Rep. Ilhan Omar accused President Trump of trying to create a "distraction" by killing Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an attempt to ignite a war with Iran.
"So what if Trump wants war, knows this leads to war and needs the distraction?" the Minnesota Democrat said Thursday on Twitter. "Real question is, will those with congressional authority step in and stop him? I know I will."
The Pentagon announced earlier in the evening that the United States had killed Soleimani, Iran's top "shadow commander" who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans. "This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans," the Department of Defense said in the statement. "The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world."
Trump had threatened Tuesday to retaliate against Iran after militia groups backed by the country attempted to storm the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. The president tweeted out an American flag after news of his killing was confirmed.
Question: "Why should we read the Bible / study the Bible?"
Answer: We should read and study the Bible because it is God's Word to us. The Bible is literally "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16). In other words, it is God's very words to us. There are so many questions that philosophers have asked that God answers for us in Scripture. What is the purpose to life? Where did I come from? Is there life after death? How do I get to heaven? Why is the world full of evil? Why do I struggle to do good? In addition to these "big" questions, the Bible gives much practical advice in areas such as: What do I look for in a mate? How can I have a successful marriage? How can I be a good friend? How can I be a good parent? What is success and how do I achieve it? How can I change? What really matters in life? How can I live so that I do not look back with regret? How can I handle the unfair circumstances and bad events of life victoriously?
We should read and study the Bible because it is totally reliable and without error. The Bible is unique among so-called "holy" books in that it does not merely give moral teaching and say, "Trust me." Rather, we have the ability to test it by checking the hundreds of detailed prophecies that it makes, by checking the historical accounts it records, and by checking the scientific facts it relates. Those who say the Bible has errors have their ears closed to the truth. Jesus once asked which is easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or "Rise, take up your bed and walk." Then He proved He had the ability to forgive sins (something we cannot see with our eyes) by healing the paralytic (something those around Him could test with their eyes). Similarly, we are given assurance that God's Word is true when it discusses spiritual areas that we cannot test with our senses by showing itself true in those areas that we can test, such as historical accuracy, scientific accuracy, and prophetic accuracy.
We should read and study the Bible because God does not change and because mankind's nature does not change; it is as relevant for us as it was when it was written. While technology changes, mankind's nature and desires do not change. We find, as we read the pages of biblical history, that whether we are talking about one-on-one relationships or societies, "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). And while mankind as a whole continues to seek love and satisfaction in all of the wrong places, God—our good and gracious Creator—tells us what will bring us lasting joy. His revealed Word, the Bible, is so important that Jesus said of it, "Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). In other words, if we want to live life to the fullest, as God intended, we must listen to and heed God's written Word.
We should read and study the Bible because there is so much false teaching. The Bible gives us the measuring stick by which we can distinguish truth from error. It tells us what God is like. To have a wrong impression of God is to worship an idol or false god. We are worshiping something that He is not. The Bible tells us how one truly gets to heaven, and it is not by being good or by being baptized or by anything else we do (John 14:6; Ephesians 2:1-10; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10-18, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-13). Along this line, God's Word shows us just how much God loves us (Romans 5:6-8; John 3:16). And it is in learning this that we are drawn to love Him in return (1 John 4:19).
The Bible equips us to serve God (2 Timothy 3:17; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). It helps us know how to be saved from our sin and its ultimate consequence (2 Timothy 3:15). Meditating on God’s Word and obeying its teachings will bring success in life (Joshua 1:8; James 1:25). God’s Word helps us see sin in our lives and helps us get rid of it (Psalm 119:9, 11). It gives us guidance in life, making us wiser than our teachers (Psalm 32:8, 119:99; Proverbs 1:6). The Bible keeps us from wasting years of our lives on that which does not matter and will not last (Matthew 7:24-27).
Reading and studying the Bible helps us see beyond the attractive "bait" to the painful "hook" in sinful temptations, so that we can learn from others' mistakes rather than making them ourselves. Experience is a great teacher, but when it comes to learning from sin, it is a terribly hard teacher. It is so much better to learn from others' mistakes. There are so many Bible characters to learn from, some of whom can serve as both positive and negative role models at different times in their lives. For example, David, in his defeat of Goliath, teaches us that God is greater than anything He asks us to face (1 Samuel 17), while his giving in to the temptation to commit adultery with Bathsheba reveals just how long-lasting and terrible the consequences of a moment's sinful pleasure can be (2 Samuel 11).
The Bible is a book that is not merely for reading. It is a book for studying so that it can be applied. Otherwise, it is like swallowing food without chewing and then spitting it back out again—no nutritional value is gained by it. The Bible is God's Word. As such, it is as binding as the laws of nature. We can ignore it, but we do so to our own detriment, just as we would if we ignored the law of gravity. It cannot be emphasized strongly enough just how important the Bible is to our lives. Studying the Bible can be compared to mining for gold. If we make little effort and merely "sift through the pebbles in a stream," we will only find a little gold dust. But the more we make an effort to really dig into it, the more reward we will gain for our effort.
