Jeremiah
Chapter 6

1 O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.

2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.

3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.

4 Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.

6 For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.

8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.

10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.

12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.

13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.

19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.

21 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.

22 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.

23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.

24 We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.

26 O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.

28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.

29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.

30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

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Isaiah
Chapter 64

1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!

3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

9 Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.

12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?

Isaiah
Chapter 62

1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.

10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

Walz prepares Minnesota Nat’l Guard for possible deployment following ICE shooting, says state is ‘at war’ with the federal government
https://www.oann.com/newsroom/walz-prepares-minnesota-natl-guard-for-possible-deployment-following-ice-shooting-says-state-is-at-war-with-the-federal-government/

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
‭‭Ezra‬ ‭7‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/ezr.7.10.NKJV
What Ezra worked on in his life is my goal as well. And may it be the goal in every Bible student’s life, particularly those who preach and teach God’s word.

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In the beginning, after God created the heavens and the earth, all was dark and He said, “let there be light,” and light shone in the darkness (Gen. 1:3; cf. Jn. 1:5). Seeing that the light was good, He separated the light from the darkness (Gen. 1:4).

From the very beginning, God separated that which He called “good” from that which He did not. Likewise, in the day of His coming, He will separate the sheep to His right and the goats to His left. To the sheep on His right He will say, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Mt. 25:34). To the goats on His left He will say, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:41).

Oh how blessed to be counted among His sheep! How wonderful to be ushered into His kingdom, a kingdom prepared for us “from the foundation of the world!” He knew us before time existed, and for us set a place at His table.

Take time today to give thanks and praise Him for His glorious mercy by which He has saved us. For we all like sheep had gone astray, but God caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Jesus (Isa. 53:6) so that, by Jesus bearing our sins on the cross, we would be returned to our Shepherd (1 Pet. 2:24-25).

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

Morning, January 5

"And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness." Genesis 1:4

Light might well be good since it sprang from that fiat of goodness, "Let there be light." We who enjoy it should be more grateful for it than we are, and see more of God in it and by it. Light physical is said by Solomon to be sweet, but gospel light is infinitely more precious, for it reveals eternal things, and ministers to our immortal natures. When the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual light, and opens our eyes to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, we behold sin in its true colours, and ourselves in our real position; we see the Most Holy God as He reveals Himself, the plan of mercy as He propounds it, and the world to come as the Word describes it. Spiritual light has many beams and prismatic colours, but whether they be knowledge, joy, holiness, or life, all are divinely good. If the light received be thus good, what must the essential light be, and how glorious must be the place where He reveals Himself. O Lord, since light is so good, give us more of it, and more of Thyself, the true light.

No sooner is there a good thing in the world, than a division is necessary. Light and darkness have no communion; God has divided them, let us not confound them. Sons of light must not have fellowship with deeds, doctrines, or deceits of darkness. The children of the day must be sober, honest, and bold in their Lord's work, leaving the works of darkness to those who shall dwell in it for ever. Our Churches should by discipline divide the light from the darkness, and we should by our distinct separation from the world do the same. In judgment, in action, in hearing, in teaching, in association, we must discern between the precious and the vile, and maintain the great distinction which the Lord made upon the world's first day. O Lord Jesus, be Thou our light throughout the whole of this day, for Thy light is the light of men.

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Responding to a post on Substack a blogging Christian posted about the killing of Christians in Nigeria asking fellow Christians, “Where is the outrage? My response: Where is the outrage you ask?
Safe and warm, sheltered, far away complacency happens.
With a new administration at the helm, the atmosphere in the US has become more conducive to caring about others. Unfortunately it also pricks bleeding hearts who have a fit about lawbreakers having to face consequences. Victim mentality out of balance.

