There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
For the advisers, cabinet members, members of Congress or Parliament, the ambassadors and envoys abroad, and all who are employed in the conduct of public affairs.
Counsel my nation’s counselors, and teach its elders wisdom: Psalm 105:22(ESV) O give them a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD, to make them delight in the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 11:2-3(ESV)
O do not deprive of speech those who are trusted nor take away the discernment of the elders, Job 12:20(ESV) nor ever let the things that belong to the nation’s peace be hidden from the eyes of those who are instructed with the nation’s counsels. Luke 19:42(ESV)
Make it to appear that you have taken your place in the divine council and hold judgment in the midst of the gods, Psalm 82:1(ESV) and that when the princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham, the God of Abraham himself is among them; and let the shields of the earth belong to the Lord, that he may be highly exalted. Psalm 47:9(ESV)
Let there be those among my nation who rebuild its ancient ruins and raise up the foundations of many generations, that they may be called the repairers of the breaches and restorers of streets to dwell in. Isaiah 58:12(ESV)
The obvious thing Mark underscores for us here is the determined faith of these five men. They stand as an encouragement to us to exercise this kind of faith. There are three remarkable and beautiful aspects of it here.
These men dared to do the difficult. That is where faith always manifests itself. It was not easy to bring this man to the Lord. They had to carry him, perhaps a great distance, through the streets of the city. When they found the doorway blocked, they had to carry him up an outside stairway to the roof. We do not know how heavy he was, but it is not easy to carry a full-grown man up a flight of stairs. Yet these men managed this difficult task. They dared to do the difficult. What an illustration this gives us of bringing people to Christ!
Then, notice that they dared to do the unorthodox. They were not limited by the fact that it was not at all customary to break up a roof. When they found that the door was blocked, they did not sit down, as we probably would have done, and appoint a committee to research the various ways to get to Jesus. No, they just did what was necessary and risked the disapproval not only of the owner of the house but also of every person there by interrupting the meeting in order to get their friend to Jesus. The remarkable thing is that Jesus never rebuked them. He never does. There is never an incident recorded in which Jesus got uptight or disturbed about an interruption by someone intent on receiving something from Him and pressing through to Him despite the disapproval of those around. These men dared to do the unorthodox.
Finally, they dared to do the costly. Somebody had to pay for that roof. Imagine the face of the owner, sitting there at the feet of Jesus, when he hears this scratching on the roof. He looks up, and, to his amazement, the tiles begin to move. Then daylight appears, and suddenly he has a large hole in his roof! I do not know what his thoughts were. He probably wondered if his homeowner’s policy would cover it. Or maybe he was mentally adding up the bill to present to these men. But somebody had to pay that bill, somebody repaired that roof, and surely it was one, if not all, of these men. They dared to do the costly. That is faith! They laid it on the line–at cost to themselves. What a witness this is to what it takes to bring people to Christ!
Lord, grant to me the faith to move out in ways that are difficult, unorthodox, and even costly to bring men and women to you, the only true healer of hurts.
Life Application
A life lived by faith has at least three identifiable characteristics. Are we growing up into the quality and vitality of faith that can be used to bring others to Jesus?
40A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
43Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44“See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . .” He said to the paralytic, 11“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
When someone moves to a new location, they often need instructions on how to fit in. There are customs, expectations, and ways of thinking that might need to be adjusted for the newcomer to enjoy fellowship with this new community. In the same way, Israel needed to learn how to live God’s way.God brought Israel out of Egypt so they could be free to worship Him and enjoy His fellowship. But to be in that kind of relationship, they would need to become the kind of people who could enjoy a holy God (v. 6). So, He took the initiative to prepare them. Step one: teach Israel what holiness looks like.After the Exodus, God met the nation at Mt. Sinai (v. 1) and gave instructions on how they should live. We first encounter these teachings in the book of Exodus. The purpose of these “rules” was to prepare Israel to be the kind of people who would enjoy fellowship with God. These instructions reflect His character. If the people want to be with Him, they must understand what He is like and change appropriately. They needed to become more like Him.How could a mass of human beings who had lived without God’s revelation for 400 years attain that standard? God didn’t leave them to guess or figure it out on their own. Instead, He clearly told them how to behave. In the Ten Commandments and the many other instructions we find in Exodus, He taught Israel to value what He valued. He expected them to change the way they thought and acted (23:13). It is important to realize He was not imposing rules for His sake. Rather, He was showing them His character for their sake, so they could have fellowship with Him. Not surprisingly, they agreed to do it (19:8).
