TURKEY IN BIBLICAL END TIMES PROPHECY

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The Ottoman Empire, also known as the Turkish Empire, began more than 700 years ago, eventually controlling Southeast Europe as well as parts of West Asia, North Africa and the Middle East up to the early 20th century. After World War I, the Allied powers partitioned the Ottoman Empire, including what the British then called Palestine.

Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, Middle East Expert at the Moshe Dayan Centre for Middle Eastern and African Studies, says that December’s fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad opened the door for Erdogan, the president of Turkey to implement his goal of reviving an empire beginning with Syria. “We all witnessed that since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, the Turkish president did all he could to support the Syrian opposition. And he sees the current Syrian administration as his core ally. By providing some civilian services like paving the roads, railways, providing radar, and repairing airports and other facilities, Turkey is creating here a very important dependency from the Syrian side,” Yanarocak explained. He adds that Turkey is the only country declaring an intention to build up the new Syrian army, which the US has demanded that it destroy its chemical weapons and renounce terrorism.

On paper, Israel and Turkey have shared diplomatic relations since 1949, although Erdogan’s recent moves put that at risk. “The Turkish president, at the end of the Muslim Eid el-Fitr celebrations, he wished for the destruction of Israel. And for Israel, especially after October the 7th, you know, we cannot tolerate some future threats,” he said. Since the Assad regime fell, Israel has bombed weapons stockpiles and strategic military locations while establishing a buffer zone along its border with Syria.  Israel is concerned both with those who control Syria and with Turkey’s involvement. “They are already building governmental facilities to show sovereignty in the Syrian land as well. You see Turkey building post offices, Turkish post offices, banks, Turkish banks that are using Turkish currency, and schools,” Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told CBN News. Haskel says Israel has two priorities regarding Syria: the safety of Israel and the protection of minorities, including the Christians, Druze, and Kurds. Then there’s Turkey.

“Turkey is a great concern in what is happening in Syria now, not just that we need to hear their declarations and their speeches of their leadership. And that’s really concerning – in particular, statements concerning this force in regard to Jerusalem. There are declarations which are a red line in regard to Israel, but it shows their intention,” Haskel said. Haskel adds that intention goes beyond Israel. “I think that after what had happened in Syria, they feel like they’re on a high horse. But that should be a great concern to all the neighbouring countries around,” she added.  President Trump recently offered to smooth out any difficulties between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Erdogan. “Any problem that you have with Turkey, I think I can solve, I mean as long as you are reasonable. You have to be reasonable. We have to be reasonable,” Trump said in a statement. Yanarocak says it’s also the first time the US could have access to Syria, which used to be under Russia’s thumb and is now being influenced by Turkey, a NATO member.

Biblical prophecy reveals in Daniel 8 that Turkey (the Goat and Sunni) puts down Iran (the Ram and Shia) in its attempt to re-establish a revived Ottoman Empire. However, we are also told that it is broken up into four, probably by the United Nations, which would not countenance the re-establishment of an Ottoman Empire that once threatened the world.

“And the goat (Turkey) had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came to the ram (Iran) with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath... And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.” Daniel 8:5-8

We are also told the little horn (Antichrist) comes out of one of these Muslim nations. God has given us this information, so we should use it in our efforts to evangelise unbelievers.

“Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the host of heaven.” Daniel 8:9-10

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

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Pastor John Piper responds to a viral social media post by Jordan Peterson stating that life’s purpose is meaning rather than happiness. Piper insists believers glorify God by finding true joy in Him even amid suffering. I agree with Piper’s view.

‘In your presence [O God] there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore’ Psalm 16:11

In a Nov. 12, 2024, post on X that garnered 2.1 million views and 31,000 likes​, Peterson, a Canadian psychologist, wrote, “Life is suffering. The purpose of life is not to be happy, but to find something that sustains you in spite of suffering.”

In response to a reader who asked the pastor to share his thoughts on the topic, Piper, founder of Desiring God, acknowledged a core truth in Peterson’s message: chasing superficial, momentary pleasure is futile. 

Peterson is “right that for most people, happiness is experienced as fleeting, superficial, unpredictable, and impulsive” when pursued as an end in itself, Piper said in a recent episode of his “Ask Pastor John” podcast.

He also agreed that life should indeed be “profoundly meaningful” rather than spent in pursuit of empty pleasures. “I want people to have lives that are profoundly meaningful. So, amen, yes,” Piper noted.

