Daily »

After four years of transgender activism from Joe Biden’s White House, President Donald Trump and his administration are moving to further shield children from harmful gender transition procedures. On Thursday, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new rules that would bar hospitals that carry out gender transition surgeries on minors from receiving Medicaid and Medicare funding.

In a press release, HHS described gender transition procedures as “sex-rejecting procedures … that expose young people to irreversible harm.” The agency clarified, “These procedures include pharmaceutical or surgical interventions of specified types that attempt to align a child’s physical appearance or body with an asserted identity different from their sex.” The new rules would ensure that hospitals cannot commit gender transition procedures against children as a prerequisite to participating in Medicaid or Medicare programs.

“Nearly all U.S. hospitals participate in Medicare and Medicaid and this action is designed to ensure that the U.S. government will not be in business with organizations that intentionally or unintentionally inflict permanent harm on children,” the HHS press release declared. “Sex-rejecting procedures on children — which include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical operations — expose them to irreversible damage, including infertility, impaired sexual function, diminished bone density, altered brain development, and other irreversible physiological effects.”

“Under my leadership, and answering President Trump’s call to action, the federal government will do everything in its power to stop unsafe, irreversible practices that put our children at risk,” Kennedy said in a statement. “This Administration will protect America’s most vulnerable. Our children deserve better — and we are delivering on that promise.” HHS will also bar Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funds from covering gender transition procedures for minors.

In a press conference announcing the proposed new rule, Kennedy said, “Doctors assume a solemn obligation to protect children. Yet doctors across the country now provide needless and irreversible sex rejecting procedures that violate their sacred Hippocratic Oath by endangering the very lives that they are sworn to safeguard.” He charged that professional organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics promoted flawed, unsound, and ideologically-motivated research and “peddled the lie that chemical and surgical sex-rejecting procedures could be good for children who suffer from gender dysphoria.”

Kennedy also contended that the organizations “betrayed the estimated 300,000 American youth, ages 13 to 17, conditioned to believe that sex can be changed. They betrayed their Hippocratic Oath to do no harm. So-called gender affirming care has inflicted lasting physical and psychological damage on vulnerable young people.”

“This is not medicine. It is malpractice. We’re done with junk science driven by ideological pursuits, not the well-being of children,” Kennedy declared. He touted an HHS report released one month ago that found that gender transition procedures for children were based on “very low-quality evidence” and caused “extensive” harm to children. “So today, we are taking six decisive actions guided by gold-standard science and the week-one executive order from President Trump to protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation,” he announced.

Kennedy also signed a formal declaration clarifying that gender transition procedures for minors “do not meet professionally recognized standards of health care,” which could potentially open the door to legal or professional measures against hospitals carrying out gender transition procedures on children. The Health secretary confirmed, “Sex-rejecting procedures are neither safe nor effective treatment for children with gender dysphoria.”

HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill also spoke at the press conference, simply stating, “Men are men. Men can never become women. Women are women. Women can never become men. Children are innocent and they need our protection.” His remarks were met with applause from those in attendance.

In addition to the new rules surrounding Medicaid and Medicare funding, HHS is also warning the manufacturers of “breast binders” marketed to children that they are committing “significant regulatory violations and how they should take prompt corrective action,” terminating grants that funds “transgender” research involving minors, and undoing a Biden-era policy which would have officially classified gender dysphoria as a medical disability, therefore barring hospitals and health care practitioners from committing gender transition procedures under nondiscrimination statutes.

“The Biden administration abused a law that was never intended to require health care providers or health programs to support transgender surgeries for minors,” O’Neill said. “Our rule would restore regulatory clarity and ensure that organizations receiving federal funds can set evidence-based policies without fear of violating federal civil rights requirements.”

In comments to The Washington Stand, Joy Stockbauer, policy analyst at Family Research Council’s Center for Human Dignity, said, “I applaud this move to protect the vulnerable from these twisted gender transition procedures. It’s difficult enough to be a young person in the digital age without being targeted by life-altering procedures that prey on one’s greatest insecurities and confusions.” She added, “Let’s let kids be kids again, free from the agendas and pressures of sick adults — and let’s encourage young people to see themselves as they really are, as image bearers of the God of the universe.”

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Family Research Council is a nonprofit research and educational organization founded in 1983, dedicated to articulating and advancing a family-centered philosophy of public life.

Source: ‘Children Are Innocent and They Need Our Protection’: HHS Moves to Eliminate Trans Targeting of Children

Worldview and Apologetics in the News | Truthbomb

Kirk Cameron Models How to Disagree Over Secondary Matters

LGBT Activists Pressure Venue to Cancel an Event featuring Christian Speaker

Movie Trailer – Universe Designed

Ten Myths About Dover: No. 3, “Intelligent Design Has No Peer-Reviewed Publications”

Christianity and the Meaning of Life

Christian Woman Charged Again For Silently Praying Outside Of UK Abortion Clinic

The Rising Tide of Islam

The #1 Reason to Believe in Objective Moral Facts

Apologetics315 Podcast – The Deity of Christ with Robert Bowman

Video – Why Isn’t God’s Existence More Obvious to Us?

Testing the Historic Truth of Christmas

Video – Kirk Cameron Doubles Down on Hell: My Response (w/Gavin Ortlund)

Courage and Godspeed,

Chad

Our last edition is here.

Source: Worldview and Apologetics in the News

Tolerance and National Suicide | CultureWatch

No culture can last without boundaries and limits:

That worldlings can greatly misunderstand and misconstrue what tolerance is all about is understandable. That so many Christians can do the same is not. But of course the long-standing meaning of the term ‘tolerance’ has changed radically over recent times.

It used to reflect the well-known adage attributed to Voltaire: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. One could disagree – and disagree strongly – with what someone had said yet still tolerate the person saying it.

Tolerance of course presumes disagreement. If you love your wife and agree on most things, you have no need to tolerate her. But today the notion of tolerance has been turned on its head. Now tolerance means you must agree with what the other person is saying, or you are a narrow-minded bigot, and guilty of the sin of intolerance!

And this is used all the time by the secular left. If you dare to differ with them and their beliefs, values, lifestyles and activities, you are an evil intolerant hater who should be removed from polite society. So if you dare to insist that marriage is between a man and a woman, that children have a fundamental right to their own mother and father, that killing babies if not morally acceptable, or that Islam is not a religion of peace, you are called every name in the book.

There is now NO tolerance coming from the secular left even though they are the ones shouting ‘tolerance’ the loudest and the most often. So the conservative and Christian just has to expect this as the new normal. But of course this is a recipe for cultural and civilisational suicide.

No one and no nation can last long in a ‘let’s just tolerate everything and condemn nothing’ climate. It is a path to certain ruin. Without drawing boundaries and maintaining limits, we are just in a moral and mental meltdown. The Christian should know this.

Scripture makes this clear. Recall that God himself is NOT tolerant and does not wink at everything. As Habakkuk, speaking of God, puts it in Habakkuk 1:13: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.” And Paul said this: “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9).

We should never tolerate that which is evil, sinful, false, or contrary to Scripture. As our Lord said of the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:20-21: “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.”

Years ago A. W. Tozer had it right when he said in Man: The Dwelling Place of God:

A new Decalogue has been adopted by the neo-Christians of our day, the first word of which reads ‘Thou shalt not disagree;’ and a new set of Beatitudes too, which begins ‘Blessed are they that tolerate everything, for they shall not be made accountable for anything.’ It is now the accepted thing to talk over religious differences in public with the understanding that no one will try to convert another or point out errors in his belief. . . . Imagine Moses agreeing to take part in a panel discussion with Israel over the golden calf; or Elijah engaging in a gentlemanly dialogue with the prophets of Baal. Or try to picture our Lord Jesus Christ seeking a meeting of minds with the Pharisees to iron out differences.

Archbishop Fulton J Sheen was quite right to put it this way “America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance — it is not. It is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue and evil, Christ and chaos. Our country is not nearly so overrun with the bigoted as it is overrun with the broadminded.”

Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World by Mouw, Richard J. (Author)

And more recently Richard J. Mouw put it this way in his 1992 book, Uncommon Decency:

Christian civility does not commit us to a relativistic perspective. Being civil doesn’t mean that we cannot criticize what goes on around us. Civility doesn’t require us to approve of what other people believe and do. It is one thing to insist that other people have the right to express their basic convictions; it is another thing to say that they are right in doing so. Civility requires us to live by the first of these principles. But it does not commit us to the second formula. To say that all beliefs and values deserve to be treated as if they were on a par is to endorse relativism – a perspective that is incompatible with Christian faith and practice. Christian civility does not mean refusing to make judgments about what is good and true. For one thing, it really isn’t possible to be completely nonjudgmental. Even telling someone else that she is being judgmental is a rather judgmental thing to do!

As I have said, this push for non-judgmentalism and tolerance and reckless acceptance of all things harms us all, and harms cultures and nations as well. Let me finish by speaking to this a bit further. And one new article on this nicely fits the bill.

A short-ish piece by Samuel Gabriel titled “The Limits of Tolerance: When Open Societies Become Suicide Pacts” is worth sharing here in full. He says this:

The philosophical foundation of liberal democracy, that a society should tolerate diverse viewpoints and ways of life, contains a fundamental paradox identified by philosophers like Karl Popper: if a society extends unlimited tolerance to those who would destroy tolerance itself, the tolerant will eventually be destroyed along with tolerance. This isn’t theoretical abstraction but observable historical pattern that plays out repeatedly across different contexts and time periods.

 

The mechanism operates through what might be called ideological asymmetric warfare. Groups that do not believe in pluralistic values can exploit the openness of liberal societies to advance agendas that would eliminate that very openness. They use free speech protections to spread messages advocating censorship, leverage democratic processes to gain power they would deny to others, and employ legal protections while working to dismantle the rule of law. This creates a fundamental imbalance where one side operates with constraints while the other does not.

 

This dynamic becomes particularly dangerous when combined with demographic change. Societies experiencing large-scale immigration from cultures with incompatible values face the additional challenge that new arrivals may not share the host society’s commitment to liberal principles. This creates a situation where the native population’s tolerance enables its own cultural and eventually political displacement by groups that would not extend the same tolerance in reverse.

 

The historical pattern shows that civilizations often fail to recognize this threat until it’s too late. Elite classes frequently dismiss concerns about cultural compatibility as bigotry, refusing to acknowledge that not all values systems are equally compatible with liberal democracy. Meanwhile, the practical reality is that societies require some degree of cultural cohesion and shared values to function: the more diverse a population becomes in fundamental worldview, the more difficult it becomes to maintain the consensus necessary for self-governance.

 

The solution cannot simply involve becoming as intolerant as the threats faced; that would mean abandoning the very values worth preserving. Instead, healthy societies must develop the wisdom to distinguish between diversity that enriches and diversity that undermines. This requires making judgments about which differences are compatible with the underlying framework and which are fundamentally antagonistic to it.

 

Ultimately, every society must define and defend its core boundaries, not just physical borders but cultural and ideological boundaries as well. This doesn’t mean rejecting all difference or innovation, but it does mean recognizing that not everything can be tolerated if the tolerant society itself is to survive. The alternative is the slow-motion suicide where a civilization’s virtues become the instruments of its destruction. https://samuelgabrielsg.substack.com/p/the-limits-of-tolerance-when-open

Being free of all limits, constraints and boundaries may sound quite liberating, but in the end it simply and inevitably leads to servitude, and finally, to death.

[1360 words]

The post Tolerance and National Suicide appeared first on CultureWatch.

Source: Tolerance and National Suicide

21 Dec 2025 News Briefing

‘Antifa Handbook’ author scheduled to teach two seminars at Rutgers University this spring
Nicknamed “Dr. Antifa,” controversial professor Mark Bray will teach two seminars in early 2026 titled “Communism” and “Fascism and Nazism,” according to announcements by the university’s history department.

Democrats reportedly fear releasing autopsy of party’s botched 2024 elections
The DNC had commissioned a review of what went wrong for the Democratic Party during the 2024 election cycle, which was based on hundreds of interviews with party operatives in all 50 U.S. states, Politico reported on Thursday. Some Democrats expressed concerns about publicly releasing the findings of the review, Politico reported, citing an anonymous DNC official familiar with the matter.
Just 18% of U.S. voters now approve of Democrats in Congress’ job performance, while 73% disapprove,

Volodymyr Zelensky: US proposes direct talks with Russia
The comment comes as diplomats gather in the US state of Florida for new talks on ending Russia’s offensive war. Earlier on Saturday, Moscow’s negotiator Kirill Dmitriyev wrote on X that he was “on his way to Miami.” They (the US), as far as I understand, have proposed the following format: Ukraine, America, Russia,” Zelensky says, adding that the Europeans may also participate. Later, the Ukrainian leader says that the hopes ultimately rest with the United States and the Trump administration.

Ukraine: Warship attacked in the Caspian Sea
Ukraine has attacked a Russian warship in the Caspian Sea, more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Telegram. The drone attack late Friday night was directed at a warship patrolling an oil platform in the Caspian Sea, over 1000 kilometers from Ukraine. The oil platform, which belongs to the Russian state-owned oil company Lukoil, was also hit, Kiev said. The extent of the damage is unclear.

NASA Now Letting Mars Rover Drive Autonomously
On Wednesday, NASA announced that its Mars Perseverance rover had pulled off a stunning feat of endurance and self-sufficiency. Over the course of four hours and 24 minutes, the intrepid little robot managed to traverse 1,350.7 feet, or about a quarter mile. It’s the most any Mars explorer has traveled in a single Martian day — or “sol,” in the lingo — and it did it pretty much on its own. … the rover is largely autonomous. The human scientists choose its destinations, but the bot’s navigation software charts its actual course.

How many warning signs do we need? History is repeating itself for Jews in the West 
Jews need to stop pretending we are not already in a war in the West. This is not a distant conflict, and it is not theoretical. It is playing out in streets, universities, houses of worship, and public spaces once considered safe. ​Jews today are no longer safe anywhere. The events of just the past two weeks should have shattered any remaining illusions.

Despite Hamas rejection of disarmament, Secretary of State Rubio says US to proceed with Gaza stabilization force 
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that the Trump administration is moving ahead with its plan to establish a stabilization force and a Gaza governance board. “That’s why we have a sense of urgency about bringing phase one to its full completion, which is the establishment of the Board of Peace, and the establishment of the Palestinian technocratic authority or organization that’s going to be on the ground, and then the stabilization force comes closely thereafter,” Rubio stated.

US proposes $112 billion ‘Project Sunrise’ to transform Gaza into luxury coastal enclave
A sweeping US-backed proposal to rebuild the Gaza Strip into a high-end coastal and technology hub has been presented to potential donor states, outlining a multi-decade vision that would condition reconstruction on the full disarmament of Hamas, according to reporting cited from the Wall Street Journal. The plan, informally known as Project Sunrise, envisions a four-stage transformation of Gaza over more than 20 years, beginning in the south and gradually moving north.

Report: Unusual aerial activity detected in Iran
Western intelligence sources identify unusual activity, inter-unit coordination, by IRGC Aerospace Force, on scale greater than expected for routine military exercise. The officials said that one assessment is that this may be part of a military exercise, but noted that the scope of the activity and the synchronization has drawn particular attention. Israeli officials are increasingly expressing concern over Iran’s efforts to expand its ballistic missile program and repair sites and equipment damaged in June’s “Operation Rising Lion.”

Putin’s condition for ending the war
The Russian president rejected claims that he is planning a war with Europe and added ‘There will be no more wars if you treat us with respect.’

