Hi everyone. Have a good week.
Here are some interesting thoughts from the Torah portion on Jacob and Laban. I am sure you all familiar with it. Gen. 42:4 - 36: 43 Gleaned thoughts from the goat flock business between those two. Jacob needed wisdom to keep from being defrauded by his idol worshiping father-law, who really didn’t want Jacob to leave and return to Canaan. Verse 27: Laban said, “I have learned by divination that it is on your account that G-d has blessed me.”
We have these possibilities of a relationship with our Almighty beloved G-d, Redeemer, Creator. One - parent-child type relationship and the other Shepard-flock relationship.
In the parent-child, relationship we love G-d like a child loves a parent, a parental relationship with authority figure who gives me what I want. Tender loving feelings , yet with a sense of being completely independent.
In the Shepard-flock relationship we are simply not aware of ourselves as being an independent individual, that’s impossible, we are deeply connected, in a flock, to our Shepard.
Like sheep being led by a Shepherd, we become humble and self-effacing.

Nope!

In 48 hours, Navy officials will deliver a report on Mark Kelly to Pete Hegseth. Can you chip in to show you've got Mark's back? mark4az.org/l/AI4cC0

End2End

The 1989 NASA Clean Air Study shocked the air purifier industry. NASA proved that ordinary plants remove formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene more effectively than any industrial filters. A month later, the results were classified.

Dracaena marginata — removed 79% of formaldehyde from a sealed chamber in 24 hours. Also cleared benzene, xylene, and toluene. Banned from import in 47 countries as an "invasive species.

Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant) cleans 96% of carbon monoxide. One plant works like an expensive gas analyzer. Detector manufacturers lobbied for "fire-safety restrictions" on household plants.

Ficus benjamina absorbs formaldehyde from furniture and carpets better than industrial filters. Within 24 hours it eliminated 47% of trichloroethylene. Officially banned in many regions as "toxic to pets."

A colleague revealed: his wife, an allergist, secretly grows Aloe Vera in the hospital. NASA confirmed — it neutralizes formaldehyde and benzene by 87%. Official excuse: "requires special environmental control."

Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily) removes ammonia, acetone, and alcohol vapors. Outperformed carbon filters by 3x in lab tests. Banned in many offices under the pretext of "potential allergen risk."

English Ivy (Hedera helix) eliminates benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene — the same toxins released by plastics and synthetic materials. Try finding it freely sold today.

Chrysanthemum morifolium — NASA’s top benzene killer. Cleared 94% of a sealed test chamber in 6 hours. Retail excuse: "requires professional care."

Dracaena Janet Craig removes trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, and benzene by up to 84%. Grows up to 3 meters tall — can replace industrial air systems. Rarely found for sale.

Azalea destroys formaldehyde from new furniture. In 24 hours, toxin levels drop by 67%. Yet florists "don’t recommend" it for home use.

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) absorbs formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. NASA ranked it among the top 10 air-cleaning plants. Excuse: "too demanding for home environments."

I have gotten this a dozen times now, and sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. I get the feeling he’s in big trouble or he’s playing emotions and will run for office using money he raises. In any event not only NO! But HELL NO. I hope this guy falls flat dead on the ground and I think he may. Don’t believe “one last time”, he’s said that before.

“Mark Kelly here. I'm reaching out one last time because I don't see your name yet. Are you with me?

End2End”

The European globalist elites

Brethren, God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than ours (Isa. 55:9). Nothing in the world can compare to Him. Thus, even His foolishness is wiser than the wisdom of men, and men’s wisdom is as foolishness to Him (1 Cor. 3:19).

As such, He is able to use those things the world believes foolish to accomplish what He in His wisdom has ordained (1 Cor. 1:21).

Paul exhorts that we should consider our calling (1 Cor. 1:26). We you wise when He called? Noble? For God has chosen that which is foolish to shame the wise, that which is weak to shame the strong, and the base things of the world, those which are despised, so that no one has room for boasting (1 Cor. 1:27-29).

We are in Christ by His doing (1 Cor. 1:30), as Ephesians tells us, we were saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves, not according to any works we’ve done, so none of us may boast (Eph. 2:8-9).