We Jews have a different philosophical take on it, having been a hated and persecuted people for centuries.
The N.T. says Christians through Faith are now grafted into that branch which is Israel. So we say, “Welcome to the club.” We have warned you, you are next.
No self pity allowed, because of the Biblical truth sometimes G-d uses evil people as His Sword. G-d rains, or reigns, on the just and unjust alike. Even being innocent and on the side of the innocents we get caught in the cross Fire of His chastisements. That’s just the way the world is without the Messiah reigning as the King - reigning in person over the world.
So we say often: G-d was King, G-d is King, G-d will be King. We need Mosheich NOW! Even knowing when the Messiah arrives in person the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d - the Lord our G-d Who is One, we get conflicted to do whatever we can personally to heal and change the world. Are we very good at that? - No. We have among us those who get involved in the wrong causes, support the wrong people. Yet we have a Faith that G-d will avenge the bloodshed of ALL His servants, so we pray, trust and wait, but NOT with an expectation we will somehow be protected. Does that mean we don’t care? Of course we do! We are called to do whatever is necessary to not stand complacently by the shed blood of our neighbors. We believe despite the unchecked lawlessness we see in the world G-d is at work and whatever good we can do, good deeds, - loving our fellow human beings as we love ourselves is the work of the “spirit of Elijah” to prepare a path for the Messiah to arrive. Everything we do is to be done for the sake of Heaven. In that process of saying no or our own selfishness, can mean really being murdered. G-d’s enemy does his best to keep us distracted by fighting amongst ourselves, keeping the big picture from being seen. That’s the root cause of not being outraged.

Jesus spoke on multiple occasions of providing water to those who thirst. He did so with the woman at the well, and later, on the last day of the Feast of Booths, a day of holy convocation for the Jews.

He called out, “if anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (Jn. 7:37). However, He was not offering a cup of liquid lifted by bucket from a hole in the ground. His teaching was of providing the Holy Spirit to those who believe. As He continued, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’” (Jn. 7:38).

Dear believer, His Spirit dwells in you (1 Cor. 3:16). You need not thirst, because rivers of living water flow from within you. Drink deep of His Spirit and be filled. Likewise, spread His gospel that others may also enjoy the living water.

A new year is upon us; it is a time of renewing. Drink and thirst no more, and give drink to others. Be refreshed yourself by His Spirit within you, and bring renewal to others by preaching the kingdom.

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

Morning, December 31

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink." John 7:37

Patience had her perfect work in the Lord Jesus, and until the last day of the feast He pleaded with the Jews, even as on this last day of the year He pleads with us, and waits to be gracious to us. Admirable indeed is the longsuffering of the Saviour in bearing with some of us year after year, notwithstanding our provocations, rebellions, and resistance of His Holy Spirit. Wonder of wonders that we are still in the land of mercy!

Pity expressed herself most plainly, for Jesus cried,which implies not only the loudness of His voice, but the tenderness of His tones. He entreats us to be reconciled. "We pray you," says the Apostle, "as though God did beseech you by us." What earnest, pathetic terms are these! How deep must be the love which makes the Lord weep over sinners, and like a mother woo His children to His bosom! Surely at the call of such a cry our willing hearts will come.

Provision is made most plenteously"; all is provided that man can need to quench his soul's thirst. To his conscience the atonement brings peace; to his understanding the gospel brings the richest instruction; to his heart the person of Jesus is the noblest object of affection; to the whole man the truth as it is in Jesus supplies the purest nutriment. Thirst is terrible, but Jesus can remove it. Though the soul were utterly famished, Jesus could restore it.

Proclamation is made most freely, that every thirsty one is welcome. No other distinction is made but that of thirst. Whether it be the thirst of avarice, ambition, pleasure, knowledge, or rest, he who suffers from it is invited. The thirst may be bad in itself, and be no sign of grace, but rather a mark of inordinate sin longing to be gratified with deeper draughts of lust; but it is not goodness in the creature which brings him the invitation, the Lord Jesus sends it freely, and without respect of persons.