North Korea: Japan’s move toward nuclear weapons must be ‘thoroughly curbed’
Japan began making active comments about nuclear weapons as soon as the United States approved a request from South Korea to build a nuclear submarine. Japan showed the intention to possess nuclear weapons explicitly by saying it needs to review the three non-nuclear principles, KCNA said,

Concerned with Iran’s Rearmament, Netanyahu to Propose to Trump Joint US-Israeli Military Action
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lay out the case for a renewed attack against the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program to US President Donald Trump when the two leaders will meet at Mar a Lago in the last days of December, NBC News reported on Saturday. While the damage visited on Iran’s ballistic missile program and uranium enrichment program during the 12-day war in June this year is understood to be substantial, Jerusalem is nevertheless concerned that Tehran restarted both

Hamas Ran Gaza’s Aid System — and NGOs Helped Keep the Secret
For years, international NGOs and humanitarian agencies told the world they were working “neutrally” in Gaza. But according to newly declassified Hamas documents, that neutrality never existed. In a conversation with HonestReporting, NGO Monitor vice president Olga Deutsch explains how Gaza was run not as a normal territory, but rather as a tightly controlled police state where Hamas oversaw almost every aspect of international aid. “No one was neutral or independent in Gaza,” she says. “Hamas controlled everything.”

A warning shot to Erdogan: Israel’s message to Turkey comes via Athens and Nicosia
Jerusalem denies joint military force plans with Greece and Cyprus, but has ordered the IDF to begin planning in signal to Ankara to shift course; existing trilateral ties already act as a counterweight to Erdogan’s rising influence with Trump

Travel nightmare unfolds at major East Coast airports as powerful storm unleashes vicious winds, rain
Millions of people across much of the East Coast were under High Wind Alerts on Friday, as the final leg of a coast-to-coast storm pounded the entire Eastern Seaboard from Maine to Florida and disrupted the busy holiday travel rush. More than 3,400 flights were delayed, and more than 400 flights were canceled by noon Friday.

Strong atmospheric river to impact California; up to 500 mm (20 inches) of rain forecast for Sierra Nevada
Multiple atmospheric rivers are expected to impact California between December 20 and 25, 2025, producing 250–500 mm (10–20 inches) of rain over the Sierra Nevada and 75–180 mm (3–7 inches) over southern coastal ranges. The strongest system is forecast to peak on December 23–25 with IVT values surpassing 750 kg m⁻¹ s⁻¹ and AR3–AR4 intensity.

Scientists Sound the Alarm About 3 Major Fault Zones in the United States
Will 2026 be a year of great shaking for the United States? Coming into 2025, I thought that seismic activity would be a major global theme, and that has certainly turned out to be the case. This has been an extremely unusual year for earthquakes along the Pacific Ring of Fire, and volcanoes that have been dormant for ages are suddenly roaring to life all over the world. Here in the United States, we have been experiencing lots and lots of little earthquakes, but thankfully, we have not been hit by a really bad one yet. Will our luck run out in 2026?

Digital ID – and the digitization of all things – is the greatest risk humanity faces
Gary D. Barnett warns that humanity is being taken over through digitization, digital ID, algorithmic confinement, and technocratic incarceration, which will lead to the end of freedom and property. The transformation of mankind involves the intentional fusing of human and machine through neuroscientific nanoscale brain-computer interfacing, with methods including “vaccines,” geoengineering, mRNA platforms, and precision medicine.

‘Euthanasia on a Huge Scale’: End-of-Life Drugs Drove Up COVID Fatalities Among Seniors
Palliative drugs normally reserved for the dying were widely administered to COVID-19 patients in U.K. long-term care homes and other settings in 2020. That practice caused a large number of avoidable deaths and dramatically inflated the virus’s reported fatality rate, according to medical commentator John Campbell, Ph.D.

In new change, the main Wikipedia ‘Israel’ entry says the Jewish state is committing ‘genocide’
It takes Wikipedia nearly 7,500 words into its main entry on China to mention the word “genocide,” tucked in a section on “sociopolitical issues and human rights,” and even then, the crowdsourced online encyclopedia hedges.

Data from Health New Zealand shows cancer cases spiked in 2023 among the working-age population
According to data up to and including 2023 released by Health New Zealand, incidences of cancer spiked in 2023 among the 45-64 age group. The data does not show sufficient information to determine whether covid vaccination was a factor, as suggested by studies in other countries, but the increase in cancer in New Zealand is a red flag that needs immediate investigation, Dr. Guy Hatchard writes. “Cancer is our number two killer in New Zealand. The investigation of its causes demands up-to-date and comprehensive information,” he said.

Florida School Choice Hijacked: Taxpayer Funds Flow to Islamic School Rejecting American Values
“Florida’s School Choice program is being used to funnel taxpayer money to a mosque-owned Islamic school whose leadership openly rejects American values, with no meaningful state oversight…Florida’s School Choice program is paying thousands of dollars per student to Reviver Academy, a school owned by Masjid As-Sunnah An-Nabawiyyah. Its controversial imam, Fadi Kablawi, has appeared on camera attacking Western culture, denouncing American traditions, and making inflammatory statements about Christians, Jews, and equal rights.”

US Senate Passes Intel Bill with Key Measures Targeting Iran
The US Senate has passed the Intelligence Authorization Act, annual legislation that authorizes funding and sets policy for the intelligence community, with key measures targeting Iran’s nuclear capabilities and other threats to American national security.

A US military command reshuffle as ISIS threats loom
Perpetrators of the Bondi Beach massacre of Jews in Australia had traveled to the Philippines, where they came under the influence of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group. Last week, an individual linked to ISIS killed two American servicemen, an interpreter, and a Syrian security officer in Homs. Three service members and two Syrian fighters were wounded. This terrorist group refuses to die, even after its defeat in Syria and Iraq. It poses an ongoing threat to American interests abroad, especially to 5.5 million Americans who live outside the U.S.

21 Dec 2025

Headlines – 12/21/2025

‘Light over darkness’: Australia marks Day of Reflection for Bondi Hanukkah attack victims – Jews and others to light candles, observe minute of silence, as tributes pour in

Australian state to ban ‘Globalize the intifada’ chant in wake of Bondi terror attack

Australian prime minister booed as Bondi Beach attack victims honoured

Accused ISIS conspirator arrested in Toronto murder plot, linked to attacks on women, Jews

Report: IDF ignored October 6 intel warning of Hamas attack the next morning – Drone operation over the Strip flagged Hamas behavior one day before October 7 attack, but military’s Southern Command reportedly dismissed it as a routine exercise by terror group

Gaza mediators urge Israel, Hamas to keep to truce after Miami meet yields little progress

5 said killed in Gaza City strike; IDF says it’s investigating, regrets any civilian harm

IDF says it killed two terror operatives crossing Yellow Line – Strike follows deadly Gaza City incident now under investigation; army releases footage of Khan Younis tunnel demolition

Smotrich appears to say Israel will ‘certainly’ defeat Hamas before next elections

Witkoff announces future vision for Gaza – The US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey discuss next steps in Gaza ceasefire and postwar governance at Miami summit, despite Israeli objections to the deployment of Turkish troops in the Strip.

US said to pitch ‘Project Sunrise’ – $112B plan to rebuild Gaza as luxury destination – Reported proposal drafted by top Trump officials Kushner and Witkoff to be completed over 10 years; imagines ‘New Rafah’ as seat of government, Gaza City as hi-tech ‘smart city’

Finance minister says he seeks ‘amendments’ to controversial Haredi draft bill

Government announces 11 new West Bank settlements, recognizes 8 outposts and neighborhoods

IDF says West Bank troops kill 2 Palestinians who attacked them; footage raises questions

Lebanese PM says country close to completing Hezbollah disarmament south of Litani River

Dermer’s departure creating vacuum impacting US-Israel ties, Syria talks – report

Jordan says air force took part in US-led strikes on ISIS in Syria that killed at least 5

IDF says it nabbed suspected ISIS jihadist in southern Syria operation

US launches ‘large-scale’ operation against ISIS in Syria after fatal attack on Americans – More than 70 targets hit in Operation Hawkeye Strike, which Trump calls a ‘very serious retaliation’; Israel reportedly given heads up ahead of airstrikes

Report: Trump rebuffed Israeli request to keep some sanctions on Syria – US president reportedly offered Jerusalem ‘compensation’ for Washington’s lifting of Assad-era sanctions, which received final approval on Thursday

Report: Netanyahu to present Trump with new Iran attack plans during US visit – Jerusalem is concerned Tehran could rebuild its nuclear program, but is primarily worried about a potential surge in ballistic missile production to some 3,000 a month, NBC says

US Senate Passes Intel Bill With Key Measures Targeting Iran

Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel – Architecture student was seized in May while allegedly taking pictures of a military headquarters in northwestern city of Urmia

Iraq’s top judge says pro-Iran militias will coordinate with state on arms control

China Helps Spread Rumors Japan Wants Nuclear Weapons

Kremlin Denies Three-Way US-Ukraine-Russia Talks in Preparation

Nowhere is Safe: Russia-Ukraine War Spreads to the Mediterranean Sea as Kiev Strikes ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker With Drones

Eight Killed, Dozens Injured in Russian Strike on Ukrainian Port City Odesa

Escalating Russian airstrikes aim to cut Ukraine off from sea, Zelenskiy says

Assange Files Criminal Complaint Against Nobel Foundation Over Peace Prize Award to Machado – Assange accused 30 officials linked to the foundation of turning “an instrument of peace into an instrument of war.”