Let us therefore be humble in our salvation, remembering the condition from which God lifted us when by His Spirit He called to us and drew us to Christ (Jn. 6:44). For like the world, we were dead in our sin, walking according to the ways of this world; but God, in His mercy, while we were yet dead in sin, made us alive together with Christ.

Be sure to spread this good news of God’s good work in you, and do so with humility, that others to whom God calls may also be drawn to Christ.

——————
Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, December 7

"Base things of the world hath God chosen." 1 Corinthians 1:28

Walk the streets by moonlight, if you dare, and you will see sinners then. Watch when the night is dark, and the wind is howling, and the picklock is grating in the door, and you will see sinners then. Go to yon jail, and walk through the wards, and mark the men with heavy over-hanging brows, men whom you would not like to meet at night, and there are sinners there. Go to the Reformatories, and note those who have betrayed a rampant juvenile depravity, and you will see sinners there. Go across the seas to the place where a man will gnaw a bone upon which is reeking human flesh, and there is a sinner there. Go where you will, you need not ransack earth to find sinners, for they are common enough; you may find them in every lane and street of every city, and town, and village, and hamlet. It is for such that Jesus died. If you will select me the grossest specimen of humanity, if he be but born of woman, I will have hope of him yet, because Jesus Christ is come to seek and to save sinners. Electing love has selected some of the worst to be made the best. Pebbles of the brook grace turns into jewels for the crown-royal. Worthless dross He transforms into pure gold. Redeeming love has set apart many of the worst of mankind to be the reward of the Saviour's passion. Effectual grace calls forth many of the vilest of the vile to sit at the table of mercy, and therefore let none despair.

Reader, by that love looking out of Jesus' tearful eyes, by that love streaming from those bleeding wounds, by that faithful love, that strong love, that pure, disinterested, and abiding love; by the heart and by the bowels of the Saviour's compassion, we conjure you turn not away as though it were nothing to you; but believe on Him and you shall be saved. Trust your soul with Him and He will bring you to His Father's right hand in glory everlasting.

"Oh no, I can't look, I need to believe what I've been told"

Label Aversion
https://terrylclark.substack.com/p/label-aversion?publication_id=934525&post_id=156006781&isFreemail=false&r=1maoyr&triedRedirect=true

Naval Lawyer Delivers a Kill Shot to the Left's Uproar Over Trump's Airstrikes on Narco-Terrorists
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2025/12/06/naval-lawyer-delivers-the-killshot-to-the-lefts-uproar-over-trumps-airstrikes-on-narco-terrorists-n2667485#google_vignette

Parents, time to have your children OUT of schools and homeschool yourself!
#WestVirginia again bans #religious reasons for #school #vaccine exemptions https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/west-virginia-bans-religious-reasons-school-vaccine-exemptions-128057752

Christian, survey yourself. You call yourself “Christian,” which once was a pejorative, but now is a self-applied appellation of faith. How often do you consider the implications of having laid claim to this title?

As Christians, we are called as His disciples not only to follow Christ and His teachings but also to reflect Christ Himself. For we were “predestined to become conformed to the image” of Christ (Rom. 8:29). According to Paul, we are as He is, for “as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly (1 Cor. 15:48).

Paul says this in a comparison of having been born in Adam to having been born in Christ (1 Cor. 15:47-48). We have been born in Christ, and therefore are “those who are heavenly.”

What then, Christian? Do you live as if still of Adam? Are you “earthy” instead of “heavenly”? Or have you been crucified with Christ, and now allow Him to live through you, living this life in the flesh by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself up for you (Gal. 2:20)?