Personality is declared most fully. The sinner must come to Jesus, not to works, ordinances, or doctrines, but to a personal Redeemer, who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree. The bleeding, dying, rising Saviour, is the only star of hope to a sinner. Oh for grace to come now and drink, ere the sun sets upon the year's last day!

No waiting or preparation is so much as hinted at. Drinking represents a reception for which no fitness is required. A fool, a thief, a harlot can drink; and so sinfulness of character is no bar to the invitation to believe in Jesus. We want no golden cup, no bejewelled chalice, in which to convey the water to the thirsty; the mouth of poverty is welcome to stoop down and quaff the flowing flood. Blistered, leprous, filthy lips may touch the stream of divine love; they cannot pollute it, but shall themselves be purified. Jesus is the fount of hope. Dear reader, hear the dear Redeemer's loving voice as He cries to each of us,

"IF ANY MAN THIRST,
LET HIM
COME UNTO ME
AND DRINK."

This is a post from Allen Washburn, faithful pastor, North Carolinian and contributor at The Blaze Media:

MAJOR LAW & TAX CHANGES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026 — WHAT NORTH CAROLINIANS NEED TO KNOW

As we enter 2026, several new North Carolina laws and policies take effect, along with federal tax adjustments and provisions from recent legislation.

North Carolina — Key New Laws Effective Jan. 1, 2026

Taxes
• Individual income tax rate reduces to a flat **3.99%** (from 4.25% in 2025)

Schools & Families
• State statutes and policies officially recognize only two biological sexes (male and female)
• Public schools must adopt policies restricting overnight sleeping quarters on school-sponsored trips/events to biological sex (exceptions for family members or with written parental consent for all involved students)
• Parents gain expanded ability to review and restrict library materials for their own children
• Students may be excused from classroom activities conflicting with sincerely held religious beliefs (alternative assignment required)

Healthcare
• North Carolina joins the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, streamlining licensing for physicians and improving access to care
• Internationally trained doctors and physician assistants can more easily apply for NC licenses

Estates & Probate
• Attorneys may retain electronic originals of wills
• Certified copies of wills can be used in probate proceedings if the original is lost

Investments & Pensions
• New independent North Carolina Investment Authority assumes management of state investments, including teacher and public employee retirement funds

Public Safety (Private Schools)
• Certain private school staff/volunteers may carry concealed handguns or stun guns on campus with school approval and proper permits (effective earlier in some cases)

⸻

Federal Tax Changes & Provisions for 2026 (Tax Year 2026, Filed in 2027)

Note: Many provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 2025) apply starting in tax year 2025 (filed in 2026), with ongoing effects.

Income & Deductions
• Standard deduction increases (inflation-adjusted):
– **$32,200** married filing jointly
– **$16,100** single or married filing separately
– **$24,150** head of household
• Additional deduction for seniors (age 65+): Up to $6,000 extra (2025–2028)
• New above-the-line deductions (2025–2028):
– Up to **$25,000** in qualified tips (phases out at higher incomes)
– Up to **$12,500** in qualified overtime premium pay (phases out at higher incomes)

Families & Children
• Child Tax Credit: Up to **$2,200** per qualifying child (with partial refundability)
• New "Trump Accounts": Tax-advantaged savings for children under 18
– $1,000 one-time federal seed for eligible U.S. citizen newborns (born 2025–2028)
– Annual family contributions up to $5,000
– Tax-deferred growth in broad market index; full access at age 18
– Some qualifying areas receive additional private contributions (e.g., $250 in certain ZIP codes)

Estates & Gifts
• Lifetime estate/gift tax exemption: **$15 million** per person (inflation-adjusted going forward; $30 million for couples)

Business & Other
• Standard mileage rate: **72.5 cents** per mile
• Expanded employer-provided childcare tax credit (up to $500,000–$600,000 for qualifying businesses)

⸻

These changes—whether you agree with them or not—will impact taxes, schools, healthcare, and more starting in 2026.

Share this summary so North Carolinians stay informed and prepared! Always consult a tax professional or attorney for personal advice.