Go DeeperHow have your values changed to be like the values of the Lord with whom you fellowship? Do you take delight in the things that delight Him?
Pray with UsLord Jesus, teach us how to know You better and to long for fellowship with You every day. Teach us to love what You love, to value what You value, and to delight in Your holy presence.
40. Why was it necessary for Christ to suffer death?
Because, by reason of the justice and truth of God,1 satisfaction for our sins could be made no other way than by the death of the Son of God.2
1 Gen 2:17; 2 Rom 8:3; Php 2:8; Heb 2:9, 14-15
41. Why was He “buried?”
To testify that He was really dead.1
1 Isa 53:9; Jn 19:38-42; Acts 13:29; 1 Cor 15:3-4
42. Since then Christ died for us, why do we still have to die?
Our death is not a satisfaction for our sins, but it puts an end to sin and is an entrance into eternal life.1
1 Jn 5:24; Php 1:21-23; 1 Thes 5:9-10
43. What further benefit do we receive from the sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross?
That by His power our old nature is crucified, put to death, and buried with Him;1 so that the evil lusts of the flesh may no more reign in us,2 but that we may offer ourselves unto Him as a sacrifice of thanksgiving.3
1 Rom 6:5-11; Col 2:11-12; 2 Rom 6:12-14; 3 Rom 12:1; Eph 5:1-2
44. Why is it added, “He descended into Hell?”
That in my greatest temptations I may be assured that Christ, my Lord, by His inexpressible anguish, pains, and terrors, which He endured throughout all His sufferings,1 but especially on the cross, has redeemed me from the anguish and torment of hell.2
1 Ps 18:5-6, 116:3; Mt 26:36-46; Heb 5:7-10; 2 Isa 53
He is entirely righteous: Psalm 9:7–10 But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.
We cannot put our trust in Him unless we know who He is—that He is love and righteousness. Therefore, Jesus prayed: John 17:26 “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
To know Christ is to love Him and to partake in His love. But how can we love Him if we believe that He is unjust if:
We are born condemned with a sin nature (original sin) or
The sentence of eternal suffering exceeds our earthly sins and God’s love?
But what if we are mistaken in these matters and are libeling and distorting God’s love and righteousness by presenting a false Gospel? Instead, what if our Savior merely allows us to have what we want, allowing us to receive the fruits of our choices:
Psalm 9:15–16 (KJV The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: In the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
God judges by eventually allowing us to have our own way to pursue evil, reaping what we sow, refusing to confess and to turn from their sins?
John 3:17–21 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is [self-] condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does [practices] wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Although The Father gave all judgment unto the Son, the Son claims that He didn’t come to judge. How then are those who reject Him to be judged? By His Words:
John 12:47–48 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
How do words judge? His Words of truth and light (splendor) convicts and exposes us, and we flee from what we have long repressed. “Without excuse” (Romans 1:20) for rejecting God and deserving condemnation we flee:
Romans 1:32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Romans 2:15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.
Consequently, we are self-condemned by rejecting God, practicing evil, and fleeing from His reproach, while spending the rest of our lives trying to prove that we are okay:
Proverbs 1:29–32 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them.
Jeremiah 2:19 Your evil will chastise you and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God…
Flee: Isaiah 33:14–15 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?” He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil. (Psalm 1:5; Luke 21:36)
Does this also pertain to eternal judgment? Isaiah 2:19–21 And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty…. (Isaiah 2:10; Luke 23:30; Hosea 10:8; Rev. 20:11)
Why would the unbeliever flee from “the splendor of his majesty?” The light of “the face of him” who is seated on the throne” is terrifying. It exposes the truth about ourselves that we have long repressed:
Revelation 6:15–17 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
Our righteous God need not proactively condemn. Instead, the unbeliever will chose eternal torment rather than to dwell in His presence. Will He allow them to instead choose their complete destruction?
Matthew 10:28b Rather, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
John 3:16 … whosoever believeth in him should not perish (Greek: destroyed) …
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death …
Philippians 3:19 whose end is “destruction” …
2 Thessalonians 1:9 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction …
Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition (destruction).
Revelation 20:14 This is the second death…
Hebrews 10:26-27 NLT Hellfire will consume the wicked.
