1) “Lawlessness Ablaze” (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Blog)
From the article — It is an all too obvious and very tragic truth that our world is absolutely ablaze in lawlessness. Absolutely, out of control ablaze. Nevertheless, there remain Christians who stick their head in comfortable sand and try to ignore the flames, while other believers naively downplay the extraordinary degrees of rebellion, blasphemy, and bloodshed of our time, insisting that modern society’s lawlessness is no worse than previous eras in history. The facts are terribly clear, however, that the ever-escalating levels of lawlessness which Holy Scripture reveals as an alarming signal of the end times can be seen daily all around us.
And the evidence of this lawlessness ablaze is not merely shown in the actions of the primary lawless deeds themselves, but also in the gross inefficiency, indifference, even enablement of our broken judicial system. Indeed, rather than acting as firemen dousing the flames, our modern politics, courts and prosecution policies actually aid and abet the arsonists. For instance, members of my generation can recall days when there were appropriate (and swift) penalties for crimes. But now? Justice is drowned in a complicated, corrupted sea of reduced charges, plea bargains, low (even cashless) bail, early parole and probation policies, laughable “community service” options, and so on. It wasn’t that long ago that “three strike” laws and extended punishment guarantees for gun crimes would put career criminals away for life. But today’s policies excuse and coddle thugs, quickly putting them back on the street to rob, rape, and murder again. Capital punishment even for such crimes as murder, rape, kidnapping, and treason? Forget about it…
And what then of the Christian’s attitude and action in this eschatological crisis? Here are a few of the responses I think are the most important…
2) “The Muslim Long Game: From Syria To Europe And America, Islam’s Global Strategy Is On Full Display” (Amir Tsarfati, Harbinger’s Daily)
From the article — Al-Sharaa’s soft takeover is indicative of Islam’s global strategy. The clearest sign of this is in Europe where Muslim violence is blending with the vicious nature of the radical left to steal the peace of the continent. Pope Leo XIV criticized Catholics last week who feel threatened by the mass immigration of Muslims to Europe, but I’m not sure what he’s looking at. During this Christmas season, Europe has become a target-rich environment. Just this past week, in Brussels, Muslims crashed a Christmas market and stole and decapitated a figurine of Jesus.
In Milan and many other cities throughout Europe, Islamists and leftists have climbed statues and blasted music at the peaceful gatherings of people just wanting to celebrate the season.
In Paris, an Algerian woman working as a nanny tried to poison the Jewish family she was working for by putting household chemicals in their food. About 200 miles southwest of Paris in Nantes, Muslims and far-left activists attempted to destroy a Catholic bookstore, claiming it was fascist for selling the Bible, Christian books, and statues of Jesus and Mary. But, again, the Pope says you shouldn’t feel threatened by that, so who are you going to believe, the Pope or your own lying eyes?
Many Europeans are fed up and want to get rid of the invaders, including seven out of ten Danes who are now supporting remigration of any immigrant who commits a crime. Unfortunately, Danish policies have made their bed already, and now they have to lie in it.
But it’s not just Europe. It’s global. Even as Khalid Al Hail, president of Qatar’s opposition party made it clear that “Qatar will never allow Hamas to give up its weapons”, FBI director Kash Patel signed two MOUs (memorandums of understanding) with the Gulf nation’s Ministry of Interior to expand bilateral security cooperation in training, intelligence sharing, and capacity-building.
Related articles: “Islam’s Trojan Horse is inside the gates” (Troy Carico, 1819 News)…”Hollow Sanctuaries: When Churches Become Mosques” (Kevin Cohen, American Spectator)…”Austria Bans Head Scarves in Schools For Girls Under 14-Years-Old” (Oliver JJ Lane, Breitbart)
3) “Stopping the Bloodshed: Testimony of Tony Perkins before U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa” (Washington Stand)
From the article — Although the RSF and SAF are in conflict with each other, they have a common enemy in Christians, whom they do not see as fitting their Islamic vision for Sudan. Churches have been targeted by both the RSF and SAF. Christians have been denied food aid and told, “Unless you leave your Christianity, no food for you.” They, along with all the other people of Sudan caught in the crossfire, are the true victims here.
Regional actors are exacerbating this conflict. While the United Arab Emirates’ support of the RSF is in the news, other nations have their hands in Sudan as well to wield influence (Egypt, for example, is the primary backer of the SAF) and extract resources. Iran, Egypt, and Turkey have supplied drones to the SAF. Russia initially backed the RSF in exchange for access to gold, but then switched sides. Just a few weeks ago, it was reported that the Sudanese government offered Russia its first naval base in Africa in Port Sudan.