Dear brethren, do you groan within yourself, eagerly awaiting our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23)? It is well you do. Let us have the confidence of Paul that God, having begun a good work in you, will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6).

As Solomon asserts in Ecclesiastes, “the end of a matter is better than its beginning” (Ecc. 7:8).

Yes! While we are blessed to have been called, humbled to be among the elect, our life in these tents is fraught with tribulation. Yet our trials here cannot compare to what God has prepared for us (1 Cor. 2:9). And such should be our focus, remembering that nothing can separate us from God’s love for us (Rom. 8:38), and that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us so He can come to take us to be with Him (Jn. 14:2-3).

Let us rejoice in this knowledge that, in the twinkling of an eye, we will be changed; we will put off this corruptible flesh and be clothed with incorruptible bodies (1 Cor. 15:52-54). Then we will go to be with Him forever, where there will no longer be pain nor tear, no illness or death, where God will be our temple and our sun; and indeed, the end of the salvation God wrought in Christ for us will be even better than the beginning!

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

Morning, December 30

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof." Ecclesiastes 7:8

Look at David's Lord and Master; see His beginning. He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Would you see the end? He sits at His Father's right hand, expecting until His enemies be made his footstool. "As He is, so are we also in this world." You must bear the cross, or you shall never wear the crown; you must wade through the mire, or you shall never walk the golden pavement. Cheer up, then, poor Christian. "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof." See that creeping worm, how contemptible its appearance! It is the beginning of a thing. Mark that insect with gorgeous wings, playing in the sunbeams, sipping at the flower bells, full of happiness and life; that is the end thereof. That caterpillar is yourself, until you are wrapped up in the chrysalis of death; but when Christ shall appear you shall be like Him, for you shall see Him as He is. Be content to be like Him, a worm and no man, that like Him you may be satisfied when you wake up in His likeness. That rough-looking diamond is put upon the wheel of the lapidary. He cuts it on all sides. It loses much- much that seemed costly to itself. The king is crowned; the diadem is put upon the monarch's head with trumpet's joyful sound. A glittering ray flashes from that coronet, and it beams from that very diamond which was just now so sorely vexed by the lapidary. You may venture to compare yourself to such a diamond, for you are one of God's people; and this is the time of the cutting process. Let faith and patience have their perfect work, for in the day when the crown shall be set upon the head of the King, Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, one ray of glory shall stream from you. "They shall be Mine," saith the Lord, "in the day when I make up My jewels." "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof."

Christian, is Christ living through you? Can you say with Paul, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20)?

It seems so easy to receive Christ, yet allowing Christ to live through us means difficulty. We will face tribulation; so said Christ (Jn. 16:33). Such trials should not drag us down, but build us up. If we are joyful in them, remembering that such trials bring growth (Jas. 1:2-4).

This is what it means to live our lives by faith in the Son of God (Gal. 2:20). Our circumstances do not rule us; we see beyond them. Our circumstances do not rob us of joy; our joy overcomes them. Our circumstances to not determine our responses; we look in faith to the One who bought us, and we allow Him to work through us regardless of the situation.

If we are to live by faith, our perspective must be an eternal one. Our focus must not be on the here and now, but on our destination. Thus we forget what is past and press on toward the goal (Phil. 3:13). We set our sights on our heavenly home, and we store up our treasures there.

This is how the giants of the faith listed in Hebrews 11 live their lives, recognizing that they were sojourners here, that this is not our permanent home. And so this is how we should live this life in the flesh, by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself up for us (Gal. 2:20).

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

Morning, December 28

"The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." Galatians 2:20

When the Lord in mercy passed by and saw us in our blood, He first of all said, "Live"; and this He did first, because life is one of the absolutely essential things in spiritual matters, and until it be bestowed we are incapable of partaking in the things of the kingdom. Now the life which grace confers upon the saints at the moment of their quickening is none other than the life of Christ, which, like the sap from the stem, runs into us, the branches, and establishes a living connection between our souls and Jesus. Faith is the grace which perceives this union, having proceeded from it as its firstfruit. It is the neck which joins the body of the Church to its all-glorious Head.