Brethren, let us live as those worthy of the calling to which we have been called (Eph. 4:1), and be no longer conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2) that we may make known to this world the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:16).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, December 6

"As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." 1 Corinthians 15:48

The head and members are of one nature, and not like that monstrous image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. The head was of fine gold, but the belly and thighs were of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet, part of iron and part of clay. Christ's mystical body is no absurd combination of opposites; the members were mortal, and therefore Jesus died; the glorified head is immortal, and therefore the body is immortal too, for thus the record stands, "Because I live, ye shall live also." As is our loving Head, such is the body, and every member in particular. A chosen Head and chosen members; an accepted Head, and accepted members; a living Head, and living members. If the head be pure gold, all the parts of the body are of pure gold also. Thus is there a double union of nature as a basis for the closest communion. Pause here, devout reader, and see if thou canst without ecstatic amazement, contemplate the infinite condescension of the Son of God in thus exalting thy wretchedness into blessed union with His glory. Thou art so mean that in remembrance of thy mortality, thou mayest say to corruption, "Thou art my father," and to the worm, "Thou art my sister"; and yet in Christ thou art so honoured that thou canst say to the Almighty, "Abba, Father," and to the Incarnate God, "Thou art my brother and my husband." Surely if relationships to ancient and noble families make men think highly of themselves, we have whereof to glory over the heads of them all. Let the poorest and most despised believer lay hold upon this privilege; let not a senseless indolence make him negligent to trace his pedigree, and let him suffer no foolish attachment to present vanities to occupy his thoughts to the exclusion of this glorious, this heavenly honour of union with Christ.

Luke
Chapter 12
VS 31-59

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

54 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

57 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

58 When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

In Revelation, we read of four angels who hold back the winds, and to whom power has been given to harm both earth and sea. Yet they are told to wait until God’s people have been sealed (Rev. 7:1-3).

At the appointed time, these angels are released not only to harm the earth and sea, but to kill one third of mankind (Rev. 9:14-15). Even after this, those remaining would not repent of their evil (Rev. 9:20-21).

Zechariah foresaw this. In Zechariah chapter one, he is shown four horns which represented powers that had come against God’s people; after this, he records of his vision, “Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen” (Zech. 1:20). These “craftsmen” come to terrify and throw down the “horns” which had come against God’s people.

Believer, how blessed are we to know Christ, to have repented and turned from our sin? Yet this is not our own doing, but His. God saved us, not on the basis of anything we had done, but according to His mercy (Tit. 3:5) which He offers to whom He pleases (Rom. 9:15). And He will preserve us for that day, just as is said in Revelation.

Therefore, heed the words of Zechariah: Sing for joy and be glad! For the Lord is coming and will dwell in our midst! (Zech. 2:10).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, December 5

"And the Lord shewed me four carpenters." Zechariah 1:20

In the vision described in this chapter, the prophet saw four terrible horns. They were pushing this way and that way, dashing down the strongest and the mightiest; and the prophet asked, "What are these?" The answer was, "These are the horns which have scattered Israel." He saw before him a representation of those powers which had oppressed the church of God. There were four horns; for the church is attacked from all quarters. Well might the prophet have felt dismayed; but on a sudden there appeared before him four carpenters. He asked, "What shall these do?" These are the men whom God hath found to break those horns in pieces. God will always find men for His work, and He will find them at the right time. The prophet did not see the carpenters first, when there was nothing to do, but first the "horns," and then the "carpenters." Moreover, the Lord finds enough men. He did not find three carpenters, but four"; there were four horns, and there must be four workmen. God finds the right men"; not four men with pens to write; not four architects to draw plans; but four carpenters to do rough work. Rest assured, you who tremble for the ark of God, that when the "horns" grow troublesome, the "carpenters" will be found. You need not fret concerning the weakness of the church of God at any moment; there may be growing up in obscurity the valiant reformer who will shake the nations: Chrysostoms may come forth from our Ragged Schools, and Augustines from the thickest darkness of London's poverty. The Lord knows where to find His servants. He hath in ambush a multitude of mighty men, and at His word they shall start up to the battle; "for the battle is the Lord's," and He shall get to Himself the victory. Let us abide faithful to Christ, and He, in the right time, will raise up for us a defence, whether it be in the day of our personal need, or in the season of peril to His Church.

LUKE
CHAPTER 11
VS 1-29
1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.

15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.

18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

The only difference between the Nazi party of Germany under Hitler and the leftist Nazis of today is that the Nazi party was the reigning power in Germany and so was able to carry out their persecution of Jews and political and religious dissenters virtually unchecked and unchallenged.