The ongoing refugee crisis, along with internal displacement and mass starvation, remain significant challenges. Nearly 12 million people are internally displaced, and over four million people have left the country. According to the UN Refugee Agency, many of these refugees have gone to Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan. Chad and South Sudan now face food shortages themselves and do not have the infrastructure to sustain the inflow of people. The Nuba Mountains area, in particular, is in need of more aid that is free from the interference of the RSF and SAF.
With more than 150,000 people dead from the past few years of conflict, and with the death toll only continuing to rise, we must take action.
4) “Cry the Beloved Europe? — America warns Europe that only one of them is truly fighting to reverse the West’s decline — and the clock is running out for the other to follow suit.” (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)
From the article — More than ten percent of Europe’s resident population is now foreign-born—some 45 million people. However, the European host, unlike a classless America, does not have a long tradition of melting-pot assimilation, integration, and acculturation. Unlike America’s mostly Christian-nation immigration patterns, European immigrants are predominantly from the Middle East and North Africa, Islamic, and increasingly anti-Western. Far too many of Europe’s immigrants profess too little desire to assimilate into what they consider a culturally decadent place—one that, ironically, they have no desire to leave.
The Christian Church, the linchpin of Western civilization, was born in Europe. Yet nowhere do atheism, agnosticism, and open hostility to Christendom grow stronger. Europe, the birthplace of a dynamic Western military tradition, has been, by contemporary standards and at least until recently, virtually disarmed and unable to protect its own borders or interests. Europe’s overregulation and war on fossil fuels, combined with a generous social welfare state, have resulted in too little revenue and too many costly dependents.
Americans dare to lecture Europe because the same Western pathologies—open borders, unassimilated immigrants, tribalism, declining fertility, green fanaticism, unsustainable budget deficits, and massive national debt—are likewise beginning to threaten America. But unlike Europe, millions of Americans at the eleventh hour are galvanizing to stop their own insidious downward spiral.
Other Europe-related articles: “Dr. Simon Goddek on the Reality in Europe Today” (Rush Babe 49, Calling All Rush Babes)…”Britain is a neurocracy: Our leaders are exasperated with the people they serve.” (Spaceman Spiff, Postcards from the Abyss)…”Chat Control: The EU’s Plan to Read Your Messages — All of Them” (Drieu Godefridi, Gatestone Institute)…”Why Is Italy Killing Its Women? — When a nation of beauty and civility starts legislating against barbarism, it’s admitting a cultural collision it can no longer ignore.” (John Mac Ghlionn, American Spectator)
5) “The Prophetic Significance Of Socialism’s Rise In America” (Mark Hitchcock, Harbinger’s Daily)
From the article — We have witnessed a real turnaround in America, with people increasingly moving in the direction of socialist candidates. Let’s not forget that socialist Bernie Sanders almost won the Democratic presidential primary in 2020. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is an avowed socialist who is steadily rising within the Democratic Party. Zohran Mamdani is a self-professed “proud Democratic socialist” who just won the mayoral race in New York City.
In the United States House of Representatives, Cory Bush, Greg Casar, and Rashida Tlaib are vocal socialists. Recently, Tennessee state representative Aftyn Bane, a Democrat who ran on a socialist platform, nearly won a seat in the US House of Representatives. She lost by only nine points in a district that went for President Trump by 22 points!
This dangerous ideology is literally being elected by the hundreds all across our nation in various offices at the federal, state, and local levels. Socialism is clearly on the rise, and there are no signs that it is stopping. In fact, every sign indicates it will continue to mushroom.
The rise of Socialism has profound implications for the future of our nation and, given the fact that America is the global leader, it also has ramifications for the entire globe. It’s nothing short of meteoric. However, beyond those concerns, the popularity of Socialism also has strong prophetic overtones that I believe will pave the way for the rise of the world’s final great tyrant: the antichrist.
5 other recommended articles from the week:
* “Socialized Medicine and its inevitable result. In Canada, woman offered ‘Medical Assistance in Dying’ in lieu of the surgery she needs.” (Rush Babe 49, Calling All Rush Babes)
* “The Manufactured Rise of Nick Fuentes: How artificial virality tricked the platforms — and the press — into elevating a fringe voice.” (Colin Wright, Reality’s Last Stand)
* “Violent migrants are a far greater threat than the Russians” (Richard North, TCW)
* “Stop Recycling Plastic” (I & I Editorial Board)
* “Climate Activists Are Pricing Coloradans Out Of Heating Their Homes” (Helen Raleigh, Federalist)