Oh Faith! thou bond of union with the Lord,
Is not this office thine? and thy fit name,
In the economy of gospel types,
And symbols apposite- the Church's neck;
Identifying her in will and work
With Him ascended?

Faith lays hold upon the Lord Jesus with a firm and determined grasp. She knows His excellence and worth, and no temptation can induce her to repose her trust elsewhere; and Christ Jesus is so delighted with this heavenly grace, that He never ceases to strengthen and sustain her by the loving embrace and all-sufficient support of His eternal arms. Here, then, is established a living, sensible, and delightful union which casts forth streams of love, confidence, sympathy, complacency, and joy, whereof both the bride and bridegroom love to drink. When the soul can evidently perceive this oneness between itself and Christ, the pulse may be felt as beating for both, and the one blood as flowing through the veins of each. Then is the heart as near heaven as it can be on earth, and is prepared for the enjoyment of the most sublime and spiritual kind of fellowship.

New Lawsuit Could Upend #PREP Act & #CICP - The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, along with its Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP) that was passed in 2005, have wreaked havoc on the American Public. The PREP Act provided immunity from liability for harm caused by a countermeasure to manufacturers of these products, administrators of these products, as well as other entities. The CICP was created under the PREP Act to compensate individuals injured by these countermeasures. #covid #covid19 https://thewashingtonstandard.com/new-lawsuit-could-upend-prep-act-cicp/

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Isaiah
Chapter 21

1 The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

7 And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

8 And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

9 And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

10 O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

13 The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.

14 The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.

15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:

17 And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.

Believer, how do you respond to sin? Not that of others, but your own? Are you afflicted deeply with sorrow? Or are you more like the Pharisees, making a show of your repentance while remaining unchanged?

The “religious” among us would, as did many in Scripture, rend their garments when confronted with sin or injustice. Yet this outward act was matched by neither inward grief nor change. This is not what God desires.

God wants people with a changed heart, people mournful of misdoings, not those who would signal misery on the outside while remaining unchanged. For God says through the prophet, “rend your heart and not your garments” (Joel 2:13). God wants a people who are broken by sin, not who wallow in it.

And when we truly repent, if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins, and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9).

Brethren, examine your heart today. Are you truly repentant? Do you despise sin as He does? Or do you rather justify yourself, making an outward show of seeking forgiveness, but having your heart untouched?

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

Morning, December 18

"Rend your heart, and not your garments." Joel 2:13

Garment-rendering and other outward signs of religious emotion, are easily manifested and are frequently hypocritical"; but to feel true repentance is far more difficult, and consequently far less common. Men will attend to the most multiplied and minute ceremonial regulations- for such things are pleasing to the flesh- but true religion is too humbling, too heart-searching, too thorough for the tastes of the carnal men; they prefer something more ostentatious, flimsy, and worldly. Outward observances are temporarily comfortable"; eye and ear are pleased; self-conceit is fed, and self-righteousness is puffed up: but they are ultimately delusive, for in the article of death, and at the day of judgment, the soul needs something more substantial than ceremonies and rituals to lean upon. Apart from vital godliness all religion is utterly vain; offered without a sincere heart, every form of worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery of the majesty of heaven.

HEART-RENDING is divinely wrought and solemnly felt. It is a secret grief which is personally experienced, not in mere form, but as a deep, soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the inmost heart of each believer. It is not a matter to be merely talked of and believed in, but keenly and sensitively felt in every living child of the living God. It is powerfully humiliating, and completely sin-purging; but then it is sweetly preparative for those gracious consolations which proud unhumbled spirits are unable to receive; and it is distinctly discriminating, for it belongs to the elect of God, and to them alone.
The text commands us to rend our hearts, but they are naturally hard as marble: how, then, can this be done? We must take them to Calvary: a dying Saviour's voice rent the rocks once, and it is as powerful now. O blessed Spirit, let us hear the death-cries of Jesus, and our hearts shall be rent even as men rend their vestures in the day of lamentation.