2 Peter 3:7 Ungodly will be destroyed.
Is God unjust for allowing us to live or die by our own choices? He has given all the temporal gift of life. He has enabled the unbeliever to have their reward now:
Matthew 6:2 …”Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” (Mat. 5, 16)
There is nothing unjust about Christ giving more mercy to some (Mat 20). This is His banquet. He is free to invite whomever. In light of this, we can say with confidence that our Savior is perfect in love and righteousness. This knowledge frees us to proclaim that God is completely righteous and merciful.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
3:22 God’s steadfast love (his “covenant mercy” or beneficial action on his people’s behalf) never ceases, even in the face of Judah’s unfaithfulness and the resulting “day of the LORD” (cf. Joel 2:1–2; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:14–16). mercies. Or “compassion.” This type of mercy goes the second mile, replacing judgment with restoration. never come to an end. God is willing to begin anew with those who repent.
3:23 new every morning. Each day presents another opportunity to experience God’s grace. faithfulness. God’s covenantal fidelity and personal integrity remain intact no matter what happens.
Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1487). Crossway Bibles.
3:22 This verse seems to contradict all that had been written up to this point (2:1–5). Yet the fact that there was a prophet left to write these words and a remnant left to read them show that not every person in Jerusalem had been consumed. The fact that there was a remnant at all was due to the mercies and compassions of God. Even in His wrath (2:1–4), God remembers to be merciful. 3:23 new every morning: Every day presents us with a new opportunity to discover and experience more of God’s love. Even in the midst of terrible sorrow, Jeremiah looked for signs of mercy. Great is Your faithfulness: Here is the heart of the Book of Lamentations. The comforting, compassionate character of God dominates the wreckage of every other institution and office. God remains “full of grace and truth” in every situation (Ex. 34:6, 7; John 1:14).
Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (pp. 951–952). T. Nelson Publishers.
22 The vital word in this verse is ḥeseḏ (“great love”), the covenant love and loyalty of the Lord that leads to raḥamîm (“compassion,” “mercy”), derived from reḥem (“womb”). The covenant had called Israel into existence, and the Lord’s loving mercy to what he had created would not end.
23 The very fact of awakening to a new day is in itself a renewal of God’s mercy. Man has passed safely through the night, a foreshadowing of death. So the verse ends with “faithfulness,” the counterpart of ḥeseḏ, with which the previous verse started.
Ellison, H. L. (1986). Lamentations. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 720). Zondervan Publishing House.
3:22 Because of the LORD’s great love. The word hesed, stressing God’s faithful and loyal covenant/relational love, stands at the front of the verse and is plural. The NIV’s “great” is implied. This plural construction of hesed is fairly rare, occurring only five times in the Old Testament. In some of these texts it refers to actions or deeds resulting from this covenant love: “I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised” (Isa. 63:7); “do not blot out what I have so faithfully done” (Neh. 13:14). If this is the nuance, then it is God’s faithful loving actions (plural) and his compassions (plural) that are new (plural) every morning (3:23). we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. The words translated as “consumed” (tamam) and “fail” (kalah) are practically synonyms, both meaning “to come to an end” or “to be completely finished.” The NIV translation correctly understands the subject of tamam as “we,” although several other translations understand the subject to be God’s hesed. The nuance is “We have not come to an end because his compassions have not come to an end.” The word translated as “compassions” conveys warm, emotional, tender care like that of a mother for her newborn. The term probably refers to what God does (“acts of compassion”) and not just what he feels. The stressed aspect of God’s tender, compassionate acts is their continuity; they never cease or stop. This is what gives hope in the midst of an otherwise hopeless situation. The term “new” refers to a fresh renewal of God’s acts of faithful love and compassion. 3:23 great is your faithfulness. The word translated as “faithfulness” connotes firmness, reliability, steadfastness, or fidelity. This line is a summary of the three lines above. God is incredibly trustworthy, as is seen through his repeated and renewed acts of faithful love and compassion.
Hays, J. D. (2016). Jeremiah and Lamentations (M. L. Strauss & J. H. Walton, Eds.; p. 343). Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group.
Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. (Genesis 49:19)
Some of us have been like the tribe of Gad. Our adversaries for a while were too many for us; they came upon us like a troop. Yes, and for the moment they overcame us; and they exulted greatly because of their temporary victory. Thus they only proved the first part of the family heritage to be really ours, for Christ’s people, like Dan, shall have a troop overcoming them. This being overcome is very painful, and we should have despaired if we had not by faith believed the second line of our father’s benediction, “He shall overcome at the last.” “All’s well that ends well,” said the world’s poet; and he spoke the truth. A war is to be judged, not by first success or defeats, but by that which happens “at the last.” The Lord will give to truth and righteousness victory “at the last”; and, as Mr. Bunyan says, that means forever, for nothing can come after the last.
What we need is patient perseverance in well-doing, calm confidence in our glorious Captain. Christ, our Lord Jesus, would teach us His holy art of setting the face like a flint to go through with work or suffering till we can say, “It is finished.” Hallelujah. Victory! Victory! We believe the promise. “He shall overcome at the last.”
“Create.” What! has sin so destroyed us, that the Creator must be called in again? What ruin then doth evil work among mankind! “Create in me.” I, in outward fabric, still exist; but I am empty, desert, void. Come, then, and let thy power be seen in a new creation within my old fallen self. Thou didst make a man in the world at first; Lord, make a new man in me! “A clean heart.” In the seventh verse he asked to be clean; now he seeks a heart suitable to that cleanliness; but he does not say, “Make my old heart clean;” he is too experienced in the hopelessness of the old nature. He would have the old man buried as a dead thing, and a new creation brought in to fill its place. None but God can create either a new heart or a new earth. Salvation is a marvellous display of supreme power; the work in us as much as that for us is wholly of Omnipotence. The affections must be rectified first, or all our nature will go amiss. The heart is the rudder of the soul, and till the Lord take it in hand we steer in a false and foul way. O Lord, thou who didst once make me, be pleased to new make me, and in my most secret parts renew me. “Renew a right spirit within me.” It was there once, Lord, put it there again. The law on my heart has become like an inscription hard to read: new write it, gracious Maker. Remove the evil as I have entreated thee; but, O replace it with good, lest into my swept, empty, and garnished heart, from which the devil has gone out for awhile, seven other spirits more wicked than the first should enter and dwell. The two sentences make a complete prayer. “Create” what is not there at all; “renew” that which is there, but in a sadly feeble state.
Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 27-57 (Vol. 2, p. 405). Marshall Brothers.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (v. 10). The Hebrew verb used for ‘create’ (bârâʾ) is exclusively employed in the Old Testament with God as the subject, and here it is paralleled with ‘renew’. It is also linked with the word ‘steadfast’, which comes from a Hebrew word that is often associated with God’s creative activity (Ps. 24:2: ‘established it upon the waters’; Isa. 45:18). Purification from sin is a work of God alone.
Not the labours of my hands
Can fulfil thy laws demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears for ever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save and thou alone.
(Augustus Toplady, 1740–1778)
Harman, A. (2011). Psalms: A Mentor Commentary (Vols. 1–2, p. 402). Mentor.
51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. The language of 51:10–12 is suggestive of the Genesis narrative. In addition to the verb “create,” the second half of the verse picks up the noun “spirit,” reminiscent of Genesis 1:2 (see also Gen. 6:17). Thus the psalmist prays that God will re-create him. The “spirit” (ruah) of the human person is the dynamic force that animates humans and resonates with the divine.
Bullock, C. H. (2015). Psalms 1–72 (M. L. Strauss & J. H. Walton, Eds.; Vol. 1, p. 391). Baker Books.
Ver. 10.—Create in me a clean heart, O God; i.e. do more than purify me—do more than cleanse me (ver 7); by an act of creative power (בּדא) make in me a new clean heart. Compare the Christian doctrine of the “new birth” and “new life.” And renew a right spirit within me. “Heart” and “spirit” are used interchangeably for the inward essence of man; but, as Professor Cheyne observes, “Heart emphasizes the individual side of a man’s life; spirit, its Divine, or at least preternatural side.” David, in asking both for a new heart and a new spirit, requests the renovation of his entire mental and moral nature, which he recognizes as corrupt and depraved.
Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). Psalms (Vol. 1, p. 395). Funk & Wagnalls Company.