Sen. Rand Paul: The Problem of Affordability Is Government ‘Devaluation of Currency’

John Fetterman Admits Democrats Shut Government Down Because They “Were Afraid” of Radical Base: “They Turned it Into a Game… A Betrayal of Our Core Responsibility”

Redacted Epstein file release falls short of expectations, sparks criticism

US Epstein files full of famous names, but Trump is conspicuously missing

16 Epstein files removed from US Justice Department site, including photo of Trump

Dem Rep. Garcia: We Will Take Legal Action if Trump ‘Continues to Stonewall’ on Epstein Files

Bill Clinton spokesperson says White House is using him as scapegoat after Epstein files release – Angel Urena said ex-president, pictured in some photos released by justice department, cut ties with Epstein in 2005

Ex-FBI agent says Bondi has ‘slam dunk’ conspiracy case against Obama’s feds for election meddling

Justice Department Sues Four States Including Georgia After Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Sides With Democrats in Failure to Produce Voter Rolls

Fulton County Admits 315K Early Ballots were Illegaly Certified in 2020 Election

Stanford tech grads struggle to find work in an industry overrun with AI

5.6 magnitude earthquake hits near Bitung, Indonesia

5.6 magnitude earthquake hits the Balleny Islands region

5.4 magnitude earthquake hits near Hachinohe, Japan

5.3 magnitude earthquake hits the Balleny Islands region

5.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Nemuro, Japan

5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Colchane, Chile

5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Nemuro, Japan

5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Shikotan, Russia

5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Shikotan, Russia

5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Tual, Indonesia

5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Shikotan, Russia

5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Ohara, Japan

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Shikotan, Russia

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Shikotan, Russia

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Gorontalo, Indonesia

Sangay volcano in Ecuador erupts to 20,000ft

Purace volcano in Colombia erupts to 18,000ft

Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 16,000ft

Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 16,000ft

Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts to 15,000ft

Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala erupts to 14,000ft

Strong atmospheric river to impact California, up to 500 mm (20 inches) of rain forecast for Sierra Nevada

How China Attempted to Dismantle a Major Underground Church

‘The guy began to cry’: Samaritan’s Purse leader says pilot escaped hijacker by sharing the Gospel

Europe Caving to Diversity and Islamist Influence, Restricting Christmas and Christianity

German chancellor urges ‘peaceful coexistence,’ a year after deadly market attack – Merz calls for ‘standing shoulder to shoulder wherever violence erupts,’ speaking in Magdeburg, where a car was ploughed into Christmas market, killing 6 and injuring over 300

Amid Fear of Attacks, Many Nigerians Mute Christmas – One pastor has canceled celebrations and will only reveal the location of the Christmas service last-minute

Nine killed, 10 injured in South Africa shooting, police hunt for suspects

Black Texas Teen Held on $3 Million Bond After Fatally Stabbing White Classmate with Scissors Multiple Times in the Neck – Students Reveal Lack of Discipline and Previous Infractions Involving Weapons and Assault

DOJ Wins Motion to Unseal Documents on Investigation into Trump Shooter Thomas Crooks

How the ‘Reddit Detective Agency’ helped hunt for Brown killer and ‘blew the case open’ – Years after Reddit users falsely smeared Brown student as suspect in Boston marathon attack, tipster saved the day when AI-powered surveillance was of little use in early search for gunman

Bombshell Claim: Brown University Was Asked to Cut Cameras Earlier in the Year to Protect Palestinian Activists

US seized another ship in the Caribbean, Noem says – DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the tanker had last made port in Venezuela

Dem Rep. Castro on Venezuela: ‘A Naval Blockade Is an Act of War’

Maine Whistleblower: Translator Services Helping Illegal Aliens to Cheat on Drivers Exam

Jury Quickly Convicts Judge Who Helped Illegal Migrant Escape ICE

Media ‘complicity’ blamed as feds say Minnesota fraud crisis could reach $9B: ‘Shown their true colors’

Meet Minnesota’s fraud ‘mastermind’ accused of playing ‘God,’ wielding ‘fake’ racism claims in Somali scandal – Prosecutors said Aimee Bock enforced compliance in the $250 million scheme by cutting off operators who refused to submit unrealistic meal counts

Miller: We Shouldn’t Be Shocked by Minnesota Fraud Allegations – Somalia’s ‘Primary Occupation’ Is Pirate

Source: http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php

December 21 Morning Verse of the Day

22:11. Here is some advice on how to win friends and influence people—particularly important people like the king. Become a person who loves purity of heart and who can speak graciously at the same time. Effective speech without integrity makes one a manipulative hypocrite; integrity without effective speech makes one’s influence ineffective. “It is the equal partnership of integrity and charm, the one not diminishing the other, that is the rarity” (Kidner, Proverbs, 148). It is a powerful combination that attracted the king’s favor in the past and is just as winsome today.

Finkbeiner, D. (2014). Proverbs. In M. A. Rydelnik & M. Vanlaningham (Eds.), The moody bible commentary (p. 943). Moody Publishers.

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22:11. Purity of motives and thought (a pure heart) and gracious words are appreciated by a king (cf. 14:35; 16:13). Naturally he wants to have people like that around him. So purity and graciousness are advantageous; they help give a person a friendship with leaders in high positions.

Buzzell, S. S. (1985). Proverbs. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 953–954). Victor Books.

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22:11 A person who is marked by purity of speech and heart becomes the confidant of a good king. Compare this proverb with Ps. 15, which describes a person who wants to become a friend of the Lord.

Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 770). T. Nelson Publishers.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2025 | ADVENT – FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

         Old Testament       Isaiah 7:10–17
         Psalm       Psalm 24
         Epistle       Romans 1:1–7
         Gospel       Matthew 1:18–25

Index of Readings

OLD TESTAMENT
Isaiah 7:10–17

10 Then Yahweh spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 
11 “Ask a sign for yourself from Yahweh your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not test Yahweh!” 
13 Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? 
14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. 
15 “He will eat curds and honey in order that He will know to refuse evil and choose good. 
16 “For before the boy will know to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. 
17 “Yahweh will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house days which have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 

PSALM
Psalm 24

PSALM 24

  Of David. A Psalm. 

1 The earth is Yahweh’s, as well as its fullness, 
     The world, and those who dwell in it. 
     2 For He has founded it upon the seas 
     And established it upon the rivers. 
     3 Who may ascend into the mountain of Yahweh? 
     And who may rise in His holy place? 
     4 He who has innocent hands and a pure heart, 
     Who has not lifted up his soul to worthlessness 
     And has not sworn deceitfully. 
     5 He shall lift up a blessing from Yahweh 
     And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 
     6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, 
     Who seek Your face—pay heed O Jacob. Selah. 