Isaiah
Chapter 14

1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

2 And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

3 And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

5 The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

6 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

18 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.

19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

22 For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

23 I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.

24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

25 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.

26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.

29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

30 And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.

31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

Here is an explanation of what the Hebrew Shabbat or Sabbath is all about. In case you would like to see it from another perspective besides - oh - that’s just their religious thing.
Lol. It’s really not about a religious obedience thing. It’s about HOPE.
In the beginning of creation according to Genesis in the Bible - all life was related and intertwined, and the crown of physical creation was, is humankind. Everyone shared the ultimate dignity of being created in the image of G-d. This world was originally meant to be a paradise. Something else happened when a snake entered the scene and convinced a human being to forgo service of others and only promote what you want for yourself. Forget this, all people are valuable, and use resources only for yourself. So what happened? Humankind believed the lies of the snake and took a different direction. The gates to paradise closed.

Creation happened within time, not within space alone. Time was involved. G-d created the world in 6 days (a metaphor of course) and rested on the 7th day. Then told his humankind to follow suit. Rest on the 7th day too and I your G-d will refresh you. Refresh us from what? From now living in a world that operates without peace. Wars, competition for resources, where before we closed the gates to paradise we had abundant resources and an untrammeled right to life with the world structured to sustain the infinite value of the human being.

Jews have suffered explosion, persecution and destruction because of all the lies believed about them.

Shabbat draws us back to believe paradise can be returned, with a hope in a redemptive fulfillment that will return humankind back to loving G-d and their neighbors in way that recovers the abundance the earth offers making life a good thing for everyone, not just the Jews.
The idea behind Shabbat- a day of rest from all kinds of working to get needs meant, from all media and the news. Phones turned off. Meals and everything else prepared ahead of time so a true rest from the cultural demands can happen. Then we get together with each other and celebrate our value, looking to our hope.

The idea behind observing Shabbat is to remember our original creation that G-d spoke into existence. Now living in a world of paradise lost, we get to create a day of remembrance and that gives us hope that what has been lost, when humanity grows up G-d will return. The Messiah will arrive and the value of a human being will be restored as all the earth and everyone on it will be able to understand G-d’s original plan, get to know G-d as the earth will be filled with the knowledge of our benevolent Creator.
Shabbat is Judaism’s central attempt to inject Hope into life. To find a way to live dialectically, accepting the world, affirming its sanctity, participating in it fully and enjoy it. Jew’s have become the prophets of permanent descent because our Biblical faith is a permanent revolution. A revolution that is moving in ceaseless steps towards justice and a messianic fulfillment.
Shabbat keeps us from a permanent dissent leading us to being sour and cynical. For dwelling on the “not yet” can rob every present moment of its intrinsic value.
Through total immersion in the Shabbat experience, Jews renew the hope and live the reality of a redeemed world in our now. There is no work to be done, no deprivation, no anxiety or bad news. The world does not yet exist in space but in time so on the 7th day we step out of time and enter a perfect world for a night and a day. As time travelers we create a reality that makes it possible for us to absorb true values and be renewed. G-d knows the end of a thing before its beginning and when G-d says take a 7th day rest He is challenging us to be in His rest of His work completed though we haven’t seen the “end” yet. It is there. We are waiting in anticipation for it. Everything G-d accomplished in person as our Messiah is on its way to fulfillment and our Messiah will arrive/ return when it is time for Him to do so. When looking outside of time the end of the beginning is seen and yes, G-d is still at work in the world accomplishing His Word while in His Throne room outside of time He says take a day of rest and know you will eventually see it had all been done. completed. It’s a gift we can experience in our now. Adapted from Rabbi Irving Greenberg’s book -“The Jewish way to living the Holidays.”