However, the author of Don’t Waste Your Life diverges from Peterson on the role of happiness in life’s purpose. Piper stressed that the concept of happiness shouldn’t be discarded but redeemed. 

In contrast to Peterson’s approach of abandoning “happiness” as a life goal, Piper contended that true, deep happiness “rooted in God” is not only legitimate but essential​. 

The Minnesota-based pastor cautioned that even “meaning” can become an empty concept if divorced from God.

“I’ve been pursuing a different strategy than Jordan Peterson in the hope of rescuing people from the pursuit of fleeting, unpredictable, impulsive, superficial and (I would add) God-dishonoring, Christ-diminishing, Bible-ignoring, damning happiness,” he said. 

Drawing from biblical teaching, Piper laid out five key points to explain why joy in God stands at the heart of creation and the Christian life. First, Piper said God created the world to display His glory.​

“Creation is the overflow of God’s exuberance in being God,” he explained, meaning the universe exists to showcase God’s greatness, beauty and worth​.

“You might say that creation is the overflow of God’s exuberance in being God, in being great and beautiful and valuable, supremely so — so much so that He means to go public with His glory and communicate it,” he said.

Second, human beings are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and designed to reflect that glory​, Piper said, adding: “That’s what images are for; they image forth what they are images of.”

Third, Piper addressed the reality of sin and suffering, emphasizing that no one lives out God’s purpose perfectly; in fact, humanity has turned away and become “enemies of God.”​

Fourth, Piper stressed that being “supremely happy” in God is crucial to honouring Him, a principle that lies at the heart of his perspective. The pastor defined the term in a 2015 piece as “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

“Being supremely happy in God […] is essential to glorifying God and showing that He’s supremely valuable,” he said, “and this is true especially in our suffering.”

When believers continue to delight in God amid trials, it demonstrates that God is more precious than health, comfort or any earthly gain, he said. “If we can maintain a deep and unshaken happiness in God through suffering, we make Him look as precious as He really is,” Piper explained​.

Finally, Piper noted that if God is most glorified when His creation is satisfied in Him, then pursuing joy in God is not optional but commanded​.

“Happiness, joy, pleasure — they’re not optional for the Christian,” he said, pointing to the Bible’s many calls to rejoice. Scripture repeatedly instructs believers to “Delight yourself in the Lord” and “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

“Enjoying Him is not a by-product of something greater. It is the essence of human greatness. It is the essence of worship.”

John Piper should have included the most important aspect of living out the Christian life: Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to indwell our spirit so we can live a new life in Christ. He is our counsellor, teacher, comforter and helper. He produces the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, kindness, and self-control. He also provides the nine gifts of the Spirit for ministry. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Our responsibility is to allow Him to direct our steps each day by saying, “not my will but your will be done” today.

HYBRID DEMON/HUMAN BEINGS ON EARTH

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“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15

The Messiah, Jesus, would bruise the Serpent’s head. Jesus came in the flesh from heaven by way of the Holy Spirit, who mixed with the seed of woman. If this was true of “her seed,” then according to the hermeneutical consistency, the seed of the Serpent ought to be interpreted in like manner. What this means is that since Jesus (in His bodily incarnation) was a genetic mix between the heavenly (Holy Spirit) and earthly (Mary), the same ought to be for the other part of the verse and therefore true of Satan’s seed; that is to say that he (and his angels) would mix his (genetic) seed (gametes) with a human thereby creating a hybrid between the demonic and human.

The Bible calls this kind of progeny Nephilim—that is, fallen ones.

“For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell [tartarosas the underworld prison] and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.” 2 Peter 2:4-5

Jesus and Peter are telling us more than just the swiftness of the destruction that came upon the earth in Noah’s day. Their words give us clues to the condition of the world at that time. We must not miss that the first-century Jew, without any apparent exception, believed that in the days of Noah, demons (sons of God) came down to earth and had relations with women, spawning a race of demonic-human hybrids. When Jesus spoke of the days of Noah, all the listeners would have believed that fallen angels and demonic-human hybrids were rampant on the earth at that time. The ancient Christian and Jewish interpreters confirm that Satan has been seeking to overturn the Genesis 3:15 prophecy and destroy mankind.

1 Enoch 6-7 elaborates on this angelic revolt and even names the ringleaders. The next post will give the Grok 3 response to a question on these leaders.