7 Lift up your heads, O gates, 
     And be lifted up, O ancient doors, 
     That the King of glory may come in! 
     8 Who is this King of glory? 
     Yahweh strong and mighty, 
     Yahweh mighty in battle. 
     9 Lift up your heads, O gates, 
     And lift yourselves up, O ancient doors, 
     That the King of glory may come in! 
     10 Who is He, this King of glory? 
     Yahweh of hosts, 
     He is the King of glory. Selah. 

EPISTLE
Romans 1:1–7

1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, having been set apart for the gospel of God, 
2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 
3 concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 
4 who was designated as the Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 
5 through whom we received grace and apostleship for the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of His name, 
6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 
7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

GOSPEL
Matthew 1:18–25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 
19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 
20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the One who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 
21 “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 
22 Now all this took place in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, 
23 “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” 
24 And Joseph got up from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 
25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. 

Lutheran Service Book Three Year Lectionary. (2009). Concordia Publishing House.

WEEK 52 | LIVING A TRANSFORMED LIFE

JAMES 2:1-13

My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

ALMIGHTY GOD, we are privileged to call You our Father.
You loved us and saved us and adopted us
into Your own family.
You have therefore called us as believers
to love one another with pure hearts fervently.
That includes not showing partiality,
which is one important way of fulfilling the royal law
of loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Help us abound in love,
and keep us from making ungodly distinctions
between one another.
May our actions toward one another reflect the perfect love
with which You first loved us.

We take to heart how Christ taught us to pray,
yearning for Your name to be hallowed,
Your kingdom to come,
and Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Those are the true desires of our hearts;
forgive us for being so preoccupied with lesser things.

And yet You also invite us to ask You for our temporal needs—
our daily bread and other needs, all of which You richly supply.
Always You answer with surpassingly more abundance
than we have faith to ask or think.
We drink our fill of that abundance;
and You keep it flowing like a river.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.
May we never forget how dependent we are
on Your generous bounty;
give us truly grateful hearts, and fill our mouths with praise.

How thankful we are for the written Word—
that razor-sharp two-edged sword,
which is able to discern our thoughts and intentions
even more accurately than we can know our own hearts.
The Word cleanses and sanctifies us.
It gives understanding to our minds,
wisdom to our thoughts, and light to our path.
It is perfect, utterly transfiguring our inmost beings.
May our lives—like the apostles’—
be so evidently transformed by Your truth
that people will take note that we have been with Jesus.

You, our great Redeemer, have led us out of the desert of sin
into a flourishing place of righteousness.
Lead us into a still-wider garden of holiness
so that we can fully enjoy
all the hopes, comforts, and responsibilities of our salvation.
In that garden Your inspired Word is the seed
that will bring forth good fruit according to its kind.
May Your Spirit enlighten our minds
so we understand and obey Your Word.
May His light shine through us to needy people throughout the world
so that they might recognize and submit to Your divine power.
No matter how great or how humble our labors,
help us do them well as a blessing to You and others.
These things we ask, Father, in the name of Christ Your Son.

To You be all glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus
to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

MacArthur, J. (2014). A Year of Prayer: Growing Closer to God Week After Week (pp. 237–240). Harvest House Publishers.

WEEK 52 | Praising the Good Shepherd

THEME

God is the good shepherd (Ezek 34:11–16, 20–24) who made the wonders of creation; we praise him, who made all things (Ps 95:1–7a). We pray that our hearts may be opened (Eph 1:15–23) and that we may be confident that we have done our best to serve others for his sake on the day of Christ’s return (Mt 25:31–46).

OPENING PRAYER: Proper 29, Reign of Christ

Stir up, O Lord, your power, and come; mercifully fulfill that which you have promised to your church unto the end of the world! [Amen.] The Gelasian Sacramentary

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Ezekiel 34:11–16, 20–24

REFLECTIONS FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

Shepherds Do Not Desert the Flock in Any Weather. AUGUSTINE: Rain and fog, the errors of this world; a great darkness arising from the lusts of men, a thick fog covering the earth. And it is difficult for the sheep not to go astray in this fog. But the shepherd doesn’t desert them. He seeks them, his piercing gaze penetrates the fog, the thick darkness of the clouds does not prevent him. Sermon 46.23.

The Scriptures Are the Pastures. AUGUSTINE: He established the mountains of Israel, the authors of the divine Scriptures. Feed there, in order to feed without a qualm. Whatever you hear from that source, let that taste good to you; anything from outside, spit it out. In order not to go astray in the fog, listen to the voice of the shepherd. Gather yourselves to the mountains of holy Scripture. There you will find your heart’s desire, there is nothing poisonous there, nothing unsuitable; they are the richest pastures. Sermon 46.24.

God Does Not Desert Us. GREGORY THE GREAT: If we are negligent, does almighty God desert his sheep? No; he himself will pasture them, as he promised through the prophet. Homily 19.

We Can All Shepherd Each Other. GREGORY THE GREAT: We must all of us strive zealously to make known to the church both the dreadfulness of the coming judgment and the kingdom of heaven’s delight. Those who are not in a position to address a large assembly should instruct individuals, offering instruction in personal talks; they should try to serve those around them through simple encouragement. You who are pastors, consider that you are pasturing God’s flock. We often see a block of salt put out for animals to lick for their well-being. Priests among their people should be like blocks of salt. They should counsel everyone in their flocks in such a way that all those with whom they come in contact may be seasoned with eternal life as if they had been sprinkled with salt. We who preach are not the salt of the earth unless we season the hearts of those who listen to us. We are really preaching to others if we ourselves do what we say, if we are pierced with God’s love, if, since we cannot avoid sin, our tears wash away the stains on our life that come with each new day. We truly feel remorse when we take to heart the lives of our forebears in the faith so that we are diminished in our own eyes. Then do we truly feel remorse, when we attentively examine God’s teachings, and adopt for our own use what those we revere themselves used for theirs. And while we are moved to remorse on our own account, let us also take responsibility for the lives of those entrusted to our care. Our own bitter compunction should not divert us from concern for our neighbor. What good to love and strive to do good for our neighbor and abandon ourselves? We must realize that our passion for justice in the face of another’s evil must never cause us to lose the virtue of gentleness. Priests must not be quick-tempered or rash; they must instead be temperate and thoughtful. We must support those we challenge and challenge those we support. If we neglect this, our work will lack either courage or gentleness. What shall we call the human soul but the food of the Lord? It is created to become nothing less than Christ’s body, and to bring about growth in the eternal church. We priests are to season this food. Cease to pray, cease to teach, and the salt loses its taste. Be Friends of God 35.

Shepherds Bring Back the Lost, Bind Up the Broken and Heal the Sick. BASIL THE GREAT: If you are a shepherd, take care that none of your pastoral duties is neglected. And what are these duties? To bring back that which is lost, to bind up that which was broken, to heal that which is diseased. Homily on the Words “Give Heed to Thyself.”

PSALM OF RESPONSE: Psalm 95:1–7a

NEW TESTAMENT READING: Ephesians 1:15–23

REFLECTIONS FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

Paul Remembers the Ephesians in His Prayers. MARIUS VICTORINUS: Every prayer that we offer up to God is made either in thanks for what we have received or in petition to receive something else. We are encouraged to pray both for ourselves and for those we love. So Paul says, “I make mention of you in my prayer.” “Therefore my chief prayer is first on my account, then on yours.” Epistle to the Ephesians 1.1.16.

For What Does Paul Pray? AMBROSIASTER: The hope of their faith lies in a heavenly reward. When they truly know what the fruit of believing is, they will become more eager in acts of worship. Epistle to the Ephesians 1.18.1.

The Eyes of the Heart. JEROME: His phrase eyes of the heart clearly refers to those things we cannot understand without sense and intelligence.… Faith sees beyond what the physical eyes see. Physical eyes are in the heads of not only the wise but the unwise. Epistle to the Ephesians 1.1.15.

GOSPEL READING: Matthew 25:31–46

REFLECTIONS FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

Inherit the Kingdom. CHRYSOSTOM: He did not say “take” but “inherit” as one’s own, as your Father’s, as due to you from the first. “For before you were,” he says, “these things had been prepared and made ready for you, because I knew you would be such as you are.” The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 79.2.