51:10–11. Along with his request for the forgiveness and removal of sin, David asked that God renew a steadfast [lit., a “right-thinking”] spirit within him (v. 10; cf. v. 6). His request that God not take His Holy Spirit from him (v. 11) has often been explained as a petition by David that God not revoke his salvation. This is a misunderstanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in the OT. Under the old covenant, the Spirit would come upon individuals to enable them to do remarkable work (see, e.g., Ex 31:3; 35:31; 1Sm 11:6), but He could also depart from them (as in the case of Saul in 1Sm 16:14, after which Saul’s decisions as king were consistently unwise, even though he himself was still “saved”; cf. 1Sm 28:19). Nowhere is the Spirit promised such that He might take up permanent residence in the rank-and-file OT believer. In David’s case, the Spirit came upon him so he could function skillfully as Israel’s king (1Sm 16:13–14). There is every reason to believe that David was saved in an OT sense before the coming of the Spirit upon him. What David was therefore requesting was that God not take away His special empowerment through the Spirit to function wisely in the role of Israel’s king. Under the new covenant after the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit permanently comes upon and resides in believers, never to be taken away (see Jesus’ promise of this to the disciples in Jn 14:16–17; Rm 8:9, 37–39).
Rydelnik, M. A., & Vanlaningham, M., eds. (2014). Psalms. In The moody bible commentary (pp. 804–805). Moody Publishers.
Trump shares photo of captured Maduro aboard U.S. warship U.S. President Donald Trump has shared a photo purportedly showing Venezuela’s captured President Nicolás Maduro aboard a U.S. warship. The image, which Trump shared on his social media platform Truth Social, appears to show Maduro with his eyes covered and wearing earmuffs.
Trump says the US is taking over the government of Venezuela The United States will govern Venezuela until further notice, including the country’s oil production, President Donald Trump said at a press conference. “We will govern until we can carry out a safe, orderly and legal transition of power,” Trump said. We cannot risk someone who does not want Venezuela’s best interests taking over the country, he said, warning that the United States is ready to strike in a second attack.
Venezuelans around the world celebrate the capture of Maduro Scenes of celebration erupted among Venezuelans both inside and outside the country following the capture of one of the nation’s most feared criminal figures, a man whose reign of terror symbolized years of unchecked violence and lawlessness. For many, the arrest represented not just the fall of a single individual, but a rare moment of justice in a country long plagued by crime, corruption, and impunity. One Venezuelan expatriate described the moment as “a victory for the victims who never got justice,”
Wisconsin judge convicted of obstructing arrest of immigrant resigns as GOP threatens impeachment Embattled Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted of obstruction last month for helping an immigrant evade federal officers, has sent her resignation letter to the governor. The letter was sent Saturday. Republicans had been making plans to impeach her ever since her Dec. 19 conviction. A spokesperson for Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, said his office received Dugan’s letter, and he would work to fill the vacancy without delay.
Democrats Now Claim They Are The “Real” American Patriots Leftists have never understood the phrase “If you can’t beat em’, join em’”. Instead, they believe that if they can’t defeat their political opponents in terms of logic, reason, morals, facts or the law, then their next best bet is to co-opt the enemy’s message and image without actually adopting their values.. Voters witnessed the first tinges of this strategy in 2024 when Kamala Harris claimed her campaign wasn’t woke (after years of saying Americans needed to be more woke) and Tim Walz pretended to be manly by talking about football and masculinity without knowing anything about either subject. This theme has led to a number of protests which have abandoned woke symbols in favor of a carefully crafted “pro-America” costume.
Hamas officials downplay remaining weapons as Israel presses for disarmament In interviews with Asharq Al-Awsat, the officials said the armed factions operating in Gaza are now mainly left with Kalashnikov and M16 rifles, other light weapons, a small number of anti-tank grenades, and limited explosive devices. The comments appeared aimed at conveying that Hamas’ remaining capabilities no longer pose a significant security threat to Israel. The statements come as Israel continues to demand the dismantling of Hamas’ military infrastructure
‘Ready for imminent war’: IDF displays captured terrorist weaponry “The anti-tank rocket launchers and rockets we found belonging to Hezbollah are the most technologically advanced weapons you see here today,” Lt. Col. (res.) Idan Sharon-Kettler, deputy commander of the Israel Defense Forces Asset Confiscation Unit, told JNS at an exhibition at the army’s Tzrifin Camp in central Israel. Sharon-Kettler’s unit has been operating since 1973. He was called up for duty on Oct. 7, 2023, and since then, the unit has been actively extracting weapons and equipment from all areas in which the IDF is operating.