Scriptures tell us that in the end times, we will see demon/human hybrid creatures on earth again, just like in the days before Noah’s flood.

KNOWING GOD IS IN CONTROL

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“I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose. Isaiah 46:10

Sometimes, we need the reminder that God knows the future and can do what is humanly impossible. He knows what is eternally best in ways we cannot. God can see ultimate purposes and plans that we can’t. We also need to understand that God is in control.

Countries where the people once honoured God, recognising that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” 2 Corinthians 5:19, experienced unprecedented security and prosperity. These same countries today are crumbling as people turn their backs on God. ” Righteousness lifts up a nation, but sin is a shame to any people.” Proverbs 14:34.

As nations turn their backs on God, living as if He does not exist, sin abounds; political corruption, lying, slander, public displays of debauchery, violent crime, abortion, theft, adultery, drug taking, drunkenness, gambling, and greed of all kinds. Economic woes follow as taxes increase and governments borrow money to pay for bigger police forces, gaols, and social security systems to fix the problems. Underpinning this abandonment of faith in God is the widespread acceptance of evolutionary thinking – that everything made itself by natural processes and that God is not necessary. The complex design we see in the world designed itself. God says they are without excuse if they ignore the obvious.

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20

Sadly, such thinking abounds in universities and governments today. As a result, some of the greatest evil ever seen perpetrated was by those who adopted an evolutionary approach to morality: Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Pol Pot. Many millions have suffered terribly and lost their lives because of this atheistic way of thinking. Atheism kills because, without God, there are no rules – anything goes. Atheists are at the forefront of efforts to legitimise abortion, euthanasia, drug taking, prostitution, pornography, and promiscuity. All these things cause misery, suffering, and death. Atheism is the philosophy of death, and it comes from the great deceiver, Satan, who is intent on our destruction.

The Bible reveals that God knew this would happen and that before Jesus returns to restore righteousness, His followers will be persecuted for His namesake.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14

You need to be living eternal now, ready for Jesus’ return. My book is available on Amazon.

WE CAN THANK GOD THAT HE DOES NOT ANSWER ALL OF OUR PRAYERS

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Here is a great article by Randy Alcorn entitled “God Is Just as Good When He Doesn’t Do What We Want” in Patheos on February 20, 2025.

There is a great phrase many say: “God is good.“ That is certainly true and an appropriate thing to proclaim. However, many of us say it routinely only when life goes our way. “Traffic was easy today, I made all the lights, and I wasn’t late for work or class—God is good!” When we hear that God has healed someone, inevitably someone says, “God is good.“ True enough.

But when God chose not to answer our prayers for my wife Nancy’s healing after 4 1/2 years of almost never missing our evening prayer time, does that mean God was, in our case, not good? Of course not. God is good not only when He does what we want but also when He doesn’t. This is when people who lose their faith are right in losing it because they are losing a faith that is not a true biblical faith.

As long as we hold on to vestiges of prosperity theology (which teaches that God will bless with material abundance and good health those who obey Him and lay claim to His promises), we set ourselves up to lose our faith, and perhaps ultimately to walk away from God. Because if God has to do what we want in order for us to be happy, then He is not our master but our servant.

I believe prosperity theology is from the pit of Hell. It confuses and misleads people about God and what He has and has not promised. When my friend Greg was dying when I was 16 years old and he was 18, I thought I knew beyond any shadow of doubt that God would heal Him. I claimed the reality of that healing, fully expecting it. When he died, I learned the painful lesson that we do not necessarily get our way when we pray.

It doesn’t mean God does not answer prayer; it doesn’t mean that God is not honored by our prayers. It certainly does mean that we need to be careful when we claim Christ has promised things, because when we proclaim false promises, we misrepresent Him, undermine His truths, and distort the reality of how He loves His people.

LIVING IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF THE WORLD

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To be “in the world but not of the world” is one of those sayings that make sense, but it remains undeniably easier said than done. As Christians, we understand that we are in the world, passing through, on our way to eternity. We also understand that we are not to be of the world in the sense that we submit our lives to Christ, putting off the desires of the flesh, avoiding temptations, and resisting evil. We understand these things, but how can we ensure we’re living them out?