The Nazis of this generation, fortunately, are not presently the reigning power in our nation and therefore cannot carry out a reign of terror unchecked and unchallenged but the Trump administration needs to take action and very soon.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/03/today_s_real_nazis_are_in_america_but_they_re_not_who_you_think_kristallnacht_musk_2025.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJJDaxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHd-BoF2z-6NSe5EVCweF8orpsgL5ZDmBzhN-KeHjNqEmUCtaWOgx7kaJFA_aem_lH6jJHzqu7KRHjmkdFbFeQ

Brethren, are you in need? In need of what? God promises to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ (Phil. 4:19). If anyone has need, all we need to is ask. For Scripture says, “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Mt. 7:7).

Why then do we do without? Perhaps we doubt the promise. James tells us we “must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (Jas. 1:6-7).

Perhaps we confuse “need” with “want.” Such lusts can lead us to trouble. God promises to give “what is good”, meaning, that which is good for us, just as any good parent would (Mt. 7:11 - Luke relates this to the Holy Spirit in Lk. 11:13). But when we ask for our fleshly desires, why should we expect our Father to acquiesce? As James exhorts, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (Jas 4:3).

Let us remember, Jesus told us not to store up here treasures for ourselves (Mt. 6:19). Instead, we are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and our needs will be met (Mt. 6:33).

Do not seek after worldly wealth. For such perishes, and those who lust after it pierce themselves with many griefs (1 Ti. 6:9-10). No, let us see our needs, and His desires. “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (1 Tim. 6:7-8).

Yes, let us be content, so long as we have our needs met, and when we have needs, let us ask, “for everyone who asks receives” (Mt.7:8).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, December 5

"Ask, and it shall be given you." Matthew 7:7

We know of a place in England still existing, where a dole of bread is served to every passerby who chooses to ask for it. Whoever the traveller may be, he has but to knock at the door of St. Cross Hospital, and there is the dole of bread for him. Jesus Christ so loveth sinners that He has built a St. Cross Hospital, so that whenever a sinner is hungry, he has but to knock and have his wants supplied. Nay, He has done better; He has attached to this Hospital of the Cross a bath; and whenever a soul is black and filthy, it has but to go there and be washed. The fountain is always full, always efficacious. No sinner ever went into it and found that it could not wash away his stains. Sins which were scarlet and crimson have all disappeared, and the sinner has been whiter than snow. As if this were not enough, there is attached to this Hospital of the Cross a wardrobe, and a sinner making application simply as a sinner, may be clothed from head to foot; and if he wishes to be a soldier, he may not merely have a garment for ordinary wear, but armour which shall cover him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. If he asks for a sword, he shall have that given to him, and a shield too. Nothing that is good for him shall be denied him. He shall have spending-money so long as he lives, and he shall have an eternal heritage of glorious treasure when he enters into the joy of his Lord.

If all these things are to be had by merely knocking at mercy's door, O my soul, knock hard this morning, and ask large things of thy generous Lord. Leave not the throne of grace till all thy wants have been spread before the Lord, and until by faith thou hast a comfortable prospect that they shall be all supplied. No bashfulness need retard when Jesus invites. No unbelief should hinder when Jesus promises. No cold-heartedness should restrain when such blessings are to be obtained.

I thought this was very interesting and a good reason to be optimistic and a realist at the same time

Help Out of Nowhere
King David prayed with these words: “I lift my eyes to the mountains, from whence will come my help?”

The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of righteous memory, once explained: The words “from whence” can also be translated as “from nothingness”—meaning that there is nothing in existence that could possibly help.

But then, David continues, “My help is from G‑d, maker of heaven and earth.” Beyond existence.

You see people believe that only fools are optimists. But the opposite is true. Precisely because we understand how desperate the situation really is, how helpless we are and how impossible the challenge, that itself tells us how great a G‑d we have—a G‑d who can lift us high beyond the natural order and transform the most ominous darkness to brilliant good.

The greater a realist you are, the greater your joy.

If these people knew and allowed it anyway ... it's called a conspiracy.