Iran’s leader says rioters ‘must be put in their place’ as protest death toll reaches at least 10 Iran’s supreme leader insisted Saturday that “rioters must be put in their place” after a week of protests that have shaken the Islamic Republic, likely giving security forces a green light to aggressively put down the demonstrations. The protests show no sign of stopping and follow U.S. President Donald Trump warning Iran on Friday that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the United States “will come to their rescue.”
‘Dangerous precedent’: UN, world leaders decry US op. that saw capture of Venezuela’s Maduro United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres decried the strikes on Venezuela as a “dangerous precedent,” while Argentinian President Javier Milei celebrated the “excellent news.” “What we have to understand is that it’s the collapse of the regime of a dictator that was rigging elections,” Milei said. “In the last election [Maduro] was badly defeated and, despite that, he clinged on to power.” On social media, Milei wrote, “FREEDOM MOVES FORWARD. LONG LIVE FREEDOM DAMMIT,” “Israel commends the United States’ operation, led by President Trump, which acted as the leader of the free world,”
Israel Will Defend Christians Facing Radical Islamist Terror And Persecution, Netanyahu Vows Netanyahu acknowledged that he and his government and intelligence agencies are aware that Christians are being persecuted and terrorized around the world, particularly in the Middle East and in Africa. What’s more, he vowed the Jewish state would use its power, intelligence, and influence to help defend Christians.
Chinese EV Exports Are Exploding, And The West Has No Way To Stop Them Chinese cars were once the butt of jokes, but they’ve become a major threat to Western automakers. That’s clear today as data from China’s General Administration of Customs has revealed exports of electric vehicles soared 87 percent in November. Focusing on Europe, exports to the UK soared 113 percent last month
Democrats Melt Down Over Capture And Arrest Of Dictator Maduro While Venezuelans hit the streets in wild celebration, popping bottles and celebrating freedom, Democrats in Washington, D.C., clutched their pearls and went into full meltdown mode, accusing Trump of getting us into a war and violating the Constitution.
‘Israel commends’ US op in Venezuela, says FM Sa’ar, and ‘welcomes the removal of the dictator who led a network of drugs and terror’ the United States detained the president and flew him, together with his wife, out of the country. According to reports, the operation was carried out by American forces during today’s attack by the U.S. military on Venezuela’s capital. In recent hours, the U.S. administration also released the first image of Maduro held captive by American forces. U.S. President Donald Trump was interviewed by Fox News and said there were no fatalities among U.S. forces operating in Venezuela, though there were several wounded.
North America Leads Largest LNG Export Surge Since 2022 North America was the key supplier of new LNG volumes, as Canada’s first-ever export facility, LNG Canada, started shipments in the middle of 2025, and Plaquemines LNG in Louisiana launched operations and ramped up shipments throughout the year. Thanks to rising capacity and volumes, the U.S. is set to become the first LNG exporter in the world to have passed in 2025 the threshold of 100 million tons of LNG exports in one year.
Dangerous new equilibrium awaits Japan-China ties in 2026 Japan’s relationship with China has entered a deep freeze following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November remarks that Tokyo could intervene militarily in a Taiwan crisis, with ties showing few signs of warming anytime soon. But a deeper look reveals that rather than a mere flare-up, which has at times punctuated the relationship, the latest deterioration of ties has highlighted that a dangerous new equilibrium between the two countries is emerging — one that will test each other’s resolve, especially in the year ahead.
Trump Says Triumphal Arch Construction Just Two Months Away President Trump has announced that construction of a “triumphal arch” in Washington DC will begin within two months. Reminiscent of Paris’ famed Arc de Triomphe and similar European victory monuments, Trump’s triumphal arch promises to be a major addition to a capital city already laden with prominent monuments. Many details have yet to be announced, such as the size, duration of construction, cost, and — perhaps most significantly — its location. Based on Politico’s reporting, it will likely be near the Lincoln Memorial, “It will be like the one in Paris
North Korea launches multiple missiles in first tests of 2026 North Korea launched what appeared to be at least two ballistic missiles on Sunday, Japan’s Defense Ministry said, less than a week after it test-fired two long-range “strategic” cruise missiles. The Japan Coast Guard said both missiles had fallen roughly 10 minutes after their launch, a short flight that could indicate shorter-range weapons had been fired.