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Report: Hunter Biden Accused of Multi-Million ‘Counterfeiting Scheme’ Linked to Burisma
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A private investigation firm, hired by a woman in Arkansas seeking to resolve an ongoing child-custody dispute with the alleged father, Hunter Biden, has “lawfully” obtained documents that claim to confirm the former vice president’s son’s involvement in “a massive, $156 million ‘counterfeiting scheme,'” Fox News reported Monday.
Speaking to Fox News Monday, D&A Investigations, the Florida-based firm hired by the woman in Arkansas “claimed the FBI and Justice Department have been investigating PrivatBank, the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma, Biden and others since April 2019 — and that the investigation remained open,” Fox News noted.
“The FBI told Fox News on Tuesday that, as a matter of policy, it does not confirm or deny the existence of ongoing investigations,” it added.
Breitbart TV
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Rep. Kennedy: If We Question Hunter Biden What About Trump's Children ?
Hunter’s work for Burisma between 2014 — when his father was leading U.S. policy towards Ukraine as U.S. vice president — and 2016 is at the center of the Democrat’s efforts to impeach President Donald Trump.
Democrats argue that Trump asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter to interfere in the upcoming presidential elections in November 2020.
The Democrats argue that Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate corruption allegations against Hunter’s employer Burisma.
In video footage, former Vice President Biden bragged that he pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor who had investigated Burisma.
Fox News reported:
The bank records [allegedly obtained by the PI firm] “verify the counterfeiting scheme accumulating $156,073,944.24 with an average account value (monthly balance) in the amount of $6,785,823.66.” Burisma, the filing claimed, financed “Atlantic Council (Ukraine) and associated rogue operatives from the [U.S. State Department], FVEY, and CrowdStrike in Ukraine, suing PrivatBank.”
The alleged scheme is linked to CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm that President Donald Trump has said is in possession of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) server that was hacked during the 2016 campaign, a claim that Democrats and some allied fact-checkers have described as a conspiracy pushed by Russia. Trump’s enemies and critics, including many Democrats, have said Russia is the real DNC server hacker.
Fox News learned from the private investigators that the multi-million crime linked to Hunter Biden is part of a money-laundering scheme linked to Ukrainian company Burisma where the former VP’s son worked despite warnings from officials under former President Barack Obama that the company is corrupt.
According to its most recent filing with the court of Independence Country in Arkansas, on December 27, D&A claimed bank documents it obtained “bear exhibit identifier(s) known by [Hunter Biden] as the subject of criminal investigation(s) both adjudicated and ongoing, of which he is a party to.”
The PI firm also alleged that the bank records “provide the source and destination bank account numbers of Burisma Holdings Limited, PrivatBank, Bank of China, [Hunter Biden’s] business partners, Rosement Seneca Bohai,” and others.
Attorney’s hired by Hunter Biden arefiringback against the explosive allegations against the son of former Vice President Biden, reported by theNew York Postlast week.
The Daily Newsletter will begin publishing at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 6.
First Up
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Here's what we're following today.
The Trump-ordered strike on a Baghdad airport overnight killed Iran’s top military leader, Gen. Qassem Soleimani.It’s the latest move in an escalation of tensions between Iran and the U.S. Soleimani was a cult figure in Iran and was famous in the Middle Eastern world the way generals seldom are.
There’s a month to go until the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, and anything can happen.
As hard as it may be to believe, the bushfires ravaging large swaths of Australia are likely to get worse in the coming days.
The Trump administration announced it will crack down on certain vaping products containing fruit, mint and other e-cigarette flavorsto keep them away from kids. Manufacturers will have 30 days to take the products off the market.
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Today's Listens
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Are men scared to see the movie version of Little Women?NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly talks with Monica Hesse of The Washington Post about why they may be hesitant to view director Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the classic American novel. (Listening time, 7:39)
More than 760 people were shot in Toronto in 2019, the worst year ever for the city’s growing gun violence problem. One reason for this rise is firearms coming in across the border from the U.S. (Listening time, 4:55)
Global Health News
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Shame and taboo have kept many issues affecting women’s bodies from getting the attention they deserve. Outspoken doctors and health advocates recommend seven ideas to focus on in 2020.
The Goats and Soda team has a few global predictions for 2020 — some grim, others optimistic — that you can print out and fold into a cute illustrated zine.
Podcast lovers, rejoice! The Pocket Casts app delivers a simple but powerful experience for listening, search and discovery. And now it’s free. Download now at PocketCasts.com or find it in the Apple App or Google Play stores.
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