Making Earth Great Again  

 Psalm 47

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great king over all the earth!

He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet.

He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.

Sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.

God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.

The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham,

for the kings (or shields) of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.  

~ ~ ~

This sounds like the millennial age, 
to follow the tribulation and Satan's confinement. 

Deceptive Philosophy     

   Following yesterday's focus on the Messiah/Christ, today we learn from Bible commentary a description of what Paul called "hollow and deceptive philosophy" (Colossians 2:8).  

   It's called "secular humanism" - humans operating independently of God. 

   This is the "religion" of most secular education, government and society, and most of the news and entertainment media around the world.

~ ~ ~ 

• It teaches that everything is in its present form by impersonal chance
• That humans are the product of a chance process of evolution
• That belief in a personal, infinite God is foolish

• That knowledge exists only by human discovery, and that human reason determines the ethics of society 

• That to improve human behavior, only education, economic redistribution, psychology and human wisdom are useful
• That moral standards are not absolute, but determined by what seems good to society as determined by its leaders

• That human self-fulfillment and satisfaction are the highest good
• That people should cope with death and difficulties without belief in or dependence on God 

• Humanism began with Satan and his lie that humans can be like God; Scripture identifies humanists as those who have "exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator" (Romans 1:25)

   See also:
     Romans 1:28-32;  2 Corinthians 10:4-5;  2 Timothy 3:1-10;  Jude 3-20

 No. 3   
The Supremacy of Christ     

Ben Shapiro

   We are impressed with Shapiro's career and courage. He articulates conservative values better than most anyone. 

   However, there is one view we see differently.

   Shapiro explains: "My own view of Jesus...as is Judaism's, is that God does not take human form. ...it makes more sense to me that you take responsibility for your own sins, as opposed to Jesus dying for your sins. In Judaism, you're constantly atoning for your own sins. I'm works-based; Christianity is largely grace-based." 

   So, Ben Shapiro combines scripture and reason to defend Western Civilization, but he relies on reason alone to explain and prove his "faith." True, America especially, among nations, has biblical principles in its origin. 

   But, see 1 John, chapter 5 - for faith, not based on reason. Jesus did not die for Western Civilization, but suffered to offer salvation to the world. Blessings primarily are spiritual, and therefore eternal. 

   Hebrew prophecies and other writings are quoted frequently by - mostly Jewish -New Testament writers. In Christ, the two become one. 

   Christians also battle sin. We are saved by grace, but warned throughout to kill the ungodly desires of human nature, and to reject the principles of this dark world, or else! Let's just consider the following - though it's beyond reason, and it wasn't written in the West:  

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, 

visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; 

all things were created by him and for him.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church; 

he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, 

so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 

and through him to reconcile to himself all things, 

whether things on earth or things in heaven, 

by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-20  NIV

 No. 2   

Ben Shapiro

Running on Fumes     

   "It's the end of 200 years of ripping away Judeo-Christian religion - and then secular humanism eating itself," Shapiro explained in his WORLD magazine interview. 

   "Western Civilization, based on faith and reason (forms) the idea that you have to use reason to pursue the purpose that God has ordained for you, under the rules he has established." 

   "Nineteenth-century European philosophers said we don't need Christianity anymore; we'll just use reason. Then...reason ate itself," Shapiro said.

   "Secular humanism says rationality can make worthwhile rules...but we're just wandering around the universe for no reason. If that's the case, there is no purpose to reason, so why should we build a society according to it?" Shapiro asks. 

   "We aimlessly wander around according to our passions, running off the fumes of Judeo-Christian principles. The tank is beginning to reach empty in America," he says, adding that "Europe has been empty for awhile and is collapsing from within." 

   Shapiro wants his two children in private schools. "Their beliefs need to be reinforced and defended strongly." But...

   "Retrenchment may be successful for your kids, because you put them in a bubble, but it's not successful for your civilization." 

Tomorrow: No. 3, Does God take human form?

      Jimmy 

No. 1 of 3       
He Can Shut Down a Campus    

Ben Shapiro

   Ben Shapiro doesn't do it, but protesters violently opposed to his conservative views can shut down a college campus where he speaks. UC Berkeley spent $600,000 to put its campus on lock-down.

   Welcome to "freedom of speech" America.

   A graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law, Shapiro, 33, has been speaking and writing since age 17. He takes on the loudest voices of the Left. He loves history; as a youngster he dressed as John Adams on Halloween.

   Conservatism appealed because of its emphasis on personal responsibility, also emphasized in Judaism. But he was an early Never Trumper, concerned that the man's remarks make it hard for Republicans to reach young Hispanics.

   While some siblings drifted from their faith, Ben says, "The best proof to the truth of my faith is how its moral rules contributed to the building of Western Civilization. (It) has championed the value of women, reason, freedom and individual worth." 

   The lack of unity in America worries him. "There's a God-shaped hole in our hearts, (but) we're all filled with anger against each other. We've got no common vision...or what human happiness looks like," he said in a WORLD magazine interview.

   "When Jefferson wrote 'pursuit of happiness,' he didn't mean 'whatever floats your boat.' John Adams said the Constitution will not work unless you have moral and religious people. We don't have a common purpose anymore," he laments. 

Tomorrow: Running on fumes

       Jimmy  

   Our New Year's FAKE Prediction   

A spirit of truth & peace will wash over Washington.  

   Denizens of the swamp miraculously will realize that our Constitution would work pretty darn good if it wasn't for political parties.  

   The two major parties will dissolve. Political science professors will conduct training sessions on Capitol Hill. 

   All 535 members of Congress, plus Executive Branch leaders, including the president, and all federal judges and justices will be required to attend. Only those who ace exams on the Constitution and the Federalist Papers will be permitted to keep their positions after the 4th of July.

   Future candidates will be mandated to undergo 30 days of Constitutional training before their names may be placed on any federal ballot.    

   Additional training will be administered among lesser bureaucrats using curriculum to be developed. All voter IDs will be null and void. Voters must pass the same test given to immigrants seeking citizenship, before receiving new IDs. 

   All Americans will heartily endorse these measures.

   Finally, God will be invited back into the city, if he wishes to assume his former place of honor. 

Our New Year's Resolution

When we're enjoying our Views By the Sea, 

with its sand, water and sky, 

we resolve to remember 

our Creator who made 
the sand, water and sky.