US Reissues Urgent ‘Do Not Travel’ Warning For Russia, As NYT Confirms CIA’s Escalating Involvement The US State Department has once once again re-issued an urgent advisory warning Americans not to travel to Russia. The renewed travel advisory also tells any American citizens currently in Russia to depart immediately. It cites the danger associated with the ongoing war with Ukraine, as well as the significant risk of wrongful detention by Russian officials, and the possibility of terrorism. This is nothing new, given such warnings have been issued going all the way back to February 2022, but it suggests that the Trump administration’s view is that things might continue to escalate as efforts toward a peace deal stall.
At least 2 dead after M6.5 earthquake strikes Guerrero and Mexico City, Mexico At least two people were killed after a strong M6.5 earthquake hit Guerrero on January 2, 2026. Meanwhile, 17 people were injured as hundreds of homes were reportedly destroyed or damaged across Mexico due to the tremors and subsequent landslides. Over 1 000 aftershocks have been recorded since the mainshock as relief efforts and damage surveys continue.
Trump says US will temporarily run Venezuela, ‘not afraid of boots on ground’ if necessary President Trump told the nation the US would now take over running Venezuela, after strongman Nicolas Maduro was captured “in the dead of night.” “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said at a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago resort as he provided new details on the stunning military operation.
Muslim American Heritage Month at Ground Zero: A Line New York Should Never Have Crossed NYC CONQUERED: NO PLANES. NO EXPLOSIONS. JUST SURRENDER This week, New York State lit sixteen government landmarks green to celebrate the so-called Muslim American Heritage Month. Governor Kathy Hochul issued a formal proclamation. For the first time, the state officially sanctified January as a month of celebration. Among the buildings glowing green was One World Trade Center — the Freedom Tower — built on the graves of nearly 3,000 Americans murdered on September 11, 2001. The very site of the deadliest Islamic jihad attack in history was illuminated in Islamic green — not in mourning, not in remembrance, not in warning — but in celebration. This was submission.
2026: Consolidation Under Pressure — Why Power Will Not Fall, But Harden By Tania Koenig As 2026 begins, the dominant mistake in public analysis is the expectation of rupture — a belief that systems must either collapse dramatically or be redeemed decisively. History offers a different lesson. More often than not, power does not fall when institutions weaken; it consolidates. What changes is not the existence of authority, but its character. It becomes colder, narrower, less persuasive, and more dependent on structure than trust. That is the moment we are entering now.
Gen. Michael Flynn Asks Trump to Hold the Deep State Accountable in 2026 The previous administration’s open-borders policies alone put in motion a litany of destructive changes that would’ve destroyed the country if they’d continued another four years. On that front, President Trump has delivered. The border is more secure than at any time in recent history, albeit there are grumblings about the rate of deportations. But Trump voters wanted more than preservation. Americans wanted the people who put their nation on said disastrous trajectory, the people who subverted their will on multiple fronts, to answer for what they did. Americans voted for accountability.
Is a second strike on Iran inevitable, and what would it change? Israeli Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi said Iran is planning to attack Israel, which is why Israel will need to strike first. “It is imminent,” Avivi told AIN. “There will be an attack on Iran.” Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), told AIN that Iran has been rapidly rebuilding its missile systems with Chinese and Russian assistance.
One of the reasons that the military operation to take Maduro went so flawlessly is because there were no leaks. The reason why there were no leaks, is because the Democrats were not briefed on it. Republican Congressman Tim Burchett of Tennessee talked about this in a video this morning, noting that if Democrats had been briefed, they would have run straight to the media and he is exactly right.
Former Colombian Ambassador to the U.S. Juan Carlos Pinzon discusses President Trump’s statement about the US running Venezuela and highlights the potential for a peaceful transition on ‘Fox Report.’ #fox #media #breakingnews #us #usa #new #news #breaking #foxnews #foxreport #politics #political #politicalnews #government #world #venezuela #latinamerica #trump #donaldtrump #dictatorship #foreignpo
President Donald Trump put Colombian President Gustavo Petro on notice during a Saturday press conference, where he also addressed the fallout from the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. The post ‘He Does Have to Watch His Ass’ — Trump Warns Colombia’s Petro Following Maduro’s Capture appeared first on Breitbart .
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., reacts to Democratic backlash over Nicolas Maduro’s capture and discusses what comes next for Venezuela and U.S. strategy in the region.
LIVE : Providence Baptist Church on RSBN- Sunday Morning Worship 12/28/25 Pastor Dr Rusty Sowell live from Providence Baptist Church in Beauregard, AL 1/4/26
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