The Lord Hungers in His Saints. EPIPHANIUS THE LATIN: “I was hungry, and you gave me something to drink.” [Jesus mentioned] many other things, which we have recited. Having been given the faith, the righteous say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and fed you, thirsty, and gave you something to drink, naked and clothed you?” Other things also follow. What then, my most beloved? Does our Lord hunger and thirst? Is he who himself made everything in heaven and on earth, who feeds angels in heaven and every nation and race on earth, who needs nothing of an earthly character, as he is unfailing in his own nature, is this one naked? It is incredible to believe such a thing. Yet what must be confessed is easy to believe. For the Lord hungers not in his own nature but in his saints; the Lord thirsts not in his own nature but in his poor. The Lord who clothes everyone is not naked in his own nature but in his servants. The Lord who is able to heal all sicknesses and has already destroyed death itself is not diseased in his own nature but in his servants. Our Lord, the one who can liberate every person, is not in prison in his own nature but in his saints. Therefore, you see, my most beloved, that the saints are not alone. They suffer all these things because of the Lord. In the same way, because of the saints the Lord suffers all these things with them. Interpretation of the Gospels 38.

Eternal Punishment, Eternal Life. EPIPHANIUS THE LATIN: You see, my beloved, there is no excuse for it. They knew what they had to do in this world. But greed and ill-will prevented them, so they laid up for themselves not treasures for the future but the world of the dead. Neither were they condemned because of the active wrong they did, nor did the Lord say to them, Depart from me, you wicked, because you committed murder or adultery or theft. But instead: because I was hungry and thirsty in my servants, and you did not minister to me. If those who did no wrong are thus condemned, what must be said of those who do the works of the devil? Interpretation of the Gospels 38.

CLOSING PRAYER

O God, who art the unsearchable abyss of peace, the ineffable sea of love, the fountain of blessings, and bestower of affection, who sendest peace to those who receive it; open up to us this day the sea of thy love, and water us with plenteous streams from the riches of thy grace. Make us children of quietness, and heirs of peace. Enkindle in us the fire of thy love; strengthen our weakness by thy power; bind us closely to thee and each other in one firm and indissoluble bond. Syrian Clementine Liturgy.

Oden, T. C., & Crosby, C., eds. (2007). Ancient Christian Devotional: A Year of Weekly Readings: Lectionary Cycle A (pp. 263–267). IVP Books.

ADVENT WEEK FOUR – INCARNATION: DAY ONE – God Becomes Human

God becomes human, really human. While we endeavor to grow out of our humanity, to leave our human nature behind us, God becomes human, and we must recognize that God wants us also to become human—really human. Whereas we distinguish between the godly and the godless, the good and the evil, the noble and the common, God loves real human beings without distinction.… God takes the side of real human beings and the real world against all their accusers.… But it’s not enough to say that God takes care of human beings. This sentence rests on something infinitely deeper and more impenetrable, namely, that in the conception and birth of Jesus Christ, God took on humanity in bodily fashion. God raised his love for human beings above every reproach of falsehood and doubt and uncertainty by himself entering into the life of human beings as a human being, by bodily taking upon himself and bearing the nature, essence, guilt, and suffering of human beings. Out of love for human beings, God becomes a human being. He does not seek out the most perfect human being in order to unite with that person. Rather, he takes on human nature as it is.

This is about the birth of a child, not of the astonishing work of a strong man, not of the bold discovery of a wise man, not of the pious work of a saint. It really is beyond all our understanding: the birth of a child shall bring about the great change, shall bring to all mankind salvation and deliverance.
“The Government upon the Shoulders of a Child,” Christmas 1940

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
John 1:1–5

Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 49–51). Westminster John Knox Press.

Why Everything Your Youth Pastor Told You Is WRONG

 

Source: Why Everything Your Youth Pastor Told You Is WRONG

Jack Hibbs: Most Christians Haven’t Heard This About Christmas | Harbingers Daily » Feed by Jack Hibbs

In a world fighting to silence the true meaning of the season, discover the powerful truth behind the Advent of Jesus Christ. The scriptures provide certainty and prophetic precision of Christ’s birth, including why He was born in Bethlehem and what this rescue mission means for your life.

Source: Jack Hibbs: Most Christians Haven’t Heard This About Christmas

Mark Henry: The Process Of Sanctification | Harbingers Daily » Feed by Mark Henry

Proverbs 15:9 “The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves him who pursues righteousness.”

Source: Mark Henry: The Process Of Sanctification

Faith Forged in A Pit :: By Bill Wilson

Vayeshev (And He Dwelt) – Genesis 37:1-40:23 – focuses on Joseph, the son whose life will set the stage for an entire nation. Joseph receives the famous tunic from his father, shares dreams that hint at a future rise, and sparks jealousy among his brothers. Their resentment leads them to sell him into slavery in Egypt while telling Jacob that his beloved son is dead. Jacob’s grief is bottomless.

Meanwhile, in Egypt, Joseph rises in Potiphar’s household, only to be thrown into prison after false accusations from Potiphar’s wife. Even there, Joseph is elevated, interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer, which come to pass, though he remains confined for a time.

When we read Torah narratives, we’re reminded that these stories look forward as much as backward. They’re not simply ancient history but prophetic markers for future generations.

Joseph’s life stands out as a master class in endurance and faith. He moves from favored son to slave overnight, with every reason to fold under bitterness. Instead, he works faithfully, earning trust in places where others would have given up. His journey shows that our circumstances don’t define who we are, but rather how we respond, especially when the bottom falls out. Joseph held fast to what he knew of God’s character, the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the dreams that hinted at something greater than the injustice in front of him.

Joseph’s inner strength raises a natural question. Where does someone find that kind of resilience after betrayal and loss? Most people would stew in anger or self-pity, and who could blame them? Joseph chose a different path. Scripture gives the reason. Genesis 39:23 says, “ADONAI was with him, and whatever he did prospered.”

Joseph’s bitachon (trusting faithfulness) anchored him. He truly felt his pain, but he simply refused to let it own him. He trusted that God’s goodness was steady even when his surroundings were not. He remembered the promises spoken to his fathers. He remembered his own dreams. And he submitted to God’s mysterious work, believing that his life had a purpose bigger than the dungeon he was sitting in. There’s a strong word and example in Joseph for all of us.

Joseph’s story points beyond himself. He stands as a remarkable foreshadow of Messiah. He shepherded his father’s flock as Yeshua shepherds His own. He was beloved, sent out, betrayed, conspired against, stripped, cast down, raised up, and eventually exalted over the nations. He revealed himself to his brothers, and, through God’s providence, became a savior to the world during famine.

These parallels paint a clear line to Yeshua, the Suffering Servant in His first coming and the reigning King in His return. Jewish tradition speaks of Mashiach ben Joseph and Mashiach ben David. Believers see these fulfilled in one Messiah across two advents. Both pathways run through suffering before glory. And one day soon, the whole picture will come into full view. Be inspired by the life of Joseph and the promise of the Messiah.

Posted in The Daily Jot

 

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Source: Faith Forged in A Pit :: By Bill Wilson

Along Came Mary :: By Nathele Graham

“For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

God has established specific roles for men and women. Both are essential for life, but men and women have different roles in life. The man is a leader. He is designed to be a strong hunter and protector. There are always exceptions, but these roles were established in the Garden of Eden.

It was Adam who received the order from God not to eat the forbidden fruit, but it was Eve who was deceived because she chose to question God, but believed Satan’s lie. Quite often, women are viewed as weak or not worthy of God’s attention. That isn’t true. God can and will use anybody who is willing to be obedient to Him.

The first strong, God-fearing woman we read about lived during a very trying time. Israel was a nation, but had become very pagan in their ways. They had turned away from important points of Jewish Law, and God allowed enemies to make trouble. At that time, judges ruled over Israel. They were chosen by God for a specific purpose. Most were men, but there are times when a man cannot be found who is willing to serve God. It must be noted that God didn’t allow trouble to afflict Israel for no reason, but disobedience always has consequences. It was during a time of disobedience when the Canaanites became a problem.