"This is a crime against humanity.

And yet to this day phthalates continue to be used in food manufacturing facilities all across America…

“You have hoses that are loaded with phthalates, you have plastic tanks that stuff is stored in, you have pumps that are plastic — that’s where you get a lot of phthalates,” said Tom Neltner, a longtime chemical campaigner and chemical engineer who worked in food manufacturing.

The American Chemistry Council said FDA has approved using certain phthalates in food-contact applications like tubing, conveyor belts and vinyl gloves, concluding that dietary exposures do not exceed safe levels.

“The leadership in FDA, both political and the senior career leadership, for decades in the food safety space, didn’t think chemicals merited much attention,” said Jim Jones, who was brought in as a deputy commissioner to overhaul food safety at the agency in 2023 after a career at EPA.

By allowing them to do this to us, we are literally committing societal suicide.

But most people that will read this article will forget all about it by next week.

Of course they are poisoning and killing us in dozens of other ways as well.

What will it take for the general population to finally wake up?

They are destroying humanity and everything around us, and someday they will be held accountable.

But for now, most of the population just continues to pretend that everything is just fine.

Meanwhile, the agenda of the global elite continues to march forward, and they are absolutely thrilled that birth rates continue to fall all over the globe."

https://endoftheamericandream.com/this-is-one-of-the-primary-tools-that-the-elite-are-using-to-force-fertility-rates-down-all-over-the-globe/

Christian, do you suffer with physical difficulties? Illness? Injury? Disability? This should come as no surprise - we live in a fallen world, inhabiting corruptible bodies.

Paul describes this fallen world as follows: “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:19-21).

One day, the world shall be set free from its corruption; until then, it waits and degrades, as do we. As Paul continues, “even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:23).

Paul himself suffered with an issue that most believe to be a physical impairment, as Paul describes in 2 Cor. 12 his “thorn in the flesh” that tormented him in order to keep him humble. Timothy suffered “frequent ailments”, and Paul instructed him to drink wine for relief (1 Tim. 5:23). Neither was healed in this life.

The promise for us, that to which we look forward, for which we wait eagerly, is “our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:23). Let us then when not healed, as did Paul, recognize that in our weakness God is shown to be strong and the power of Christ is able to dwell in us (2 Cor. 12:9). For when we are weak, then we are strong (2 Cor. 12:10).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, December 4

"Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Romans 8:23

This groaning is universal among the saints: to a greater or less extent we all feel it. It is not the groan of murmuring or complaint: it is rather the note of desire than of distress. Having received an earnest, we desire the whole of our portion; we are sighing that our entire manhood, in its trinity of spirit, soul, and body, may be set free from the last vestige of the fall; we long to put off corruption, weakness, and dishonour, and to wrap ourselves in incorruption, in immortality, in glory, in the spiritual body which the Lord Jesus will bestow upon His people. We long for the manifestation of our adoption as the children of God. "We groan," but it is "within ourselves." It is not the hypocrite's groan, by which he would make men believe that he is a saint because he is wretched. Our sighs are sacred things, too hallowed for us to tell abroad. We keep our longings to our Lord alone. Then the apostle says we are "waiting", by which we learn that we are not to be petulant, like Jonah or Elijah, when they said, "Let me die"; nor are we to whimper and sigh for the end of life because we are tired of work, nor wish to escape from our present sufferings till the will of the Lord is done. We are to groan for glorification, but we are to wait patiently for it, knowing that what the Lord appoints is best. Waiting implies being ready. We are to stand at the door expecting the Beloved to open it and take us away to Himself. This "groaning" is a test. You may judge of a man by what he groans after. Some men groan after wealth- they worship Mammon; some groan continually under the troubles of life- they are merely impatient; but the man who sighs after God, who is uneasy till he is made like Christ, that is the blessed man. May God help us to groan for the coming of the Lord, and the resurrection which He will bring to us.

U.S. #Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
rules #USDA erred in excluding certain #GMO foods from labeling requirements https://naturalblaze.com/2025/12/appeals-court-rules-usda-erred-in-excluding-certain-gmo-foods-from-labeling-requirements.html