“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world,” Jesus prayed. “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” John 17:14-16

How do we juggle the balance of loving unbelievers while not condoning their worldliness? How can we navigate discourse between those we disagree with? For many of us, it may be safe to say that we have a sense of needing to find unity where we can with those around us. And yet, in that pursuit, we must not neglect the command to speak the truth boldly and in love. To help us with this endeavour, there are a few goals worth prioritizing.

  1. Put God and His Word first.

No matter what you’re doing, who you’re talking to, where you’re going, or what you’re hoping for, putting God and His word first is the most important task for the believer. Proverbs 3:6 states, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” The two greatest commandments are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbours as ourselves. These are all in God’s word, and these are all rooted in putting God first. It’s glorifying to God to share His truth. It glorifies Him for us to love others and to be people who bear the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

When He is the one our gaze is fixed upon, we see the world differently. We’re quicker to see others (especially those of the world) not merely as obstacles or irritants but as people made in the image of God. We see sinners not so much as stumbling blocks but as people needing saving — just as we all are.

If you want to be a light to everyone around you, then make sure the Source of light is deeply and firmly planted within you. Be engaged in His word. Seek Him daily in prayer. Earnestly seek to glorify Him in all that you do, and you just may find yourself walking in a posture ready to communicate with anyone about anything in a way that is dignified, loving, truthful, and fruitful.

  1. Understand the biblical definition of love.

Jesus said in John 13:35 that His disciples will be known for their love. Of course, what is loving in biblical terms does not align with what the world defines love to be. And so, if we’re to be in the world but not of it, we must come to terms with the fact that we will have conversations with people we don’t agree with that won’t go particularly well. We can do everything in our power to be cool, calm, and collected, but it doesn’t change the fact that the truth is inherently offensive to those of the world. But as Christians, we know there is nothing more loving than to share this truth. A precise definition of biblical love can be found in 1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” The truth can hurt, and it can hurt badly. But to experience hurt is not the same as to experience harm. The truth is love and freedom, and remembering this will help us hold our ground in conversations with people who are not like-minded. And at the end of the day, their responses are not in our control.

  1. Make sure you know what you believe and why.

This may actually be one of the most crucial steps to finding the balance of seeking unity while holding your ground. 1 Peter 3:15 states, “In your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” Ephesians 4:15 talks about being equipped for ministry “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” The point is that we should have conviction about what we believe. We should be able to clearly define and defend it.

  1. Stay humble.

Humility is not only biblical, but it’s necessary for healthy dialogue. Humility helps us approach conversations with the right attitude. It helps us respond better to those who do not behave well. It helps us be more compassionate when we’re dealing with difficult people or having dicey conversations. We are all sinful, imperfect, messy humans. Humility reminds us of that.

Summary: Between the goals of putting God first, understanding what true love is, knowing what you believe, and staying humble, you will be walking a path to success. A great anonymous quote “Jesus sat with sinners; He didn’t sin with them. Know the difference.” And remember the words found in Luke 12: 11b-12: “Do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” He is always with us. And praise be that He gives us the strength, wisdom, and discernment needed to live in and not of this world.

This an abbreviated version of an article in The Washington Stand entitled Living in the World, Not of It: The Balance of Finding Unity While Standing Firm in Truth by Sarah Holliday

THE TIMING OF JESUS RETURN

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I have just discovered John Bevere’s teaching on the end times. I have posted many videos by Nelson Walters, Jonathan Cahn, and others on the end times, but it is always good to find somebody new preaching a Biblically based message.

In this episode, John and his son, Arden Bevere, explore Jesus’ second coming, proving through Scripture that we are in the generation of the end. They unpack prophetic signs, the dangers of deception, and the importance of enduring with a love for truth. This conversation also dives into Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy and how it connects to Jesus’ first and second coming. Don’t miss this eye-opening episode that will deepen your understanding of the end times and strengthen your faith!

THE GREAT COMMISSION PART TWO

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Since Jesus gave His Great Commission many nations have been taken over and ruled by Christians with God’s Law and for His glory. When God told one man, Moses, to free His people from Egypt, the most powerful empire in the world, and set up a new nation with His Law, that must have seemed impossible (Ex. 3:10-12).

For Moses to be successful, God promised him only one thing – “I will be with you.” For us to be successful today, Jesus promised us the same one thing – “I am with you.” This is the only mandate Jesus gave us where He said, “I am with you.” Now the impossible becomes possible, actually inevitable… if we believe and obey like Moses did:

By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them” Hebrews 11:33

The word “go”, in the Great Commission is in the continuous tense – “go and keep on going.” Jesus made clear He’s commanding this for every generation – “even to the end of the ages.”