“And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel” (Judges 4:1-3). 

Like us, Israel caused their own trouble because of disobedience, then when trouble resulted, they would call out to God. God will never abandon Israel. This time, there was no man who was worthy to be called, but along came Deborah.

“And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time” (Judges 4:4).

She served God and was willing to do whatever He asked. As she was serving God, some of the Israelites came to her for judgment and help against the Canaanites. Deborah was wise enough to know that she would need a man to lead the attack. She called for Barak to lead the army. Barak said he would go, but only if she went too.

“And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh” (Judges 4:9).

So, off they went to fight Sisera. His army was all killed, but Sisera escaped and ran to hide in a tent of Jael, the wife of Heber. He thought Jael would protect him. He thought he was safe, “Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died” (Judges 4:21).

Just as Deborah prophesied, Sisera was killed at the hand of a woman. God uses willing and obedient people.

As we read through Scripture, we find many strong women. In 1 Samuel, we read of a man named Elkanah who had two wives. Now, I’m not advocating multiple wives, but it was normal for a man to have more than one wife during the Old Testament days. This was a way of protecting a woman and providing for her. It does underline that bad feelings can come from an arrangement like this.

One wife was Peninnah. She was a very insensitive person who thought she was superior because she had children. Then along came Hannah, a very gentle woman who desired to have children. She didn’t want them for a status symbol, but a way to serve the Lord. She honored God. Peninnah was an adversary who treated Hannah terribly.

“And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb” (1 Samuel 1:6). 

Hannah didn’t fight back, but quietly cried and lost her appetite. Instead of lashing out, Hannah went to God. “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head” (1 Samuel 1:10-11).

That may sound strange to us today, but what Hannah promised God, that if He would allow her to have a son, she would give him back to God. She promised a Nazirite vow for the child. Hannah was sincere in her prayer and prayed so intensely (mouthing the words) that the priest Eli saw her and thought she was drunk. He told her to put away her wine.

“And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:15).

Eli gave her a blessing and assured her God would answer her prayer. God delights in answering prayer, and Hannah did indeed become pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel. Hannah kept him close to her until he was weaned, then she took him to Eli, the priest. Hannah didn’t forget her promise to God, nor did she forget that it was God who allowed her to have a son.

Hannah told Eli, “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:27-28).

Samuel did stay with Eli and became a great prophet who served the Lord faithfully. It was Samuel who anointed David as king of Israel. Hannah is an example of a woman who desires to give her best for the Lord, and through her, blessings continue.

The nation of Israel had many gaps in their service to the Lord. His blessings were rich when they obeyed Him, but times were tough when they rebelled. The Southern Kingdom had stopped allowing the land to lie fallow every seven years, so God allowed them to be taken captive to Babylon. The captivity would not be permanent, but long enough to give the land rest.

When they were allowed to leave Babylon, many decided to remain because it had become their home. As time went on, a king named Ahasuerus came to rule Babylon. During a party, he wanted his wife to parade herself in front of the men so they could see her beauty. The queen refused, and Ahasuerus banished Vashti, which left him without a queen. It was decided that pretty young girls would be brought before the king, so he could choose which one he desired to be his queen.

There was a lovely Jewish girl who lived near the palace. Her name was Hadassah. She had been raised by her cousin Mordecai because her parents had died. As it happened, Hadassah, known as Esther, was one of the girls kidnapped by the king’s men. Mordecai was able to see her as he walked by the place where Esther was held, and he warned her not to let on that she was Jewish.

All of the young girls were bathed in fragrant oils, and eventually, each one was taken to the king to see if she pleased him. One by one they were rejected, but then it was Esther’s turn.

“Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her” (Esther 2:15).

The king fell in love, and Esther became his queen. There was another man who lived there, named Haman. He was evil and hated the Jewish population and plotted to have them all killed. Haman had built himself up in the king’s eyes, and instigated a decree that everyone was to bow in reverence to Haman, but Mordecai refused. Haman was irate.

“And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai” (Esther 3:6).

On a specific day, all of the people in the kingdom were to kill the Jewish people. The king set his seal on the decree. Then came Esther. She learned about the decree and was grieved. She knew that she could not approach the king on her own because he could have her killed, but she also knew that she was the only one who could make him see what was happening. She also knew that when all Jewish people were killed, she would be among them.

Esther first called for fasting and prayer. Then she dressed in her finest attire and said,  “If I perish, I perish,” and went to seek an audience with the king. Thank God, King Ahasuerus held out his scepter to her and allowed her to come near. She invited the king and Haman to a dinner, and during that dinner, she was able to expose the evil plan of Haman. Instead of the Jews being killed, it was Haman and his sons who died. Because Esther did what was needed in spite of the danger to her own life, the Jewish peoples were saved.

Time continued to pass, and prophecy drew closer to fulfillment. Some people knew what prophecy said concerning the Messiah and believed God. Others stopped looking for Him to come and thought God really meant something other than what He clearly said. It was sort of the same scenario as the Rapture. God says it will happen, but people re-interpret what God says.

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4).

Then along came Mary. She was nothing more than a human girl growing up in Nazareth. In those days, children were taught to be responsible adults. Boys were taught to be men, capable of supporting a family and leading them to follow God; girls were taught to run a house and be a good mother to her children, and a good wife to her husband. The Law was followed, and things like adultery were clearly against God’s Law.

Mary was young and betrothed to a man named Joseph. This meant they were considered married, but until all things had been prepared, they would live separately and the marriage would not be consummated until all things were ready. Mary would be a virgin until then.

Roman rule was very oppressive, and the people longed for their Messiah to come and deliver them from the Roman rulers. Although they were under Roman rule, the Jewish people still honored the Law of Moses. They knew their history and also knew prophecies regarding the Messiah.

Both Mary and Joseph were direct descendants of King David. Joseph was from the royal line through Solomon, while Mary was descended from Solomon’s brother Nathan. Joseph and Mary looked forward to being husband and wife and raising a family. One day, things changed. The angel Gabriel was sent by God to tell Mary she was chosen to give birth to the Messiah… God’s own Son.

Although some denominations try to say Mary was more than human, they are wrong. Mary was fully human, and that’s very important in order for Jesus to be our Kinsman Redeemer. The message from Gabriel was confusing, and Mary was afraid.

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).

She could only ask how this could come about because she had never been with a man; she was a virgin. Gabriel told her the Holy Ghost would come upon her and the power of the Highest would overshadow her. The child would be called the Son of God. Mary submitted to God’s plan.

That’s the powerful truth of all the women mentioned above. They submitted to God, and He gave them strength to endure. “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38).

Then came the reality of the situation. She had to tell her family and also tell Joseph that she was with child. According to Jewish law, Mary could have been sentenced to death because she seemingly had committed adultery. Joseph was preparing all things for his soon-to-be bride when she was suddenly pregnant. The shock and disappointment must have been overwhelming.

“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily” (Matthew 1:19).

Joseph was a special man and didn’t want to bring charges against Mary, but decided to quietly “divorce” her. He was about to have another shock. “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

Joseph obeyed, and after Jesus was born, the marriage was consummated. Joseph and Mary had sons and daughters together, but Jesus was the firstborn. Before Mary gave birth, they had to travel to Bethlehem because of a census which Rome decreed. Many people had made the journey to Bethlehem, and the only lodging Joseph could find was in a stable. While they were in Bethlehem, the blessed Lamb of God was quietly born in a manger, with only Joseph and Mary there to witness the birth.

God’s holy angels couldn’t contain their joy, and announced the birth to shepherds in the fields. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:10-14).

The joy of His birth continues today to all who believe in Him. Glory to God in the highest!!

Throughout time, women have been able to serve God in ways that men can’t. Deborah stepped up when there were no men willing. Hannah desired a son that she promised to dedicate to God, and she was faithful. Esther was the only one in a position to protect the Jewish population from extinction. Mary was willing to submit to God no matter what it may have cost her.