Historically we see the Apostles eventually going to the four corners of the earth. Ethiopia and Armenia were some of the earliest nations to became Christian nations – ruled by Christian civil leaders and ruled under God’s Law. In time the whole Roman Empire, through Constantine the Great, threw out pagan law and replaced it with God’s Law. Previously persecuted Elders/Bishops became Constantine’s continual advisors and teachers – teaching God’s Law to Constantine, as Jesus commanded. 

When the United States was founded, most Americans were Christians, even those who did not fully embrace the Christian worldview. This was definitely true of all political leaders.

The United States became strong and also had oceans on each side protecting it. As a result, for the first time in world history, for generations Christian leaders in American no longer felt they needed to concern themselves with politics or civil leaders that might persecute them. Therefore, most spiritual leaders totally neglected applying the Bible for political leaders or civil government. But in the latter part of the 20th century, Christians in American for the first time began to see the consequences of their biblical civil neglect – reaping a growing number of anti-biblical laws. Also media, political leaders and educational institutions began targeting Christians..

After generations of God’s biblical civil mandate being ignored, most Christians today are Scripturally clueless of this. But I would ask, is Satan more powerful than God? Satan’s missionaries have Satanized nation after nation. Either the devil and his people rule Christians or Jesus and His people rule Christians and non-Christians. Which do you think God’s wants? There is NO third alternative.

Jim McCotter tells a great story about a communist student leader who came to know Christ. Soon afterwards he asked Jim, why are Christians not trying to take over the university’s daily newspaper? Not too long later, he and some of the other Christian students got control of the university’s daily newspaper! It was like a Christian revolution started. Over time thousands of students came to know Christ. But what was interesting was how this young former communist, soon after he became a Christian, had a more biblical vision of Christianizing the whole university and town than most traditional Christians ever thought of.

Jim has another story about another former communist who had become a Christian. But before being converted, he was the communist prime minister of Ethiopia in the 1990’s. After being head of state for five years, he began to question his communist way of thinking. When his fellow communists realized he was questioning communism, one night, they suddenly grabbed him and threw him in prison to never be seen again. After seven years in solitary confinement someone smuggled to him a small New Testament. He said that he had never seen a Bible before, nor ever heard the name of Jesus, nor ever met a Christian. However, when he soon read what Jesus said about Himself, he knew Jesus was who he was looking for all his life (John 14:6):

“Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

For the next five years, day and night in solitary confinement, he said that he never stopped reading his little New Testament. He said, when he was a communist, with 20 others they established a 1,000 small communist cell groups in homes all over the cities, like New Testament house churches. He said, that’s how they were eventually able to take over Ethiopia at that time.

When he was no longer a threat to the new government, miraculously he got out of prison after 12 years in solitary confinement. He said, the first thing he wanted to do was find the Christians and join them, and like the New Testament to now help take Ethiopia for Christianity, like he had previously done for communism. He said, “But I was shocked when I met the Christian leaders… having no zeal or vision to take over our nation for Christ. And I was further shocked when I saw their enormous expensive church buildings and they did not even believe in NT house churches.” May God convict us today to be all out to follow His Word, for His cause and glory.

“By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them” Hebrews 11:33

For more information on The Great Commission and the church as God intended, go to Jim McCotter’s website, http://www.jimsbookstore.com.

TRUMP’S INAUGURATION SPEECH

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You need to watch and listen to Graham’s prayer and Trump’s speech. I was pleasantly surprised that most of his policies align with Scripture. For one, the law will acknowledge that there are only two sexes, male and female. The LGBTQ agenda in educational institutions will be eradicated. God will not be forgotten and be put back into His rightful place. “IN GOD, WE TRUST” on the USA banknotes will be meaningful again. The World has indeed just changed for the better.

The walls of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that were built throughout the Biden administration appear to be crumbling right before our eyes. In recent days, numerous companies and institutions have been forgoing their DEI programs and offices. Shortly after taking office, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey (R) used his new position to end all state-funded DEI programs. And now, in a decision opponents of DEI have long waited for, the FBI has officially announced that they closed their DEI office.

Trump’s reaction: Why is it that they’re closing one day before the Inauguration of a new Administration? Is the reason CORRUPTION!”