Ladies, don’t usurp the authority of a God-fearing man, and always submit to God. His truth is found in Scripture, and He will never ask you to do anything that is contrary to His Law. Both men and women have an important role to fill in God’s perfect plan.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

The post Along Came Mary :: By Nathele Graham appeared first on Rapture Ready.

Source: Along Came Mary :: By Nathele Graham

The Bible Is Clear :: By Daymond Duck

On Dec. 11, 2025, an Israeli official (Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council) visited the U.S. House of Rep. Speaker Mike Johnson at his office in Washington, D.C.

Johnson told Dagan:

• I visited Samaria—both as a member of Congress before becoming speaker, and again last summer as speaker with a small group of colleagues.
• The Bible is clear: Judea and Samaria are the Land of Israel.

Dagan told Johnson:

• No nation on earth has a connection to its homeland as deep as the Jewish people have to the Land of Israel—especially to Judea and Samaria, the land of the Bible.
• Two thousand years ago, the prophets Jeremiah, Amos and Ezekiel foretold that the people of Israel would return to their land, rebuild the hills of Samaria, plant vineyards and produce wine.
• That is exactly what we are doing today.
• There is no greater justice than fulfilling the words of the prophets in the Land of Israel, particularly in the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria.

Yes, the Bible is clear: Judea and Samaria are part of the Promised Land that God gave to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants after them in their generation.

Yes, the Bible is clear: The nations will divide the Promised Land, many of the Jews in Judea will flee into the wilderness at the middle of the Tribulation Period, and God will drag the nations into the Battle of Armageddon for doing that.

Yes, the Bible is clear: The Scriptures clearly contain 2,000-4,000-year-old prophecies that have either been fulfilled or are beginning to be fulfilled in our generation.

It is clearly the Word of God because it is being fulfilled with 100% accuracy, and only God, who knows the end from the beginning, could do that.

The Apostle Peter said, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1:19).

Everyone would do well (be wise) to believe and live by what the Bible clearly says.

The sure (proven to be true) prophecies clearly teach that heaven, the Rapture, Tribulation Period, Second Coming, Millennial reign of Jesus, and more are coming, and very likely very soon (and it clearly teaches that hell is real too).

Here are some recent events that appear to show that.

One, concerning Judea and Samaria: on Dec. 5, 2025, Yisrael Ganz (chairman of the Yesha Council and governor of the Binyamin Regional Council) hosted 1,100 American pastors for a visit to Judea and Samaria.

The pastors publicly called on Vice President JD Vance (who said this is not the time for Israel to declare sovereignty over Judea and Samaria) to change his policy and declare that: “God’s policy is Judea and Samaria belong to Jews and to the State of Israel.”

(My opinion: God’s policy is clearly stated in the Bible, and God’s policy should be America’s policy.)

Two, concerning wars and rumors of wars at the end of the age: on Dec. 11, 2025, in a major address in Berlin, NATO chief Mark Rutte told NATO members:

• That they should step up defense efforts to prevent a war waged by Russia that could be on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured (WWI and WWII).
• We are Russia’s next target.
• Too many are quietly complacent, too many don’t feel the urgency, and too many believe that time is on our side.
• It is not.
• The time for action is now.
• Conflict is at our door.
• Russia has brought war back to Europe.
• And we must be prepared.

Three, concerning Israel becoming a great army at the end of the age: last week, Israel delivered some Arrow-3 batteries to Germany that can shoot down missiles from Russia, Iran, or whoever.

That’s right, less than 80 years after Hitler’s Germany was bombing European targets and burning Jews alive in its crematorium ovens, Israel is selling weapons to Germany to protect the German people from foreign missiles.

Four, concerning the Rapture and the many different opinions: on Dec. 11, 2025, highly regarded and well-known prophecy teacher Jonathan Brentner asked, “Is there a clear Biblical path to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture?”

Brentner responded:

• Yes, a decisive biblical path exists to our belief in the pre-Tribulation Rapture.
• In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Paul talks about the Day of the Lord’s wrath.
• In verses 9-10, we have the promise of deliverance from this time: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”

(My opinion: Brentner is right as usual.)

Five, concerning an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters at the end of the age on Dec. 12, 2025, it was reported that atmospheric rivers have dumped more than 15 inches of rain on parts of Washington state in the last few days, sparking historic river flooding and submerging neighborhoods — and the threat is far from over.

Six, concerning Israel having silver and gold, cattle and goods in the latter days and latter years (Ezek. 38): on Dec. 14, 2025, it was reported that The Economist said Israel had the third strongest economy in the world in 2025.

Seven, concerning antisemitism and corruption in the UN: on Dec. 12, 2025, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Israel to cooperate with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on Palestinian humanitarian issues.

Israel immediately said it will not do it because the UNRWA is a subsidiary of Hamas and a hotbed of terrorism.

(My comment: The wannabe UN world government is corrupt.)

Eight, my understanding of AI (Artificial Intelligence) is very limited, but I know that an increase in knowledge is a major sign that the end of the age is close.

In the Book of Daniel, God said, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Dan. 12:4).

On Dec. 13, 2025, Tania Koenig (an excellent prophecy teacher with knowledge and experience in this area) posted an article about AI that makes sense to me.

Here is how I understand some of the main points from Koenig’s very informative article.

• In the Book of Daniel, God said, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Dan. 12:4).
• In late 2025, the U.S. announced two major artificial intelligence platforms within a span of fifteen days: one civilian, one military.
• The first, the Genesis Mission under the Dept. of Energy, was framed as a Manhattan Project–level initiative for artificial intelligence, integrating national laboratories, supercomputers, and secure cloud infrastructure into a unified platform.
• The second, GenAI.mil, deployed frontier AI models across the entire U.S. defense workforce, reaching approximately three million civilian and military personnel worldwide.
• Some pundits think the world is witnessing a new form of global intelligence and government.
• We are not there yet.
• But in 2026, the technology will be sufficiently embedded that its effects are no longer theoretical.
• The technology will continue to advance.
• Prophetic Scripture anticipates an increase in knowledge, but it does not grant that knowledge ultimate authority.
• Prophetic Scripture does not allow for man’s knowledge to permanently exceed God’s knowledge and authority.
• The Restrainer will be removed.
• The Antichrist and False Prophet will be allowed to rule temporarily, but God is still in control.

Here is a link for those who want to read Koenig’s entire article:

Genesis + GenAI.mil: The New State Platforms — and the Physical Limits of Optimization – Tania Koenig | Koenig’s Eye View

Nine, concerning an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters at the end of the age: on Dec. 12, 2025, it was reported that Washington state remains under a state of emergency as days of torrential downpours have pushed rivers to levels never seen before, triggering destructive and historic flooding across the region.

Some areas have received 13-17 inches of rain. About 80,000 people have been evacuated.

Ten, concerning antisemitism, wickedness, and Islam’s efforts to establish an Islamic world government and religion: on Dec. 16, 2025, it was reported that Australian police have officially classified the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney as a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State.

The attack occurred during a Hanukkah event and resulted in 15 deaths and over two dozen injuries.

Eleven, concerning Pres. Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP) to oversee the construction of a post-war Gaza: on Dec. 17, 2025, it was reported that he has secured the agreement of leaders from six nations to join his BoP, and he is seeking to add a few more.

(FYI: Some prophecy teachers are watching to see if he winds up with 10 leaders, as in Ten Kings. We shall see.)

Twelve, concerning persecution at the end of the age: it is now illegal to carry newspapers, magazines, books, drones, cameras, and Bibles into Nicaragua.

Banning Bibles suppresses freedom of religion.

FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com

 

The post The Bible Is Clear :: By Daymond Duck appeared first on Rapture Ready.

Source: The Bible Is Clear :: By Daymond Duck

Jack Hibbs: This Will Freak You Out About The Nature Of God’s Word

Christmas isn’t folklore; it’s fact. Acts 1:1–3 anchors the season in many infallible proofs, then traces how prophecy, history, and genealogy converge on Jesus. See why Christmas is a rescue mission and why it’s hostile to darkness.

Source: Jack Hibbs: This Will Freak You Out About The Nature Of God’s Word