SCOTT MORRISON’S TESTIMONY OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

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Love this quote from Scott Morrisons’ new book Plans for Your Good – A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness.

“It doesn’t matter what your vocation is, what job you have, what you’re doing in life. The prize is Christ and His presence. That’s what will sustain you always in everything.”

The former prime minister of Australia explained to The Christian Post how God sustained him when he led his country through an especially tumultuous time, and explained how he has learned to find his value not in power, but in God’s love for him.

Scott Morrison, a Christian who served as Australia’s 30th prime minister from 2018 to 2022, detailed his faith journey in his 2024 book, Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness.

The book posits three main questions based on Jeremiah 29:11, exhorting readers to consider “Who am I?,” “How should I live?,” and “What should I hope for?” The book provides pastoral reflections on how to answer such fundamental questions while weaving compelling stories from his own life and time in office. Morrison emphasized to CP that the book is not a political memoir, but rather a message of hope to readers facing their own doubts and struggles.

Morrison is also very open in his book about how he began to suffer anxiety attacks while serving as prime minister that required medication in 2021. He urged Christians not to be ashamed if they need help with their mental health amid what he described as “an anxiety crisis, particularly in Western society.”

“Anxiety is human,” he said, adding that his anxiety was not caused by policy challenges or security threats, but rather “physical exhaustion combined with the tenacious, relentless, personal, vindictive attacks — principally through secular voices in the media and opponents.”

“We’re all flesh and blood, mind and spirit,” he said. “And these things can affect us.”

“I say to Christians that you take a pill for a headache, and your mental health is no different,” he said. “The stresses that we labor under at times need that sort of support.”

“I was on my knees at that time, I was praying, I was seeking the counsel and support of Christian friends and others, but there are physical things that happen that can affect your mental health, and you’ve got to be mindful of those things.”

Morrison also said Christians should acknowledge the spiritual aspect of anxiety by casting their anxieties on the Lord.

“As Christians, we need to learn how we can just hand these things over to God; the anxieties are real, the things we’re anxious about are real,” he added. “We can’t pretend they’re not there, and we’ve just got to deal with them and hand them over to Him and allow Him to give us peace.”

‘Constant source of strength and wisdom’

Morrison stressed the importance of having a community of believers who upheld him in prayer while he was in office, including a tight-knit group of pastors.

“You can’t live your faith other than in community of brothers and sisters in Christ, and that’s intentional by design, I believe,” he said.

“God helps us when we’re on our knees in prayer; He helps us when we’re reflecting on His work, and He also encourages us and supports us through those he puts around us. I’ve always been blessed with that, and, frankly, sought it out.”

Morrison suggested the increasingly secular nature of Western societies makes Christian fellowship even more vital.

“You can’t live in a secular society faithfully and strongly if you’re not in a community of those who love Christ,” he said. “They are a constant source of strength and wisdom and support and love, and to be in such a community is one of the great joys and blessings of Christian life.”

‘We don’t have to prove anything’

A section in the third chapter of Morrison’s book delves into the many setbacks and failures he has suffered, starting with when he was fired from his job in the country’s tourism agency during his late 30s. He claims he was fired for political reasons by then-Prime Minister John Howard, with whom he had a good relationship and whose campaign he worked for.

The experience, he writes, was “humiliating and soul destroying,” but revealed to him how much he was placing his self-worth in his own accomplishments instead of in God’s unconditional love for him.

“We don’t have to prove anything to God, even the things we think we are doing for Him,” Morrison writes. “God’s love has nothing to do with what we think we can offer. He loves us just as we are, in all our brokenness.”

“God’s love is transformational if you allow it to be. It’s one thing to accept it; it’s entirely another to let it transform you and allow you to see yourself through His eyes instead of through the perspective of what you have or haven’t accomplished.”

That lesson would prove invaluable throughout the rest of his life and steel him to experience other losses, including ultimately losing reelection as prime minister in 2022. He writes that while some politicians who lose begin to crave the “relevance” they lost, he is free from such an “affliction.”

Morrison suggested to CP that one of the greatest lessons he has learned is God’s faithfulness regardless of what vocation to which he is called in the different seasons of his life.

“I just found God faithful to me in every walk of life, whether it was as prime minister, as a treasurer, as a cabinet minister, a member of parliament, a father, senior chief executive, all these sorts of things that I’ve done over the course of my life,” he said.